#you don't understand how much i love this goopy man

[nashdoesstuff]

I LOVE SHATTERED YOU DON'T UNDERSTANDDDDDDD

More dark kcrm (just two of them heh) for the birthday fruit @orange-dreamzer <3

[pasta-in-the-pudding]

I just read ur Masky angst post and I now need a fic where the reader and Tim both bond over the hallucinations they’ve been having ☹️☹️

The reader starts getting them but avoids telling Tim, then one day he notices the reader staring at an empty window facing the forest. At that moment, something clicks and he just KNOWS. So he approaches the reader and they talk abt it, from then on its them against the world or that weird tall man…

—love ur work btw 🙏

I'm not doing the font thing anymore im tired of it 😭 anyways YES i love this idea!!

Divider credits go to @saradika-graphics! Go follow them and support their work

Thank you so much for requesting!!

Tiresome (part 2)

It saw you, you know it did

You don't think you were supposed to see it, though

Ever since that night with Tim, things have been....different

You find yourself drifting off almost constantly, and when you come back to the present moment you are almost always facing the forest by your apartment

Then the ringing starts

At first it's barely noticeable, just a ringing in your ear every now and then

But it continues ramping up the closer and closer you get to the forest, if you were to sit out on your balcony your hearing would be completely filled with the ringing

The ringing gives you headaches, really painful ones that never seem to go away

You go to the doctor to see if they can give you any prescribed pain meds, but they don't have anything except a recommendation to drink more water and spend less time on electronics

Eventually you get so tired of the ringing that you decide to just pop any kind of pills that look like they'd do something

You eventually reach Tim's mystery pills, he still hasn't told you what they're for, and the label has been scratched off so you can't even see a name or dosage

Nothing else has worked yet, so you decide to take your chances and pop a pill into your mouth

After about 30 minutes, the pills kick in and everything becomes quiet.....still

Life is normal again, not filled by the eerie sense of dread and fear you have whenever you glance at the forest

The ringing is gone

The pills work for a little bit, but then your condition worsens

You begin seeing static at random times, and whenever your vision returns, you are standing right outside of the forest

You begin to take more and more pills per day, and with how many Tim has, he doesn't seem to notice

You've begun to notice a schedule of sorts to your hallucinations, they happen every evening around 6pm and every morning around 7am

Exactly when Tim leaves and returns

You begin trying to resist these weird spells, locking yourself into your bathroom when you hear the ringing

However, if you don't give in, you will eventually get a brain splitting migraine and begin vomiting this thick black goopy substance

You are able to hide your condition for a while though, despite this

One night when Tim gets home earlier than usual, he finally seems to have confirmation in your strange behavior

The sliding door to your balcony is wide open, the cool night air blowing the curtains into the apartment

You are standing at the edge of the balcony, leaning against the railing with an almost empty stare into the forest

Tim comes up behind you, pressing a hand to your back and asking if you're alright

You won't move your gaze away, only dreamily whisper "He's coming to get me"

This is when it clicks for him, seemingly he understands everything at that moment

His eyes widen, he grabs you by your shoulders and shakes you lightly "Hey, hey, listen to me. Whatever you think you see, you don't. He isn't real, he isn't coming for you."

You sleepily look back over to the forest, before your breath catches in your throat and your entire body fills with fear "He's coming to get me" You say with a trembly voice

"He's coming to get me! He's coming to get me! He's coming to get me!" You repeat over and over again, desperately trying to escape Tim's grasp so you can run off

Tim rushes you inside, locks the balcony door and closes the curtains, all while you are still adamant that "he's coming to get you"

He sits you down on the couch and grabs a few pills from a nearby bottle, stuffing at least 3 into your mouth and making you swallow them

"Y/n, you have to listen to me. He is not real. I know he seems really real, but he's not real. He's a hallucination your brain created, just like me, ok?"

It is then that you puke all over the coffee table, the pills coming right back up with it, the same black goopy substance coating the carpet

"Shit, shit, shit" Tim mutters to himself, picking you up and carrying you into a spare closet

The lights begin to flicker and static covers both of your visions

He sets you down in the closet and holds onto you for dear life, shushing you and trying his best to close the door with limited vision

You don't know how many hours or days you two stayed like this, hunched together in this small closet, being unable to see and only being able to pray that he leaves soon

When he does finally leave and your vision clears, you are both quiet for many hours before you finally speak

"He's coming for both of us"

[brooklynisher]

Here's a bunch of old sketchbook doodles I made y'all

Stick around bc this includes my first SPG drawings!! (Before I joined Tumblr)

Riveting start

I'll start off with little drawings I made of myself. And my god do you see what I'm doing with the anatomy? Do you see how tiny those joints are? That's horrific. Why did I build everyone like that? But Yugo is where I began to find my art style. Will love them forever for that. I've got to go back to simple-shaped heads one of these days and blush/eyelashes on everything

We've got some lovely Smile For Me-related doodles. First is a Flower Kid design. Second was not smile for me specifically, but Face Love (by the same devs). And the last two were my earlier attempts at making comics and scenes. Ft. lancer for some reason.

Here are a couple of abandoned OCs. Pretty boy (Basil) is supposed to be yellow. We've all had that OC whose only trait was being a hot person and that's what he was all about. Didn't develop him much in terms of character which is sad because I kinda like his design. He was created when I was doodling random designs in FireAlpaca. I'll have to show the other doodles in a different post (If you are interested).

THIS GUY I WOULD LIKE TO BRING BACK! Might be kinda basic in terms of like "Weird Core" designs but I still love him. His plot keeps changing though because his design is so strange yet so simple to the point where I could put him in just about any world I wanted to had I gotten bored of the old one. Which is silly bc he's just a depressed news anchor man.

Anyway bc of that, Basil used to be his bf, but isn't anymore. He got replaced with fat peppermint man who fun fact: was inspired by the song Brass Goggles BEFORE I even got into SPG and learned what it was about! How silly is that! Peppermint boy is technically my first SPG OC!

She was a fun one, but I abandoned her too. I think she was too influenced by Frye's character from Splatoon. She was a warrior of sorts. Sort of tribal I suppose. She spoke fast, and in her tribe's language, so many people struggled to understand her. She was very bouncy too. Jumping all over the place. If you know Frye, you'll probably notice that they're a bit too similar to each other. That's usually why I abandon my OCs. When they're too similar to another.

Critter I doodled. Not really an OC, but I still think she's cute

Don't ask me about the first guy. The girl was a mii that was born in Tomodachi Life! Her name is Lily. She is the child of Kris (Deltarune) and Hatsune Miku. She looks silly which is why I love her.

I'm Picasso. Kinda vibe with this ngl. Not sure if I could ever turn this into anything though

Here are some low-effort doodles. Enjoyed the design of the big lady more than I thought. I was practicing drawing bigger bodies at the time. Joints are still KILLING ME but it's not bad considering I had the worst anatomy method imaginable

Here are some higher-effort doodles. Aside from the abhorrent anatomy (WHY DOES THE PIG ZOMBIE HAVE TWO DIFFERENTLY SIZED SHOULDERSS????) I quite like these critters. That mermaid girl had lore too. She could control the dead of the sea. She was lowkey evil. Never turned her into anything though. Also, you can see by that guy at the bottom of the first one, that Bunny's art was starting to take an influence on me.

Lots of stuff going on over here but LOOK! MY VERY FIRST SPG FANART! IT'S OF VI POINTING AT AN APPLE AND YELLING AT IT

I was inspired by Bunny to make these monster-ish-looking people

More thingies! There's the goopy robot which I initially drew as a first attempt at drawing a robot, but then I made it black and goopy bc that's what it was giving. The star guy appears and disappears a few times. I think I wanted to keep them, but the design was very similar to LightLazer so I felt a bit weird about drawing them.

More robot shenanigans. First time drawing Rabbit and The Spine! Cannot believe that my first Spine drawing was in a dress oh my god.

More Bunny-inspired drawings and I'm REALLY kinda digging that weird tiny robot critter. Looking at it now, it's kinda like Spring in a few ways, but it's also completely different from Spring in so many other ways. The limbs are retractable. I kinda like this thing actually. I Oughtta do something with it.

These ones are more SPG-specific. You'll have to forgive me, most of these are from memory. Don't ask me why Rabbit looks like David Bowie in the first one.

And finally, some Rabbit and Spine doodles! Rabbit's doing the "Hey Andy Sweetie" meme. I could totally reattempt drawing that today actually.

Anyway, hope you had fun. I did. Ugh this is so sillyy

[amischiefofdeets]

MORIOR

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CHARACTER SUMMARY

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Morior (or Mori) is the unwilling embodiment of death and decay, a being who is unable to die. Despite what he is and his what his abilities can do, Mori is a man looking to help others, specifically those who do not have a place to call home. He created 'The Fae Circle' - a safe place for Fae to gather - when they were being hunted and treated like animals, offering them sanctum and becoming an impromptu protector. Much of his past is filled with woe but he tries not to share that sadness with others. Keep in mind that despite the war between humans and Fae coming to an end, he is wary at letting them into his forest (this might be a good way to begin interactions though!)Note: Character ref needs to be updated to reflect alignment change

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MUSE DETAILS

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Name: Morior Nicknames: Mori Race: Unknown - Some regard him as a God of Death, others see him as the embodiment of decay or death. Born: N/A Age: N/A Height: 5'10 Gender: Male (currently) Sexuality: Pansexual Location: The Devil's Woods/The Fae Circle Occupation: Lord of the Circle Abilities: Can decay any living thing at will, including simply aging them or making them rot. Cannot die but can sustain damage/pain which will eventually heal, has been alive an eternity. While his form is solid, he can technically decay into a black 'goopy' substance that rots things around it - he exists as he percieves himself. In the past he has been a woman, looked more Human and even has taken the form of different kinds of fae. It's not a quick change but rather something that happens slowly over time. Family: Imperium - Adopted son Loup - Adopted son Elias - Adopted son Shmichael - Adopted son Shmeffry - Adopted son

Scars: Fingers on right hand are marred black, right eye is missing and the area is also marred black. Tattoos: N/A Alignment: Chaotic Good Goals: Maintain peace over his land and among his people, try to live a happy existence Hobbies: Journalling, playing various traditional instruments, collecting fae artefacts when possible Likes: Keeping various fae safe in his circle, feeling wanted/needed/acknowledged, relaxed late night parties, nature Dislikes: Humans in his forest, human media (Tv, music)/technology and human food, having to kill, discussing his history, energetic children Mental state: Has a lot of trauma, he carries countless tragic events on his shoulders that he doesn't deal with. Disabilities: PTSD Reputation: This depends entirely on who you ask. Those in the circle tend to see him as a saviour, protecting them from harm and allowing them to thrive in the forest. Others see him as a coward, knowing the stories of him wiping out those who threaten Fae they can't understand why he wouldn't simply kill all the Humans and allow Fae to live freely across the land. Those who know him very well consider him a reserved kind man, despite how social he may seem. He tries to keep everyone at an arms length while also striving to make them feel welcome. Toyhou.se: [LINK] Characterhub: [LINK]

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HISTORY

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[The history is very long so I'll add a TL;DR here just in case. If you want to read the whole thing then I love you because this boy is my fave but you don't have to.] Morior is an ancient being who believed himself to be a powerful nymph of decay for a very long time but recently found out he is actually the God of Death. Tragedy has followed him throughout the years and he carries that burden on his shoulders, even though he doesn't allow anyone to see it. He tried to stop the war between Humans and Fae that broke out but only made it worse (once by accidentally wiping out a village, the second by scaring the king enough to make him strengthen his forces). Due to this he ended up buried alive a while by the Humans, constantly suffocating. Once he escaped he tried to hide away due to the shame of failing the Fae but instead thanks to his power to kill trespassers, he has become the leader of a safehaven for Fae and various Magic sorts - even though in modern days the stories of their kind are nothing but stories. He tries to ward Humans away and has gone from war-weary, to partying fuckboy, to a tired dad. I'm happy to write any of these versions of him tbh. This man owns my whole heart tbh ngl.

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FULL HISTORY

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Morior’s beginning is a mystery, it would seem he simply came to existence at the same moment the first living things on Earth did. This was long before even plant life existed and for a long time he was left to wander the Earth alone, watching life evolve before his very eyes from a distance. At that time he didn’t know of his power, not until organisms were big enough for him to dare reach out to them and then he learned quickly that doing so would kill them. They’d decay before his very eyes, leaving him nervous to dare reach out. With time and practice he learned to control that power, he could speed up or slow down the decay of living things at his will. Before early man evolved he spent most of his time wandering, exploring the vastness of the world, hoping to find SOMEONE so that he wasn’t alone. Early fae and man were his first taste of proper company and his powers scared them. He spent countless years wandering in search of an answer as to who or WHAT he was but he could never find an answer, nor anyone willing to stick around when they found out what he was capable of. It took some time for him to learn better, learn that it was safer to hide his true abilities, never letting anyone know what he was capable of. During these times he was fairly happy, he had those he considered friends - or even family - and he was thankful for the company but unfortunately this would not last. The world changed. Humans grew tired of feeling second-best to the magic fae creatures could naturally wield, they turned against Fae in an unforeseen show of violence. Mori watched as those he'd cared for were slaughtered before him and any notion of control was lost - he decimated everything around him. That included the Fae that had yet to be killed by the humans, his unrelenting power killing those he had sought to protect - not only the attackers. The sense of loss he felt was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. He felt like a monster. For a long time after he would simply wander, avoiding others for fear of causing them harm but with the war worsening there were less places for the Fae to hide. Forced to fight to protect others, it was during an attack that he learned he truly couldn't die. A blow from an iron weapon didn't decimate him like it did the Fae and he decided he'd use that power to intimidate the Humans. Glamouring to get into the castle to face the king, he stood before him and revealed his true form, threatening that he would not fall and that his people were to be hurt no longer. He never anticipated that enough blows would bring him down, knock him out long enough to be buried alive while the wars waged on. When he was finally free there were few left, all scattered and trying to hide. With the guilt for likely worsening the king's wrath, he once again intended to exile himself, hiding away in a deep forest that flitted with ancient spirits. Somewhere too dangerous for Humans to tread, he hoped. As he settled there, more came and despite his want to remain alone, he found himself surrounded by Fae. Settling. Healing. Eventually daring to find joy in their new home. There was no choice, from then onwards he would protect this place. Killing any Human who would dare step into their woods, defending his home. Things have changed a lot since then, their kind has fallen into legend and he need only scare Humans away from their home if they begin to encroach. He has also adopted a few children who have fallen into his lap by one way or another, giving him newfound purpose and responsibility that he struggles to keep up with.

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TAGS

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Main tag - Headcanons - Ask tag Likes - Aesthetics - Musings - Wardrobe

RELATIONSHIP TAGS

TBA

[outismm]

giggling seeing your tags!!! oh no, the lovely Pat Butcher has caught your eye, has he? 🙈💖 AND the Toymaker too!!! tell me what you love about them, i'm all ears 🥰💖

Star. Star what have you done. Star you've given me an excuse to yell about them now, what have you DONE KJASDKASJ no but <3 oh this is gonna get so long. I am being fueled entirely by Autism and Beginning-of-Winter-Term-Enthusiasm. Star, my beloved moot, this is going to be a thesis. I am so very sorry AKDSJSAKDJASKD

GUH. THE TOYMAKER. AH,,,, <- said while sweating profusely backed into a corner If I had to break it down into understandable words and not 'GKRJGRJG BITE BITE CHEW CHEW GNAW' :

The archetype of 'Very Silly Very Eldritch Man' is perhaps my favourite of all time, so this was inevitable. Like :

THIS!! THIS!! THIS IS THE KINDA STUFF THAT DRIVES ME ABSOLUTELY GONZO AMNDSAMND.

As a character, he falls into a category just adjacent to fae [magic-y, lots of eldritch traits that you only notice out of the corner of your eye, will make you to play silly games for your soul, Odd and Unusual In Nature] which is just. Mwah. my most favouritest of vibes for any character to have. My brain is in shambles.

Toymaker hot, no further notes there.

MANDMAND NO NO BUT. The expressiveness and whimsy that NPH puts into his performance as The Toymkaer makes my head go all spinny <3. Don't even get me started on his hands while he shuffles the cards, I'll collapse like a victorian dying of consumption.

Keep staring at me with those big sparkly blue eyes Magic Man and I will allow you to turn me into a kazoo :)

THE LORE IS SO VERY CRUNCH CAUSE LIKE - ‘entity born, alone, outside the universe itself’ is already such a fun concept, there’s so much to work with there even in the Canon only gently touches on it - But also,, the way he clings to humanity? The way he finds these impermanent little creatures and their games so fascinating? The parallels that creates w/ The Doctor? <- outis is about to go on a tangent

Like <3 that was always one of my favourite things about DW, even as a kid, and specifically The Doctor?

Like The Doctor’s gonna outlast humanity no matter what, that’s inevitable with what they are, but that isn’t the point, and that doesn’t change the interest/adoration/love that they've got for Humanity now :)

Even after they’re all gone, The Doctor’s always gonna have their hope, and The Toymaker’s always gonna have their games :) They both have a certain love for humanity, even if it’s in different ways, and with very, very different motivations attached. <- I don’t know if this makes sense. It is almost 1 am. Runs away like an animal crossing villager. Immortal Beings who find a way to love the Mortal will always make my heart go soupy.

TLDR. he is so particularly silly and tragic in a way that makes my brain. Go goopy. Also he must be so very touch starved and I want him to cling to me like a baby sloth :)

OH GOD AND I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED ON PAT-

THIS FUCKING GUY >:( how could this happen to me. How can I explain this to anyone. <- the instant I told a few of my friends that I had a crush on a BBC Ghosts character, they went 'oh yeah we thought you'd like Pat' despite me never mentioning his name to anyone. So clearly this was pre-destined KJASDKSADJ

NO BUT <333 AAAAA PATRICK BUTCHER MY LOVE. Where do I even begin with this wonderful wonderful man.

He gave a child a bow and arrow and didn’t see how that’d go wrong. He has the sweetest smile. He misses being able to eat food so much. His voice reaches a pitch that could rival a dog-whistle when he’s angry. He’s the shortest of the cast. He just wanted to say hello. When he was dying and in pain, he made himself stay calm and happy because even worse than dying was the idea of scaring the kids. He’s even autistic.

I have to believe that this man was bred in a lab in Yorkshire to make my brain turn inside out, in some sort of long-term assassination attempt. He calls his wife petal for heavensakes, there was never a hope of me not falling madly in love. that entire flashback scene had me making goosenoises. he is such a delight. Pat do you want a little kiss on your moustache. Pat we could get ghost married. Hey where are you going-

[I’m also realizing now that to anyone who hasn’t experienced Pat as a character, I’m sure this section must look like me going ‘hnrhgrngn I want him so bad’, only to open up my hand to reveal a softboiled egg. but please know that this is also what it feels like on my end MNASDMSNADMN.] TLDR : He's a soft-hearted dad from Yorkshire, what more could you want? Look at that sweet face :)

GHOU I have <3 been rambling for so very long. Thank you for giving me an excuse to yell about my sillies :) it has improved my eveningmorning so very much

[weskin-time]

Hello!

I have some ideas for Wesker stuff!

1. How would Wesker handle a S/O who is fascinated with Xenomorphs? Like, as fascinating as he is with viruses and may or may not want to create one.

2. Imagine: Wesker playing Cards Against Humanity. I don't know why, but I can see him being scary good at it because of how easily he can read people and it would take everyone off-guard.

Just some fun thoughts. :3

OO!! i absolutely adore the xenomorph idea. not edited or re read over cuz i’m writing this at work lol sorry :(

this idea takes place after the events of 5 where still alive and he’s chilled out a bit lol

please sit him down with the movie first before showing him the Xenomorph. this man was born in the 60s and grew up in a lab, i highly doubt he’s seen the mega hit movie that is 1979’s Alien. he probably has absolutely no idea what a face hugger is let alone a Xenomorph.

he’s heard you talk about them a few times, either ranting about how cool they are, how they look, biology and stuff, he listens when you talk to him about your interests. so his interest has been definitely peaked and would want to know what you’re talking about and what it’s from.

just walk into his office in your house and start infodumping to him about these guys. he may look like he’s not listening with his eyes trained on the computer in front of him but he’s nodding his head along and sometimes giving a hum in response to your words.

PLEASE have a movie night with him and watch it. he’s gonna get hooked instantly. he’s gonna have a second when he first sees the Xenomorph where he’s kinda in awe?? i mean he’s hooked with the chest burster and he’s already taking notes but as soon as he sees the full grown adult Xenomorph? his mind clicks with ‘it’s black and goopy just like Uroboros’

If you don’t own any xenomorph merch he’s getting you some, if you have some he’s getting you more. loves seeing your face light up and any reason to hear you talking about them.

look i’m not saying he’s also going to be fascinated by them but i will say he does spend a little bit longer in his lab. a couple dozen test subjects later he would try and recreate one. i feel like he would have to mix human and animal DNA and create a new strain of Uroboros just to even get remotely close to what looks like a Xenomorph but even then i feel like Uroboros is a bit too wiggly to make the creature look exactly like a Xenomorph.

Please talk with him about the life cycles and anything about the Xenomorphs so he can get a better understanding of them to try and make one for you.

he also won’t tell you directly but he likes sci-fi movies. please watch the other Alien films with him. like he will subtly hint at wanting to watch the rest of them. also show him The Thing he will go bonkers over that one.

imagine just chillin one day and he comes in, tells you to follow him to his lab, you do, and find what looks like a Xenomorph strapped to a table knocked out cold. it doesn’t look fully right and it’s writhing too much like how Uroboros does but it’s really close. he’s trying to show his love for you with making something you love.

he’s definitely taking some inspiration from Alien if he tries to take over the world again, those chest bursters were cool. 10/10 he loves and embraces what you love and are fascinated with and loves you so much he’ll try to make it a reality to see your smile :)

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i hope this is close to what you had in mind for this ask! i had a lot of fun writing it!! XENOMORPHS ARE SO FUCKIN COOL AND RAD AND I LOVE THEM SO MUCH AA

[fictionadventurer]

I like your post about the Hunger Games and agree with most of it, but I still think the love triangle was unnecessary and people are right to criticize it. Collins could have very easily written Gale as the best friend and Peeta as her main love (based on endgame choices) or vice versa I don't even care since I'm not a big shipper of either. But she did introduce the unnecessary drama that overall did not add much to the plot, and it only took away focus. So I think I understand that crit.

Once upon a time, I might have agreed with you. These are good books, important books, and we don’t need to defile this war epic by shoving in teenage-hormone love-triangle dramatics. Then I reread the series, and I was astonished at how, for the most part, the love story is inextricably intertwined with the action-adventure elements. You can’t take out the love-triangle elements without creating a very different book with a very different message. That love-triangle, far from defiling the war story, elevates it into something better.

It starts almost immediately in the first book. We see how Katniss has a deep friendship with Gale, something that could turn into romance, except that she doesn’t dare to go down that path. There’s no place for marriage, and definitely not for new children, in their broken world. She only has energy for day-to-day survival. And once Katniss goes into the Hunger Games, romance is definitely off the table. She needs to harden her heart and make no human connections with the people around her if she wants to have even the slimmest chance of making it back home to her family. In a lesser book, she’d be right–there’d be no goopy romance to distract us from the hard-bitten survival epic that the Hunger Games is supposed to be.

But then Peeta declares his love for her. Suddenly, she’s part of an epic romance on national television. She wants nothing to do with this strategy–love makes you look weak. (And doesn’t that sound a lot like people who criticize the YA love triangle?) But Haymitch counters that it makes her desirable to the audience, and suddenly the thing that had seemed so burdensome becomes necessary to her survival. She needs to play the game–and once they’re in the arena, she needs to figure out if it is a game to Peeta. Peeta has already shown himself capable of manipulating the emotions of all of Panem–is it possible that he’s manipulating her?

This is the real brilliance of the first book’s romance. It doesn’t distract from the main conflict–it is the main conflict. Like so many other teenage girls, Katniss asks herself, “Does this teenage boy like me?”, but in this case the answer is literally a matter of life and death. If he loves her, she can trust him to help her survive. If he doesn’t, he could kill her at any time.

By the time she finds out that his love is real, she has to fake romantic feelings toward him to draw in sponsors. Now she’s manipulating his emotions to survive, and she can’t hope to untangle what’s real and what’s fake in this manufactured mess of a reality show. But Peeta’s influence has shown her that love isn’t pointless in the Hunger Games–it’s the only way for them to truly fight back. She chooses love for Peeta–whether romantic or not–over her own life, and that’s the only reason that, for the first time in history, two victors manage to beat the Capitol at their own game. Katniss won not by being the best warrior, but by showing love. The love story wasn’t a distraction–it was the solution.

It’s only in Catching Fire that she has to deal with the consequences of that. She was willing to die for Peeta, but she’s not sure she wants to live with him, especially since their relationship started under such unreal circumstances. She’d much rather leave the Games–and Peeta–behind and return to the life she knew before. That life included Gale, and Katniss is, for the first time, willing to consider him as a romantic partner. If her romance with Peeta was fake, is it possible that she could have real romance with her best friend?

This is the point where the love triangle comes into full swing, and I’ll admit this is the book where it’s integrated most clumsily. It seems like Katniss is taking some unnecessary risks in pursuing a relationship with Gale, and the plot sometimes comes to a screeching halt so Katniss can think about her emotions. But even if the plot integration isn’t as smooth as it was in the first book, the thematic relevance of the love triangle is still spot-on. Katniss has to think about what she wants–cling to her old life or dive into this new post-Hunger Games world? Does love have a place in this world at war? And when we think about the question in that way, the sloppy integration of the love story into the main action plot is kind of the point. Katniss may be instigating a war, but she’s still a teenage girl. She still has emotions, but she’s being forced to hide or fake so many of them that she doesn’t know who she is, what she wants, or who she wants to be. How can she discover her identity, hold onto her humanity, in the middle of a war?  

Mockingjay is where we get the answer to those questions. With Peeta imprisoned in the Capitol and the war underway, Katniss is saved from having to make an immediate decision about her romance. She echoes every romance-hating fan’s thoughts when she says:

The very notion that I’m devoting any thought to who I want presented as my lover, given our current circumstances, is demeaning.

There’s a war going on! There’s no time for love triangles! But it’s only when she’s not being forced to pursue romance with Peeta that she can really evaluate her relationship with Gale–and she’s finding that it’s not as strong as she thought. When she needs advice, she gets it from Prim, not Gale. When she needs someone who understands the trauma of killing, she goes to Finnick or Johanna. Now that Katniss and Gale don’t have the shared bond of having to care for their families–who are kept safe and fed by District 13–they’re finding that they don’t have much else in common. Katniss is mistrustful of Coin, while Gale is part of her inner circle. Katniss kills only when she has to during the war, while Gale treats weapon design as a fun challenge. This exploration of their relationship isn’t a distraction from the main plot. They’re what make the main plot mean something. This is the lens through which Katniss considers her views on violence, on war, on life, on what the point of their fight is. She and Gale literally have arguments about utilitarian principles! It’s only by exploring and then severing this leg of the love triangle that Katniss finds out who she is and what she really believes.

Collins couldn’t explore these issues in the same way if either Gale or Peeta wasn’t presented as a romantic interest. The nature of eros is desire, and the whole point of the Peeta vs. Gale question is Katniss figuring out what she wants out of life. She needs to be drawn to both of them, in the same kind of relationship, if the question and answer are to mean anything. Does Katniss want her old life, with Gale as the most important person, with his anger driving her to fight for survival by any means necessary? Or does she want a new life with Peeta, where they live for something beyond mere survival? Which man, which philosophy, does she want to devote her life to? If Peeta was the love interest and Gale was only the best friend, she could have both in her life. But you can’t resolve the trilogy’s central question by having Katniss compromise. Choosing one side means she can’t choose the other–and the only relationship that requires such an exclusive choice is a love triangle. Far from distracting from the main plot, the love triangle is what elevates it, takes it beyond a war story where the only question is how the characters will survive, and makes it into a story that tells us how the characters are going to live.

[revchainsaw]

Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Prayers and Salutations Cult Members! I am your mysterious minister Reverend Chainsaw and this is another nights revival service at the Cult Film Tent Revival. I bring you a special word tonight. Tonight's word is about a person who roamed the earth, in a time where people were backward and warlike. A leader emerged into a kingdom full of eschatological expectation. This leader came preaching peace, and was killed for the sins of the world, but was resurrected. In that resurrection a new hope was brought to the planet, and true healing through the power of love in the face of violence is made possible. I am talking of course about Princess Nausicaa from the Valley of the Wind.

The Message

Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind is the film that put studio Ghibli and Hayoa Miyazaki on the map. No animated feature this grandiose and epic had been achieved by 1984, as much as Disney may beg to differ. The tale may be simple, and it may feel super 80s to us today, but Nausicaa is a masterpiece, and the fact that Howl's Moving Castle is brought up alongside Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away more often than Nausicaa is a farce and a tragedy.

The film takes place on a fantastic planet that seems to have suffered the ravages of an apocalyptic war. A war that involved gigantic warriors with powers so devastating they about made the entire planet inhospitable if not uninhabitable; save for a few areas. The fall out of this ancient war has left the earth in a state of repair, where the natural processes of a planet healing has creating giant toxic jungles.

Beyond these jungles lie two imperialistic factions, they seem almost to be city-states but it's not terribly clear. The Kingdom of Tolmekia, a militaristic proto-fascist society of almost Spartan sensibilities. Tolmekia is governed by the ambitious and cynical Princess Kushana, But I like to call her Furiosa. Just like Furiosa, Kushana is physically missing parts of herself, a visual metaphor for her metaphysical lacking and the parts of her humanity she has cut away. Kushana's world view is one of fear, a fear that can only be quelled by waging a genocidal campaign against her enemies.

Speaking of enemies, the Athens to Tolmekias Sparta would be the Pejite Kingdom. The Pejites might like to view themselves as simply responding to Tolmekian aggression, but the narrative of the film, and the story told quite visibly on the body of Kushana, is quite different. The Pejites are just as bloodthirsty if not more palettable in their approach, but like the Tolmekians, they believe only their own lives have any value. And thus, in this theatre of war, a Giant Warrior from the ages before is unearthed by the Pejite Kingdom, Stolen by the Tolmekians, before the forces of nature themselves, seem to conspire to drop the Giant Warriors "egg" right into the Valley of the Wind.

The Valley of the Wind is populated like the world of Avatar the Last Airbender, that is mostly of children and the elderly. The people of the Valley have been able to remain untouched by the ravages of war and the toxic jungles of the damaged world primarily due to geographic luck that's explained in minor exposition in the film. They are ruled by a King, and they are all deeply enamored by their beloved Princess Nausicaa.

Nausicaa is a gentle soul. She is kind to animals, she is empathetic, unreasonably patient, and bears pain and grief inflicted on her out of cruelty with a saintly understanding. She really is a thinly veiled Christ figure, scratch that. There is no veil. But she's also my favorite Christ figure. She does not preach a message, as much as she tries to save everyone from their own short sighted goals. She is not perfect, she does lash out and do some fantasy sword fight murder, but she regrets her actions so deeply that it seems to have played a part in motivating her to become even more compassionate and patient with the evils of the world.

Nausicaa discovers yet another plot by the Pejites, who are afraid of the possibility of the Tolmekians awakening the Giant Warrior, to use animal cruelty to enrage a group of almost invincible giant insects known as the Ohm. By luring the Ohm into the Valley of the Wind where the Tolmekians have become an occupying force, they hope to completely wipe out everything that threatens them. The Tolmekians DO awaken the Giant Warrior and pure pandemonium ensues. Nausicaa manages to save the Baby Ohm and calm the rage of the bloodthirsty Ohm swarm, and to defeat the warlike tendencies of both the Pejites and the Tolmekians. All the while fulfilling a prophecy fortold about a messianic savior figure called the Man in Blue.

Now that you have heard the Gospel of Nausicaa, please stand to receive The Benediction.

Best Character: Half a Person

Now that I've spent the better part of this review gushing about our Lord and savior Nausicaa. I have to admit, she's at times a bit too perfect, a bit too saccharin. Even her flaw, or her one weakness and her failing to be perfect, just adds to the perfection. I can't even say she never makes mistakes cuz she made one, and that's infuriating. It's even more infuriating that I still think she's a great character. Normally this kind of thing really kills a hero. Most Chosen Ones are the most boring and least likeable characters in their narratives. I don't know how Nausicaa avoids this trap, but she does. I'll have to do some meditating on that.

However, just like in your typical Chosen One fantasy narrative, the hero is a lot less fun than the villain. I'm going to say the best character in Nausicaa is Kushana. I want to be like Nausicaa, but I don't understand her. She's almost alien, even though we learn all about her. Kushana is mysterious, secretive, and enigmatic, yet I understand her. She barely has an arc, she doesn't really change. She's cold and cynical to the bone, but I don't need to see much of her situation to completely understand why she is the way she is. I usually hate totalitarian bad guys, but Kushana I like. Sue Me.

Also fun fact, did you that Nausicaa means 'Sinker of Ships'. That's kinda fun.

Best Scene: Spoiled for Choice

I'm going to be lazy and say take your pick. There is really not a bad seen in this movie. If the action isn't going, then there's intriguing dialogue. If there's no dialogue then you may be about to get hit with a forceful burst of whimsy. There's horror, there's swordfights and aerial dogfights. The only thing in Nausicaa I don't like to see, is the bloody tortured Ohm Baby. It's like a god damned Sarah Mclachlan commercial.

Best Creature: Foxy Shazam!

The Ohm are so simplistic yet so detailed. The number of eyes is alien, but the way they are used is expertly expressive. Who'd think you could get me to love what basically amounts to a silverfish with the intensity that I love a kitten. How did Miyazaki pull an Okja with a creature that should be haunting our dreams? I don't know.

And what about the Giant Warrior! If you are an Evangelion fan then you probably already know that Hideaki Anno designed and animated the melting goopy biomechanical beast. Surely a sight that would make both H.R. Giger and Clive Barker giddy with excitement. Just the image of the silhouettes marching amidst the desolation of the old world is burned into my brain.

So which of these is the best creature from Ghibli's first outing? It's fucking Teto. It was always gonna be Teto you idiot. Just look at Teto, he's adorable. He's too cute to exist. I'm so alone. I need a pet.

Best Character Design: Tolmekian Regalia

I originally included this category to talk some about Kushana, however, at that time I also thought I was going to say Nausicaa was the best character. I thought hard about deleting it, but I think it's a different category and you can't accuse me of playing favorites because my favorite character is clearly Teto. Just to keep it simple. It's the two costume shift from full military regalia in white and gold, to the one metal arm, warrior princess get up. It's a great costume and a great look. Get on this shit cosplay nerds. It's great for Cons in Canada, you have to think about layers, and you can't keep going as Mr. Plow. It's lazy.

Best Excuse to Talk About Patrick Stewart's Character: Lord Yupa

I just realized that I was about to write this whole review without talking about Lord Yupa. Lord Yupa is a sword saint and all around badass I think a lot of entertainment, especially in the west is lacking bad ass old men. Lord Yupa particularly shines in the early half of the film as a warrior and as a wise council to Nausicaa. If she's Jesus then Yupa is John the Baptist. He is also voiced by the elegant and eloquent Patrick Stewart. He also comes with 2 chocobos!

Worst Character: For Whom Asbel Tolls

This might also be the worst actor category as well. Actual Cannibal (haha meme) and actual monster (haha real life) Shia Labeouf doesn't so much act in the role as he read the lines and it was recorded. The good news it doesn't effect the film too much because Asbel is completely forgettable. He is a catalyst to some of the action, but besides that I don't really care for him.

Worst Aspect: To Be Fair ...

It would be unfair to completely ignore anything negative about Nausicaa. I have already mentioned in many places that there are some pretty corny, or pretty predictable tropes to this movie. But what I can't capture in words is exactly why it feels fresh when it's done in this movie. I suppose that's what makes it good. It's just so good that it's weak points are lifted up by it's strengths. Some people may bored of Nausicaa's unyielding goodness, or that she very rarely chooses to take action as much as she chases and pleads with her surroundings, but I mean, she does pay for that eventually. It's a fantasy story and it hits a lot of timeless themes that have been hit in stories for as long as human beings have been telling stories. Some people may feel that it doesn't do enough to stand out.

Summary

I have defined the S tier for myself as "near perfect and personal favorite" films. I like to think that Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind is near perfect. Some may say that it looks like it might just be a personal favorite. In the case of Nausicaa, I'm having a very hard time telling the difference. I think it would be overly simple to claim that Nausicaa is just an ancient archetypal heroes journey with an 80s anime coat of paint. I think it's doing quite a few new and interesting things with that formula, those things are just playing out all around that narrative as opposed to being at it's center. For a first full length outing by the studio, you can really see Miyazaki's heart and the values he holds close to. I'll repeat myself so that we are completely clear on the matter. I think Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind is a near perfect movie.

Overall Grade: S