#you said you liked people rambling about their special interests and i have very strong opinions on nico

[keepthedelta]

what would you consider Rosberg's best race? (wanna hear people wax poetic about their special interest)

it's going to be a list because i am weird about nico

singapore 2016. an absolutely dominate weekend for him, fastest in every single session, outqualified lewis by 7 tenths (and danny ric by 6) setting what was (at the time) a track record. spent the entire race managing brake and engine issues, got screwed over by merc strategy when they were trying to get lewis back onto the podium after he got overtaken by kimi, had to make his tyres last an extra 20 laps with danny ric chasing him down 2-4 seconds a lap faster than him. won the race and then posted a slutty shirtless photo of him being cooled down by a fan in what could be considered the ancestor of the ice bath videos that teams post now.

canada 2014. a real contender for my favourite ever nico race even though he didn't win. both merc cars had mgu-h failure about 20-30 laps in thereby losing half of their power. nico switched brake bias to the front brakes so that less strain would be put on the rear brakes because on the lack of power and potential overheating. about five laps later lewis dnfs with rear brake failure. nico should have been overtaken by just about everybody, but instead he spends the next 30 laps using all of his power and speed in one specific sector (the one with the drs detection point) so that checo (now in second) is too far behind to get drs, and then, even though nico's car is barely alive for the rest of the lap, he can never overtake him. it literally took checo's car breaking down and allowing danny ric (now driving the best car in the field) for nico to lose the win. the mechanical masterclass of modern f1 (and yes it might not have worked at another track or i f someone other than checo had been in second, but i firmly believe that the lowest nico could have ever come given the circumstances was third) and it is not appreciated enough.

china 2012. i rewatched this recently and literally no one believed that nico was going to win until about five laps before the end. he was driving one of the world's shittiest mercs (i promise every single merc pre-2013 was worse than any car since then), got pole by half a second, got a perfect start, flawless tyre management, cruised to victory while everyone else was fighting for their lives behind him (the battle for second was absolutely insane, and nico was just minding his own business about 15 seconds ahead of them all).

singapore 2008. crashgate has entered the building. back then cars refuelled during the race and so another factor in the strategies was fuel load. nico and a number of others were running low initial fuel loads, so they would have to stop relatively early. except, just before they were going to stop, nelson piquet jr binned it into the wall (on purpose) and the stewards closed the pitlane for safety reasons. however, nico and the others on similar strategies needed to refuel so they had to enter the pitlane anyway which earned them a stop and go penalty which had to be served within three laps. nico did those laps as fast as he possibly could, meaning that after he served his penalty he only lost a handful of places (i think 3). robert kubica who also took a stop and go penalty on the exact same lap for the exact same reason (and was in a better car) lost far more places and i don't think he even finished in the points. nico spent the rest of the race rising up the field and finished second only to fernando (who got there by cheating) with lewis in a distant third (tbf i don't think he needed to try that hard by the end as he got a massive points gain over felipe massa his championship competition due to the ferrari pitlane incident).

malaysia 2016. casuals will tell you that this is the race where lewis lost the championship because of his dnf (and if you're a lh hater i recommend watching it because the level of conspiracy that emerges from lewis and sky sports is genuinely quite funny) but i think that's very misleading. in the very first turn seb crashed into nico, spinning him around and leaving him in dead last by the end of the first lap. nico fought through the field, pulled off a rallycross overtake on kimi, got a penalty for it, and was already sitting in fourth when lewis's engine blew up. he then pulled a ten second gap over kimi so that he kept his podium place, got danny ric to make max do a shoey, nearly threw up when he did one himself, told a room full of reporters that he didn't want danny ric to win another race (that year) and filmed one of the funniest ever post-race vlogs where he fidgeted with the neckline of his t-shirt while describing how seb had apologised to him for the crash and that was nice but it didn't get him any points back. truly iconic.

there is definitely a running theme in these choices i think. mostly that i think nico was at his best when he was fighting against the potential capabilities of the car/circuit/circumstances rather than other drivers 🤷🏿‍♀️

[angelitaby]

my random donatello headcanons. . !

── he's awkward in nature, but that doesn't stop donatello from calling you fascinating. the touch of your fingertips tracing the creases of his hands as he rambles on about your differences and familiarities. embarrassed, donatello stops his mumblings if he realizes what he's saying

── when donatello has feelings for someone, he might just be...softer, partially because he's confused about what he's feeling. he doesn't really want to feel it either. he might isolate himself more so it goes away. it however, doesn't.

── two words. parallel play. sitting together in the same room doing your own tasks. donatello at his desk as you do your own enjoyments beside him. some days it's a comfortable silence, other times you'll ramble, he likes to hear idle chatter. he might not know what you're talking about, but he loves the noise.

── donatello likes the way your heart beats against your chest. it’s never the same every time he lays his head on your chest, but there’s the same sense of relief he gets from it.

── donatello gets easily irritated/overstimulated by strong, bad smells. even with the ones he doesn’t actively dislike, he’s very picky with the scents he does like. however, one particular night while you were looking over his shoulder, he caught a grasp of your scent. whether you prefer the flowery kisses of roses and fresh cut daisies, or the earthy tone of left over raindrops on blades of grass. he found that it was a... pleasant surprise.

── future!donatello smells like cigarettes and metal rust—but in the smoke and sterile way. he'd try to cover it with eucalyptus. when he stresses out, he turns to cigarettes. he tends to wallow in his own sleepless pity.

── yandere!donatello who's mind had gone blank. his heart pounding within the bony confines of his chest, unable to move as your laugh replayed in his head multiple times. and what a scary feeling, terrifying to experience something so.. conflicting. his heart aches, but it feels good. he wants—no needs to know why?

── yandere!donatello likes to experiment on you. mentally, physically. you're so fascinating. your biology is different. desires are different. needs are different. there are many ways to make someone delirious, and he intends to explore each and every one.

── donatello listens to weird al yankovic because i said so.

── donatello likes someone who will understand his boundaries. he likes someone who listens. he likes it when someone seems interested in him or what he's talking about. donatello likes someone who will be quiet with him.

── i can definitely see donatello as a gray ace. (i mean he's purple he's literally asexual core/hj) i do project a bit of myself onto him in having anxieties about other people and myself that's stopping me from getting in relationships. "i'm busy. i have other things to do. i don't need to worry about it." and while true, that doesn't mean it's not nice. it's him using his hobbies and work as an excuse to not be with people even though, deep down, i think he wants it.

── donatello says he prefers his coffee black, but he enjoys it with creamer. french vanilla baby! something to keep in mind for the early mornings, the quiet yet comfortable silence of the fresh day as you press the palm of your hand on his shoulder or between his shoulder blades for a second as you set down a coffee you made for him. it's a small gesture, but it's domestic. it's sweet, he appreciates it.

── donatello really loves the little things because it feels mundane and human to him.

── donatello prefers black teas. april introduced him to a strong one with cane sugar and mint once. but he also likes pure green tea, lemon with ginger, and a special rose-strawberry tea on the occasion. but it has to be a subtle taste, not to sweet, spicy or heavy.

── donatello likes all sorts of dumplings and is not a fan of overly sweet food + most desserts.

── donatello would be willing to watch greys anatomy with you because he's a bitch and likes to point out inaccuracies which is hilarious coming from some bitch who doesn't have a medical license. however he does have respects for dr. gregory house, so he's decent enough when watching house.

── donatello's favorite body part of yours? "whichever parts are the farthest away from me, thank you." your hands. your palms which press against his plastron, your fingertips that send shudders down his spine when you trace over his shell. every crevice, every knuckle, every detail. need i say more?

[kasophism]

i remember a while back when asked about your art you said you did it from a spiritual place, and liked to evoke strong emotions, or something along those lines. i find works like that very special to me. its difficult for me to be honest in my art, and i feel phony when it is complimented because of the lack of emotional depth. but i think being honest with yourself is important, because after all, every time you create it imparts a piece of your soul. i think this ask is rambling and doesn't make any sense but what i am trying to say is i wish i was an artist like you. sorry if this comes across as weird or anything

It is easy to have this feeling, in fact I experience this often as well.

It is easy to view other artists, as well as other people in a perspective that is idealized and warped, because as it turns out what is expressed in words and images is but a small fraction of what really goes on in life and what is experienced, its a filter of the on-goings of the mind that can never be accurately translated. I often dwell on the fact I believe other artists have a lot more soul than me, are more conscious than I am, can express a lot more, I often feel my own artworks lack soul in that sense, just as you do.

The outlook I expressed at that time is only an opinion of what I feel all art is, and as an extension how I view and interact with my own art. As stated before, being a filtered depiction of emotion and thought, and in this case, spirituality.

Spirituality is something that is experienced uniquely between people, whether they realize it or not, it is the very nature of the way you perceive the world, it is the world itself, as the world will only appear in the shape that you perceive it in.

What I am saying by expressing this is, anon, your art is already a depiction of your spirituality. It is a projection of your mind, it is an accumulation of your interest over time, and is fated to undulate and evolve just as your own mind does. The way it is filtered becomes a compressed image of a fraction of your mind that can be understood at a glance, that will always turn out to be 'spiritual', because you created it that very specific way. It can never be phony because of this, even if one goes out of their way to imitate another, because even the imitation becomes your own window to what you believe someone else is, not a true mirror to the original author itself.

Seeing as this is something you feel so passionate about, I believe you are already on the right path to solving this dilemma of yours, do not fight yourself in order to find "honesty" within your work, its already there, and only needs to be accentuated. I'm rambling too, but I hope anything I said here helps you. 🍀

[mod-kyoko]

pet hcs part 1: trigger happy havoc

type: non-despair au, general hcs

a/n: just wanted to write something with my own idea before i finish up requests!

♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧

makoto naegi

makoto and komaru each owned a hamster as kids

their parents took them to a pet store and they were both drawn to a specific one, and fought over who would get to name it

makoto, being the older brother, was pressured to just let komaru have that one

so he got another hamster, but komaru ended up liking his more, and more sibling fights ensued

makoto never owned any pets after that, but if he did, he would want a hamster because it reminds him of his childhood

kyoko kirigiri

i've said it before, i'll say it again

kyoko owns a reptile, specifically a bearded dragon

she often allows it to roam her office while she's working

having it out helps her focus

she often likes to scratch its head and under its chin

it's perfect for her because it's chill and quiet

byakuya togami

byakuya would own a great dane 100%

they are very regal dogs, elegant, and strong

they are low maintenance when it comes to grooming

they need a lot of exercise though, but byakuya doesn't mind that

he has many people to take over his business while he takes his great dane on walks

he's very proud of his pet, so much so that he would enter it in competitive dog shows

sayaka maizono

sayaka is a rodent person

someone: "are you a dog person or a cat person?"

sayaka: "no"

sayaka had a guinea pig as a tween, and eventually got it two buddies a few years later

she loves all breeds of guinea pig

hairless, curly, short-haired, long-haired

she loves cuddling with her piggies, nuzzling their noses with her nose, and scratching their heads

kiyotaka ishimaru

an energetic person needs an energetic pet

taka has a sugar glider!

he's obsessed with the way his little glider will jump down from tall objects and fly towards him, perching on his shoulder

the sugar glider goes with him everywhere, always on his shoulder or on top of his head

he definitely cuddles with it and kisses it good night lmfao

celestia ludenberg

yeah celeste has a cat, but she would also totally have a cockatoo

they are very elegant birds, and she loves having elegant things

her bird perches on her finger or shoulder and she loves to give it kisses

she's very protective over her cockatoo, no one else is allowed to touch it

mondo owada

mondo's soft spot is his pet rabbit

he has a lionhead because they look badass

his rabbit is always roaming around the house

it's not mondo's house it's the rabbit's house

he treats the animal likes it's his whole world

the rabbit gets nothing but the yummiest treats and the biggest play area and so many places to explore

he often has the rabbit lay in his lap and sleep, while petting it

sakura ogami

what else would she have but a ferret

two ferrets

they are energetic, fun, and she doesn't mind that they are high maintenance because they are like her children

if you go to sakura's house, just know that there will be tunnels and toys everywhere

the ferrets are always out and playing around, you really gotta be careful where you step and sit

all sakura's friends are always welcome and they're constantly at her place just to play with her pets

hifumi yamada

hifumi has a very grumpy himalayan cat

it doesn't help the fact that he's always dressing the cat in cute and silly costumes

if you go over to hifumis place just know that the cat will hide and you will not be seeing it around ever

in fact, no one believes he even has a cat because no one has ever seen it with their own eyes

but he does have a cat, and it has its own tiktok page

chihiro fujisaki

chihiro has a medium sized aquarium full of all kinds of colorful fish and it is his prized posession

he spends so much time decorating their living space and cleaning their habitat

he's very knowledgeable about fish, too, it's one of his special interests

ask him one question and he'll ramble on about salinity levels in saltwater tanks

he is always posting cute pictures of his tank on social media lmao

yasuhiro hagakure

hiro has a hermit crab because they are cool but also low maintenance

he loves taking it out and watching the little dude crawl around

but it's not supposed to really be a companion, he likes having it for show

nevertheless, he takes really good care of it and is also protective of it

toko fukawa

yeah, toko has a stink bug... yeah

but she also owns other bugs

tarantulas, praying mantises, and even an ant colony

she can't stand people who overly freak out at the sight of a bug, she never understood that fear

they are so calming to look at, and they are just little beings trying to get through life as we are

her ant colony sits on her writing desk so she can watch them all scurry around when she has a block

aoi asahina

leon kuwata

aoi needs a pet that can keep up with her

a golden retriever is perfect

aoi is at the park ALL the time throwing frisbees and tennis balls

she has her dog run next to her while riding a bike

her golden retriever sleeps with her in her bed and she's always with it

leon has a hedgehog because they're cool

he definitely pricked himself a hundred times before he learned how to pet it

shows it off thinking it's gonna get him chicks but it backfires because they are more interested in the hedgehog than him

takes cringe ass selfies with it perched on his shoulder

they wear matching accessories sometimes

junko enoshima

junko is a horse girl and i will die on that hill

her steed is her absolute most prized possession and ALL of her money goes to keeping its coat shiny and mane luscious

also she looks amazing in an equestrian uniform

she rides her horse every day around her own private stable ground

no one and i mean NO ONE is allowed near her steed

enters in equestrian competitions and horse beauty pageants and always. fucking. wins

there is no amount of money she isn't willing to sink into her horse's quality of life

it's stable is all pink and bedazzled

mukuro ikusaba

mukuro obviously has a badass pet

she owns the largest domesticated python in the world

she didn't own a snake expecting it to be her best friend, though she does enjoy its company

it free roams her house sometimes

she has a large respect for the pet, her space is the python's space

she totally lets it crawl over her, wrapping itself around her arms and such and lets it chill there because it likes her body heat

[urlocalnonbinarybastardwrites]

Hi!! I’d like a fandom ship/matchup pretty please! Someone from tcm (preferably from the first or second movie) or scream.

Appearance: 5’6, chubby and curvy girl. Shorter brown, fluffy, curly hair with teal tips. Blue/grey eyes, eyebrow piercing and nose stud. I’m somewhat strong and I dress somewhere along the lines of goth and grunge. I wear black eye makeup, mascara, and heavy eyeliner on the daily with the occasional black lipstick.

Personality: I love music, horror movies, coffee, and collecting little trinkets. I have quite a lot of foul language in my vocabulary. I tend to be both really sweet and a bitch depending on how the person I’m interacting with is acting towards me. I love/crave attention, with musical theater being a very common hobby. I’m usually very outgoing, trying to get others into my special interests, rambling about things, or cracking jokes, though sometimes I burn out and just utterly crash. I’m almost always willing to jump up and help anyone with anything they might need. I have really bad anxiety about certain things. I’m very clingy, and tend to prefer protective and stronger men, though I do appreciate time to myself. (I wanna be manhandled.)

Hobbies: Musical theater, choir, drumming, painting, drawing (mainly people), and watching movies or documentaries!!

I hope that’s enough info, have a great day/night and don’t forget to drink water 🖤

Thank you pookie 😊

Your Fandom Ship: Nubbins Sawyer!

Explanation: starting off looks he absolutely loves the way that you appear and your body and I also feel like if anyone tried to fat shame you or anything like that he would definitely torture them for hours. He would actually ask them if they think you’re attractive and if they said no, they would get tortured for hours. That makes it feel like he’s a little bit more in control and I feel like I don’t know that just makes him a little bit happier but he’s fully willing to let you have control of course but you know I just feel like it would be something cute for him because he feel like he can wrap himself around you at any point in time. He’s actually very tall canonly, I think 6’2. He loves your eyebrow piercing and thinks it’s really cool and you’re one of the coolest people he’s ever met. He definitely loves the way that you dress and he doesn’t have much of a sense of fashioned himself in one time he tried to copy your make up and it didn’t end well but anyway, I just think that he would love the way that you dress and he’s honestly in love with alternative people in general and just he sees you as his alt queen. he also loves collecting little trinkets, and if he ever found anything cool while he was searching for roadkill, he would definitely give it to you. You shouldn’t try to make him get coffee or coffee because he would absolutely not be able to do that. You would send him off be like hey can you make some coffee for me? You would hear a loud crash in the kitchen and then he would come back with like coffee beans in a cup of water. He would come to all your shows for a theater, and if anyone that wasn’t you got the lead you would have to like convince him not to try and kill them. Your personality of being outgoing would definitely clash with his bit and I think that would be great because you could get him to talk to more people and be a little bit less unhinged and he also appreciates how sweet and caring you are to him because it’s not something he’s ever really gone his life sometimes he doesn’t even feel like his own family cares. He’s also very clingy and despite being kind of tolerant lanky, he’s actually extremely strong from caring roadkill and doing a lot of farm work growing up so he could absolutely manhandle you if you wanted, but I personally feel like he’d be preferred to be like held, but he would wrap himself around you and he is like probably the clingyest out of the entire family. ANYWAY I ship

❤️❤️❤️

[duchessofostergotlands]

Do you think you could be autistic? No hate just wondered as I am too and I relate to a lot of what you say

Oh my anonymous friend, you don't know the can of worms you have opened haha. I am going to ramble here so just be prepared for that.

When I was little my mum did actually think I might be autistic. Predominantly because I played in an unusual way. I would line my toys up on the window sill and my grandmother's display cabinet thing. I would get furious at people if they moved my toys because they all had their own spot. And the only time I touched the toys was to move them from the cabinet (their home) to the window (the school). The rest of the time I would just stand still, stare at the toys, and wiggle my fingers. They called it "zizzing" - now it's called stimming, I guess - and they knew that was a sign of autism so my mum and my grandmother did wonder about it. But I had two things going against me: I was a girl and I was born in the early 90s. This was during the peak of the idea autism was the "extreme male brain." It was seen as being predominantly a male diagnosis. You probably know that. And there wasn't much understanding so our reference point would be people like our family friend who always looked at the ground, was obsessed with trains, had limited speech and would scream if anyone tried to touch him. Whereas while my family were still thinking about the autism thing I started school and I was academically strong, I had a small group of close friends and at the time - because of the gender disparity - girls only really got diagnosed with autism if they had some kind of very obvious speech delay, they weren't doing well at school, they had no social connections with their peers at all etc. So basically everyone just forgot about it. I got called a drama queen a lot, that was it.

Fast forward to my teens and my mental health was really bad. It got worse at university because I didn't have the routine and structure of school, I didn't have my mum cooking and buying food etc. I was diagnosed initially with depression and anxiety. After a while it was clear that wasn't right so after much fighting I got a diagnosis for Borderline Personality Disorder. Now you may know this but there is an overlap in BPD and autism symptoms and women are often misdiagnosed with BPD later in life because as children their autism wasn't picked up (because diagnostic criteria is still geared towards how it presents in boys and psychologists and psychiatrists don't always delve into motivations and thought processes). I found that out in my mid 20s but thought "nah I probably don't have it, I don't have special interests and I don't struggle with x, y and z." However, my mum became really interested in BPD after I was diagnosed and did loads of research, listened to podcasts on it. And she told she was listening to one podcast where someone was diagnosed with BPD but then they discovered it was actually autism. My mum said to me that the way she described herself in childhood was exactly how I behaved, as if I'd been the one speaking. And so that got me thinking and that's where I have been stuck over the last few years. I debate with myself constantly what's going on in my brain and I truly don't know. I regularly have epiphanies where I think "oh that thing I've done all my life is incredibly autistic." But then I think maybe it's actually BPD. And I just go round and round.

I identify as neurodivergent, regardless of what diagnosis I have. Some neurodivergence paradigms do recognise severe mental illnesses like BPD anyway, but I've realised that if you put aside the BPD I still have chronic problems with ordinary tasks and situations. And I used to think it was just because I was young but I'm 31, almost 32, and it isn't normal to take 3 months to make one phone call because you just can't make yourself do it! Most people don't find it this hard to take basic care of themselves.

[baeglbites]

Would you mind sharing your thoughts on Kaiju no 8? (I feel like I might highly agree with you lol)

Oo, I’m assuming you read my tags hahah, yeah I’ll try to expand! 

(Be warned, I didn’t reread or rewatch the series, so I’m just going off my impression. It’s going to be rambly haha)

I started with watching the anime, and the first season was anime solid! Animation, art, and soundtrack, all enjoyed (although RIP Gen’s debut lolol, I’m sure he’ll get an upgrade next season lol)

The premise was interesting, a 32 year old protagonist who essentially switches career, said protagonist also becomes the very “monster” that the Kaiju Defense Force eliminates 

Bullet point of Thoughts

what happens in the aftermath of battles (esp after shounen fights)? Who deals with that, so in this world there is a specialized cleanup crew disposing big ass several story monster with toxic innards -> yay world building! Cool! 

Kafka isn’t “strong” like a typical recruit (without his Kaiju form), but the way he helps is his knowledge from his previous jobs. I’m like ooo that’s neat!

I thought about people with prior job experience switching career, a lot of their soft skills and also previous experience carries over which is a unique advantage

But he doesn’t really fight like that anymore… 

Female characters are cooler than I initially thought! (Kikoru grew on me haha)

Scratching my head and I’m like huh thoughts: 

Many people’s motivation to joining is to protect the people for the future of the people (a little vague and almost nationalistic?)

Defense force seems to be a difficult job, seems you die early in that kind of career, but it seemed to be glorify… 

I’m wondering if there’s anyone who’s like "that’s messed up man"

characters: clearly people care about each other alot, maybe too much. But I love most of them (except for director…side eyeing him….) 

I thought that the series was going to expand on the elements and themes in the beginning of the series…but now it’s more like hey there’s a dangerous Kaiju and we need to defeat them for the sake of countries safety…punch punch smack

Also, we don’t even know where Kaiju comes from, like barely any hints or maybe there are crumbs and I missed it?? Like what’s their motivation? Why are they attacking people? Kaiju’s seemed to exist back then too? 

Also like are Kaiju creatures? Like do they eat? Do they poop?? Do they have babies?? Do they sleep anywhere?? 

Also it looks like there’s a whole industry of Kaiju weapon and armor production, like I’d like more details pls...like who thought of the idea of using the skin of a toxic,dangerous creature?

Are there any drawbacks (besides the limitation of using the suit to its fullest potential). 

Also with special Kaiju suits, implies that the Kaiju’s memories and consciousness is vaguely imprinted in the suits, and I’m like interesting, please expand, but it’s not expanded (yet?)

Anyways! I just think there’s potential, but so far…I see alot of missed opportunity of ideas and themes

[monbon-sidedish]

Thoughts on Geto and the dichotomy between how he's perceived and how he acts

While in the middle of a fic, I had to put some thoughts together because I use Geto as the main POV character, and I simply have a lot of thoughts about him and the way he's treated, both by Gege himself, and the fandom.

First and foremost, obviously this is a fictional character who commits entirely fictional crimes and violence and everyone is allowed to play with him, project onto him, and empathize with him in any way they prefer. That said, I get to ramble and air out some thoughts because out of all characters in JJK I feel like Geto is the most contentious and I'm never happy with how either the likers or haters address him.

I've always thought how interesting it is that Geto comes from a normal family (and I would assume comfortably middle class and based in Tokyo - so very well-off and, well-liked, with educated parents and a secure household) and is born with a power of this caliber.

Often, I feel that the fandom talks about him being repressed by non-sorcerers and jujutsu society alike, but I personally think there's a lot of parallels to be made between him and men's entitlement in a societal aspect (please don't call me a misandrist just yet, stay with me!!)

Call this a huge reach, but it's like, for one - Geto understands how rare it is to be Special Grade, and there's no way that kind of title doesn't go to your head. Especially when you learn this as a teenager and find out you're not only Super Duper Ultra Special but that there's thousands of people who come from generations with special powers that will never come even remotely close to your level, no matter how hard they try.

I believe it's mentioned in an interview (with Namakura Yuichi I think?) where it's stated Geto is first classified as Grade One and works his way up, which yes, does imply that he works for his position. But he's also momentarily put into a classification that very few other sorcerers can ever get to. Not to mention as well that his power is simply strong by design. Yes, if he has no curses, he's defenseless, but when he starts gathering a supply, the sky is the limit. And apart from the unpleasant taste and sensation, Geto is never shown to struggle obtaining any curse. He does work for his position, but he already starts at a level that for tons of others is the very top of the ceiling.

He also talks very confidently about who 'the weak' are. Which is often framed as him being Gojo's opposite in high school, being the levelheaded and kindhearted one. But to me, it seems more like being condescending rather than genuinely philanthropic. Even if, to himself, he is.

Unlike Gojo, who lashes out because he's a little air-headed and cocky, because he's a teenager that wants to slack off and isn't used to having responsibilities, Geto seems to have a savior complex.

He's the one with the powers, they're the ones who need to be saved.

And it's not like he has a lot of mercy or respect for other sorcerers either - he talks poorly about Utahime. Unintentionally, which might be worse because he both thinks he's doing her a favor but doesn't even address her directly. He treats the other curse users like annoyances, not threats, he eliminates them in much more visceral ways than Gojo does (compare the way Geto beats the living shit out of the old curse manipulator using his fists and raw physical power and the cartoony/ethereal way Gojo's fights are shown before the Toji fight). And at the first sign of non-sorcerers not being the idealized image of a helpless civilian in need of saving who will bow down and thank him for his service, he detaches completely from having any sympathy or even viewing them as human.

[I know, of course, that in the narrative, Geto's downfall is more an explanation for why he was the villain in JJK0 instead of organic character progression, but for the sake of character exploration as I see it happen, suspend your disbelief please]

So really, I think Geto has the potential to be a very believable and excellent villain, but in a completely different direction from how he's represented in canon. Not to get too dark here, but his character arc is almost incel-like. He doesn't jump into supremacy because he just has these beliefs, but there's hints that he already has biases and preconceptions about the world and his position in it. Coupled with the idea that he's never particularly struggled in his personal life, or at least isn't ever shown to, means he's never had to build the self-reflection and neutrality about the world around him.

And yes, Geto does go through a traumatic event, absolutely, but the way he grapples with it is not by addressing being lonely, or being hurt, or overworked, or having his ego-wounded, which does seem really in-line with how a lot of men lash out at the world around them for their disillusionment. Geto admits to himself that he's lonely, but he never reaches out and only isolates further, practically indulging in his own misery. Likewise, a lot of the backlash, from the fandom side, is on Gojo and Shoko for not being the ones to come to Geto and essentially save him, even though they're dealing with their own shit. Even the canon indulges in this subtly, because Gojo's own narrations and flashbacks constantly show how much he regrets losing Geto.

The whole situation is very close to a mirror of the conflict men have when it comes to dealing with rejection as opposed to a lot of women/POC/queer folk, who have to build up their own defense mechanisms, accept the possibility of rejection and how to manage yourself from a very early age. And then that whole thing leads to a state of arrested development and resentment of the world.

To that end, and this is one of the most terminally online things I have ever written down, I feel a very jarring disagreement with all the takes about Geto being a maternal and feminine-coded character. There's nothing wrong with wanting that characterization, naturally, people can do what they want.

But the more I think about Geto and see the way the narratives treats his character, I can't help but feel there's nothing feminine about it. The way Gege writes and treats female characters by and large lacks the mercy and ambiguity Geto receives. The women in JJK are killed, defeated and humiliated, usually with their only purpose in the narrative being helping a man or making a man feel sad, and they're almost never brought up again once they're out of the narrative.

Riko is not her own character - she's a plot device. Her death is mentioned to be pivotal to both Gojo and Geto, but she's never mentioned and never considered. She's basically an afterthought that makes Geto's tragedy sadder.

Geto and his impact on Gojo come back, again and again, without a single mention of what a horrible person he really was and how many people he ended up hurting. Yuuta, who personally saw Geto's cruelty in demeaning Maki and nearly killing her, wants to give him a mercy death. Gojo never moves on from him, even though the very last words Geto shared with him were how much he hated non-sorcerers and how little remose he has for being who he is. Maki, on the other hand, never gets any narrative fulfillment against Geto or Kenjaku (sure, she has an arc where she gets to be a powerhouse and beats Naoya, but we never even get input from her about Geto when she is the one that has arguable been the most hurt by him from the main cast).

So bottom line, I do think Geto is really fascinating, and I think he's just, interesting to extrapolate from. Frankly, to me, the worse he's admitted to be, the worse he acts and the more hated he is, the better he shines as a character. I got pretty much everything out that I wanted to say with that, if I was in a sitcom I'd be lighting my post-coital cigarette right about now.

[patty-propaganda-archive]

I have played just a bit of Astral Chain, and GOD does that game made my 'Hunter Patty with demon summons' thoughts come back with a force.

That game has basically the perfect setup/structure to insert her in and make Patty a formidable opponent, while also keeping her, you know, grounded and human. So I propose a shameless ripoff of gameplay mechanics and themes for her in a DMC-universe.

(these rambles are sponsored by my maybe two hours playtime of Astral Chain)

A quick intro about Astral Chain - it's a Platinum game that is set in a sci-fi universe which basically demons invade. Humans set up a special forces division that mixes some captured via Chains demons with human material, and the result are Legions that get paired with an operative and they work together.

Important note here is that the chained demons are exactly that - chained, and they aren't really happy with their predicament, so they try to escape if they aren't controlled properly. That said, they aren't mindless either, and can operate on their own, but are normally tightly ordered around and kept on a strong leash.

I think this setup in itself is very interesting - the humans are trying to fight fire with fire, while fully aware said flame might turn on them if used too freely.

Another thing I'd like to highlight is feel of combat in Astral Chain. The characters fight demons with guns and batons, which, well, doesn't exactly do much damage. The main damage dealer in this equation is, of course, the Legion under the human command.

You can do the normal button-mashy 'attack unless dodge then attack again', but really, in this game it feels like it pays to play Smarter, not Harder. The chain that binds demons is very physical, and with proper Legion positioning you can trip charging enemies or bind them in place for a time. This translates to me that the key is getting the upper hand in a fight, and no 'power level' or some other imaginary number will truly decide the outcome.

Last thing - the main character of the game is a sort of police officer, and they get a lot of requests to help civilians around. Even while on a big demon hunt, the priority for them is protecting humans, and getting to the big bad only after they are secure.

Why I think all of this works Perfectly Well for Patty:

The main premise of 'fighting fire with fire' is something the Order demonstrated quite well in DMC. They went so far in their studies as to develop stable technology based on demonic, and relatively safe enough for human use!

That said, Patty is no martial fighter. She is a human, and she physically cannot compete with demons, even easier ones. She needs as edge in a fight - this is where the idea of playing Smarter comes in.

I have been advocating for Patty getting a summons-based combat style, based of V(ergil) in dmc5, for a while now. I'll keep the design stuff under wraps, but I think that turning the demonic against demons seems very much up Patty's alley. Especially given her sourceress heritage, which, to be fair, we have no idea if it does anything, but hey, why not an ability to bind some demons to herself right? Or well, maybe some new demon-based tech helps her do that, but the technicalities don't really matter.

Plus, DMC demons already Do have a 'binding' ritual of sorts - the Devil Arms. Humans certainly can't wield those, so that's out of the question, but a simpler demon? Bound for a time even maybe? Not a bad substitute.

So, Patty gets herself a gun for long range, something close-range (rapier) for self-defence, and acquires a demon binded for herself.

Another idea I read a few times was Patty trying to get herself a position...close to the demon-hunting, but not the task itself, as she's not suited for continuous fighting. Something more about helping people, organising them and other supportive roles for when invasions happen.

Needless to say, I think that after how Dante disappeared on her, Patty would want to keep a Very Close ear to the ground about demons. She wouldn't be able to just stand aside either, so I think she'd volunteer to help there and then keep it up.

Having an ability to Bind demons would be a valuable ability in this situation, as her main focus would be on helping and defending civilians, instead of mowing down hordes on her own.

This can be up for debate, but I think the idea of demon binding being situational is more useful than getting a single demon bound permanently. Permanent binding would probably be harder to keep up, mostly in terms of mental/magical(?) effort, and I don't think Patty really needs that ability on all times. A spontaneous binding of a single demon out of the attack group though? More sudden, adaptable and, depending on the power of the demon chosen for binding - more cost-efficient, or at least you save up on the cost outside of fighting.

Another option is a 'pokemon' situation, when the binding requires energy only for the initial bind, but the upkeep is cost-free. So, she needs to change demons only when the bound one is too weak to fight anymore. Though I don't think that fits the other dmc demons rules, and the situational bind situation is better.

tldr Astral Chain gave me the perfect vision of Hunter-Patty, which is pretty much a ripoff of abilities from that game. It fits Patty very very well in my opinion though

So yeah, Astral Chain basically gave me a fully-realised Hunter-Patty fantasy, and I really love this mix of ideas for her. The game itself is also very fun, and I highly recommend everyone tries it out, if you can (curse you nintendo for holding it hostage). Thank you for reading this ramble)

[chocfrog-enjoyer]

TRELAWNEY ISN’T A FRAUD!

So as we “know” or so we believed Trelawney was a total liar. Well allow me to show you that she was in fact not at all. Most of the times we know of at least, because she did have a habit of talking big about small things which I’m not counting here.

So first let’s ignore the 2 obvious prophecies and the times she would tell about the Lavenders rabbit dying or Hermione dropping the class as those could be blamed on chance. Sybill does have a sort of “inner eye” but sadly the way she tells the information accompanied by her usual “mysterious” style makes them pretty unbelievable.

But after some analysis allow me to show you this post. This is all I could think about for now in the case of her divinations.

Let’s first analyze the subject of Divination itself. As quoted:

“ Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, 'So you may have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field..

[…]

‘Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future,’ “

Divination is a strong emotional subject. Mainly based on feelings, interpretation and beliefs. Small glimpses of probable future yet to be interpreted to ones mind.

That’s why it is indeed one of the hardest subjects as it is impossible to understand by reading. In divination you have to rely on your instincts and feelings when using “future-telling” methods.

So let’s get to the actual interesting parts.

“ ... the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, gliding towards them as though on wheels. She had put on a green sequined dress in honour of the occasion, making her look more than ever like a glittering, oversize dragonfly.

‘Sybill, this is a pleasant surprise!' said

Dumbledore, standing up.

'I have been crystal-gazing, Headmaster,' said Professor Trelawney, in her mistiest, most faraway voice, and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the prompting of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness..'

‘Certainly, certainly,' said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. 'Let me draw you up a chair -'

[...]

Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream.

'I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!' “

[ HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban ]

This doesn’t seem important does it? Especially that when Harry and Ron stood up nothing happened. Oh just another one of Trelawneys pointless ramblings. It is in fact not! Just look:

This is an assumption as I don’t think it was ever confirmed but it’s reasonable enough that I find it true.

We were given a list of all the people sitting at the moment. Dumbledore, McGonagal, Snape, Sprout, Flitwick, Filch, 3 other students and of course Harry, Ron and Hermione.

12

Or at least it might seem like that…

We know that this was the time that Crookshanks was after Scabbers. It is said in this exact same chapter that Scabbers was constantly staying in Ron’s pocket. The thing is that Scabbers is not a rat. And so if he was present at the moment there were already 13 people sitting at the table!

But what’s so special about it, nothing happened to Harry or Ron anyway? Well that is because they weren’t the ones who stood up first at that moment.

“ ‘Sybill, this is a pleasant surprise!' said Dumbledore, standing up. “

Everything checks out. Out of all the people present at the table ( counting Scabbers/Wormtail ) Dumbledore was the first one to die

But as I said this is just a very probable assumption. The next one isn’t.

Remember that time on Order of Phoenix when Molly and Sirius had an argument?

“ ‘He's not your son,’ said Sirius quietly.

‘He's as good as,’ said Mrs Weasley fiercely. ‘Who else has he got?’

‘He's got me!’

‘Yes,’ said Mrs Weasley, her lip curling, ‘the thing is, it's been rather difficult for you to look after him while you've been locked up in Azkaban, hasn't it?’

Sirius started to rise from his chair.

‘Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry,’ said Lupin sharply. ‘Sirius, sit down.’ “

There were also 13 people sitting at a table at that moment. Sirius was the first one to stand up and he was the first one to die.

That’s what I got with the 13’s for now but If I missed a prediction like this I’d love to see someone who has found it.

Continuing to the Goblet of Fire:

“ 'I was saying, my dear, that you were clearly born under the baleful influence of Saturn,' said Professor Trelawney, a faint note of resentment in her voice at the fact that he had obviously not been hanging on her words.

"Born under -what, sorry?' said Harry.

"Saturn, dear, the planet Saturn!' said

Professor Trelawney, sounding definitely irritated that he wasn't riveted by this news. 'I was saying that Saturn was surely in a position of power in the heavens at the moment of your birth. Your dark hair... your mean stature... tragic losses so young in life... I think I am right in saying, my dear, that you were born in mid-winter?'

"No,' said Harry, 'I was born in July.' “

[ HP and the Goblet of Fire ]

When I was younger and I read this scene it made me laugh. But when re-re-re-…re-reading it as I am much older it made me think. Trelawney isn’t wrong here. The problem is she doesn’t sense this in Harry.

What is this person talking about you might think? Allow me to elaborate. As we already agreed Divination is no clear-answers and easy interpretations. So Sybill thought that what she sensed was about Harry, while in fact it wasn’t!

‘[…] Your dark hair... your mean stature... tragic losses so young in life... I think I am right in saying, my dear, that you were born in mid-winter?’

Let’s think who else fits that description.

It is no one else than Tom Marvolo Riddle. Dark Hair, mean stature, and a tragic loss ( mother dying shortly after birth ) young in life. But most importantly Tom Riddle was born on 31st December. Mid winter.

And as we later know Harry is a Horcrux of Lord Voldemort aka Tom. Harry has part of Voldemorts soul inside him and that’s why Trelawney thought it was Harry.

“ ‘Harry proceeded through deserted corridors, though he had to step hastily behind a statue when Professor Trelawney appeared round a corner, muttering to herself as she shuffled a pack of dirty-looking playing cards, reading them as she walked.

‘Two of spades: conflict,' she

murmured, as she passed the place where Harry crouched, hidden. 'Seven of spades: an ill omen. Ten of spades: violence. Knave of spades: a dark young man, possibly troubled, one who dislikes the questioner -'.

She stopped dead, right on the other side of Harry's statue.

‘Well, that can't be right,' she said, annoyed, and Harry heard her reshuffling vigorously as she set off again, leaving nothing but a whiff of cooking sherry behind her. “

[ HP and the Half Blood Prince ]

This is the book where Sybill is a bit unstable due to her previous trouble with Umbridge, the current state where there are 2 Divination teachers and Dumbledore kind of avoids meeting with her.

For me the quote above talks about Malfoy. She’s getting hints, but at her state she can’t interpret them well enough.

Why Malfoy? Well at that time Malfoy was trying to kill Dumbledore remember? He was a Death Eater. A dark troubled young man. The rest of this talks about the events that Malfoy causes in attempts to get rid of the headmaster.

“ ‘If Dumbledore chooses to ignore the warnings the cards show -

Her bony hand closed suddenly around

Harry's wrist.

‘Again and again, no matter how Ilay them out -

And she pulled a card dramatically from underneath her shawls.

"-the lightning-struck tower,' she whispered. Calamity. Disaster. Coming nearer all the time…’ “

Well taking out a disaster where did Dumbledore die in the end? On top of the astronomy tower. Lighting-struck tower

“ A JET of GREEN LIGHT hits Dumbledore squarely in the chest. For a second he

hangs, suspended upon the ramparts, and then... the night swallows him.

Bellatrix raises her wand to the sky and a DEAFENING BLAST shakes the castle, masking Harry’s cry. The CLOUDS EXPLODE with GRIM LIGHT, mutating into a SKULL. “

And for the end here’s a lil drawing I made of Sybill:

[airbender-dacyon]

Just some quick personal thoughts on Netflix’s adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender before it premieres tomorrow.

I know I’ve not been as active the last couple years, especially in the Kataang and AtLA fandom, but I started this blog for Kataang and AtLA and it will always be a blog for Kataang and AtLA. And it’s been a while since I’ve talked about my favorite fandom and ultimate OTP.

First and foremost, I think the adaptation is completely unnecessary (same goes for the HTTYD live-action movie that’s currently being filmed). The story has been told in a visual medium already through its original animated series.

That said, I feel this live-action series will be an improvement over the 2010 film, though that is admittedly a very low bar to clear.

Despite that I feel it’s unnecessary, I do intend to watch it after I rewatch the first season of AtLA. I want the first season fresh in my mind because I’m planning to do some level of a review of each episode as I watch it, if anyone’s interested.

My expectations for the show are that it will be… okay. Somewhat good even. Slightly above average.

From the trailers and clips released so far, I have hopes for some aspects of the adaptation and disappointment and irritation with other elements. It seems like they’ve handled some concepts well (set design, costumes, casting, visual effects, some character bonding moments, expanding upon some of the lore and characters, etc.) while it appears they may have failed to grasp the significance of key plot points and character arcs (Aang is a kid, please let him be a kid and have his fun; Sokka needs to grow as a person; Katara needs to relearn how to be a kid and have fun; Ozai scarred Zuko because Zuko refused to fight him during their Agni Kai, so why is there apparently a fully choreographed fight?).

I’m hoping I’m proved wrong on the rumored issues regarding plot points and character arcs.

I understand there are always differences between adaptations, but some of these things do worry me.

All of this said, please do not attack the cast and crew if you dislike the show. Criticism is fair, but do not go after the people who worked on this adaptation, no matter how much you disagree with some (or all) of the decisions.

And I think most importantly, be kind to newcomers to the fandom and if they liked the show, encourage them to watch the original animated series. We have an opportunity to show people that the original series is worthy of its praise and that any adaptation, no matter how well done, won’t be able to recapture the essence and beauty that made the original series so special.

I say this because it was only thanks to the live-action adaptations of One Piece and Percy Jackson that got me interested in the originals. It wasn’t that I never had an interest in them, but I had other shows/books/fandoms/interests that overshadowed them for literal years. Now I’m planning to read the OP manga and the PJO books once I’ve got some free time. And I imagine I’ll enjoy them both more than the live-action adaptations.

Last, but not least, I’m hoping to see some bonding between the main trio and especially hoping the Kataang friendship is strong. I doubt there will be any indications of anything romantic, but if they at least handle Katara and Aang’s friendship well, it will serve as a foundation for any romance in potential future seasons.

So, these are my ramblings.

If anyone is interested in me reviewing the episodes, let me know and I’ll try my best to write them up when I get a chance.

In conclusion, be respectful of the cast and crew, be kind to fandom newcomers (and please do not incite ship wars), be open-minded about the show if you watch it, but also do not be afraid to critique the adaptation.

[tgrailwar-zero]

Alright, let’s get this out of the way; it’s a pleasure to meet you, Kukulkan, we’re your masters and we’re in a tricky position.

Previously, we were this Holy Grail War’s master for “Avenger” and we just so happened to have a connection to “Rider” as well but we aren’t sure how. As it turns out, we were special in regards to this Grail War as we were supposedly sent to “raze this land” and “investigate what happened in a failed Grail War” (which “Saber” was apparently part of) before being captured and forced into this war before our memories were wiped and we were sent out as “just some other masters with a wish”.

After scrambling through our preliminary war, we entered this next stage and we immediately placed into, what we perceive as, a rigged game. “Caster” placed a virus on “Avenger” and started sowing distrust between us and our team, we fell for this and accidentally forfeited both “Avenger” and “Rider” to her and we got sent to a “Dead End Screen”.

Luckily for us, our “scrambling” in the preliminary war ended up helping us as one of the terminals who we befriended, AVENGER, ended up helping us out and gave us another chance in this war, allowing us to summon you, and the chance to start again on our own terms this time.

All we know is that we’re on our own and we’re up against a team of EXTRA class servants and a team of the standard seven classes with a suspiciously powerful “Caster” and a knowledgeable “Saber” (plus our stolen “Avenger”). AVENGER gave us the go ahead and said there’s a doctor nearby to give us a checkup so nothing like that happens again.

I know this was probably a lot, but I’m hoping transparency would show you what we’re in for and to build some trust between us by letting you know what we did to end up here.

Regardless, we might be bumbling and scrambling, but I at least hope you trust our judgment to not end up as the “losers” again.

"Oh, how comprehensive! Thank you very much! It is a lot to process, but I'll do my best as your Servant, okay?"

She accepted that relatively easily. Or perhaps she just decided to compartmentalize the information and take the time to actually process it when she had some time to herself. It might help to check in on her during a later date, after the information had a chance to be digested.

You could assume that filling her in on your journey would most likely take the majority of your walk, considering her incredibly brisk, yet somehow casual, pace.

"Hmm, so we're looking for a doctor, yes? Or a healer of some sort. That should be fine! Every small town should have someone willing to help with medicine, after all!"

The rest of the walk was filled with idle chatter.

She flexed a bicep.

"Ehehe, a lot! You'll see for yourself when we fight, I promise!"

She spent a decent amount of time walking rambling about her interests as she walked. It seemed like she had a strong enjoyment for life and culture. Cities, civilizations, cuisine, architecture, agriculture... and occasionally some talk of sports. Namely lucha libre.

"Hm? The Grail? Well..."

She stopped, as something caught her attention.

"Oh! We can talk more another time! We made it!"

Reaching the town, night had already fallen. Despite what KUKULKAN had described, the town certainly seemed... dour.

KUKULKAN stopped, looking around. It was late at night, and like she pointed out- most people had already wandered their way inside.

However, the air seemed… dense with magical energy, a heavy fog hanging over the town.

"It doesn't feel evil… somber, maybe? Like a a blanket draped over a scared child…"

She commented, with a complicated expression.

With that in mind, there were a few places to go.

It seemed that the only places of business that was open was a tavern and an inn, though it wasn't exactly bustling with energy. The tavern lights were on, at least. That being said, there were also a few creepy alleyways between the buildings. You know, if that's your idea of a good time. Considering the sound of conversation, there was a chance that some of the NPCs here did just… hang out in unsettling alleys.

Regarding the nearby inn, it seemed to be in a similar state where the lights were on for travelers, but there wasn't much noise. Outside of that, an old church building also seemed to have the lights on.

There was the feeling that this town had a stronger 'day-life' than 'nightlife', frankly.

"Well, no time like the present! Where to?"

[splatoon-edits]

I'm of the assumption that you're a Shiver fan do you wanna explain some HCs or reasons you like her?👂👂 I'm interested (I like her too 😋)

oh boy. do you even know what you've done? I am going to talk about this blue creature SO MUCH!!!!! (no but fr thank you for enabling me to talk about one of my fav characters!!!)

I'm just gonna be rambling with no general direction, so i apologize if this gets a smidge confusing..... Everything else will be under a read more since i don't want this post to make it hard to scroll through my blog if it gets too long.

so.. Splat 3 was my first game in the series. I knew about the other splatoon games obviously, and i was eagerly awaiting splatoon 3 since by the time i got a switch it would have been a waste to buy splat 2. So i went into splatoon 3 with very minimal knowledge of the characters/setting.

But when i saw Shiver in the Deep Cut announcement trailer??? It was love at first sight. Blue is my favorite color and the swag Shiver has is off the charts. Plus the hype around a potentially nonbinary character?? And imma be honest, i'm a sucker for smug characters. Especially the ones who are secretly failures. It's just one of my fav tropes.

So in short: Shiver was a character who had a lot of appeal for me in the beginning. But slowly over time as i came to learn more about her and the rest of Deep Cut, i came to appreciate them even more in new ways. Shiver is smug, sarcastic, and can come off as mean or over the top. But she is also silly, quirky, and has a lot of love in her heart for others. She cares about Frye, Bug Man, and all of Splatsville. She says silly things that don't make sense. She likes puns. She takes the time to listen to Sheldon's rambles. She is so much more than what you see on the surface. And it can be so easy to see her teasing her bandmates and assume she is mean or cold hearted. But she genuinely is such a fun character!!!!

Her grace, her gnc swag, her cringefail aura, everything about her makes her an amazing character.

And now, for some headcanons in no particular order:

I kinda see Shivers gender as "whatever is funniest/best in the moment. Commit to the bit of genders. But if i had to pick one thing to headcanon them as it would be pangender or maybe genderfluid. Uses all pronouns plus some shark themed neos like bite/biteself and fin/finself and anything else like that. Im gonna be mostly sticking to she/her and they/them for this post just cuz i think that's what people will be most used to. But really any gender hc for Shiver is correct in my head. MTF? Correct. Nonbinary? Correct. FTM? Correct. Genderfluid? Correct/ Bigender? Correct. Anything and anything goes an i love seeing everyone's takes on it!

I'm gonna go ahead and say trans woman Shiver has a special place in my heart. I just feel like i never see anyone hc this but i also feel like it works?? Idk... The same can be said for genderfluid Shiver. I myself am genderfluid so i rlly like that hc!

Mayhaps has a touch of the tism. (me too) I just feel like she doesn't read social cues well. Can mask really well but doesn't do it around Frye and Big Man for the most part. I think all of Deep Cut is autistic tbh. With Frye having ADHD as well. (ME TOO)

I'm caught between the headcanons of "secretly rlly strong cuz of archery" and "lowkey weak cuz it would be funny to contrast w Frye being strong". But i lean more on the side of both of them being strong. Just Frye having more obvious muscles. But if you look at Shiver she def if strong. And graceful. Like a predator built for ambush or stalking. She moves with purpose. Ya know what i mean? Like she seems very graceful and delicate at first but that is NOT the case.

I gotta be careful or this will turn into general Deep Cut hcs cuz i wanna talk about Big Man and Frye as well lol

Loses her temper easily. Can be petty when things don't go her way.

Master Mega is very special to them. She spent a lot of time with him when she was younger and her parents were busy.

Shiver whistles a lot as a stim/just for fun.

Big Man and Frye are the best hype men ever for Shiver. There are certain points in the game where she says absolute nonsense but those two are right there to back her up. They also don't understand what he's saying, but they are gonna act as if it's the smartest thing ever. Shiver thinks she is the coolest thing ever and those two only enable her. (dw. every once in a while they knock her down a peg by returning her teasing)

Shiver is the type of person to spend 30 minutes making her food look pretty before she serves it. It has to look good or else.

Is a decent cook. Frye likes to steal bits of food from whatever she is working on so Shiver will playfully smack her with her fan and shoo her out of the kitchen.

Is very proud of her singing. She worked very hard to get it as perfect as it is.

Probably used to have a violent streak in middle school, would bite people. Has since learned to control her anger better.

Very confident. Isn't afraid of things like public speaking.

Gets annoyed easily when overstimulated. Sometimes snaps at people when the environment is too noisy/bright or if she is tired. Tries to apologizes afterwards.

Speaking of apologies, she is the type of person to do something nice for you or get you food/a present for you rather tha admit she is wrong. Is embarrassed easily and instead prefers wordless apologies.

Is flustered easily. One of the ways to easily make her lose her cool is to do anything remotely flirty or to bring up something embarrassing she did in the past.

I could probably ramble more but it's LATE and i should head to bed. Thank you so much for the ask!!!! I had a fun time talking about my favorite blue goofball. <3

[crisiscutie]

Regarding the Sephology 101 course, I would like to ask about a basic analysis into the psychological aspect of Sephiroth. As a Sephiroth admirer since I was kid, I really love to learn more about the mysterious man

-🌹

Content Warning: Discussions of child abuse and trauma. Long ramble below.

Welcome to Sephology 101. The course is now open!

We know from the canon that Sephiroth's psychological aspect has been painted by Shinra ever since he was born. His life was defined by TRAUMA. Before he was born, he was subjected to harrowing experiments, the first of his many traumas. That's already going to heavily influence his psychology and his well being. That is not even mentioning other genetic predispositions he inherited from his parents. Being taken away from his mother as a baby was undoubtedly a traumatic event as well, and its effects can be felt in his life, even though he can't remember it.

Shinra has crafted him into the perfect SOLDIER. Dutiful, obedient, strong, intelligent. I'm sure they only gave him the bare necessities and concentrated heavily on the art of warfare. And like I once said, he must've had an immense pressure to always be the best. He can't let up or appear weak, he kept up appearances. I've read an official fun fact that Sephiroth was a full time frontline fighter before he was TEN YEARS OLD. That is tragic and wild to me on so many levels. I always knew he was a child soldier, but I would've thought he spent most of his formative years preparing for the battlefield and occasionally visiting it.

Being a child soldier itself is just a mountain of trauma. He was taught to do and suffer through horrible things, but deep down, he was seeking validation without even being aware of it. Children's love for their caregivers is almost unconditional, particularly when they are very young. They will do what is taught to them, they will modify their behavior to accommodate the demands of the adults around them and they will have a strong faith in the adults to cherish and protect them... I'd imagine Sephiroth lost this unconditional love for Shinra as he grew up. Especially when he was given autonomy as a reward for his growing fame, like the ability to wear his own clothing, decline missions, discover his own hobbies, etc. These all gave him a sense of empowerment. With this, he will see more of what others had that he didn't. There's also the factor of how Shinra kept putting him into one traumatic situation into another... No matter how normalized abuse is, you will feel horrible about what is happening to you in some way or another, especially if it's by something or someone as your caregiver...

Another psychological aspect to focus on is that Sephiroth did not have a strong social circle. He had very few connections. The four known and strongest ones being Professor Gast, Angeal, Genesis and later Zack in Crisis Core, when the last two before him abandoned Sephiroth. I will say Sephiroth was attracted to these four not just because of the familiarity and comfort they bring to him, but also their nurturement. They encouraged Sephiroth to express and explore himself, and let him know that he wasn't alone. They were his anchors. Being around Sephiroth often was a requirement too, and the more time they spent together, the stronger their connection. This goes for those who Sephiroth despises, too. They stood out amongst the gray and muddied world in his mind to become a person of interest.

What astounded me the most about Sephiroth was his ability to remain composed and devoted despite his traumatic past. He was often distant to most people, but he showed a special kind of affection to his select few loved ones, and occasionally gave this attention to the men under his command. I think there was a deep and innate goodness within him, which was unfortunately destroyed when the truth about his background and who his 'mother' was was revealed.

I think Sephiroth's empathy doesn't get enough discussion. And yes, he is an empath, even Post-Nibelheim. Let me explain: I think his empathy is rooted in his time on the battlefield, where he had to be vigilant and pick up on the slightest changes in his environment and persons around him. Great fighters are great thinkers. Outside of the battlefield, he uses his empathy to pick up on the feelings of those around him and to express his compassion in the best way he knows how. Even before he was friends with Zack, he knew he had a special bond with Angeal, and he felt a pang of guilt whenever he asked Zack to take on his assignments. In Nibelheim, he picked up on the deep yearning of his men, particularly Cloud's, to see their loved ones again and he showed concern for Tifa when she wanted to go inside the reactor.

Post-Nibelheim, his empathy is more twisted. Thanks to his time in the Lifestream and his Jenova cells, he was able to tap into people's emotions to inflict emotional pain. In my opinion, I think the biggest showcase of this is when he read Tifa's mind and created an elaborate story of how Cloud was just a Jenova puppet created by Hojo. That's a rather impressive feat, and he was so close to breaking Cloud then... His silver tongue is as sharp as his sword.

Sephiroth's sadism is sophisticated, yet viciously merciless. He desires to break others down and to project his own traumas and weaknesses into them. I'm fairly certain he does not think himself as evil and rather, righteous in dispensing the pain the world has caused him and his "mother"...

Anyway, there is much more unpack about Sephiroth, but that's what Sephology 101 is for. Feel free to ask questions or send some contributions. The course is open now.

~ TA C.C

Also, I called it on 7R Rebirth not being at the Playstation Showcase.

[ultravioart]

Peepers you fool, of course Hater needs you! You’re his emotional support watchdog. (Seriously though, I love your deathglare ideas. Please keep them coming, I’m obsessed with these two awful awful men)

ALL ABOARD THE HATE TRAIN!!!! WOO WOO!!! thanks tho LOL I get shy about posting my death glare rambles, but I really do love these two goobers. emotional support watchdog is hilarious. Perhaps Hater is Peepers emotional support front man lol, Peepers absolutely has a "DO IT FOR HIM" board with pics of Hater that he looks to for motivation. Something about this silly ship just fills me with inexplicable joy, fr. It can be cute or sad or uplifting or a tug of war. So many scenarios, and it brings out interesting facets of their characters and what they represent. If Wander is Love (fueled by self-love=true love), and Hater is hate (fueled by self-loathing), then Sylvia might be... tough love? Or how it's tough to love, but love is strong/love makes you strong? And Peepers is ...puppy love? or how a person can fall in love with hate, relying on hate to give them strength? etc...?

I think it's notable that Peepers' and Hater's issues seem to mostly stem from their environment, with Peepers having a harsh home life offering little love, and Hater most likely waking up with no idea who/where/when he was, with no one to teach him how to navigate such a scary world. Dejected and abandoned, they STILL managed to find each other in this big, lonely universe and become a part of a great, terrible thing Together. Lonely, together. Broken, together. Dorks, together. Hating others, together. Loving each other, in their own ways, together, and no one else has to know! Hurt people hurt people, but sometimes hurt people find each other, and perfectly fill in each other's gaps. It's a bit sad, and certainly not the healthiest, but for a time those two had real hope between them. A hope for a better life than what the universe currently handed them, a passion. A love, or what they could muster of it. Peepers was the very first person to see just how GREAT Hater truly was, and that makes Peepers special. Peepers struggles with feeling insignificant and forgotten, so I think he takes great pride in knowing he's special like that. I imagine even if Hater never admits it, Hater will always cherish that about Peepers, and to think Hater maybe kept Peepers around all this time bc Peeper was the first person to truly like him...? Yeah. yeah. And maybe that's why he believed a little watchdog when that said he could get the WHOLE UNIVERSE to like Hater too? yeahyeahyeah And yeah.... evilly, but still!!! Peepers is special in that regard. And as I imagine that's a big place of pride, I also see it as a place of anxiety for Peepers. Peepers is nothing without Hater, at least nothing remarkable. And Peepers seems to have a fear of being replaced/losing Hater. Because sure, Peepers was the FIRST to see Hater as the greatest, but it could have been anyone else in the universe in his place. Peepers was just lucky enough to get the opportunity to be the first. He feels lucky every single day.

And that's why Wander is such a threat. Not just to evil schemes-- that one's obvious, but to Peepers' very significance.

Hater is his everything, in both an emotional and literal sense. Without Hater, he's nothing, just another insignificant, forgettable, teeny tiny watchdog in a sea of eyes that only look down on him. But with Hater he's big and he's strong and he's everything he's ever dreamt of, others finally take him seriously and others actually look UP to him and... ...and Wander is a better friend, a better mentor, a better companion, and can love Hater in nearly the same way: authentically. That probably scares the bajeebus out of Peepers. It's one thing to lose the empire, heck even his job, but to lose Hater?

I imagine Hater and Peepers, though at first glance one sided, have this two-way street to their relationship: they don't entirely see each other as a person, instead they see each other as a part of themselves. A piece that is deep down truly scared, angry at the universe, ambitious... worthless. Yearning to be loved because it's so hard to love yourself and wanting to be someone's everything because you are utterly nothing. "Who would ever love a loser like me" meets "Who wouldn't". And a super genius stays silent so his very first fan can feel big and mighty for being smarter than the greatest in the galaxy. I think something that I am particularly empathetic towards is that they both embody common insecurities within boyhood/manhood. Wanting to be the "cool guy" and "popular" because loving yourself is really hard. Fitting in is hard, "friends" are hard, dating is hard, girls are confusing, and boys are scary, and society too often labels being authentic as "uncool" so there's a lot of posturing or acting like a jerk to compensate for lack of confidence. Or the insecurities guys too often face of not being strong enough, big enough, tall enough, manly enough, not being taken seriously enough by peers. "If only I was bigger, taller, cooler..." It's all rubbish and what really matters is who you are on the inside. Sylvia learned that, and Peepers has yet to learn that. Lastly, I really do think Peepers pours all the love he can muster into Hater. That includes self-love. Because Lord Hater is everything Peepers wishes he was and isn't, so how could he NOT love that? That in turn does make Peepers a bit possessive and dismissive of Hater's feelings. Good fuel for aus that explore character development..... (I'd also like to think, since Hater was weak to lil bits' googoo eyes, that Hater has a soft spot for cute things... and Peepers is pretty cute. Perhaps consider turning a weakness into a strength there, ey Peepers?)

[relaxxattack]

we were on the subject of vriska/dirk parallels a few days ago but i was too busy seeing le mis to talk about it but NOW THAT IM FREE. some thoughts i had

disclaimer: i am only about 60% confident in anything being said here and it kind of became rambly garbage, so feel free to (gently) disprove anything ive said, these thoughts are just rattling around in my brain

i definitely personally think that dirk as a character was initially intended to be a Bad Guy. who is in the Wrong. and i get we are generally dirklovers in this day and age but the thing is he actually kind of WAS a shit to a lot of people (mainly jake) and i mean there was a reason there was fandom discourse around him back when he first was introduced; there’s a reason that Ultimate Dirk is a path that was genuinely thought by a certain amount of writers to be a conclusive and believable route for his character to go

the reason i think this is like, A dirks general actions towards other characters generally being manipulative OR a bystander to manipulation (hal), and also B, hussies original novel where the dirk-like character is revealed to be a twist villain. hussie seemed to have a particular interest in writing about a gay love story in which one of the guys manipulates the other and then turns out to be the bad guy. and you can really follow that thread to the modern dirk character

the difference though is that dirk goes through an Arc. and even before that, dirk is hugely characterized by a strong love for his friends. like. dude fucking adores his friends and thinks none of them deserve him. and i think this is what makes him stand out immediately as different than vriska — vriska definitely acts out out of a need for attention and interaction, but it really seems like she wants any attention, and wants to bully tavros soley because she feels she has a right. (terezi is a bit of a special case here). vriska wants connection and friendship, and to be liked, mainly in general. dirk wants to deserve the three friends he has— he loves those three very specifically and deeply. this makes them extremely different off the get-go.

although we can draw lines from “asshole manipulates a useless page who doesn’t deserve it and gets dunked on by the narrative constantly”, their characters are really entirely different other than that

as for jake/tavros there’s a lot there, they are both confused the hell out by the romantic advances of both people. difference is that tavros never showed any want for vriska (until he was a ghost or something? the ghost plot lines always pissed me off ill be honest) while jake was interested in dirk and confided in other people about it.

i also don’t remember there being evidence of dirk manipulating jake to get stronger the way vriska did to tavros besides the robot? i think it was literally just the robot, which is kind of a one-time offense and, if i recall, jake wanted the robot for fisticuffs and was technically fully capable of turning the difficulty level on the thing down

the main issue was dirk and hal initiating that entire plan to get together with jake, which dirk did not try to rectify, and then supposedly dirk being clingy afterward which we saw none of

and for obvious reasons, the fact that they break up and dirk goes through a small arc about learning and wanting to try to be better obviously makes the Ult Dirk plot line feel like a slap in the face. i mean once dirk was a beloved character there was reason to give him a better ending than “asshole is an asshole”, and the arc he had, while minor was satisfactory for a lot of people, so the idea that it was all for nothing in post canon is obviously really shitty.

there’s also the fact that dirk and Jake immediately move in together at the start of post canon and start doing all kinds of weird shit which i definitely disapprove of when im like fairly sure what they needed was space apart and a little bit of time to socialize with other people??? but that’s technically part of post canon and a whole other can of gross worms the point of this post was.

vriska and dirk: not the same.

this whole thing became a rambly mess towards the end i REALLY should do a reread + deep dive of act 6 honestly because its my least favorite and i dont give it much attention