#and until present day canon can give me some of that i will continue to make exclusively teen malex content

[ddarker-dreams]

Chrollo tells you a story from his childhood centered around bread.

(Warnings for religious mentions and canon typical depictions of his hometown, Meteor City)

“Hm… how uncanny is that.” 

Knowing that he’ll continue speaking cryptic phrases until you express an interest you most certainly don’t have, you sigh, and rest your cheek on your fist. 

“What’s uncanny?” 

Please don’t mean the bread, please don’t mean the bread, please don’t mean the bread— 

“This bread loaf,” he inclines his head toward it, as if you couldn’t spot the table’s lone occupant, “It’s bringing up some memories.” 

He’s really going to talk to you about bread. Fuck.

“Meteor City, destitute as it is, was an attractive prospect for missionaries. My friends cared little for the religious doctrine they’d expound, but I always found the teachings fascinating. It wasn’t uncommon to go days without eating, so they’d come along with me on the sole condition that food was being provided. The priest, knowing this, had me relay the message that at his next teaching, there’d be fresh bread. Children overflowed from the tent that normally only I would occupy. He preached his sermon.” 

There’s a nostalgic air to him as he continues. “By the end, he presented us with a challenge: whoever capable of best verbally expressing their devotion to God could have the bread. Each child present wanted to be the victor. There was a great deal of murmuring and thinking. He had us form a line, where one by one, we’d give what we hoped to be the winning response. My friend Phinks was first. ‘If I’d been there, I’da stomped the shit out of that snake,’ is what he went with. As you can imagine, the priest kept going down the line. 

Eventually, he got to me. I’d been closely monitoring his body language and facial expressions. From what I could tell, no answer so far had even come close. I decided to take a different approach. From his theology, I could tell he was of the Roman Catholic persuasion. And so I suggested that to best prove our love, we should have mass. I thought that by focusing on the collective rather than oneself, I’d meet his unspoken criteria. He intended to keep the results to himself until everyone had spoken their piece, but no sooner as the words left my mouth did I know that wasn’t the answer he was looking for. 

After everyone had their turn, he brought the bread out for all to see. While we were all excitedly wondering who the lucky individual would be, he raised his voice and began admonishing us. He quoted Matthew, ‘It is written: Man must not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’. With that, he left us there, so that we could ‘think about what we’ve learned’.” 

Your jaw practically hits the floor. 

“I intended to counter his points later that night to see if I could win the community the bread they were promised. While I was preparing, a few children happened by, eating the bread that was pulled from under our noses. I asked where they got it from — they said Uvogin. Apparently, he learned what had happened and was incensed. I went to go see him so I could ask how he convinced the priest to give him the bread. I didn’t find Uvo at the place he normally hung out at, but I did see the priest.

He was… shall we say, arranged in a way that’s strenuous on the body. All the while he kept chanting, ‘Pater, aphes autois, ou gar oidasin ti poiousin’, though he lay dying. It left a strong impression on me. Especially because his pronunciation was slightly off… but more than that, I thought it interesting he held firm to the belief which landed him in this position. A belief he didn’t even understand properly. He passed with a content expression. He must’ve fancied himself a martyr. It later became a popular joke that in the end, he did prove that you can’t live on bread alone, since it didn’t seem to do him much good.” 

“How… how old were you?” 

“Seven or eight, I believe.” 

You get up from the table. You can feel his eyes following your every movement, from the suite’s dining room to the living space it's connected to. The suitcase you’ve yet to unpack sits patiently as you rummage through its contents. Grabbing what you need, you return to the table, where Chrollo regards you with a curious countenance. 

Your antidepressants rattle inside a small orange container as you put it before him. How he gets the medication, you haven’t the slightest clue. It’s more convenient to receive them from your enigmatic kidnapper than an uninsured trip to the psychiatrist. He’s got one thing going in his favor, at least. 

“Do you already need a refill?” 

You shake your head. 

“Just… after hearing that story… I think you might want to consider getting some of these for yourself. High dose.” 

#fun story time with chrollo (?) #yandere chrollo x reader #chrollo brainrot #my stuff

[the-crooked-library]

Hannibal and Control

Alright so out of all the Hannibal interpretations out there, I don't think there are any that irritate me more than the idea of an unequal balance between him and Will. There's this opinion floating around - that he is so much of a control freak that he can never let Will make his own decisions; I've seen it in fic, in Tiktok videos, an occasional textpost, and it is just so grossly incorrect that I have to say something on the subject.

As early as season 2, we get this:

This is perhaps one of the most famous scenes in the series - in which Hannibal states, out loud, canonically, that the reason he is so fascinated by Will is because, unlike most other people, he can never truly predict him. No matter how much he may "whisper through the chrysalis," Will Graham will find a way to surprise him; he expressly doesn't follow the lines Hannibal has written for him, and that is a key element of their relationship throughout the show.

Now, I am not denying that control is a prominent element of Hannibal's life - it is indubitably important; but it is not everything - especially in this particular context. As much as he maintains that iron grip on himself, it does not reach nearly the same extent with Will; and it falls apart entirely by season 3, in which Hannibal explicitly gives up his control of the story, risking his life and freedom - both things he valued above all else earlier in Mizumono.

The message here is clear; as much as his control, his liberty, his own continued existence matter, Will Graham is infinitely more precious to him; and to suggest otherwise - that he would attempt to fully subjugate the man he views as his only equal, as the only deity he recognizes - frankly, he'd call it blasphemy.

Moreover, this interpretation of their relationship stems not only from a mischaracterization of Hannibal himself, but also from a rampant infantilization of Will. There is a tendency in some areas of the fandom to entirely absolve Will Graham of his guilt; and, with the culpability handed over to Hannibal in its entirety, he assumes the role of an innocent, redeemable, good person in the eyes of such viewers - which could not be further from the truth. Will Graham's agency is integral to the story; though he wrestles with some moral dilemmas throughout the series, he is ultimately responsible for his own choices, especially post-season 1. There is a clear distinction between circumstance and desire - for instance, Randall Tier did invade his home, which did force him into violence; however, it did not force him to throw aside his gun, or relish the brutality, or bring the body to Hannibal, or eat of it, or display parts of it, or store the rest in his freezer.

He did all that himself.

He knows that.

Will Graham's infantilization (no, he was manipulated, he was tricked, Hannibal tempted him into something he didn't want, he didn't want to be a murderer, he is a sweet darling boy) is rooted not only in homophobia, but also in the same sort of ableism real-world autistic adults face every day. His own desires and agency get overwritten by that ever-present bigotry; the same way that some people believe that autistics cannot give consent to sexual activity, or participate in nuanced discussions, or understand the harm or violence they do, the other characters assume that he is fundamentally an innocent right until the very end. Jack, Alana, Molly, even Chilton make that mistake; and Will does play on their ignorance within the world of the story - but it is truly discouraging to see the success of his act extend to the viewers, who should have the necessary context to understand it for the lie it is.

He has agency, and it is paramount to the themes of a series that explores queer desire, internalized homophobia, and the guilt that often surrounds this sort of experience.

As such, the story, from Hannibal's perspective, is about learning to let go of his otherwise unwavering control; it's about finding a common ground with someone that understands him, and allowing himself the final trust fall. From Will's perspective, it is a coming out story, with everything that entails - which also culminates in him taking a leap of faith into the arms of the man he loves. The reason why Hannigram is so enduring as a ship is because it is founded on that balance; to deny this equality, therefore, is to fundamentally undermine the theme of these characters' narrative, and twist them into caricatures of themselves.

In short, it does them a disservice.

#hannibal #nbc hannibal #hannigram #hannibal lecter #will graham #if you think that will is somehow innocent in their dynamic. you should watch seasons 2 and 3 again. then go back and rewatch season 1 #that man has been a freak from the beginning #hannibal nbc

[rummikubcube]

Listen please.

I knew Lockwood and Co would get cancelled, I knew Shadow and Bone would get cancelled. I know that Percy Jackson and the live action of Avatar the Last Airbender will probably get renewed but in order to do so they’ll need a MASSIVE viewership and even if they do; there’s still a very real probability that they could get cancelled anyway.

This is fucked up. It’s soul breaking, heart wrenching, and any other terrible-meaning-word you can think of. But today I want to shed light on the fact that even knowing this, we still show up. We still play through this horrible scenario we know all to well and can usually predict its ending out of love for the stories that we’ve cherished since the moment we learned of them.

And for me that’s something that while awful, it also shows a precious thing that no capitalistic-satan-driven-company can take away. We still show up for the stories that we love, we still support the crews and casts that bring to life the characters that we sometimes have more present in our lives than actual real-life people. And I believe we’ll continue to do so because folks; stories go beyond the shitty industry world that only cares about how many bucks they can rip off of what they only see as a product.

We make them our own, and we treasure them, and we value them. We give them meaning, we give them new interpretations, we make them do stuff that they would probably never do “in canon” but hey, this is our comfort character and we’ll make them suffer however we want.

This is a sad day, we’re currently living a terrible time to be a creator, and it’s nearly impossible to stay true to the nature of art itself; wether it’s medium is movies, series, literature, paintings or whatever a human decides to express themselves with. But I do believe that if we’ve kept our passion and love for these stories, characters, movies, series, works of art, etc going up ‘til now; there’s no doubt that we’ll continue to do so. There IS light at the end of the tunnel no matter how hard companies like Netflix try to sell that this is as good as it gets and this is the new reality of the “industry”. We decide what the industry is. We are the ones keeping this alive. And we are the ones who I have no doubt will keep finding new ways to enjoy media and keep this beautiful fandoms alive, no matter the odds.

If you’ve read until here, I truly hope this gives you some comfort cause I know we all need it.

#shadow and bone #six of crows #shadow and bone netflix #lockwood and co #percy jackson #pjo disney+ #avatar the last airbender #netflix

[locuas642]

Okay so. I think the whole "Bethesda does not GET Fallout 1" is sometimes a bit exaggerated, but this was a bit that is hard not to read as "missing the point so hard"

so in short. the creative lead for Fallout 4, in response to the positive buzz the tv show was getting, decided to share what he thought was a neat tidbit of information that was not mentioned in the final product. Which was to reveal a certain unnamed background character was the Male Protagonist/Husband from Fallout 4, Nate.

This in and of itself is not uncommon. all sorts of big multimedia franchise have the writers pick up random background characters and say "okay, but what if...?" or use them to try to make the world feel connected as it grows bigger. Star wars did it, Star Trek has done it. It's nothing new, weird nor necessarily bad.

so... what's the issue?

here is the intro for the original Fallout game

In this, we see a depiction of post-annexed Canada as a soldier in POwer Armor executes someone while his companion looks. this is all through the framing device of being american military propaganda.

That companion, according to the Emil Pagliarulo, is Nate, one of the two protagonists you play in Fallout 4. he clarifies Nate did not shoot, seemingly aware of what a bad look that would be, but he obviously missed it only meant Nate was laughing his ass at the dead Canadian.

The whole scene is "Starship Troopers" levels of Satire. it is a depiction and criticism of the American militarism and authoritarianism, before showing the audience how that lead to the present day america being a shithole destroyed because of armageddon.

And look, nobody cares about Nate or his wife. they are nothing characters who you forget what their life before was the second the game stops handholding you and you can stop pretending you give a rat's ass about their missing child. But it is something weird that Pagliarulo thought this was some neat bit of continuity he was sharing with people, then was surprised when everyone took it to mean Nate was a War Criminal.

He quickly backpedalled from that one, explaining he did not mean Canon canon. and something about how everyone makes their own character. but the interesting bit, again, for me was that him further explaining that their idea was that Nate's life during the war was Hell. with that being another day.

Except, again, what we see in the scene he points out is a (theoretical) Nate who is explicitly complicit with the american military complex, celebrating and laughing when commiting horrible acts to their fellow men.

And is like, it's a minor thing really, but it's odd that the writer for that game missed the point of that scene so hard, he did not realize he was making Nate a war criminal until right after he wrote that tweet.

#fallout 4 #fallout #bethesda #game #videogame #Youtube

[prettyoddgarden]

Patrick Bateman Does Coke Off of Fem Readers Boobs  

gif by @/taissaifarmiga

No warnings just cocaine usage

A silly note from me - Patrick is a little less unhinged since he's married and goes to therapy 💀I've had an idea like this forever but a character I've been hyper fixated on just didn't fit and now that I'm in love with Patrick and it's canon he does coke this was my perfect chance to do this. also this is my first fanfic I've posted 💀Lol okay yeah now read 💋

"Be right back, going to pee." I say as I get off the bed heading to the bathroom after another second round with Patrick. Reaching down, picking one up of his white button downs from the floor and my underwear.

While making my way to the bathroom, Patrick went to change the song to Blue Monday by New Order. I gave him a mix of my favorites which he seemed to enjoy. I'm a little surprised he would like anything I picked due to his specific taste in music. 

As I’m walking out of the bathroom my eyes begin to focus. It’s Patrick in some silk pajama bottoms. He looks at me with his charming smile. As if he wants to sell me something. I've seen this look before in meetings with him when he's presenting a new idea. He just has a look in his eyes that makes me feel so wanted. 

"Patrick I'm done for the night." I give him a puppy eye look leaning on the bedroom door frame. 

He continues to look at me while holding a little bag of something "No (y/n). Not that. Not until after this." Winking at me.

I look down to see the contents of the bag. Blow. I'm a little taken aback he would want to do it at home. It's not like we haven't done coke together before. He just seems to prefer to do it in a small bathroom of a restaurant or club.

I smile walking towards the bed "So what idea do you have Mr. Bateman?" 

"Haha well Mrs. Bateman, I was thinking of doing some blow, but I don't want to get my tables dirty. It also seems you haven't showered yet."

I listen to him carefully and lay sideways on our shared bed with some of the softest sheets from Santa Fe. I honestly could look at his body all day. The way his muscles curve and flex with every step he takes. He just looks so unreal. 

"Mmhmm. So where should we do it? We can just get one of my cards. I do have my heart spoon necklace in my purse." As I point to my bag that was thrown in the living room.

"No, I have another idea and I need to have your full attention (y/n)."

I give him a concerned yet listening look. "You have it."

Patrick walks towards me with a devious look. He takes my sideways legs and brings them to hang off the edge of the bed. 

"Scoot back, I want a better view." 

I do so by giving him a smile, resting my head on the pillow while he straddles me. I stare at him then to his hands, still unsure of what Patrick is thinking. 

"Even though you look stunning in Tommy Hilfiger, take it off." The ending of that sentence sounds so demanding, but so sexy.

He stares at me as I start unbuttoning the shirt. We lock eyes. I unbutton the shirt slowly giving him a delicate look. He looks somewhat impatient.

"God (y/n) you're such a tease." Patrick uttered with a scoff as he pushed my hands to unbutton the shirt himself. Giving me the small bag of blow. I only giggled to lighten the mood a bit and seemed to work. Patrick started to have a little grin. Again I could stare at him forever. I watch as his hands unbutton the shirt on me exposing my boobs to him.

"Ahh now I see. You're gonna fuck me then use me as your personal table? Woah Patrick and I thought I was your wife." I asked 

He grabs my left boob to shut me up. "If you don't keep your words to a minimum we'll have round 3 right now."

I nod my head showing I'm now taking it more seriously. Patrick moves his hand from my breast and opens his palm for me to hand him the coke. I do so as he opens the bag. He comes closer to me and takes the edge of the bag. He starts to take the bag pouring it in a straight line along my right breast right above my nipple. As he does so I feel every move Patrick makes with his hand as he has his left hand on my side while his right hand continues making a line. 

"Mm perfect." Patrick says pleased with himself. "Are you ready (y/n)?"

"Mmhmm go for it."

Patrick lowers his head down making direct eye contact. As he does so time feels like it's slow down. He connects his nose with the start of the line making sure it's precise. Patrick seems to have a calm eagerness about it. I continue to track his face with my eyes. He starts to move his head from left to right as the drug goes up his nose. He lifts his head up sniffing to make sure the coke goes down his nose. Then time goes back to normal. 

"Fuck. Surprised you stayed so still" Patrick grumbles sitting back up straight straddling me still. 

"Me too. If I'm being honest. I think I was just too forced on your face" I smile stating my sentence. "I actually really liked that we should do that again. Maybe when we're out."

"You're right. Your tits are amazing to do coke on (y/n). Hmm just like I thought. " 

"OH please Patrick. Okay now get off so I can get my necklace from my purse." I say patting his chest. 

He does so and I get up walking to the living room. While walking I button up the shirt a bit.

"So Patrick, what gave you that idea? It seemed very spontaneous, especially for you." I question him.

"Well if I'm being honest whenever I see you in a push up bra I always think about putting a glass on top with the way your tits just sit so nicely. Then I thought about what it would be like if I could coke on them." Patrick answers. I'm not oblivious, I've seen the way Patrick looks at me whenever I wear a dress that would showcase my boobs when we decide to go out to dinner or the club. Never a day in my life I would think something so childish is a thought Patrick would have. 

"Now that's a different thought of yours. I like how honest you are now." I say walking through the door getting into bed with Patrick. He hands me the baggie of snow smiling. I dip my tiny gold spoon in the bag and sniff it. I sat up next to him. I look at the wall clock, "I mean it's only 11:30 and we don't have an appointment tomorrow morning till 12 in the afternoon. We could go out or-" My sentence was stopped by a heated kiss from Patrick.

He breaks from the kiss staring into my eyes. "How about you go take shower, I'll meet you there, and we’ll do round 3 there? How does that sound?" 

"It does sound better." I give him one last kiss, grinning and head to the bathroom smiling. 

#patrick bateman #patrick bateman x reader #patrick bateman x female reader #american psycho

[sasukimimochi]

hey guys! had a nap so I'm back to update u guys properly. I'm going to try to summarize the post I made a bit better, as well as posting the picture I shared with the previews (as little as it is)

*TWPT extra image. Translation: ”Come back soon! - Lan Sizhui”

As always, check out my masterpost in order to get more content! ❤

So onto what I mentioned earlier today, I'm delaying Ch 27 of Ghost of Mine by at least one more week due to life continuing to throw shit my way. However I'm sharing some previews on ao3 (they will be removed when I upload 27, just like the aftercare ficlet). A longer explanation will be under the cut!

This is in addition to stuff that is still happening from my previous life update.

as you guys know the past tenants aren't really paying their dues, so I've been waiting on that & I got a large charge from an insurance company I wasn't expecting on top of that. Then I got a second charge from the same company, in the same month, for the usual amount. So we lost as much as 900+ dollars this month. As you can probably expect, that is a lot of money to lose at once unless you are reasonably wealthy and comfortable.

We only just today got our check for next month- early, which is great because we were worried that we would have to stretch things until the 3rd with no new groceries other than what my mom might be able to throw our way. Before we got the check as well my cats decided they absolutely did not like the food I got them- My cats aren't picky when they're hungry, so this was a bizarre and unexpected thing and I couldn't spare the money to buy a new bag of food (my mom helped us by buying a new bag of their previous food and essentially doing a trade with us, so she has the food they don't like) Just, in general a lot of stress is happening at the same time.

Onto GOM: I was writing recently (I can't remember the exact day, it was probably up to two weeks ago) as I did rewrite the entire beginning of Ch 27 and planned to cut out a lot more, which is why it's taking me much longer than expected to complete this chapter- it's my first show of proper investigation and intrigue that is a bit dangerous for the present time and not just, you know, only revealing information- I really want this chapter to be good and not rushed through like my initial first pass. It was a short-lived lapse in my stress when I wrote the first fourth of the rewrite, and I've hit a spot in the chapter that's difficult when my mind is so distracted by the stress.

SO, as to make up for this lack of update (again) I'm gonna give you guys three exclusive previews, one for the beginning of Ghost of Mine Ch 27 (just the first bit, not everything I've written so far bc its still prone to change and I want to give u guys the best version), the beginning of Rose Hips and Flushed Fingertips - The Story of Mo Xuanyu (GOM extra), and the beginning of The Wild Plum Tree (JC & LXC's story - GOM extra) so I hope you enjoy these exclusive previews, as they are all directly connected with the story and are canon to the GOM universe.

TLDR; struggling still, this is another delay. will check back in in about a week- I'm going to show you guys some exclusive previews for GOM related content that isn't yet released to make up for it right now! GOM CH 27, RH&FF (Ch.1/Part1), and TWPT (Ch.1).

PLEASE, KEEP IN MIND: the previews are still very prone to change. RH&FF/TWPT especially, since I am always struggling on how I write JC to make him feel canon to me (and he doesn't here, in my opinion, just bc I haven't described him well enough there) so just keep that in mind when you read!

So I hope you guys enjoy the previews and come back next Sunday!

#yes lsz “drew” the picture i shared with the preview #its still a little too nice for his age as of that timeline but ehhhh ignore it #sasu speaks #GOM update #Ghost of Mine preview #previews #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #mdzs fanfiction #mdzs fanart #mdzs fanfic #jiang cheng #lan yuan #lan sizhui #mo xuanyu #wei wuxian #sketch #writing preview #mdzs fic

[stillness-in-green]

Favorite Characters of 2023

Saw this meme template by @limayde and had to drop anything more productive because I Love Character Memes. I tried to focus on characters who particularly signified 2023 in fandom for me, not necessarily just my favorites in any given fandom, and certainly not my favorites of all time! So consider it a reasonable representation of what I read/was reading/was still thinking about last year.

(I'm also relatively sure I could fill this out entirely with BNHA characters, but if I were to do that, it would be with the goal of representing how much I was thinking about said characters in terms of Fix-It Fic(s) Brainstorming, rather than simply how much I like them. Yoichi would be prominent in the former and not present at all in the latter, for example.)

Anyway, after much painstaking cropping, here it is!

(A full list of who all these people are and a blurb apiece of my thoughts on them, as well as the meme template, can be found beneath the cut!)

Most Favorite Blorbo(s) of 2023

Lord Glück and Macht of El Dorado (Sousou no Frieren) – Macht's was the arc that turned me around on Frieren's treatment of demons—he’s so interesting, and so tragic, totally set in his ways while also yearning to change them.  Glück, meanwhile, is so devoted to his word, blunt in his assessment of Macht’s character but wholly sincere about trying to give him the knowledge and environment he needs to change.  My BF asked me for the spoiler-free version of what I liked about them, and the best I can sum it up as is, “A mutual acceptance despite the parts of each other they can’t understand,” and, “They’ve made each other promises that go all the way to end, to the goddamn end.”  Thirty years of that!  I am once again begging on my hands and knees for Frieren to get a second season, and also, if the universe really loves me, to end the first season with a tease for the Golden City.[1]

(I cheated a bit here; the central square is intended for a single supreme fave, not center-mounting one's OTP. I am, however, entirely incapable of picking one of those two above the other. Also, putting them both there does bring the character count to a nice even 50.}

1: A second tease.  There’s actually been one already, a reference to Macht’s enchanted jewelry, squirreled away in some on-screen text—one of the anime’s many additions to the background detail compared to the manga.

12 Characters vs. 12 Months In A Year. Coincidence? Probably!

(Starting at the top left corner and moving clockwise.)

Shigaraki Tomura (BNHA) – 2023 was the year Shigaraki Tomura got his groove back, thank heavens.  While he didn’t get much material in which to speak his own mind—really just Chapters 379 and 411, a full year apart (the latter didn’t officially come out until just a few days ago; we just got the leaks a week early).  We’ll see how he holds up going forward, but even those few scenes effortlessly demonstrate just how profound a waste of time handing AFO the reins to the end game was.  Here’s to not letting Heroes off the hook in the new year!

Iguchi Shuuichi/Spinner (BNHA) – Spent a lot of 2023 worrying about this guy.  Still am worried about this guy.  But him turning the tides of the war at the end of 2022 shifted the whole course of the battle, and new we’ve got Shigaraki invoking The Horizon to finally give us incontrovertible evidence that Shigaraki and Spinner have talked about more than just video games!  2024 is shaping up Spinaraki!

Yotsubashi Rikiya/Re-Destro (BNHA) – I provide fanart for this man because, of course, he was in the actual canon not at all last year, absent a single flashback panel from Hose Face, not at all making up for what a caricature that character was otherwise.  All the good Re-Destro content I was getting last year was thanks to @nickfoo’s wonderful, wonderful fanart of him.  Thanks for continuing to give this guy love, foo! (full art here)

Geten (BNHA) – Himura backstory reveal!  And that revelation accounted for the only fanfic I posted last year at all, as well as being super satisfying in terms of largely clearing Todoroki Enji of the responsibility for the heteromorphobic microaggressions perpetrated by certain of his children, as well as giving us some more hints about Geten and Re-Destro’s relationship.  Exquisite. (Now just let him have something to say that isn’t mostly there to Contextualize Dabi.)

Vamirio/Anne from Management  (Helck) – I reread Helck last year in celebration of its anime, and just to reiterate this again, Vamirio and her determination lead her to make firm stands and fiery declarations about her combat role and priorities that Deku has never even fuckin’ thought about.  Vamirio a best; vote Vamirio for Head of Management.

Samuel Murphy +Hal and Nobu (Canis: The Speaker) – Sam’s my favorite of another inseparable trio, probably because, at least as an adult, he’s the most vulnerable—not simply because he lacks the firearms or goons that his partners’ positions allow them to call to hand, but also because of his struggles with insomnia.  Whip-smart, observant, and well-spoken, and I always have had a preference for the smart ones.

Jasper (Steven Universe) – I started reading @faelapis’s post-canon Jasper exploration fic Something Better last year and absolutely fell in love with it.  It reminded me all over again how much I love Jasper, and how much I wanted a story that gave her all the time she needed to change.

Somei Yoshino (Yakuza Fiancée) – Last year saw the anime announcement and Yoshino’s totally amazing bathtub fight with Azami, which I guess there are cowards out there who didn’t like?  RIP to them but I’m different, I guess!  I’ll watch Yoshino break her terrible suitors’ fingers any time!

Wolfgang Grimmer (Monster) – Reread the back half of Monster last year solely because I love Grimmer and wanted to read his material again.  A perennial favorite, manga and character alike.  I love a man held together with scotch tape, stitches and good intentions.

Boutarou the Pirate (Golden Kamuy) – Probably not my actual favorite character in the series, but I finally got to see him in anime form last year after a maddening wait thanks to the delay in 2022.  Shiraishi’s best ship and a feral merman (look at the way he uses his hair and tell me I'm wrong) that someone unaccountably let walk around on dry land. A+ character.

Sailor Cosmos (Sailor Moon) – Speaking of characters with a huge wait on seeing them in the anime..!  God, I’ve wanted anime Sailor Cosmos since high school, and I’m thrilled to finally get her (and the merch that would accompany her).

Mitaka Asa (Chainsaw Man) – I read the first half of Chainsaw Man a while back, largely on the basis of @robotlesbianjavert’s enthusiasm, and while I enjoyed it well enough, particularly Denji’s assorted travails, I never got super invested in it because, not having to wait week to week for releases, there was never really enough time to get attached to most characters before they got unceremoniously offed.  Whether it’s the week-to-week wait or just that I like Asa as a character more, she’s really done the job of getting me interested in the series.  I love this loser failgirl and I want only the best for her; while I doubt that’s what she’ll get, at least I can watch her torture logic to make sick weapons and have affecting scenes about her own crippling inadequacy issues in the meantime.

36 Others

(As before, starting on the top left and moving clockwise through the BNHA Zone.)

Scarecrow/Spinner’s Number 2 (BNHA) – Scarecrow’s big speechifying moments would have been back in autumn of 2022, but I still loved him more than enough in 2023 for him to make this grid.  He was reduced to a shallow caricature and still had to get knocked off a roof because no one could actually out-argue him, and through all of that unendurable authorial laziness, his potential still shines through for me.  Stan the MLA, MLA 5Evah.

Toga Himiko (BNHA) – The only Villain whose Hero foil plotline is working for me on any level, though a lot is hanging on whether or not she, y’know, lives.  She definitely should have gotten to stab the bejeezus out of Hawks, and Ochaco should definitely go on the run with her once Apple Cheeks realizes that the HeroAca justice system could not possibly be relied upon to do anything other than throw Toga in a hole for a few years before executing her.

Gentle Criminal (BNHA) – The only redeemed villain whose regard for Deku functions at all thematically.  Lady N’s return is hogswash on multiple levels, but I will defend Gentle’s without reservation.

Kunieda + Aoyama Yuuga (BNHA) – Consider these two to be a stand-in for all the thinking I did last year about Fix-It Fic scenarios for this whole final arc.  For example, Kunieda in the canon speaks far too knowledgeably both about and to Aoyama for them to be total strangers, so why not plant some seeds for their confrontations earlier?  I ask the reader to consider this:

In a version of the Edgy Deku arc that allowed the rest of 1-A to get out into the world to help out with relocation efforts, they one day come across a scene of dread: a neighborhood full of corpses and Kunieda’s flowers.  Aoyama has a noticeably shaken reaction, which he plays off as just horror to his similarly horrified classmates, but the truth is that he’s got prior history with Kunieda—AFO didn’t plop corpses in front of his parents to intimidate them (because that’s ham-handed and silly), but bodies were still involved.  They’d turn up buried in the family's fancy gardens sometimes, always heralded by those vivid red-black flowers…

Frieren (Sousou no Frieren) – I was relatively neutral on the title character until the anime came out and I had to suffer through The Discourse about her attitude towards demons (arguments on both sides tending to be poorly considered and ignorant, both of canonical details and real-world relevance).  That made me a bit more defensive of her, but even setting my contrarianism aside, I was also very pleased with how she navigated the manga’s most recent arc.[2]  She’s maybe the first character I can think of who I have actively wanted to write Asexual Representation fic for, if only because my answer to, “Does she Romantically Love Himmel?” is much more complex than just saying, “No, she only saw him as a friend,” or, “Yes, and now she’s going to be sad about her Tragically Lost Love for the rest of her life and we need to write all the fix-it fics about that.”

2: She wants to go home!  Her feelings for Himmel, whatever they are, are of less importance to her than going home!  Despite everything we know about how she perceives time, she still values her “now” more than her lost “then”!  My gloating aside, though, I was far more affected by the sword scene than I was the wedding attire or the near kiss.  Being trapped in a wedding illusion?  Trite, overplayed.  Being trapped in a wedding illusion yet still being able to wrap your hands around your partner’s arm and faithfully guide them into drawing the sword neither of you can perceive?  Now that’s intimacy!

Heiter (Sousou no Frieren) – While I had little overall use for the aforementioned most recent arc of Frieren, I did very much enjoy my favorite member of the Hero Party getting a moment to demonstrate what being The Priest Of The Party That Defeated The Demon King actually means in practice.  Grausam being unable to put him down with an illusion?  Being the only one who could defend his downed companions?  The sheer level of trust he has in Himmel?  A little bit of vulnerability where he’s bare seconds away from getting gibbed by Grausam?  Heiter is the member of the party that we get the least amount of in on: Sein didn’t stay with the party long enough to serve as a point of comparison, and despite Heiter raising Fern, she didn’t assume his role in the new group, like Stark did Eisen’s, nor do her reminiscences about him get anywhere near the amount of screentime that Frieren’s do of Himmel.  So for real, you guys, Chapter 118 was so good.

Edward (Shadows House) – *bangs fists on table*  WORST BOY WORST BOY WORST BOY!!  Anime Edward is pants, but Manga Edward is where it’s at, always keeping Kate scrambling, always coming out on top of his maneuverings against his peer group rivals, just flappable enough that his victories doesn’t look effortless, and engaging enough that his smugness feels earned rather than intended to turn the reader against him.  I have no idea how the story is going to deal with the adult shadows, who are after all still just as brainwashed and wronged by Grandfather’s workings as the kids are!  If anything, they’re worse off, having already been manipulated into losing the “faces” they must once have loved dearly.  Thus, while Kate and her allies certainly approach the conflict with a very Us vs. Them, Adults=The Enemy mentality, the screentime Edward’s own affairs get, fully independent of how they intersect with Kate’s, along with an avowed desire to improve the House that parallels Kate’s, make me hopeful that the authors have something a little more nuanced in mind than, “Free the current victims by wiping out all the previous ones.”

Melinda Desmond (Spy x Family) – The main cast are all perfectly fine, but Melinda is interesting.  Super curious to find out more about the Desmond family dynamics, and I love Melinda bouncing around with Yor. (I swear, though, judging by the collective response to the most recent chapter, the fandom is going to turn me into a Donovan Apologist yet. Only one member of that family has visible scars suggesting brain surgery, folks!!)

Anti/Knight/Gridknight (Gridman Universe) – Always my favorite single character from both Gridman and Dynazenon, and he was characteristically great in the movie as well.  His scene with Akane at the end was only my second favorite beat because, while it’s wonderful emotionally cathartic (more fanservice like this, please!), it’s also kind of muddled thanks to the idea of Gridman!Anti and Dynazenon!Knight being two separate entities. Churlish to hold that against it, though, when it's so heartfelt.

Minami Yume + Asanaka Yomogi (Gridman Universe) – Such a great pairing in their own show—I once saw someone call them forced, which has always struck me as just being too high on Bashing The Hets to see that Yomogi and Yume have a great arc towards getting together, actually.  Seeing them be unabashedly together and happy about it in the film was 100% delightful and deserved. Yume swooping down out of the sky on Dynarex to scoop up her wifeguy boyfriend is my actual favorite beat in the movie.

Hyura (Helck) – Firstly, the dry humor around Hyura is fantastic.  (“Something like an arm grows back simply enough.  That’s just common sense.”  “It doesn’t, right?”  “It does not.”)  Secondly, she’s the biggest badass in the secondary cast.  Thirdly, she and Edil have the designated rival ship dynamic (incredibly rare to see across gender lines in shounen manga), and Hyura holds her own all the way to the end.  Hyura is great.

Mikaros (Helck) – “Yes, we may have lost some assets and I personally shattered the mind of one of our strongest soldiers, removing him from the playing field.  But the important thing is that I personally overcame my trauma, so overall it’s a win.”  What a slimeball.  What a total heap.  And what an excellent example of the end-stage stakes driving the title character's choice in the epilogue! I love Mikaros unreservedly.

Harold Aldo Hughes and Iwaki Tadanobu + Sam (Canis: The Speaker) – Transformation, reinvention, the fierceness of devotion and the ruthlessness of rebirth—I don’t love them quite as much as I do Sam, but they’re also both great.

Hera (Lore Olympus) – Lore Olympus is one of those series I read more because it’s interesting enough while also being blisteringly gorgeous than because I’m deeply invested in the characters, but the plotline about Hera and Kronos really has pulled me all the way into active, character-specific interest.  Great, tense, painful stuff.  Can’t wait to see where she goes following recent events.

Redcloak (Order of the Stick) – His last really insightful and heartwrenching scene was in the year before last—that fantastic exchange with Oona!—but for as long as I’m reading OOTS, Redcloak is going to be a favorite.  God, the Law Elemental summoning is so funny.

Hyness (Kirby franchise) – This one’s entirely on my sis-in-law—like another character further down the list, I am not remotely “in” the Kirby fandom.  But what can I say—tell me about a warped cult leader who started in a bad place and only got worse who still managed to get saved by the Hero taking a leap of faith that paid off, and tell me the fandom calls him a horrible abuser?  Sorry, but I Have No Choice But To Stan. (full art here)

Lafcadio Boone (The Sexy Brutale) – Replayed this again last year, and it’s still great.  In a sense, despite its sizeable named cast, it really only has the one character, and his story is such that I want to make every single person on tumblr that gets hyperbolic about the forgiveness and redemption of fictional wrongdoers play this game.  “Time to move on, old man,” indeed.

Sissel (Ghost Trick) – Finally got the remaster of this and replayed it, and it’s also still great.  Knowing The Spoilers about Sissel seriously make replays such a scream, but also man is this game really sitting on some completely over-the-top darkness not at all far beneath its candy apple red and Matrix-text green surface.

Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-Man India (Across the Spider-Verse) – Strictly in terms of character writing, he’s very fun, but I don’t think he’s as strong as Spider-Punk or Miguel O'Hara, but on the other hand, he’s so much fun, especially to simply watch in motion.  Most of the rest of the leads, however varied their artstyles might be, still feel like they move in basically the same ways, just with varying levels of grace vs. power, intent vs. controlled collapse, but because of the way Pavitr uses his thread, he moves completely differently, and it’s just a ton of fun to watch.  The first character I went hunting for fanart of when I got out of the movie theater.

Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman (Across the Spider-Verse) – I have outstanding affection for Spider-Gwen from reading her comics back when, but that opening Vulture fight, the fantastic look of her dimension, and all the trans signaling kept her right at the top, too.

Brutha (Discworld: Small Gods) – @codenamesazanka read this and a few of the Watch books last year, prompting me to do some rereads as well, and Brutha and Small Gods remain very dear to me.  I only wish more artists would draw versions of him that remotely resemble “fat, simple-looking young man from a desert country in fantasy!expy!Middle East” rather than “suspiciously trim and Benedictine.”

Sam Vimes (Discworld series) – Ditto on Nal’s read above, but also chatted with foo a lot about this guy, and he’s been my favorite single character in the series since high school.  It takes very little to prompt me to reread his books generally, but last year was the first time I’ve had it in me to reread Snuff, as it was previously a little too tied up in my feelings about the last few books prior to Pratchett’s death.  Regardless of anything else, though, Snuff is the book for Sam/Sybil.

Mina Murray (#DRCL: Midnight Children) – Discovered this lush chonk of horror phantasmagoria last year and I’m kind of in love with it.  Its take on Mina anchors it well—she’s smart and fiery but up against ingrained sexism and classism in her setting, and not too Anachronistic Grrl Power to not be hurt by that sometimes; she’s stubborn, but vulnerable to the supernatural horrors in the way any child would be.  An unreliable but intriguing and sympathetic narrator.

Capone Bege (One Piece) – The other character I got onto largely without getting into the series he hails from, nickfoo—whose art I again use to illustrate—does great work with this guy, a once-jovial monster shocked back from that moral brink by marriage and fatherhood.  Still gets a bit Into It at work, but tries not to bring it home, at least as much as that can be avoided when carrying both family and crew around in the same heart/sub-dimensional space.  (Also, foo’s version of Bege is great, but her rendition of Chiffon is—speaking as someone who doesn’t read the series and can only gauge by image search or skimming the wiki—borderline miraculous, accurate to Oda’s lively caricature design, but so much more sensitive, expressive and human.)

Prince Kazu/Lady Chikako (Ooku: The Inner Chambers) – On the occasion of the Netflix anime, I finally tracked down and finished Ooku last year, and when I tell you that I laughed more and harder in the final arc than I did through the entire rest of the series combined…  The Kyoto cast members are a big part of why,[3] and none more delightful than the stuffy, prideful, possessive, and deeply impetuous Chikako, one of the most singularly human characters in the whole 19-volume melodrama.

3: Catty ex-male prostitute turned head of the Inner Chambers Takiyama is the other part of this equation, by the way.

Gao Shun (The Apothecary Diaries) – Long-suffering stoics are my absolute favorite type, and that holds true even though Gao Shun's stoicism has been largely a humorous beat thus far.  I want this guy to get more attention, but until then, I will continue to enjoy his weary exasperation every time he has to deal with Mao Mao’s eccentricities/Jinshi’s enthusiasm about same.

Mao Mao (The Apothecary Diaries) – Best female character of the season, for sure, but I’ve been reading one of the manga for a while now, and she’s a regular delight.  Eccentric and ruthless by turns, painfully aware of the limitations of her position and yet wholly willing to make her own decisions and exert her own agency within those limitations without ever concerning herself with whether she should ask permission from or report to someone above her rank.  Mao Mao’s mercy takes the form of knowing when to speak and when to demure, and every time I see some stuck-in-their-own-ethical-framework commenter complain about her moral compass, I appreciate it harder.

Accustomizer Stud/Tiffany (Angelic Acceptor Alouette) – Enthusiastically resourceful teenage girl who would probably be super into transhumanism if she hadn’t fallen in with angels (sic) instead, transforming into the gloriously nonbinary pile of muscles and amazing hair that is Accustomizer Stud, Tiffany’s ultimate expression of her inner self.  Stud is magnanimous, gracious, and well-spoken, and they are also VERY LOUD AND FIGHTY.  My absolute favorite character in a game wall-to-wall with great characters.

Yuunagi Tsubasa/Cure Wing (Hirogaru Sky PreCure) – The first Official Boy Cure with absolutely no provisos or qualifications or ways to wiggle out of it, and the show gets him just right by playing him basically completely straight.  Has a costume no one would look twice at in a magical girl line-up, wastes no time on masculine embarrassment at his frills, with the only nod he/the show make towards his gender at all being to frame his role as being a knight to a princess, rather than simply a guardian to one, but it’s not really what he’s about.  His actual character is driven by knowledge, studiousness, and a desire to overcome the limitations placed on him by being a human/pudgy flightless bird fairy.

Kei Miyama (Go With the Clouds, North By Northwest) – Something of a stand-in for his series generally, which I read the two most recent volumes of last year and fell in love with all over again—particularly the most recent one, which switches deftly between depictions of shattering, world-hollowing grief and the beguiling intimacy of the rhythms of life and nature.  But my love for the manga itself aside, Kei’s a great protagonist, full of little contradictions and snags that make him feel much more fleshed out and grounded than your average animanga male lead, even as he’s running around doing very Animanga Male Lead Things, like solving mysteries by using his Strange Power to get information a normal person could not.

Lord El-Melloi II/Waver Velvet (Fate franchise) – Waver is possibly my favorite character of all time in any medium, so it takes very little to rekindle the love.  In last year's case, it took the Fate/strange Fake special!  Love to see my boy continue to wrest more narrative space for himself than he was originally allotted by virtue of being a run-away audience favorite of the Fate/Zero anime!

Ivan (Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still) – Got the remastered Blu-ray last year as a gift, and guess what?  I still love Ivan in all his cartoonish mini-boss villainy layered over the pathos of tragic loss and resentment.  Honestly, I can only assume he’s as well-adjusted as he is because Alberto is so inspiring to work in close quarters with (mood), because otherwise I’d think it pretty unfair that the sole surviving Bashtarle national in the story gets so little to say about/to the people who blew it up.

Isurugi Camice (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans) – I was a bit too preoccupied with BNHA meta last year to think much about my prior fandom phase, but I still made time to rotate Isurugi in my mind from time to time.  As one of my beloved long-suffering stoics, I can always make that kind of time for him.  (Image source is from the cover of a doujinshi I have, because melancholy BL doujinshi is definitely more the kind of tonal zone my mental rotations were occupying than they were canon’s!)

And, finally, the blank

(If anyone reading this wants to give it a whirl, I reccommend blowing it up to x2 size; makes the small squares easier to work with.)

#memes #MEEEEEEEEMES #bnha #sousou no frieren #helck #magical girls and sundry shounen #small nonweeb corner #gundam ibo #fate whatever #sorry to the non-mutuals for the random tag-in #thank you for your fic/your meme grid and have an amazing new year

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

Warning: very long post under the cut!

If there’s one thing most people can agree on, it’s that Nie Huaisang is a very interesting character. We see him introduced as a laid-back, somewhat incompetent Sect Heir who’s not interested in what they’re supposed to be doing, we see him in the present as a Sect Leader and he’s still like that… until he’s not and that’s completely turned on its head. We don’t know how much of his yiwen sanbuzhi/Headshaker persona is an act, and how much is in some way genuine, or when it was that he adopted it deliberately — straight after the death of Nie Mingjue? A long time after? He hides himself so well that at the end of the book, we don’t even know for certain if he was responsible for what happened to Jin Guangyao — not even the narrative can condemn him, even if we can be pretty sure that was the case outside of it, since MXTX likely wouldn’t open an avenue for heavy character depth and not intend for us to venture down. 

And there’s another mystery around Nie Huaisang, and it’s this: how did he figure out that Jin Guangyao was the one behind Nie Mingjue’s death?

We’ll never know for certain — the narrative will never confirm it. But what we can do is look at what we know, see what could have happened, and venture down the path that gives that narrative the most value. While still making canonical sense, of course, both in regards to the character’s personality and situation.

And it sometimes strikes me that two of the things we do know is that Nie Huaisang is interested in the arts, and that his brother was killed using music. We also know that he was somewhat close to Lan Xichen (being sworn brothers by proxy -- at least I assume this, judging by the way he refers to Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen throughout the novel, but I'm not Chinese and I don't know how sworn brotherhood works, some clarification would be great), the person who taught Jin Guangyao the Song of Clarity. 

...You may see where I'm going here. So let's talk about the more objective thing first — whether this would be possible, or likely, considering Nie Huaisang's position and actions in MDZS.

Almost immediately, we run into some problems. I've searched for every mention of Nie Huaisang's interests I can find, and there isn't much, if anything, to indicate he's a musician. Jin Guangyao says he's interested in painting and calligraphy, and when his things are brought out to be burned, we see "fans", "paintings" and "porcelain" -- no instruments or musical scores anywhere.

However:

Jin GuangYao, “Our second brother said that he gave you a guqin.”

The guqin was given when Lan XiChen was here to play Sound of Lucidity for Nie MingJue, in order to help him calm his temper. Jin GuangYao continued, “Brother, in the past few days, the GusuLan Sect is at a critical point in its reestablishment of the Cloud Recesses and you refuse to let him come, which was why he taught me Sound of Lucidity. I assume that even though I’m not as skilled as our second brother, I’d still be able to help calm you to a certain extent, Brother.”

Nie MingJue, “Just take care your own things.”

Nie HuaiSang, however, was rather interested, “Brother, what song? Can I listen? Let me tell you, the limited edition that you gave me last time…”

Nie MingJue shouted, “Go back to your room!”

- Chapter 49, EXR

Despite not being a musician, Nie Huaisang does seem to own some scores (even limited editions*!), and be somewhat interested in music**. More importantly, he's interested in the specific song that would eventually be used to kill his brother. Additionally, since musical cultivation is prominent in the world of MDZS, and especially so in the Lan sect where Nie Huaisang studied for a while (longer than the other guest disciples, and he mentioned not passing last time, so he’s studied there before), Nie Huaisang has probably had lots of exposure to music and musical cultivation before, especially with his brother being sworn brothers with Lan Xichen and spending a lot of time around him.

Another thing to note, though, is that Nie Mingjue doesn't seem to want to tell his brother about the song at all (probably because of the status of his relationship with Jin Guangyao). But Nie Huaisang is nothing if not sneaky — if he’d wanted to listen to it, he probably would find a way. 

So, with all that in mind, we can see two possibilities of how Nie Huaisang could have figured out Jin Guangyao was behind Nie Mingjue's death by using his potential knowledge of the Song of Clarity.

One scenario is that Nie Huaisang does end up hearing the version of the song Jin Guangyao plays. We know Jin Guangyao played his version of Cleansing in the Unclean Realm, we know (or are pretty certain that) Nie Huaisang spends most of his time there, we know Nie Huaisang was at some point interested in the song that Jin Guangyao played (albeit not how deeply, so don’t use that as irrefutable evidence), and we know he’s very sneaky when he wants to be.

So, it’s very possible that this was the case, and possibly even on multiple occasions. And we’ve already established that Nie Huaisang probably does have access to the true version of cleansing via Lan Xichen. With this in mind, it’d possible that Nie Huaisang heard Jin Guangyao play his version of the song, not finding it suspicious at all… until Nie Mingjue died. Maybe at that point he started to look back on what Jin Guangyao played, maybe he was distraught over the death of his brother (extremely likely, especially considering how he reacted when Nie Mingjue was qi-deviating) and somebody (likely Lan Xichen) even played the correct version of Cleansing to calm him down a little, or soothe him after, you know, his brother and only real family member died and he was forced to take the position of something he clearly didn’t want and wasn’t expecting in the slightest. And maybe he heard that, and subconsciously (or even consciously) looked back on those times Jin Guangyao used to play for Nie Mingjue and thought… hey, wait a second. Something’s not quite right there.

Remember, this is what Wei Wuxian theorised about why Nie Mingjue never realised that the tunes Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen played were different:

“(…) In front of you, he was clearly playing the correct version of Cleansing. ChiFeng-Zun wasn’t someone passionate about the arts. He had heard you, Sect Leader Lan, play Cleansing before and knew the overall melody of it. Thus, Jin GuangYao didn’t dare straight up play to him the dark song and instead took trouble to combine two songs of different styles with opposite uses. And he combined them so well. They sound as though there were the same. His musical talent is indeed excellent. I’m guessing that he used little spiritual power in the Cleansing sections and only exerted power in the section of The Collection of Turmoil. After all, ChiFeng-Zun wasn’t familiar with this method of cultivation, so of course he wouldn’t realize the fact that Jin GuangYao had already changed one of the sections into a dark, life-taking tune!”

- Chapter 64, EXR

Both reasons (in bold) we’ve established are either definitely (interest in the arts) or probably not true (familiarity with musical cultivation) for Nie Huaisang. He could have easily compared the two, and figured something was up with Jin Guangyao, and it was likely related to his brother’s death.

The other scenario is that Nie Huaisang already suspected something was happening to his brother, and Jin Guangyao talking about the song he was playing for Nie Mingjue confirmed it and also confirmed who was culpable, as, again, musical cultivation is a common thing in this world, and it’s not just used for good. This could also be why he was interested in the song Jin Guangyao played for him and asked to hear it, despite not having shown any explicit interest in music beforehand (that we know of). Again, he does have a connection to Lan Xichen, if he’d wanted to ask about the actual Song of Clarity to see how it compares, he very well could have (yes, it is a secret Lan technique, but Lan Xichen remarks on how it would be “selfish” to keep such a benevolent technique to himself, and also that it isn’t really breaking secrecy when sharing it with a sworn brother. For the latter point, I’m not sure if the latter mindset would extend to Nie Huaisang too, but he is Nie Mingjue’s brother so it isn’t impossible, and the former mindset would still be at play). 

This should be taken with a grain of salt, as we don’t really have any indication that Nie Huaisang suspected something, and he did genuinely seem to be surprised by his brother’s change in temperament:

If only Nie HuaiSang were like Wei WuXian and could feel how great Nie MingJue’s rage was, he wouldn’t grin in such a bold way. He protested, “Brother, the time is up. It’s time to rest!” Nie MingJue, “You rested just thirty minutes ago. Keep on going, until you learn it.” Nie HuaiSang was still giddy, “I won’t be able to learn it anyways. I’m done for the day!” He often said this, but today Nie MingJue’s reaction was entirely different from his past reaction. He shouted, “A pig would’ve learnt this by now, so why haven’t you?!” Never expecting Nie MingJue to burst out so suddenly, Nie HuaiSang’s face was blank with shock as he shrunk toward Jin GuangYao. Seeing the two together, Nie MingJue was even more provoked, “It’s been one year already and you still haven’t learnt this one set of saber techniques. You stand on the field for just thirty minutes and you’re complaining that you’re tired. You don’t have to excel, but you can’t even protect yourself! How did the QingheNie Sect produce such a good-for-nothing! The both of you should be tied up and beaten once every day. Carry out all those things in his room!” The last sentence was spoken to the disciples standing by the side of the field. Seeing that they had gone, Nie HuaiSang felt as though he was on pins and needles. A moment later, the row of disciples really did bring out all the fans, paintings, porcelain from his room. Nie MingJue had always threatened to burn his room, but he had never actually burned them. This time, though, he was serious. Nie HuaiSang panicked. He threw himself over, “Brother! You can’t burn them!”

- Chapter 49, EXR

However, three important things should be taken into account — firstly, Wei Wuxian is seeing this scene from Nie Mingjue’s memories, and therefore from his point of view. Neither of them know what Nie Huaisang is actually feeling in this moment. Secondly, Nie Huaisang is a master of hiding behind a mask, especially one derived from genuine personality traits he had/has, and genuine feelings he’s felt in the past, and I’m pretty sure he would be feeling horrified if Nie Mingjue was burning all the things he’d gathered over the years — regardless of whether he suspected something or not, nearly the things he’s feeling are probably genuine. Thirdly, Jin Guangyao himself is present in that scene. If Nie Huaisang did heavily suspect him, that would be a very strong incentive to keep some sort of a mask on. And just in general, we have no idea how long he’s been using the Headshaker persona deliberately, or when he started. We think it’s after Nie Mingjue’s death, but we really have no idea, and he could have already been playing into it at this point, especially considering that at this point he has lived through a war.

I’m not actually sure which theory I support more — the first seems slightly more likely, but the second is more cohesive and requires less assumptions (we only need to think about how Nie Huaisang in this scenario began to suspect that something was happening to his brother, which admittedly is a big thing, but at least part of it could be that Nie Mingjue was clearly acting more and more aggressive to him. It should be noted that this could just be some background suspicion though, not necessarily supported by any evidence until Jin Guangyao mentions the song he’s playing, which could have turned that from a vague suspicion to a likely theory). And with that said, I’d love to hear which one everyone else thinks is more likely, or even if there’s another possibility I haven’t thought of. …But, now that we’ve established that this is possible, in some way, shape or form, let’s talk about narrative value.

I’ve left this last, because it is very subjective. But another thing we know about Nie Huaisang is that Nie Mingjue was not supportive in the slightest of his brother’s interest in the arts.

He greeted Jin GuangYao again and again as he grabbed the fans in haste. Seeing how his younger brother reacted, Nie MingJue was so outraged that he almost found it amusing. He turned to Jin GuangYao, “Don’t send him those useless things!” In a hurry, Nie HuaiSang dropped a few fans on the ground. Jin GuangYao picked them up for him and put them into his arms, “HuaiSang’s hobbies are quite elegant. He’s dedicated to art and calligraphy, and has no propensity for mischief. How can you say that they’re useless?” Nie HuaiSang nodded as fast as he could, “Yes, Brother is right!” Nie MingJue, “But sect leaders have no need for such things.” Nie HuaiSang, “I’m not going to be a sect leader, though. You can be it, Brother. I’m not doing it!”

- Chapter 49, EXR

(And there are a lot more instances in these flashbacks, including much more… overt demonstrations — *cough cough burning his things cough cough*)

We also know that it was the arts in some form that killed him.

So how narratively satisfying, how ironic would it be, if the thing Nie Mingjue discouraged Nie Huaisang’s interest in — the thing he said was useless, that sect leaders had no need for*** that made him a “good-for-nothing”, to quote directly — was the very thing that allowed Nie Huaisang (and only Nie Huaisang for a very long time) to find out who was responsible for Nie Mingjue’s death? How ironic would that be, when we already know that lack of knowledge about the very thing Nie Mingjue had discouraged his brother’s interest in ended up being the thing that killed him? How satisfying would that be if it was a two-way street?

I repeat: it is possible. It’s not confirmed, but it is possible, and adds value to the narrative. Just like Nie Huaisang being behind it all in the first place.

After all, there are so many mysteries surrounding Nie Huaisang. Why can’t we try to solve this one?

—

*I do find it a little suspicious that Nie Huaisang has limited edition music from Jin Guangyao, considering Jin Guangyao’s past of messing with music and making it all blend seamlessly. But I can’t really imagine him giving Nie Huaisang a copy of messed-with music, in case that somehow reveals his culpability, despite how harmless Nie Huaisang seems to him, and despite the pages being torn from the Collection of Turmoil. So I’m willing to believe it was a limited edition thing for now, and won’t include that in this theory, because it’s too much of a stretch.

**This interest could be because it’s something to do with his brother, but seeing as one of his immediate requests is to listen to the song, I'm inclined to think what I said here.

***To be fair, he was right here. Nie Huaisang may have shown himself to be very capable as a person, planner and manipulator, but as a sect leader? He didn’t try very hard at all, and none of his skills in the arts are going to help with that.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #mdzs meta #in a way #though i guess mdzs theory would be the better term #nie huaisang #nie mingjue #jin guangyao #we love our little morally grey headshaker #(especially from an analysis standpoint) #my meta

[desertfangs]

O Tannenbaum [AO3]

Armand/Lestat (primarily), with a hefty scoop of Armand/Daniel, a little dash of Lestat/Daniel, and a pinch of Armand/Louis & Louis/Lestat (all the ships exist, the fic just focuses more on some than others) Mature, Humor & Fluff + Sexy Kissing - 6,512 words Post-Canon/Prince Lestat Era

It's Armand and Lestat having a non-fight about something that does not matter at all except to them (who can decorate a Christmas tree better), with Daniel and Louis around to give them strong side-eye. Plus they make out and stuff. Merry Christmas!

This fic is definitely humorous, but it has some heartfelt moments, some sexy kissing and blood drinking, and shameless flirting. It was such a blast to write! I really love post-canon stuff with different groups of characters and Louis, Lestat, Armand, and Daniel have always felt like "the main four" to me and I just like them doing stuff together.

Excerpt:

Armand stood in the ballroom admiring the Christmas tree. It wasn’t quite as magnificent as the one at Rockefeller Center that always captivated him, but it was massive, rising up to skim the tall ceiling. It had been trimmed with lights and ribbons. Red and gold bows were strategically placed and silver and gold ornaments adorned the branches. The topper was an elegantly crafted three-dimensional star covered in glitter. 

Armand loved most holidays but Christmas had the best decorations, particularly in the modern era where everything was bright and shiny. He’d always adored it, though for a long time, he thought such decorations were a mortal ritual, one he had no right to partake of. 

He remembered staring at a tree in a hotel lobby in the early 1970s, demanding Daniel explain to him the significance of every ornament on the branches. Daniel, tired and exasperated, told him how ornaments could be personal or just colorful baubles. He’d been enamored with that tree and the warmth of the hotel lobby with its garlands and candles and fire in the fireplace. And he’d loved listening to Daniel talk about anything and everything, even if he'd hardly admit that to himself at the time. 

“Incredible, isn’t it?” Lestat’s voice echoed through the large room, pulling him back to the present. Lestat was incapable of making a soft entrance. Instead, he burst forth, moving next to Armand with preternatural speed. 

He wore a red sweater and that ridiculous golden crown on his head, as if anyone might possibly forget that he was the Prince. His hair was whiter these days, bleached from so many trips into the sun, which also tanned his skin. For creatures that largely did not change, it was strange how different he looked now then when they’d first met. Lestat had been new in the blood then, with bone white skin and golden blond hair.

“I’d wager it’s the best Christmas tree in the world,” Lestat continued. 

“You’d lose,” Armand said. 

Lestat pouted and Armand had to hold his expression steady so he didn’t laugh. “What makes you say that? You’re the one staring at it.” 

“It’s beautiful but it lacks personality.” 

Lestat clutched his heart melodramatically. “Such cruelty. It has my colors. Gold and red! It’s stunning. You’re just jealous my tree has reached such levels of elegance. I doubt you could do something so glorious.” 

Armand glared at him. Lestat had seen Armand's efforts in the past, of course. But to remind him, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his photos until he found a photo of last year’s tree at Trinity Gate. He and Daniel had decorated it, though Armand had chosen most of the adornments. It was colorful, with rainbow lights and a silver ribbon snaking over the branches to reflect them, and full of a variety of ornaments, some of sentimental value and others purely for decoration. 

He showed the image to Lestat, who looked at it and then shrugged. “It’s a matter of preference, I suppose.” 

“Preference? Mine is clearly superior and it’s my design. You didn’t lay a finger on this one.” Armand gestured to the tree. “Your little helpers did it all and you still want to take the credit.” 

Lestat’s grin faltered and he looked wounded. Armand ignored the pang of guilt that rang through him. Lestat was the one insisting he was the best at things all the time! It wasn’t Armand’s fault if he could prove him wrong. 

The cloud passed over his face and then that sinister grin returned. “You’re right.” 

Armand nearly fell over. “What?” 

“I did not design this tree myself. I’m busy with important duties to protect our kind,” Lestat said. “But if you wish for me to prove that I can do better than you, fine. Challenge accepted.”

Armand sighed. “It wasn’t a challenge.” 

Lestat wasn’t listening. He took Armand’s arm and pulled him out of the ballroom. 

Read the Read on AO3

#armand/lestat #armand/daniel #lestat/daniel #lestat de lioncourt #armand #daniel molloy #louis de pointe du lac #louis/lestat #armand/louis #post-canon shenanigans #prince lestat era #vc holiday fic #vc fanfic #vc fic #vampire chronicles #vc #tvc #christmas #christmas humor #christmas fluff #christmas fic #lesmand

[sahaias]

Finished Violetta season 3

Idk how to feel now that i have no content left to watch (outside of the reunion special and movie that I consider non-canon), this is my comfort show and to have it gone kinda sucks

I guess some thoughts on season 3 as a whole:

Still my least favorite season, but it wasn't bad like I remembered

Gery and Clement feel like such pointless additions who would've been better off being one-off antagonists for like 10 episodes at most.

The Milton plotline is genuinely so stupid and forgettable. Once he's gone at the halfway point and he's nonexistent, it feels like "why did we waste so much screentime on him?"

Vilu and Leon should've been together the whole season, facing barriers in their relationship but never breaking up. The season was at its best when they were together, and it's genuinely so fucking annoying that they were together for the longest amount of episodes in season 1 over season 2 and 3 when Tomas was still a thing.

Fuck the whole Roxy storyline, it was so aggrivating

The side couples' plots were kinda boring imo. I like Naty and Maxy but their storyline was a bit blah. Diego and Francesca have telenovela drama and then just kinda exist in the show it feels like. Broduey and Camilla's relationship was super boring imo.. I'm not very interested in Federico even if Ludmila was super interesting this season. And I don't even care the slightest about Gery x Clement, Pablo x I forgot her name (though Pablo deserves to be happy after losing Antonio), or Nicolas x Jade. All are actual screen waste imo

Angie and German are hard for me to root for bc he and Maria were together when she was a little girl? Even if she's like 30 in the present, the whole knowing her back then aspect ruins any interest in the relationship for me

I actually thought the Andres love doctor plotline was kinda funny, and it matches how so many queer people in my life are amazing at analyzing others' relationships but struggle with finding relationships themselves

Ludmila's development was definitely the highlight of the season, but I don't think it's enough to carry the season

The whole "new kids in the studio" plotline was cool for giving Maxi his career development story, but the characters were weird. It was weird how one of them was played by an actress in her 20s and was set up as Andres's love interest, only to suddenly leave, Meanwhile, the rest were just children who looked younger than the studio students we saw up until that point (being like 12-15 instead of 17-18)

The last few episodes felt so rushed through with a ton happening, which was annoying considering how much the conflicts dragged on throughout most of the season

The show is still my comfort show bc I love the characters (most of them) so much

I'll definitely watch Soy Luna soon, and I'm excited since it'll be my first time watching it. But it probably won't be until a while into 2024. I work 12 hours a day 4-5 days a week, and I think I'm going to watch stuff that's lower commitment for now. Plus, I have a massive game backlog. My free time is super limited

Thanks for reading my thoughts while I rewatched Violetta! I don't know what I'll post about moving forward (definitely Soy Luna but that might not be for a hot minute), but it was nice to interact with everyone! I hope we can continue!

#disney violetta #violetta 3 #violetta #violetta castillo #leon vargas #german castillo #angie carrara #gery lopez #clement galan #ludmila ferro #andres calixto

[spaceobloquy]

A Starter Guide to Armored Core Roleplay

Hey, buddy. I'll try and fill you in as quick as I can. The first thing you should know about Armored Core as a franchise is that there appear to be four big continuities:

the Armored Core 1 and 2 series, consisting of Armored Core, Project Phantasma, and Master of Arena on Earth, eventually leading to Armored Core 2 on Mars and Another Age back on Earth

the Armored Core 3 series, consisting of Armored Core 3, Silent Line, Nexus, Ninebreaker, Formula Front, and Last Raven, all taking place on Earth

the Armored Core 4 and 5 series, consisting of Armored Core 4, For Answer, then much later in time Armored Core V, and Verdict Day, all taking place on Earth

the Armored Core 6 series, so far just consisting of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, taking place on the exoplanet Rubicon 3

All of these are valid for roleplay, and all possess interesting characters, settings, and lore. Today I'll be talking about the Armored Core 6 series though, because Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon just came out recently, is far and away the most easily accessible of the games, and it possesses the most compelling characters in the franchise's history. Its unique nature as the only interstellar entry in the series also provides much more freedom when it comes to roleplay. There's a lot of free real estate.

So, let's say you just got done playing Armored Core VI, or saw some footage and vibed with it. You found you really liked a character and want to muse them, or you want to adapt a muse from some other fandom for a verse/AU, or you want to make an original character in the setting, or anything in between. Where do you begin?

Let me help you out, buddy.

The first thing I'd recommend is: ignore the endings. They're all bad. I don't mean that they're poorly written, I mean that they're all bad outcomes for the setting and for all the characters involved. Just handwave it. Imagine a fourth ending that muddled through and preserves an uneasy status quo. Did your favorite character die in the endings, or sometime before? No they didn't. Just rewrite it. Armored Cores canonically have ejector seats. Keep it kinda vague so you can easily operate with anybody else, but otherwise, don't sweat it.

The second thing I'd recommend is: let your imagination run wild. I'm running a service on my main blog where I'll come up with a verse/AU for existing muses, to include AC designs with rough paintjobs (you can view these in this tag) but if you already have an idea, just do it. There really are no hard rules; just write.

Alright, I said I'll keep it brief, so I'm going to give you some CliffsNotes on the setting without all the supporting evidence and homework:

Human space in Armored Core VI probably comprises somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 exosolar planets at a minimum. This suggests somewhere between 300 and 1,000 star systems, or more. The only places mentioned explicitly by name are Rubicon 3, and the Jupiter colonies. There was also a "Four Island Disturbance" but that could mean anything, really. You're free to make up whatever you want.

There is FTL travel of some kind, and it's both pretty ubiquitous and fairly fast. There's a lot of interstellar commerce going on, and human space is pretty well linked up considering there is a unified and universally recognized currency in the form of COAM. The setting features some kind of stasis, although whether this is merely general purpose or used predominantly for interstellar travel is unclear. It doesn't seem to be particularly tricky to use.

Human augmentation with genetic engineering or cybernetics to some extent doesn't seem particularly rare, although those properly addressed as "augmented humans" probably number in the tens to hundreds of thousands at most, and mostly seem to be military personnel or mercenaries. Augmentation surgery was quite dangerous until about 30 or so years before Armored Core VI begins. It's quite safe at present, but expensive. There may or may not be human longevity technology, it doesn't matter too much. AI is very much a thing, though somewhat uncommon at small scales. City to continent scale megastructures and space engineering are quite feasible.

Armored Core VI takes place in the indeterminate future, but isn't so far in the future that Earth-based ethnicities and nationalities have completely died out. Using existing cultures, mashing up existing cultures, or inventing new cultures are all perfectly fine.

The only known thing approaching a government entity in Armored Core VI is the Planetary Closure Administration (PCA) which is basically a police force for the Rubicon star system. They were most likely originally set up by corporations and planetary governments. Planetary level is likely the largest size governments come in within the setting, possibly a few planets and moons; there are likely not immense or substantial empires or federations. Armored Core games are traditionally dominated by megacorporations, but state actors likely still exist.

While Armored Core VI features two major corporations (Balam Industries and Arquebus Corporation), as well as several smaller ones and subsidiaries, there is no reason to believe there aren't more that specialize in other things or subcontract their work to these. You're again free to make up whatever you want.

You're probably generally okay with using Halo or Aliens as sources of inspiration in terms of the scale of things, although remember that there are probably no big overarching interstellar governments.

Armored Cores (ACs) are the main high-end form of mechanized warfare, which goes by the name 'Core Theory' and involves close-range, heavy firepower, high mobility assaults using them. These were developed from less sophisticated machines called Muscle Tracers (MTs) which comprise the bulk of armed forces, although other vehicles like aircraft and ground vehicles still exist, and infantry combat still takes place as well.

I think that's a good place to end for a starter guide. If you have particular questions, ask in a reply and I'll try and answer. But really, if you like mecha, sky's the limit. You ready to climb The Wall?

#Mecha RP #Armored Core RP #Armored Core Roleplay #Armored Core VI #Armored Core 6 #Out Of Character #PSA

[jojossillywalk]

i give up here are stand pathology headcanons with diagrams

mfw people saying that sci fi-ing things sucks all the fun out of them but sci fi is fun for me

ANYWAYS heres my dirt, nothing too gnarly in the diagrams! If I don't clarify some stuff well enough, feel free to ask and I'll clarify as best I can!

Part 1: What Is A Stand?

mikitaka sorta kinda

I can explain.

SO

The base of what we know about Stands in canon, according to Vento Aureo, is that they are a retrovirus of extraterrestrial origin!

What's a retrovirus? A little bundle of proteins that float around trying to hijack the way that DNA replicates itself- basically, it replaces our instruction manual with its own. The meteor and the arrow, for one reason or another, allows these little Stand cells to live on it until they pierce something.

According to Vento Aureo, on getting pierced with the arrow: you either die (in a little nasty way), or get a Stand.

Interesting takeaways on the nature of Stands from Stardust Crusaders, courtesy of Mohammed Avdol:

If one person is pierced with an arrow, their descendants will be impacted, in the form of developing the Stand or the sickness. I don't have enough brain cells to try to bullshit an explanation for that one.

The illness: takes roughly 50 days to be fatal, starts on the back, grows on the body, symptoms will involve a fever that progresses to "other symptoms," followed by a coma and death.

There appears to be some kind of gestation period: Dio was shot with the arrow about 1-2 years before Jotaro and Holly develop the stands (jojo timeline help). Joseph developed Hermit Purple 1 year before Jotaro got Splat.

The "gestation period" can arguably be backed up by Koichi, who survived his own stand by virtue of Crazy Diamond- Echoes first emerges as an egg!

Harming the Stand will harm the user, and Stands can vary highly in range.

They are variable in nature- some can exist entirely independently, even continuing to live within items that the user made. DiU and Stone Ocean have very unique examples of the varying levels of a Stand's independence.

Leading to an interesting point: developing a Stand, as opposed to the illness, will not guarantee that you survive your Stand. Examples include Cheap Trick and Notorious BIG. That said, other Stands will allow you to retain consciousness after death, such as Atom Heart Father (for better or worse).

(Things that I pressed X to Doubt: Avdol comments that Stands revolve around "fighting spirit," but he has been heavily exposed to assassins, who both leave financial paper trails and have body counts. Furthermore, Dio and Enya, individuals going bananas with the arrow, were exclusively looking for recruits for battle. There is mayhaps a smidge of sampling bias.)

Interesting takeaways from the Greenland meteor include:

IN CONTRAST TO THE SICKNESS! The Arrow will kill you a lot faster. We don't have an exact timeframe for how long meteor exposure took, but it seems that at bare minimum, the mineral surveyors, "dying looking like tomato sauce," didn't have a "slow fever, coma, death" presentation.

This is extremely interesting when you take into account that when the first person to be exposed to the virus dies, the Stand illness that shoots down generationally will resolve itself (sometimes leaving a stand: no information on Holly, but Josuke retained Crazy Diamond).

So, someone who gets hit with the Arrow or exposed to the meteor will either gain a Stand or swiftly die- should they have descendants, it's likely that on the death of the Arrow hit, these descendants may develop a Stand (if they were ill to begin with). Either way, there is a decent chance of a Stand remaining.

Other interesting things: Stands can exist entirely independently of users: Anubis and Superfly are good examples.

Back to the question of what a Stand is: I believe that the Stand is not necessarily a virus that infects another extraterrestrial organism, but that it is itself an extraterrestrial that has the option of behaving like a virus.

What do I mean by option?

If there are any fungi and siphonophore fans here, raise hands!

My headcanon is that, in essence, a Stand is an alien that has multiple means of reproduction, and can behave in a manner similar to both fungi and siphonophores. AKA, viral and budding being the primary means.

Viral basically allows the Stand to develop via a host. You are independent strands of proteins that migrate to the optic nerve and swiftly become active in producing proteins to create the building blocks actual Stand- they "stand behind you" because they poke out of the central nervous system. The formation of the stand comes of a mixture of any sensory stimuli to the nervous system while forming, any forming memories (similar to the visuals of dreams), and the general structure of your CNS.

Pros: Saves time, development of sentience is optional, your host does all the work of looking for danger and fighting for your mutual survival.

Cons: you're a stupid space virus who's trying to Build A You out of popsicle sticks and glue so you might kill your host to death. Also, you might trip your host's immune system, causing the Stand sickness again, which kills your host to death.

Visual Symptoms There's VERY few ways to firmly differentiate Stand virus from anything else without biopsy, however! The optic nerve and occipital lobe are the first place to gain these little areas of Stand that are responsible for the ability to process a Stand visually. Unlike your auditory processing, the Stand migrates and is active here- there's no real need for it, as stands can be utilized fine without sight (you don't really need use of sensory organs to have/develop a Stand, those nerves are just where the virus happens to set up camp). A lot of viral cells park and conglomerate here to make "Stand." On SOME occasions, for no real reason that can be understood (seems to be coincidence), the cells will begin just. Creating these deep, deep blue pigment molecules (along with the proteins they're making)- most commonly, they can be found in the choroid coat (it's a red jacket for ur eye that feeds it) and the sclera. Pigment producing viral cells have also presented in the tunica externa of the facial artery (literally just the outer coating of the artery), and the optic artery. By and large, this doesn't really produce any symptoms outside of production of that pigment, but if you were to look at the central nervous system of some people with Stands, you might actually see patches of dark blue where that pigment molecule started being produced.

This in that altered shade of sclera seen in people like Risotto, as well Avdol and Geil's facial markings- initially, it's almost like a prominence or very specific bruising, but the actuality is that the outermost layer of their arteries have deep blue pigment!

Being born with Stand means that you do in fact have more time to start a Stand from scratch, and it takes a little bit for the viral cells to wake up to the fact that you're in the world now. Additionally, they have grown alongside you and your blastula!

Getting stabbed with one or directly exposed via meteor means that you just get an influx of cells all at once, which immediately POG at you, who are so rich in nutrients, and your Stand gets built in overtime! If you don't have Crazy Diamond nearby, this is really bad. Slow and steady building Stands are kinder and gentler on people.

Anyways, budding!

Budding is where a) no option for a host exists and b) enough food. As opposed to spitting out free floating protein, the Stand proteins link up and begin to produce specialized colonies. They can look like whatever they damn well please, but often form sensory organs first in the interest of blending in with whatever they will be Hash Tag Coexisting with. After "mapping" out their form using buds that make this weird cartilaginous blueprint, they Build Dude. T End result is obligated to be sentient! There's no real difference between a bud Stand who mimicked a human person and a human person: for my John Carpenter's Thing fans, imagine that the Thing was like. Forced to not plagiarize, do its own work instead of assimilating, and just eat enough to formulate its own guy cells from scratch. Mikitaka is an example- very little functional difference between the end result of virus or budding, except that he and his Stand are basically one and the same. Took him a while to grow, but y'know. He lives in Morioh. He's a normal high schooler, just sprouted a little differently. Pros: You exist in space, you can do whatever you want. Get a job, carry ice cream in your pockets, the world is your damn oyster. The Stand virus also can't do anything to you. Additionally, you can pretty much digest anything. Cons: Takes a really long time, takes a lot of energy, hence the ability to basically digest anything. The construction of a full working nervous system from scratch takes for fucking ever.

Abilities

The variation in their abilities is a mixture of their intake of stimuli (as they are parked in the nervous system) and literally anything that a human brain can conceive as a thing that makes us go "WHOA!" They're intended to be defensive measures, but as mentioned, they are stupid virus aliens, so they sort of just throw things at the wall and some of it sticks.

Some people can go their entire lives without knowing that they have stands, because the abilities are just weird and specific. Tonio only unlocked his after extensive journeys as a chef. What do you want from the guy. Some Stands don't even start building for some reason, so they just chill out in there.

ANYWAYS! tldr, Stands are a siphonophore-virus-aliens like John Carpenter's Thing that are trying to live, just like you and me :)

Why can some of them stop time?

its jojo leave me alone passage of time is stimuli i guess the alien cell didnt like it. why can no one but stand users see them?? genuinely no clue.

#jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure

[razmerry]

me: haha it’s just a silly little star trek au. I promise I’ll be normal about it

me when it’s time for locus:

Fr the amount of lore I have stacked up in my brain for this man... all 3 of you who read these posts better be ready to do some scrolling because I am rotted in the cabeza. 

Here’s some feverish rambling about one of my favorite rvb characters (of all time):

- Locus is a changeling, courtesy of my most genius moment in this AU 2 years ago. At the time I was only watching bits and pieces of DS9 whenever my mom had it on, but I got enough to immediately know it was perfect for him. Like Odo, Locus is one of the hundred baby changelings who got sent out into the galaxy with no memories. But I think he probably floated in space for a long time before landing anywhere, so he is decently old physically. 

- As continued, Locus followed a similar path to Odo, but instead of landing on Bajor, he crashed onto Cardassia in the wild lands, where he lay for a very long time. Until one day, he was found by a Cardassian military group - which included Felix and Siris. Since the equivalent of the Halo Great War would be the Dominion War, that’s when this is set. At first, the Cardassians just think this is a mildly interesting slimy sample, but when set near their weapons, they find that it can transform into them. All of a sudden Locus becomes very important to the Cardassians, even more so when they discover he can change from one weapon into another. And that’s what they think he is at this point - some kind of shapeshifting weapon. This is also why they call him Locus - I’m twisting canon a bit, but I’m gonna say that a particular type of phase rifle that they use is a “Locus” model. 

- Eventually, one day as the squad is sitting around talking, they start to prompt Locus to change into one of the soldiers. To all of their utter shock, they discover he can do this, and is in fact a sentient, living creature. But they are in a war after all... and he is still a weapon. (can I get a you are nothing more than a suit of armor and a gun?) Locus becomes an unofficial member of the military squad, who manages to survive in ragged numbers. He’s used both as a soldier and as a physical weapon/armor, which as he’s known nothing else but these Cardassians, he accepts as a fact of life. After the war ends and Cardassia is ravaged, his story would proceed much like it did in canon - he joins up with Felix and Siris, working as a mercenary on distant worlds. I’ll talk more about Siris once I draw him, but at some point Felix and Locus end up working together without him and eventually make their way to Chorus. Which I’ll talk more about when I draw Doyle and Kimball. Goddamn the thoughts in this head.

- Just as Odo has limits to his shapeshifting, I wanted to give some to Locus as well. He does still have to periodically rest in his liquid state, because I think that’s very funny. But his main weakness is that he’s an incredibly good shapeshifter, able to mimic people and things down the smallest detail - he’s just an incredibly terrible actor. He can look like your friend, but if he opens his mouth he cannot convince he’s them. So Locus mostly does spying/background work, which makes Felix desperately he - the “people person” - was the one who could shapeshift instead. 

- Locus’s weird little obsession/mancrush with Wash is one of my favorite little details about him, and when you can literally turn into someone I think that leaves some very fun doors open. Just to explain that ridiculous second extra drawing I made. 

- During the equivalent to seasons 11/early season 12, Locus is fully presenting himself as a normal Cardassian, and he and Felix are riding on basically the same backstories they use in the show - old war buddies turned rivals, etc etc. I think Felix would spin himself as a soldier who was forced to do terrible things during the war, but is trying to redeem himself by helping out the rebels (who are Bajorans in this AU). However Locus, as he is wont to do, just plays himself as an ice cold mercenary who is neutral to either side of this conflict. 

- As time goes on during the late season 12/season 13 equivalent arc, Locus does spy work, frequently disguised as a Bajoran or a Human. He begins to favor these forms (as he grows more and more conflicted about himself), something that Felix absolutely hates. Post-season 13, he would rarely change into a Cardassian again. His scar is something that he keeps, though - originally he gave it to himself because the leader of the original military squad (the suit of armor and a gun guy) had the same scar, and Locus saw him as an authority/father/mentor figure. Post season 13, he keeps it a reminder to himself and to keep him in check. 

- God I can talk about Locus for hours. I’m so fond of changelings. Can I get a hell yeah for any pronouns Locus? Changelings are literally The gender fluid. 

Alright I’m done now, I promise I’ll be normal about the rest of this AU (lying). Next week is Siris!

#rvb trek #star trek #red vs blue #rvb #rvb locus #samuel ortez #sam ortez #crossover au #deep space nine #deep space 9 #ds9 #changeling #changelings #the founders #founder #cardassian #cardassia #fanart #digital art #locus #felix

[my-mt-heart]

Hey MT! 

I noticed some concerns regarding Melissa's return and AMCs overall marketing, so I wanted to weigh in with a marketing perspective that may shed some light. Let me preface this by saying I don't work in TV, but if someone in TV marketing wants to weigh in if I get anything wrong here – please do. I'd love to hear their thoughts and yours, MT. I also want to be transparent and say I’m a Caryler. Take this if it resonates, or leave it <3 

Marketing works best when it's directed at a specific audience. There are two major things to focus on (I’m oversimplifying for brevity) – aggravating audience fears and teasing audience desires. When marketing hits the mark, it elicits strong reactions. Then they lean into that to keep the audience engaged and maximize their viewership for a show.

From what I’ve seen with Daryl, AMC focuses on aggravating fears. The fear of Daryl being retconned is big and easy to tap into. It's safe to assume they’re targeting Carylers as their audience pool because we always react strongly to AMC’s marketing tactics. Why not Daryl fans? Because his fans (most of whom adore Norman) are ride or die and will watch no matter what. But Carylers are a larger group that they can count on if they deliver Daryl AND Carol. 

From what I’ve seen AMC leans on leaked info or set pics to gauge/tease audience interest. For example, everyone was worried after seeing the set pics of 10x01. The strife in the fandom manifested itself and aggravated our fears for them. Because there was a fear of D0nn^e going canon, the Caryl reunion ended up being spectacular (especially with their foils being present for it). Without that fear, it would've been good but not great.

They aggravate your fears (or let them fester) so they can go in and relieve them later with a big payback. But it only works if you get well-timed sneak peeks of the payback because there's always a risk of losing the audience if they lean too hard into the fears. (For example, "I'm never gonna hate you" after the cave/Carz3kiel tease, "It's a date" placed in between the Reaper arc and Leafy's return, Carol holding Daryl's hand in Outpost 22 after D0nn^e ship baiting.)

Bonus points if the big payback is a big surprise. 

Speaking of…

If Melissa is co-leading S2 of the spinoff, why aren't they announcing her return? Many Carylers are openly untrusting of AMC after last year. So announcing Melissa's return is a huge gamble. They give up their biggest advantage if the reactions are mixed (not to mention, lose face). Which may explain why they go out of their way to minimize her involvement (*coughs* upfronts). So when she shows up as a big surprise, the response is overwhelmingly positive after over a year of watching our fears being pummeled (and we feel more forgiving of the story because we’re so excited to see Caryl again).

But in the meanwhile, what they can do is let our fears fester while teasing audience desires to give us a sneak peek into the payback we could get. Why do we keep finding nuggets of info from the cast and crew confirming Melissa's involvement as the premiere draws near? It’s not a lot and not "official," but it’s enough to keep us talking about the “big silver-haired surprise” we get if we tune in.

I wouldn't be surprised if they sprinkle ambiguous easter eggs until the S1 finale to keep us Carylers engaged. Because my speculation is Melissa will show up as our big surprise in the S1 finale.   

I won’t go into how much this kinda marketing incenses me. I leave you with this: end of the day, if my speculation is correct, they know canon is the only way they can maximize engagement with Carylers – which is a good thing.  

We have a future, everyone. Caryl on <3

*Please* go into how much this kinda marketing incenses you hahaha

Thanks so much for sharing. I’m not in marketing, entertainment or otherwise, but everything you said sounds about right and this has been one of my biggest gripes all year. Continuing these tactics on an audience that already reached its breaking point last year feels manipulative, reckless, and doomed to fail anyway. Maybe a more honest approach isn’t possible for S1 because the quality is just that 👎, but I sincerely hope AMC doesn’t wrongly assume fans will be too excited about Carol’s return to care about the how and why. They tried to use Caryl’s final lines to each other in the series finale to distract us from the shitty spinoff fiasco, which only got mixed reactions at best. I hope they know how to maximize engagement like you said.

Thanks again for your insight. I think it’s super helpful and a good reminder to refrain from engaging on anything that we don’t like. Hold onto your wallets until AMC delivers on its promises.

#caryl #caryl spinoff #carol peletier #melissa mcbirde #darylneedscarol

[squarebracket-trickster]

Thumbprint Tag

Rules: look back on your work, both past and present, finished and unfinished. What are five to ten narrative elements or tropes that continuously pop up in your work? Give a list of these things!

@on-noon don't mind if I jump on your open tag. I can get soooooo weirdly specific with this...

Oh yes, and I am going to carry on the open tag. Anyone that wants to join may.

Read More because oddly specific requires lots of words--

A female character from a very disadvantaged background (see political prisoner, indentured servant, peasant, enslaved person, poor etc.) who has an unlikely meet cute with someone (male) who turns out to be extremely privileged (see royalty, crazy rich etc.). They become friends. One day she has a really rough day, ends up sick, and he takes care of her (like makes her meals, rubs her shoulders, holds her hair when she throws up etc.). They don't end up dating until a while after this happens. If I had a nickel for every time this shows up in a story I'd have dollars by now.

Two or three female characters that my straight-ass spends years trying to ship with every palatable male character in the story to see if I can make them date. After years without success I finally realize that these characters are lesbians and they were made for each other. When their story arcs get finalized into canon they have an epic friends-to-lovers slow burn romance.

A main female character that, in hindsight, should have been my clue that I had ADHD. Re: talks too fast, says the most random shit, won't shut up, sits weirdly in chairs, really good in a crisis, always waving her hands when she talks, sensory issues galore, no eye contact, last minute queen, always has a song stuck in her head, can list 50 digits of pi but can't remember why the fuck she just walked into that room, and most importantly, me saying about this character, "I feel so relaxed when I write/daydream about her. It's like a release. Like, I can finally be myself and do all the things people think are annoying, but everyone in her life thinks she's funny and likes her energy." Like, you might as well have written MASKING ADHD directly across my forehead.

A monarchy that becomes a republic by the end of the story because I want to write about attractive princes and badass queens/empresses but I am also an anti-monarchist...

A character who was based off an irl friend that lost relevance in the story and got written out, only for me to eventually drift away from that friend or discover that they weren't the friend I thought they were.

Long rants about whatever topic I am learning about in uni at that time (assigned to a particular character for plot reasons). This week's rant was on Populism...

A couple that I decided could never be a couple because the power imbalance and political nonsense was too problematic, who ended up becoming a couple anyways because I have no self-control and them being together was just so *feels*. When all is finalized into canon, these couples get a glorious enemies-to-lovers slow burn that lasts several years and plenty of denial (in homage to my own feelings on the subject).

That moment when a character takes off their disguise and reveals that they are, in fact, a princess, goddess, secret agent etc. in order to save someone's life.

Idk what some of these say about me. idk if I want to know...

#tag game #wipi sort of #wipiii sort of

[the-sun-and-the-sea]

I have just read your fic 'Dulce et Decorum Est' and I am absolutely losing my shit. This is a work of art, that's the only way I can explain it. I was absolutely sobbing through most of it lol.

I absolutely love how you wrote Ada, including the little parallels to Rue (both cared for Katniss/Finnick even when they were passed out for days, both used a trap involving fire etc.). It got me imagining what sort of speech Finnick would give on his victory tour after, specifically when faced with Ada's family. Also omg the bit towards the end where though he didn't have to kill Corrinne, he still blames himself because Sigrid was angry at him, I am crying.

Another thing, I think it makes perfect sense that Finnick was trained to be a victor but was reaped earlier than he should've been! I never would've thought of that, but even in catching fire, he has some skills that seem more taught over time rather than learned hands on in the arena.

Sorry for the long ass paragraph, I just wanted to let you know how much I love this fic and how well written and emotional it is. I don't cry much but this fic got me lol.

Hi, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! It's so incredible to hear how my stories resonate with people and I am always down to talk about them. If you don't mind a bit of a ramble, I'd like to talk about how this fic was created. (I put it under the cut because it ended up being long - I just love this fic and want to talk about it!)

So I've been writing about Finnick and Annie for over three years, but I've never really touched on Finnick's Games, partially because I hadn't been super interested and partially because it was a situation I couldn't make a lot of sense out of. How did he end up in the arena at fourteen? More importantly, how did he actually win?

The scenario I present in the fic makes the most sense to me and honestly it's the only way I see it now. I definitely feel like he's a Career, but that doesn't account for him going in so young. But him being reaped (along with being fourteen) is what allows him to fly under the radar, with his opponents not taking him seriously until it's too late. It's a logical but unfortunate progression of events, but here we are.

Crafting Finnick's Games took a lot of thought because I didn't want to get it wrong. And I know we have basically no canon information on his Games, so actually violating canon would be pretty hard to do. I just felt such a connection to the character and his story that I wanted to present everything—from the reaping until the time he goes home—in a way that felt true, organic, and did his story justice. That's probably also why I took so long to actually write his Games; I wanted to get it just right.

I love the arena itself, and again, it needed to be the perfect balance of advantageous for Finnick but not obviously so. Finnick's victory was partially riding on his opponents underestimating him, so he needed an arena that wouldn't make people target him immediately, but it needed to be something he could still work with. So that's what I tried to do, and I think that balance ended up being super important. Because winning the Games, for anyone, is about many factors. Everything has to line up just right, even for someone as skilled as Finnick. That victory could've been Sigrid's, or Corinne's, or anyone's. So I also had to spend a lot of time within the story proving why it was Finnick's.

His relationships with the other tributes became important to me because we know from canon that Finnick loves deeply and that his relationships are important to him. The few days he spends alone in the arena take a toll on him because he needs community, and he finds that again in Ada, which I loved exploring. Pretty much everyone who's commented on the fic has said they like Ada, and that makes me so happy to hear. I like her too.

You mentioned seeing Finnick's Victory Tour, and honestly I might continue in that direction. I've never explored Finnick at this point in his life but I found his youth here so interesting to work with, so I definitely might give the Tour a try! No promises but if I do continue, I will make sure to post it here on Tumblr.

The story is 18k words and I wrote it in about three days because it just absolutely consumed me a few weekends ago. I could not stop thinking about it and developing new ideas. Once I got the arena down it was smooth from there, because that arena ended up inspiring me so much. I loved the vibe of it, and how Finnick functioned within it.

I know you did not necessarily ask for this overenthusiastic explanation, but I do feel like I've been dying to share it, so I hope you don't mind. Thank you again for your kind words, they mean a lot to me!

#whyyy did i just spend like 500 words discussing a fic #because it's 11 pm that's why #but if you read my fics and ever have a question/comment #please please share it with me #i will always be happy to talk about it #ok that's all for now i promise #i'll post this in the morning so i can reread it when i'm coherent #asked and answered #my fic #thg fic #finnick odair #the hunger games