#but I really like how these 4 angles can put regardless!

[idrawgaystffs]

Made this for Day 1 of Portal Drawtober: “Portal 1 or Portal 2?”

(Guess it also applies to day 2: Favorite character? Cause I Live for GLaDOS!)

Why not both?! I really like Portal 2 of course with it’s more in-depth story and of course our Queen of Aperture’s newer model!

This was an attempt to make a mixed bag version of GLaDOS with a more logical bridge between the games

(Prompt List by @chelltastic)

#my art stff #portal drawtober 2023 #portal 2 #portal GLaDOS #portal fanart #portal #was in a rush to post his before a class but now commentary in the tags!! #ok so I was originally planing to do a full turnaround since each side seemed interesting enough to get an angle of the basics: front. left. #right. and back #but I Got Tired last night so I just finished the front and her left today during my lunch #miiiight do the other two (four actually since there’s two of her double the work yeesh) sometime later #but I really like how these 4 angles can put regardless! #can put -> came out* #heh also the note at the top says she fell on her head oof #that’s my quota for the week of portal drawtober #I’m pretty busy this and next week though so no promises just hopes to get something out on someday next week #besides procrastination doodles though #but I want to Try for these drawtober prompts #after all they are so great #/genuine :) #okay byeee till I self reblog tomorrow!! #my art

[complete-clownery]

Not me deciding that I wanna figure out how does Macaques dojo work, cuz I couldnt seem to find any ideas of it on the internet lol

Okay so long long LONG rant:

Ik that in canon the whole place looks kinda-- moldy and shit and I get the lot of hc about how Macaque probably doesnt even live there since its in a very industrial outer neighborhood of Megaplois, and also it probably isnt really decorated or looks like someone is living in there at all, but I like to think that he has standards and they put like 272636373 nois cancelation seals on their bedroom so he can sleep camly when he actually can sleep (since in my hc Macaque suffers from insomnia (its a pretty common hc tho, but you get it)) and I think the outer circle of Megaplois is even tho industral and under constructuion on most parts, its probably more quiet than downtown

And I also like to imagine, Macaque even tho if not commited to a place will make it more homy. But looking at my reference pictures, in the dojo there were also a lot of posters and paintings (and in MKAGC Macaque did mention he might have a poster of wukong soooo~~)

For the layout I went after whatever felt right, since I had like 4 pictures to piece together a two-story house with a gallery(??) so its actually just me deciding what I want and where I wanna put it

(Here are the screenshots from lmk s1ep9 I used:)

Okay Okay if you couldnt tell, for some reason im really hyped about this stuff so im going to lead you trough my thougtprocess, when imagining this whole thing, in order from ground level to gallery

1. Ground level:

Ahh yes ground level: the problem child

(Im going to keep it somewhat brief here cuz I wrote a shit ton of explanations for it, but that somehow got deleted which I am super pissed about btw)

So I saw that a lot of hc with Macaques place are mostly that first floor is the dojo and the second floor is the living area, buuut~~ based on the screenshots of the series that doesnt make any sense. My reasoning? Simple really, its bc you can see the ceiling If you are standing in the dojo. This could lead to the conclusion that:

"Okay maybe then there is no second floor just a gallery in there somewhere and thats it".

Sure we can say that, but then you would ignore the fact that you cant see the front door of the building when Macaque slams Mk into a weaponstand.

"Okay then its on the other side of the room that we never got to see in the episode"

I mean maybe sure but to me from an animation point of view it just doesnt make sense, just why would they flipp the camera angle like that (I mean anyone can think whatever they want, everyones opinion is valid, its not like anyone would ever argue me on this one ((or read this whole brainrot trough in the first place lol)))

Haha anyways regardless of anything, let's go back to talking about the first floor, shall we?

Everything is pretty self explenatory: when you come in on the front door youll see a little shoe rack where you can but your shoes, and one stair to seperate the ante-room from the rest of the house

Then theres a long hall that leads to the enterence of the storageroom, the random room and the staircase that leads to the second floor

I couldnt decide on what to put in that big room-- I had no clue -- I was thinking maybe Macaque could let other people rent it for a few days of maybe theres a shop with an owner whos ranting the place from Macaque (I think thats an interasting concept, but I didnt explore any of them) oh well thats that tho

"""somewhat brief""""

Second floor:

This was probably the easiest, since 90% of it is the dojo

But before that when you walk up to the second floor you can see a big boubel door that opens to the dojo, and a normal door that opens to the bathroom, which is strategicly placed there by yours truely. There is big brain logic behind it,, it might be inconvinient for Macaque to walk down the stairs from his bedroom trough the dojo to the bathroom (but also he can just shadow portal there--), but when ocasionally he mentors Mk, he might have to go to the bathroom while hes at Macaques place and I dont think Macaque would apritiate someone stomping trough his personal area, and thats why the bathroom is conviniently placed next to the dojo and not that far from the bathroom I know im a genius (**read everything in the bathroom part with a lot of sarcasm**)

Anyways, we couldnt even see all four of the dojos walls so that was also a 'gamble', but I went with a simple bouble door that I mentioned before and two weapon stands (yes those are weapon stands) and other than that you can see the rest of the room on the screenshots, theres also the staircase and that has some closet underneath it, but thats about it

The gallery (my personal favorit):

Looking at my reference pictures i could see that the dojo took up a lot of space almost taking up the 1/2 of the building, which I think is reasonable and kinda cool, but that means small living area which I think is even cooler (I am a huge fan of small practical spaces, they feel so so cozy)

So Yeah the living space: mostly two rooms that I also illustrated on top of this post, (you probably saw it) with a balkony thingy before the enterence of the rooms, where you can look down and see the entirety of the dojo, good for observing.

When you go in the door (actually havent decided if I want to put a door there or curtains for style but meh who knows who cares), youll enter the small but spacious kitchen. I dont see the Six Eared Macaque as a homecook, more of a fake cooking guy (only making basic foods like eggs or toast, maybe ocasionally pancake), hints there is no built in stove or owen just a portable stove, a kettle and a toaster and a small fridge that has MKs drawing (that he drew for them at the end of season 3) magneted there :]

Other than that theres a sink and an old television, he got from the randomest place ever, maybe he fished it out of the trash idk, but he put it on top of the cabinets (rarely watches anything on it)

On the baseplan you can see that there was supposed to be a small table next to the sink with a chair, but it didn't make it to the final drawing cuz let's be honest: drawing interior in correct perspective without a reference picture is just not my strongest artskill I posess, so I got pissed and put a trashcan in there, Macaque can eat in his bed

Talking about bed, let's move on to the Six Eared Macaques room:

It is very small but pretty comfortable with a small bed but a shit ton of pillows for a good nights sleep, other than that there are a nightstand that has the Lantern on it (I know it sorta got lost/destroyed after defeating LBD but I wanted to put it there) and a drawer.

The nightstand probably doesnt have a lot innit, just some nick-nacks and tissues and maybe snacks, or a book or something, the drawer stores some of his clothes, but since I like to think that Macaque is a fashion icon that wont be able to fit most of their clothes, so maybe he stores them in a pocket dimension of shadows, and only has some esentials there when he needs to get ready quickly.

And we could talk about the posters plastered around the room, but most of them are kinda self-explanatory, but there are the poster of his shadowplaly of the hero and the warrior, some drawing, a "Hang in there babygirl!" Poster with a cat on it hanging in there, a poster of the monkey king (heh), phantom of the opera poster and a-- well--- that ones for my bestie hope she'll notice it, its a spies are forever poster (really fun musical a of spies, go watch it its on youtube), and a drawing he brought( maybe)

And thats about the bedroom

And we are still not done, how are we feeling about that?? Huh?? (You dont have to answert, this shit took me about 2 hours to write :] )

LAST PLACE: the corner of the windows opposit the kitchen and the bedroom. Its just a chill little place with pillows and blankets, where someone can bundle up and enjoy some tea or read a book or brood, whatever the monkey prefers. The special thing about it, is that you cant access the place without knowing how to levitate, fly, jump high, or use portals, not that much of a game changer since more than half of the lmk cast could get up there, but still a bit of a barrier in my opinion

AAAAAND~~~ thats it omg

Hi hello if you read this trough could you please comment or reblog with this: "🐵" cuz I wanna know about the brave soilders who went trough this immense amount of clownery,,, holly mother---

If you read this all 👏👏👏 you are amazing thank you for appreciating my work this much, have an amazing day or night ✨🪲

#clowning ∆ #clown does art #lego monkey kid #lmk #lego monkey kid macaque #lmk macaque #lmk six eared macaque #lmk headcanon #interior design

[phoenix-before-the-flame]

not a hc but can you rank lucy's stardresses?

A fit rank huh? Sure I can do that. Just gonna preface n say that obviously this is my opinion and whatevs and that I won't be includin any of the ones introduced in 100yr because I don't care about the sequel :]

Alrightie lets get into it! This gonna get long tho, so imma put it under read more so I don't murder ppl who are scrolling.

Aquarius Stardress

This one honestly might be on the lower tiers for me. Like for the first stardress shown its rather, boring. The colour choice of green and yellow is weird, and visually disconnects it from Aquarius (like seriously? No blue anywhere?). The wrap skirt is cute and I do love how she has Aquarius' collarbone tattoo. That's fire. But the basic bikini top is meh. Overall its serviceable, 6/10 on the Phoenix scale.

Leo Stardress

Honestly can't go wrong with a nice black dress. I really would've preferred a pants suit for this one but the dress regardless is fun. I has a nice shape with the asymmetrical skirt and I like the ruffles all over. I also like how the anime gave her stockings

If I had nitpicks i'd say to get rid of the center line down the middle of the chest, the two under the bust are enough and get rid of the purple hair clip, it feels tacked on and just tosses in a random colour to the palette. I'd also maybe change the yellow to something more orange so it pops more (maybe even make the interior of the dress something eyecatching to add some extra oomph visually when she's kicking.)

But good fit, 8/10

Virgo Stardress

Well, it's about what you'd expect tbh. It's a maid outfit lol. There ain't much here to say cept that its cute. 6/10

Tauros Stardress

Oh hell fuckin yea. HELL YEAH

Unabashedly this one is one of my favourites solely because of the uneven pants. It's so fun and stupid. I also like how she and Tauros have matching belt buckles.

The basic ass bikini top does bring it down though (sorry i'm a bikini top hater. If you're gonna put a character in a bikini top at least make it a different style! There's different types of tops that can be both sexy and interesting!!!!). It also looks wack at certain angles.

My chest hurts lookin at this.

Apart from that I don't think the double buns works best with this dress, I think it'd work better if swapped with the double braids of the capricorn dress. Also I just think it'd be cool if this dress gave her an axe, like how the cancer dress gave her weapons.

but because of how much joy the stupid pants give me, 9/10.

Sagittarius Stardress

Another banger stardress despite a glaringly obvious issue.

This shit's great to me. Good colours, fun patterns, i fuckin love that its backless and the high ponytail is great here. The issue?

That deep ass coochie cut.

On god it just looks so uncomfortable. The anime tried to even it out by giving her tights but that just tossed in another colour to the palette and just unbalances it. A simple fix would've been just to make it white leggings under there. Skin tight, sexy and still practical. Apart from the coochie cut the only nitpick I have is that I think the boob window should've been star shaped and i wish her sleeves also doubled as archery gloves.

Apart from that and how much the coochie cut haunts me, its a 9/10

Aires Stardress

Now I have no idea why, but I was never exactly big on this one. Like it's not awful, all the stardresses have a baseline cuteness to them. The alternating pink and white tiers on the dress is nice, but the cut under the bust kinda kills the uniform pattern it had goin on. Likewise the leggings don't feel coherent to the rest of the fit. Like still cute, but the stripes and the introduction of black makes the whole thing feel busy and plain all at once. Though ironically when it's in the manga and purely black and white i think it looks better.

But I dunno, i think this one actually might be my least favourite. 4/10

Gemini Stardress

Ok. I like the alternating blue and white all over. That's cool. But, that headdress on top of the already busy outfit feels like its a lil too much on top. Also the random gold baubles on the outfit itself feels sorta thrown on. The belt can stay I suppose but nix the tassels near the collar and trade in the boob window for a deeper neckline.

We can just get rid of the headdress altogether and change her hairstyle to like, crown braid with a hanging blue and white ribbon on either side to keep with the alternating colours and we golden. 5/10

Scorpio Stardress

Gonna start this off to say, not a big fan of the bottom (the leather panty thing with the chain on it? Dawg idk i don't like it lol). and the chain on it looks so silly and not in a fun way. If anything I think she should have a bigger tail, not as big as scorpio's but defs something bigger that what she has currently. And as much as I like backless fits I don't think it works here, the deep cut boob window can stay though. I do like the headband and how her hair frames her face but overall its another 5/10.

Also here's a scorpio stardress redesign that I like. Doesn't fix all my issues with the og but it's still pretty dope.

Cancer Stardress

I like this because it looks cool and gives Lucy weapons. I don't like it because it doesn't connect well with Cancer the spirit visually. But Cancer's design sucks and I like this better than Cancer himself. Truly a design with conundrums for me. 6/10

Capricorn Stardress

I don't like this dress! Not one bit! Why is it a bdsm tit dress! The hair is cute and I like the shades and the horn clips with the bows but the dress!!!!!!!! Why is it so visually disconnected from Capricorn the spirit! Why isn't it a skirt suit with sexy fishnet leggings like in the concept art!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why isn't this the canon design!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tragic/10

#fairy tail #lucy heartfilia #hi :]

[genesisgijinka]

Do you have any tips for drawing backgrounds? Yours always look so nice

aww thank you! As for tips...

Tip #1:

Find references. I sketched the cover for chapter 4 three different times, because the first two didn't evoke the majesty of the Prism Tower in the way I wanted it to. And then I saw this

I think you can see how this translated into the cover

Tip #2:

Do studies. Be it from photos (your own or from a royalty free website like pixabay, but watch out for AI garbage bc the perspective is usually wrong) or from real life. It's not cheating, it's encouraged, and it's industry standard. Idc if you have photographic memory, get something from real life in front of your eyeballs and draw it. Try and keep your reference close to your drawing so that it's easier for your eyes to flick back and forth between the two. This is how you can train your eyes to really see what's going on in an image. Compare angles, shapes, sizes, and distances.

I use clip studio paint for Genesis, which has perspective rulers and they're super handy for speeding up the process (first image) and again, is not cheating. It's a tool to use in your arsenal. A little tricky to use, but once you get it down, it's fantastic. I also really recommend using other mediums, like a sketchbook and a sharpie (2nd image) or dinking around in Paint (3rd image). Limiting yourself in challenging ways is a great way to grow fast. Experimenting like this is also great for finding a style or technique that you click with

Tip #3:

Be aware of the cone of vision. This is a technical skill, but it's one of those things that you don't necessarily have to draw out every single time (tho I'd recommend doing it at least once to burn it into your memory better). If your drawing is looking wonky, the cone of vision being breached is a likely culprit. I'll link a video to someone who can explain how to do it better than I can.

Tip #4:

Learn how to draw things the same size in perspective. This is probably the thing I use the most. For example;

You have a tiled floor in a room. The lines going to the vanishing point are easy to do.

But how do you do the horizontal ones going across the floor?

Step 1: draw two horizontal lines, and put an X in one of them, going from corner to corner

Step 2: Going from the center of the X, trace a line back to the vanishing point

Step 3: from one corner, draw a line that goes through where that center line hits the tile edge

Step 4: at the end of this new line is where the next tile will start

Step 5: Rinse and repeat as needed

Ta-da! You now have tiles that are all the same size

This also works for vertical things like windows or telephone poles

One of the most useful applications I've found this trick for is making sure that everything is the right size. Sticking a person in a drawing is an instantly recognizable way to show scale

Whilst sketching the cover for ch 4, I'd accidentally made the doors way too small in the buildings in the back, so I slapped some people down to make sure they were the right height (This is in 3-point perspective, so the trick still works, regardless of if it's 1-, 2-, or 3-pt perspective owo b )

#comic ask #anonymous #anon #long post #perspective tutorial #kinda #i am historically Bad At Explaining Things #so hopefully this is somewhat coherent #you can also cheat a lot with establishing shots #put some mileage in for a few really nice panels #and then proceed to just draw the corner of a room lol

[animehouse-moe]

Bocchi The Rock Episode 7: The Anime of The Year

Look at the video above, just.... look. This is still a series about a socially anxious loner that wants to play in a band and make friends. It's still the same as ever. It's still the same series. But somehow, somehow, it not only separates itself from its pack of fellow Slice of Life titles, it separates itself from its fellow anime this year and rests atop them in a league of its own. It's like some sort of dream.

Sure, Dress Up Darling did the classic 4:3 anime reference, and yeah, Akebi's Sailor Uniform had incredibly detailed and essentially photorealistic environments and backgrounds. But there's two things with that.

One: Cloverworks did both of those series Two: Neither uses a god damn Claymation Zoetrope for the purpose of a single cut in a single episode of a single series.

It's not playing with a balloon, it's not drawing characters onto cutouts on popsicle sticks. It is an entirely separate creative process that takes far more time, and is even an entirely different area of expertise. Drawing is not the same as 3d modelling. Yes, there's overlap, but you're not guaranteed to be great at 3d models and sculptures just because you can draw super well.

And this is but the tip of the iceberg, it's a minute and 30 seconds of this entire outstanding episode, of which there's a world of incredible creativity to tackle. So buckle up for a far too long post about the incredible work on episode 10 of Bocchi The Rock.

So, how about that cold open? Though I guess it's more so hot than cold. Regardless, this cold open really provides some incredible pieces that cement the quality of prior episodes. Firstly, the photorealistic environment work. Look at the image above, it's drawn in a really interesting way. The angle, the height, the shadow. It sells the feeling that you're bending over to grab the bottle of water from the vending machine perfectly. Why? Because it's from a reference photo. Look at the image below. Look at the cars, at the incredibly unique layout of the building behind the girls, or the pieces of another building sticking out from the trees on the left. This too, is from a reference photo. In fact, with a large amount of confidence, I can say that all the static backgrounds and environments that Njika and Kita walk through are from reference pictures, and they integrate incredibly well. There's something so alluring about the overlap of photorealism and the relatively low detail but expressive designs of the girls.

Perhaps my favorite piece from their cold open though was when the pair disappeared behind a grouping of trees. The understanding of space and pacing, the distance that the girls are shown at, it's all so incredibly well put together, and produces a helplessly satisfying cut.

Favorites aside, the direction of the cold open really stands out in comparison to the typical style of Bocchi The Rock. It's even more spacious than usual thanks to being outside, but Cloverworks contrasts that wide feeling with lots of super close up shots to bring it in tighter.

There's something really wonderful about this approach for a cold open. The staff didn't just randomly pick closeups to focus on, they work the dialogue into their approach, when there's nothing specific being talked about they keep the scene wide and open, but when there's something specific like talking about bringing stuff over, or talking about Bocchi's weirdness, they shift the focus to those pieces to really highlight them. However, there is a secret third option that they add: the walking close up. What I love about this is the break that it provides. You might not have noticed, but you can only hear the footsteps of the girls when there's a close up on them walking. When they're at a distance or focused on somewhere else you can't hear it, which I thought was a wonderful addition that really adds a nice feel.

That unique direction of specialized close ups doesn't end with the cold open though, it extends into the episode itself and adds a really fun change of pace to the norm that we as viewers have gotten used to.

Also, this small little piece in Bocchi's room. Was a really fun little callback to her pool surfing daydream, and gives you the inclination that Bocchi's daydreams aren't just abstract, but from stuff she's seen and/or experienced.

Anyways, the episode eventually settles in and begins to deliver on its usual promises. Fluid animation, creative reactions and approaches, really satisfying framing and camera angles, the whole 9 yards. I say that like it's some regular standard, but in reality there's not a show out there I can think of that produces such incredible episodes each week as if it's nothing.

Also, I loved this little addition. The staff is aware enough of Bocchi's daydreaming and the reactions of the characters to to it that they can incorporate natural jokes into the flow of the series.

The further you get into the episode, the more its approach sinks in. It's not the more muted or driven episode like the previous, but one that affords the team experimentation and plenty of room for creativity. Bocchi's severe case of lonerism is Cloverwork's golden ticket to the odd and outstanding approach that they seem to love.

And do they ever put their heart into it. Getting Bocchi to dress in regular clothing was super fun and cute!

Quickly though, they drive out the cuteness and bring in the despair for an impressive minute and thirty (ish) second stretch of a very unique brand of skit where Bocchi dies from having her head fully exposed, and wreaks havoc on Nijika and Kita from the grave. Sort of a see it to believe it moment.

Of course, this skit too, comes to pass, and we get back to the girls and their plans for their first big event, where they settle down a little and focus on the characters. It was a really fun little sequence that shows how far Bocchi's already made it in terms of social anxiety, where she's willing to go against the flow of the group based on her own opinions and ideals.

Bocchi really is trying hard to overcome her fears and anxieties, and her friends are very supportive. Of course though, it's Bocchi, things can't go well. The typhoon comes to hit them anyways, and we get left in the episode with a dramatic shot of Bocchi looking out at the storm. Thanks to the eavestrough (or maybe roof?) above Bocchi in the scene, it paints it as a sort of widescreen black bar effect, making the moment even more dramatic.

I had said it in my last post about the previous Bocchi episode, but the creativity of this show truly is a marvel. How you manage to have the thought process of "Bocchi daydreaming about the sports festival -> Claymation Zoetrope" still astonishes me. It's such an incredible leap to even consider, let alone execute. And they find the perfect spot for it. They don't have these ideas and think "where can we fit these", in fact it feels the opposite. It feels like the staff analyzes each and every little moment, every single frame of each episode and rack their brains over the question of "What can we do here", and the answer to that question is each and every episode of Bocchi The Rock.

Anime of the season hands down, Anime of The Year no contest, each episode of this series transcends awards and popularity to an entire other degree. It's something that everyone looks at with admiration, with astonishment, with immense appreciation, because it's more than competing for popularity or anything that trivial. It's a perfect case study for letting talented individuals loose to do the best and most cohesively creative work you can even really think of.

#bocchi the rock! #Bocchi The Rock #hitori gotoh #Bocchi #anime #anime and manga #ぼっち・ざ・ろっく! #animation

[girls-are-weird]

AO3 wrapped [writers edition]

always nice to close out the year talking about writing, so here are my responses for 2023:

How many words have you written this year?

163073

2. How many works did you publish this year?

three one-shots (hetero of the year, en garde, and lovely figurines), the last few chapters of like because, love despite, and the first five chapters of the road is made by walking.

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

i really did love writing (and still love) hetero of the year. thankfully, the kudos/hits do align with that, so i guess it's not just me. :)

4. What work of yours has the most hits?

on a per-chapter basis, hetero of the year with 7178 for a one-shot.

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

i was kinda down on like because, love despite at the beginning because it wasn't getting much traction, but in later chapters and especially once finished, engagement picked up a lot.

6. Favorite title you used

i rather liked like because, love despite. i felt it linked with the original movie closely enough but without being too similar and with a different angle to the original title.

7. If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most?

lovely figurines (still speak to me today) is the only title pulled from song lyrics, so i guess suzanne vega? the road is made by walking is pulled from an antonio machado poem that has been adapted INTO song, but i don't think that counts.

8. Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

i haven't written about anything but wilmon since 2021, dude. xD

9. Favorite pairing you wrote for this year?

see previous answer.

10. What work was the quickest to write?

hetero of the year wrote itself SHOCKINGLY fast for a 21K-word behemoth of a one-shot.

11. What work took you the longest to write?

like because, love despite took nearly a year to complete. about a month-ish per chapter, when you think about it that way.

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

i only work on one fic at a time, so i don't have WIPs other than the one i'm currently posting (the road is made by walking). i've got 31 ideas in various levels of detail in my "fic ideas" folder, though.

13. What’s your longest work of the year?

like because, love despite is nearly 100K words.

14. What’s your shortest work of the year?

en garde clocked in at 3241 words.

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

the road is made by walking, as mentioned above.

16. What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

"romance." because of course.

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

this year marked a bit of a turn on my level of comfort writing simon. all three of my one-shots were actually from his PoV, and both chaptered fics alternate between his and wille's PoVs. not that i didn't write from simon's PoV before, but last year i still felt a bit apprehensive whenever i did; i've historically felt a bit too close to simon to feel comfortable writing him-- he's the character i identify with the most and that often makes me nervous that i'm writing myself into my stories rather than writing the character. i didn't really feel nervous about it this year. i guess practice makes… not perfect, but easier.

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

i had to write more august this year than i've had to in the past, and i'm still cringing about it.

19. What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

bish, please. xD in this house, it's wilmon or bust.

20. Which work of yours have you reread the most?

i've reread hetero of the year more times than i can count. it just puts a smile on my face, what can i say?

21. How many kudos in total did you get this year?

1357

22. Which work has the most comments?

again on a per-chapter basis, hetero of the year with 67 comment threads on its only chapter.

23. Did you do any collaborative works this year?

not this year, no. :(

24. Did you write any gifts this year?

two! en garde for @the-amber-fox and lovely figurines for tui.

25. Did you receive any gifts this year?

one! the talented miss @the-amber-fox wrote love is everything, stupid as my birthday present. <3

26. What’s your most common category?

M/M. because of course.

27. What do you listen to while writing?

the TV? sometimes it's the news, sometimes it's just youtube videos, but i usually work/study/write with the TV on.

28. Favorite work you wrote this year?

i feel like this is the same as question 3, idk. same answer.

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

i really loved the big argument at the end of chapter 9 of like because, love despite. i was really, really proud of how that scene came out.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

it's not much a writing surprise as it is a reading surprise, i guess? but i didn't know so many people out there wait until a fic is completed to start reading it. i'm very much a read-as-i-go girl as long as i have assurances that the fic will not end tragically (always tag your angst with a happy ending, folks! don't alienate potential readers just by forgetting the tag!). but it seems a good chunk of the fandom doesn't start reading anything unless they know it's complete. and i totally get why, truly, but it just hadn't ever really occurred to me to do that, lol. xD

#cali writes #young royals #prince wilhelm #simon eriksson #wilmon #wilhelm x simon #wille and simon #hi there otp #simon x wilhelm #wille x simon #simon x wille #young royals netflix

[homosnapeiens]

batfam buttcheek ranking (top 8)

(is this what has my life come to?)

disclaimer: this post is not meant to sexualize any of the characters included in it! it is simply me judging and ranking the batfamily’s butts based on their physical appearances!

thank you and enjoy!

-

#8 (bruce)

- i know we can only see the very edge but i can just tell he’s flat as a pancake.

- y’all know how hard it was to find a picture where you could see any of his ass?

- way too fucking hard.

- so for that he gets put in last place.

-5/10

-

#7 (duke)

- i really expecting him to have more cake idk

- like atleast a 2 layer yknow?

- kind of disappointed but atleast you can see a bit of roundness.

- the shadows make it hard to properly see 😒

2/10

-

#6 (steph)

- side angles are more difficult to judge

- like i can’t tell if it’s thicc or just looks like it cuz it’s at the perfect angle

- it’s not tiny but it’s not thiccc (with three c’s) so i’d say pretty standard ass we have here

- the suit was also not exactly flattering 🤡

4.5/10

-

#5 (tim)

- i will say it’s actually better than i expected

- also yes this is the highest quality picture i could find

- it’s got about average thiccness but it lacks a bit of roundness

- overall a decent ass

5/10

-

#4 (alfred)

- omg alfred the buttler

- not really thicc or round but appreciate the view regardless

- he’s not a try hard who shows off his ass all the time *cough* dick *cough* and i can respect that

- but he knows how to wear the ass he was given and for that he wins in my heart

7/10

-

#3 (jason)

- hoo boy

- if this were a thigh competition…let’s just say their would have been no competition.

- it’s not as much thicc as it is toned.

- i appreciate a muscled ass though

9/10

-

#2 (cass)

- now THAT is a fine ass

- perfect mix of thicc, toned, and round.

- i almost didn’t add her to the list because i didn’t think i’d be able to do her description justice

- i think i did okay though

16/10

-

#1 (dick)

- let’s all stop pretending we didn’t know he was going to win

- like cmon there is no one even close

- it’s just perfect

- it’s toned, round, and thicccc (with four c’s)

2838492/10

-

bonus:

- the only picture of the batcave dino’s ass that exists

- believe me i searched for WEEKS

- that’s why this post is so late

- blame the dino

10/10

#batfam #dc universe #batfam buttcheek ranking #bruce wayne #duke thomas #steph brown #tim drake #alfred pennyworth #jason todd #cass cain #dick grayson #batman #the signal #the spoiler #red robin #agent a #red hood #orphan #nightwing

[flowers-of-io]

The server is sharing so many good thoughts and I'm fighting off sleep at 4 am & not emotionally ready to unravel all that, but it made me look at the Traveler's actions from an angle I've realised I wasn't giving it the grace of, and yet (or maybe because) that is very intimately known to me. (Putting aside whether it has responsibility for the species it had chosen or not, and would it have been better if it had never arrived, etc--it's a whole 'nother post I shall make on some different sleepless night.)

I think we often don't give it the grace of being a person--frankly what this season has been all about--with all the complexity that comes along with it. Its choices are often framed as determined by pure calculation (again--Rasputin talked about that wrt himself!!!), and they're interpreted and judged only as such. The Traveler left because it didn't care about us, gave Light to the Hive because they're its besties now, went to Savathûn's throne world because it figured she'd do a better job keeping it safe than humanity. All cold necessity and calculation.

And I think it's so much more messy than that! The Gardener, who knocked the universe askew and hurt her only friend because she was bored and wanted to create new things. Her blessing that is given recklessly, with but one requirement of sacrifice, and other than that it's free for all regardless of who they are or used to be or are about to become. That first part of the Speakers' creed that talks about it being an independent, complex entity with its own personhood. A person who feels love, and hope, and protectiveness, and delight, and sorrow, and pain, and fear.

Maybe I was so shattered when I saw it leave because I hate to see characters mirror the parts of me I despise. I want to look at the Traveler as a benevolent god who does no wrong and always has a plan and does stuff for a reason, even if we can't see this reason just yet. I want to see it as unflinching and brave and infallibly good! I want to point to it and shout, look, you shouldn't have doubted, look how it has been right all along. I want to stuff it with all my Christian feelings. This is who it is in Book! A divine providence of sorts; a presence always there; always trustworthy, and infallible, and right in the end.

But Destiny is not a story about gods vs. people, but about different levels of the cosmic power hierarchy turning out to be really all about the same things. The pattern is the same, the pain is the same; be it the gods of the Hive or civilians in the City. Eramis' ire and vengeance for Riis mirroring the Hive's millennia-long chase to punish the Traveler for the syzygy, and Lakshmi's hate towards Eliksni for the razing of London. As @lizzieraindrops said -- in the end, it is a story about the broken relationship between the Gardener and Winnower. What the Witness says to Eramis, "make it know your pain" -- I like to think it is really talking about its own pain here. There are no gods here in the full meaning of the world, and no one is omniscient and perfect. The whole point of Rasputin's arc was his progression from a machine-god to a person!

And accepting this requires of me to accept that the Traveler makes mistakes--not only the cool, narratively pleasing fuck-ups I can make cool song edits about like the ending of TWQ, but also the mistakes that disturb and repulse me. I think about that bit in Constellations again, the Traveler battling with itself because it doesn't want to leave but is also so terrified its instinct is to run and not look back. It's bloodcurdling, because I so desperately want it to be brave! To stay even when the fear is overwhelming! It terrifies and repulses me, what fear can make you do. I don't want it to act on this panic, and I'm disturbed when it does, because I don't want myself to act on my own panic. The "run, run, RUN RUN" bit hits me so hard because it is so deeply, intimately known to me. Fear makes you lose yourself. You're stripped down of everything, reduced only to this blaring alarm in your head that tells you to GET OUT, NOW.

There have been many good thoughts shared on the Traveler possibly choosing to stay because it saw the light and love in us, it looked to us and saw that hope--again, something about there being no gods but only different levels of cosmic power structure--and it's beautiful and reassuring, and I love this. It gives me hope. But it's softening the blow I really need to take, I think.

I think I need to untangle why my instinct was to interpret it as betrayal and abandonment and a moral failure, when I saw the Traveler potentially act on its fear. Why do I hold it up to a standard of bravery, if I'm so often decimated and defeated my my own fears? Why do I expect it to always Be Brave without hesitation, if I am all hesitation, and every step forward comes with half a step back? And I am just a girl with an anxiety disorder, and not like... being in an actively life-threatening situation, where your trauma of near death and immense pain is threatening to repeat itself. I think I was distraught the most because some part of me knows that I would try to run too. If the fear it felt was anything close to what the worst of my anxiety is like? Yeah. I would try to run too.

#season of the seraph spoilers #traveler #personal #mental health #quite a collection of tags ngl

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Kalim?

I actually had my Kalim Character Opinion Bingo queued up 😂

***Standard disclaimer: These are just my personal opinions of the character(s); regardless of what I may think of them, sharing my thoughts is NOT meant to offend or to shame anyone that thinks differently.***

This is probably a very unpopular opinion, but Kalim is my favorite dorm leader. Among the roster of students, he really is the “odd one out”. Unlike his peers, Kalim doesn’t seem to hold any kind of overwhelming power, crushing aura, or intentional malice. He doesn’t operate in an underhanded way, either. He’s the genuine article, friendly and cheerful, someone that’s easy to approach and talk with, someone that’s eager to lend his support and even his finances if needed. Kalim is a leader that is truly well-loved, not feared, and that is reflected in how much his dorm members look up him, respect him, and feel entirely comfortable telling him about their troubles. It’s a nice change of pace seeing someone actually want to help, no strings attached unlike Octavinelle, and it leads to a lot of funny interactions in which people react to Kalim’s... oblivious, carefree, and overly trusting nature.

There’s an almost child-like naivety in Kalim, most likely as the result of growing up ultra-wealthy and sheltered, so he has no idea about how the real world works. He also relies on Jamil to do a lot of things for him, and admittedly, I find the lack of self-sufficiency not very appealing. However, Kalim has demonstrated a willingness to learn and to improve himself, especially post-episode 4, so I have faith that with a little elbow grease and proper instruction, Kalim can do it! I would love it if we could see Kalim grow out of his rich boy roots and broaden his horizons. Sure, the world may not glisten like the gold he has grown up surrounded by, but it would be extremely valuable for him to be exposed that which doesn’t glitter--so that maybe he can help not just the people immediately around him, but those out in the world, too.

I think that Kalim is usually perceived as not that deep because of how happy-go-lucky he is. However, that would be disregarding all of the hardships he has endured up until this point in his life. Kalim has never had to worry about money a day in his life, but he certainly has had to worry about attempts on his life every second of every day--and I can’t imagine what that must do to a kid’s psyche. Unfortunately, we never really hear too much about how Kalim feels about these assassination attempts, but I think that him just speaking so nonchalantly about them tells us all we need to know. It’s routine. He barely bats an eye at them anymore... but that doesn’t mean that they haven’t cut him and hurt him deeply.

If you look at Kalim’s official profile, his least favorite food is curry. Why is that? Because, as Kalim tells us in-game, Jamil once taste-tested a curry dish for him--a dish which had been spiked with poison. That curry put him in a coma for several weeks, during which Kalim was at a very real risk of losing someone he thought of as a close childhood friend. What must have been going through Kalim’s head in that moment? Pain, sadness, confusion, fear, guilt. He couldn’t bring himself to look at curry the same ever again... something he still says with a smile. It makes me think that all the happiness that Kalim projects outward may be just a coping mechanism for him to deal with the daily threat of being killed, and the unconscious thought of how many others he must have endangered just with his existence. Any other person would be somber, always on high alert--but Kalim isn’t, because how can anyone he’s with have a good time if he isn’t? He has to play the part of a happy host, chasing away the looming threat so that even he, for just a moment, can pretend like he’s living in a dream. That may be entirely speculation on my part, but I think it’s an interesting angle to observe Kalim’s character from.

There’s two major popular takes about Kalim floating around in the fandom. The first of these is that he is incompetent or somehow unfit for his position. This belief is mainly derived from Kalim’s poor academic performance, as well as something that Jamil drops in episode 4: that Kalim got the seat of dorm leader via nepotism and large donations the Asim family made to NRC. The bribing part might be true, but I wholeheartedly believe that Kalim DOES embody the mindfulness of the Sorcerer of the Desert, and that he doesn’t lack intelligence. On the contrary, Kalim is incredibly socially intelligent--Leona even points it out as a strength of Kalim’s in episode 6--and he unintentionally knows how to wield it well to forge strong relationships with others. This is an incredible skill for a merchant or a businessman to have; Kalim can make connections with people and create what is essentially a network of buddies to help him out of any and every situation, and he doesn’t even REALIZE the power he has. That’s scary in its own way--can you imagine how terrifying that power would be in the hands of someone that DOES have ill intent?

Now, the second belief that’s pretty popular is that Kalim has done no wrong. While I’m not saying that I think Kalim is secretly an evil mastermind, to think that he has done “no wrong” implies he is totally innocent and has never done anything bad in his entire life. In my opinion, Kalim has hurt people, and in a way that’s more insidious than you may think. He hurts people through his words without even realizing it. Like Rook, Kalim is brutally honest--but unlike Rook, Kalim has zero self-awareness. As a result of that lack of a filter, Kalim unintentionally says things that can offend other people (ie when he commented that Riddle tires fast, implying he has low stamina)--and because he’s so candid about it, it can somehow sting all the more. I can see some people easily dismissing this because Kalim doesn’t hurt others on purpose, but I disagree because hurt is still hurt, whether intentional or not. I do believe that Kalim would apologize afterwards once he realized his mistake or if someone were to express that they were offended by him, but that still doesn’t change the damage he did, or the fact that he wasn’t able to stop it from happening in the first place. It’s the same principle that made Jamil resent Kalim so much: his obliviousness to the suffering of others, and the naivety to believe that every problem has a simple solution. I don’t necessarily blame Kalim in his entirety for this; it’s an obvious area of weakness for him, and something that can be improved with time and experience. He should still, however, be held accountable and own up to his mistakes (which, again, I think he will more readily do than the other NRC boys would).

#Kalim Al-Asim #twst #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #notes from the writing raven #ask game #character opinion bingo #spoilers

[mengyao]

4 for strike dear mistress, 12, 17, 22 for fowd, and 46!

4. What detail in strike, dear mistress are you really proud of?

oh jeez. there are a fair amount in there tbh, since it was me trying to cram all of my headcanons about JC pertinent to foowd that couldn't come across naturally via NHS POV into one piece of PWP, but i liked getting to dwell a bit on JC's whole concept of marriage and how miserable he imagines it must be if it's not with someone he's already actively in love with… If he did put effort into looking for candidates, he can’t imagine anyone angling their daughters at him for any reason besides his name and position. Not with his reputation. He’s not compelled by the prospect of being politely—or impolitely—tolerated under his own fucking roof. He remembers his parents. How difficult it is to share a life. he's not even really wrong because i can't imagine that marrying some random 20 year old at this point in time would be emotionally fulfilling for him lol. he's framing it in this scene as being about his Perverse Sexual Desires but that's not really the issue… tfw you got promoted to authority figure as a teen but you're a baby brother to the core :( and you just want someone to genuinely like you for you, not just respect and defer to you out of social obligation :(

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

i think the opposite experience is more common for me lmao but i'm sure this has happened before. let me think. hnmmmmm i'm still very picky about amnesia fics but kitsch's bingqiu amnesia fic you are who you love outsold!

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

[shaky deep breath] Beefleaf. Madoka Magica. Fusion,

i litchjerally don't have more details about this concept than a very vague moodboard about um. girls who become witches (who pretend they're girls). cosmic entropy. does this make shi wudu kyubey or is kyubey jun wu? who can say. this is all part of my compulsion to assign all of my faves with "homura akemi vibes" regardless of if this is a real thing that they have

22. Who is your favorite character in flight of a one-winged dove and why?

[rihanna mario tweet voice] nie huaisang baby! nie fucking huaisang!!!!!

the reasons i love nhs (and foowd nhs specifically) are manifold so i shant elaborate on them here besides to say that for me personally, the characters i feel the most affection for are the ones who have a lot of problems that they didn't create but then who go on to create a bunch more problems for themselves and others, and you understand why they did so and they probably think they had no choice but it's like hmmmmmmmmm girl but did you really. did you really,

i like to pity my favs. just a bit. but also i want them to be happy whether or not they deserve it. you know how it is

46. Do you prefer writing on your phone or on a computer (or something else)? Do you think where you write affects the way you write?

i hate writing on my phone because it's so un-ergonomic and i have an on-and-off repetitive stress injury so i try to minimize the amount of typing i do on there BUT i do find that i often make different connections or get different ideas about how to write things when i'm on a phone, just because you're physically looking at the words in a different way, they end up arranged on the screen differently, etc… the "shape" changes… you can see much less words at a time vs. opening up a page on a computer screen… so i often do nitpicky little line edits on my phone, especially if i'm just reading a draft/wip file over idly on the train or before falling asleep etc (both of which i do a lot.)

my desktop computer in my room is where i do either my best or my worst writing, because i either get super in the zone or i'm sitting there totally distracted by everything else i can do on my computer/in my bedroom and have no sense of the external accountability that i'd have in a public place, or even out at the desk in the living room where my roommates can pass back and forth (i'm pretty good at writing deranged stuff in a small font stonefacedly which is the only way this is able to work)

#replies

[archive2394934]

LOVE your post about the tentacles in the upside down. I never noticed them coming through the portal before when El sends Henry through. I don't know how that can be explained if Henry was always the one controlling them.

Thanks! And, I know, its really weird. I don't know how we're suppose to take that if Henry was always behind everything. I can't help but think the fandom misunderstood what the "S4 twist" actually was. Personally, you know I'm thinking the twist was more meant to be that Vecna was a test subject like Eleven, not that he's always been controlling the MF or that he has total control over it at least.

Otherwise there's a lot of little things that don't add up. The "Vines" have been shown to behave in the same way without Henry's presence. We also have the scene with the lights in Henry's childhood and we see all through season one when something in the Upside Down is making contact with the normal world, the lights act in that very same way. Henry had nothing to do with the upside down at this time, he was at least 20 years away from it, but something was trying to make contact, so what was it? And a bunch of other little things that I personally think tie in. My only explanation for all of it is the Mindflayer. Unless there is some other intelligent being that orchestrated everything. But I think that is unlikely, because the show did a lot to already establish the MF and it would seem kind of odd to have all these clues pointing to some cosmic, intelligent and malevolent eldritch entity/alien being at the center of this, including pretty obvious references to similar monstrosities and clear inspiration taken from them like IT and The Thing and then suddenly turn around and say "sike it was all just a random dude all along! The shadow monster was just a mindless pawn!"

Put that with the fact that Henry/Vecna, as a character, takes heavy inspo from at least 3 possibly 4 other characters including his name sake (probably twice over if his human name references Henry Bowers of the IT universe) who all apparently get their powers from or essentially "serve" / work in partnership with a "higher (evil) force." People will say the Duffer's do all this type of stuff intentionally but then when I bring this angle up suddenly its all a coincidence/misdirection/Dustin got it wrong (When has Dustin ever gotten it wrong before?) and I lack narrative awareness/media literacy. Like, uh? Be fr. I've never seen anyone else explain any of the stuff I've talked about. Its all just ignored/erased as irrelevant. But anyway! All the questions will be answered in season 5. Maybe the VR game will also have some clues but I have to wonder are the Duffers gonna share their Epic Upside Down Lore with Tender Claws before they share it with the rest of the world? And if not how canon can we considered the VR game before we actually see s5? I know many games and comics that have come out to promote movies/series they're based around that are rendered completely non-canon the minute of the release of the actual movie/series. Which would actually be a big shame if that happens with the VR game because its a huge story telling opportunity to come at ST with a completely different angle, literally through the eyes of Henry/Vecna. But I just don't know if we're going to be able to consider it all canon BECAUSE if it was it would probably act as kinda spoiler-y for s5, given even though its a prequal of sorts, it focuses entirely on the UD and the creatures in it? I really don't know how to think about the VR game yet but I know I'm probably gonna love it regardless.

#henry creel #vecna #001 #william byers #eleven hopper #jane hopper #stranger things #I don’t want to apologise for Vecna’s murders – I’m not sorry

[thattimdrakeguy]

I Think They’re Wasting Timber.

Ech. I don’t want to be more negative, ‘cause like, I don’t normally have that kind of energy in me anymore most of the time, despite making several negative posts the past couple days. But I am genuinely disappointed in the latest Tim special. I haven’t read it, but I seen enough already to know that it was just a pandering mess. Like you don’t really have to read the whole thing sometimes when you’re main worry can be seen within like two or three pages so much so that it’s actually depressing.

Fictional or not I thought Timber was going to be more than what it’s shown to be. I really only think Travis Moore put any meaning into the Timber relationship to give it any depth. That and of course the fans.

Like I want them to just stop pretending that Tim and Steph’s relationship was more than it was. Like they didn’t get along. They been doing it again and again for ages now. It’s not like it’s good for Steph either to be reduced to Tim’s love interest that’s ‘quirky’. They are two separate characters. It comes off as ridiculous after a while. They didn’t have a healthy relationship, just writers that would pretend like it. Let them fucking move on already. Not everything needs a cutesy, softie, happy ending, at least not when it feels so ignorant to their own past. Like regardless if people think it was Tim or Steph that was worse, it seems like most people that read more than just what the fandom usually knows (’Cause, comics be hard to find, and some people don’t wanna pirate) can agree that they weren’t a good couple.

4 stories and only one of them actually focuses on them as a couple, and it wasn’t written by the usual writer. That gives me a bad feeling.

And something about the way they wrote Bernard just made him feel so trivial. Like they don’t try to draw him to look like himself at all, like you’d never guess that’s him unless you saw how the same artist drew him before, he has no importance, they definitely aren’t writing him to have a personality, he’s just a generic civilian. And the way it’s written...it seriously doesn’t feel like Tim gives his relationship with Steph any actual weight compared to how the writer wrote Tim and Steph. Something about that was genuinely heartbreaking to me. A few lines and it made it feel like Bernard was just a test he was using to see what his sexuality was. In a fucking pride special no less. It sort of made the whole fucking thing feel pretty little.

And Steph’s mostly just portrayed as “quirky”. Like I’ve talked a lot about why I don’t like Tim and Steph’s relationship, and how I don’t like Dixon’s weird shoving her in treatment. But I do like her character. She has angles, and edges that make her stand out. They’re just never used, that’s why I sound so upset whenever I talk about her, she’s been wasted for over 20 years. Even when she got a solo they didn’t bother using much of her character to do anything interesting. They make her so typical it gets on my nerves. Her issue in Y.J. was the best content of her in years because it actually showed more sides to her, and made her feel like what made her compelling to begin with. And she doesn’t need to be mad at the time. But this constant portrayal of her, feels condescending. It is not her. Literally just let them move on, and let her do stuff that doesn’t feel like they never paid attention to her before.

Like who wants a story that feels like it was written by someone who only heard about the characters?

I know people will like it ‘cause it’s fluffy and queer content. Which I get, completely. The fans, they care. Care so much they’ll take anything, which isn’t a bad thing. People will simply like what they like, and don’t like what they don’t like.

But I don’t think this upcoming story is very well-crafted or well-done content. It’s so simplified and dumbed down, that it’s condescending too. It felt like a lot of it was spent trying to validate the writer’s ship over making anything resembling a compelling story. It was honestly like a lazy fan fic. Which really sucked, ‘cause I thought Sum of Our Parts, despite a part of it being so unnecessarily edgy out of no where, was actually a well-done story despite how short it had to run due to the formatting of Urban Legends. And fan fics have proven you don’t need a lot to have a lot of space to have a lot of character and depth.

Travis Moore’s story was super well-done too, so maybe I got my hopes up too much. I have no interest in one dimensional fluff, that doesn’t give a damn about it’s characters, past cutesy stuff that didn’t land the mark characterization wise. When his story when it was cutesy, worked, because it felt right. It had character in it that felt right.

I’m still into Timber, but I was really hoping it’d actually BE something. There’s fan fictions that only last a single chapter with more character work that represents Tim and Bernard WAY better, and it’s literally amateur writers doing it for fun, they’re not even allowed to get paid for it.

Like I’m so annoyed with how little Bernard matters. It honestly might as well have not been Bernard at this point. It’s not even really him. It’s a puppet with his name. And that’s making me so upset. I’m genuinely not mad really. I’m a bit frustrated, but honestly I’m just sad. Not like, crying sad, but I feel so lowly after seeing the spoilers. Tim mostly managed to avoid the lifeless fan service sort of stuff, but now that he’s stuck in it now, it has me bummed beyond belief.

There’s been FOUR stories with Bernard as Tim’s boyfriend now. Only one got his character right, and he had like 3 lines in that story. That’s so stupid. I’m beside myself right now FOUR STORIES, and he’s mostly a NOTHING CHARACTER. The most depth their relationship had WAS IN THE TRAVIS MOORE STORY. It’s like he’s the only one of the two writers that actually gave a shit beside both feeling like Tim was queer, which is cool, he’s definitely had that energy. But I’m not even convinced it was for the reason’s everyone else saw. I think it was just done ‘cause of shipping and not actually seeing many of the signs.

Like you feel like it’s Bernard in his lines. It captures the tone, his expressions capture his personality. And he’s drawn to look like himself and not a stereotype. You can feel a genuine love between two characters, that make it work. Not the coldest of it feeling like it’s a background thing that doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. Of only dating him to figure yourself out--which I don’t think is the total thing they wanted to come across as in the latest story. But when Tim’s ex is presented with more importance despite their history, and Bernard for two stories in a row by the same writer is tucked into the background doing nothing but--well, not even being drawn to resemble himself. It’s hard not to feel like it.

And I’m still happy Tim is queer. But it’s honestly the fans giving it any meaning beside Travis Moore so far. It feels pretty meaningless in the comics themselves, and it’s making me sad now. Like the person who’s going to be Tim’s main writer going forward so far as gave no actual shits about the queer relationship beyond it starting. It’s just a thing Tim’s involved with. It feels weightless under her writing.

[dats-hq]

Meandering Thoughts About Not My Problem

I don’t know where else to put this and I don’t know if anybody would care, but I can’t stop thinking about this stuff. Spoilers for both Digimon Survive (all routes) and my fanfiction Not My Problem (all chapters) below the cut.

I’ve exclusively received positive feedback for Not My Problem, but I can’t help but feel I may have gone too far, or that this was a story that simply didn’t need to be depicted. They say the mind can conjure up scarier things than you could ever actually see, after all. Still, I couldn’t help but be plagued by brainworms whenever I thought about the bad ending, and I thought it would be fun to put out the version of what my mind conjured.

Something I tried really hard to avoid was making the story just a bunch of edgelord shit. Maybe an odd thing to be concerned about when the starting premise is “everybody dies”, but I was worried about it coming across as exploitative rather than horrific. There were a lot of ideas I had where I wrote a few paragraphs and had to stop and think, “am I just feeding meat into the meat grinder?”

For example, in the last chapter, I almost went a lot harder on Miu’s trauma. I considered having her see either illusions of her stalker or illusions of Kaito saying some weird incest shit. In the end, I realized that this wasn’t doing much beyond shock value. I decided the important thing to show, given the arc I’d put Miu on, was simply that she had given up on herself. Having her reject a potentially helpful figure accomplished that better than some random edgy trauma porn.

There are some other examples like Saki leading an extended torture sequence on Piedmon, and Kaito bullying Agumon to suicidality, but the point is that even with the conscious goal of making the trauma mean something for the characters, it’s easy to cross the line without thinking. I’m not opposed to writing Digimon/Saw crossover fanfiction, but that’s not what I wanted for this story.

I wonder if the way I wrote Floramon in Chapter 2 and 3 or the way I wrote Saki in Chapter 4 will come across as way too much regardless. Personally, I stand by the writing decision, but I acknowledge that Saki is a rather enigmatic character, and Floramon comes across as fairly bland when taken as her own, so the dark direction I took them in could potentially seem a bit out of left field.

I knew someone had to hit a breaking point in this timeline. Minoru doesn’t strike me as having it in him. Kaito and Aoi both already had their breaking points in canon. Agumon has potential for a Garurumon-esque villain arc, but he could never be an actual threat without Takuma. That left Miu and Saki.

So I knew almost from the start that Miu and Saki had to be the last two to die, and I knew their character arcs would be different than Kaito or Aoi’s were in the routes where they have breakdowns. Miu isn’t as vindictive as Kaito. She has struggled with being made to think things are her fault, but that frustration is directed mostly inward. What gets directed outwards is more indignation than rage. I just don’t see an angle in which Miu becomes a villain, which is a bit of a shame because Syakomon being forced to undergo a dark evolution would be the next most heartbreaking possibility outside of Lopmon (which obviously we already got).

Saki, on the other hand, seemed like a pretty easy sell as a villain. She isn’t burdened with responsibility for the group or a specific person like Shuuji, Kaito, and Aoi were, but she does have a sort of selfishness and an obsession with being loved that seemed rife for exploration in a timeline where everybody who cares about her either leaves or dies.

And then there’s Floramon, who I find weirdly dark in an understated way. She openly states multiple times that if Saki were to leave the group, she would simply follow Saki without a second thought. There’s also a moment in Part 3 where Floramon advocates for blackmail on a helpless Tentomon. Given how the Digimon is meant to be a reflection of the human’s true heart in Survive, I find this rather interesting, because they’re not really aspects you ever see of Saki’s personality. At the same time, we know that Saki gives a lot of effort to micromanaging her perception by others, so not seeing that except via her partner makes sense. It feels like there’s a darkness in Saki left unexplored within the canon. So I played with that.

Speaking of Shuuji, I have a little bit of regret for not setting this in the Truthful-Bad ending where Ryo and Shuuji are alive but abandoned by Takuma. This would be a very different sequence of events that I would love to read, but I’ll leave that to someone else!

Oh, and the Renamon murder spree. Another thing I think is totally in-character and canon-compliant, but if someone told me it felt like edgelord shit, I’d understand. It just seems to me that if Renamon was willing to take the children as sacrifices, then she would also be willing to kill them outright, and without even the slightest glimmer of hope that Miyuki could be saved via the power of love (because Takuma and the Professor never reached out with Renamon to Miyuki), obviously her solution is going to be similarly violent.

I guess my main takeaway is that I get why they didn’t show the bad ending from Agumon’s perspective in the game. People have already accused Digimon Survive of being edgy misery porn, and when you peel back the implications of the Bad Ending, well...

I hope I did a halfway decent job of writing an inverted narrative tension graph, at least.

#analysis

[nerice]

27 and 29 for sky, 4 and 5 for faye, 7 and 15 for gray, 27 for reina!

VERSION 2.0 BECAUSE THIS BELOATHED POST EDITOR NUKED IT THE FIRST TIME [angry frog dot png] still yelling though i love that u always pick the best questions for the worst ocs (in constellation) a talent 2 put on ur resume lol +++ ft. immediate readmore bc i can now anticipate Length

sky

what causes them to feel dread? trauma-related corner first and foremost.... caves (but any underground or claustrophobic place will do) and needles; the latter is more niche and gets better with time but still contributes to why she never gets a tattoo, the former being something she slips back into very easily despite part of soulless heritage being light illusion and allowing her to. just summon light at will. some fears you cannot do much abt with rationality :/ most dreadful moment for sure is that time in lhnh where eliada calls her by her birth-name out of nowhere :)) and ofc no matter how much time passes, she retains a knee-jerk dread reaction any time soulless matters are brought up. comes with the birthright🔪

do they usually live up to their own ideals? oh absolutely not lol.... key dilemma of chasing after (her idealized version of) jumie, the paragon of mercy; needing to save children just like she was saved aka the seed kids quest which is doomed bc those children are fast-tracked towards the same fate that awaits her & it only gets worse as her own time runs out. :')

faye

how easy is it to earn their trust? vs. how easy is it to earn their mistrust? ok so. my instinct reaction was that faye doesn't trust anyone but... she 'trusts' eliada,, even if it's more of. having faith into their mutual arrangement. i guess trust simply does not factor into it due to her timeline manipulation and 90% guaranteed gambles. she knows everything about everyone she interacts with & any misstep she can simply redo until it works for her. it's abt exerting absolute control over every situation so she does not have to bother about petty problems such as trust and mistrust :3

gray

what triggers nostalgia for them, most often? do they enjoy that feeling? MOST CURSED ASK.. :))))) two angles to this, one bad, the other really fucking bad. so. initially, the only nostalgia avenue is tied to the moment of utter power he observed reina in on the soul plains [the only good(?) thing to happen in that first hour of existence lol] and he's mostly neutral abt the memory. until he n linn sneak into the masked ball and he dances with reina & it's the closest he's been to her since That Day and the rush of that moment is. out of this world :)) the second much worse avenue is. after Linnea's Very Bad Day where faye yoinks her out of current existence, everything that reminds him of the time they spent together (people dancing, laughing, his d**ghter humming a quiet melody,,,,,,,,,,,,,) sets him off in the worst way. the consequences being well. [gestures at rabbit plot.] yeah🔪

how do they speak? is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first? to quote my fav description of all time: gray has the verbal prowess of a death row prisoner & hates talking to people in the first place LOL and thats the start and end of it. he does not put much thought into anything let alone his speech style with the sole exception of titular showdowns (labyrinth. nighthearts. dark maiden) where it becomes very clear just how good he is at reading people and pushing right where it hurts, mostly by playing up his own enjoyment of cruelty, which is fake but gets the job done :)

reina

what causes them to feel dread? mh despite the prev ask abt how much she is aware of her own mistakes…. what she dreads most is the suffering of others (regardless of how responsible feels/is for it) it's the inability to do something when she is the most powerful being in existence :(

#thank uuuuuu #the faye one actually threw me this is the first time i put it into words like that aaaaah <3 her schemes. queen of I'll Do It Myself lol #if you dont wanna bother with trusting other people just manipulate everything abt them down to the most minute detail uwu #+ obligatory Im Not Getting Into This On Main but. gray having only the most unhinged reactions to strong emotions. :3.. #masked ball is the razor's edge of him almost trying to murder reina mid-dance bc all the nerice memories come crawling back up #& everything r*bbit hell is [redacted] anyway but u know how it goes. what happens underground stays underground h #✨Soulless Fuckery✨ #oc asks #askbox #xivu-arath

[rise-my-angel]

Hi! I really liked your take on Hopper's character. You're incredibly insightful and I'm genuinely in awe because you REALLY hit the nail on the head and are absolutely right about his character. Can I ask what your takes were on Will's character in season 4 (apparently the Duffer brothers completely forgot Will's birthday 😒) and the whole Nancy and Steve thing happening again?? I'd love to hear your thoughts!! Thank you Mimi!! You've got so much depth and I love the way you think/ view things. 💜💜

This is so sweet, i just remembered really liking how Hopper started off as a man adrift, a cop lost after tradgey trope, but didnt have to turn into a confident gun slinger to get out of it. Instead he learned to trust other peoples instincts and support them, and learned how to be okay with being a father again and then being so confused as to why he was suddenly that gun slinging loud mouth in season 3.

Will though? I dont think the duffer brothers knew where to take his character after season 2. Will that whole season his fascinating, he grapples with being back in the real world while fighting these incidents of feeling like hes been pulled back to the upside down. Only to lose himself in a creature beyond his comprehension, like that scene where they are trying to burn it out of him as the mind flayer uses will to desperately manipulate them into stopping is such a great piece of acting that we never see again in his character

Season 3 Will actually had potential to really elabotate on the concept that Will has felt left behind. He lost so much to The Upside Down that he really needed an arc that helped him learn that he can never get those stolen years back, but that he can find new purpose in the life that has been gifted to him. And in season 4, I wish they just did more with Will and El. I get the importance of Mike to both of them, but Els story starts heavily with struggling of the loss of her dad.

Will, is the only one there who can even remotely relate to her struggles and I with there was more focus on Will doing to El what Johnathon did for him, support her in a way that doesnt just calm her upset, but helps her start to feel like she has a family in him. Will would relate to her more then his own family at this point and I wish they let him form into an older brother, finally coming to terms with his own past and using it to guide someone else out of a dark place like he once was in. Instead of just playing this weirdly passive role of just going along with the groups choices.

Also I know why theyre doing the Stancy angle. They spent a lot of time on the Nancy and Jonathon arc, only to find that the fans really didnt get hype the way they wanted. The fans liking that kind of storyline, instead were invested in Steve. His growth, his friendship with Robin, how he stood on his owm without anyone else.

Hinting at Stancy puts an interest in Nancys storyline back to align with a character who the fans are invested in. Its why neither her or Jonathon mention the other once the plot starts. They want you to forget how much time they spent trying to invest you into that relationship, and force their female teenage lead into a storyline with the other popular character in her age group, regardless that theyve established that they not only are NOT compatible or good for eachother but that theyve never even hinted at still liking the other.

Steve didnt run a car into Billys car to protect Nancy only to get out and share a moment of romantic awe and care, no he did it beacuse he would do it for any of them. If they want to explore Nancy maybe regretting her decision for the first time ehen her and Jonathon finally have a real conflict thats one thing, but Steve has moved on. Let him move on he doesnt like Nancy anymore.

#season 4 is good #but its backing a lot of character development off of the badly written ways of season 3 #which sucks #beacuse everyone ends season 2 with closing the book on their past traumas and personal struggles #only to have season 3 either make them out of character in order to fufill the 80s action angle they are trying to emulate #or under write them out of a lack of interest in developing a new path for them #and season 4 just reiterates that #its a shame beacuse season 4 is so good in so many ways but its flaws really show in their dedication to this under written #or out of character path they took in 3 #sorry #I just #i love media analysis #i love analysing character development #long post

[thequietmanno1]

Thelreads, MHA 287, Replies Part 2

1) “Yeah! The broccoli boy is the chosen one, he shall guide this quirk forward! Begone, foul demon of the potato fields, begone!”- The fact that AFO’s possession of others through his vestige is treated akin to an actual demon’s, if even more invasive and defiling, says a lot about him.

2) “Yeah Shigaraki, I mean, there’s only two of you, and there’s like, 9 of them on the other side, of course they would be winning this battle of wills. Be grateful they don’t obliterate yo asses out of here”- Tomura doesn’t actually give a crap about stealing OFA himself either, but he’s annoyed that the power can seriously resist his own overwhelming might and the destruction he unleashes with it, so that motivates him to oppose them regardless. 3) “You really gonna try this angle AfO? For real? Even though you know you can’t measure up to their will?

They might have not been stronger than you in the real world, but it comes to willpower, you don’t stand a chance, it’s like a gust of wind against a tornado. This is futile, even Shigaraki cannot help you in this.”- It’s a match-up of quality over quantity actually. Tomura and AFO are outnumbered by the other vestiges, sure, but Tomura’s hatred and ever-present rage against the world entre was groomed by AFO to be as mindless and primal as possible, in order to overcome their numbers. Individually, he can overpower each one of them, and this is only after having just awakened. Given enough time, he could further refine it, now he has experience of the vestige realm, to seriously threaten to take OFA in one go, regardless of what resistance they put up. MHA as a series has always been about emotional highs, invoking that “hell yes” feeling when the heroes pull through despite the odds, bringing you to the peak of emotion in the process. It’s therefore appropriate that AFO's plan incorporates this fact, and best to think of Tomura’s hatred this way: He’s always peaking his hatred 24/7. Even if the other vestiges can resist for a bit, eventually, they will weaken, because Tomura just keeps going and going without letting anything stop him, and that near-force of nature isn’t something a human can resist forever.

4) “OH MY FUCKINGG GOD SHIGARAKI HE LITERALLY JUST SAID HE WAS THE ONE THAT KILLED YOUR GRANDMA HOW ARE YOU NOT CONNECTING THE DOTS ABOUT WHO’S TO BLAME HERE”- Well, he still blames everybody for his issues, so it’s all the same to him. Again, for all that Tomura could be redeemed, he does everything he can to choose not to, because he’s convinced himself he’s better off as a villainous monster, no matter how unhappy it makes him deep down inside. 5) “AfO how dare you speak like that about your own son?! Shame on you, it’s a good thing you don’t have eyes otherwise you’d see how disappointed he is right now”- Izuku started off his journey as a hero with his major antagonist being his childhood bully Bakugo. Appropriately enough, the major villainous threat he faces at the end of his journey, the one his power was cultivated to defeat, is himself just a massive bully as well, and is all the more devastating an opponent for Izuku because of his past experience with it. Izuku’s self-confidence and belief that he’s “worthless” without the powers bestowed upon him have always been a major weak point in his psyche, and AFO is capable of exploiting that weakness with only a few choice sentences. 6) “AND WE’RE BACK IN THE REAL WORLD IT SEEMS

AND READY FOR ROUND TWO I SUPPOSE”- Well, that depends on who you’re referring to. Because I don’t think Tomura’s in any fit state to pilot that engine of destruction he calls a body, but somebody else seems more than willing to jump in… 7) “Oh right, here comes the rest of the circus, with definitely-not-a-todoroki preparing to throw hands against his fam again. Good lord.”- Given how unexpected Machia’s appearance will be for those fighting at the hospital, I appreciate them building up his arrival so much, given it;d be a massive diablos Ex Machina for him to burst in just as they’re on their last legs agasitn Tomura already. 8) “Oh yeah, that’s definitely the face of someone who just lost someone close to him less than half an hour ago”- Dabi’s the kind of guy to always look on the bright side of life. Twice is dead, but otherwise, things are progressing smoothly, so may as well smile so the enemy doesn’t have the satisfaction of knowing you’re upset!....if he is actually upset. Again, hard to tell, he keeps his cards so close to the chest. (MHA ch 271) 9) “…

I don`t know why, but I don`t like the sound of that.”- He’s got a plan, and he’s not gonna share it with anybody, so nobody will be able to stop him…. 10) "Toga is still… thoughtful…

Seems like she’s also keeping some distance from Dabi, but more than that, she’s looking for someone, and we know who. Midoriya is there, and so is Uraraka. She is wondering where both of them are, we know that she is."- Compress is, as ever, noteful of his allies’ true thoughts and feelings and doing what he can to make sure that they’re all together in this evendour, despite his own comparative lack of power in a fight, just like a good supporter should. I actually find it interesting that he phrases the question to Toga in such a way that he’s giving her the option to stay out of the battle if she really doesn’t want to hurt the enemy, even after all the sacrifices their side has taken. It’s more care and consideration for her loss than Dabi’s showing.

11) “We can make an argument about how Hawks had to kill Twice, otherwise countless other people would die instead, about how he was not happy with what he had done, and even about how Dabi has as much guilt as Hawks does about what happen, but that does not change what happens for Toga.

The heroes are there, and they won’t save her, they will just kill her if they deem that is necessary.”- It was one thing for the world to reject her and the way she naturally is. It’s another to realise that it might be ok with killing her if it’d be easier than treating her as a human being, especially in an ongoing warzone. To her, the idea of heroes is a oppressive force that enforces judgement and condemnation, and now arbitrary execution on her friends and allies. She knows on some level that this is part of society’s system, but she wants to meet Izuku and Uraraka, the two she knows personally amongst the “enemy” to get their perspective on events and her specifically. Is she a victim to them? Or a monster to be put down?

12) “And thus, she want answers from the two heroes who she actually trust. She wants to know what they would’ve done, if they were the ones that were there, besides Twice

Would them see him as a person or as villain? They didn’t know what he went through, the pain he felt, would the choices he had to do to survive in this cruel world even matter for them? If it came to this, would them kill him as well?”- Honestly, the outcome would have indeed been different if it was anybody other than Hawks facing Twice – both in the good and bad sense. Hawks did the best he could to respect twice as a person, but it just wasn't enough, and he didn’t have the power to stop the parade any other way in the end. Izuku might have been strong enough to smash all the clones in an instant, and if Uraraka had used anti-gravity on twice, she could have yeeted him a safe distance, but that still might not have stopped the parade from happening. In the end, the fact we don’t know if there was a better way to resolve it puts us in the same boat as Toga and the heroes.

13) “We know the answers, we know where their hearts are, but Toga has been so shaken about this whole situation that she doesn’t know what to believe anymore

Her faith is being tested, she needs the answers to see if there are heroes and villains, or if this is just a lie to justify this madness”- At this point, it’s neither heroes or villains fighting straight out of a comic book, it’s just people on opposite sides coming into bloody, painful conflict with no way to stop it. @thelreads

#my hero academia #bnha #chapter replies #thelreads #mha 287