#don't worry he said i could

[ollydee]

PAID GIG -- Seeking Book Cover Artist for NA Queer Speculative Romance Duology

I AM ABLE TO PAY: $200 - $300 upfront and I will also obvs include your info --- you will get your own bio and can link whatever you want right by my bio and my links in the back of the book

What I'd really like to do is help out someone at the beginning of their career, as I am someone at the beginning of mine. I could totally go on fiverr, but I'd rather source from the fam. There are so many talented artists here and this website's done a lot for me in terms of developing my own craft and making connections. So here we are!

Here is the back cover synopsis of book one:

In every generation since the first cataclysmic use of the weapon, there has been a human designated the “Knight of Sol II.” The Knight’s job is to house the weapon’s activation switch within their body. In the event of another war between Earth II and alien homeworld Drune, the King Admiral must kill the Knight in order to extract the switch and use it. This arrangement — so it is hoped — ensures that the weapon will never be used lightly. Drew is the current Squire, next in line to be the Knight. It is a great honor. He’s terrified. Eighty years since the end of the war, the Emni — local, alien inhabitants of Drune — have finally achieved a long-sought goal: an exchange program, in which an Emni student is sent abroad to Earth II, where they will study amongst humans. Brave and blunt Riis is chosen as that envoy of exchange. His mission is complex, but laid out in simple terms: Make them like you. Speak the truth. Maybe they’ll stop killing us. Riis only really succeeds at getting Drew to like him. Which adds a whole new level of “complicated” to a relationship that never had a hope of being simple.

How to Apply: REBLOG this with your four BEST PIECES and tag it 'portfolio'

Like, your four BEST pieces that MOST CLOSELY fit the genre. Depending on how many people I get I might do a round two with more specific shit but yeah. If we vibe and I love your work we will move on into the sunset of making money and working together yaaaay

Have any questions? Inbox me for sure, I'd be thrilled to answer anything.

I would like to forge a long-term working relationship with an illustrator based on 1. me paying them and 2. them making art for my books and 3. not just for this, but potentially for future books if we really vibe and your style vibes with my next story. I average about 200,000 words a year (which for me means at minimum three books) and now that I've finally decided to bite the bullet and start publishing, there WILL be more work and you WILL get more exposure. I will also obvs be able to pay more and more each book if we do well.

Also --- anyone who is interested in reading an excerpt to get a feel for the work, pm me with your email address. I will gladly send over a pdf of the first chapter, and I of course will not share your email publicly.

Even if you are not interested, please reblog in case one of your followers is! Thank you so much tumblr fam <3

#illustration #seeking illustrator #paid art job #cover design #science fiction art #major points if you can guess which serial writer i had to hit up for permission to even write this #lol #don't worry he said i could #it's very INSPIRED BY THAT SERIAL THO

[svtskneecaps]

lukewarm take of the evening: y'all care too much about being ""outdated"". fellas this smp moves inhumanly fast. it is ok to CHILL holy shit CHILL. y'all are like "(posts BANGER ART) super late guys sorry" friend i am hitting you with a blanket i am snapping you with my metaphorical towel WHAT DO YOU MEAN SORRY. "(posts BANGER FIC) rip this is outdated now" WHO CARES???? I LOVE YOU, OK. ohhhh woe is us as the fandom at large for having MORE HAPPY PILLS ARC CONTENT oh no how outdated!! how could you be writing speculative fiction about how forever felt during happy pills :( slash SARCASM!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN!!!! THERE ARE SO MANY BANGER ARCS, WHAT, YOU THINK WE'RE COMPLAINING????? FOR GETTING MORE OF THE CONTENT WE LOVED????? oh no we're past the period where everyone thought green gay ninjas were like Dead Dead, my work is now outdated and noncanon :( WDYM. GIMME. A BANGER IS A BANGER IDC IF IT TAKES THREE MONTHS. you think rome was built in a day?? fuck you, baltimore, GIMME. my ass has been cooking a goddamn backflipo family fic since july when it was ALREADY outdated do you think i fear god??? "oh no, you're making an edit of slime's (attempted) egg murdering spree?? how could you, that was months ago it's irrelevant" SAID NO ONE EVER.

save your wrists kidlings ok carpal tunnel is no joke. CHILL!!!!! CHILL!!!!!!!! TAKE YOUR TIME SHEEEEEESH OK LOVE YOU <3

#qsmp #shut up vic #block game brainrot #IT IS OK TO NOT ALWAYS POST SHIT THIRTY SECONDS AFTER IT HAPPENS!!!!!!! #for god's sake we have MONTHS of lore and bangers ok??? #i still have a mental image of an art i wish i could make from BOBBY'S NIGHTMARE #HE HAS BEEN GONE FOR M O N T H S and you bet your ass if i can make it I WILL BE POSTING IT #SO. MUCH. SHIT. HAS. HAPPENED. who cares if it was months ago!!!!!! #it's ok to be a few days late!!! it's ok to be a few months late!!!!! don't tell me sorry for feeding me!!!!!! #part of me still lives in I'M NOT HOLDING A FUCKING FUNERAL CHAT #part of me still lives in maxo's final song for his son!!!! #part of me still lives in the day we thought ramón was gone for good #part of me still lives in cellbit sprinting to his son only to be ripped away back to the feds just as richas turns to write a sign #part of me still lives in the flooding of the copacabana ocean #THESE ARE BANGERS. REMEMBER WHEN FIT FOUND PAC E MIKE IN PRISON. BANGER. #oh dear new work expanding on a canon moment i super liked that happened months ago how late smh SAID NO ONE EVER #TWO CAKES!!!!! TWO CAKES MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!!!! WE LOVE PASTRIES DON'T EVEN WORRY ABOUT IT #COME ON Y'ALL. METAPHORICAL KISSES. LOVE YOU. HAVE A GOOD WEEK. #long tags

[danwhobrowses]

It shouldn't need to be said but I'm seeing a lot of vitriol towards Ashton about their actions and I have to say I don't agree with them.

At the clock tower Fearne brought up the shard, stated that in her opinion Ashton should take the shard because she didn't want it. Ashton decided then as a result they'd take it, but because it was an extreme risk made very aware to them all they knew the other Hells wouldn't allow them to go through with it. Ashton asked Fearne if she was okay with both of them going together alone with the plan, reiterating that they didn't want to put this on Fearne, that if they died Fearne would not be to blame, and that they have no intention of dying, and Fearne said yes.

Fearne having second thoughts at the Ziggurat was just worry, because she cares deeply for Ashton, Ashton kissing her was not manipulation either; it was letting go of fear, having no regret with the person they also care deeply for and taking the risk. And yeah, it was frightening, 10 rounds of perpetual fiery near-death situations and one actual death situation; Laura is fuming, Ashley cannot look, Liam is playing Mad World on loop in his mind, even Matt is completely on edge, but they survived. Accusations that Ashton manipulated Fearne to selfishly take the shard seem to misinterpret the shard saga as well as Fearne and Ashton's characters, they will get a very intense amount of chastising for sure, but it will be out of love, out of the fear that they were going to lose them, not because they thought Ash was manipulative.

#critical role #bells hells #ashton greymoore #taliesin jaffe #fearne calloway #ashley johnson #laura bailey #matt mercer #Ashton literally is comprised of things that shouldn't exist of course they're gonna not heed warnings when Fearne didn't want it #the group are stressed but I don't believe there's heat #if I recall 4sd is aired after an unaired episode so Tal Travis Matt and Ashley were happily vibing from that despite having already played #Tal and Ashley agreed on this gambit they just underestimated how bad it'd go #and I would wager that Tal knew he could lean on the ring to save Ashton at least once #overall no I don't think Ashton intended to manipulate or hurt anyone and in trying to shoulder it alone they were trying to be selfless #but reminder Ashton is 6 charisma they aren't gonna express their intentions too well #the Hells are rightfully so mad for making them worry but in the end they're just gonna be grateful Ashton's alive #also I have to make a point that Fearne said 'I shouldn't have listened to you' not 'I shouldn't have trusted you' there's a big difference #and Tal hasn't tried to wriggle or bargain out of it he's had Ashton accept all frustration because they know it's from a loving place #critical role spoilers #sorry for multiple edits I keep seeing me unconsciously use he/him and I have to fix it plus I have more to say but nobody to say it to

[smile-files]

there's something interesting to be said about how nickel's female friends have to constantly school him on how horrible he is but animationepic won't say it

#melonposting #spoof #<- kinda #ii neg #<- also kinda #i hate nickel. i need to kin balloon just so i can experience dropping nickel into that stupid cereal box pit #also y'know what to those people who think nickel loves clover... you're right he is kinda obsessed with her #in that he hates her so much for something that he wants (being a likable/good/happy person) <- according to my interpretation anyway #of course he doesn't want/know how to put in the effort to have it #suitcase screamed at him (as she should've) and that didn't go through his thick skull #only clover in her infinite gentleness and grace could let him know that perhaps he should say sorry for harassing someone all their life : #and even then it isn't sincere #like please don't tell me any of you took his 5-second bizarrely emotionally intelligent notes app apology seriously. good god #like i dunno it was just like clover said to apologize and he said 'on it boss' #or what are we just gonna believe that ae was like. y'know what? this guy just needs to say he's sorry #once #out of nowhere #and we won't have to worry about the horrible things he's done to people (cough cough suitcase) #like heck even if balloon accepts this bs it doesn't do jack for her (not like he should anyway) #this idiot's just so far in the socioemotional gutter that after doing a series of horrible things (which he's been made well aware of) #he'll only so much as acknowledge that he did them if it means he gets friendship points from ae's princess celestia #good god man you're not the leader of a stupid team anymore. get over yourself #the funny thing is that the only excuse for his writing lately is basically a headcanon on my end #i'm just reading into this nonsense. as far as i know he's just being written horribly haha #he's interesting to think about in the lens of 'guy who wants to be happy/good/likeable but does not actually care about anyone' #but if i'm being honest with myself to ae he's just 'jerk who's actually nice now. no he isn't. yes he is for real this time (believe us)' #whatever i need to go to bed

[uter-us]

radfem help !!

2 of my little cousins (14yrs and 15yrs) are both girls dating boys right now, and together we are coming up with a "dealbreaker list" of things they will never put up with from their bfs! and also we are including positives, like so they aren't just looking for the absence of bad things, but actual positive things

what do yall think are the most important things to add? (i put extra info in tags)

Thank you so much!!!

#I dont want it just to be “he doesn't hit me” as that's super important but they could end up with awful boys who don't hit them and still #mistreat them. there are certain vulnerabilities that make me worry the most for them. Ive been writing under the deal breakers like exampl #of how it would manifest like things they might say or how they might behave so that way in the moment there will hopefully not be as much #time spent questioning if it counts as a deal breaker. we want to do positives too so like I said in the post it's not just like "he doesn' #put me down“ but also ”he roots for me and encourages me and verbalizes it“. #they are 14/15 so I'm less focused on stuff related to like splitting domestic labor for example but I think a good translation could #be like “he spends as much time as I do planning dates” and “it's clear to me that he put a lot of thought into my birthday gift” or the li #anyway I know they are safer without dating boys (and for the record they both know I do not date men (and only one knows I am SSA) but #they ARE dating and it's much more practical and realistic to reduce harm here since they are doing it! #also this is obviously not the extent of my effort in making sure they are safe and well and not reliant on boys/men; #this list is just one small part!!! #thanks so so much! and if you don't know please share bc maybe someone else has advice! ty!!! #radfem #radical feminist safe #radblr #sex based oppression #mvawg #question tag

[spider-man-2o99]

people Pick Him Up Like A Sack Of Oats so often and it genuinely kills me. what is it abt miguel that makes him so insanely pick-up-and-throwable to every single person who lays eyes upon him

#talking tag #spider-man 2099 #spiderman 2099 #miguel o'hara #tyler stone #lyla #marvel #comics #comic panels #HAHA don't worry i'll tell u why it is because [REDACTED]-- #i JOKES i jokes. #hes super aerodynamic like a lawn dart i just KNOW you could throw him and he would hit a target so perfectly in th center. #anyways YAYYY HE DID IT HE SAID THE LINE

[fruitsyrups]

i think your hat post is really cool and interesting but susan’s hat is a cat and i will die on this hill

this is true!!! when i was talking about the modern human hats not resembling animals i meant all of these ones

(excluding the minerva-bots and finn of course)

#wait. wait. i just thought something #finn wearing his bear hat -> bc it makes him feel connected to the humans #and martin & the hiders (that old woman with the tiger at least) not wearing hats bc they don't feel that personal connection w/ the island #ok this is so obvious but i just think comparing and contrasting finn and martin is so interesting #but i don't think martin really was a hider. i don't think he felt particularly connected to any ideology or viewpoint in particular #he's a floater #yk #martin is so interesting #i dont like the amnesia theory or whatever (that martin also lost his memory in some capacity) #like to me its just that. he was able to commit enough to start a family but not committed enough to go back to them #after being seperated & having freedom #& he just super duper avoids thinking about it bc it makes him feel guilty. but not guilty enough to do anything about it #like when he said he doesn't like thinking about minerva cause it stresses him out that doesn't come across as 'can't remember' #it very much comes across as 'nah im not gonna expend energy into thinking about something emotionally difficult' #like if he actually tried to be a dad to finn he'd have to face all the time he spent not looking for him. instd of just avoiding it all #like where's the fun in making him less Complicated. you know? #whenever finn is in the vicinity martin's always tryna get out of there as fast as possible 😭 #i guess that could also just be seen as him trying to avoid the consequences of his actions (like when he's worried finns gonna try to rip #his arm off lmao) but i personally interpret it all as a guilt thing too #none of this is related to the ask but yea 🫣

[boxwinebaddie]

DID YOU BUY RHEM???

NO!!!! FUCK!!! THEY WERE IN A VERY TINY LITTLE KID SIZE WHICH REALLY DOES TRACK FOR RAVENSTAN!!! but i found them online and like to make reckless and bad decisions so should i get the gray or the blue ones tbh the blue ones are kinda smackin skshdks

Cast Your Votes!

-uncle nina, sharchancla enthusiast and bipolar shopaholic

#yes i'm a shopaholic #yes i buy things to cope #don't worry about it #choose ur fighter #like the stanley marsh blue ones tho??? like his beautiful big blue eyeballs...that might be the move #ALSO I LOVE THE SHARCHANCLA HC #PEOPLES MAGAZINE SAID WORST DRESSED BUT YOU WERE FITTED RAVENSTAN I LOVE YOU BABY #if kyle could get his big ass clown car feet in these #it would be so over #idk random raven hc is that his feet are small as hell and he can fit into shoes in the largest size in most children sections #and jersey has to buy whatever size 13 monstrosities they put out on those department store shelves smh #i just KNOW sheila was out here at ross dress for less waving around some like neon green and pink and yellow shoes like #kYLE THESE ARE PERFECTLY GOOD SHOES and so he was rolling up to basketball practice in the most god awful hellscape shoes #bc those were the only ones in his size #help #but yeah they cannot share shoes and thats ok bc stan is wearing...these and kyle is wearing italian leather loafers baby #kyle do be sending stan pictures of like polly pocket shoes #and being like babe do you want these theyre in ur size xx #RAVEN IS LIKE SHUUUUUT UP!!!! BOOOO!!!! OH MY GOD

[altschmerzes]

still working on this ‘fuck a ‘forgive your abuser’ arc’ 3x11/3x12 fix it fic and it’s like 13.5k gd help me

#gav gab #ted lasso spoilers #writing liveblog #I SIMPLY HAVE A LOT TO SAY #i worry it's turning out like....... preachy or Not Characterful or whatever #bc i truly don't want it to just be a psa about why this shit sucks #and i truly don't believe a lot of how that was handled was In Character - AT LEAST NOT THE WAY THEY DID IT #(i can believe ted could make a mistake like that is what i mean but the narrative Did Not frame it as a mistake) #(as something he said because he was clouded by his own baggage - WHICH IS FINE but that is Not how they portrayed it) #(and i believe the other people in jamie's life if they knew that had happened would uh) #(have SOME THINGS to say about it) #(and in general no we will not be endorsing 'being abused made you who you are (positive)' no sir not on my watch) #anyways #i truly am operating by what i think is In Character and an Engaging story to tell #(i.e. it's jamie trying to force himself down the 'forgive your dad or at least Try To you know For You!' path and uh #having a bit of a breakdown because of it) #but i worry it's gonna Come Off Badly yknow #anyways kicks this tag ramble under the couch #i'm writing it anyway because frankly i need it after all of that abuse apologist mess #and i'm continually bothered by a lot of people also saying that the forgiveness thing was Fine and Good but actually contacting james #was where they drew the line #bc im like no that was. also a really fucking shitty thing to have happen #if it had JUST been the 'forgive. For You.' thing? it would still suck #bc that was a very fast interaction with ZERO nuance or awareness of how fucking loaded and brutalizing forgiveness as a concept is #to a LOT of abuse victims/survivors bc of the way it's been weaponized against us #if you mean 'let go and put it down/stop carrying it/be free of it/etc' then say that. forgiveness is just too far gone for me at this point #abuse ment

[freckledbastard]

kaeya hangout was literally everything i could have wanted and more

#genshin impact #gi spoilers #kaeya alberich #kaeya hangout spoilers #everything about it was so gooooood #i don't even know where to start #but i really liked the liyue one #where kaeya keeps being like I'm a bad person who doesn't do things altruistically #and then immediately goes out of his way to help this dude #someone he helped before just because he could #AHHHHHHHHHHHHH #and adelinde saying he was a gentle child before #and although he changed so much he still quietly helps others AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH #WE KNEW THAT ALL ALREADY FROM JEAN HANGOUT OF COURSE BUT ITS NICE TO HAVE IT SAID AGAIN #and his bratty energy with diluc was so cuteeeee #giving lisa and jean gifts ans being like haha it didnt cost much dont worry about it #and then to diluc being like I GOT YOU THIS GIFT AND IT COST SOOOOO MUCH #i love him so MUCHHHHHHH #the only complaint is the goddamn english localisation of that one line which will spark more discourse but apart from that 10/10 no notes

[soldier-poet-king]

WAILS

#it certainly is a monday..... #worried about [redacted] #brain keeps giving me the softest kindest dreams only to wake up and be like. well. time for work #its dark and cold and rainy #usual family bullshit. careee bullshit. etc #im MAYBE getting sick which cant happen i have tattoo work scheduled for Saturday #bro1 (aged 23) is getting his ears pierced and i was giving him advice #and he straight up was like oh im getting both done because just one ear is gay #He said that. to my face. im. #i need to move out. i need to get a s/o. i need to hold hands and go on cutesy little dates SO BAD #i love romance ok. im tired of pretending i dont #i don't really care abt the sex bits like sure itd be nice #but i dont yearn and pine for it like i do the casual romantic intimacy of it all im. im. #WHY IS IT NOT SOFT AND KIND. LIFE SHOULD BE SOFT AND KIND TO ME OK. I WOULD BE SO GOOD AT ROMANCE-FRIENDSHIP #just like. the gentleness. the kindness. the fun. im. going to be SICK #im also sosososo sleepy and sad. #oh the national on repeat for hours we're really in it now #wish we could invent a way to be lonely and wanting that isnt completely cringe!!! #and guilt inducing bc there's bigger problems and i should be helping and doing and not navel gazing about love #and yet!!!!!!!!!!

[malewifehenrycooldown]

I was going to write up a post about my ship with Android 18 but then realised I had to explain the whole 'But what about Krillin?!' question. So here's a meme I quickly put together to demonstrate how the ship works.

#i know i could easily make a drawing version of this but i'm too lazy + i need to design my dragon ball self inserts #yes i said self inserts. there are MULTIPLE dragon ball self inserts lol #don't worry krillin is okay with this arrangement. he does love his wife but also wants to ensure her happiness too. #which in this case 18 having feelings for TWO people is okay with him. plus krillin has a pretty good friendship with ripley #so it makes the arrangement a lot easier. plus also marron gets an extra family figure so theres that too #<- marron gets a lifetime supply of free piggy back rides on ripley because they can turn into a dinosaur. #the only issue is that feathers get everywhere and krillin gets annoyed when feathers get everywhere. #shallow rambles #shallow shitposts #saiyanposting #[r]: android 18 | beauty and grace from outer space #💘 Androids Dream of Electric Sheep #dragon ball self insert: raptor ripley #🦖 | edge of the earth #image described #[p]: krillin | the best of humanity #queue awaits you at the garden of madness

[advisorsage]

I think I've fucked up

#i ranted to my girlfriend and i know she probably is just busy but my brain is screaming that i made her upset even though.. #my rant was about my own situation and how i feel about it and then i apologized for complaining at her and said that i wasn't supposed to #and I'm worried she thinks she's not supposed to complain to me when i just meant that i don't like telling people about my shit #and i know she said i could tell her and that she wants to support me but she and my boyfriend are my first relationships #and i don't want to fuck up and i think i have and i haven't told my boyfriend about my diagnosis yet #and I'm scared I'll complain at him too when i tell him and i don't care that he's told me i can and should complain to him #i don't want to saddle them with my complaints #and i called out of work because of how I'm feeling from my diagnosis and that's what i ranted to my girlfriend about #and i'm terrified she doesn't want to date me anymore because my reaction to being diagnosed with one more thing is so fucking pathetic #and i just need to cry and scream and throw up and i can't do any of those things and i feel like everyone except her is telling me #it's no big deal when it is a big deal and i don't think i got it through to my therapist and I'm just freaked out and i don't want to cling #and and and I'm just. i hate existing right now #i feel like i shouldn't do what i want to at home because i called out from work and i know that's stupid but i don't feel like i deserve #nice things right now despite needing them and I'm just so tired but not sleepy and i feel like I'm going to have a panic attack and #i can't even do anything about it! #fuck #i fucked myself over basically #anyway #drink water you heathens

[stilldancewithyou]

WHAT IS THIS SNEAK PEEK??? OH MY GOODNESS. I need like 37 years to recover from this, even then I might never. CONRAD FISHER I LOVE YOU SIR. Jeremiah who? Idk him.

#tsitp #the summer i turned pretty #tsitp season 2 #tsitp 2 #it's not summer without you #belly x conrad #conrad fisher #belly conklin #why is this so freaking cute??? could they be any cuter?? #also belly should be with Conrad if she wants to. she shouldn't have to worry about Jere #it's like she said- everyone knows she's always had a crush on and wanted to be with Conrad. EVEN JEREMIAH #so i'm sorry but i don't feel bad for jeremiah. he did this to himself

[asjjohnson]

Part 6 of my poll adventure fic. Links: the beginning, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5.

It's mid-day Wednesday (at least for my time), which means a new part of my poll adventure fic, because I've been here for over a year and still don't know how to use this site effectively. :D (Oh wait, here, I made a poll about tumblr timing.)

---

Valerie walked toward Vlad through the rubble, hugging a hissing and clawing Maddie against her armor. "Found him," she said proudly, smiling up at Vlad. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Actually, there is. There's a malevolent ghost loose in Amity Park, posing a serious risk to my health, as well as to the city. I need him contained and brought to me."

Oh, cheese sticks with marinara dipping sauce! He had meant to do the responsible thing here—not ask a fourteen-year-old child who couldn't even hold a cat properly to risk her life in his stead.

...He really had become too accustomed to avoiding anything unpleasant.

"Sure thing, Mayor Masters!"

Maddie squirmed out of Valerie's hold with an angry yowl and ran off.

Well, he could still work with Valerie. ...If he truly wanted to. He was unlikely to succeed on his own, anyhow, if this older version of Daniel actually was as powerful as he'd heard.

But did he truly want to be a part of this endeavor? He was already dreading it, with only the thought.

He recalled what the older Daniel had said—that he let his emotions hold too much sway, and that in turn caused his plans to fail.

Which had been exactly the case when he'd felt some level of compassion for that ghost.

Thinking purely objectively, Vlad could still use the ghost if he could get him back under his control. And if Vlad were to have some part in the ghost's capture—in saving Amity Park—it would boost his ratings. He did need to keep his position as mayor of Amity Park for his contingency plans.

"Valerie, dear. Why don't we work together? I'm sure it's just misplaced guilt, but I can't help but feel somehow responsible for this situation. Ridiculous, I know. However, working with you on his capture would ease my poor conscience."

"Oh... uh, you've never suggested this before," Valerie said uncertainly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, as though she was trying to think of some way that poor old 'Mayor Masters' could work with her. "But if that's what you want."

'Cheerleader' isn't, ah, a literal cheerleader. (Don't make me dress him up in a skirt.) It just means... like, advertising and cheering her on. More of a cheer-leader (...which is probably an even more literal meaning actually).

---

"Alert me when there's an update" list:

@charlietheepic7, @chrysanthemum9484, @mymadmedleyw, @dp-marvel94, @aikoiya, @whydouwantmyname, @cinturon-cadena, @freakofyournature, @satanicrutialspecialist, @danphantom80

(if you want on the list, specifically ask to be alerted for updates in a tag or comment. Ask again if I forget! If I can't tag you, I'll send a Message.)

#danny phantom #vlad plasmius #valerie gray #poll fic #poll adventure #asj post #asj writing #Don't worry Maddie's fine. She(?) is just startled from the collapse and doesn't like strangers much. #We know Valerie's not a dog person but who said she was a cat person either? #Vlad will probably run into Danny in the next part. #(...you guys voting for Vlad to ask two young children to help him catch a very dangerous ghost.) #actually I probably should've thought to add an 'everyone he can' option. In Reign Storm against Pariah Dark he'd talked to several people #Hmm... if this works out good enough to later post on AO3 I'll need to remember to add that option. #(I'm afraid the plot is deteriorating though.) #(And I can't figure out how to End a path. This could go on forever. ...Especially if you guys keep shifting the plot.) #It's kind of fun though. You guys sometimes come up with such weird ideas. #...I'm not sure how long s post can be before I should add a Keep Reading/Read More break.

[jouska-the-deer]

People still suck at writing Sonic the Hedgehog

Interpretations of Sonic outside of media made by Sonic Team often seem either unable or unwilling to reconcile the fact that Sonic is both kind-hearted and intelligent, but I think I've noticed a recent shift in the way writers try to reconcile it.

In general, there seems to be this belief that smart people are inherently more pessimistic toward the world and that kind people are inherently more naive towards it. So, when writing for a character who's both smart and kind, less knowledgeable writers end up flanderizing them in one of two ways:

The first way, which is how Sonic was interpreted in Sonic Boom and prior, is making the character act like a jerk who knows best. At worst, they'll be outright rude towards their closest friends, but any criticism they get for it will be ignored because their opinions are always correct in the eyes of the narrative. At best, they'll sometimes make mistakes and learn lessons about being nicer to other people, which is something their non-flandarized self wouldn't have struggled with.

The second way, which is how Sonic is interpreted now, is making the character a saint who solves everything with friendship. At worst, they'll give absolute tyrants a million chances, but any criticism they get for it will be ignored because their opinions are always correct in the eyes of the narrative. At best, they'll sometimes make mistakes and learn lessons about certain people being unwilling to change, which is something their non-flandarized self wouldn't have struggled with.

You may have noticed I straight up copy/pasted a couple bits of those last two paragraphs. Well, that's because those bits reveal a bit of truth in how Sonic is portrayed by Sonic Team. Sonic's opinions are always correct in the eyes of the narrative, because of the lessons he no longer struggles with. Sonic already learned to balance his desire to give people a second chance with the fact that some people just have to be stopped. When? Since the very beginning. Sonic has always been trying to defeat Eggman for good while also giving second chances to people who he thinks deserve it.

But how do you deal with people who are causing so much harm when you still think they deserve a second chance? Guess what? Sonic answered that straight up in Sonic Adventure 1.

Do me a quick favor and if you can listen to Open Your Heart, specifically the Sonic Adventure 1 version (Click here). You may notice that there're two distinct sets of vocals; One clean and high pitched, and one distorted and low pitched. (And if you're wearing headphones the audio will even pan during the chorus.) For context, this is the song that plays while Sonic is fighting Chaos.

You can figure it out yourself from there, but if you want me to really dig into the topic, feel free to keep reading.

So like, I shouldn't have to say this, but the dark negative voice is Chaos' view and the light positive voice is Sonic's. But notably, they sing together during key points, specifically those related to the anger, sadness, and hopelessness that Chaos has been feeling for ages. Sonic has recognized that 1. imprisoning Chaos as suggested by Tikal wouldn't solve anything because, 2. Chaos is only acting this way due to being blinded by hatred for those he perceives as selfish monsters, and 3. he's still very much currently destroying the world and won't change his mind because he's lost hope that there's anything worth holding on to.

What does Sonic do then? Sonic may be an unstoppable force but Chaos is a seemingly immovable object. Well, he literally uses the positive energy from his friends and within himself to stop Chaos' rampage and prove that there are still good people in the world that want to maintain peace. After he loses the fight, Chaos is able to calm down and see that the cute defenseless chao he'd been protecting ages ago had survived, living among the very people he had assumed could only be power hungry monsters. He's able to let go of his hatred and live a peaceful life understanding that good people still exist and the world is still worth protecting.

And that's where the question is answered. How do you deal with people who are causing so much harm when you still think they deserve a second chance? You do everything you can to stop them, and if they're still around afterward, show them that they didn't need to fight in the first place. But that only works if they had a good reason behind why they were fighting, and would have chosen peace otherwise.

Sonic wanted to give Chaos a second chance because he knew that violence was not truly in his nature. Had he not been forced into those specific circumstances, Chaos would have chosen peace.

And that's what separates characters who have done a lot of harm but Sonic still gave a second chance to like Chaos and Merlina, from those who have done a lot of harm but Sonic wouldn't give a second chance to, like Eggman and Erazor Djinn. The former wanted peace but became convinced that it was impossible, and the latter only wanted power and were willing to hurt others to obtain it. The characters who Sonic won't give another chance to have proven that when dealt a better hand, they'll still chose to hurt others solely for their own gain, because that's what they want. To stop them peacefully, Sonic would have to convince them to give up their true dreams.

And that, is why Sonic's opinions get to always be treated as right in the games, because they are right. He has an absolutely kind heart, a nuanced understanding of morality, and the integrity to never give in to selfish desires.

None of this means Sonic is always right, though. Most people already know of his impulsiveness, which is his greatest weakest, but also one of his greatest strengths. Sonic never waits to act, which is great when innocent people are seconds from mortal danger... but not so great when a situation looks to be one way but is actually another. He teases Eggman for pleading for a second chance in Unleashed and he kicks the Cacophonous Conch from Eggman's hand in Lost World, and both of those were massive mistakes.

But, despite making those mistakes, his mindset wasn't the problem. How was he supposed to know Eggman was a shockingly good actor leading him into a trap? How was he supposed to know the people Eggman was controlling with the conch were equally as evil? (Yes Tails tried to warn him but literally if he didn't Sonic wouldn't have looked stupid and it just shows how poorly written Lost World was overall.) Had Eggman actually been pleading and the Zeti good people, Sonic's actions would've been justified.

Still, those were mistakes, and Sonic always wants to do what's right, so he does what he can to fix his own messes. He restores the planet Eggman broke apart. He stops the Zeti from sucking the life out of the planet. Sonic always makes things right in the end, and so he has the right to be so confidant in his beliefs. So confidant in fact that he doesn't care about looking like the bad guy if it means doing the right thing. Oh look, there's a song about that too. From Sonic's fight with Merlina in Sonic and the Black Knight. (Click Here.) Don't be fooled by the feminine vocals, if you paid attention to the themes of the game, the song is clearly from Sonic's perspective.

So yeah, Sonic is kind but he's also smart. He won't let anyone change his mind on anything, but he doesn't need to change his mind because he follows his kind heart and compassionate soul. He doesn't worry about looking like the bad guy because he and his friends know his true nature. When he gets angry he lets his rage fuel his desire to save the day. He'll never shed tears of despair because he knows that if he keeps fighting he'll make things right in the end. Sometimes his impulsiveness gets him into trouble, but it also helps get him back out. No matter what happens to him, he'll always make it out in the end either through sheer determination or the help of his friends.

Sonic is absolutely silly; He makes dumb jokes about his enemies and talks to himself when there's nobody around. Sonic is completely serious; He's willing to kill someone if it means saving the world and has felt multiple friends die before his eyes and in his arms.

Sonic is literally just some blue hedgehog who can run really fast.

Sonic is a god, and could kill god, and there is not a difference!

But most importantly, Sonic is all of those things at once. He is a wonderfully balanced character who's been right from the very beginning and has spent all his games sharing his wisdom with others simply by being himself. He isn't perfect, but that's not due to some personality flaw he needs to correct, but because nobody can always have all the answers and know how to avoid all potential mistakes.

The problem is, writing a character like this is hard. Writing conflicts for a character like this is hard. Most writers rely on making their protagonists work through relatable flaws to create an emotionally compelling story... but you don't need to do that. Sonic's conflicts are mostly external, but we care about him succeeding anyway because he's a good person who's just trying to live his life.

So really, if you wanna write Sonic well, you have to just let him speak for himself.

...By the way I mean that literally. Dude listen to his character theme it's all right there! (Click here.) Even when his theme was altered in Sonic Adventure 2 the only thing that changed was how confidently the same ideas were delivered. (Click here.) But seriously listen to literally any of the game themes, final boss themes, and ending themes. (I'm not linking all that.) No matter the quality of the games, if Sonic wanted to teach you something he was gonna teach it... through the power of having a music department detached from the nightmare that is game development time crunch.

And that's why Sonic Lost World is the worst Sonic game. Because it was so pointless that Sonic didn't have anything to sing about!

Wait... what was the point of this post again?

#Sonic the Hedgehog #StH #Sonic #Writing #Characterization #Flanderization #Jouska's Thoughts #Tag Ramble #BTW just so we're clear I like Boom!Sonic and Movie!Sonic. They're not Game!Sonic but they're decent interpretations of Sonic. #Boom!Sonic was often snarky but he was still mostly a nice person. Movie!Sonic is widdle and is getting better just give him some time. #I dropped off of Prime from boredom but it annoys me solely due to people thinking it's canon when you can tell it's not just by watching. #You can also tell because game Sonic would've totally said 'I love you too Shadow' and it's honestly gayer that he didn't. #Game!Sonic screams 'in my hands I hold the ones I love' meanwhile Prime!Sonic is too chicken to say he loves his friend even as a joke. #Huh? Too scared to say you love Shadow? Wouldn't want him to think you're serious? Why? You could just say you don't. Would you be lying? #Okay but seriously there was a WIP I wrote years ago where Shadow chewed Sonic out and he responded by saying 'I love you too Shadow'. #Sure it was a ship fic but that scene wasn't romantic. Sonic nearly got himself killed by being dumb and Shadow was just worried and pissed #And now if I actually used that scene for anything people would think it's a Prime reference and that annoys me too. #Anyway it's almost 5 AM for me so I should stop typing about hedgehogs and go to bed already.