#i've genuinely considered trying to get more into stuff i'm interested in like the old guard

[tizeline]

When the brothers decided to go up against Draxum and accepting humans, does that mean leaving home and live in the sewers?

What do they think of splinter and dee's.... " home "?

this ask is like a month old, ignore that But I've wanted to talk about this, cuz I've gotten asks and comments and such where people assume that the Drax Bros are just gonna, like, abandon Draxum completely after realizing that they're in the wrong. I don't blame people for that assumption btw (considering it often happens in other separated aus), but while Draxum's relationship to his sons isn't necessarily perfect, they still very much love each other. They're family, the brothers wouldn't just up and leave, and Draxum would certainly not kick them out.

So like in canon, Draxum gets slurped like a capri-sun by the Dark Armour and then unceremoniously spit out. This leads to Donnie and the Drax Bros teaming up to deal with Shredder considering it's now a problem for all of them, but I'll get to figuring out the specifics of that later. After that whole thing is dealt with, the trio would run off to find their dad. He's pretty hurt after the whole Dark Armour fiasco, and then he becomes wanted by the law after the yokai authorities find out about everything. So his sons wouldn't wanna leave him in ✨his dire time of need✨or whatever. (also wait they'd probably also be put on a wanted list haha)

Leo and Draxum would have a pretty strained relationship during this time. I've made some mentions of it, but Leo figures out that The Foot is being sus and tries to convince Draxum that putting on the Armour is a Bad Idea. But when that fails, he actually goes to Donnie to team up with him so that the two of them together can try to stop Leo's dad and his brothers from completing the plan and inevitably getting fucked over. So after all of that, Draxum is salty that Leo went against his orders and teamed up with the enemy, putting their mission at risk, so he grounds Leo for like a month lol. Leo is salty because he was right and they never listen to him and then he gets grounded??

Anyway, considering Leo can just teleport and Draxum is too weak to stop him he just, like, comes and goes as he pleases haha. It's during this time that he and Donnie start hanging out for real, like, as actual friends. It's a bit awkward at first, being genuine towards each other, but it does eventually lead to Leo being invited to Donnie's home.

Also, lmao, yeah it's not exactly as big and fancy as Draxum's home, but it's still a good place to live. Donnie being a tech nerd would've figured out how to implement good airconditioning, heating and lights and stuff. It'd probably not be quite as cozy as in the show, I'm assuming Mikey was the one responsible for livening the place up with artworks and colours and stuff in canon, but it's still homey.

Over time the Hamatos and the Draxums would slowly become closer, and as Donnie and Splinter start to trust Raph, Mikey and Draxum more they would also be invited to their home. I don't think they would move in to the same place until MAYBE some time after the movie.

Actually no wait, it would be interesting if, like in the show, Shredder were to destroy Donnie's and Splinter's home in the sewer, which would lead to them moving into the same place and the Draxums, which would inevitably lead to conflict if they're still in the process of befriending each other.... >:] Oooo conflict is fun, maybe that'll effect how the movie plays out, but I'll have to figure that out later.

#Tiz Sep AU #tizel talk #tmnt #rottmnt #rottmnt au

[veetowervaporwave]

Man I am so vanilla when it comes to ships in Hazbin...

Staticmoth: The epitome of toxic old men yaoi. They're just the worst. They push each other's buttons. They both have obsessions on the side but both want to be each other's center of attention. Other people's suffering gets them horny. They got married three times and divorced five times. They know exactly how horrible the other one is but it only makes them more attracted to each other. They're so toxic it's a health hazard for everyone around them. I wish nothing more than for them to die horribly while holding hands.

Chaggie: I've been shipping them since the pilot and I'll be real they were everything I wanted and even more. I always knew that their relationship would be mostly background stuff since they're an established couple, and I was excited to have something where the main character is in a stable and affectionate relationship. I didn't expect them to get a whole little storyarc with the whole angel drama... I'm just. So happy. Seeing them, knowing how much they supported each other over the years when they had no one else on their side, openly working out their issues... They're just everything that's good in the world.

Huskerdust: I feel about it a bit more differently compared to the previous two. I'm happy to see them just do whatever, but Huskerdust stands out because its development is kind of... part of the plot of the show, rather than just being an extra layer to their characters. I'm not even interested in fanfiction for them because I'm too excited to see how it progresses in the actual show.

Radiorose: QPR goals. Alastor having someone he's so comfortable with honestly elevated his character for me. I don't have a lot to say but I enjoy seeing them together immensely.

Appledust: guilty pleasure comfort ship, refer to this post for more context.

Ships I like less under the cut, I try not to be too mean but still, be careful.

Radiostatic (Or, I guess, Onewaybroadcast, rather): I like it a lot but only when it caters to my superspecific tastes. First of all it needs to be one-sided. The second Alastor reciprocates I'm like *Lucifer voice* "Who is this? Who is this man?" Second of all the "hate" part of the "hateboner" is essential (unless we're talking before their falling out). Vox both wants Alastor and wants him dead. It's been swirling inside him for years and had poisoned whatever relationship they had beforehand. There's no turning back from this.

RoyalHalo: I don't know how to explain it, but when I personally ship something "platonically", it's different from just regular shipping and different from having a brotp. Nothing much to say on the ship itself, they're cute.

Cherrisnake: I wish I could like it more but "Meh" is right. I think it has potential, unfortunately 8 episodes a season didn't allow it to develop. I wish we could have had Cherri before ep6 to establish her relationships with Angel and Pentious and I wish they had at least one genuine conversation before the end of the season.

Alastor x Charlie & Alastor x Angel: actually it's not about the ships themselves, just some bad experiences in the early fandom. Ik not all the shippers are like that, especially now when those ships are less popular and a lot of people are vocal about not liking them, but unfortunately I don't think I'll ever be able to enjoy them.

Lute x Vaggie: Nothing to say I just don't like it.

Val x Angel: I put a black line because my knee jerk reflex was to think of people like. Ignoring the abuse, but thinking about it, I do enjoy the exploration of their relationship if it's in-character. It's just not something I personally would consider "shipping". (But then what makes it different from onewaybroadcast? Guess I'm just a hypocrite or something)

"Found family" is a term that's used very differently by different people in the fandom, which is a little confusing to me, so I changed this category to "maybe".

Alastor x Husk: Much like the previous one, except I trust people with it even less after all the victimblaming Husk got after ep5.

Velvette x Vox and/or Velvette x Valentino: I don't ship those personally just for the reason that Vel genuinely seems uninterested, but I support the people who do. Especially the polyvees shipping. There's also additional element to this for me personally is that if Val and Vox were an item, there's a fear that Vel would come off as a third wheel or be pushed to the side, and if they were all together this wouldn't happen. So I have no choice but to support, even if I myself can't get into it.

Guitarspear: Lute ripping off her arm to go help Adam... The last thing Adam does before death is smile at her... God. They were also very fun hypemen for each other during songs, and just the general dynamic was really funny. I would say I like this ship when I see it, but I won't go out of my way to look for it?

Carmilla x Zestial: They're friends... The fanart is nice to look at. It's fine.

Radioapple: I'm conflicted. I guess I am kinda interested in what their relationship would be like in the show, but in fanworks I mostly enjoy the "they aren't actually attracted to each other but everyone thinks they are" dynamic. It's funny.

Pentious x Emily: Ok, one (1) crackship. My friend ships them and I kinda see the vision? Could be cute.

#.ramblings #idk how to best tag it... i guess I'll tag the ships I put above the cut lol #hazbin hotel #staticmoth #chaggie #huskerdust #radiorose #appledust

[hajihiko]

Ahhh, I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense, but I'm curious to know what changed Hajime/Izuru's mind in the universe your art takes place in? Like, what made him go from not caring about anything because everything was boring and meaningless, to trying to enjoy life?

I don't really remember what it was in the anime, but it was probably hope. And like, that makes sense if you think about it, considering that's the definition of hope, but hope doesn't usually just happen like that, you know? Especially not to someone who probably had never felt it since the whole Ultimate Hope thing (ironically). In my mind, it's hard to imagine what it could have been, considering nothing ever phased him. I know that whatever gave him hope doesn't have to be that deep, because that's how it is sometimes, but I was wondering what you think it could have been (or more importantly, what you consider it to be in your art)!

Also, this is kinda unrelated, but I find it so cool how much your art makes me really think about the characters. It's amazing how you're able to really see how you've fleshed out the characters through you art, and honestly, you are probably one of my favourite artists because of it.

But anyway, sorry about this long and random rant 😭 Idk why I spend my time analyzing the character and point of view of fictional characters, but I guess sometimes the ADHD brain goes brrrrrr.

Thank you for sharing your art; I hope have a great day or night!

depends on the universe! But I'll assume you mean my general post-game stuff.

I've said it somewhere before so if it's old bread to you bear with me, but basically, it was a genuine dedication to face the big horrible awful feelings that come with trauma and life in general, and also the brain boost of getting to skip the slow growing part even for just a while.

My idea is that Izuru and Hajime are not two separate identities, rather, an amnesiac and horribly traumatized boy was given a moniker he didn't care to accept or deny. It's not like he had any other name to go by. That was Izuru Kamukura.

The brain has these neural pathways of how it responds to things, and his all got burnt out so he could respond with an appropriate talent each time. As a very simplified example, someone might respon to threat with the Flight response, because it worked in a dire situation and the brain decided "that saved us, this is how we will respond from now on".

Hajime, in the game, gets a sudden bump out of those pathways, enabling him to feel things properly and be fully present in his life. Thematically, the big Super Sayian moment is him deciding to not fall into old, but true and tried, brain patterns, and instead taking on the horrific experience of being human, with all the messy Emotions and Failures that comes with it.

When he wakes up from the game, he still struggles, but the artificial boost from his old thinking as well as a conscious, strenuous, painful effort to not repress himself anymore but instead face the things that he did and were done to him, make him able to carve himself into a new Him.

Not the same, in the sense that WHO could say they're the same as they were before a simulated murder game that revealed that you were a killing machine terrorist and so were your friends. But the same as in, he's Hajime Hinata and he decides what exactly that means. To want is an emotion, and he wants to become someone who can experience life fully, and chasing that single feeling of Want opens up the doors to everything else. You might've heard this before but "before you change, you have to want to change".

So in short. What enabled him to get Hopeful so to speak was the combination of a brain kick (you could call that a metaphor for outside help), and a concrete decision to try to do the difficult but right thing. Sounds kind of boring maybe, but everything else comes later - like his interest and care for his friends, an enjoyment of philosophy and the arts, a pleasure from being useful and helpful, a serenity from accepting things as they are, and a thrill that comes with strong genuine emotion (from my own life, sometimes a single moment of !!!! can carry you on for months).

Yes the whole thing is a metaphor for getting better with mental health stuff. It's personal to me okay 😂

(also I like the idea from Miggys fic that his human connections override the apathy and distance so as long as he's around the people he loves he can hold onto what keeps him going)

I love thinking about and building on characters too! Spending tons of time inspecting them like a specimen 🤝 people (and therefore characters) are very interesting to me so I just like rolling them around my brain. Thank you for your interest and kind words!

#not an art #Talky talky #Hioe this answer suffices

[thorniest-rose]

hello 🖤 out of curiosity what kind of stuff do you consider dark? because i want to write dark stuff for steddie but don’t want backlash. i wonder if what I consider dark is too much, but to know there was an audience for certain things would really help me to go for it. ( for example i love age gaps and want to do 30-40 year old Eddie with teen Steve: dad/babysitter, rockstar/groupie, motorcycle daddy/runaway, teacher/student [dare i say stepfather/stepson sksksk] etc. but have received crit for like, 2 year difference ) and i wonder if it’s the content itself or how it’s handled? because when people write age difference/incest without highlighting how creepy the older one feels it doesn’t *feel* dark if that makes sense. (your eddie is clearly aware of what he is so there’s dark energy to it) but maybe im wrong. i would genuinely love to hear your thoughts. 🖤🖤

hi there!! oh this is such an interesting question, thank you so much.

So what do I consider dark? It's difficult in a way because everyone has different thresholds and comfort levels when it comes to fic, I have a very high threshold and not many triggers. For me, dark fic that I'm interested in reading and writing includes dysfunctional, destructive relationships where there's obsession, jealousy, codependency and control at play, but where both people like it, and don't want to change or have a healthier dynamic or set firmer boundaries. Sometimes I like reading fic about relationships that are abusive and I enjoy reading and writing fic where there's dubious consent (or even non-con) and BDSM relationships where there isn't good etiquette and where there aren't standard things like safewords. Like I love when the sub belongs to the Dom and the Dom calls all the shots and says they know what their sub needs. It's not how relationships should be irl of course, but it's all fantasy.

I love age difference fics too! I would love to write a fic with teen Steve where Eddie's in his 30s, I think that would be so wrong and hot. Like I love all the things and dynamics you've mentioned in your ask! And I think it's such a shame that people feel too frightened to write dark fic a lot of the time, or that they've been made to feel gross and weird for wanting to explore dark and more complex dynamics. Or even just enjoy things without feeling judged for it. So I'm sorry that you want to write fics like this but feel like you can't because of potential backlash. And I wish I could advise more on what things could cause backlash and what won't, because in the past I've had so much hate and abuse for things I've written but in this fandom I've had hardly any abuse at all, so it's really hard to quantify.

I would say this, completely genuinely, that I think you should write whatever you want because you shouldn't have to censor yourself or repress what you want to write. I can guarantee there will always be an audience for it, and people who will be so excited to read darker fic and dynamics. It might be a smaller audience, but it'll be very enthusiastic, and that'll make it completely worth it. If you want to be cautious too, you could have an ao3 account that's separate to your main account to post dark fic, or you could moderate comments. And if you do get shitty people, ignore them and delete any abuse you get. I've found in the past that it's when I give people air and try to engage with them that they get worse. But when I completely ignore them, they get starved of oxygen and give up. And usually if people say anything, it's just a small group of nasty people too, it'll never be as many people as you fear it could be.

There's also the chance that no one will say anything mean and people will love your fics! And if you feel passionately about your ideas, you should go for it! I'm on the cusp of posting a fic that's pretty dark, where intoxicated Steve is being used by multiple men for sex at a party, and the fic I'm writing with Azriel is probably the darkest fic in this fandom, it explores so many uncomfortable topics and will be so dead dove. And because of that we except it to have a smaller readership than a lot of other fics, but we also know the small group of people who do read it will love it, and that makes it so worth it. Plus it's so freeing to finally write a dark fic without feeling like I have to restrain myself, so you should feel free to do it too.

So please, I hope this has helped and encouraged you, even a little. And if you do write any of these fic ideas, let me know because I'd love to read them!!! <3

#asks #tw abuse #tw non-con

[olderthannetfic]

I want to ask I noticed I get talked over a lot by my friends in our discord server I wonder is it because I am not assertive enough in what I say? Like I told them many time I feel like they don’t noticed what I say but they haven’t improved it’s still the same old I say something then everyone ignores me and keeps talking. So I stop bother saying anything because no one seems to care about what I have to say. So what am I doing wrong? Because this seems to happen in every group chat I am in everyone just talks over me.

--

It's impossible to diagnose from only your own impressions.

Here are some guesses for possibilities:

Your ask has grammar errors and is repetitive and poorly punctuated in a way that makes it un-fun to read. Perhaps your English skills are weaker than those of other people in the chat, and that makes your content less pleasant to engage with.

These people tolerate you, but you're not really friends. They're not intentionally shunning you: they're just paying more attention to people they're more interested in.

Your posts are all off-topic

That last one is the most likely to me based on years of observing nerds. If you're bad at social cues and context or you're swept away by a passion for your latest fixation, it's easy to be perpetually off-topic. Just because you said something doesn't mean it was a natural progression of the conversation, and if people were enjoying that conversation, they may not want to get sidetracked onto whatever you brought up.

I don't know if this applies to you, but common behaviors of this type include bringing up:

personal trauma, often with a lot of details when the conversation wasn't about personal stuff, much less such heavy and intimate personal stuff

your own problems and needs when the conversation is focusing on giving someone else support

your own fanworks when the focus was on praising another group member or on reccing things by strangers

your specific kinks, ships, favorite characters, favorite canons, etc. that no one else is into because you're desperate for fellow fans

stuff that actively grosses out the other chat members (e.g. repeatedly discussing piss kink when nobody else ever joins in)

your headcanons and OCs, especially if you don't show frequent, genuine interest in other people's headcanons and OCs

anything else that makes you sound like that bird rights tweet:

Basically, some people try to make chat All About Me repeatedly, and the only way to have a good conversation is to let these embarrassing faux pas slide without saying anything.

Or you might be on-topic but just pointlessly repeating something that someone else just said more eloquently. People might respond directly to that other person and not even realize they're ignoring you because what you said was essentially the same point.

It's possible these people are just jerks and you need better friends, but if this problem happens in every group chat, I think it's time to consider whether you are being boring or annoying in some way. Is there something you can do to change so your friends won't want to ignore your comments anymore?

One thing I am certain of is that assertiveness is not the answer.

Demanding more interaction can sometimes make people feel guilty, but it won't generally change their behavior. They're responding at an instinctive level to the cues you give off, and changing those cues is the only way to change their responses.

And look, as an aside, I'm not trying to shame the socially awkward. I've been that deeply annoying person who feels the need to bring up their fixations despite the fact that no one cares. Learning to gauge interest a little better did wonders for me even if I'm still that same person and I intentionally only associate with other obsessive nerds.

Is there someone with good social skills to whom you can show the actual chat transcripts, anon? I don't think you're going to get to the bottom of this without getting into the specifics. And while I'm perfectly happy to look at chat transcripts, it's not usually polite or kind to put private things like that on a public blog like this.

[novelcain]

Hi, it’s me again, I had a couple of ideas, a couple are about possible bard reader, another is a musing for any reader, and the last is a general question.

1. Bards aren’t solely musicians, (from my dnd experience,) they also recite poems, ballads, and stories. So what if Reader tries to keep some of the more prone to boredom pilgrims by talking about various other myths and stories she might know? For example, she might’ve had an ancient Egypt or Greek mythology phase and still remembers a lot of those stories and when things are getting dull, she just goes like “Hey, wanna hear a funny story?” And then talk about Midas getting cursed with donkey ears. It manages to occupy the silence with something more interesting.

2. I’ve seen the Ruan being suggested as Reader’s instrument, but I wonder if anyone has considered the Xun. A xun is basically a small ceramic or wood instrument in the same family as the ocarina, but played slightly differently. They’re quite portable, and they could also make for a convenient “which one of these identical monkeys is Six Eared Macaque,” test. Nothing against the Ruan, just wanted to share. (Bonus: if the Reader likes the Zelda games, she could play some of those songs and most of them are either soothing or fun to dance to.)

2.5. Personally, I am an edgy girl, so if I chose to sing, it’d be like the early 2000s nu-metal songs from groups like Evanescence, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, and all of that other stuff, so that’d be embarrassing.

3. How are she and Tripitaka going to stay warm in the winter? There were points in the book where it was stated to be snowing or at least very cold, and idk if Guanyin would give them coats or if they’d have to get one of the other pilgrims to beg for a couple of used old coats. If Guanyin did give them some, it’d be neat to see like a feather cloak or something along those lines as feathers (down) are very good at insulating and keeping one warm.

4. Given all of the times when Tripitaka either punishes Monkey too severely and/or kicks him out, I can imagine the Six Eared Macaque arc being the one where reader genuinely loses her patience and slaps the monk across the face. She doesn’t really even say anything, just turns to leave and if they say anything about how they need her to guide them, “well, you can figure it out for yourself, because I’m done putting up with your ‘holier than thou’ bullshit.” Then goes to find Wukong. Depends on if you want the one she finds to be the real one, trying not to cry, or if she runs into his doppelgänger. (Suppose we’ll have to wait and see.)

Have a good Sunday, Skittle!

-🌺 Anon

Hello again~

ok soooo i'm gonna admit that at first I had no idea what you were talking about but then I remembered that one of my followers did fanart with their version of Reader using a Ruan and I just wanna say that isn't canon it was just someone's art. anything that i post about ittw on here should be considered specifically not canon just for fun. i also won't answer any questions about what will happen in the future of any of my fics or au's (i know i'm a meanie😋). you can find all my ask rules on my pinned post 😊 (tho i might update them soon)

also everything about ittw was set in stone before i even began writing. nothing will change the plot even if i find an idea that i like (there was one idea from someone's fanart that i liked and i was thinking about using since it wouldn't effect the plot [after getting their permission] but i won't be doing that now because i don't want anyone to think i'm playing favorites or have a bunch of people try to get me to add their ideas as well. i've already had a bunch of people try to do that and it really stresses me out cause it's hard to stay nice in those situations) because of that (and i mean this in the nicest way possible i promise i'm not trying to sound like a jerk) i won't be taking any suggestions for plots unless i specifically ask for them🤗

I hope you have a great Sunday too, 🌺 Anon!

#🌺 anon #skittle answers

[stormyoceans]

Monica, you often write about your bisexual ass. Is that true? May I ask how you understood that? I'm going through a metamorphosis of myself right now, and you give the impression of a person who cares, who can share experience of findingself.

hello, anon!!!!

i can confirm i am very much bisexual and that i've dated both men and women, although my actual serious relationships count amounts to a shocking number of...... two. so you know. im hardly an expert ;;;;;;;;

realizing i was bisexual was a bit.. tortuous for me, but im gonna try my best to keep it short. im also gonna put it under a read more since it's personal stuff and people may not want to see it, so if you're still interested about my personal experience you can find it under the cut!!!!!

right, so. basically i had this best friend who i had known since elementary school and we were very close and very affectionate with each others: we would cuddle and hold hands and even exchange little pecks on the lips as an hello. no one worried about it when we were kids and we never really questioned its 'normalcy', but as we grew older (around 11/12 years old) our families made it clear that that was not 'appropriate behavior', because certain things were okay to do only with boys

then high school happened and that was.. pretty much the worst period of my life ;;;;;;; my friend and i went to the same school and were in the same class, but while she was well liked and had quite a few relationships with boys, i was bullied a lot, until one day they started to refer to me as 'that lesbian', as if it were an insult. my friend started to pull away from me a little, but she would also buy me a rose for valentine's day every year and say she missed me and that no boy made her happy as i did, so i was. a bit confused ;;;;;;;; i also felt jealous of her, but i wasn't sure if it's because i wanted to be her or if i wanted her to just be with me

and you know, i was already deep into fandom spaces at the time, but it was also very different back then: there wasn't a lot of genuine queer representation (brokeback mountain came out when i was 15 and the only other queer relationship depicted on screen at the time was tara and willow from buffy the vampire slayer), shitting on female characters was considered 'cool', and you could find essays on how liking yaoi and being interested in MLM was 'completely normal because those stories are made exclusively by straight women for other straight women' (which is why i now hate this mentality but that's a whole different matter)

ANYWAY. after high school, my friend and i grew apart, then i met a guy in university who i REALLY liked, who shared my same interests and gave me back a little of self-confidence, and we dated for almost two years. then one day my friend contacted me out of nowhere to catch up and when we met she confessed that she had always liked me, and when she kissed me i didn't stop her. so we got together and were in a relationship for three years before it ended (badly), but the important thing here is that i was in my 20s at that point, and queer representation and awareness had started to slowly get better, especially in fandom spaces where there wasn't just heterosexuality and homosexuality anymore, but people were starting to talk about bisexuality and asexuality and gender identities too, so reading about all of that kinda did the trick for me. it's when i looked back and realized that there was a reason why i was obsessed with both sailor moon and dragon ball as a kid, and that i did indeed have a crush on harrison ford as han solo in star wars and heath ledger in a knight's tale but also on keira knightley as elizabeth swann in pirates of the caribbean and katie mcgrath as morgana in merlin. it wasn't an either/or situation, i liked both and that was who i was

okay so this still ended up being long as hell ;;;;;;; and im not sure reading any of this was actually helpful, or if im even the best person to talk to about this, but i do wanna say something that i find to be true for my experience, which is: i feel like a lot of people think about bisexuality as a.. perfect balanced proportion, for lack of a better term, like it means that you're attracted to men and women (or men and non-binary people, or women and non-binary people, etc.) in equal measure, but that's not true. you can be attracted to idk.. 9 men and 1 women, or 6 women and 2 men and 2 non-binary people, and you're still very much bisexual in all cases!!!!!!

and the thing is.. i think labels in this case are important when it comes to give you a sense of self and a sense of community, but they don't have to limit you. i also think it's completely normal to maybe feel scared and confused when reading about sexual orientations and romantic orientations and gender identities, because there are some people who just connect with a definition and know who they are right away, but there are also people who don't know if something actually applies to them or not and that's okay!!!!!!! you can take all the time you need to figure it out!!!!!!!!

and if you're not sure what to identify with, but you do know that you're not straight, then it's perfectly fine to identify as just that: not straight (i know some people are not comfortable with the term 'queer' but i personally like it because you can use it as an umbrella term with that meaning, however there's nothing wrong in simply using 'not straight')

so, um, yeah ;;;;;; again, idk if this can be helpful in any way, because figuring out about being bisexual to me was just a mix of.. liking someone and trying to be in a relationship with them and then realizing you can like both men and women and thinking 'oh that's me!!', but everyone's experience is different. i don't think i have any advice to give you, except maybe 'be open to possibilities and talk to more people to hear about as many point of view as possible', but also you were right to say that i care and if you need someone to talk to, im here for you

hope you'll find the answer you're looking for, anon, and please know im holding your hand through this journey!!!!!!

#this was probably tmi and not helpful at all but im too embarrassed to re-read it and fix it sorry ;;;;;;; #still. im glad you've reached out to me and hope you can do that to more people as well because having a support system is always good!!!! #and i really am here for you if you need a listening ear or anything #sending you a big hug and wishing you the best of days!!!!!! #💜💜💜 #m: ask #m: personal

[hopeymchope]

re: toxic fanbases. I'm not good at telling what fanbases are toxic. I'm both a doormat ("that rando who started yelling at me all of a sudden probably has a good reason and I'm dumb for not seeing it 👍") and a weirdo who tends to stay within very small circles. With Danganronpa, I feel like there's *something* that makes it a little jarring compared to other communities, although it's by far not the worst community I've personally interacted with.

Its popularity definitely plays a massive role; it's actually impressive to see how active Danganronpa circles remain after all this time, but the downside is that there's a lot of brainrot, distant memories, and most importantly people who've been involved with it for WAY too long. I myself have definitely grown horribly bored of having the same tired debates be brought up time and time again - I can imagine people with a different personality from mine getting very upset over that.

Though I don't feel a connection to that aspect at this time, the prevalent young fanbase also comes with its qualities and flaws.

I could go on, because this community is so large and so old that it's genuinely, like I already mentioned, jarring at times. I'll turn my back from being told DRAE is irredeemable media because it uses dark humour to see someone draw a Komaru with giant tits requesting coitus. There are times when interacting with Danganronpa fans has made me wish I'd just never known about Danganronpa at all, so all things considered, even if I can't put words on it, there's a strong negative aspect to it.

At the same time, I don't know how it being Danganronpa specifically relates to some negative experiences I had - was some of the abuse I endured as a Wiki admin related to the way the DR fandom is? Or did it have to do with Wikis more than it did with DR, with French users more than it did DR? Maybe the problem is that this series has given so many of us such intense brainrot and we can't stop getting involved with it.

Sorry if this long ask is annoying in any way - I figured you might be interested in exploring the conversation around how the DR fandom might come across as toxic, objectively or subjectively OTL

One thing I remember for sure is that when I posted Akudama Drive LGBTQ headcanons, I felt perfectly fine and happy about it - but when I decided to post my Danganronpa headcanons too, I had a strong feeling that I was taking a risk, however small. That's not a very nice feeling to get as an adult who's just trying to be a little happy and silly with PNGs.

Oh, I don't mind a long ask at all! I'm grateful for the detailed thought you put into this, honestly. :) I'm a pretty wordy person myself — you may have noticed.

I think a lot of what you're describing as negatives within the DR community are unfortunate constants with fandoms of ANY popular media these days. Not ALL of it, but....

Every piece of media is gonna be declared irredeemable/offensive/problematic by some parties now if it delves into any kind of darkness or deals with any kind of major crimes, it seems like I've seen more than one person online state — with a straight face, mind you — stuff like "Danganronpa is toxic AF, many of those characters are LITERALLY murderers" and I'm just over here thinking are you fucking serious? I don't remember seeing people say stuff like this in my fandom circles before 2019 or so, but I see it everywhere now. It seems to have grown more prevalent since the 2020s hit? There are people who just can't stand to deal with any moral grayness, any dark theming, etc — and they don't think anyone else should allowed to enjoy that stuff either. (Now I'm wondering whether there are people similarly dismissing Akudama Drive. Much smaller fandom, so maybe you don't see that. But I can imagine someone grumbling "These characters are LITERALLY criminals, wtf." LOL)

We all know Internet Rule 34, but I feel like there are certain built-in multipliers to it that increase how widespread it is. Animated media? That's a multiplier that will cause even MORE porn to exist. Japanese media? That's another multiplier. Which means there's tons of porn of DR characters — even for the teen characters that're underage in most countries like Komaru. At least I've never stumbled across porn of the small children like the Warriors of Hope, THANK FUCKING GOD. I sadly don't doubt that it exists, but I hope to god it remains in a dark corner, out of my goddamn sight.

And I definitely feel much, MUCH more afraid to say anything about LGBTQ headcanons for popular media than I do for relatively small fandoms. Maybe that's partly symptomatic of being American in an era where tolerance and acceptance of LGBTQ people is sliding horiffically backwards? At least I think I'm safter to share such things on Tumblr than I would be on Reddit. I'd be afraid to talk about my personal DR LGBTQ headcanons, too. I've even drafted a post about that once and then been like "You know what? No. I'm not opening myself up to abuse for this," leading me to delete it. I've done similarly for the Madoka Magica fandom as well... too active, too big = too likely to result in blowback. I believe Akudama Drive is a pretty small fandom, though, so it makes sense to me why that'd feel like a more comfortable place to talk LGBTQ concepts.

But with all of that said, I can't claim that the infighting over interpretations of characters and events that I see on the DR Wiki is something that every fandom deals with. Maybe some of them do; honestly, Fandom Wikis weren't really so huge a thing before I got deep into DR in the back half of the 2010s, and I haven't really gotten involved with any of the Fandom Wikis I've come across afterwards either. So I don't know for sure! But it seems like that could be uniquely unpleasant about the DR fandom — the way people define "canon" as a matter of personal interpretation.

Since I'm stuck on the English side of the DR Wiki, I'm not certain whether you deal with the same stuff in the French incarnation. Characters like Komaeda and Ouma are especially difficult to police — they have so many fans who think they are pure of heart, and so many fans who find them loathesomely manipulate, and you can't necessarily be certain what about them is true or false. Put all that together, and it's hard to keep things to "Just The Facts" when people fundamentally disagree on what the facts ARE, which can lead to a lot of infighting among the people editing the thing! God... even deciphering the truth about what's going on in V3 and determining how we should or shouldn't explain that haziness is an awfully sticky wicket all by itself.

#asks #fandom #fandoms #danganronpa fandom #fandom wikis #fandom wiki #toxic #toxic fandoms #danganronpa

[tempural]

Hello, sad, introverted young adult with ADHD+ASD like you, trying to be more comfortable with what they're into, just wanted to say that your art has been a sight to behold in an internet age filled with hate and greed. I wish to build up the confidence to talk to you someday and about my love of obscure cartoons, Maybe perhaps I could get u into them myself! But I still struggle with getting comfortable with my 'weird' kinks sadly, and I'm not even into the stuff you like.

Hi sad introverted adult with ADHD and ASD! I'm glad that you've enjoyed the art I've made. If you wish to build up the confidence to talk to me -- you've already done that right with this message? that's pretty cool.......

re: "get comfortable with your weird kinks"

I come from the perspective of always being considered weird. Everything I doodled in elementary, middle, and high school was considered "weird", either because it was strange creatures, full of violence, or indicative of my mental disorders LOL. I only really focused on explicit NSFW art (as opposed to the "haha joke yaoi" I did in high school) around college age? And it seemed natural for my sexual art to be considered just as "weird" and "inappropriate" as the rest of my art, so I was used to people being rude and demanding of me at that point.

It's a slightly different stage if you grew up with the internet as your foremost exposure to art (and how people react to art). I find that a lot of terminally online people haven't seen art outside of what they see online - so they don't realize that very mainstream shit that even they or their parents like has weird kinks in it.

I always use Phantom Of The Opera as an example - I remember my high school summer program doing a field trip to see that musical (I didn't go cuz I couldn't afford it lol). This is a musical that kids go see with their parents and teachers. What is it about? A 16 year old girl who's been groomed since childhood by a weirdo 40+ yr old dude who pretends to be her teacher and father to get closer to her, drug her, kidnap her, and threatens to rape her into submission. And it's specifically "romanticized" and fetishized by the creator, who says he relates to the Phantom and gave him a sequel where he ends up impregnating the 16 yr old :P That's pretty much EVERYTHING that people online rage about, but they're still singing along to it because they judge mass media less harshly than individual artists.

Just some food for thought from my ADHD brain. I know my art is solid, and what I express is real genuine emotion. And I know that people who are going to write callouts and doxx me for my art have something deeply wrong with their own life that they're projecting on me. Doesn't mean I'm not annoyed, angry, or fearful of them. Just means I know I'm smarter than them, and I deal with my issues more maturely (by making ART) thus having a happier relationship with my friends, family, and work.

Hopefully you will find some confidence in your interests as well! It took a bit to build up my confidence, and now I'm hilariously over confident to the point I'm a Norman Osborn-esque figure who nude monologues to myself about how great I am and how sadly pathetic internet folks can be.

#text #hella long posts #asks

[pretty-boy-4-u]

guys i have an idea for a UT ask blog

basically

I love writing

I hate drawing (I'm genuinely terrible)

I'd do some terrible sketches of OCs for this so you guys could get an idea...

I'd post a "prompt" detailing what'd happen in a comic

Then you guys (anyone who's seen this) would reblog or submit a comic based off the prompt- Basically a commission, but

Consider it more like an art challenge/project?? A community blog!

We'd be all collaborating and sharing a project I've wanted to make since I was younger but can't because I'm a terrible artist

I'd keep it separated through hashtags, and if I receive a lot of submissions I'd probably upload my favorites/the best BUT I might upload less talented ones once in a while because artists who are improving often need attention so they can try and make even better content

Or I might make a tag for non-chosen submissions so you guys could upload for anything and it'd go there

Since I think it'd be cool to see your art on that

but yeah that's my idea

oh and talking about my main OC for this, he's a typical Sans who's half devil, half angel, half dra- You get the point. He's short, has horns, and multiple cracked bones. He's OP, and... Basically meant to start off as a nine-year-old's design for a character.

Except that kid leaves the fandom. So he lives on as a memory inside that person's mind. So as the kid grows up, this Sans does as well. He loses many of his powers- Locked away due to lack of usage- and can mostly only teleport and heal...

He matures, he grows out of his own universe (which can be anything you'd like, because the kid didn't establish much! So if a scene is, for example, at Grillby's, the background would be pretty chaotic but the bar and seats and stuff would still be noticeable)... He travels the universe. He explores. He befriends. He stumbles upon something he shouldn't have stumbled on.

But yeah, that's the idea! I also have an idea for a Sans with wings, a merchant Grillby... I don't know this guy's name yet (Cure? Maybe? But that'd make him into Cure!Sans which is a very Pretty Cure thing...) But if anyone is interested and has any ideas or just support, reblog or ask something!!

#undertale #undertale au #sans au #ut au #ask blog #ideas #reblog this please #hoping this gets popular #make it popular #hopefully people see this #reblog this right now #reblog this #spread this #on my knees #begging

[one-abuse-survivor]

I'm terrified of moving out.

I go through physical, emotional, and verbal abuse, but the kind that's considered normal and even encouraged in my culture. I genuinely do love my parents and I know they love me back because the abuse bits don't happen regularly and my parents have no problem in letting me go out with friends, buy me gifts, or stuff like that. The just... loose their temper sometimes.

But I'm about to be old enough to move out and they're letting me, but it still makes me scared. Because even though they're not restricting, they conditioned (i think) me into the perfect child and my interests and hobbies became acceptable to them and having anything else outside my parents' approval doesn't appeal to me. I'm pretty sheltered I guess.

So moving out to the world scares me.

Leaving my siblings alone scares me.

Finding someone else who also abuses me (like a roommate or a partner or friend) scares me.

Handling myself scares me. Because I'm still so dependent on my parents. I can barely take care of myself (exercise, brush hair, shower sometimes) daily.

Doing adult things like taxes and rent scares me. I can barely take care of myself.

I heard that trauma gets worse when you're out so going through that while living by myself scares me. I do have some friends, and they're amazing, but they won't always be there.

You totally don't have to answer, but I saw that you were accepting asks and well decided to try it out. I love everything you've been doing and you're pretty amazing for that.

Hey, nonnie. I'm really sorry you've had to go through so much. You deserved so much better than what your parents have put you through.

I really understand your fears. Living alone and becoming independent after a lifetime of child and teen abuse isn't easy, that's true. And, from personal and second-hand experience, I can confirm that in some ways, trauma does get worse for a little while after you leave an abusive situation. Basically, the moment your body realises you're safe, the first thing it tends to do is shut down all the trauma you've gone through so you can pretend it never happened and survive the immediate aftermath of it. This is scary, because it can make you question your decision of leaving, and make you feel like you made up your abuse. Then, throughout the next months, at any given time, the trauma may hit you like a truck via resurfacing memories, emotional flashbacks, nightmares, or anxiety attacks, to name a few possible PTSD symptoms. New symptoms you've never experienced before can sometimes appear during this time.

But this is the kind of situation where you have to get worse before you can get better, and once you do start to get better, life becomes so, so much easier, bearable, and enjoyable. And it's possible to get to a point where your body and mind's default setting is genuine calm, instead of anxiety, hypervigilance, or survival. The bad days can become the exception, and stop being the rule. And getting to that point is so worth it.

I know it all sounds really scary, nonnie. But I think it's also worth noting that the more you postpone the first painful steps of the process, the more you prolong your suffering.

And it's okay to do things scared. You don't have to have it all figured out just yet. You don't have to be perfect at taking care of yourself. It's okay to tackle things one at a time. It's okay to ask your friends for help when you need it. It's okay if some days all you can do is survive and leave everything else for tomorrow.

If it helps to hear, when I moved out, one of the first things I had to learn was just to feel like I was worthy of eating. And I still have trouble feeding myself on my own nowadays, but I learned to ask for help and it's now very rare for me to skip any meal. Also, I've been slowly able to figure out things like paying rent and bills, writing a CV, making a doctor's appointment, renewing legal documents, buy train tickets... One thing at a time and throughout several years! Some things I'm still figuring out or haven't even tackled yet, like taxes or driving without an adultier adult by my side. But, thanks to all my previous experiences with facing scary things and overcoming them, I know now that not feeling ready yet doesn't mean I won't be able to tackle those things when the time comes.

And that's the best part about recovery and independence! Every time you overcome something that felt impossible and terrifying, you'll build your confidence, and it'll be a little bit easier to believe that you'll be able to face the next new situation that life throws your way.

I'm rooting for you, nonnie. There's a better life waiting for you at the other side of the immediate aftermath of trauma.

Sending all my support your way ❤️

#ask #Abuse #Abuse tw #physical abuse tw #emotional abuse tw #verbal abuse tw #abusive parents #abuse apologism tw #Cultural abuse apologism #Trauma #Trauma recovery

[susansontag]

hi! regarding your question about systems – prepare for this to get Very long, sorry! feel free to ignore i'm just very interested in stuff like this.

did (disassociative identity disorder) is a real thing. it's basically a disorder that is caused from prolonged trauma that occurs in early childhood (before 6 years old i believe? but either way it's before the person has developed one whole personality & sense of the self). did makes the person's mind basically split into multiple personalities, as a way to distance themselves from the trauma experienced. the different alters have different memories, personalities, etc. however they can eventually be integrated (like, fused) into one self via intense therapy and whatnot. there are also other disorders that can cause systems to form (osdd-1a and osdd-1b)

HOWEVER!! (and this is very important) did and osdd are very Very rare and recently an unlikely amount of people (teenagers) on tiktok and tumblr are claiming to have these disorders. it's impossible for sure to say they're faking, but it seems very likely considering a few things:

1. did can typically only be diagnosed (and even concretely appear) once a person reaches adulthood (afaik the most common age for diagnosis is 30) so if the person in question is younger, they may be faking (most people phrase their age as "body is [age]")

2. most systems on social media nowadays almost entirely consist of introjects (people from specific sources. most commonly this would mean, for example, an abused child creating a version of their father in their mind. an introject from a fictional source would be like if during your childhood abuse you watched a lot of superhero movies and convinced yourself you would be able to stop the abuse if you were superman (shit example but i hope you get what i mean)) from popular, recent media. if a system has loads of alters from whatever is the new cool thing, chances are they're faking, because a new alter can only split when something majorly traumatic happens. introjects are typically very uncommon, too.

so, like, yeah, a ton of teenagers online are faking did. i'm trying not to drag this out for too long (ha) but i could talk for ages about why that is. some are definitely aware they are faking and are doing it for attention/popularity, however i personally believe it's mostly people who genuinely believe they have did. think the old tumblr glorifying depression and anxiety craze + the isolation teens went through in quarantine. it's the same old stuff, they're just doing it with did and osdd (and bpd, and tic disorders, etcetera etcetera) now instead of anxiety and depression, and i fear developing some fictionalized offshoots of the disorders in the meantime. similarly, but in my experience more rarely, teenage girls online are glorifying eating disorders and developing very real, serious eating disorders in the process. i don't know. it's definitely concerning and cannot be healthy (but, of course, the current internet climate glorifies personal suffering.)

idk!!! i feel very strongly about all of this – i've looked into it a lot and seen it personally in strangers, friends and even myself. fake did systems can definitely be annoying but at the same time i kind of feel for them.

again, sorry for the digression!! not sure if any of this even makes sense, i'm just very interested & involved & concerned about this. sorry if all of that was barely coherent or something 👍

it wasn't incoherent at all! thank you for this information. it's basically kind of just as I thought, it feels a lot of people are either faking or may seriously believe they have DID when they don't. I guess it's likely some may have genuine issues with disassociation too... it's very freaky the way this is happening to young people online. reminds me of the 'reality shifting' kids on tiktok

#asks #anon

[420pogpills]

idk if any of these will help you, but personally, what I've found has helped me is 1) covering up/taking down mirrors, 2) taking out like a few lightbulbs in rooms where i need to have some light so that its harder to see anything (like i need a mirror in my bathroom so i have 3/4 lightbulbs taken out to make it harder to see and pick), 3) making the flashlight inaccessible on my phone so again I can't use it to see anything, 4) hiding any of the tools I use for it in a room where id never do it, bc sometimes just adding that extra step of work of going there and going back can stop me, 5) having like strawberries around and going at the seeds in the strawberries if i need to because the motion and feeling is very similar for me and there are a LOT of seeds in those guys, and 6) making it more difficult to get up close to a mirror (like cluttering up the area in front of them and stuff) . it doesn't stop it entirely of course but it slows me down a LOT and makes it a lot less likely that I'll get stuck in a really long picking session. i hope that maybe helps a bit!!! (even if it's just like, solidarity haha. because GOD yeah the moment after you have a really long picking session is just. The WorstTM. so im really sorry u have to deal w/that)

these are all amazing tips thank you so so much for taking the time to send them to me, and thank you sooooo so much for the support!!! obviously i'm not happy about anyone else feeling and experiencing this thing too but this really helped me feel better and like i'm not alone in this :') so thank you sm for the kind words ❤️ and i'm really sorry it's something you deal with too ❤️❤️❤️

the mirrors thing is very very true - my skin got so much better when i had moved into my new place because the bathroom mirror is quite high up and above the skin so i wasn't able to get suuuuper close to it so i wasn't able to see/find things to pick at. and i got a vanity desk for my bedroom so while i do have a massive mirror sitting in front of me, it's actually got enough distance between myself and the mirror that i also am not close enough to see all the little imperfections so i can pick at them. back in my old room i had a regular desk and i kept a tabletop mirror next to me so i constantly had a mirror super close and was always looking into it and picking at things.. it deffo helped at first but after a while the compulsions started again :'(

for the tools, i have actually decided to just throw them out today. honestly just looking at myself right now is bringing me to tears i genuinely cannot believe how badly i've mistreated my skin so i just threw away the whole box of tools. hopefully this actually helps and doesn't make me just buy more...

the strawberry thing is an interesting idea haha i might try that! someone else suggested looking into some fidget toys which i've never considered so i'm going to try that too maybe, see if i can find something to replace these behaviours :)

#ask #anon #not mcyt #tw skin picking #tw skin condition #<3333333

[erigold13261]

You like monsters. Gnarly teeth. Horror aesthetics. And that’s totally valid!

I fucking love monsters so much! I advocate so badly for monster films and how horror now-a-days is a lot more psychological or supernatural horror instead of slasher or monster.

Like I'm pretty sure that's because of the times (like there's a theory that the horror of the time period reflects the populations fears either in a direct or subtle way), but I want to go back to good fucking monster designs in horror movies!

All to often it's just a person with makeup on! (and I don't mean prosthetic makeup, but like literally just body paint and nothing else) I get that it might be a budget thing, but I really want to see stuff like the Xenomorph or Jeepers Creepers (I know how bad that series was/is because of the creator, but I genuinely loved 1 and 2, one of the only series I would say that I liked the sequel more than the orignal. 3 fucking sucked), like full on monsters who barely look humanoid or might not be human at all!

Anyway, it's also funny how you say I like gnarly teeth because I didn't even think of that! Though I do love me some teeth. I've had plenty of dreams of eating teeth and LOVED pulling out my teeth as a kid and looked forward to dentist appointments where I knew I would get needles in my mouth to numb my gums in order to rip out my teeth. Heck I even ripped out two totally perfect baby teeth that weren't loose while watching Insidious (I think it was that, or the Conjuring, idk) because I was having fun! (also one of my favorite songs is Losing Teeth by The Scarring Party lol).

Definitely love me the horror aesthetics! It brings me comfort! Probably because I started watching horror and death shows when I was way too young. First horror movie I watched was either the Fair Haired Child or Dead Silence. One being a horror movie that ended in love and one that revolved around puppets and dolls, both having grotesque imagery and contorting bodies.

So those two movies probably had a greater impact on me than I realized considering how much I love mannequins, puppets, dolls, and why I associate love with horror!

It could also be that I was neglected as a kid, which is why I was able to watch things like the Human Centipede when I was like 10 years old, and used those horror movies as comfort to my anxiety riddled brain to try and cope with death so I saturated myself with death and horror in the hopes of finding love in the subject but all it did was fill me with more anxiety which then turned horror characters into love interests because that was the only way I could take that subject/genre/thoughts and make it "good" enough for me not to have constant panic attacks of dying.

(Off topic, but also there was this horror movie I watched even earlier than that, like I was definitely around 5 or 6, where these people were at some point in a mine shaft/cave system and were running away from this ghost who was under the control of this guy who would drop his blood on the ground to make the ghost kill people. I watched it around the same time as I watched the first Tremors movie, but I can't find the ghost movie. I think the main characters, a guy and girl, won by feeding the blood guy into a rotating machine through control of the ghost somehow, but that might be an entirely different movie I watched as a kid around that same time. Heck the movie might not have been a horror movie at all, it could have been a different genre or a tv show idk, I just know that those scenes stuck with me and I want to try and find that movie/show again).

Okay, you probably didn't want to read my little psychoanalysis of myself, but I had fun! (it's always fun seeing someone tell something about me that I didn't realize and me trying to find out why I do said thing). Thanks for sending this ask in! :D

#eritalks #noart #asks #love analyzing why i do shit! #i keep forgetting i had a pretty shitty childhood #probably because i lost myself into media to forget about it #which is also probably why i love horror characters so much #they are broken just like me! #or at the very least look fucking amazing #:3

[expired-blueberries]

hi i was the reboot massacre anon. it wasnt only you there were a couple people i was responding to. thank you for answering though!! youve got some interesting insights (i mean this genuinely)

im gonna be real i forgot a lot of details because it's been a While since i gave up. i had like a vague memory of starting to like the rich kid villain but then feeling like that stopped and didnt end up going much anywhere? i guess that mustve been "starting to get more backstory but then he didnt show up again forever."

also i worded the kevin and albedo thing badly: i did like new kevin for the most part actually, he was interesting. i was more disappointed about lack of albedo, since he was one of my absolute favorites. that one is on me for just clinging to old continuity.

but there are a lot of new designs i like too. most of the blue energy fused versions of aliens were really cool, as were kevin's corrupted/upgraded versions, and even that steampunk xlr8 that was only in like one episode. im not just like Unilaterally Hating Things That Are New theres a lot of neat stuff in the reboot

i dont think most of my complaints are with old vs new continuity. my biggest issues were just feeling like theres a lot of inconsequential filler, flat characters, and confusing or lacking motivations. to me, most episodes felt like EITHER the writers/producers didnt respect the characters/world enough to fully think through the logic of what characters are doing or what impact they have on the worldbuilding (my initial lizard-brain emotional reaction), OR theyre being forced to churn out so MANY episodes one after another that they dont have time to give "minor details" as much thought (my later conclusion after thinking on it). but maybe this gets better in later seasons though! thats why i was thinking i might try again.

in particular, the way you describe ben's reaction to the knight (i remember there being the beginnings of a new knight villain) is interesting to me, even if max's reaction is odd. because the fact that ben shows panic at all feels like more character depth than i ever saw in the early eps. like thats interesting to me because theyre really considering the consequences of how an actual ten year old (or anyone really!!) might actually react to someone powerful so easily and repeatedly swatting him aside. even original ben didnt get to be afraid very often. makes the characters feel more real if they can have negative reactions to things.

Aww, hey anon, great to see you again! Hope you're doing well~

Sadly, you're right that Billy (rich kid villain) didn't show up much again after he started getting insights into his backstory. Even when he did, any forward progress he could've made was quickly torn away from him. I can think of at least two times he could've had some character growth, and, indeed, even HAD character growth, only for said growth to then be rescinded for the end-of-episode gag. He pretty much ended the series the same as he started it, which is a total tragedy. I hope if the reboot timeline is continued in the future that they make him a full-fledged friend of the Tennysons, but I also doubt it'll happen  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I also totally get what you mean by missing Albedo! He's such a cool guy, and I think the reboot could've done something really fascinating with him if they added him to the cast. I'm not sure if it would've been something good, necessarily, but definitely interesting all the same. Personally, I'm okay with him not being in the reboot (despite how much I like him), just because I really enjoyed the cast that we already had, and I'd be worried that we would have to get rid of one character just to add Albedo. But I definitely get wishing he were in the reboot! I've seen a lot of fanart of him in the reboot style, because a lot of people feel the same as you!

I agree with the complaints about inconsequential filler. Unfortunately, the reboot is stuffed to the brim with it. I guess that's what happens when you only have ten minutes and an episodic cartoon style to tell a story... sadly, you have to spend most of that time doing absolutely nothing new. I'm glad that your conclusion is different than your original perspective, though! From what I've seen of the crew that worked on the show, it seems like a lot of them really respect the franchise and enjoyed the characters (Kelly Turnbull in particular has had the best tweets talking about it IMO). I definitely understand the initial kneejerk reaction of thinking that they disrespected the franchise and didn't care about the story, especially in the shock of moving from the prime timeline to the reboot timeline, but I'm glad you moved on from that thought! For a lot of prime timeline fans who tried reboot and dropped it, it seems like that initial kneejerk reaction is what stopped a lot of them, so I totally get it.

Although I disagree with thinking the characters are flat and have confusing or lacking motivations, I also understand where you get that idea from. The episode format (ten minutes long, mostly just jokes and action sequences for a large amount of the show) definitely doesn't do it any favor, and a lot of the time the only time you can get actual character depth is when you're least expecting it, or else in a special/movie. That's definitely one of the downsides of reboot. Some of the characters, like Max, are pretty one-dimensional, too, I'm sad to say. Kids cartoons nowadays often seem to dumb-down the adults, which is tragic.

Ultimately, I think a lot of the depth of reboot comes from having to do a bit of deeper thinking on your own, rather than just accepting what the reboot gives you. Like, yeah, Billy seems pretty flat on the surface, but then you have to think about how dismissive his parents are, how it seems like there's nobody in the world who truly cares about him, and how it's obvious deep down that he genuinely wants friendship but is never allowed to get it, and he's pretty interesting. Or, Charmcaster just seems like some kid who ran away from home to live out her witchy dreams, but then you look a little deeper and realize she was being groomed and predated upon by a being that was centuries old and only using her as a battery, and suddenly her vitriol at the world starts to make sense. A lot of the depth, you have to connect dots to find it. It's there! But it's hidden. Personally, I enjoy doing that sort of deep searching. It's in my nature to overthink everything. But I definitely understand why you might not have noticed it on first watch, especially if you didn't watch the right episodes.

I think you are pretty correct on your later deduction, that they don't have enough time to give the little details attention thanks to the sheer amount of episodes they had to put out. They make a pretty good big picture, but the small picture does lack, unfortunately.

If I could be so bold as to suggest what to watch? If you find that you really can't sit through the entire reboot, but you really do want to see why some people (like me) sing its praises so highly, I suggest you skip almost the entirety of the first season, picking up on the season finale (Omni-Tricked parts 1-4). From there, season finales, specials, and the movie are good to watch. I also suggest all of the Forever Knight episodes, because every episode with him in it that I can remember furthers the plot of his arc. I would also watch the Michael Morningstar episodes. Not all Kevin episodes are necessary to watch, but I find they're almost always some of the most enjoyable, so I suggest just watching all of them. Charmcaster episodes are usually pretty good. I personally like the Billy episodes, but like we've already discussed, his character doesn't really go anywhere permanently, always losing its gains by the end of the episode. Episodes with Phil are usually pretty good, or at least okay, and I'm pretty sure at least a few of them advance the plot or hint at backstory. Really, I've seen at least two posts on two different social media sites about plot-based episodes of the reboot to watch, so if you looked it up on Google, you could probably find them and have a better idea of what to watch!

Honestly, the thing a lot of people don't realize about reboot, is that it actually does a pretty fantastic job (imho) of handling serious topics and the characters negative emotions. That episode with the Knight is one example, but if you want another example, then I'll humbly point you to the Ben 10,010 special. In said special, we see Ben in the future as a washed up and burnt out hero, living a solitary life away from all friends and family. This is the future that he eventually ends up at after all his years of heroics, and I think it's the most realistic; what person could grow up normal after being forced to become a hero so young? After living through unimaginable horrors? After having the very universe itself thrust onto their shoulders? In the end, my greatest complaints with that special is that we don't see future Kevin as a human, we don't see Glitch in his humanoid form, and Ben does the loathsome "gains a lot of weight while depressed but he loses it all at the end to show that he actually is all better now!" trope. But this special and that episode aren't the only ones we see the characters deal with negative emotions! I know Gwen has an episode where she handles feeling unappreciated and uncared for, and Ben actually has another episode featuring the Knight where he deals with negative emotions like not being trusted by his family and not being listened to. On its face, reboot doesn't look like it would ever handle these topics, but it does, and I think it does a pretty great job of it! They're usually resolved pretty quickly, but what can you expect from a ten minute long episodic series?

Haha, sorry again for the word spam, but yeah! Like I said before, I totally understand if you try reboot again and still end up not liking it. It isn't for everybody, and that's totally okay! That said, I hope that if you DO end up giving it another chance, you enjoy it! Who knows, stranger things have happened, right? Like an alien watch falling to Earth and giving a random ten year old the power to shapeshift

#blue talks

[fairymint]

🎈 How does your muse relate to gender dynamics in their world? Is it different from IRL? (Felix ofc)

Well, this question falls under optional lore since pokemon is a huge fandom; there are followers I have who write escapism and followers who write dark topics.

But there is lore. Basically, world-building wise, bigotry and gender dynamics stem from the 'Alpha Wolves' cult/ideology, spreading historically from Galar the way it would have IRL, minus the guns; instead they weaponized dogs.

Pokemon seems like a place that is ahead of reality in progressiveness, but only by a little- a consequence of probably many things, such as easier travel, the weapons being living creatures, and a culture of love- ask many IRL an adult and many deem life just being unfair, independent- I don't see that streak in this world; aka i don't see bullies getting far/too violent without a team to back them up.

Anyways, Felix is in conflict about gender dynamics as a trans gay man born in the 90s. There's thought patterns, internalized toxicity, that bubbles up and causes him to take caution- I'm leery of strangers IRL that are 'too' nice to me because they might be about to misgender me. I don't wear makeup IRL because i don't pass as male 'enough' and am not comfortable yet. Because he's very small and 'cute' and such, he's not confident that other men will have genuine sexual interest for him- masc4masc gay culture at work, the want to appear more 'adult' and/or earn love. passing as a 'little boy' is both a trans and dwarfism thing;; and just trying to be gender euphoric without being misogynist/transphobic himself.

and, for the sake of my comfort and world building, his transition was fairly quick- i don't really wish to RP 'in-between' states, such as the wait for top surgery, bottom growth, voice dropping, etc.- I've had to drop contact with somebody over clearly preferring him pre-transition, and while i do still relate hard to the nonbinary agenda™️ mid-transition, I'm working on it. I'm not rlly comfortable with they/them due to terfs but i try to be kind/understanding. like, i still have boobs irl and i hate it. i don't trust nsfw themed blogs because the possibility for chaser behaviour ooc is high. consider a lot of that kind of stuff happening offscreen/off the radar. He just sort of reappeared in Alola under a new name and gender- only real exceptions being ORAS and Magikarp Jump with they/them pronouns. But, he's been blessed with very dramatic changes, when some trans guys get Nothing for any one change.

Ideally, he's so comfortable in his masculinity that he likes to be fruity sometimes- but he's still for the time being a bit shy about it, especially compared to my other, more traditionally masculine muses. He's a baby gay growing into his masculinity(/femme queerness), but is recognized as male by society. He's not used to the top energy side of himself; he grew up wanted as a 'bottom'.

IRL wise....i get hit by dysphoria here and there, especially with faceclaims. there's a fine balance between my personal style, looking as young as i do IRL, looking old 'enough'.....and y'know the work involved in finding or drawing shit and fkdgjkd. As well as enough expressions to work with- that's top priority.

facial hair's working wonders for my gender presentation, but I'm waiting for more. I'm waiting for surgery. I'm waiting to be 'There' tbh. my mixed passing is leaning into male.

#ask. #felix fae. #trans talk. #ask to tag #bigotry mention #internalized transphobia tw #transphobia tw #long post