#it makes more sense character wise to me anyhow | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bugsnaxaudio · 1 year

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OOO what about everyone's voicelines for when/if they succumb to the bugsnax during the ending sequence? like the little tangents they go on as they return to the earth

I feel like I could make pretty much every post just me gushing about the acting skills of the V/As, but because I have common sense, I’ll restrain that for now.

I think the death lines are a really interesting insight into the characters, as they contrast with their character arc in the game (e.g. Chandlo being so willing to protect Snorpy that he risks his own health to do so, Gramble's desire for a loving family eventually leading to an unhealthy and codependent relationship with his Snax, etc.). It shows how much love and care was put into the writing.

Audio transcript under readmore due to spoilers.

[Image description: the save file icon of Snaxburg during the climax of the game. The sky is overcast and pink and the Journalist’s ship is of primary focus.]

Shelda: One is called. One must answer... One is devoted! One is wise! One is pure! The Bugsnax have no power over me!

Floofty: I cannot let this opportunity pass! I can feel it… The precipice! In Bugsnax, potential to understand the very nature of being. I would be a fool not to indulge!

Chandlo: Bro, I'm about to CARBO LOAD! I can't take 'em all… Gotta protect Snorpy. I'll never be strong enough… I gotta be more than me. I gotta be Bugsnax.

Snorpy: I'm losing control! Can't… Resist… THE SNAX! I see what you're doing, you delectable automatons — I know too much. I have to be destroyed. It's the only way to keep Chandlo safe. You win, Grumpinati. Your secrets die with me!

Beffica: I'm so grumping hungry! There's no point in going back with them. I don't have a life, or friends... nobody I can really trust, anyway. But Bugsnax... I can trust you to be delicious.

Cromdo: Outta my way, rubes! Gimmie them Snax! I ain't gonna get rich and famous if I listen to these suckers! They're just holdin' me back! Now's my chance! The Snax are mine! MINE! MIIIINE!

Gramble: Ohhh, my little ones need me! Papa's comin' for ya! There there, little one… I would never abandon you. We're a family now! And we're gonna be together forever...

Wiggle: I simply can't stand it anymore! I'm famished! They call me a faded star, but for just this moment I will burn bright again! This is my swan song...and I will devote my final ballad to Bugsnax!

Wambus: I'm starvin'! Git over here, ya varmints! I'm such a failure... I couldn't even control my hunger! No wonder nobody believed in me…

Triffany: No sense delayin' the inevitable! This is the end, yeah? I was gonna end up here one way or another. Not that it matters anyhow... The only thing that matters out here is Bugsnax.

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darklordofthesimp · 2 months

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Actually I think Birdy, Sunshine and Doctor(?) characters are in a way alike. What I mean is they’re completely different yes, personality wise, reaction wise. Each character is very complex and unique (great job by the way) but if you put yourself (reader) in each of these situations separately (as a character)I think all of them are alike, in a way that you feel the closure. You feel the sense of familiarity. It’s hard to explain but I would assume if you get it you get it, if you don’t - you don’t and that’s okay. I just wanted to share my opinion because for a second I was like: how could you hate birdy, but then I thought: you could. Anyone could because no one really knows the character unless they’re in a situation of said character (does it make sense?). I also love it how you (as an author) gave us such a range of emotions. Like. You feel one thing towards the character but then you get to know them and the deeper you go the more you feel the rights(or wrongs or reasons) of their actions and that changes the view on them. Which is so realistic and so natural for us to do. Because no one’s knows other unless the other wants us to or we are the other. My, anyway I can’t really explain things without talking nonsense and going all around everything so excuse me for that. Happy new year anyhow!!!!

No its not nonsense I absolutely understand what you’ve said! Im so happy that youre able to see it from the Perspective of being in their shoes - as the author its so easy to immerse yourself into the characters as you write that sometimes I forget that readers will relate to one character so hard that they cannot fathom the other end but I honestly love that as well because they’re so devoted to one that they DONT wanna hear the other out and I think that means ive done a good job as well.

I love that you’ve picked up on what I was trying to do and you were able to articulate it so well!!

I hope this year is treating you welllll

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theeholytrinity · 2 years

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Although Legendborn is now one of my favorite books right up there with Circe, (especially as an African American girl who's never had this kind of representation before) , I do have a few critiques.

For one, the characters should have been older, especially with all the innuendo and euphemisms that at times made me raise an eyebrow whenever I remembered the characters I'm reading about are like 16/17. Simply making them regular 18,19,20 year old college students wouldn't have really hurt the plot or magical systems. Just have Abatement happen when their 40, which according to some is where young adulthood ends and mid-life begins, and have their prime magical Scion years be 18 to 25 or 18 to 30, when most people will be at their physical and mental adult prime anyhow.

It would have made more sense to, story wise, for Bree's mom to freak out about an 18 year old Bree going to NCU, because she'd actually be enrolling a full 4 years into college, instead of a simple early college program. It also would have been more symbolic, because that's the age Bree's mother attended that college. I just feel like the author had to go through these unnecessary hoops to explain why a 16 year old was in college, far away from home, surrounded by adult college students, when simply making Bree an 18 year old college student would have resolved that issue. In my opinion, making the characters older would have made the story unfold more naturally.

Another critique I have is the pacing. While reading the book it felt like weeks were going by within the story only to find out the whole story transpired over the course of one to two weeks. I feel like stretching it to five weeks would have been better. Same story, same plot and character development, just over the course of 5 weeks instead of one or two. That way it realistically makes sense for Bree and Alice to eventually reconcile, for Bree to come to terms with her mothers death, for Bree to gain the trust of the round table (with a few exceptions of course), for her volatile powers to grow, for her to learn the ins and outs of root/aether along with the lore related to both magical systems, and for her relationship with both Nick and Sel to evolve into something more. Pacing is crucial to character/plot development and world building.

The story was already phenomenal on its own but with simple pacing and older characters it would have been better.

Other than that this book was a 9.5 outta 10 for me and I can't wait until Bloodmarked comes out this November!!!!

#legendborn #selwyn kane #nick davis #bree matthews #bloodmarked #a word #trins thoughts

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dae-seeme-rollin · 8 months

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dae pls!! talk more about your apollo justice legally blonde au!!!

NICKY MY BIGGEST SUPPORTER FOR TALKING ABOUT POLLY N FRIENDS <333 OK SO this is the line up so far (and still a work in progress because there are things that don't quite make sense or line up properly?) I could probably also cut some characters out like Brooke and Chutney bc they're mostly in the movie anyhow. I don't know how to work Trucy in just yet but I feel like it'd be a disservice to her if I didn't include her in some way. I honestly don't fully remember why I was trying to make a distinction between using the musical for animatics and the movie for comics when it could literally just be a mix?

Originally I was thinking of making Apollo Elle, but Klavier needs more love + honestly character-wise and considering their backgrounds, I feel like this makes more sense. (Besides, I'm always a sucker for popular, rich person falls for Some Guy TM who's just been supportive and treats them as just A Person) This is by no means an original idea because I DID see someone draw a scene with Klapollo from "Take it like a man" lol but yeah ty for letting me ramble as usual <3

#AJ AA Legally Blonde Musical AU #AJ LBM AU #AJ AA

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amethystina · 12 days

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I love to see when you post and I get great drama recommendations from you. I recently watched Black Knight and the Ying-Yang Master thanks to your posts and loved them!

I find C-Dramas often give the best dynamics between male characters for BLs because there's so much chemistry and great dynamics even after censorship. It also means that the stories are often better and, for me at least, more interesting, as they often can't just explore the relationship between the characters and instead frame it with the plot. I'm not sure whether you've seen it yet or heard about it, but the new show 'The Spirealm' is great! I wanted to recommend it to you after all the shows you've spoken of. There are so many interesting aspects and details that you can find even after multiple watches that I think you'd enjoy.

I'm so happy to hear that! I'm somewhat famous amongst my friends for pushing recommendations onto them, or at least ranting about the things I've watched in painful detail. My poor wife definitely gets the shortest end of that stick, since she sees me pretty much every day. So she's had to listen to me talk about a lot of dramas and movies she's got absolutely no interest in x'D

She really liked The Yin-Yang Master, though! So it's not all bad. Man, I love that movie so, so much.

While it's terrible that CDramas have to be censored the way they are, I agree that it pushes the creators to explore relationships in a very interesting way. They have to build it into the story in a way that more straightforward BLs can just skip, because they can rely on the physical chemistry to convey the budding relationship.

That said, I admit that CDramas often feel a bit... stilted to me? They're too perfectly choreographed, never a hair or detail out of place, to the point where the characters don't always feel like people to me. Like, they're so obviously characters, not real people, if that makes sense?

That's not to say that I don't enjoy them! Heck, The Untamed is still one of the best dramas I've ever watched, Guardian is one of my favourite dumpster fires, and The Yin-Yang Master movie is one of my go-to's when I need something to completely immerse myself into. But, on the whole, they don't intrigue me the way other dramas or movies might, since they're always so polished. Which means I can't connect with them on the same level as I do with many other pieces of media. I can definitely appreciate the plot, story, characters, aesthetics and so on, but it rarely goes deeper than the surface level. It kind of feels like they're keeping me at arm's length, somehow?

But that's definitely a me problem, since I think it has to do with that thing of mine where I want to analyse every tiny detail. And it's not as fun in CDramas because they make it so obvious that every detail is there for a reason. I mean, it always is in all shows and movies — everything on set is knowingly placed there — but the CDramas don't try to hide it? They even go out of their way to make everything as flawless as possible if they can. And something flawless isn't fun for me to analyse. Like, I can tell that they're putting on a show and that just makes me less interested in trying to find the secrets behind it, I guess?

But, again, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy them! I often do, especially for the aesthetics and the sweeping, dramatic plotlines. But it tends to end up being pretty shallow in my case, since they rarely give me enough to really sink my teeth into. Like, I don't think it's a coincidence that the CDrama I've been the closest to writing fanfics for (Guardian) is also one of the messiest, production wise. I like it when things feel more relaxed and real. Not gritty or anything, just... real.

Anyhow! The Spirealm looks interesting so I'll definitely put it on my list of things to watch! Thank you for the recommendation! :D

And I hope I'll be able to spread even more joy in the future!

#Amethystina Replies #eleganttalecollective-blog #I really hope this doesn't seem like I'm hating on CDramas #I LOVE CDramas #But they're not the ones that I spend hours pondering #Analysing every tiny nuance and detail #I watch them and love them and then move on #And occasionally drop by for a rewatch #But a lot of them are too performative #So I can't really connect with the characters in the way I prefer #It's kind of frustrating to be honest #Because I can't shut it off #My brain just automatically tries to analyse everything all the time #To the point where I can't always enjoy what I'm watching #It's a curse

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trans-mephisto · 5 months

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Two asks in a row to make up me suddenly dropping off the face of the earth for some time. Yet again this is a question concerning my most beloved blonde bastard, Arthur. How, in your opinion, would Arthur have grown up and acted if he remembered Section 13. Everything else is the same in terms of worldbuilding and backstory. Do you think the Uzais still would've taken him in knowing that he was fully aware of everything done during Section 13 ? Arthur ^wasn't the choosen exwire of his batch since he was in that playroom thingy when the Blue Night went off instead of outside or training like Shiro would have at 15. Would Shiro have taken him in since they are both clones ? Would he still become paladin ? Would he even want to be the paladin, let alone an exorcist ? Would he still hate demons and stick to the rules like canon him did or would he have been more relaxed ? And most importantly, would he still have hated Rin so much ? The main reason he despises him so in canon was bc Arthur thought demons murdered his family and Satan then destroyed the Asylum and caused his amnesia. If he remembered Section 13 he wouldn't have these reasons to hate Rin. If we go with the REALLY fucked up way of things Arthur could even be more open to Rin bc of Satan technically saving Arthur from Section 13 by destroying it. I can imagine a LOT of resentment on Arthur's part for the Order, and since he had no friends from the Order like Shiro I doubt there's anyone to mediate/mellow it out. Everything above ofcourse goes off the assumption that Arthur stayed with True Cross instead of just running off and going AWOL (or god forbid, join the Illuminate or any other enemy of the Order inorder to get revenge for what was done to him)

It's fine! I've been mostly posting on my main blog anyways. But let's see

I personally think he would end up like Shiro? Not personality wise, just how his life would be. Which is basically still being held onto by the Order even if he was "free", since he's obviously a more powerful and stable clone compared to the rest. Not sure if he'd be Paladin, but seeing as Shiro was and still knew about everything going on chances are he still would get appointed that position

Personality wise, I see him being far less happy and open with people. He'd know he's not normal, that he has always had nothing, so he'd probably just be rather uncaring about the world. Ironically, this would make him more mentally stable than he is currently I think lol, so because of that I imagine he'd be less likely to be manipulated and the Uzais wouldn't really have use for him since it seems he was taken in to be shaped into a vessel for Lucifer anyhow

I don't think he'd hate Rin but he'd probably be more cruel than he already is, much like how Shiro was and we see this with a lot of the exorcists in the blue night arc in the past, he'd probably know there really is nothing outside of being an exorcist for him, that any chances at a normal life just probably wouldn't be for him

Honestly I feel like he'd go from a tragic character to being more of a cold "villain", I guess. Not saying there wouldn't be any hope for redeeming him but it'd probably be more difficult if nothing was hidden from him and he knew everything and serving the Order was all he had. Maybe he'd still be friends with Lightning though? I'd have to think on that scenario

I hope my response makes sense, I'm kinda tired atm so I'm not sure if what I'm saying is comprehensive lol

Thanks for the ask though!!

#aoex #meffy rambles #blue exorcist #ao no exorcist #ask #arthur auguste angel

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your-local-uwu-artist · 1 year

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a continuation of this

character devolopment rambels under the cut

was able to further develop their characters a LOT with this!! Sunny is a very carefree guy, unlike his inspiration (me lol) he’s extroverted cause I thought that fit their dynamic better and made his character match better with the sorta tropes I want them to fit

plus I find that I prefer my “self inserts” as not actually being self inserts but more like, “semi-self inserts” cause more often than not its what fits better for the kinda story I’m trying to tell : like I see a selfinsert as being a caricature of ones self, like your selfinsert acts just as you would if you were placed in x setting, but I would see a “semi self insert” (for lack of better term) as being a character that’s design is a sona but writing wise doesn’t function like a sona, like their core character traits are taken from my own personality, but isnt a direct representation of me, sense I cherry picked the traits and amplified them or adjusted them to make the kinda character I wanted:

idk I know most people probably still call that a self insert but I tend to like being very specefic with my laungauge as my brain takes things very literally and at face value (plus I only want to give the very special self insert title to a character that feels like a complete self insert to me)

anyhow SUNNY! he’s a sweetheart and has that classic headstrong shonen protag kinda personality, he wishes he could be a flirt but hes way to much of a simp for that lmao, their sorta a ditz but manages to have a high enough “charisma stat” to survive without a trainer, very much a classic “>:)” kinda ghost type. probably has some kind of internalized toxic masculinity thing going on, he has a hard time with emotionally vulnerability. He feels he can trust Daisy and he also admires how she can be so strong despite being more timid and emotional, so she very muched helped them with expressing himself emotionally. He’s never had a trainer and previously resided in the ghost type trial site (abondoned thrifty megamart) and now scurries around on akala island where he met Daisy. As a shiny he knows he’s of high value to trainers, which is why he doesn’t want to get a trainer, because he would want a trainer to admire him for him and not his shiny status. plus he find it MUCH more entertaining to watch trainers panic over having lost a chance to catch a shiny. He loves listening to Daisy’s stories about her trainer and the trainers she’s met tho, really he just loves listening to Daisy in general. sense me making more content for this is lowkey just all as a shoutout to younger me who would very much love this kind of misfits mimikyus love at first sight friends to lovers sappy romantic kinda story: I VERY much want to make his general character be the kinda character that younger me would adore~ just less angsty and with the “badboy” underdog gig being more performative. Like I need to combine the nick wildes and discords and misunderstood villains with the oopsie bears and spikes and sidekicks. also making em’ queer and autistic af. Not just cause I’m queer and autistic, but cause I think a lot of the characters I adored as a kid was for sure because of gender envy or a subtextual queer and autistic coding kinda thing that resignated with me tho i couldnt yet understand. so I think it’s fitting for that part to be important with the “shout out to younger me’s tastes in fiction” theme: He likes Daisy for her sincerity, calming aura, intelligence, perseverance, and her rebellious streak/ rarer moments of self confidence

DAISY! she’s shy and timid, but stronger than you’d think. She DID have a trainer and lived in the kanto region before being gifted down to her trainers younger sister, who moved to alola with their father, where they got lost from each other, Daisy is under the impression she was abandoned. She’s more of the mysterious ghost girl kinda ghost type but has a small mischievious streak. she’s been on her own before plenty but she’s never really been alone in human inhabited areas, so being trainerless in the shopping center streets of akala is very much a new experience for her. She tends to be reserved and while she would like to assume the best in others she generally assumes others to be “mediorce” at best until proven otherwise (in contrast to Sunny where someone can be a fucking bitch and unless if they were being a bitch about a manga he likes he will forgive them immediately, if it’s the later he deep down deos forgive them but will hold that grudge against them f o r e v e r) keeping up with the shout outs to past me Shes def inspired by like, raven queen, fluttershy, cerise hood, fucking elsa and other characters from my child hood that come up when I try ot think of the vibe I want her to have. also yall can hc her sexuality and gender as whatever you want, sense Sunny’s (trans masc) nonbinary she doesnt just like guys at least. if I give her a canon sexuality it will probably be polysexual or smth: Sunnys already pan cuz I’m pan but Idk if she has bi wife energy or not. While she’s stubborn and headstrong in her own way, (she does battle afterall) she genuinly tries to stay out of trouble. she’s a very gentle person. She struggles with making friends sense shes quieter and she also jsut finds it hard to click with someone conversation flow wise. Sunny likely encourages her to talk more but doesnt force her too, so their conversation flow clicked properly for Daisy. She likes Sunny for his chaotic neutrual vibes, energetic passion, and his softer caring side

#sunny and daisy <3 #yumehocshi #pokemon oc #my ship in 5 minutes #kyukyudraws #realized one mistake on the chart i was gonna live the last check boxes blank #there already ghost types so they dont die easily #and in such a scenario I think they'd both be well aware that the other doesnt WANT them to sacrifice themselves

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strooples · 2 years

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I lowkey really liked the dub voices of the main 4 characters!

Dubs in general are a hit-or-miss for me — either they’re hilarious and the voices of a handful of MC’s are spot on, or they’re quite awful with little in between). But I’m not above giving them a shot. My SO and a handful of anime-loving school peers swear they’re not worth it tho T~T. Eeeehhh, it’s worth it to give things a go before judging!

In the dub’s 1st season, everyone’s voices were a little rough. Some of the background characters were kind of goofy-sounding. The lines can be hilarious and also very, VERY dopey ahahah (early 2000’s slang, I’d suppose??). Of the main boys, Tyson’s was very rough. But I think the voice actors really grew into it! Throughout the seasons you can see voicing like Tyson/Takao, Max, and Kenny hit it off well! As for Rei’s voice and Kai’s, I always thought they fit particular well (weeelll, my SO and sister joke that Kai initially sounded like Shadow the Hedgehog but I stand by my words esp for G-Rev xD). I admittedly chuckled a bit throughout most of the 1st season because of the very random/often generic names they chose (Billy, Andrew, Kevin etc). Though I liked some names, such as the name Tala more than Yuriy. And the translation of キョウジュ (Kyoujyu) to “the Chief,” with Kenny beginning with a K for alliteration to Kyoujyu. In both cases, the feeling of the characters stay!

Beginning the sub however, I was caught off-guard at how high pitched the voices were! Story-wise, something I really like from the sub is the more somber tone in some areas. And how the names aren’t all swapped. Like Mao Chen, instead of Mariah, as one example.

But anyhow, the sub’s more serious tone is what I’d like to focus on! To elaborate on the more somber tone, take the intensity of Kai’s translated speech after his defeat of Brooklyn:

Listen up, Brooklyn. You are a true genius. You can reach further heights without having to work hard for it. It doesn’t matter what kind of special move or strategy I have. You’re so talented I could never compare. However, I still have something you lack.

Lack…?

I have… I have all of the days leading up until now. Countless battles. Victories. Defeats. Enemies. Friends. The sweat I’ve shed. Countless bruises! Rage. Grief. Joy. I have all of the days I put myself on the line for! Passionate, relentless, wonderful days! It’s what you lack, but gives me strength!

I don’t understand. You make no sense! I don’t understand!

You wouldn’t. Because you are not a blader. Every blader has a passionate heart that beats within them. You don’t have a beyspirit!

Bey… spirit?

You have no love for Beyblade. You act like a god, closed off in your own little world! I would never lose to you! Take this! This is my love!

Versus the English dub:

Kai. That’s my name. And I’m a beyblader. You might think that you are too, but you’re not. You learned from the best but you forgot one very important lesson. Beyblading is not just about overpowering your opponents with fancy moves. That’s only part of the game. There’s more to it than that. Much more. That’s why I have something you don’t.

What is it?

I’ve learned from every battle I’ve ever fought. Every friend, enemy, and spectator has always had something to offer me. And I’m a student of this game. And I always will be. Through the hardships of training. Competitions. The wins and the losses. They all taught me something. And I’ve taken that knowledge and used it to my advantage. That’s why I can say that I’m a true beyblader. That’s what keeps me going. And that’s my strength.

I don’t understand you. What are you saying?! I don’t understand!

I don’t think you ever will. Because you’re not a true blader. You have the power and the skill. But something’s missing from inside you. You don’t have the beyblading spirit!

The… spirit?

That’s why I have to win this battle. Because beyblading means more to me than you could ever understand! It’s not just a game to me!

They both technically mean the same thing, per say. But the sub hits so much harder!

The dub has more of a slight focus on the game of Beyblade itself, while Kai’s speech in the sub talks about his grief, passion, sweat, and love. Both show how Kai puts a lot of himself into beyblading, but you really get the feel of Kai as the intense, emotionally-invested blader he is with the sub. You see how despite being one of the most rationally-oriented* people on the team, he cares deeply for his work on a different level, adds a special intensity to the show, and truly makes the most of every experience he gets.

*I’d say Max and Rei are a bit more level-headed for the most part compared to Takao & Kai, but Kai reasons with his head (a foil to Takao) and isn’t afraid to lay out reason when the boys are riled up and lose sight. He’s helped to speak reason to Max and Rei throughout the 1st season and V-Force, for instance. It really solidifies him as a character who could see things through and clarify them to his friends. So it means so much more when he shows how strongly he feels, when something chips at the hard exterior and actually gets to him, as we’re used to the inexpressive Kai who keeps to himself.

#beyblade #bakuten shoot beyblade #kai hiwatari #okay but can anyone deny #the guy’s always out here speaking literal FACTS

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yjwhatif · 3 years

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With the semi/cryptic confirmation of Ed and Barts relationship in the series I have a question:

Do you think everyone knows about them (in world) or do you think they’re keeping it secret from some?

It’s just a thought that’s been in my head recently. It is most likely fuelled by the whole drama of G&B not being able to depict a “specific character” (it’s definitely Bart) as gay. They’ve had to hide the relationship from their audience - because of ridiculous reasons - but there are still moments that bring up the question - Are they? Before the reveals from AskGreg, I kinda thought- well they are clearly not together yet, but perhaps they both have feelings for one another and are just waiting for the other to make the next move because they’re nervous idiots who don’t want to have read the situation wrong — all while their friends are like - seriously guys? just get together already. Kinda like they did in s1 with Wally and Artemis - and I guess early Supermartian as well - which I would have been okay with... though with the likelihood of there being at least another two year time skip you’d probably have missed the getting together moment - which would kinda suck. Anyway. With the information about the chances being they were supposed to clearly be in a relationship throughout S3 — which makes the whole structuring of ILLUSIONS just make sense — it’s got me viewing their moments with a whole new energy. Also, I saw this post by Greg —

And let me just clarify, I have no idea if this is actually referencing the Ed and Bart stuff, it might not be (probably isn't). This is purely me speculating.

My reading of this is they got told they couldn’t depict Bart as gay pretty late on and that specifically affected ILLUSIONS where they likely intended to confirm the relationship with that first shot - the kiss on the cheek moment. Even now that moment is just odd - because it’s there but it’s not - because technically there is no actual kiss… which I think is absolutely the point. It plants the seed without actually breaking any rules - all by keeping the momentum but removing the specific kiss frame. It’s the only moment that I feel is explicit in saying they are in a relationship - everything else you can just read into and imply there’s something - but they technically don’t confirm anything.

The whole thing is actually quite interesting - despite the reasoning for it being totally ridiculous. By keeping/showing what they did... People notice it. People talk about it. People reflect on it. More people talk about it. People writing. Make. Create. Discuss it. An entire audience is formed who want and support it. It’s a whole thing now because people noticed it and generated a positive response to it - and that was before all the AskGreg information. The whole reason YJ got a season 3 is because the fans fought to get it back. Enough people talked about it - and kept talking about it - to convince TPTB that the show should come back. Greg and Brandon know this. They know the power the fans have and maybe they hoped that power would help them again in freeing Bart from these ridiculous restrictions. #letbartoutofthecloset

Obviously, we can't know until S4 is released whether G&B got the permission to confirm Bart's sexuality the way they envisioned - but maybe the responses that came during the release of 3b were enough to convince TPTB that they were fighting a losing battle. But who knows, people in power can be very stubborn at times, so we will just have to see what we get. Fingers crossed they eased up though - and not just because of the Ed/Bart relationship (which I am obviously a fan of -- it's fine if not everyone is) - but because these restrictions on LGBTQ+ content shouldn't be a thing and need to stop -- there is just no validity in them.

Anyhow. despite their not being allowed to officially confirm the relationship, Greg's comment about Ed's having a boyfriend they can't name basically confirms the fact without technically breaking any rules again. Masterfully done Wiesman. With this, it implies the pair are in fact dating during S3 which brings us back to the original question... but who knows??

With the comments of Virgil during ILLUSIONS, it's easy to assume their friends do in fact know. They also seem to have no problem being close and interacting with one another whilst in the presence of others -- that is, except for one moment...

Ever since the first time I saw this episode (ELDER WISDOM) I have always found this moment strange - because Ed seems to get kinda awkward when Barry comes to check on Bart. (Or that's how I see it at least.) He realises Flash is standing there and immediately pulls his head down averting his gaze -- almost like he doesn't want to be seen by the elder. But why? Does Barry not know about the pair -- or maybe he doesn't know about Bart and Ed thinks their current closeness is too revealing -- who's to say Bart's even fully out to the world yet -- who's to say either of them are? We certainly don't since we weren't allowed to be shown. We can't know until we know - so until then we can play the speculation game while we wait.

Bart is certainly a bit of a secret keeper when it comes to being himself. I'm still convinced the Bart we see onscreen is merely his interpretation of what he thinks people expect from a speedster in this time. We saw 'real' Bart, he was snarky and cynical and nothing like the Bart we've had for the past two seasons. He said it himself - he's playing a character - and I don't think he knows how to break out of it - not while the possibility exists that it might hurt those he's grown to care about. Bart wants to be seen a certain way to avoid acknowledging the truth of the past - if people see him as happy and smiley, then no one will question him on things he doesn't want to talk about. The problem with that is you can't hide yourself forever - cracks begin to form and eventually, the truth comes out whether you want it to or not. So who knows how comfortable Bart is revealing any of his true self to those he cares about. Maybe his relationship with Ed will be the thing that finally helps him find comfort in being himself, whilst also trusting others to still accept him as himself... and maybe getting him that bit of therapy he really needs.

This brings us to Eduardo… First, can I just say it made me so happy to see Greg’s confirmation of Ed being gay - though it is slightly annoying that he was robbed of his explicit onscreen reveal in S3 thanks to the drama with Bart. His whole relationship to his powers in S2 to S3 fits the representation of coming to terms with your sexuality/identity from a very negative point of view. Feeling like it’s something that needs fixing or needs to be “cured” - to then finding the light and freedom in accepting yourself for you. His growth between seasons is brilliant. He understands the hate and insecurity the teens are feeling because he felt it himself. He does all he can to help them because he never felt he got that help when he needed it - and no one deserves to feel worse for being who they are. Obviously, the things he talks about are framed in the context of dealing with/accepting the meta-gene - yet there are certain moments where it seems he’s saying more than that…

All of which got me wondering - why did Ed originally runaway? It certainly wasn’t because of the meta-abilities he did not yet have. All he’s ever said on the subject was he thought he wanted to be with his father - the man it seems he barely had a relationship with. No, I think Ed has been running from himself for a long time and his dad just happened to be an actual direction for him to aim for. The way he speaks about his wanting to be “cured” and “praying to get rid of his powers” suggests an upbringing around religion and traditional ideas of there being a ‘normal/proper’ way to be — while anything that doesn’t fit that way is treated as other or something that needs to be changed or 'fixed'. Maybe he ran to avoid being found out and run the risk of being ostracised by those he loved. Or maybe he was found out and leaving wasn’t entirely his choice*. If this was the case, I can certainly imagine him not wanting to come out to his dad for fear of his reaction and completely losing all chance of that father-son relationship they’re both trying so hard to keep. It can seem easier to live in secret than risk the reality of loss. So while the meta-gene likely wasn’t the main thing he was angry about in S2, it was able to become a physical thing he could blame and focus his anger on - without having to think about where his issues truly lied… Though with a bit of time it also became the thing he was comfortable conveying his feelings through...

“I’ve learned to accept, even love my meta-abilities”

I love this line so much and it’s all because of the delivery by Freddy Rodrigues. There is the slightest hint of a pause before he says “meta-abilities”, which gives the impression he was about to say something else before then remembering himself and who he was talking to. Then there’s the small inflecion he put on “love”, which makes it sound like it’s the first time he’s heard himself say the words out loud. I don’t hear him talking about the gene - I hear him talking about finally accepting himself - all of himself - for the first time in maybe ever and finally feeling happy because of it. I hear growth... From being the angry 14-year-old skater who just wanted to run away and escape any way he could. To the 16-year-old councillor/Outsider jumping straight into the danger to protect and inspire those who need it. Both he and Bart are such strong characters with so much more to be seen - especially when it comes to the insecurities which lie behind their masks. They both compliment each other pretty perfectly - both powers-wise and personality-wise - meaning while they try to hide themself from others, I don't think it'll take long for them to realise they can't hide from each other.

Anywho, that’s all the speculatary nonsense I’ve got for today. This turned into such a patchwork of vaguely linkable thoughts I’ve had which barely relate to the one I started with - but that is usually how it goes. Take it as you will…

Also, completely unrelated to YJ, but Bi Tim Drake now exists in dc canon which is really cool - seeing all of the joy it’s sparked has really given me something to smile about this week… There is hope after all. 🌈

— LB ⚡️☀️

* OK so here’s a little random snapshot into the chaos of my mind— as I was writing the Ed stuff I had a scene pop into my head of Ed finally -for whatever reason- having to tell his dad that he didn’t leave his abuelo’s home - he got kicked out. His dads confused about this and asks Why? What did you do? And Ed’s like Nothing… I didn’t do anything wrong… he just… found out something. So Seniors like Found out what Eduardo? And Ed’s getting really nervous now because he doesn’t want to say it - That I, um… I’m… Senior step a fraction closer as he picks up on Ed’s anxiety but remains an appropriate distance - Son? Then after a tensening silence he finally says it - sounding the most vulnerable he has ever been - I’m gay… The silence is there again, heavy and unnerving, neither saying a word. Ed can’t move as he’s lock in his elders unreadable glare. Expecting the worse his head drops to take in the floor - anything that isn’t the disappointment ahead - he feels the urge to disappear burning up inside him - consuming him. Then just as he’s about to escape he’s suddenly grounded by a steadying hand rooting itself on his shoulder. Tentatively he lifts his gaze to witness his father, there, with nothing but love and support in his eyes - Mijo. The clamping in his chest dissipates as all the tension escapes at once, along with the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. Ed embraces his dad and the elder embraces his son. Together. A family.

Anyway. That’s probably a load of rubbish but hey my minds full of it… but basically I really want to see a tender moment between Ed and his dad. For whatever reason. Something where Ed’s in a vulnerable state and in need of some emotional support from his father - and without hesitation his father steps up - because that’s what we haven’t seen from them yet. It would perfectly portray the strength of their relationship as father and son - despite their previous struggles - and prove that Senior is willing to support his son no matter the situation as the father - not just the scientist. Its the final step in their healing journey and I wanna see it so bad!!

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magnumdays · 2 years

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Magnum PI 4.13 - Judge Me Not review

He RESTOCKED his fridge for her (and they got a beer and movie rain-check-date...)

Maya STOLE the freaking episode. Well, parts of it.

Those are my two big take aways from this episode.

I mean obviously other things, but yeah FRIDGE and MAYA are basically the big things here. But lets start with the case and the guys+ Kumu being awesome.

Case this week

Judge Rachel Park being blackmailed to throw a murder case. She still be all ‘I’m gonna do the right thing no matter what’ and I loved that we got a reference to Magnum refusing to testify and being (in) trouble while Higgy was in Kenya. And that this was what landed them this gig! See, it pays to be the most goodest (yes, that’s a word...) and loyal PI around!

(Side note: I spent the whole episode just being like: I know this lady, where do I know her from. And as it turns out she was on three episodes of Burn Notice back in 2009 and apparently that’s all it takes for me to remember a face ten years later...oops 13 years? where did time go...)

Anyways liked the case. And the ending. A judge admitting to having worked as an escort feels like (in America) it would be a career killer. But this is TV and we can be accepting and glad she did that, making sure no one can blackmail her again and being a role model and inspiration for women having to make choices they wouldn’t otherwise, showing they can have a different future.

Higgy liked it the speech at least. And Magnum liked that she liked it. So that’s the important part.

Enjoyed our faves getting arrested tremendously even if it was maybe a bit gimmicky - like come on there were like 20 cops for people breaking into a empty office? Still fun! And Kumu coming to get them out? Best!

Higgy not amused...

(Also, why is both of them two inches taller here than they are in real life? Real life Perdie is 5′4 and Jay is 5′8 right?(she so smol!!) Do they not make you take your shoes off for mug shot photos? And shoes, unless wearing heels which would not be practical for B&E, are not going to add two inches right? Are they just making our babies taller because...heightism? Not cool!)

Can we also talk about how hot they look wearing their matching black outfits? They should have had a photo shoot and used the best pic as the Christmas card they send to their exes for next year... (just a suggestion...)

Kumu Rocks + Rick vs. Papaya

Kumu really is simply the best. Being all “I’d expect this from you Thomas but Juliet?” And she even brings breakfast when she gets our faves out of jail!

Did Higgy be all ‘okay mom’ there at the end... sure it was all jokey-jokey but Kumu def. is the mom to our flock of idiots!

So yeah, Rick trying to swaddle a papaya? Funny, but like a baby is bigger than a papaya... I mean newborn without arms or legs or head, maybe Papaya sized? But as Higgy points out, papayas don’t move. Or squiggle. Or poop. Anyhow, Rick is freaking a bit about being a dad. Understandable. So he gonna re-model La Mariana and get 45 minute chairs... I mean, that’s a thing?

(Apparently?)

In the end Kumu saves the day here too and she talks some sense into Rick and even gets him a tax break and possibly more business. (The papaya doesn't make it though...) While I’m enjoying Rick nervous dad, I do hope they cut back on it so we can have Rick and Suzy nervous together or doing baby fixing stuff.

Maya

So, Maya... first of all bad ass hot as fuck and clearly a worthy adversary (and possibly ally) to our gang.

They clearly plan to have her be a returning character or at least be in one more episode this season I’d expect as this episode was quite focused on introducing her and her skills.

The woman clearly had some interesting vibes with Magnum, and she reminds me weirdly of Hannah. Not only appearance wise (slightly) but also the sort of pragmatic attitude she seems to be Queen of. I would not be surprised if we get some weird team up where they play couple undercover (to make Juliet jealous of course.) Or for something fun like a gay-club and do Higgy/Maya fake date/kiss and make Magnum all hot and bothered...

But that’s all going to depend on what they do with Maya, maybe she’s going to be more antagonist than anything? BUT she didn’t really do anything bad this episode. Sure, some blackmailing and getting our babies thrown into jail. But grand scheme of things... I think she could be the devil siding with the angels upon occasion!

So yeah, having a slightly morally gray character would be nice, as most of the gang (excluding maybe Jin... but he also be a big marshmallow) are as pure as driven snow currently. Not that they can’t kill someone with a spoon. They just try super-duper hard not to!

Maya be real interesting that’s for sure and we do love a girl boss. Over all, look forward to seeing what they do with Maya!

Ending with the Miggy

Higgins going to Magnum’s fridge, finding it empty and then commenting on the place not smelling of the standard Lia scented candle?

And him being all “if I could quit it that fast, was it really a habit?”... Right then I was like “I NEED HIM to buy groceries and stuff at some point this season to show he actually would do it not just for Lia but for himself and Higgy” and then they give it to me the very SAME EPISODE!!!

(Let’s all appreciate the fact that Magnum’s fridge is clean and empty rather than dirty and empty...)

Random thing I wondered about. Other than her match-y match-y black outfit they have Higgy in shades of red this episode, first this gorgeous top

and then this, slightly less striking which is red-orange brown-ish with pink on it outfit.

Not sure why I thought that was interesting. Maybe because red is like symbolic for love and passion... though this isn’t a very Miggy focused episode. IDK, my mind noticed so I’m pointing it out.

We did have some adorable Miggy banter and some just banter-for-banter-sake (which I don’t like as much) through out the episode. Mostly it’s just them being partners (in crime! literally this week) and working well together, bouncing ideas off even in sitting in different jail cells!

As said, do love the jail bit, though what was the five year old Magnum coming out to play with the whole ‘don’t talk to me while you’re on the toilet’ thing!?! Higgins being worried about her visa is nice contingency. Was this also why Magnum was all “go out the back I’ll draw them off” or was that just him being his chivalrous self?

(Healthy balanced fridge right there - lots of beer, pineapple, condiments, eggs and milk. And is that bread? And cereal? In the fridge? I’m so confused, who keeps bread and frosted flakes in the fridge??? Is this a warm climate thing? To prevent bugs and mold?)

Anyhow, best moment here was probably when he be putting groceries away and Higgins thinks he’s back with Lia and we get sad unsure Higgy for a second and then him going “Nope, but there are other people around here so I should do it for them” and we all know it’s basically her he’s doing it for.

She’s little confused and happy and suddenly nervous as soon as she realizes this fact. And immediately makes an excuse to get out of there... because she be Higgy.

So yeah, super cute and I like that he got a new fragrance that feels much more like a Miggy scent (tobacco-vanilla) to me for some reason.

Then we get the little cherry on top with him asking if she wants to stay for a movie and beer. Which she declines because the she worried about expenses...but judges have money? Judge Rachel should be paying them the big bucks for this one! Me just thinks Higgy is a little bit chicken about spending the evening drinking beer and cozying up with her partner...

Yeah. I enjoyed it, Maya’s introduction makes me excited for more of her, which I think was really the point of this episode. Good work on you Magnum PI creators! Minus points to whoever schedules shows because (from what I heard) we got four weeks to wait for the next episode which is always a bummer!!

#Magnum PI #magnum pi my review #Magnum PI 4.13 #Miggy #Thomas Magnum #Juliet Higgins #miggins #TC #Rick #Kumu

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yazthebookish · 2 years

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Your kogic about we need gwyn’s pov to understand her magic if she is a lightsinger doesn’t make sense. We had a scene with elain’s seer power in acowar but we didn’t have her pov. Or we know azriel is a shadowsinger and have scene with her shadows but we didn’t have his pov until bonus chapter. Gwyn can still be a lightsinger in the next book without her pov.

Again, what will it serve?

Elain's seer powers were still useful as they were used to further the plot at one point, we will have to see in her book from her POV how she is dealing with those powers because they will be part of her arc. ACOWAR wasn't only focused on Feysand, they were focused more on resolving the main conflict. Also, we barely know anything about Elain's powers that's why we're getting her POV.

What doesn't make sense is to expect Gwyn to deal with her "Lightsinger powers" which is part of her arc in a book that will focus on a couple and their own plot/the overarching plot. Each couple gets one book only. If *theoretically* the next book is an Elain/Azriel book, which I don't believe it is but let's just imagine this scenario.

To expect Elain and Azriel who have a lot to unpack and deal with—also deal with another character's conflict doesn't make sense. Especially when that character does not have an immediate impact on Elain but it does on Azriel in a way. You'll want Azriel's attention to also be focused on Gwyn and her powers?

The thing is it's not only about understanding Gwyn's powers, some people claim she is using them knowingly or unknowingly. If this is the case then that's an obstacle Gwyn has to overcome, if some claim that's what Sarah is setting up in ACOSF/bonus chapter. That's a huge plot thing that has to be dealt with. We are talking here about powers that some claim affect everyone around her and the fact that she is being used by the antagonists.

Alright, you have her as a Lightsinger in the next book, for what purpose? Aside from ships, tell me narrative-wise what it's going to serve? We have Autumn Court drama, we have possibly an Illyrian conflict on the rise, we have Koschei and the Queens. How do her powers resolve any conflict if they are being treated as the main conflict for the couple?

Sure some like to entertain the idea that Gwyn is being manipulated by Merrill or Koschei, that's still is a HUGE plot thing to be dealt with. Gwyn is being put in a position as an obstacle between Elain and Azriel and that she's only a puppet. Do you know the impact that kind of scenario has not only on Azriel but also the Valkyries? The priestesses? for Gwyn to be revealed as a traitor among them? To Gwyn's own healing journey.

How does that get resolved? How does Gwyn who already carries so much guilt about her sister's death gets over such a betrayal? Will Azriel and Elain show up the good people that they are and tell her "yeah it's okay we will train you to use your powers for good and you didn't do anything you were just manipulated bye." doesn't that sound ridiculous? doesn't that belittle Gwyn's own healing journey?

Anyhow, the point is you want Gwyn to be heavily involved in an Elr*el book as a Lightsinger because you'd rather treat her as an obstacle without considering how much damage that does to the Valkyries dynamic Sarah built up in ACOSF. And for what?

I don't need to make sense to you but canon does prove how flawed Gwyn is a Lightsinger theory is so I'm content with that.

#asks

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sorryforbeingcrazy · 3 years

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After binge-watching Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, I have thoughts to share…So, buckle up, kids.

I am a child of the 90’s, but Buffy aired when I was too young to watch it (1 year old, to be precise). So, I hadn’t have watched the series until now. And even tho I would have enjoyed it then, I’m kind of happy that I got to watch it now.

You cannot believe the joy that has given me these series (above all seasons 1-3). I loved it. What I’ve loved the most is how it surprised me. I was expecting the goofiness of it, the obvious stunts-doubles, the make up, the poor cgi (almost nom existent), I was ready for all of it. But what I was not expecting was the GREATEST CHARACTERS I’VE SEEN IN A LONG LONG TIME.

Oh my god…Every single character, Buffy, Xander, Giles, Willow, Tara, Cordelia, Angel, Spike…and so on. I was much more invested in them than into any monsters they could throw me. I found myself laughing, crying, hurting, fearing for them. I was so invested…

It wasn’t perfect. It had its upside-downs, but it was a very nice ride.

The dynamic between Buffy, Willow and Xander was flawless.

I loved Giles with all my heart.

I liked Angel most of the time. But sometimes I have to admit that I wanted to punch him in his face.

Tara owns my heart.

Depending on the episode I loved Dawn or hated her with all my heart.

I must admit that I found Anya pretty anoying most of the time.

And now…because I have such a fucking weakness for bad guys, that are some evil creature, with a remarkable english accent, a deep voice and such a dry and sarcastic sense of humor…I’m sorry not sorry, Spike has stolen my heart. It’s the character that I’ve loved and hated the most. His journey through the seasons has been espectacular (sometimes I think that they pushed him too far script-wise). But I just love him. I really do. You cannot believe how much I cried at the end…

Anyhow. I really like it. Some of the episodes were absolutely phenomenal and overall it was a great ride.

#buffy the vampire slayer #btvs #buffy summers #xander harris #willow rosenberg #angel #spike #william the bloody #my thoughts #i just watched

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amphibious-entity · 3 years

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TMBS Book 1 Brain Dump

~An Embarrassingly Long Post~

I don’t know why I’m writing this or why I’m so determined to do it. Maybe to finally assume my true form and become a mega dork on main, or maybe just for fun!

This is basically a compilation of all the main points running through my head after reading The Mysterious Benedict Society (2007) for the first time. Rather than posting a ton and spamming the tag, everything’s here in one neat package! (hopefully this gets it all out of my system rip)

Contents:

The Book Itself

The Book Itself, for real this time

The Characters

A Funny Parallel

The S.Q. Section

Lines & Scenes I Liked

Spoilers abound!

The Book Itself

Upon acquiring the first three books (don’t judge me pls), I was surprised at just how long they are. Like, they’re still pretty light being paperbacks and all, but these books are hefty lads.

The first book has this Disney+ Original Series circle thing printed on it, which is kind of unfortunate. Regardless, I love the cover illustration and yellow is actually my favorite color :D It made me weirdly quite happy whenever I saw the book lying around in my room

Also, it’s really cute how there’s a letter from Mr. Benedict at the end! (It only reveals that you can find out his first name if you “know the code”, meaning the bit of Morse printed below the summary on the back.) Shock and horror, though, as I realized I’m starting to recognize some of the letters

The Book Itself, for real this time

It’s wonderful how the tone of the book really shone through to the show adaptation. Something about the deliberateness of the aesthetic, from the set designs to the fashion to scene compositions, that really sells that particular style— like it’s very clear that this story is being told to us, rather than one we’re seeing unfold, if that makes sense.

Where that narration style stood out to me the most was the first chapter. We are told (rather than shown) how Reynie gets himself to the point of the second test, and there’s this whole twisty time maneuver for that whole sequence of events that’s really interesting

A super secret fun fact about me is that I wanted to be a writer when I was younger! So this particular balance of show vs. tell is really neat, since it runs counter to my own tendencies. The sheer amount of commas in every sentence is also kind of comforting, since Ahah, I Do That in those few serious-ish attempts at writing lol

Overall this book’s style reminds me a lot of Roald Dahl’s books, which are very nostalgic for me :D The whole “kids are more competent than adults” angle helps a lot too haha

The Characters

Oh boy here’s where I get a little bit critical! Overall I did really like this book!! it’s just that that expresses itself in all this weird “”analysis”” lol

Reynie - much better in the books than in the show

It’s sort of a lukewarm take but I feel like show!Reynie is kind of boring? He doesn’t have a lot going on flaw-wise, and obviously since he’s the protagonist he can’t have too many weird traits or else the kids watching can’t project themselves onto him as easily

(I call it the difference between an aspirational protagonist and a vessel protagonist. Going off of the Roald Dahl vibes, think Matilda vs Charlie. show!Reynie is more of a Charlie)

Thus when we get to see him really struggle with the Whisperer and doubt himself it gives him a lot more dimension, at least in my opinion

It is a federal crime that the white knight scenes were not adapted into the show

Sticky - my son

I’ve long held to no one besides myself and my long suffering sister that Sticky is The Best Member of the Society

He happened to hit a lot of the Bingo squares of Stuff I Like In Characters: glasses, anxious, nice :), kind of a coward but ultimately is there for his friends, etc

For some reason I don’t talk about him nearly as much as you-know-who, but I love him just as dearly

Kate & Constance - I don’t have much to say

Kate is really interesting in this book! I like how we get to see more of her depths, in particular that one passage about her belief that she is invincible being the only thing that keeps her from falling apart? :c

Also her constant fidgeting is relatable lol

Constance is somehow a lot more tolerable in the book. I think I’m just one of those people with no patience for small children, unfortunately lol

(Some of) The Adults

It’s interesting that they had such an offscreen presence for most of the book. Giving them more time was probably one of the stronger changes of the show

However if that decision was made at the expense of the white knight scenes I think the choice should have been clear

I like the way Rhonda and Number Two are written

Milligan always on sad boy hours 😔✊

The “mill again” passage is touching but kind of messes up the pacing of the getaway, at least for me. Maybe I should read it again to make sure I didn’t miss something

Miss Perumal is much better in the show. We see so little of her in the book she doesn’t function well as an emotional anchor for Reynie, imo

The Institute Gang

Jackson and Jillson serve their purpose well, and Martina was surprising to say the least. I like the direction they took her in the show! I can’t imagine how funny it must have been to watch the tetherball subplot come out of nowhere lolol

These sections were written out of sequence, so random tidbit I couldn’t fit in The S.Q. Section: I like how he stumbles over his words. relatable

Mr. Curtain

While I think I know why they decided to not give Curtain the wheelchair in the show, we were totally robbed of Actor Tony Hale’s performance for the reveal during the final confrontation

Speaking of the wheelchair, it’s such a powerful symbol of his need for control or rather, his fear of losing it

The Contrast between him and Mr. Benedict. This point is expanded on in A Funny Parallel

Mr. Benedict

Oh boy, Mr. Benedict… How do I say this

I find it hard to trust Mr. Benedict, unfortunately

I mean to say, I do in the sense that I know he would never hurt the kids, thanks to knowing that a) this is a children’s book series and b) the meta (tumblr) states that he is really nice and lovable and stuff, but seriously. Why do the kids trust him at first?? I probably missed something somewhere

I like to think I’m an optimistic person, but unfortunately I’m also super paranoid. The premise of “a bunch of vulnerable orphans team up with a strange old man” is just so odd to me I don’t know how to explain it

I don’t know!!! I really want to trust Mr. Benedict

One of the strengths of the show is that we get to see him more often, and thus he gets to acknowledge more often that the plan is weird and that he feels really badly for putting the kids in danger and that he’s trustworthy and genuine

But his lack of presence for most of the book just makes him into something of a specter, invisible and unknowable, speaking only in riddles from across the bay

Which is why the white knight scene is so important!! I loved that scene ;-;

Because here’s an actual emotional connection! We can actually see it happening, rather than only being told that it exists

Reynie asking for advice and receiving encouragement, in words that demonstrate that Mr. Benedict actually cares about him and worries about him and agghh

It is a federal crime that the white knight scenes were not adapted into the show

But overall this whole issue didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book at all! It’s just ->

A Funny Parallel

Okay, ready for my biggest brain, hottest take ever??

Mr. Benedict and Mr. Curtain…. are… the same

I mean obviously not entirely, given that one is benevolent and kind and the other is… Mr. Curtain

But seriously. Genius old man seeks out children (mainly orphans) to enact a plan. Said children often end up incredibly devoted to his cause and deeply admire him this is a little flimsy

Undoubtedly that’s intentional and is supposed to show the difference between them, like some kind of cautionary tale? “Let yourself be vulnerable and let others help you, lest you turn eeeeviiillll”

I guess that’s where the aforementioned epic contrast comes in. You get Mr. Curtain, strapped into his wheelchair and hiding behind those mirrored sunglasses, terrified (but unwilling to admit it) of ever showing the tiniest hint of vulnerability, vs. Mr. Benedict, who can let himself fall knowing that someone will catch him :’)

Anyhow I have nothing against the parallels, I just think it’s funny

The S.Q. Section

The S.Q. Quarantine Thread so it doesn’t leak out everywhere else <3

I’d like to meet the emo angstlord genius who read this book and decided to make SQ into Dr. Curtain’s son. What in the world

Okay I should probably preface this by saying that I absolutely adore both book!S.Q. and show!SQ with all my heart. Somehow, despite being a completely different character in both mediums, he has managed to be one of the best characters in either and certainly one of my favorites (besides Sticky of course) in the entire franchise, despite the fact that I’ve only read the first book/watched the show so far. I am confident in this statement.

But seriously! How?? Why?? I could probably write a whole other essay about why show!SQ is such an interesting character, and the change works so incredibly well. I’m just. Baffled

Okay, focus. book!S.Q. is such a sweetheart, oh my goodness. Like, 100% one of the most endearing characters in the book. Poor guy. I don’t even know where to start!!

He just seems to be a genuinely good guy at heart, despite being technically one of the bad guys. He’s genuinely happy for Reynie and Sticky when they became Messengers and helped Kate when she “fell” and was concerned about Constance when she looked sick and how he was in that meeting with Mr. Curtain and Martina?!!? aaahhhhghgh ;-; he just wants people to be happy TT-TT

Comparing him against literally every character at the Institute is probably what makes him so endearing tbh. When everyone else is so awful to the kids, it really makes him stand out. Like a cheerful little nightlight in the worst, most humid and rank bathroom you’ve ever been in

It’s kind of pointless to theorize about a book series that’s already concluded (I think?) but. Is the implication of S.Q.’s forgetfulness supposed to be that Mr. Curtain used him in brainsweeping experiments somehow? The timeline probably definitely absolutely doesn’t line up but like. How did he get to being a Messenger being the way he is now, given how cutthroat the process is? And then of course Mr. Curtain keeps him around as an Executive because he’s fun to mess with and presumably his loyalty. I’m very curious as to how their relationship develops in the other books, if at all. Those are probably where the seeds of the “let’s make them family” logic were planted

But wouldn’t it be hilarious if the reason we don’t know what “S.Q.” stands for in the books is that he just. Forgot

Another thing that occurred to me. Given that he and the other Executives were Messengers at some point, what were their worst fears? What is S.Q.’s worst fear?? Inquiring minds need to know

One last horrible little anecdote: I was thinking about book!S.Q. while eating breakfast, as one does, and suddenly it hit me.

I want to believe The Author Trenton Lee Stewart had the name for a character, S.Q. Pedalian, and was like, “Hm! What sort of quirky trait should this young fellow have?” Because, of course, in this style of fiction every character has to have at least one cartoonish or otherwise distinguishing trait to stand out in the minds of children. (For instance, Kate has her bucket, Sticky has his glasses, Constance is angry, and Reynie is Emmett from the Lego Movie)

Anyhow, he looks around the room, searching for inspiration. Suddenly he comes across a jumbo box of plastic wrap. Completely innocuous in design, save for one line of text. 300 SQ FT.

“…large… S.Q. …feet? THAT’S IT!” i’m sorry

Lines & Scenes I Liked

In no particular order!

Sticky quotes Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Evil combination aerobics/square dancing in the gym with the Executives

Everyone being happy at the end :’)

Everyone partying after Sticky reunites with his parents, and later finding Mr. Benedict asleep at his desk from the moment they shook hands :’’)

Literally any scene with Sticky in it

Any time Kate says “you boys” or “gosh”

[“Um, sir?” S.Q. said timidly, raising his hand. “A thought just occurred to me.” / Mr. Curtain raised his eyebrows. “That’s remarkable, S.Q. What is it?”] clown prince of my heart </3

S.Q.’s determined monologue about searching for clues after he bungled up the first time

Literally any scene with S.Q. in it (please refer to The S.Q. Section)

Reynie trying to resist the Whisperer.

[Let us begin. / First let me polish my spectacles, Reynie thought. / Let us begin. / Not without my bucket, Reynie insisted. He heard Mr. Curtain muttering behind him. / Let us begin, let us begin, let us begin. / Rules and schools are tools for fools, Reynie thought.]

NO MORE HURTIN’ WITH CURTAIN

Milligan showing up on the island!!

Remember the white knight hhhhhh

“controle”

A Super Secret Bonus Section

I would be extremely surprised if anyone read through all the way down here lol. Regardless, here’s a little acknowledgements section :D not tagging anyone since I don’t want to bother all of these people

Special shoutout to tumblr blog stonetowns for unknowingly yet singlehandedly demolishing my reluctance to read the books by posting a ton of cute quotes. Thank you for your service o7

Thanks to the two OGs that liked the post I made right before this one, for being my unwitting enablers and for sticking around despite being a) technically an internet stranger (hello!) and b) someone I haven’t spoken to irl in literal years (hey!!)

Last but not least thankz 2 my sister for putting up with me ranting about the book when I first got it and for asking about “CQ” sometimes lol. (i desperately hope you’re not reading this orz)

#the mysterious benedict society #this took me like three days to finish rip #it’s worked though! i feel less of a Mighty Need to think about this stuff constantly now #however!!! today through some conniving i have gotten the Second Book #now I’m at 3 out of 4 infinity stones. muahahaha #was going to include my villain origin story about why i like show!SQ so much but cut it for being too long and irrelevant. however #if the words jeff naomi and Sweet Dreams are Made of These mean anything to you please hit me up. it’s kind of a funny story

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sparklycardigan · 3 years

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Your tags on the "Jess and Lorelai are alike" post reminds me of something that occurred to me a while back, and that is: Jess is a combination of all the people Rory loves most, in one person. He's like Lorelai, but he's also like Luke. And she can share music with him the way she does with Lane, and argue with him like Paris, and share her love of literature with him like Richard... I mean, I know I'm biased, but clearly that means he's her perfect person! 😉 (Once they're both mature and ready, of course. Which is the thing, isn't it?)

Believe it or not, this actually crossed my mind a couple of times too, I'm just incapable of articulating my thoughts sometimes, mind gets overcrowded with ideas and the ideas obviously like hanging out together, but they also fight and I'm pretty sure there's some popcorn involved too (woah, previous sentence, Lorelai much?). Okay, hear me out (for the 2627627372 time, how do people still put up with me, where's the Lorelai quote???

yeah, that's the one!!!!!😌)

Anyhow, here are the 🎇thoughts🎇 (heads up: the following text is messy and probably makes zero sense, sorry in advance):

It's already been established that Jess is kind of an anomaly to the Gilmore Girls universe given how he has storylines that are entirely separated from the lives of the girls. If any of the characters was going to be shown as (shown as, it's all about perception) a collection of different personalities, it was him (besides the Gilmores, but they are the protagonists, it makes sense that they are the ones with the most layer). And people tend to be contradictory personality-wise in real life, but for writing, choosing to put the main focus on particular character(s) and showing the story from their point of view implies that you have to approach everybody else's story with a rather subjective lens. And that means how every person in the life of the main character gets a set of traits that resonate with said main character the most. Those are the traits that are going to be highlighted. Example (everything turns into a science experiment with me apparently): if Paris were to be the main character, the show would have naturally explored more of her journey and given us more information about her experiences (note how we already have more than enough material to analyse when it comes to her, but the things we have are heavily intertwined with the way Rory perceives her), but would have cut a bunch of Rory-related storylines. Maybe Paris wouldn't be as beloved because there would be more of her to see and Rory would have been a very different character from the Rory that we know (in what way different, I don't know, but it's not that relevant to my point). What I'm trying to put an accent on here is that Jess obviously has a lot of traits that resonate with Rory considering the manner in which his story is handled. It all links directly to that conversation we had a while back, the "they see each other with absolutely no filter" one. Rory understands and knows Jess (and vice versa, but the important puzzle piece here is that the show is told through Rory's pov) to that great of an extent to make him worth the risk of challenging the way this entire creative universe works (this can be applied to Luke in relation to Lorelai too). Even with Lane, the aspects of her life we are allowed to witness are the aspects of her life that Rory's been introduced to in detail (and if Rory knows about it, it's automatically a part of her universe). On the other hand, there's a bunch of stuff that Jess goes through that Rory has absolutely no knowledge of (and doesn't get to discover in the eternity of the show either, the swan incident for example), but still, the creators chose to show us that regardless. I think it says a lot about the importance of Jess in Rory's life. I totally followed the train of thought too far into the forest here, I'm a big time geek when it comes to the writing process and the way that things work😅. I just think it's not a coincidence that Jess is shown to share/shares that many personality traits with people important to Rory. And yes, I'm referring to him and Rory as life mates (let's just hope I get the copyright from Anne Shirley in court) from now on, I think it fits perfectly. They're each other's person, you know? And I am in no way dissatisfied with their ending in AYTL (open endings my beloved <3). Literati just give me that "best friends first, soul connection" vibe (and I kind of have a reputation for being a platonic soulmates queen around here so I suppose my take is somewhat valid, friendship is the solid ground of their dynamic, that's why they keep coming back to each other, there's no magical destiny stuff involved, I need to write a detailed post on that). I do believe Jess is Rory's 🎇perfectly imperfect geek🎇. And now I shall add Grey's Anatomy quotes because that's from where I get the my person obsession:

I think I might be a Gilmore myself, I managed to talk about a thousand things in one post and who knows what will happen in the tags...

#to further my friendship is the centre of their dynamic theory #the quotes i shared are meant platonically + literati and the relationship from the gifs are my main obsession in both shows #so yeah #look at me all objective and evidence at the ready #none of this makes sense #literati #otp: it's just you #otp: you wrote a book #gg meta #gilmore girls #jo rambles #but seriously im rarely big on romantic stuff and im obviously obsessed with literati #im taking that as proof that they aren't just bad boy good girl trope physical attraction is all there is to it #that's definitely not the case #sparkly answers

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botwstoriesandsuch · 4 years

Text

DEAR FISH FUCKERS, YOU’RE WELCOME

I’ve done what no other has done before (to my knowledge) and found the aging system for the Zora!

Ok so this started as simple research for this ask

See, I misread the phrasing of “best educated guess” to “research for 2 hours and come to a conclusive answer” so anyhow before I indulge you into the answers of the universe allow me to explain the research I’ve come across

[TL;DR at the bottom]

So firstly, we have to look at our conclusive evidence, from which we’ll base our theory/headcanon on, which can mainly be found in the Creating a Champion book, and some dialogue in game. I’ve compiled them all in these bullets here

Zora children are around 20ish years old [as said by dialogue with Finley in her love letter sidequest, I don’t have a screenshot but please just take my word for it]

150ish is considered middle-aged for Zora

Muzu is around 4 centuries old

Curved claws, weathered fins, and worn noses are signs of an older Zora that is more than 3 centuries(ish) old

Zora that were friends with Link must be around 150ish (not just 100), since you need to also account for the 20+ years of growing from a child stage, to the more normal sized form that you see them in the game, ergo, it’s that age plus the 100 years stasis that we determine the “middle age” of around 150

150 is the middle age, double that for the average old age of 300 years, but I say it could go to 400 too for additional reasons I’ll explain later with examples with my final age system. Anyhow, Muzu is around 400 if you take the 100 years for actually growing up from childhood, additional 100+ years of holding a different job as I doubt you just straight out hire a councilman without experience, and then another century for where he first started working in in the council, training Mipha, which would overlap with the period of the pre and post Great Calamity and Link’s return, meaning that’s 3 centuries plus 50ish years if we’re being generous with the overlap. This would help line up with the “for over a century” line as that doesn’t quite mean 2 centuries of working in the council, but Muzu is definitely getting up there to 4 centuries for his age alone

Now, I thought, this was gonna be my breakthrough, this screenshot here, depicting the traits of the older Zora. The elderly Zora are probably around 3 centuries old (since King Dorephan said they were young men around Mipha’s time, 150ish+100 gives us the range of 250-300), so I was like “Oh l can look at the size of their fins and noses and head/tail things and find a more efficient way to find their age” but nOPE. There is very little variation in that ballpark, the Zora either have exaggerated weathered noses or nice and shiny fins and no in between. The size of their head fins are roughly the same, with again, the only exaggerated differences being with the King and Sidon which doesn’t help at all because the Royal Zora already have a bunch of other difference such as their SIZE to name one.

I even went to the part about their curved toes, which initially would line up with some other Zora like Muzu

And let me tell you

I’ve looked at their toes

This is them from a child, a middle-aged, and an elderly. Color doesn’t matter and the curve? Well there’s

BARELY A DIFFERENCE

At least not nearly enough to find an efficient way to find age. Even Muzu’s final model didn’t have the exaggerated curvature as seen in the book.

I looked at their tail tail fins, (not the tail on their head, but their actual small rounded tail fin by their butts) because the book also mentioned how the grown Zora have more pronounced tail fins compared to the kids, but it was the same for the 150s and the 300s sooo not that helpful

So I kept digging. In the book I found that King Dorephan was crowned around 100 years before the game started. In addition I reread the 10 Zora stone monuments and found that he had killed a Guardian with his bare hands and thrown it off a cliff, which he still had a scar from.

[and yes I attempted to find his definitive age by seeing how long it takes for a scar to fade but I gave up cause Zora anatomy is too different to find a conclusive answer]

So I was like, “ok Dorephan had to have been around 150 when he came to the throne, then 50 years later the guardians are excavated giving way to the story about the guardian...” blah blah blahbla I even went to the supposed site where that guardian was, but it all didn’t really give me that much more info than what I already knew. I was researching ways to age the rock monuments from visuals alone which needless to say is pretty impossible, so I gave up on finding Dorephan’s age and I kept digging.

All I wanted was something physical that could properly give way to identifying a Zora’s age was that too much to ask???

Now this is where I had all but given up, it seems that my only answer was this vague note about how their fins move up when they grow

Which, to be fair, held true when I looked at the in-game character models myself, but I can’t exactly pixel measure these things for each Zora.

But THAT’S where the revelation came. I was so focused on finding inconsistencies within the elderly Zora, when I should have been looking at the young baby ones. See, this pictures, literally right next to the page about elderly Zora that I was analyzing for ages, is the key to it all

Now, I was thinking about the rings on a tree, and certain species of banded fish that grow and discard different markings as they grow older, I even counted the neck rings on certain Zora to see if they did that thing where they add a ring for each birthday like some African and Asian cultures do (look it up, that stuff’s pretty interesting!) and that is where it struck me.

Count how many luminescent markings are on their head

The males have 11, the females have 8 (on the one side, the other side has the same number of dots but for simplicity purposes I’m doing one side)

Now let’s count for these Zoras, who are middle aged-ish

The male has 10, the female has 7.

Now let’s look at the oldest Zora that we know of

3 dots above the eye, four on the tail. Muzu that motherfucker has 7 damn dots and I couldn’t be happier.

MY DUDES, GALS, AND PALS THIS IS IT, I’VE CHECKED AND DOUBLE CHECKED WITH NEARLY EVERY ZORA I COULD AND THE NUMBER OF LUMINESCENT MARKINGS ON THEIR HEAD CORRESPONDS WITH THE AMOUNT OF CENTURIES THEY’VE LIVED, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY DOWN TO THE DOT

First we have Muzu, who as I’ve preciously stated is around 4 centuries old. 11-4? Oh, it’s seven, and that’s the amount of markings he has? OOoo??

How about this Zora Lady who recognized Link from 100 years ago?

Seven dots? 8-7 is 1 so shes just over one century which lines up timeline wise. You can even see how the third dot is slowing shrinking on her head so she’s coming up on 2 centuries

Ok how about the elders?

NINE. 11-9 is 2 centuries, with again, the dot by their head shrinking significantly showing how they’re getting up on 3 centuries.

The part I circled in green there is jewelry, not a marking, however this only goes further to prove my point. What better way to appear youthful than to have jewelry that makes it look like you have more markings than you have, made with luminous stone, no less.

This guy? Seggin? Super close to 4 centuries, those dots are fading away fast. Count your days old timer

Random dude that doesn’t recognize Link but is an new apprentice for sculpture making? 10 dots, a fresh 1 century pal, lookin young

I was a feral child running across the Domain screaming people’s ages in their face like a rude, naive, brat, I was elated to say the least. Especially since this system even works on the King himself

[plus one dot slightly behind the fin here...]

King Dorephan has 7 dots, he’s 400 years old. Which still lines up timeline wise, especially since he’s similar age with Muzu who he has stated is one of his most trusted advisors, beecaaaaaaaause of the years they’ve spent working together the timelines match uppppppp

This system works for almost all Zora, with 2 exceptions. Guards have helmets that cover their markings, so it’s impossible to tell. In addition, Prince Sidon, has sixteen lights on this hammerhead because he’s fancy like that (we already know he’s canonically 2ish centuries old anyhow from the DLC)

EDIT: I WAS WRONG THIS WORKS FOR SIDON TOO. The sixteen markings I was referring to was actually the amount of marking on each side of the head total, however if we look at the markings for only one side, like intended

Ten dots, Sidon’s over 100 years old. I’d say he’s closer to 150 given the timeline

Essentially, the most surefire way to find almost any Zora’s age is to identify a male or female Zora, count the number of lights on the side of their head/tail thing, then subtract from 11 if they’re a male, and from 8 for a female. The number left is how many centuries they’ve lived. You can check to see if their markings are shrinking and fading to get a sense if they’re coming up on the next century anytime soon. Comparing this with the oldest Zora we see in game, we can conclusively say that the Zora lifespan is around 3 to 4 centuries since no Zora has been seen with less than seven markings

Now go and make your Zora ocs with your appropriate number of lights. I’m gonna have a cookie

#botw #breath of the wild #legend of zelda botw #loz botw #zora #zora botw #botw theory #botw headcanon #no fuck that this IS canon

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