#// i love this show so goddamn much

[jackabbot]

giffing from this episode i realised how many kinda one-sided conversations there were in it... like, they aren't actually one-sided, but there are long beats were only one character is talking and it's such a testament to the cast how present they all are in these scenes without saying anything

[wonderousmonarch]

Kuugun

[krashlite]

Love arcane

(Ramble under the cut)

Gimme character arcs where people make really dumb and reckless decisions because of emotion and where “smart” only goes as far as your stability. Gimme storylines where the most formidable foe is the one that finds the balance between emotional bonds and tactical advantages- but the most dangerous one is someone frantically clawing at both because they have neither.

All the little side tangents and all of the acting out personal vendettas, while still holding onto what little hope there is. All the times they miss the forest for the trees and can’t see past the fight in front of their faces- either losing themselves to that violence, running away, or accepting it like you accept the smog in your lungs from pollution.

And in that, people’s morals don’t impact actions, their actions impact their morals. Everyone is acting on impulse and finding ways to rationalize it so they’re in the right. There’s so much cognitive dissonance and like, it gets into that disconnect from reality (ESPECIALLY with Jinx, ESPECIALLY with Caitlyn with the way s2 looks to be going). Nobody wants to believe they’re wrong so they jump through hoop after hoop to convince themself they’re good. And when they’re finally proven wrong, they cling to small, kind gestures, or to the One remaining tenet of their morality, or the One part of their personality they just can’t shake.

And the way it’s written, if one character falls, they ALL fall including the antagonists. They’re all connected and will pull against each others’ arcs whether they intend to or not because they belong to the same world.

It’s so complicated and so interconnected in ways you just can’t predict or control, it’s up to each individual character to find solid ground and work together or to find a common enemy or just stop one person from spiraling and THAT’S!! THE!! GOOD!! SHIT!!

[neospokenworld]

Just got around to watch episode 4 of Call of the Night S2... What is it with this week and releasing the absolute best episodes of their shows? This is the 3rd one in a row I see do it lol

[probablyautistic-definitleygay]

GOD it must be so difficult for Bashir being the only bitch serving this level of ✨CUNT✨ on DS9

i need that Sudanese-English doctor in a way that violates the Prime Directive :))))))

[silverquillsideas]

So. I have a lot of feels about suo wei's drunk confessions 😭 and I just need to sort them out here.

it all begins at the car, where suo wei tells jiang xiao shuai that he and chi cheng will be strictly business partners from now on, and not get into a relationship, because now that yueyue was out of the picture, his 'goal' was achieved- there was no need for any more contrived plotting, and no reason for him to be involved with chi cheng beyond professional partners.

when jiang xiao shuai asks why, he pulls out a random excuse of being a "straight man" and that he will "marry a woman in the future".

and while we can all laugh good naturedly and dunk on him for unaware of his own sexuality, there's still a grain of truth there. suo wei has always held on to this idea of an imaginary future, a wife and family, a stability, and maybe it was the product of societal conditioning, but he's still struggling with it, in denial about his real feelings. because if he chooses chi cheng, he will have to unlearn all of his "20 years of being straight" conditioning, choose a new path for himself, and that's not something he's ready for yet- because the prospect of going off a familiar, beaten script, one that will never be approved by society (or their families) at large, is terrifying.

but when jxs presses for the real reason, he admits that he does have feelings for chi cheng, that it was different now.

and he then goes off on a dramatic tangent of how, if he starts a relationship with chi cheng, he'll surely have to be the "bottom" and we see jxs laughing at his ridiculous complaints.

and to me, this line is really interesting, because while his silly fear is partially true, but the way suo wei says it here, specifically, is in an intentionally loud, exaggerated manner- almost like he was doing a bit. it's a ready, accessible excuse- a diversion- that he can pull out whenever he feels wrong footed, not yet ready to face the more difficult, more complicated underlying emotions.

because later, we go on to see that that ridiculous excuse wasn't suo wei's real reason at all.

cut to the party, where we see an inebriated suo wei chugging drinks with abandon, so much so, that chi cheng has to come intervene.

and it's here- when his walls are down and his inhibitions are lost- that suo wei finally blurts out his real fears, his most vulnerable, closely guarded feelings.

he can't bear to leave chi cheng.

no matter how many fake excuses he pulls up, no matter how many smoke screens he puts up in front of others, no matter how much he's still lying to himself, his subconscious has already decided what's most important to him- his feelings for chi cheng. the messy, tangled emotions that keep bothering him, his tentative, newfound desire for chi cheng- a man- that he himself isn't ready to face yet. but he still wants to hold on, so badly. and he's terrified that now that he doesn't have any manipulations or schemes left to reel chi cheng in, chi cheng wouldn't have any reason to stay either.

but chi cheng is baffled. because this guy (this extremely besotted guy) can't fathom any other outcome. he reassures suo wei that he was here, that they are not going to part ways.

but suo wei keeps on rambling- pours out all his fears, because now that he's started, he can't stop.

and there it is- suo wei's deepst fear. he doesn't believe in love. because he's been heartbroken before, he's been cast aside repeatedly, he's been bad mouthed and constantly criticized for not doing things right- not being rich enough, not cool enough, not educated enough- a never ending list of just suo wei never being enough.

suo wei doesn't believe in love- because to him, being liked or loved by a partner has always been conditional- in exchange for the things he could offer to the other person. if he paid for expensive meals, yueyue would praise him, if he paid for her clothes, showered gifts on her, she would be happy. and I think, deep down, for the longest time, he'd been convinced that if he had just provided her enough, in the ways she wanted him to, maybe she would have stayed.

yueyue's repeated rejections of him is what ultimately lead to him losing faith in the feeling of love itself.

and so now, he's devastated, because he has nothing else left to give to chi cheng- no more mind games, no more manipulation, no more little lies, no tug of war- and so, what else does suo wei have to offer, so that chi cheng will stay? because surely, it can't be something as flimsy and stupid and untruthful as love.

.

chi cheng attempts to talk to him once more, but suo wei is still very drunk, and his words don't exactly reach him. chi cheng ends up carrying him away from the noisy club room, to the corridors outside, where they can have some semblance of privacy.

and once again, suo wei latches onto his desperation, and pleads chi cheng not to leave him, no matter what.

and once again, chi cheng reassures him, that he isn't going anywhere, that he'll stay the night with him, take care of him- even though he knows that suo wei can't fully comprehend whatever he's saying at the moment.

this last hug is so precious. my heart absolutely melted to a puddle on the floor. you can literally feel how much chi cheng means every single word he says here- I'll always be with you.

because now that chi cheng has finally let go of his past, defied his family, and thrown his lot with his Da Bao- his one and only silly little loser guy (affectionate), he'll be making very sure to keep his promise, keep on loving suo wei- until suo wei can learn to love himself.

[realreadysetrose]

Lil Hal on the big screen!!

[dearmyloveleys]

can we all agree that sieun waking up and calling for suho is one the most heartbreaking things we’ve seen ever? I’m not talking about sad, sad is aplenty in tv and film. the scene is heartbreaking. the way his voice is hoarse and cracked, the way he just repeats I need to go to suho, the way he has to be held down, the way he doesn’t cry but his eyes are filled with tears, the guilt and desperation you can viscerally hear, the way his eyes are unfocused. it doesn’t make you cry because he’s just sad, it makes you cry because you feel his immense pain and a thousand things he feels for suho

[cheesuschrist-iii]

Hootsie post

Idk why but i kinda struggle to draw her but i did it anyway. She's also a confirmed iPad kid so there she is playing colour by number.

Am also in love with how Mace made Gideon so readily take on the uncle role. Both him and Gricko are probably very protective of her precious young ears.

Again I'm going back and forth on pens.

Also did anyone else realise Mikey and Ritchie are twins or did my dumbass have to find out from a tumblr post.

[itslilacokay]

I MISS REMOTE SO BAD heres a remotedoodledump thats like more than a year old at the maximum (you can tell because all of them are antialias'd

okay now i offer : electric remote hc (ive had this hc for years

there is reasoning behind this btw. originally it was because of that remote eating battery hc and one day she ate a battery filled with an insane load of electricity

its shifted a bit now to it becoming a full on alternate timeline of sorts where remote survived her elimination, with lightning accidentally electrocuting remote during his outrage in tpot 7 and after a while the electricity still lingered on remote

eventually basketball stepped in to help her out with that, one thing led to another and now she has electric powers (that electric battery comes back in at that point btw)

5 eights and i will post some remote au content that i have

[royaltea000]

YO! Being a drawing, what’s there to be afraid of!

[ineffablysteddy]

It took seeing this adorable recreation of Izzy’s whittling & quote for me to realize that Izzy’s lie/coping mechanism of the shark story was A METAPHOR.

SOME SHARKS HAVE TO MOVE ON. IF THEY DONT KEEP MOVING, THEY’LL DIE.

had to make a quick example piece for a kids clay class today and you know I had to do it….

[seyaryminamoto]

My latest completed commission may have been a bit ambitious... because I went wild with it. But I certainly relished in doing so :') Combining my favorite ship with my favorite-ever Disney movie is, uh... a dangerous concoction :'D

The commissioner specifically requested for Azula as Mulan, Sokka as Shang, and Xin Long (my OC dragon from Gladiator) as Mushu. The rest of the cast was up to me to choose, and I pretty much went wild rewatching this movie and picking out some of my favorite moments to recreate them in my style, with these characters. I came up with a lot of correlating characters between both ATLA and 1998's Mulan, but I couldn't hope to draw EVERYTHING, unfortunately. Still, if you want my reasoning for the cast correlation... check out the Read More! Beyond that, feel free to reach out to me if you'd like to commission me, or if you want to join my Patreon!

The Herbalist as Mulan's grandmother might feel arbitrary but she honestly felt like the ATLA elderly lady with the most similar personality to Grandma Fa. Fickle, with a unique connection with a seemingly perfectly ordinary animal, old and sassy? Figured it fit! So for once, the Herbalist is Azula's grandma! xD strange notion, I know, Azulon/Herbalist is not a ship I ever thought I'd accidentally put out in the world but there have been wilder ships than that in this fandom...

Momo became Cri-Kee, I wasn't 100% sold on it but when I considered that Avatar features soooo many hybrid animals... I figured he could be a hybrid cricket-lemur. Weird, I know, but eh? Better than nothing xD

Aang as Chien-Po was a no-brainer. He's the only character I settled on instantly, never even considered anyone else for the role. Their personalities line up really well, and Chien-Po's tendency to be OP and resolve things that are outside of other people's reach sounded like he was prime Avatar material! So, while their dietary preferences are an obvious difference between them, I decided to go for it nonetheless considering all their other similarities!

Kino (another Gladiator OC) is Ling, and he actually did give me a ton of trouble to choose. I considered many characters for the role right up until I realized that Kino's personality actually lines up fairly well with Ling's, down to being a class clown type (who ABSOLUTELY would have cut gym class!) and breaking out in song about the hypothetical woman he'd like to fight for? Yeeeeah that's right up his alley xD but there's another reason why I picked Kino...

... And that is my likely unexpected choice for Yao:

ZUKO.

ZUKO IS YAO.

YES.

I'M NOT EVEN SORRY.

(For the uninitiated, Aang, Zuko and Kino are best friends in Gladiator, very often together, and they make a really good team, so that's the extra reason why Kino became the obvious choice for Ling aside from having really similar personalities, definitely closer personalities than, say, Jet, for instance.)

People have likened Zuko to Shang a LOT since ATLA aired. This is the main reason why I'm even making this huge note! I suspect it's primarily because of the aesthetic, let's be real here, and because he becomes Aang's teacher, but people have exaggerated Zuko's alleged similarities with Shang, or taken them out of proportion, in many ways. I actually remember an AMV ages ago with "Be a Man" and it was Zuko "training the Gaang"?? It... didn't feel right to me. Obviously, someone might rebuff with "well, how does Sokka make MORE sense than that, though?" And believe it or not, I have arguments for that... (when do I not...?)

Not only is this what the commissioner specifically requested (and it obviously lines up with the ship we love!), but let's examine the actual reasons why Sokka as Shang adds up:

Sokka actually had to train a bunch of toddlers who weren't paying any attention to him. You know. Kind of how Shang had to train the unruly soldiers who weren't getting anything right. Sokka has a positive relationship with his dad (Zuko, ofc, does not). Shang also has a positive relationship with his dad! And not only this, but there's a military component to both relationships, specifically with Shang wanting to follow on his father's footsteps and aid him in the war... so much like someone else I know, who jumped at every opportunity to rejoin his father in the war, even wishing to join him as a child until Hakoda tasked him with protecting their Tribe instead (kinda like Shang is tasked with training soldiers rather than joining a battlefield).

And the final cherry-on-top that I'd loooove to hear Zuko fans try to argue against... is sexism :') didn't Sokka get characterized as a sexist guy for four episodes, which made people decide that this was his main character trait even if it went away that quickly? Um, yes, that happened. Shang literally sings the memorable song that's a crazy ode to masculinity, including the rather sexist line of "did they send me daughters when I asked for sons". Shang outright abandons Mulan once they discover that she was a woman all along (while, admittedly, choosing to abandon her rather than KILL HER, which as we saw from Chi-Fu, he was NOT supposed to spare her!)...

So, is this REALLY what Zuko fans, who willfully believe their boy is a feminist king (... why? beats me...) are trying to compare their unproblematic blorbo to? :'D Me? I have no problem linking Sokka with Shang due to Sokka's beginnings and due to the fact that both Shang and Sokka have similar growth when it comes to accepting femininity is as valid as masculinity, and as they both learn to respect women as fighters and potential heroes! (I simply do not believe Sokka's ENTIRE tenure in ATLA was about that, though, and that's what I continue to clash with the fandom over...) So... all this is why I've reasoned that Sokka is a VERY solid choice for Shang, in fact, better than Zuko could hope to be.

... but this isn't all.

Maybe some might accept my arguments for Sokka-Shang. And then, they might ask:

WHY ZUKO AS YAO, THO??

... And the truth is it took me long to see it, myself, but HOLY SHIT, DOES IT FIT!

What is the primary thing we remember about Yao in Mulan? This guy is constantly itching for a fight, to prove himself, surely riddled with insecurities that he exteriorizes through overcompensation of masculinity. He's funny as fuck, but he's taking himself 100% seriously as a manly man all the time, and he's always ready for violence. But there's one more thing...

He treats Mulan as his RIVAL.

And more often than not? SHE SCREWS HIM OVER. Intentionally or not.

What does that sound like? Why, yes, it sounds a LOT like Azula and Zuko's sibling relationship!

The fact that Yao is a temperamental dude who lashes out easily at things (oh, something he has in common with Zuko!), that he specifically resents Mulan (in this case, Azula, just as Zuko does!) and is either constantly looking to defeat her and prove his superiority over her (... wait, just as Zuko with Azula??), that he has a black eye perpetually across the movie, and it's his LEFT EYE (just as Zuko's scar is on his left eye! :'D), that he's friends with a pacifist he has basically nothing in common with, personality-wise (just like Zuko and Aang!), and that he pretty much has a REDEMPTION ARC in which he goes from a bitter, asshole rival to Mulan to treating her as a friend and ally, to the point where he was disappointed to leave her behind and THEN joined her at once when she says she has a plan? :') I have always been critical of Zuko's redemption arc, goes without saying. But if ANY of these characters redeemed himself in any significant way, it certainly seems to be Yao to me, and with people gushing NON-STOP about Zuko's redemption? Why, he ought to be the character who goes from bitter rival to loyal friend, right?

So. I'm not even sorry. Zuko is Yao. And I'd dare say that he should be flattered by the comparison, even, because Yao ends up being cool as FUCK!

I don't really talk about this much nowadays, but Mulan was my favorite Disney movie growing up, it ABSOLUTELY had a formative influence on me as a little girl, and Mulan was my favorite female character for a looooong time. Thus, any excuse to rewatch this movie makes me happy as heck. With the wisdom of age I know, of course, that it's not perfect, it's not what China wants, it's not the most thoughtful depiction of Chinese culture or the most faithful adaptation of Mulan's poem (... but I'd also dare bring up that the 2009 Chinese adaptation ISN'T all that faithful either...), but it has a kind of magic in it, a solid storytelling flow, so many memorable moments one after the next, that I could hardly choose which scenes to depict... Disney has never again seen the storytelling heights it reached with Mulan in 1998. I don't even care if that's a controversial opinion in any way... this is their best animated feature for me, and nobody can change my mind.

So... depicting Azula, my beloved, in all these scenarios as this character I adored and idolized as a child, was so damn fulfilling for me. While some might think that, personality-wise, these two ladies don't have much in common, the fact that Mulan is sent to a matchmaker who basically tells her she looks good but is going to be the worst wife ever...? Our girl Azula, with all those insecurities about being unloveable and a monster, probably would relate big time to that.

Mulan is also an INTELLIGENT soldier rather than a brawny one, which is how she starts to make progress in the army, it's how she manages to overcome the huns with that avalanche... and Azula's primary difference with most other antagonists in ATLA is that she's smart as fuck. She is very strong, no doubt, but a LOT of that strength comes from her intelligence, from assessing situations in unique ways, from planning and strategizing. The way Mulan finds the most unexpected solutions that still pay off reminds me a lot of how Azula achieves unexpected feats through rather unorthodox means, capable of taking over a city with basically no bloodshed while her nation has spent 100 years trying and failing to do so through major army incursions and who knows how much senseless violence. Obviously, I'm not saying what Azula did is GOOD and it's kind of dumb that we always have to point that out... I'm merely comparing the magnitude of the feats, and the fact that they both come from ladies who use strategy and intelligence to achieve their goals rather than muscle and physical power.

And while anyone would rage at me for the comparison between Fa Zhou (her dad) and Ozai, the truth is the dynamic between them CAN be compared, if loosely: Mulan literally goes to war to keep her father safe. Azula goes to war under her father's orders. Hell, she makes herself BAIT in the Eclipse to make sure the Gaang won't get to her dad?? While it's very much possible to say that both characters have different personalities and attitudes in life... I'd also bring up that their contexts are evidently completely different. I wouldn't say for certain that Azula, had she been raised outside a Royal Family, would be EXACTLY like Mulan... but they might have more similar traits than one might expect. Ultimately, though... I love them both. And this opportunity to swap their places was pretty much a dream come true!

Alright, that was plenty of rambling xD ultimately, I had a blast doing this commission, as I'm sure is obvious by now. So! If anyone wants to commission me, feel free to check out my prices right here and hit me up if you're interested!

[superlc529]

DBDA Character Appreciation Week: Edwin Paine In April, 2024, a character by the name of Edwin Paine ghosted into my heart and soul and set up a permanent residence. It's hard to put into words how much this character means to me. One would think a person would be hard-pressed to find things in common with a repressed Edwardian teenage boy, but in all honesty, it's quite easy. Edwin has an analytical mind and you can always find his nose in a book - just like me. He is unapologetically himself. He doesn't give a damn what others think of him and that's something I aspire to in myself. He spent over 70 years in literal Hell and after escaping, his first act was an act of kindness - to sit with a dying boy, Charles Rowland. After all those years of unimaginable torture, he came out the other end of it... showing kindness and love. Watching Edwin discover how to be loved and *to* love is simply beautiful. His journey of self-discovery, not just in sexuality, but becoming completely comfortable in his own ghost skin is a marvel to watch in the 8 episodes we had of him on Dead Boy Detectives. It's no surprise that Edwin Paine quickly and effectively ghosted his way into my heart in becoming one of my most favorite fictional characters. And I thank George Rexstrew for bringing so much life into this character. Edwin, my beloved. Words can never properly express how much I love this character or how much he means to me. You're loved beyond words or measure... 💙💀

[literarymerritt]

Rogue Outfits! 🩷💚💛✨

Art Tumblr | Twitter

[mlobsters]

merlin (1998) tv miniseries, dir. steve barron