#I have like docs and character designs and plot and everything

[lovemesomeagnst]

Gravity Falls x Carmen Sandiego AU where Stan is an international super thief and Ford is trying to catch him.

More of the au under the cut!!

The CSxGF au (Carmen Sandiego x Gravity Falls) is an alternate universe in modern setting where the characters follow a similar/inspired plot and trope of Carmen Sandiego. It is basically the characters of Gravity Falls, but with the theme of Carmen Sandiego hehe. Definitely took some elements from that show ofc.

Characters and their roles:

Stanley Pines - (Carmen Sandiego)

Ford Pines - (Chase Devineaux)

Fiddleford McGucket - (Julia Argent)

more to come later obviously!!

Slight Background:

Stanley still got kicked out at seventeen and lived on the streets for a while before he got selected and offered a place in VILE. He was already good at theft and all that but his skills improved greatly at VILE. Later when he realised the organisation went beyond just theft to more diabolical things he listened to his moral compass and left. He’s not so homeless anymore cause he sorta stole money from VILE before he left. Sought quick refuge with Shermie’s family first for a few days to get a plan going. Somehow managed to have his nephew offer to hack for him. Ran into Carla later, then recruited Dan when they were making a pit stop at Oregon. Later established a home base at Gravity Falls. Much like Carmen who got her name inspired by a brand, Stan’s alias is named after his car, El Diablo. Wears his signature maroon red coat.

For Ford, everything happens as it does, Stanley gets kicked out and Ford goes to Backupsmore and so on with his life. However, Ford hears about Stanley stealing and being a wanted thief across the globe eventually. Feeling like he has a responsibility to bring Stanley down he attempts to join the Police Force. ACME notices him before he does and recruits him easily due to his intellect and skills. He later calls up Fiddleford and convinces ACME to hire him too.

Cue shenanigans of them trying to catch Stan and fumbling every time.

(Also some angst with plot that I’m cooking but will reveal later)

Also Big Thank You to @skamb3ll for helping me with ideas hehe I love u so much!!

Part one | Part two | Part three | Part four

[underhell69]

HETALIA: PANGEA EXPLOSION - LORE SUMMARY

so I've finally got around to making a rough major summary of my au! I tried to explain everything as clearly as I could, there will most likely be future iterations of the doc as I plan to make character profiles and plot outlines etc. So this is, like, version 1 of the document. :)

So for character references (Flesh beast form, true flesh appearance, how the character looks in the AU if I've done any major design change from canon) I still need to get around to making ref pages, but here is a collection of character heights for reference (of characters I've already designed/drew) :

If you want to know how a character looks in the AU + their Flesh beast/True flesh designs, just look through my account… I know, tedious, but eventually I'll make a master post or a document for character sheets. UPDATE: I have made a qna tag for all questions regarding the au! its under the tag "#pangea explosion asks" :)

[marisol-000]

Okay this was supposed to be a reply to a comment @feuerscram gave on Speaking To You From Inside Your Mind but it go too long so now its a post lol

Edit: Speaking To You is my Jekyll & Hyde hearing aid au where J&H don't know each other until one day their hearing aids connect for no reason!!

There’s definitely a difference in the povs and atmosphere between chapter 1 & 2. Hyde’s pov is distinctly different from Jekyll’s, down to word choice/how they talk and think. My modern!Hyde is sooo fun to write XD. There's also a lot more action going on than last chapter.

Their environments were picked on purpose to kind of introduce the characters, or at least how they are right now. Jekyll is quiet and reserved and Hyde is loud and all over the place.

Technically both chapters happened during chapter one since they're the same conversation just from two different perspectives; so while writing ch 1 I really enjoyed the thought that there were two super different environments but Jekyll had no idea so the readers couldn’t tell either lol.

They have no idea what the other persons world is like, or how old they are or how they dress or their interests or anything, they don’t even know what the other person looks like.

That's partially why I haven't introduced them by name yet, even though it's a hassle to constantly write ‘the guy’ over and over again. The idea is they don’t know each other and have no intention of knowing each other. Subconsciously they haven't even bothered exchanging names because they want this to be over as soon as possible so they can never speak to each other again. Unfortunately for them that's not in the cards muhaha.

I have a TON of notes on character tics (my major was behavioral psychology for a while before I changed it) and really I just love character analysis. My idea of fun is writing full papers on how a single character behaves and why. Which is kinda what sandbox is but with more plot!

As for Hyde helping Jekyll get comfortable with people knowing he has aids, that’s the idea! They’re gonna change each other a lot, it’s kind of interesting to think about how their lives would have gone if this one in a million thing didn’t happen.

Jekyll and Hyde are *definitely* meeting. Probably chapter 4 or so though, not too soon but it's definitely happening.

So this is the real reason the reply got too long. I want to share basically a compilation of some of my notes straight from the Speaking To You doc! ⬇️

[My notes are kind of messy and spread out, I keep meaning to organize them better but it hasn’t become an issue yet sooo.]

Loose notes

The only reason these two could make it through this connection thing when no one else could is cause they're both Lonely

Secretly think everything is their fault

People see Hyde as narcissistic for believing he's at the center of everything

Jekyll thinks himself narcissistic for believing he's at the center of everything

Hyde likes all the contrasting senses w they synesthesia, can get overwhelming but he likes the edge to it

Jekyll doesn't have Synesthesia but may be a lil autistic

Has textures he does and doesn't like but denies himself the luxury of avoiding them

Also sounds and whatnot

I think if they ate together they'd fight the whole time

Neither could resist snapping back for even a minute

This ends up with Hyde talking through a mouthful of food and Jekyll not eating at all

May occasionally ask for someone to repeat themselves Jekyll probably won't, switching to noise reduction in crowded areas

There's a designated box for when you take it out or put it down, Hyde probably tosses it on his bedside table

Will position themselves to see speakers mouth

Contrasting lipstick helps him read lips (assigned by his synesthesia?)

They're also very expressive

He'll often respond more to them then other people in the room

Personality Hyde

Loud, confident, abrasive, its overwhelmingly obvious he’s unwilling to change a single thing about himself to be more palatable to others, and in fact exaggerates those aspect to an inauthentic degree as an attack/coping mechanism

Does a lot of things without thinking first, he wants to do whatever he wants whenever he wants, as fast as possible

Defensive/aggressive, will get in fights for little to no reason

The rest of the time he’s very laid back and lackadaisical. Anything he wants includes nothing at all, takes naps whenever regardless of time of day

Likes spontaneous plans, will drop anything the second he finds something more entertaining 

Personality Jekyll

Jekyll is sliiighlty internally-ableist but only towards himself

He didn't really worry about it until moving to London where it is frowned upon to exist. 

Doesn't mind talking about it with friends or even relaxed strangers, but Robert? No no no no he can't see me like this!! I need to make a good impression!!

What if he thinks less of me like the rich people do?(he doesn't)

He has none of the confidence or support system Hyde does

Reserved, keeps to himself. No one really knows him well not even R&R

Values his free/private time as its the only time he feels he can be himself

VERY frustrated when Hyde becomes an intrusion on that

Eventually he feels he can be himself with Hyde and vice versa

Private time:

Hunched over/slouching, drinks more coffee/tea than is really recommended

Random books/scraps of paper scattered around

Muttering aloud

Casual clothes, loose, soft, stained clothes that no ones supposed to see

Messy hair, whatnot

Sometimes sits on the floor, Zozi hangout time!

Even had a slight frustration when rooming w Lanyon in college as he was unable to have private/genuine time when he was constantly in the same room as the person who taught him to be a gentleman

Body language Hyde

Fidgets/taps/drums fingers&boots a lot

Likes to stretch out on any nearby horizontal surface

Doesn't like to stand still in the middle of a room not doing anything, he'll find something to do/touch/mess up

Mouth is always ready to switch between smiles and frowns

Eyebrows and nose are always twitching

Picks at his skin hair and accessories

Pulls on his face when bored like a kid

[This didn’t come up much cause he was mostly standing in the middle of the sidewalk for most of this chapter, it’ll be REAL obvious later when he’s sitting down/bored]

Jekyll doesn’t have a lot of body language besides ‘sits up straight’ and ‘smiles’

Friends/Acquaintances Hyde

Hyde has a lot of disabled/ lgbt/ neurodivergent friends

He has some chill friends but his party friends are all loud and wild and wear bright contrasting colors

His chiller friends include Rachel, who isn't a party girl but is cool and badass

Friends do big waves to get his attention, usually helps that they're wearing bright colorful clothing

Friends/acquaintances Jekyll

Likes to talk to women, their lipstick makes them easier to read

Teased for looking at lips? Rachel thinks he wants to try it and offers?

Fun scene where Jasper and Ito walk in on Rachel putting some on him lol

Coworkers and students: Most don't notice he wears hearing aids and he would never say, so he just has to do his best to keep up w conversations

People who know feel awkward doing big waves to get his attention

Maybe shoulder taps?

Signs with Rachel sometimes. He's confided how insecure he feels and she's offered to beat up anyone who treats him different

[Some notes for skate-rat Hyde ⬇️]

I was never gonna describe it in the fic but I took the time to design a detailed idea of his skateboard and stuff just cause it helps me visualize everything better, all the little details keep it interesting. Another thing is details often speak to the character of your characters.

Imagine a skateboard.

More than likely you're imagining a simple, normal skateboard that would probably pop up if you googled ‘skateboard clipart’ or something.

Now imagine a skateboard that’s battered and rusty, borderline held together with duct tape. Maybe some decorative spikes glued on. The screws are all loose and everything down to the wheels is dented. There's paint job on top of paint job, the layers peeling back to show earlier designs, mostly bright colors and spray paint.

Which one of the two would you think was Hyde’s?

I guess it would help to imagine you're picking a skateboard out of a line up, if there were a bunch of skateboards with different styles and attachments and stuff which one would your character pick/ which one is most likely to be theirs?

What you do is apply that idea to all of your characters' stuff even if you're not gonna use it. Cell phone cases, shoes, bags, cars, apartments, laptops, so on.

I learned it from this post (that I could have sworn was an image) by @jawbonemotif and it REALLY upped how I think about character design.

[This is a cluster of notes I put at the top of the page i was writing chapter 2 on, just some stuff I wanted to keep in mind ⬇️]

Hyde pov?

SYNESTHESIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SALT?????

Doesn't get visual/other reactions to sounds when hearing aids are off!!!

I want hyde to move a lot

Hyde has some hearing but not too clear, he can hear himself and sometimes loud music

I could elaborate on his aids being turned off but this is Edward Hyde I don’t have to tell you people shit

Intro card: Edward Hyde is a badass cool guy who everyone thinks is cool and anyone who doesnt is just jealous of him. He wears cool clothes and does cool things, he’s also super smart and is going to meet some smart friends at the cafe for lunch

He has spikes and ripped jeans and stuff

(mimics how J thinks of himself when people are around? like. affirmations sort of)

-

I have sections for Rachel & Robert but they're shorter since I won't be using their perspectives much if at all, and honestly J&H are just more interesting lol

I actually have a LOT of notes for Zozi but that's spoilers ;)

(Also I didn’t realize til now I talk in a weird formal/informal mix sort of way. weird)

[jacks347]

I MISSED THE NEW BVZ PREMIERE (THANKS JOB)

So now y'all get my live reaction! (I've never done one of these before, this is gonna be fun)

SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED IT

Intro is great as always, I love this song so much

Here we go~

WHO?? WHAT??

OFF TO A STRONG START

"Lack of cooperation" My guy it's Albus, that's literally his entire thing

On your family?? YOU LEAVE FAITH OUT OF THIS (and Kerano and Devlin)

OH??

HI DEVLIN WHAT

That design is so good, Glowbat you wonder

Plot twist #1, I expect many more

We're not even 5 minutes in, this post is going to be a fucking Bible-

Does Devlin have freckles?? Did he always have freckles?? Beautiful

Oh Devlin got sassy during the break I like :P

Of course he calls for his brother, the strongest person he knows how sweet <3

Miracle of faith, in more ways than one

Oo, that sounds painful

~DINNER BREAK~

ALBUS! LANGUAGE!

Ooo scary protective Albus

"My brothers. My battalion." Oh-

Aaaaand there's the Albus we know and love XD

"Fuck you and your hat!" Pfft you leave Devlin's fedora alone XD

Oh, back to our regularly scheduled program

Waiter I'm afraid you got some capitalism in my cowboy fantasy

GIMME CROSSBOW I WANT A CROSSBOW

I don't even think Albus knows where Albus went, he just heard his brother calling and left

Ewwwww TMI Albus

LIGHTSABER?? WHO LET ALBUS PICK UP A LIGHTSABER

Oo who's at the door? And why do I not trust it-

Oh it's just Devlin-

Uh oh, Albus has to explain his family~

Hi Mahatma! I still don't entirely trust you!

Why am I playing organizing Tetris-

...oops

"Can I ask you something?" I mean you just did so-

"Do you ever feel...powerless?" Well ain't this a pleasant conversation

"Like you can't save the people you care about" WELL AIN'T THIS A PLEASANT CONVERSATION

Look at Hipswitch showing off his detective skills! I'm so proud

Oh? What's on that ship??

Oh god not more new characters-

The mafia's back that's not good-

Why is the mafia fighting the Triad I'M SCARED

THE MAFIA SHOT DOWN THE PALADIN SHIPS?? WHY?? I DON'T LIKE WHERE THIS IS GOING

Another point to the man that can't even fuckin read that he's just a tad bit stupid :P

Boys, boys! You're both pretty stop yelling XD

"Interesting" is certainly a word for it Doc, wait until you hear about the woman they're both in love with-

"Caused any distress" ...do you hear yourself Devlin?

...awkward silence...

Paladins of Cindergorn eh? Looks like we are gonna learn about Faith today

Devlin being a smartypants, Hipswitch giving the most sass I've ever heard in a single sentence, this is great

Ewww I hated everything about that metaphor

"Something doesn't feel quite right" Of course it doesn't because nothing here is ever simple

WHY IS DEVLIN CHANGING COLORS??

"Is there anything else you can actually swallow?" ...Doc that is the wrong person to ask

"Oh...eugh" 10/10 Love that reaction XD

Poor Devlin, he spent enough time single-handedly running a ship-

When did Albus attempt to learn to cook?? And why??

"Don't worry about me" Faith's healer senses are tingling

"I saw you get goosebumps, did I scare you?" Honey considering how this story is going I don't think it was fear-

HIPSWITCH THIS IS NOT THE POSITION YOU WANT TO BE IN WHEN DEVLIN GETS BACK

Oh the secondhand embarrassment is crawling up my spine and it hasn't even happened yet

Please God get off of him before I explode-

And we're safe thank god

"You don't trust him at all, do you?" Would you if you were in my position?

This is really just the backstory episode isn't it

Albus, the hired gun where his last job got him killed, wasn't too keen on being a bounty hunter until he saw the paycheck. Okay that stings a little-

"I'm sure they're fine" *Cut to them being very not fine*

Devlin proudly proclaiming he can't read, 10/10 tension diffused

"We won't tell a soul, right partner?" Sir I couldn't even if I wanted to my mouth is literally just for decoration at this point (don't take that out of context-)

Destroy a sacred scripture surrounded by Paladins of Cindergorn, a certain priestess just felt her eye twitch

Yes Doc, show off that psychology degree you worked so hard for (hi I'm a psych student so it's also the degree *I'm* working so hard for)

"Is Devlin a father?" He's not just a stepdad, he's a dad who stepped up 💪 (that was so bad forgive me-)

Devlin...what did you do...

Okay I do not trust any of what just happened, what are you after Devlin?

Oh god the mafia's back

DOGS?? OH GOD PLEASE NO

NOT DOC!! ALBUS SOUNDS SO WORRIED

Show em what you're made of Albus

Don't talk to Albus like he doesn't know what being trained from birth to be someone's dog is like-

Devlin's going through it again, someone save the poor boy from his flashbacks

Y'know, Redacted being the one getting killed instead of doing the killing is rather cathartic in a bittersweet kind of way

Time to rewrite history! Again!

"What exactly can he do?" Great question, I'll tell you when I find out

Oh great, GB's back on his villain shit what piece of lore are we getting today

I don't trust that music, what's about to happen and is it a sand worm like this is Star Wars (we already had a lightsaber it wouldn't shock me)

I KNEW IT!! ASK ME HOW I KNEW GO ON ASK

WHO IS THE MAN IN THE MASK I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS

"I have someone for this kind of thing" Yes go visit your wife and her special bandage technique :D

"Is it a hooker?" "No! It's not a hooker!" He sounded so offended for her, I love that

:O Let someone else fix you up?? And betray wife?? Wait no Wife is Gienne (hello GB Twitch chat :P)

Where's Faith I saw the cast list where is she

WHAT DO YOU WANT YOU BIRD NOSE FREAK

:D KERANO BABY

Oh that art is adorable

SHE CALLS HIM DAD MY HEART IS GONNA EXPLODE

Oop there's Faith-

And Kerano calls her Mom ughhhhh I'm not gonna make it y'all

"It's been x amount of time" Kerano I love you

"Death is too good for him" Yikes

"That's a relief!" "It is?" Pfft-

Faith went from furious to worried in 2 seconds hearing about Albus, that's our girl

"You didn't tell him about your father's death" HEH?? HONEY YOU DIDN'T TELL *ME* ABOUT HIS FATHER'S DEATH WTF I THOUGHT WE WERE IN THIS TOGETHER FAITH

Oh poor Devlin :(

"I miss him, Faith" Is that the first time we've ever heard Devlin call her by her name? Back in BW he always just called her Sister

Awww hug him for me Faith

Oh yeah, Faith is the only who can actually read-

"Something called Operation Sub Delta" ...what

Oh my god don't read it Faith please god don't read it

And she's reading it-

"You just want an excuse to see him again" Oh look, he's reading the thoughts of the fandom (YES WE WANT ALBUS TO SEE HIS WIFE AGAIN SO SUE US)

"I've actually met someone" EXCUSE ME?? DEVLIN YOU HOE WHO IS IT??

"Look at my choice in men" Ah so she realizes it XD

Come on Faith, connect the dots, I know you're smart enough

And she's done it

Who is Agent and what the hell is happening

Uh oh-

They have the files of the subjects that Devlin doesn't

Which means they can use Albus like their own weapon by probing his training like Kravatas did

Oh I really don't like where this is going

WHAT??

THAT'S THE END??

YOU CAN'T JUST END IT ON THAT WHAT THE HELL

Oh my god this series really loves throwing me for loops doesn't it

OKAY ENDING THOUGHTS

Absolute 100000/10 episode GB you madlad you've done it again

Was completely worth the wait, love seeing the whole cast together again including our new players!

The art is flawless, I expected nothing less of Glowbat

Keep doing what you do you mad genius GB, I'll be holding my breath for the next one (try not to kill me I can't do another 4 months-)

[absolutebl]

This week in BL - Gay Boy Turf Wars Galore!

Also, ALL the guest couples: TutorYim & MacNat showed up in Korea. Korea also reused the Love Class pair. And Wayne Song & Huang Chun Chih (H3:MODC) popped up AGAIN. (To be fair, when does Wayne not show up in a Taiwanese BL?)

Entirely subjective yadda yadda. Organized by favs in each category. No numbered lists anymore, tumblr be buggn'.

Aug 2023 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Laws of Attraction (Sat iQIYI) 7 of 8 - Plot reveals galore + all the penultimate tension we could want. (How many different kinds of smiles does Film have in his arsenal?) OMG I LOVE the unhinged idiot bloody tattooed ex bf - intro music and all. He is my precious psycho-bunny-snookums. Also Tinn, baby-boy, communicating about your honest feelings in a BL? What madness is this? I sense doom incoming. Smart Chan, always tell him he’s better in bed than your ex. The sides getting caught! Noooooo. I mean we knew it would happen but still noooooooo! 

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Sat YT) ep 2 of 12 - I like the surreal slip-stream dream-sequence openings. Is it a cerebral examination of temporal paradox or just designed to creep us out? The pace has picked up a bit and I'm delighted that external threat, stressors, and conflict are driving this plot. Refreshing. I love historicals - every touch and action can have such lingering significance, it’s very elegant. Thai BLs can often feel clumsy but not this one. I’m really enjoying it. 

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 2 of 12 - Sailom is great. I love a smartass who’s actually really smart, reminds me of Bai Luo Yin in Addicted. (The real Addicted.) Never a bad thing. Kang is nasty bit of business, I look forward to his redemption arc. I love his grandma. (BL is giving good grandma right now.) Nicely executed narrative twist into sympathy too: rich kid sees how rough life really is. The complexity of character depth needed for this script makes me so happy it's Perth & Chimon, they both have such expressive nuanced faces.

I do keep wanting to rewatch LBC tho. 

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 3 of 10 - It remains a blast. Boston is king of red flags, cutting down Ray because he is the easiest punching bag? Going after his friend's bf just to prove he can? No thank you. I know Ray is lovely when he’s soft but danger zone, Sand. Be careful upon entering a minefield, every little step forward may cause an explosion. I don’t think being master of snark is gonna help you avoid getting blown up.

Sand is the one I feel the worst for - bi guy strays into cesspit of gay toxicity. He ain’t gonna make it out alive.  

Hidden Agenda (Sun GMMTV YouTube) ep 7 of 10 - The boyfriends date ep! Zo’s past explains a lot about his behavior. Flirty Zo is v dangerous to all our hearts. Nice kiss. Poor Joke. Meanwhile, the side couple gave good kiss too! However, why is Title playing the bad guy again? Did GMMTV bring him in just to be resident jerk face in all their BL? Makes me sad.

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 8 of 12 - This should be a 8 or 10 ep show, 12 is too many. I think I just don’t like the lead couple's character dynamic and personalities. (No shade on JaFirst.) Side couple went startlingly high heat allasudden. And while their sex scene was good, I wish Daddy and the Hot Doc were being given a lot more script, screen time, and character dev. Sigh. I guess I just wish they were the mains and the others were the sides.

Can't have everything, I suppose.  

Wedding Plan (Wed YT & iQIYI) ep 6 of 7 - Nuea is a saint and next week everything comes to a head (that didn’t already get head this episode). Trash watch here!

Love in Translation (Sat iQIYI) ep 2 of 10 - The side couple is everything. They are so cute and my favorite trope. Plus hugs with neck kisses! I love big brother using his adorable boyfriend to try and help his annoying little brother’s business. It’s just perfect. Unfortunately, that annoying little brother, is too fucking annoying. I remain largely unable to watch the main story arc. 

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) 1 of 24 eps - Sampler pack BL, 12 pairs, each pair gets 2 eps, so this show will run all the way into 2024.

First installment is Casanova Begins. Dead boy wakes up in his enemy’s body, 2 years after his own death. Has to make things right with the boyfriend who thinks he was abandoned. Everyone has secrets. No one can be trusted. And the dead kid can never tell anyone who he really is. It’s … different? Unique take on the My Ghost Boyfriend trope.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Jun & Jun (Korea Thur Viki) ep 6 of 8 - Random moment of TutorYim. Hi cuties. Simon is my favorite, I love him and his flirty irreverent ways.

Who does he actually like?

Or is he just flirting with everyone?

Can he have a crush on anyone but himself?

He’s a house cat among the pigeons. Clearly wouldn't know what to do with the bird if he managed to catch it. Or would he?

The 4 boys dodging around each other and re-shuffling is so funny. I can’t tell you how delighted this show makes me. I do feel sorry for Lee Jun, he’s just the toy everyone wants to play with. I understand his frustration, do any of them really want him or is it all because the others are interested? Kiss! Yay! Good kiss! Even more yay! 

Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 9 of 10 - Poor baby doesn’t think he’s good enough and is holding JC back. They are THE CUTEST BOYFRIENDS. It hurts. The sappy. 

Kisseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) eps 1-2 of 13(?) - From screenwriter Lin Pei Yu (We Best Love, H3: Trapped) formerly known as Miracle, features a student doctor forced to take care of a gangster. I love the premise and like the writer. This one could be sad. Never forget Taiwan will go there.

Shall we get tucked in?

Gay boy turf wars! Main couple is cute. Sunshine gangster (turns out to be a sweetie who cooks) meets broken brilliant tsundere student who wants to be a doctor. Side couple is the leader of the gang and his rabid Pet. Also, all praise the guest couple de jour (baddies). Nice to see you 2... again. All actors are clearly having a blast with this script.

Triggers for knife play, child abuse, lingering trauma. 

Love Class Season 2 (Korea Fri Viki) eps 5-6 of 10 - Aw guest couple from Love Class original, that is very sweet. The tutor and returning student, aka couple 3, are the best. So funny. But the whole thing remains engaging in a messy way.

Why R U? (Korea Wed iQIYI) eps 1-2 of 8 - Oh, it’s very odd. Certainly a lot more comprehensible if you've already watched the Thai version. As with that version, I still dislike the SaifahZon couple and love the FighterTutor couple. And once again I hate the weird IRL shipping sister. HATE HER. I’m not mad at the "Man who Fell into the World of BL" overtones but I wish they went at it more intentionally. (They’re not using NPC the way I would, are they? Cause that’s hella cruel.) MaxNat are fun. I love that Fighter went to his girlfriend's birthday party, didn’t even say hi to her, picked up her drunk bestie, and took him home.

This show is WILD. It’s very Korea tries to do a Thai BL. And, I gotta say, I kind of like the absurdity of the whole scheme. Do I think it will ultimately "work" as a stand alone piece? No. But as a very odd kind of parody? Sure.

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) ep 7 of 12 - Truth always comes out in hot springs. It's a rule of life. Coming clean is coming clean, I suppose. Still, moving very slowly for me and I need sake to get through this season. It's certainly suffering from sophomore slump.

Stay Still (Hong Kong Tues YouTube) ep 4 of 5 - Sad episode is sad. 

In case you missed it

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 3 of 8 - didn't air this week

Dinosaur Love (Sun iQIYI) ep 9 of 10 eps - Didn’t drop this week? MDL thinks it should have. Everyone is confused. But also… who cares? 

Low Frequency (Thai iQIYI) Finished it's run - NO SINGING as flirty boyfriends they very cute actually, but this final ep was V E R Y slow.

All in all this was not a great show. Classic pulp with an interesting twist on “ghost boyfriend investigates his own not-murder” but ultimately not very good in any arena. 6/10 Only if you have nothing better to do. 

Sing My Crush (Korea iQIYI) Finished it's rerun

This a cute coming of age drama around music and 2 kinds of self acceptance and actualization journeys. This was basically Korea’s version of About Youth, and was perhaps a bit too soft and ungrounded by comparison, like a marshmallow sculpture. Sweet but somewhat lacking in discernible flavor. Inoffensively unmemorable. 8/10 RECOMMENDED especially if you enjoy KBL's style

8/24 Man Suang (Thailand movie, domestic cinema release) - historical drama about Thai burlesque with KP’s MileApo. Do I know where to get it? Nope. Do I care? Nope.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming September

I have 4 on my radar:

9/2 Naughty Babe (Thailand Sat ????) - MaxNat back on our screens. We think iQIYI but aren't confident.

9/15 You Are Mine (Taiwan ????) - it's taking over from Stay By My Side so likely Gaga. Secretary has to deal with grumpy boss.

9/26 I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan ????) - Adapted from the manga, childhood best friends: The cool, smart one who’s good at everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be. No matter how hard they try, their hearts cannot reach each other.

9/27 Absolute Zero (Thai iQIYI) - from 2021, Studio Wabi Sabi and New Siwaj finally bring us this “time loop to prevent tragedy” romance. We don’t always get HEAs from them, so I'm on my guard.

9/?? Venus in the Sky (Thai iQIYI) 10 eps - ????

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

No you aren't, Lom. You don't even know what that means. (Wedding Plan)

Minato comes out to the best person.

Trope spotlight! (Low Frequency)

I Fell You Linger in the Air

So true. (Only Friends)

I love them so much, as @heretherebedork would put it, Tiny Idiots!

(Last week) 

Gotta say I am hating this new UI so much I'm not bothering to tag with shows. We shall see what that does for ROI.

[indieyuugure]

Hey, Indie!!

Your art is amazing and I love your comics! I think what you do is absolutely amazing and can't wait to see what else you bring to the table.

I'm really excited to see what you have in store for your version of tmnt. With that said, I was wondering if you have any advice for other creators currently trying to sort out a version of their own? If you could recommend anything that be great!!

Once again, I love your art and stories and I hope you have a turtle-tastic week!!

Aw, thank you, I’m glad you like my comics ^v^

WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING, whether it be a stupid little doodle on a page or a few lines of text in a Google docs file, just make sure you have all of it! You’ll tell yourself “No-no! I’ll remember!” No you won’t and you’ll be kicking yourself later.

Don’t be afraid to try something wacky and new. The staple of the TMNT franchise is weird craziness! Go total mad scientist, go above and beyond! Maybe even quite literally out of this world!

Write in some references to other iterations. One thing that is very consistent throughout TMNT is the amount that it references itself. As much as people like new stuff, they also want what they already like and so little personality things or design quirks or full plots that reference past versions make a big difference.

Collaboration, while maybe more of an optional thing, can be so much fun and can add so much more life to your stories and characters! They say that no one man can make a pencil, and the same is true for stories. It can be tough to talk about stuff that you made originally (at least it is for me) but once you get comfortable, it’s extremely fun to be able to pass ideas back and forth and make something even cooler and more refined!

HAVE FUN. I know it sound ridiculous, but I’m serious! If you don’t like the designs? You can change them! You don’t like a character or want someone new? You can fix that too! You are in 100% power to change everything and tweak it to your liking, however there is a point at which too much perfection will stress you out and ruin the whole project. Once you see something as a chore, it is extremely hard to unsee it. Even if you never share your ideas with the world, and it’s just a fun project, nothing is more important than having fun.

I hope this was at all helpful. These are the steps I take whenever I’m creating a story and characters. I wish those of your creating your own versions luck!

Good question! :]

[pluckyredhead]

My Favorite Comics of 2023

Sometimes I think I should review all the comics I read as I read them. Then I realize I read like...40 comics a month and decide to not do that. But I figured I could at least round up my favorite books of 2023!

So as not to bury the lede...

My Favorite Comic of 2023: Green Arrow

Was there ever any question? All I have ever wanted for like 20 years at this point is Arrowfamily shenanigans, and this book has been all about reassembling the gang and letting them romp through the DC universe. This is an Ollie who is overflowing with love and bad ideas, and that's perfect. Every character and relationship has gotten a chance to shine so far, and I can't wait until they bring the girls in. I especially love how clear it is that Roy is Williamson and Izaakse's favorite. ME TOO, GUYS, ME TOO. The fact that this is now an ongoing instead of a limited series is the best gift DC could have given me.

The rest of my faves...

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern: I did not expect to be as moved by this book as I am. The overall plot is a bit hard to follow, but that's not really the point of the comic. What blows me away every issue is how unflinching and occasionally brutal the book is in its portrayal of 1940s-era homophobia, including Alan's internalized self-hatred, and yet how simultaneously incredibly kind the book is. The love and validation, especially in #2 and #3, is so generous and beautiful. Also, it's the best and most beautiful I've ever see Cian Tormey's art look - he gives everything such a hazy, heartbreaking softness here. Please read this book.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest: This continues to be one of the most enjoyable books DC is putting out right now. Mora is one of those artists, like Doc Shaner, who draws the DC universe exactly 100% the way it looks in my hindbrain, and Waid is absolutely in his sweet spot of classic heroes, Silver Age lore, and extremely comic book-y adventure. Plus, Tamra Bonvillain is doing that thing she does with colors that taps directly into the happiness center of my brain - they are so rich and sunny and joyful.

Birds of Prey: I love everything Kelly Thompson writes and I'm so glad we finally have her at DC. She is the absolute perfect writer for this book, too - she gives such good superheroine. The banter! The action! The way she mixes and matches her cast in such fun combinations! Leonardo Romero's layouts are so kinetic and fun, and Jordie Bellaire's colors, YOU GUYS, JORDIE BELLAIRE'S FUNKY SEVENTIES COLORS! I can hear the soundtrack of this book. Love love love.

The Flash: To be clear, I mean the Jeremy Adams run that ended earlier this year with #800. I will forever be salty that DC canceled this delightful book, which was all of the action and humor and heart and love of continuity that I crave in comics, in favor of the so far completely mid Spurrier series. RIP Adams run, you were too good for this world.

Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville: This book got off to a slightly slow start, in my opinion, but every issue just gets better and better. It is so funny, and I want Natacha Bustos to design every outfit I ever wear for the rest of my life. Plus, Tamra Bonvillain is doing the color thing here, too! I want to live in her world.

Poison Ivy: I trust G. Willow Wilson with my life. This is such a good, complex, nuanced take on Ivy. (Also messy and poly and queer.) I have no idea where this story is going but I'm on this ride 'til the end.

And finally...

Favorite Backlist Title: Starman (1994): You guys. YOU GUYS. I mainlined all 80 issues of this series this year at an absolutely blistering pace because I did not want to stop reading it for even a single second. It's everything I love about comics: truly serialized storytelling with a huge cast and lots of intertwining subplots, tons of twists and foreshadowing that pay off in immensely satisfying ways, a deep dive into continuity that's still accessible to people who know almost nothing about Starman (me), a love letter to a fictionopolis, and one funky little dude trying his best at the center of it. I am BEGGING you to read Starman. Please.

[shishikusas]

I was wondering your opinion on the Onibi Manga. Do you think they are gonna show EVERYTHING? All the gore and sex and wild shit? Or do you think the story will be changed? Will it be like the plot of the Google Doc? What about minor characters with no designs? Will we see them? I am so excited because ever since Masa went insane I thought the Onibi Series was a long dead art!

honestly i have no idea!! my hope is that they will follow the plot of the blog entries, while also referencing the songs when the events of them show up. if the story got changed i think i would lose my actual mind ksjgdsk but like yes i fully expect that we'll get designs for characters like ryou, tomonari, kaori, shizune, and SHIKYOU <3333

[findroleplay]

Hello! My name is Blair, any pronouns. I am 26 years old, and I am sending out a signal for a 21+ RP partner that is interested in original universe dark fantasy (with horror elements), with plenty of romance and/or smut. Lately I've been looking to write against masculine characters.

I have a wishlist (available below) with a bunch of ideas we could play with. I'd also love to hear yours. I'm editing my regular ad something a tiiny bit more specific. currently in the mood for some smuttier roleplay. Yeah, I'm smutfishing a little bit, but I like my plot with lots of porn and lately I haven't been able to scratch that itch. My only big limits are obviously stuff like: 🍪 🚽or 👪 + full blown non-con (dubcon however can be discussed). I'm looking for fellow monster fuckers and those who enjoy the supernatural and the freaky a bit too much. Size differences, big 🍆, dom/sub who like to switch it off, prey/predator, mpreg, enemies to lovers, - stuff like that. Trans, nonbinary, cis, intersex, shapeshifter, alien biology? All are welcome here! Switches and tops, whether submissive or dominant, are also welcome!

Important things before approaching me:

I have a character in mind. Over time I will be open to writing with other characters, but for now I would like to focus on my main fae OC, Valeriu. You can find more info about him on my dedicated rp blog!

I LOOOVE bugs and they will play a big part in the designs of my characters, so if you are entomophobic I would steer clear. If you love bugs a little bit too much for the comfort of regular people, please come closer. I promise I don't bite.

My character does not really fall human concepts of sex or gender, nor does he want to. Concepts like 'cis' or 'trans' or 'nonbinary' just don't apply. I know not everyone likes to write against characters with non-traditional sexes and genders but that is basically what you will find here.

No one liners or passive writers. I usually write a few paragraphs to novella format. Don't expect tons, just something to work with.

I’m going to be honest: My activity can range from rapid fire to…not so rapid fire. Sometimes I go through periods of depression/low energy and that can give me writer's block. I always eventually come out of it. But a patient partner is appreciated.

Please come with an idea for a character/s already in mind. Even if vague. But the more developed, the better.

I'd like to tackle some darker topics. ⚰️🕊️ is to be expected when writing with me. I will go into  more detail as we plot. I have a rules page that goes into more detail on my blog.

I usually write in multi-paragraph to novella form. I can do combat/action scenes, character intrigue and drama, smut and romance, angst, fluff, multiple characters (though I usually have one main POV character), and much more. My favorite place to RP is tumblr and discord.

For more specific details you can check out my wishlist here: docs(.)google(.)com/document/d/1vKS8zV3pSR8IxI0pxSv2527oNYPavjtq-YqfG17DpLM/edit?tab=t.0 (without parenthesis)

I am looking for a rp partner that is flexible and understanding. I don't demand certain amounts of activity from my rp partners, everything is chill and at our own pace. If you like what you see, feel free to like or DM me if interested! (Also if you'd want to do a more sfw rp with this character, I am down for that too.)

-

[kagiura-akira]

curious about Fly Away With Me 👀

Ahh this one!!! Very precious (to me) period piece. It's my WWII kagihira AU, based on the studio Ghibli movie The Wind Rises.

So Hirano isn't a pilot, but he is a very distinguished young aeronautical engineering graduate with a love for designing planes, and Kagi is a college aged kid from a prominent military family with the heavy weight of expectation on his shoulders. So like, you know, 1930s Japan. Great space for fostering... Building planes and, uh, Japanese nationalism 😬 I've been struggling with this one trying to get the vibe right cause it takes like a lot of self immersion to understand and show exactly what policies were like then and how it affects the characters and their actions. I started watching an old Japanese war movie, actually, the last time I was working on it, but I accidentally fell asleep about 20 minutes in...

Anyway I had some stuff written but it's very flat and dry so here's some plot explanation from the notes in the doc instead

When Hirano graduated from college and was assigned his position as an aeronautical engineer for the Japanese military, he was expecting that his first assignment would be with things expected of his career. You know, drafting plans, spending some time drawing models, writing up specifications for plane parts down to the rivets holding the panels of the plane to the body. Hell, he even expected that he’d be some asshole sergeant’s errand boy before he became a babysitter (enter Kagiura Akira: son of an elite general). And right on his first day, too.

His disdain for the job doesn’t make him take it any less seriously. He’s serious about helping Kagi, but he doesn’t dote on him. Or at least, he says so. He’s always scolding him about his studies and about monkeying about near the kitchen in between mealtimes.

A bit deeper under the surface, Kagi is a young man missing out on his youth. Everything in his life is already decided for him—his schooling, his career, who his friends are. He’s 90% certain his parents have settled on a fiancee for him as well. He’s a few matchmaking ceremonies away from their decision on his future spouse. If he had a chance to be born again, Kagi wished it would be into just a normal person. Commoner isn’t the correct term, but someone less... visible to the public eye.

He’s never resented his parents. He loves them dearly, even when he doesn’t agree with their visions of his life. He’s grateful for the life they’ve provided him and the opportunities they’ve given him growing up, but it doesn’t mean he hasn’t ever been disheartened by the lack of control over his own life. He wants to know what it’s like to fly a kite with a bunch of friends down at the river bank, to know what it’s like to play ball with friends outside of school. He’s never had that experience because all of his peers seemed to actively avoid him growing up. He has a sneaking suspicion that his father either paid off the families of the children his age or threatened them into never letting their children mingle with his son. He’s certain that the friends that were chosen for him were no less paid for, in addition.

Hirano, on the other hand, was raised by his mother alone and can’t exactly relate to being given everything he’s ever wanted as far as physical items go. He does, however, understand the desire of freedom. It plagues his mind over and over as he designs planes, only to watch them be built and hauled off for war. Firmly and unwillingly grounded. All he wants is to feel the freedom in flying for once in his life. He’d always been told that he wasn’t fit for flying, when he was a kid. He had a weak constitution, so it wasn’t viable for him. It’s why he went into engineering instead. His dream has been to build a commercial airplane for passenger use, but alas, in 1930-something Japan, the only opportunities available for him are designing bomber planes for the Japanese military. He has two choices: working with the military, or working for a firm that works with the military. It’s the same.

Hirano hadn’t been at the base for long when he was given the chore of babysitting Kagi. Not at all what he signed up to do. He’s got his sketchbook and his drafting notebook, but he barely gets in any time for designing his personal project (the passenger plane).

Unbeknownst to him that Kagi is about to become the most important person in his life for the next several decades

[saltired]

20 Questions- Writing Edition

Thank you @wetcarcass for the tag! It was fun to do, even if I haven’t completed anything in soooo long <3

This is a sort of weird one, cause all my published writing is a few years old at least, and I don’t want to link anything or reference it too much because I find it kind of cringe haha! I started writing again after a long break a few years ago, so it all reads as very rusty to me.

I’ve been writing and not publishing for a little while though… although none of it is finished or even that coherent yet. (Yet. Watch this space?)

How many works do you have on ao3

40 on my abandoned old account, lmao. Hopefully 1 on saltired soon?

What's your total ao3 word count?

155, 113 on said old acc.

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Don’t really want to list them bc abandoned account/few years old etc, but the top one is apparently at 534 now, which is quite nice I think.

What fandoms do you write for?

I’ve written for loads, but now I want to follow my dreams and focus on asoiaf- I’ve only ever published one super short fic for it despite loving it for so long. I think it’s just intimidated me because I’ve loved it for so long, honestly.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Absolutely! It’s so great to be able to engage with people who enjoyed your stuff! I always love it when an author replies to my comments <3

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Honestly, probably the current thramsay angst in my docs atm. It’s nothing insanely angsty, but still more bleak than my past stuff because… well, it’s thramsay.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I’ve written a few sweet soft fluff pieces for friends, so those I guess? My endings tend to be the characters stewing in misery/shame/apathy etc as opposed to riding off into the sunset.

Do you get hate on fics?

I think I got some once, but it was super mild. Just someone complaining about stuff that was very clearly tagged. Like, that’s on you if you don’t like it, buddy.

Do you write smut?

Pretty much exclusively unethical and miserable smut.

Do you write crossovers?

I’ve done a few crack crossovers in my time, but never anything serious, they’re not really my thing.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I did once read a fic that was clearly very heavily inspired by one of mine, including the same phrasing on niche plot points, but nothing outright stolen. Never said anything about it though, and tbh I wouldn’t unless they had literally copied and pasted my fic!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah, I had one translated- it was Spanish and don’t know any Spanish, so I have no idea if it’s faithful to the og though lmao.

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Yep, I’ve done a few.

What's your all time favorite ship?

Thramsay, hands down. They’ve lived in my head rent free for about nine years now, but I haven’t published fic for them.

What's the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Not fic related, but I’ve got a few TTRPG adventure wips. I really want to release them one day, but considering I’m the sole writer/illustrator/graphic designer/etc then I doubt it will be any time soon- plus, I’d have to playtest them and edit all over again based off that. I still live in hope they’ll get done instead of sitting in perpetual limbo, though!

What are your writing strengths?

Always writing for myself instead of trying to write something that people will like- I think that’s really important!

What are your writing weaknesses?

Never writing anything in order/planning. It drives me absolutely insane and makes everything take forever because I’m chasing threads around, but I can’t seem to do it any other way. Also multichaptered fics, I get part way through and move on to something else.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

I’ve never had the need to, but I guess if you know the language you’re writing in and it makes sense in the story, go for it? Although I prefer if people put a translation in the notes so I don’t have to google translate and end up with a poor imitation of what was actually written.

First fandom you wrote for?

Probably Lord of the Rings or Merlin? This would have been back in 2012, on a fanfiction.net account that was thankfully lost to time. Bless past Salt and his enthusiasm for writing, but you could not pay me to reread it.

Favorite fic you've ever written?

I have an unfinished draft lying around somewhere based on Crash… it was a while ago, and could definitely be better, but it was so much fun and I’d love to revisit the idea again. If we’re talking published, then I wrote a gun-focused fic that I still think is decent. Loaded guns ended up in places they should absolutely not be, obviously.

Like the other tag I did, I’m not gonna tag anyone, but if you’re reading this and haven’t been tagged then I’m tagging YOU PERSONALLY <3

[sdv-confessions]

(In response to the ai discourse question mod posted)

Generally speaking, at least as far as I know from the art, writing/writing adjacent, and dev communities I’m in, it has to do with the following (from least important to most important imo) -

5. It’s lazy/low effort/etc. This tends to be a concern in creative and fan spaces for the most part, as many people find it to go against the whole kind of ‘drive’ of fandom; sharing things you’re genuinely passionate and care about and are willing to put in effort for about something you enjoy

4/3. It takes away work and opportunities from actual creators, be it programmers, designers, writers, musicians, etc. and instead steals work from unconsenting creators who’ve had their work skimmed by the AI or training algorithm

4/3. It’s harming the environment/water usage/etc. (Yes, so does most tech, but the extent of power and water Generative AI use is far more than essentially anything else. It also comes at a time where many countries, including my own, are in states of emergency regarding water shortages, heat waves, droughts, or contaminated waterways)

2. It cannot be held liable for crimes. Given the status of AI as non-living, it cannot be held responsible for harm it causes. This has led to everything from everyday people being placed into NSFW stuff and it ruining their lives to theft to near-murder (see the many mushroom incidents, chemical incidents, etc.)

1. AI is not an actual intelligence, meaning that nearly everything in it is stolen in some way or another. Be it artists getting their work skimmed, authors (both fanfic and officially published) getting their words, plots, and the like taken to be used without their consent, or even everyday people using Google Docs and having whatever they write be possibly used to train AI without their knowledge

The way this applies to SDV mods and the like is that -

A) It takes work away from artists, programmers, and writers (many of whom would probably even do it for free)

B) Shows often a seeming lack of commitment or interest in the content being put out, as well as seemingly like they don’t care about their customers (similar to when a celebrity does a ‘cash grab’ project where they sell absolute slop for like thousands of dollars to scam their fans that have supported them and who helped build the celebrity’s career)

C) Sends the message that they support the use of AI, or at the very least don’t see much of a problem with it’s usage which just reinforces the idea that they don’t value their customers or other creatives

Sorry if that’s a lot! AI politics can be fairly difficult to research at times and rather difficult to sort through so I wanted to list as much as possible for folks who haven’t had time to look super into it. Personally I’ve not had my work skimmed by AI (never gotten big enough for that) but I know people who have and there’s really nothing that can be done about it after it’s stolen. Generative AI is, and seemingly forever will be, founded on the violation of intellectual property rights, copyright, and human rights in regards to a safe planet and that shouldn’t be seen as okay.

- 🌾 anon (if anyone needs further clarification please ask!)

while i appreciate you typing out a detailed response, i was not asking about AI in the broad sense but specifically about chatbots based on sdv characters. so #4 and 2 aren't relevant. CA is working on a new game and wont be bringing any more major updates to sdv, there's no job opportunities here.

#5 - this is very subjective. personally i dont think that Being Lazy is strictly a bad thing. just part of being human.

#3 and #1 - this is why i mentioned specific sources in my original post. most of the articles ive seen are about chatgpt, im aware of its issues. idk anything about the programs used to make sdv chatbots. what are they called? how do they work? do they rely on chatgpt? are they using its databases? are they trained the same way? are they more or less harmful than chatgpt or an older program like cleverbot? thats the kind of info i was looking for. i did get some program names so ill read about them when i have time.

and lastly... i do not care about intellectual property rights. i am a communist. copyrights and patents are capitalist inventions that stifle creativity and progress.

[oliveroctavius]

been itching to get back into the 1610 comics, of all things. but first a rundown of what I remember my feelings on them being (having read only up to Peter's first death)

didn't enjoy:

extreme sliding timescale pacing. those first 133 issues of USM don't portray time moving whatsoever. like it's still the same school year and the seasons haven't even changed. in ASM that number of issues spanned at least 4 in-universe years!

pacing again: it's like they're racing to get every notable thing that ever happened to ASM Peter in under the wire.

great job on writing authentic 00s teenagers but boy can they be annoying especially when they aren't aging out of it

SHIELD swooping in at the end of every other arc to send Peter home and clean things up (and/or make things worse). More interesting to me when a Spider-Man has to deal with the consequences of their own actions completely unobserved

Why switch so many plot beats/traits between Gwen and MJ? I don't get it. At some points it feels like they switched names and it doesn't make either character that much more compelling

These Goblin designs are so generic-monster I'd concluded I didn't like a transforming goblin until I saw the Spiderverse re-tool

Venom is much less interesting as a nonsentient synthetic Parker invention instead of a freaky drift compatible alien beast

in general, the efforts to weave the story together more tightly by making everything interrelated is maybe well done, but to me feels artificial and world-shrinking.

gut eyeroll at 2000s edgelord bullshit

why is doc ock magneto powers and also the jackal

really enjoyed:

by the 90s/00s, mainline marvel was also full of edgelord bullshit; things are handled in an intense but usually super interesting because-of-the-intensity way here.

Aunt May characterization. letting her be the POV character in some situations and express complex feelings on raising this crazy kid was just great. Uncle Ben being a fully realized guy was great too. In general the adults are well-realized from the start

the teenagers were written pretty authentically (see above). They hate each other except when they don't and it's great.

I like Kenny Kong! he's an interesting new player

Once they ran out of things to copy from ASM I started liking the original developments more in general

Nonpassage of time aside, events have consequences. Sticking with the same writer + couple of artists for an extended period of time solves like 80% of my modern mainline marvel quibbles. Subtext doesn't get obliterated by writers without the time or will to actually think about past comics!

I know this is a stupid sucker thing to like but the Raimi movies being a thing within USM and Peter hating them is great.

Despite my earlier SHIELD complaint, I think resonates strongly for a modern high school age Peter to feel surveilled and railroaded. He's out of his depth all the time and blisteringly angry about it. Even if I prefer an adult Spidey that IS the teenage experience.

I grew to enjoy SHIELD when it was actively imploding. The shadow government cleaning up after our hero and sending him to bed is boring. A badly managed government agency stooping to ask a 15 year old to help them chase a flaming naked goblin man through Trump tower with full understanding of how stupid and irresponsible that is? Now we're talking.

I LOVED the Norman Osborn characterization in his first "death" arc. perhaps my favorite Norman of all time. just ideal combo of steely control freak and off-the-wall deluded guy

[thistleandthorn-events]

It's that time of year again, ghouls and goblins, for your favorite institute to put on your favorite event - THE HALLOWEEN MASQUERADE! So come join us on October 31st for a night of food, fun, and mystery! (Everything below the cut is IC knowledge unless otherwise directed).

RULES

Attendance is mandatory for all students. Townspeople are optional.

All attendees must wear a costume complete with mask.

YOU CANNOT TELL ANYONE WHAT YOUR COSTUME IS.

Marks are on hold for the party, however, the headmaster and guards will be around so don’t be ridiculous about it.

ACTIVITIES

Dancing - Great Hall

Escape Room - First floor classrooms (4 rooms designated for different themed escape rooms)

Photo Booth - Great Hall

Snacks and Punch - Great Hall

Halloween themed Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (8-10am, 12-2pm, 5-7pm respectively) - Cafeteria

Movie Viewings - Auditorium (10am - Halloweentown 1pm - Haunted Mansion, 4pm - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, 7pm - Poltergeist, 10pm - Scream)

Pumpkin Carving, Pumpkin seed spitting, Pumpkin Painting, Halloween Crafts - Art Room

Thriller Dance Instruction and performance - Dance Studio

Punkin’ Chunkin’ - Court yard

Haunted Maze - Hedge Maze (like a haunted corn maze with characters, spooky music and guards dressed in costume chasing people. They cannot touch or harm students)

Mad Science Lab - Cafeteria (snacks themes as science and laboratory - eyeballs that are grapes in jello, intestines that are spaghetti noddles, etc)

Potion making - Cafeteria (alcoholic and non alcoholic choices)

Bobbing for Apples - Court Yard

‘Ghost in the Graveyard’ Game - Court Yard

Horror Movie Trivia - Ipads in Great Hall

COSTUME CONTEST

There will be a costume contest BUT it is slightly different from what you’d expect. The object of this contest is to try to be as convincing as your costume character as you can. Everyone will vote for the top 3 costumes - again, the voting criteria being that you had NO IDEA WHO THEY WERE. We’re looking for the best actors here and the top 3 winners will win 200 points each!

OOC INFO

Alright, so here’s how it’s going to work - create a side blog for each of your characters’ costumes. THE URL SHOULD HAVE NOTHING IN IT about your actual character. Remember, you don’t want people to know who your character is. This goes for IC and OOC. PLEASE, don’t break the game. It’s not fun if you break the game.

On your sideblog for your character’s costume, post a photo of your costume including the mask. Once the blog is built and photo is posted, add the URL and costume to THIS GOOGLE DOC. Also, posting throughout the party will be done all F2F. There will be no online or tumblr based starters.

Ok, this part gets a little confusing. IC - this event only happens on Saturday, November 2nd. BUT, OOC we’ll be ‘freezing time’ to allow this event to be played out for a weekish (November 1st - November 9). Again, it’s all happening IC on Saturday. Please keep the dash strictly Masquerade during the whole event.

The other part of the “don’t think about it” part of this is we need to kinda fake things about our characters to avoid being discovered. For example, since this takes place AFTER locktober, no one's locked for this. Or, Austin won't show his accent to avoid knowing who he is, etc. So just kinda suspend your disbelief, please. This goes for physical attributes, accents, etc.

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER when making your blog:

Take off auto-tags if you have a way you tag things regularly, or just tag differently

Don't post photos or manips displaying your face claim in your costume, EVEN IF YOU'RE TRYING TO HIDE THEIR FACE. We know, I assure you.

Don't talk OOC about what costume your characters are wearing

If while playing, you miss something please utilize tumblr's asks/messages and message from your sideblog, not your main.

Don't reuse former Masquerade side blogs (not everyone deletes people)

Look out for OOC traits/behaviors which might identify you

Any triggering plots or plots involving a lot of people need to be approved.

If your student character participates they will receive 50 points. Participation will include at least some decent activity (just a post or one/two replies will not count.) Gimme at least one thread and I’ll count it.

VOTING - once we get closer to the event we’ll let you know how this will go but it will be dependent on NOT LETTING ANYONE KNOW (Ic or OOC) WHAT COSTUME YOUR CHARACTER HAS. Please, again, Don’t Break the Game. These things are only fun when the rules are followed. Vote per character, however, even if your character doesn’t interact with them. So, you can use some OOC knowledge for voting ONLY.

We allow costumes to double. Make sure you're paying attention to the URL name when you're voting.

If you have questions please feel free to ask but make sure it’s not already answered in this post please and thank you.

[k3itar0-with-a-three]

Dangan Rambles (needing a bit of help with a fangan thing)

So, I've been wanting to make a fanganronpa video series for a long time, but I lose motivation easily and I've only been doing things myself. I've wanted to ask for help, but I have few friends that know the story of Danganronpa, and those who do usually are very busy due to school stuff (fair, since I'm still in hs too). I've been aching to ask for help from people, but I have a good amount of trust issues regarding the internet (not even due to past experiences or anything, mostly bc I'm a person that overthinks A LOT, and since I'm still a minor I'm worried about stuff like gr00ming, etc..).

this is a passion project with literally no money being put into anything, so when it comes to things like voice acting I even considered doing it all myself since it's just something I like doing, but there's only so many voices I can do, haha...

Another thing, I feel a bit crushed when it comes to writing characters and the overall story. I already wrote the executions, who would die, the plot (in short), and made the character designs (...using GL2 bc I still need to draw official splash art, and I only used it to make their designs).

So in short, I kinda need help in making this little fan project (even if it doesn't turn out to be a video series and it only turns into like- some kind of fanfiction or a slideshow with a fanfiction reading in the background) but I'm way too scared to ask for it TvT

I already have a HUGE google doc with the characters, deaths, executions n stuff, but practically nothing in terms of writing the actual story lmao-

I'll probably end up cancelling everything in a matter of time bc of my own issues, but who knows! I'll keep you guys posted if anything happens. Feel free to ask any questions :)

[nogenderbee]

Now that I've rambled about MafuSib having their focused-event story, my mind immediately wanted to draft a story. But there's one problem, it's the connection of the plot from the other Niigo event stories and the ones from other groups. But, there would be character developments for both Mafuyu and MafuSib as they would create moments that are special for the both of them. If there's one thing that i want for in a MafuSib focus event, it would be either Kaito, Len, if possible Meiko or as the ones who will guide them.

Different topic, but I imagine that the default outfit/costume for MafuSib can be the same (for female) or has similarities in design (for male). For you, what role would they have if they become a part of Niigo?

p.s. I've asked other pjsekai-related blogs about my MafuSib story-focused event idea if they have some materials. Can you help me?

I mean... you don't have to pay attention to events technically? If you want, you can just make event and mark that it's happening RIGHT AFTER N25 MAIN STORY, so everyone would know it's before all the events! And then there's way less to worry about ^^ But it'd be so cool if they'd have their own outfit and even appear in the after live!

As for the role... we know that Mafuyu used to compose and now writes lyrics... so I feel like they'd have something similiar? I think they'd be like helper for composing and/or writing lyrics! But they could also be somthing like "manager" who'd look at everyone's work and guide them somehow? Or maybe they'd plan everything out and give ideas? Tho if you'd want something new... they maybe could be media manager or take adding lyrics to mv from Mizuki?? Those are my only ideas at least hah...

And yes, I can do my best to help with story!! Not really sure what you need... I haven't written event for any of my OCs yet, tho I admit I have it planned, even card of one OC waiting just for that~ But I know it's hard to write an event story so I may not give much advices if that's what you want... but I'd certainly recommend using something to write short description and key points of what should happen in the story and what's the moral and etc... You can do it in google docs but smhw, I find myself liking Obsidian for doing larger stories instead~ But of course those are only my preferences!