#Ray rambles

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

Hey, friends.

Long explanation under the cut, but TL;DR: I'm retiring this blog, at least for the foreseeable future.

I started posting here when I was fourteen. Since then, I've changed my header three times, my pfp twice, my theme once, and my url never. Meanwhile, my life has changed exponentially. And, I'll be real, most of those changes were bad. So I think part of why I've done my best to keep this blog so consistent (writing in a similar style that I did when I was fourteen, adding new fandoms but continuing to posting about the same media I did when I started this blog) is that I had this idea that at least on here, I could remain the same person that I did when my life was happier.

But lately I've come to realize that even if I haven't exactly grown in the direction that I wanted, it doesn't mean I shouldn't accept the person I've become. So I want to take some time to figure out who twenty-one-year-old Ray is. What kind of writing style do I want to have? What kind of media do I enjoy because I like it right now, rather than just having fond memories of it? And I don't think I can answer those questions if I'm still trying to run this blog, because I'll always be worried about disappointing the people who follow me for the content I've tried to be consistent with.

And it's hard! Because I still love this blog, I love the people I've gotten to connect with, and I love the memories I've made on here. Seven years on Tumblr, and do you know how many negative interactions I've had? Three. I can count them on one hand and still have fingers left over. Meanwhile, I've had more positive interactions than I could count in a lifetime.

So thank you, from the bottom of my heart. If you've complimented me on my writing or sent me a question or made a joke in my replies, please know that you almost certainly made my day. If you're a mutual of mine, know that the content you put out and your presence in my life has probably gotten me through some of those rough changes I mentioned earlier. I've had so much fun with this blog, and learned so much, and met so many amazing people. No matter what I discover about myself in the days to come, I'll always be proud of what I've built here, and so grateful for the people who were a part of that. I'm not going to delete it- if any of my content has brought you joy or comfort, it'll still be there for you. But it's time for me to move forward.

So may the Force be with you!

BYEEEEEEEE!

And I love you all. I love you so much.

-Ray

[cierv-o-robot-o]

hyper fixations are so embarrassing for me because I make every part of my life center around the thing I'm fixating on like I would get out of bed and serve myself a bowl of cereal and be like "just like my Best Friend Finn the Human would :)" and it's completely unironical

[dalvs-wife]

HEY SELFSHIPPERS WHO HAVE AN UNFORTUNATELY POPULAR CANON X CANON SHIP THAT IS A DISCOMFORT!!!!

the next time you get shown the ship or just have it in your head, imagine your f/o looking at the ship from over your shoulder and scrunching up their nose. being grossed out by it. being made uncomfortable by it, grimacing awkwardly at the sight of it. being confused by it!!!

they dislike that ship just as much as you do, believe me! no matter how many times someone draws them looking happy and in love with whoever, that ain't happening.

you two are each other's favorites, so the next time you see that sorta thing, just remember your f/o's silly little scrunched up weirded-out face at the mere sight :]

edit: PROSHIPPERS DNI THIS POST IS NOT FOR YOU.

[castelia-pidove]

guys guys guys i just saw a pidove with plain wings ?? do you know how rare that is???? for a pidove to not have any black on their wings????? guys i don't think you understand guys i'm shakin guys--

[raynavan]

Hi recently i read ur fic "bat tunnels" and you mentioned you have thoughts but not enough to write more, and that readers are (and i quote) "free to poke me about it on my tumblr tho!"

i would like to hear the thoughts

Bat tunnels!! This is actually just one of the Many fics I have with Ingo turning into some sort of Pokémon- and by far the shortest haha. Even if that's only because I wasn’t sure how to handle the subsequent events. I have a Lot of fics I’m chipping away at atm 

(This turned into a bit more of a ramble than I was expecting. Whoops.) 

Anyway- big thing I wasn’t sure how to explain was why Ingo is a pokemon in the first place. Arceus knew that humans can’t travel through time and space very well, and Arceus didn’t want him to like. Forget everything a second time. But Pokémon are notably more hardy! So, turning Ingo into a Gliscor seemed like the best solution. 

It’s temporary but 'temporary' for a human and 'temporary' for a being that has lived since before time is Very Different (and maybe Arceus thinks being a Pokémon for a bit isn’t to bad)

Also, re the alpha status: being an alpha has more to do with being particularly experienced in battle/ a will to protect. so.

Arceus just thought “Oh, natural law says you would have become an alpha.” and thus Ingo was made into an alpha.

Alphas aren’t exactly born, though having a parent that is an alpha can increase the chances of becoming one. Just because being surrounded / raised by a really good / experienced fighter is a huge advantage. 

Ingo beats up kids for fun on the battle subway and is completely merciless in the paths of solitude. He is a Very experienced fighter in the technical sense, even if for a bit he struggles to harness that power. 

In that sense, Emmet was pretty spot on with assuming Ingo was a Gligar that evolved too soon. Not that Ingo actually evolved per se, but his situation is very much like giving a level 5 gligar 95 rare candies and a razor fang. Also he’s still getting used to his body.

(For the record, yes he knows earthquake.) 

On that note, Ingo probably. Would not be able to battle on the subway. Not without it being a very strong opponent. With his lack of skill, he has absolutely No Idea how to pull his punches. Also Emmet would feel verrrry uncomfortable putting him in a pokeball- Ingo feels similarly. 

Ingo’s gliscor might enjoy it after being tested and vaccinated though haha. Tho they might be busy assisting Ingo with being gliscor shaped himself. Especially when Ingo immediately tried to get back to work- not on the lines but administrative work. Unfortunately holding a pen is rather hard with pincers- and even harder when he struggles to adjust his grip strength. 

The carnage is vast. Many good pens were lost under the claws of a very embarrassed ingo. (Emmet appreciates the effort)

It is temporary though and he will be back to normal eventually. Emmet just has to be very careful about not mentioning that the weirdly large gliscor that followed him out of the tunnels is his brother. His reputation already took a hit after his brother’s initial disappearance- he doesn’t need them questioning his mental health about something he can’t prove. 

(Thankfully Ingo wants to stick by Emmet's side while he’s still in the shape of a gliscor- so usually it’s other people asking about him and Emmet just pointing or saying “this one” when referring to him. Ingo gets the nickname “Boss” for a bit! Both Ingo and Emmet find it funny.) 

once he’s human again Ingo still has a few habits left over- he looks exactly the same as he once did though. His hearing is better (back to normal human levels without the hearing loss he got working with heavy machinery) and he has a tendency to hiss/chirp to convey things. The last one there is actually just something he picked up after living alone in the mountains with a bunch of cat weasel things. His body language and movements are a bit off for a while, because he Just got used to dealing with a tail and wings and now he has to go back to human arms and legs. 

Overall things generally just. Go back to normal after a period of adjustment. Ingo and Emmet get to keep running the battle subway and gliscor is sometimes featured on the super singles line. 

That’s… all I can think of right now! Absolutely feel free to ask more specific questions! 

[huntingrays]

i physically cannot write valgrace without making jason a huge simp for leo

[rayjayoo]

MY HONEST REACTION TO THE END OF 600 STRIKE

[pastelprince18]

Oh yeah I forgot to mention my friend send me this…

Im so sick

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

Actually going insane over all the melodic motifs in the Ithaca Saga because what do you mean "keep your head down, he's aiming for the torches" is sung the same way as "keep your friends close and your enemies closer", what do you mean Odysseus's name is sung in the danger motif the same way Polyphemus's was, what do you mean the danger motif plays when Penelope asks Odysseus to move the bed, what do you mean Athena's motif mixes with Legendary when Telemachus arrives, what do you mean an instrumental of Little Wolf plays when he fights the suitors, what do you MEAN-

[raywriteshere]

So... does anyone want to know my Michael Theory for Bet? No? Oh well, I'm procrastinating and I've been enabled! 😈

From the first episode I found his comfort and confidence around Kira *suspicious.* She lets Michael get away with shit no one else on the Student Council can get away. He seemed very unconcerned about openly defying her with the side bets too. Not to mention *literally* shouting at her for stealing his code.

The only other person who seems even close to this comfortable around Kira is Riri. Her sister. So, I proposal to y'all my glorious theory! Michael is their brother.

The three of them even have a couple scenes alone! Riri seems to trust Michael around Kira. And Michael literally went to Kira when he desperately needed help.

Now, in a canon verse, the immediate question would be 'but what about Gabriel?' My answer to that is 'what about him?' Do we really think Arkadi Timurov is above sleeping with another man's wife/partner and passing off his love child as his friend's son?

Something, something, Michael's daddy issues have daddy issues.

They never explicitely state how Kira and Riri's relationship as sisters began. It's heavily implied that Kira is Timurov's daughter from his (now ex-)wife, which implies that Riri is an acknowledged illegitimate child born out of wedlock, probably to a mistress given the way Kira's mom reacts/refers to Riri. If they were raised together (which it lowkey seems like they were given how close they are), than its not much of stretch to include Michael.

Kira even references Gabriel bouncing her on his knee! So yeah, they could just all be childhood companions because their fathers are friends/co-conspirators, but! Gabriel is not exactly a softy with Michael, so do we really think he'd have brought his son with him to business meetings? Not unless he had a reason, or was ordered to do so.

Dori and Michael were surprised by their parents' (supposedly past) relationship, so they obviously didn't grow up together in the same way. And yet! Kira knew about Dori's eyepatch and crafted a cover for her. There's a huge difference between how Kira treats Dori and how Kira treats Michael, if they're meant to have a similar (but separate) background with her.

Plus! If Timurov *is* Michael's bio-dad, this would allow for some serious mixed feelings/angsty breakdowns for Michael during season 2. Especially if he didn't know and/or it had only been a question/instrusive thought before Timurov confirms it.

Given the way Timurov treats his daughters, I don't consider it a stretch to assume he's a misogynist either so the idea that his only male child is the one he can't acknowledge would be particularly annoying for him. With the fallout for season 1 likely to provide ample opportunity for Michael to prove himself to Gabriel's network (as Kira mentioned!) before Timurov pulls the carpet out from under Riri (and maybe Kira?) by declaring Michael as his heir.

It would be so much delicious drama if Michael is Timurov's son and I *really* want it to be true. Whether Kira and Riri know, whether Michael knows, or they're all in the dark and just have a close bond due to their *strategically shared* upbringing, I will be happy either way.

Also... Gabriel/Arkadi is just a fun ship. Like, whether it's entirely irrelevant hate sex in a canonverse or awkward mpreg aus of any sort, they have amazing chemistry.

And that! is my Michael Theory. 😊

[dalvs-wife]

do any other selfshippers get a little bit irked when seeing your f/o's headcanoned with sexualities that exclude your gender..... because uhhhh... no? we're dating?? we're married??? we're very in love??? wdym they aren't attracted to my gender? surely you jest...

[castelia-pidove]

breaking news: giant archen attacks castle in Undella. no one injured (except for my hard work)

[raynavan]

Depot Agents : Uhhh, Sir, whatcha got there?

Emmet, emerging from the tunnel with the infamous giant Gliscor clinging to his back, and the other smaller one following him at his side : A smoothie.

So the idea of Ingo working at the station is just, so funny to me. Ignoring the legalities of pokemon labor, I like to think that both bosses start multiple different types of conspiracy theories.

Like, the Agents see their Boss become incredibly attached to the giant Gliscor. That is not the weird part, Emmet naturally loves his pokemon. The weird part is the Gliscor's unnatural characteristics : impossibly frowny face, silver eyes, huge size, an equal amount of trust in Emmet, and, apparently, *smart enough to do administrative work*

The older Depot Agents are theorizing that, somehow, the Gliscor *is* Ingo. The newer ones think that Emmet projected so hard onto the Gliscor, he trained it to act just like his bro and also somehow taught it to read paperwork.

And what about commuters? Like I get that Ingo would probably only be in the office, but some people would see him walking around. That could be problematic, cause just about everyone uses the subway. Like shady folks who could see an incredibly rare and powerful looking pokemon. Or history buffs who see an *Alpha pokemon *in Unova of all places**

Also side note, you said that Alpha status is a mix of genetics, environment AND a strong will to protect and fight. So then how did it become obsolete? I kinda doubt it was bred out of existence (even if its recessive, Alpha pokemon would undoubtedly be much more likely to reproduce given their everything). Was it due to human interference? As in, humans made it easier to survive in the wild (near routes at least), thus pokemon with less intense genes can survive easier? That doesn't account for the will part, I am very interested in that.

Can Ingo now understand and talk to their pokemon? That'd be a very sweet reunion. Like, everyone is sceptical, but Chandelure confirms it cause it's still the same soul regardless of his body. They'd probably have SO many things to tell him that they couldn't before due to language barriers.

Also, I wonder how Elesa, Drayden and Iris would react. I imagine that Iris' first instinct upon seeing giant bat pokemon that looks well trained and a bit like a wet cat would be to immediately charge right at him to wrestle. Drayden understands that urge, but still scruffs Iris to hold her back cause Ingo clearly looks like he doesn't want to (at the moment).

And more interesting if Skyla (through Elesa) and Clay get involved. Cause they WORK with pokemon of Ingo's types, so I'm sure they'd be fascinated. Skyla tries convincing Ingo to learn how to fly (with her dumb OSHA violating cannons) at her gym, mainly cause she wants to spite Emmet, the train guy, with the fact she taught the other train guy to fly.

I'll stop yapping, but I hope you know this au is genuinely one of my favs and is currently inspiring to write my own fic. Have a good whatever-your-timezone-is.

yeah pretty much fhrueojhtgboerlg

the fic in question

(Big yap under the cut)

in terms of pokemon working- we already have pokedex entries that claim some pokemon have similar, of not more advanced, intelligence than humans. so i would say, generally, if they want to, they can legally be hired for work. but uh... that is also a topic that can differ wildly between my aus and fics- in this one, specifically, while its allowed its not exactly common. im tempted to go into more detail but ill uh. save that for another time ngoerthngo

ingo does all of his work in their shared office, and he... cant... exactly write... he just keeps breaking pens over the papers. the depot agents find it funny that the boss' big gliscor is trying to copy him. emmet definitely leans into the rumor mill and other peoples thoughts / assumptions about Ingo in this case. its much easier to just not say anything and let them think what they want! i can totally see him sometimes chiming in with (true!) information to make people even more confused tho ghioruehgo

im sure the agents all think its really sweet that this big, unwieldy bat seems to have gotten so attached to emmet. of course, then that brings the question of why it seems to care so much about the first person that treated it with any sort of kindness and... well. it really is easier to just lean into unspoken and whispered assumptions.

in terms of people guessing that its ingo- while there might be a thought about it or the idea is brought up, i think that most of the senor agents would actually shut down that kind of thinking. not only is it cruel to the gliscor in question (who would face endless disappointment from others expecting more from it), but its even crueler to Emmet. that's his missing brother- they will not allow emmet to even hear a whisper of people talking about ingo like that. hes not really "over" his brother disappearance (if that's even a thing one can do, really), even if hes coping better now. they would hate to see him turn away from a pokemon that seems to bring his so much joy, just because some of its quirks mirror ingo's.

while ingo does his best to stick by emmet's side, it is rather hard for him to move around that station when its crowded. hes... a little big hugoerhgn (i know i made him "bigger" in the drawing above than previous, but that is more realistic to how large ingo actually is.) ingo would most likely leave the office during calmer hours, or huddle behind his brother on the train when hes running the battle lines. (ingo and emmet have more of a crepuscular schedule when it comes to actually being at gear station.)

people would see him, but he's Always with Emmet. and well... if anyone did try to take him...

neither are exactly pushovers.

in terms of Alpahs as a whole- i think they they do exist, but are extremely rare or difficult to encounter modern day. we actually get a line in-game that says something along the lines of huisuian pokemon being tougher / wilder than most other regions. thus, the alpha populations there were verrry high- lots of competition for resources and a genuine need to frequently fight in order to survive. i like the idea that the reason all pokemon were more aggressive was due to giratina's influence- but by the end of the game, that was resolved. so pokemon began to calm down. with less need to fight all the time, and thus less need to protect all the time, alpha populations naturally diminished. but they are still around- in fact, the trial guardians in pokemon sun/moon were basically alpha pokemon. so they are a lot less common now, but not gone completely. i suppose they might stick to places further away from routes, since they have no real interest in getting stronger with the help of humans like some other pokemon. (basically- there's less of a reason to be an alpha. there was just a very odd amount in huisi due to giratina messing around)

ingo can kinda understand pokemon now! a little! he can understand that some calls have a deeper meaning than others, but maybe not exactly what that meaning is. but he already understood his team pretty well just because he grew up with them. but no, he is, for all intents and purposes, a baby pokemon that grew up Very Fast. he will only really be able to tell things by tone and the calls he understood when he was human shaped.

i don't think iris would be up for immediately tackling the very clearly stressed as hell bat (ingo is nervous about meeting people emmet knows- emmet is Also nervous about ingo meeting people he knows) who is very big and seems incredibly intent on attempting to be the smallest pokemon in the room. i think, as experienced pokemon trainers, all the gym leaders would know to give him some room.

this does give ingo the ability and space to slowly recall things about these people. and also learn about them outside of the context of being a subway boss. i think Ingo would respect them all the more for their patience. to that end, unless ingo himself seemed interested, i don't think hes getting shot out of any cannons lol. Gliscor on the other hand...

anyway- thanks for the ask! it makes me really happy to know Im inspiring your own fic! best of luck with it!

[huntingrays]

sometimes i think “i am normal about valgrace” and then i see fanart or read a fanfic abt them and i combust

[howlonomy]

need everyone to look at this kanako panel. thank you

[pastelprince18]

Smooth-