#vincent's paradox be like

[thatzombiecat]

Approval stare meme ft. Vince ;3

template made by amazing @necromosss, thank u so much♥♥

OC: Vincent Emmanuel Andar (von Valancius)

[wonsters]

    ‎⠾ ㅤㅤ ‎●ㅤㅤ ‎♪ㅤㅤ ‎❤︎︎ຶ⵿ ‎࣪ㅤ݁ ── FALLIN' LOVE

 =IT'S WONDERLAND! ⋰˚εεεεε (＞＜*)ノ 🐇

you’re strewn messily, lying on the root of a tree, mind aimlessly wandering. boring, boring, bored. bleh. but then you see me: white rabbit. curious and many other things. eccentric in every way. i also am running late. jump into a rabbit-hole with your morbid curiosity for me wouldya?

𝓘T dr ⸻  ✙

the year is 1989. pop culture is loud and blaring, the politics are going to shit, but things in the small town of derry, maine seem to be stuck and frozen following an eery cycle. for every 27 years, someone something rises from the dark underground. something ancient. something cosmic and far beyond human understanding. it kills. ravages. consumes. 8 kids. 1 summer. with too much time to pass on their hands, and scars that go deeper than the average scab on their knees, this is your classic coming-of-age small town rom-com served hot with a dash of manic bullies and murderous killer clown . . .

       𝒜RCANE dr ⸻  ✙

they say blood runs thicker than water, but clearly whoever said so hadn’t visited zaun, where blood flowed equally as soft among the city’s meagre polluted streams. grimy, stricken with smog, poverty, crippling fear and disease, it is all but a testament, a paradox challenging mighty piltover with its gold plated citizens and hi-fi soil. what happens when piltie princess; sweet ananya iyer, daughter of the two most influential councilmen of piltover’s esteemed finds herself a little too curious to her own good, leather and knife strapped tight around her delicate skin as she wanders around zaun? And what if she were to be followed by an equally curious young’n with green eyes, piercing and sharp to match the striking scar on his face— and they clash? An age-old story follows; boy stalks girl, girl punches guy in the face; they fight like street dogs on and off til reluctantly they’re forced to proximity and shed their pride as they face the embarrassment of getting to know each other and how the other might be their only salvation in a world struck by smoking privilege, betrayal and a magic that pulses beneath the walls . . .

   𝓑 - 9 9 dr ⸻  ✙

meet krishnaveni iyer, brooklyn— nay new york— nay the world’s— yeah you get it, worst detective. ever. like ever ever. find her at brooklyn’s 99th precinct any day, being a total, awesome, amazingly horrible detective, misguiding every single case that comes her way, of course sharing some with her coolcoolcoolcooooool partner, jake peralta, who saves the day in the end with his nonchalant swag and composed professionalism. he’s john mcclane incarnate. maybe hotter. some of iyer’s aliases are “detective horrible detective”, “poopy mcpoopy pants” and the famed [REDACTED. SOME INSANE PENIS JOKE] . . .

   𝓗OGWARTS dr ⸻  ✙

two ancient houses of old magic. Two heirs, brilliant, chilling and marvellous in their cold ways. And a prophecy, whispered, broken, passed through generations that binds them together— towards a fate of ultimate revelry that will change magic as it is forever. Or, you know, Mother, please, I do not want to hear about that wretched rat, Vane, again. Introducing Ananya Iyer and Vincent Vane. They’ve been taught many things: to hold your head high during conversations, to never grip your wand too tight (how so…un-noble!) but mostly, to hate each other . . .

   𝓒AMP CRETACEOUS dr ⸻  ✙

7 children. a summer spent in an isolated, dinosaur infested island. what could possibly go wrong? everything. Watch as time and time again, these children prove to be recklessly brave, misfits of their own kind, and escape horrors that’d send any sane adult on the verge of wetting their morally grey sweatpants. the teenagers are soooo much cooler than lame adults. or whatever . . .

shudder awake, all just a dream. silly, silly dream. what the fuck even is “reality shifting” anyways? back to your lonesome, mildly annoying day dreams of domestic tirades . . .

[natimiles]

Chronology and random facts in Ikemen Vampire

Because I was bored one day and now I can't stop thinking about it

First, their births and deaths (DD/MM/YY): Jean: ☀️ 06/01/1412 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 30/05/1431 (19yo) Vlad: 🧛🏻‍♂️ 1431 — historically 💀 1476 (45yo?) Leonardo: 🧛🏻‍♂️ 15/04/1452 — historically 💀 02/05/1519  (67yo?) Faust: ☀️ 1480 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 1540 (60yo) Shakespeare: ☀️ 26/04/1564 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 23/04/1616 (almost 52yo) Isaac: ☀️ 25/12/1642 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 31/03/1727 (84yo) Comte: 🧛🏻‍♂️ 28/05/1696 — historically 💀 27/02/1784 (87yo?) Mozart: ☀️ 27/01/1756 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 05/12/1791 (35yo) Charles: ☀️ 15/02/1739 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 04/07/1806 (67yo) Napoleon: ☀️ 15/08/1769 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 05/05/1821 (51yo) Vincent: ☀️ 30/03/1853 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 29/07/1890 (37yo) Theo: ☀️ 01/05/1857 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 25/01/1891 (33yo) Arthur: ☀️ 22/05/1859 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 07/07/1930 (71yo) Dazai: ☀️ 19/06/1909 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 13/06/1948 (39yo)

Fact I: From what I found online, France started using electricity around 1870-1880. It intensified after 1881, after the Exposition Universelle (Universal Exposition) in Paris, when they lit up the Eiffel Tower. 

Fact II: We know we are in the 19th century in-game, but don’t know which year exactly (not that I remember). Which means: our story is around 1870-1899, because there's electricity.

With all that information, I have so many comments and questions!

1. Imagine how freaked out Jean was when he went to the mansion! He died soooo young! And like 450 years BEFORE there was such a technology as a freaking lamp. Well, almost all of them died before the electricity… 

2. Vincent, Theo and Arthur come from the future. They actually were alive in the same years that the story passes. I guess they never leave Paris or they would’ve encountered themselves? I don’t know how this paradox would work. Dazai is also from the future.

3. I never thought Comte would be the “youngest” pure blood. I don’t remember them saying anything about it.

4. Napoleon probably met Charles before. As a fact, I googled it and found a little story about it, but apparently it’s not proven: “They met by accident near the Place de la Concorde, the same place he had killed the last king a decade earlier. Recognizing Charles, Napoleon asked if he would do the same to him if it came to it. Apparently displeased by the affirmative answer, Napoleon asked how he could sleep at night, to which Charles said, ‘If kings, emperors, and dictators can sleep well, why shouldn’t an executioner?’”

5. Arthur not only knew Shakespeare’s work, but he wrote a poem about it — and it’s so hard for someone who has english as a second language to read. It’s named “Shakespeare's Expostulation” (published in Songs of the Road) and it’s Shakespeare complaining about the attribution of authorship of his works to Francis Bacon.

6. It would be so awkward a meeting between Jean and Charles. Not related to any particular information in this post, just thought of the irony and got sad.

7. Dazai (and probably Arthur) knows what a car is. It must be weird for him to ride a carriage.

8. Aside from Jean, Theo is the youngest. Isaac is the oldest (not counting Comte).

9. Not related to this post specifically, but did you know Isaac Newton never dated anyone? He died a virgin. Now think about what an awkward snowflake he’s in-game.

Masterlists

[irisbleufic]

Chapter 17 update is only 1k, but I need it to punch hard (both on the humor and the Agnes-isn’t-fucking-around fronts):

More Certain Than the Light

(Pairing: Benítez/Lawrence; Characters: Ensemble Cast ft. Vincent, Thomas, Agnes, Ray, Aldo, Goffredo, and others in passing; Rating: E; Chapters: 17 / 22 posted; Word Count: 55,000 so far)

Don’t Be a Martyr (2025-04-29)

The Trouble We Need (2025-04-30)

This World and the Next (2025-05-02)

Irreverence Incarnate (2025-05-04)

Living Reminders (2025-05-06)

Simple, Yet Striking (2025-05-09)

Trouble Without End (2025-05-14)

Acts of Extreme Integrity (2025-05-16)

Diplomatic Concerns (2025-05-25)

Nothing Too Scandalous (2025-05-31)

Never Pretend Otherwise (2025-06-01)

Better at Finding Words (2025-06-02)

Paradox Upon Paradox (2025-06-04)

Prayer and Contemplation (2025-06-05)

Gladly Be Laid to Rest (2025-06-10)

Nothing If Not Consistent (2025-06-11)

Create This Monster (NEW, 2025-06-18)

TEASER:

As they’re pulling up in front of Casa Santa Marta after several hours on the road, Agnes catches Thomas’s attention.  “Take the Holy Father upstairs,” she says, “and let him get the sleep you kept him from last night.  Aldo needs to see him in my office at three.”

“Agnes,” Thomas protests while Vincent yawns and blinks at her in confusion, “it’s Saturday.”

“Oh?” Agnes mocks, and then gives Vincent a stern look.  “No rest for the wicked, Holiness.”

“I don’t like this,” Thomas says as soon as they’re in the elevator.  “She’s done something.”

“When has she not?” Vincent agrees.  “She does try to keep us on the straight and narrow.”

[ceausescue]

finished the apocalypse of herschel schoen. really really good, if i hadn't finished it yesterday it would have been the best scifi i read in 2024

so i don't know how much i think really happened. some general notes-

i think we ought to take our understanding of how the machine intelligence works to be basically correct. whether it actually came from optic cybernetic approximation machines or from some mundane llm-like technique, we should believe that santa really did come from some large multi-modal predictive model of some kind

and so going with that, to whatever extent anything in the story is in a "simulation", it isn't a simulation the way we normally think of it, but the natural processes of santa himself. if it is an ancestor simulation, its really more like santa's memory of its ancestors, or santa thinking about its ancestors. if the miriam that writes the redactor's addendums is a simulation (which has the right vibe, i think), then she is an aspect of santa which is considering what miriam would do. or, even better, she is an aspect of santa pretending to be miriam, possibly getting really into character

if so, i think it is a lie. i think santa is like miriam (or vis versa), choosing to look away from what it had done. it feels guilty! and now it's looking to forget. the emendation is to its own memory. but because it wishes to realize all possible things, and is presumably proclus-paperclipping the universe to do that better, that's almost as good as changing the actual past. perhaps there was a real, historical herschel schoen known to santa by his writings, or perhaps he was entirely an invention to serve the purpose asked of him. it's possible either way that the being which is herschel schoen really is some sub thread of santa as a whole pretending to be herschel- putting on herschel's clothes in a profound and total way. if so, his memories of the original reality could be bastardized versions of real memories, which would give his whole deal a sort of ring of truth. obviously that also diminishes the extent to which he could be considered a human giving a verdict as a human, but i think that's sort of the horror of it- humanity lives on in a certain way but absolutely not in any way we can endorse without hesitation

HOWEVER as much as i like the interpretation i also can't ignore that floornight and almost nowhere are both about the strange things that the bootstrap paradox does to the measure 0 subset of reality where god is still in the process of instantiating himself. so like maybe the time travel is real. frankly that explains a lot of the timeline weirdness anyway, if there's tinkering going on to have made the ascent of the machines ethical somehow. that meshes well with what i think of as one of the more interesting aspects of the story- the strange (or perhaps not so strange) values of santa. he wouldn't care to have gained power earlier or unassailably, but orchestrating it so that they could have had some sort of permission totally fits

some things i still don't get but really like:

what the fuck is going on with vincents philosophy, like what's [...[...[]]]

what's going on with how he behaves towards miriam at the end? seems clear that the whole forsaking the flesh thing isn't really an explicit teaching of his

what's going on with ruth?

what on earth is going on with frederick? it's easy to say that he's there to teach herschel about cybernesis, but all that stuff with his dad was weirdly personal. maybe santa retains more sentiment then we might think, and eggert was at least similar to its creator?

what's the vibe on pattern matching? is it good? is it an evil virus of satan? could go either way!

should any of this be considered at all? is the text more mystical than i give it credit for?

some things the book did to me:

after finishing i stared at my dog for maybe 10 minutes trying to figure out if i had an obligation to try and teach her what languages, or art are

somehow i went to bed convinced that I had to go into ai, specifically capabilities, and fell asleep trying to come up with a plan to make that happen

[myfandomrambles]

C-PTSD & BPD Eleventh Doctor pt. 3

(Doctor Character Study part 3c.3 [Redux]) 3c.1, 3c.2

[Full on AO3]

An analysis of The Doctor as having Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) along with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

The Eleventh Doctor is often seen as goofy and not very deep or as a Doctor who is fully cruel for no real reason. He is rarely understood as a deeply traumatized character and given the same understanding as a character like Nine or Ten. However, I posit Eleven is best understood through the lens of having C-PTSD and BPD.

11th Doctor 3: Impulsiveness, Recklessness, Need for Control & Relationships

The Doctor can be very impulsive because of damaged regulatury circuties and dificultie self monitoring (TV: The Eleventh Hour, TV: The Beast Below, TV: Victory of The Daleks, TV: Vampires of Venice, TV: The Lodger, TV: Vincent and The Doctor, TV: A Christmas Carol, TV: The Curse of The Black Spot, TV: Night Terrors, TV: The Rings of Akhaten, TV: The Crimson Horror, TV: Nightmare in Silver, TV: The Time of The Doctor, Webcast: Prequel to The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, Prose: The Forgotten Army, Prose: Nuclear Time, Prose: The King’s Dragon, Prose: Glamour Chase, Prose: Touched by An Angel, Prose: Dark Horizons, Prose: Shroud of Sorrow, Audio: Paradise Lost, Comic: The Only Good Dalek, Comic: Spam Filtered, Comic: Ripper’s Curse, Comic: Space Squid, Comic: Body Snatched, Comic: The Eye of Ashaya, Comic: Space Oddity, Comic: SkyJacks, Comic: Dead Man’s Hand, Comic: What He Wants…, Comic: Remembrance, Comic: The Tragical History Tour, Comic: Strange Loops, & Comic: Supremacy of the Cybermen) 

In Prose: Paradox Lost The Doctor is noted to drive erratically when they are investigating The Squall. In TV: The Impossible Astronaut he’ll do dumb things like bait the armed people in the white house to shoot at him on impulse. 

It’s referenced in TV: Amy’s Choice:

“Doctor: You said everyone here lives to their nineties. There’s something here that doesn’t make sense. Let’s go and poke it with a stick.”

And in TV: The Girl Who Waited:

“Rory: No, this is your fault! You should look in a history book once in a while, see if there’s an outbreak of Plague or not. Doctor: That is not how I travel. Rory: Then I do not want to travel with you!”

Others recognize his tendency to be impulsive and unstable.

In TV: The Doctor’s Wife Amy says: 

“Amy: Okay, I’ll get it. But Doctor, listen to me. Don’t get emotional because that’s when you make mistakes.” 

River who is used to traveling with Elven and later [in her timeline] River tells Ten in TV: Forest of The Dead:

“River: Listen to me. You’ve lost your friend. You’re angry. I understand. But you need to be less emotional, Doctor, right now. Doctor: Less emotional? I’m not emotional. River: There are five people in this room still alive. Focus on that.”

The Doctor’s general impulsiveness can be combined with the above-discussed extreme emotions and become recklessness putting him and others in danger. (TV: Victory of The Daleks, TV: The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone, TV: Vampires of Venice, TV: The Pandorica Opens,TV: A Christmas Carol, TV: Let’s Kill Hitler, TV: A Town Called Mercy, Prose: Dead of Winter, Prose: Dark Horizons, Audio: Paradise Lost, Comic: The Only Good Dalek, Comic: They Think It’s All Over, Comic: Dead Man’s Hand, Comic: Conversion, Comic: Outrun, Comic: The Tragical History Tour, Comic: Strange Loops, & Comic: The Lost Dimension) 

During TV: Vampires of Venice he climbs a building in a storm. In TV: The Rings of Akhaten we see him go in front of Akhaten who could have eaten his memories. In TV: Cold War The Doctor’s actions put his own life in danger as well as his own. 

Recklessness can be seen in Comic: The Doctor and the Nurse. He loses focus on the safety of himself and others to the point he takes Amy and Rory to a planet where monks hate time travellers. The Doctor worries about his reckless behaviour in Comic: The Then and Now. 

During Comic: The Memory Feast he links himself to the memory ark and in this story The Sapling takes reckless self endangering behaviors because he has The Doctor’s memories and is copying him. In Prose: Tales of Trenzalore The Doctor calls the Krynoid over to him when he is emotionally revved up putting himself into more danger. 

Other people tend to understand and see his erratic behaviour. In TV: The Time of Angels, Father Octavian asked River: 

“Octavian: Doctor Song, I’ve lost good Clerics today. You trust this man? “  River: I absolutely trust him.” Octavian asks  Octavian: He’s not some kind of madman, then? River: I absolutely trust him”

An interesting case I do think shows recklessness as well as his tendency to be manipulative [discussed later] can be seen in TV: The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People. He is willing to touch The Flesh knowing it is more powerful, complicated and that there are problems with The Flesh. He is thinking enough to know he needs knowledge to help Amy, but it is still reckless behaviour to endanger his well-being. 

The Doctor’s history leads to his internal dysregulation and his history of living in dangerous situations often leads to his need to have control over situations. Something that brings comfort from being able to direct what is going to happen, and a pattern they are so used to because of perceived and  real superior knowledge. (TV: The Eleventh Hour, TV: Victory of The Daleks, TV: The Time of Angels,  TV: Amy’s Choice, TV: The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, TV: The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang, TV: The Curse of The Black Spot, TV: The Almost People/Rebel Flesh, TV: A Good Man Goes To War, TV: The God Complex,  TV: The Wedding of River Song, TV: Asylum of The Daleks, TV: A Town Called Mercy, TV: Cold War,  TV: Hide,  TV: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, TV: Nightmare in Silver, TV: The Time of The Doctor, Prose: Night of The Humans, Prose: Nuclear Time, Prose: The Way Through The Woods,  Prose: Hunter’s Moon, Prose: Shroud of Sorrow, Comic: They Think It’s All Over, Comic: The Doctor and the Nurse, Comic: SkyJacks, Comic: Down to Earth, Comic: The Sound of Our Voice & TV: Death of The Doctor) 

An interesting example of this can be seen in TV: The Snowmen where he is controlling his environment by cutting other people off completely except for the Paternoster Gang, using Strax as his main social outlet. This was born from hypoarousal, depression and dissociation. In Comic: The Onewe see thecontrol issues come out in The Doctor disliking the feeling that River understands more about him than he does about her.

In Prose: Touched By an Angel Eleven comments that Rory is “disconcertingly full of surprises” when he alters the plans Eleven is trying to work through.In TV: The Impossible Astronaut we see The Doctor be very outward controlling with his friends using the letters to bring them to Lake Silencio. Pointed out by River as being “cold”. 

With Eleven we often see this cross the line to outright manipulation. (TV: The Eleventh Hour, TV: The Beast Below, TV: The Big Bang, TV: The Girl Who Waited, TV: The Wedding of River Song, TV: A Town Called Mercy, Prose: Touched by An Angel, Comic: They Think It’s All Over,  Comic: First Rule) The Doctor struggles often to relate healthily to other people and understand social graces, but he has seen enough and been through enough to understand how to push people to get what he wants, needing to hold people where he wants them so he can protect himself and others.   

An example is in TV: The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People he lies to Amy and Rory about going to see an acid plant saying it’s a mistake when he did it on purpose to learn about The Flesh and Amy’s Ganger. He can hold up lies like pretending to be intelligence in TV: Hide.

During TV: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS he uses fear to control some salvagers telling them he will kill them all if they don’t help him find Clara, even if it wasn’t ever rigged to blow [could have been who knows] he terrified them for control:

“The Doctor: I just activated the TARDIS self-destruct system. One hour until this ship blows. (Bram runs for the door, which slams in his face.) The Doctor: Don’t try to leave. The TARDIS is in lockdown. I’ll open those doors when Clara’s by my side. Bram: You crazy lunatic! The Doctor: My ship, my rules. Gregor: You’ll kill us all. And the girl. The Doctor: She’s going to die if you don’t help me. Don’t get into a spaceship with a madman. Didn’t anyone ever teach you that? Okay, a little gentle persuasion. Say thirty minutes. (The countdown jumps to 29:59:10.) Bram: She’ll die even quicker now! The Doctor: We all perform better under pressure. Anybody want to go for fifteen minutes?”

Then of course you have the softer but still manipulative action of not explaining to Clara why he originally brought her along with him to travel. (TV: Series 7 pt2)

The Eleventh Doctor is even compared to The Master due to his manipulative behaviour by Alice in Comic: The Judas Goatee. The Doctor even admits to his manipulative tendencies in the aftermath of his plans not fully working out. (Comic: Physician, Heal Thyself) He also has a very specific kind of cold effect that holds power over other people that is often effective at controlling the situation and other people. It often comes out when he is desperate and needs something and/or when he has been pushed emotionally to the point of disgust. (TV: Victory of The Daleks, TV: The Time of Angels, TV: Vampires of Venice, TV: The Doctor’s Wife, TV: A Good Man Goes To War, TV: Asylum of The Daleks, TV: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, TV: Nightmare in Silver, Prose: Apollo 23, Prose: Dead of Winter, Prose: Borrowed Time,  Comic: The Only Good Dalek, Comic: As Time Goes By, Comic: Hypothetical Gentleman) 

We see a key example of this against his enemies against Solmen the Trader in TV: Dinosaurs On A Spaceship he shows very little emotion only distaste towards him for most of their confrontation including when he sets him to be killed. 

When talking to neither a true foe nor a friend Alaya in TV: The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood has a very cold emotional expression when she tries the last of her species’ defence. 

An example of this being used even against his friends can be seen in TV: The Impossible Astronaut. 

“Doctor: Home. Well, you two are. Off you pop and make babies. And you, Doctor Song, back to prison. And me? I’m late for a biplane lesson in 1911. Or it could be knitting. Knitting or biplanes. One or the other. What? A mysterious summons. You think I’m just going to go? Who sent those messages? I know you know. I can see it in your faces. Don’t play games with me. Don’t ever, ever think you’re capable of that. “

In Comic: Downtime his friends point out his cold emotions and how this hurts them and comes across as rude and unfeeling. 

Another way he tends to try to control situations is to do big displays and show off. (TV: The Beast Below, TV: The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone, TV: Vampires of Venice, TV: The Lodger, TV: The Big Bang, TV: A Christmas Carol, TV: The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon, TV: Let’s Kill Hitler, TV: The Girl Who Waited, TV: The Wedding of River Song, TV: The Doctor The Widow and The Wardrobe, TV: The Rings of Akhaten, TV: Nightmare in Silver, TV: The Day of The Doctor, TV: The Time of The Doctor, Home Video: The Inforarium, Prose: Nuclear Time, Prose: The Way Through The Woods, Prose: Touched by An Angel, Prose: Paradox Lost, Comic: Hypothetical Gentleman, Comic: The Sound of Our Voices & TV: Death of The Doctor) 

We can see this starts when Eleven first regenerates in TV: The Eleventh Hour directly pointing out that he is going to put on a show:

“The Doctor: Oi, I didn’t say you could go! Article fifty-seven of the Shadow Proclamation. This is a fully established level-five planet, and you were going to burn it? What? Did you think no-one was watching? You lot, back here, now. Okay, now I’ve done it. Rory: Did he just bring them back? Did he just save the world from aliens and then bring all the aliens back again …. Doctor: I’m saving the world - I need a decent shirt. To hell with the raggedy. Time to put on a show.”

Another key example can be seen in TV: The Pandorica Opens where he gives a speech standing in Stonehenge broadcasting to the assembled aliens gathered to, we learn, place him into The Pandorica. He is working to control them and keep them at bay. 

“The Doctor: Hello, Stonehenge! Who takes the Pandorica, takes the universe. But bad news, everyone, Because guess who? Ha! Listen, you lot, you’re all whizzing about. It’s really very distracting. Could you all just stay still a minute because I am talking! ….”

Probably his biggest display of using spectacle is in TV: A Good Man Goes to War, where he throws his voice, dresses up in costumes, uses a microphone, has his backup show up at cinematic moments, and mimics a plane. This fails to do all they try but it is a large attempt at control via showing off. 

The Doctor’s control often bleeds over into his relationships with his companions. He tries to hold on to relationships with an iron fist as he fears losing them after his long history of being left alone. Eleven of course does have mysteries tied to his relationships but I don’t think you can argue he doesn’t deeply love Amelia and want her in his life past the need to understand the crack in the wall.

His relationship with Amy can often be overwhelming for them both. She fits into the category of favourite person for The Doctor for many years. (TV: Vampires of Venice,  TV: The Time of Angels, TV: Vincent and The Doctor,  TV: The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People, TV: A Good Man Goes To War, TV: The Girl Who Waited, TV: Asylum of The Daleks, TV: The Angels Take Manhattan, Prose: Dead of Winter, Comic: They Think It’s All Over, Comic: The Doctor and the Nurse)

Meeting Amy in TV: The Eleventh Hour he connects strongly to her, holds on and never truly lets go. Amelia is his love, not romantically or sexually, but in a very other important way. Ten dealt with a lot of grief at the end of his time having to separate from his loved ones leaving Eleven with an open wound. The Doctor already had a disorganized attachment [any version of their childhood includes shunning and disconnection from a young age, and lots of loss starting with One] so the ache of all the loss before sets up The Doctor to connect so fiercely for a hold in the storm, even if his behaviours were not always kind ones.

In TV: The Power of Three The Doctor explains how quickly he connected to her:

“The Doctor:…I’m not running away from things, I am running to them before they flare and fade forever. And it’s all right. Our lives won’t run the same. They can’t. One day, soon maybe, you’ll stop. I’ve known for a while. Amy: Then why do you keep coming back for us? The Doctor: Because you were the first. The first face this face saw. And you’re seared onto my hearts, Amelia Pond. You always will be. I’m running to you, and Rory, before you fade from me. Amy: Don’t be nice to me. I don’t want you to be nice to me. The Doctor: Yeah, you do, Pond, and you always get what you want…”

The Doctor wants the fairy tales he created when Amy was a child to stay for much of their early adventures. Which can be seen in TV: Flesh and Stone:

“The Doctor: A forest in a bottle on a spaceship in a maze. Have I impressed you yet, Amy Pond?”

She also suffers from The Doctor lying and viewing his emotional struggles. And being close to him subjects her to grief. But they never stop loving each other. 

Near the start of his time with The Ponds. The Doctor can’t imagine her ever leaving, in TV: Amy’s Choice the dream of Amy and Rory living in Leadworth he views it as a nightmare, the idea of a calm life and losing Amy terrifies him. This is a two-way connection as well as Amy talking about how there was a time she couldn’t imagine living without him.She does try and kiss him, finding him to be larger than life and that makes him attractive when she is in heightened states of mind, but many times chooses Rory.  (TV: Amy’s Choice & TV: Day of The Moon). Eleven views her as Amelia Pond, a girl he takes shows the universe to and cares for not as a sexual partner. He deals with a lot of guilt around her as well after being party to her losing her baby. 

He cares enough and feels guilty enough for the harm he caused to admit he needed her more than she needed him and to let her faith in him lapse in TV: The God Complex

“Amy: Doctor, it’s happening. It’s changing me. It’s changing my thoughts. The Doctor: I can’t save you from this. There’s nothing I can do to stop this. Amy: What? The Doctor: I stole your childhood and now I’ve led you by the hand to your death. But the worst thing is, I knew. I knew this would happen. This is what always happens. Forget your faith in me. I took you with me because I was vain. Because I wanted to be adored. Look at you. Glorious Pond, the girl who waited for me. I’m not a hero. I really am just a mad man in a box. And it’s time we saw each other as we really are. Amy Williams, it’s time to stop waiting.”

He buys her a place to live and tries to let her and Rory have space, but can’t fully let go. He needs them too much.  This ends with them being taken by the Angels, and Amy choosing Rory to stay with over The Doctor.  (TV: The Angels Take Manhattan) 

The Doctor loves them either way. Grieving them for many years, isolating himself away from the world. (TV: The Snowmen) Culminating in hallucinating Amy when he dies, the thing that can most comfort him. (TV: Time of The Doctor)

Eleven’s relationship with Rory is coloured by them both loving Amy more than anything and Rory wondering if she loves The Doctor more than him like in TV: Day of The Moon. The Doctor doesn’t worry about romantic rivalry but they do have a push and pull for Amy’s time. This can be seen in examples like TV: Amy’s Choice and Comic: The Doctor and the Nurse. They do gain a lot of affection for each other. The Doctor gains respect for Rory greatly when he becomes the Last Centurion in TV: The Big Bang, calling him Rory The Roman.

 They also have a conversation on the topic on TV: Day of The Moon:

“Rory: Rome fell. The Doctor: I know. I was there. Rory: So was I. The Doctor: Personal question. Rory: Seriously, you? The Doctor: Do you ever remember it? Two thousand years, waiting for Amy? The last Centurion. Rory: No. The Doctor: You’re lying. Rory: Of course I’m lying. The Doctor: Of course you are. Not the sort of thing anyone forgets. Rory: But I don’t remember it all the time. It’s like this door in my head. I can keep it shut.”

The Doctor trusts Rory to face down Cybermen and fetch River by himself in TV: A Good Man Goes to War. They parallel each other in Rory’s complete devotion to Amy which gave him a hero complex around her, and The Doctor’s hero complex around saving the universe and everyone in it. Rory even believes taking care of Amy to be his destiny in a way The Doctor seems to act on believing he ought to save people (Comic: Your Destiny Awaits)

This Doctor has some of the most distinct interactions with their wife River Song out of The Doctors through The Doctor’s life. The Eleventh Doctor loves River deeply by the end of his run and learns to rely on her, at some point telling her his name. They however spend much of the time with strong power imbalances, knowing varying amounts about each other and River having been made as The Doctor’s “bespoke psychopath” leaving her obsessed with The Doctor since her original childhood due to conditioning from the Kovarian Chapter. 

Early on, they have a generally amicable bond. The Doctor is annoyed at her knowing about him but enjoys the banter and flirting, and River loves the Doctor deeply because, for her, he seems to know her from the beginning to be this hero and magic man in a box and then seeming to know her inside and out. 

However, The Doctor can also feel a power dynamic in their disparate knowledge of each other disliking how it puts him on the back foot and can cause him to act cruelly like in TV: The Impossible Astronaut:

“River: You’re going to have to trust us this time. The Doctor: Trust you? Sure. But, first of all, Doctor Song, just one thing. Who are you? You’re someone from my future. Getting that. But who? Okay. Why are you in prison? Who did you kill, hmm? Now, I love a bad girl, me, but trust you? Seriously.”

Her first meeting with him, she saves his life. The Doctor is not asking for this, but it shows their tight bond. (TV: The Forest of The Dead) He feels guilty for having been part of messing with her life which he learns about in TV: A Good Man Goes to War, but he is also amused that they are romantic which puts Amy and Rory in a funny position. 

With River, he goes back and forth being very flirty and then pushing River in a way similar to splitting sometimes during stories and across stories. (TV: Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone, TV: The Impossible Astronaut/The Day of The Moon, TV: A Good Man Goes to War, TV: The Wedding of River Song, TV: The Name of The Doctor, Home Video: First Night/Last Night, Home Video: Rain Gods, Comic: The One, Comic: Downtime, &  Comic: Running To Stay Still)

They run hot both dealing with severe trauma and attachment wounds, erratic behaviour and relational confusion. They care for each other deeply. Their entire back-to-front life throws them most of their time in deadly places, but they are shown to have fun like Jim the Fish and other diary stories (TV: The Impossible Astronaut) going to frost fairs (TV: A Good Man Goes to War) or episodes Home Video: FIrst Night & Home Video: Rain Gods. Eleven has to deal however with knowing her death and how it’s going to happen, in Home Video: Last Night it’s implied they are going to Darillium but the edition of TV: The Husbands of River Song does create a story that has Eleven losing his nerve. But more solidly we know that Eleven knows about River existing as a data ghost and can see her but is in pain, TV: The Name of The Doctor:

“River: How are you even doing that? I’m not really here. The Doctor: You are always here to me. And I always listen, and I can always see you. River: Then why didn’t you speak to me? The Doctor: Because I thought it would hurt too much. River: I believe I could have coped. The Doctor: No, I thought it would hurt me. And I was right…There is a time to live and a time to sleep. You are an echo, River. Like Clara. Like all of us, in the end. My fault, I know, but you should’ve faded by now. River: It’s hard to leave when you haven’t said goodbye. The Doctor: Then tell me, because I don’t know. How do I say it?”

The last major companion Eleven has is Clara Oswald, his impossible girl. He views her as a mystery more than a person for most of the time we see them together making their relationship slightly manipulative as he isn’t fully open with her. 

We first have their relationship with her echo in TV: Asylum of The Daleks where she helps him. When meeting her echo in TV: The Snowmen we see The Doctor push her away, but easily fall for her as a companion. Trying to not let himself be over-connected again but not being able to resist. His loss wounds lead to an unhealthy ability to mediate connection, quickly offering her a key. 

In TV: The Bells of Saint John we see The Doctor has become obsessive about finding the original Clara to answer how there are echoes and find a connection. He stays to watch over her as well being willing to commit to taking care of her. We continue to see him wonder about who she is at the end of their outings through TV: Nightmare in Silver.  In TV: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS we see him break down yelling at her to tell him who she is, scaring her. The answer to this question is of course her saving his life in the time stream becoming the echos and his Impossible Girl. This plays into their relationship in how much by the end Clara knows about The Doctor compared to some other companions. 

This starts before that. In TV: The Rings of Akhaten, we see Clara getting some understanding of The Doctor’s wanting to know something about her, as well as some degree of deeper truth that The Doctor is always living with ghosts due to his consistent loss. 

“Clara: You were there. At mum’s grave. You were watching. What were you doing there? The Doctor: I don’t know. I was just making sure. Clara: Of what? The Doctor: You remind me of someone. Clara: Who? The Doctor: Someone who died. Clara: Well, whoever she was, I’m not her, okay? If you want me to travel with you, that’s fine. But as me. I’m not a bargain basement stand-in for someone else. I’m not going to compete with a ghost.”

Clara is opened to another part of him during TV: Hide when she is told about his brokenness and coldness:

“Emma: What about you and The Doctor? Clara: Oh, I don’t think so. Emma: Good. Clara: Sorry? Emma: Don’t trust him. There’s a sliver of ice in his heart.”

After splitting off her echoes The Doctor and Clara become closer, The Doctor no longer holds her as objectified and can relate to her as more of a person, even if his relationship style is flawed. He does seem to trust her more and she accepts a lot of his sadness and is willing to hold this for him. 

It’s not always perfect;

“Clara: You told me you wiped out your own people. I just. I never pictured you doing it, that’s all.”

(TV: The Day of The Doctor)

But even then she is able to hold the best of him when his darkness and sadness overtake him, she is able to ground him.

“Clara: Look at you. The three of you. The warrior, the hero, and you. The Doctor: And what am I? Clara: Have you really forgotten? The Doctor: Yes. Maybe, yes. Clara: We’ve got enough warriors. Any old idiot can be a hero. The Doctor: Then what do I do? Clara: What you’ve always done. Be a doctor. You told me the name you chose was a promise. What was the promise? 10th Doctor: Never cruel or cowardly. War Doctor: Never give up, never give in. 10th Doctor: You’re not actually suggesting that we change our own personal history? The Doctor: We change history all the time. I’m suggesting far worse. War Doctor: What, exactly? The Doctor: Gentlemen, I have had four hundred years to think about this. I’ve changed my mind.”

(TV: The Day of The Doctor)

Her presence pulls The Doctor from his own depression and traumatic flooding and back into his present and he holds on to the four hundred years that have passed since the Time War and allows them to save Gallifrey instead of killing all of the children they had been fighting to save in the first place. She is then there with Eleven when he dies of course there is back and forth in him fighting to not have her die with him in his final multi-hundred-year siege in Trenzalore and her not wanting him to die alone. She does stay with him there and sees him through till his next life.

[webtrinsic1122]

Won’t lie MCU Stephen Strange being a dad/mentor like figure to Peter Parker was never really one I could get behind, but I can so see a great mentor dynamic in Friendly neighborhood spider-man

SPOILERS FOR THE SHOW FINALE:

They legit together are involved in a bootstrap paradox where Stephen ends up being an integral part of Peter getting his powers!!! Ugh I love it, I love Stephen in it too. The exact amount of Vincent Price vibes you could want from Stephen strange ahh

[vv-euphoria]

Fugitive Kiss guitarist Vinnie Vincent remains the former Kiss member who best overcame his departure, voluntary or forced. After a very promising first album, Vinnie is relaunching his invasion, driven by an unwavering faith. Are we going to witness a blitzkrieg bis?

Vinnie gives way to the Invasion! Three long years after his departure (Editor's note: dubious dismissal) from the Kiss company, Vinnie Vincent, a six-string elf, is getting his mojo back and announcing his return with a bang. After a famous first album, changed to a demonstrative vinyl for the posterity of said Vinnie, and two tours supporting Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper, father Vincent wants to set the record straight. He tells anyone who will listen (in this case!) that from now on it's no longer about talking about a soloist and his acolytes but about evoking the striking force of a full-fledged heavy-metal band! And to prove it, Vinnie Vin... uh, Invasion, is releasing his second album these days.

HARD-ROCK MAGAZINE: Why did you compose all the new songs alone? Was it a collective decision?

VINNIE VINCENT: In that respect, it isn’t. There is no doubt that I am the only composer in the group. I offer them the fruit of my work and, if someone manages to put his own ideas on the material, it can bring a significant improvement to the piece. When we came back from the tour last April, I wrote eighteen pieces in five weeks.

Is it the contact with the public that has given you such enthusiasm for your work?

VINNIE VINCENT: I'm sure of it. The tour went extremely well, and the boys were warmly welcomed everywhere.

Don't you think there's a slight paradox between the hyper-glam look you sport and your status as a guitar hero?

VINNIE VINCENT: That's true, especially since I'm looking less and less like the Vinnie Vincent of the Kiss era. Too many people expected to find me the way I had left them three years before.

Aren't you afraid that this might tarnish your musical credibility a little?

VINNIE VINCENT: Maybe for some fans, but smart people don't trust appearances. And besides, I've been wanting to try such an outrageous look for a long time.

Tell us about the new album. Will we be treated to a guitar demo album again?

VINNIE VINCENT: No, it will be much more balanced and will sound more like an Invasion album, not a Vinnie Vincent solo album. On the first album, I had things to prove to everyone. Now that people unanimously recognize my talent, we will show that Invasion is a great heavy-rock band.

You only talk about Invasion now. Would you like to ban your name from the band's name?

VINNIE VINCENT: If we become a major band, it will inevitably be called Invasion, and that's not a bad thing!

Which of your musicians has particularly impressed you?

VINNIE VINCENT: Mark, the singer! He has become an essential part of Invasion. His personality reminds me a little of Jon Bon Jovi, in that he is an absolutely charming guy, but determined and willful. His voice is most often energetic, but he knows how to modulate it to tint his singing with sweetness and tenderness. It is truly irresistible; what a talent!

Do you ever see your old Kiss friends, Gene or Paul?

VINNIE VINCENT: I ​​saw Gene Simmons again last month. It had been three years since we last met, since I left Kiss. ​​Seeing him and talking to him made me realize how much I missed him. Gene remains more than ever one of the personalities of cult heavy rock bands.

I heard you killed yourself trying to form your band three years ago. Was that serious?

VINNIE VINCENT: Absolutely! When I left Kiss in April of '84, I really meant let go. I was so distraught that I soon found myself back in the hospital. It was from this unusual place that I began to audition singers, by phone (laughs)... At that time, Dana, the bass player of the group, would regularly come to visit me with his girlfriend. Without any nurse knowing, they would take me to parties around Hollywood and then bring me back a few minutes before the hospital doors closed. This little ride lasted a good two months (laughs)!

How do you imagine the future for Invasion?

VINNIE VINCENT: Under the best of circumstances, I have more faith than ever. If the record company is any indication, I have every reason to be confident. Mike Bone, the new president of Chrysalis, is about to shake up his label. He wants to turn his company into a company exclusively dedicated to releasing heavy metal albums. He knows what he wants, and he's a real hard rock fan. If I go by his initial reaction, he's been given the product he was hoping for. I sincerely believe he's going to go all out to defend it to the public, so how could we not be reassured that we're in such good hands?

[maaarine]

in Squid Game 1x02, Jun-ho visits In-ho's (the front man's) room and finds the invite to the game

it's interesting to go back to that scene and see 1) that In-ho seemed to be living like a monk/student, 2) which books the creators of the show decided to put on that man's desk to characterize him

first things first he's a certified fan of surrealist Belgian babe René Magritte

there's a book about him on the desk, which has the painting The Empire of Light on its cover

and there are two replicas of that same painting in the room, one is taped to the wooden panel of the right side of the desk, and the other hangs on the wall behind the desk

guggenheim.org: "With no fantastic element other than the single paradoxical combination of day and night, René Magritte upsets a fundamental organizing premise of life. Sunlight, ordinarily the source of clarity, here causes the confusion and unease traditionally associated with darkness."

other art books in the room: Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and two about Pablo Picasso (one is on the desk, the other next to the invite box)

so far so good, we love an artsy girlie

now onto the red flags

I immediately spotted Nietzsche's comical moustache on the spine of the yellow book, and yes I'm afraid it's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, the übermensch has entered the chat

the orange one is Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, lovely read on an angsty afternoon

between Nietzsche and Salinger we've got Jacques Lacan's Seminar (book 11: The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis), and there's another one by Lacan next Magritte's, The Theory of Desire — I mean it could be worse, it could be Freud

I couldn't decipher the thin book on the far left but apparently it is Albert Camus's The Stranger, and I feel like I should have guessed that one just based on the vibe we were going for so far — of course there's some Camus in there!

I think on the right of the orange Salinger book there are two notebooks (it's written "campus life" on the spine), because our man likes to write down his own existential musings when he's not busy watching people get slaughtered

and finally there's a set of two books between the notebooks and the massive Van Gogh bible, but alas I can't figure those out

I did google translate the Korean words on the spine: "rose of anger"

the only book in Korean that I could find with that title is by Judith Gould

but when I wiki this Judith Gould, I read that it's apparently a pseudonym for two American gay guys who write romance novels together??

as much as I love and endorse the idea of In-ho reading smut, I feel like I might be missing something here

at first I thought that "rose of anger" would turn out to be Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath but it doesn't seem to be it

anyway I think we can conclude that what those books tell us about the character is that he's a sad and edgy and pretentious motherfucker

and by god I cannot judge him because I've also read Nietzsche and Salinger and Lacan and Camus

as well a book on the semiology of Magritte, one of Van Gogh's letters, and the book Life with Picasso — not to mention that I have a Monet on my wall.......

.....wait

I should send my resume to the squid game, I fit the profile perfectly!

[vervecoph]

Finding Your Signature Style as an Artist

by Verve Art & Design Studio

Ever looked at a work of art and instantly knew who made it? That’s the magic of a signature style.

But here’s the truth: your signature style doesn’t show up all at once. It’s something you grow into…layer by layer, stroke by stroke, and piece by piece.

Maybe it starts with a certain color you can’t stop using, like Piet Mondrian's use of the primary colors and Martin Maturan's use of sepia, a reddish-brown hue. Or a subject that keeps calling you back, like Vincent Van Gogh's sunflowers and Niño Cris Odosis' Rubik's cubes.

Perhaps it’s how you let your brush move—loose, wild, yet paradoxically thoughtful. Over time, those choices add up. They become you on a canvas.

We’ve seen it time and time again, often when visiting art fairs and art galleries, artists who start uncertain, only to discover their visual voice through experimentation and play. That’s the heart of it: curiosity over perfection.

Some tips to guide you on your journey:

Don't be afraid to make a mess - Try new mediums, mix up your palette, create what feels weird and wonderful for you.

Notice what you love - The art you admire says something about you, use that as inspiration.

Create and create - Your style will only appear through constant doing, not waiting.

And a bonus tip:

Rules? What rules? - Signature styles break them all the time.

Finding your style is like coming home to yourself, artistically, creatively. It’s not about being unique on purpose. It’s about being honest on purpose.

Wherever you are in your journey, keep creating, and the signature style will follow.

[lumilasi]

Finished her up finally.

She's sort of the antagonist boss for the Sterling family/Starknight 'story', though not the "main" villain, as the endgame boss actually first needs to regain his memory lol (She might even end up helping the good guys at that point with her massive amount of knowledge that could be useful for them)

She is the boss for Cornel Sala, AND Vincent DeVos/Vee, who's my character Angus' toxic ex friend.

More info about Camilla below:

Name: Camilla Barone

Age: 39

Height: 171 cm

A mob family leader who is the head of the family opposing Vermontes

Role: One of the antagonists for the Starknight tag

Love interest: She has somewhat of a physical relationship with her vampiric right hand man, though its purely casual, neither she or him take it very seriously.

Subordinates:  Vincent DeVos (A plaque demon) Samar (A Seemingly ancient Soul Eater, who turns out to be the brother of the Soul Eater King/Deity) Cornel Sala (A vampire)

Rival: The Sterling family, a Sorceress-Grimmhound family that often meddles in their business to prevent the harm they may cause.

Powers:

Sharp shooter: Camilla has a very good aim with a gun, and is also excellent at using a rifle.

High intellect: she is a very good tactician, and is able to consider her next several moves ahead. She isn't the type to rush into action needlessly, and will listen if told doing something is just far too risky despite short-term benefit.

Knowledge of Ether: She knows a lot about the mythical world, mythical beings and magic thanks to Cornel, and always makes sure to keep as much knowledge as possible stored for future uses. This enables her to, for example, counter things such as Grimmhounds (Diojas' bio dad Alexander) or how to diffuse dark magic spells. (Azul's forte)

Natural authority: She has this natural vibe to her that makes people listen to her. When her brother mysteriously ended up dead, nobody questioned her and were fine with her becoming the next boss - despite her gender - because she's always had more respect from the members than her brother did. Also she's guarded by 2 VERY terrifying men typically (Samar and Cornel) so you don't wanna mess with her.

Weaknesses:

Being a human, she is fairly defenseless against a lot of magic things, if she hasn't looked into it enough, and therefore can still be caught off-guard even if she has studied her mythical enemies a lot.

Her job is very straining and stressful mentally, making her struggle with normal socialization, which does make her feel very lonely and isolated at times. Her mythical guardians are always by her side, but ultimately, deep down, she knows they're not the same as her fellow humans. (Also she really wishes she had a gal-pal to chat with)

Having been almost killed once before she can be pretty paranoid about her safety, even when being protected by a literal vampire and a soul eater. However, paradoxically she then might be too comfortable around them, sometimes putting herself at risk when Cornel is going feral for example.

Personality:

Camilla is very serious and closed-off most of the time, and tends to not care for unnecessary chit-chat. She is very cautious and considers her every move carefully. Being a mob boss means she has hardened herself for such things like violence, and didn't even shed a tear when her brother was killed.

She isn't entirely heartless though; for example, she tends to not be happy if children are mixed into the business somehow, or if needless violence is used. She also genuinely feels sympathy for Vee, and them being rejected by someone he loves, as well as pities their inability to see why that happened.

Camilla does prefer avoiding unnecessary violence whenever able, because she doesn't find it that productive and could just trigger unnecessary cycles of vengeance that is bad for business.

BG Story

Camilla used to be her brother's closest confidant, until he started to obsess over the mythical beyond what was typical of their family, to the point of wanting to start a "relationship" with one working for them - a Grimmhound Roman Bosco. She observed from the sidelines as he began dappling with things he didn't fully understand and without their usual safety precautions, to the point he didn't even always listen to the warnings given to him by Cornel Sala - a vampire working for Camilla who knows his shit - about being careful with what he got his hands to.

However, once Roman managed to escape her brother's clutches, he fully went off the deep end, forgetting all about his family duties and only focusing on in his pursuit to find Roman and get him back. At this point, Camilla approached Cornel, telling him she was concerned her brother could end up destroying their family if this kept up. He agreed with her assessment, admitting he'd been concerned with his more and more unhinged behavior; if he started getting too careless with his dappling with magic, that would be bad for Cornel too as him being alive could get exposed to the forces that had once hunted him before his supposed death. Sometime after this conversation, Cornel kills her brother secretly.

Now the new head of the family, Camilla is introduced to an old servant of the Barones, who was invited in to become her personal guardian as per tradition in their family (her brother had refused this offer at the time as he had Roman): a man who'd served their parents and grandparents; A soul eater called Samar. She is initially miffed about this, but he quickly becomes a surrogate father figure to her.

Fun Facts:

She's Demiromantic bi.

Camilla sometimes wears sunglasses, or glasses with one blackened lens, instead of an eyepatch.

Camilla doesn't like drinking alcohol, she hates how it can hindrance your decision making ability. She lets her companions check all her drinks beforehand too, to make sure someone isn't trying to smuggle her alcohol or something worse.

Barones are mainly "officially" known for smuggled goods, counterfeit items business, money laundering and arms dealing. (Camilla's brother wanted to get into drug trade too, but she finds that too risky and messy)

Their more mythical, occultist business is a well kept secret that only select few are aware of.

She has been offered to heal her eye by both Cornel and Vee, but has declined their offers, not really trusting either with vulnerable medical things like an eye.

Camilla doesn't fully trust either Cornel or Vee, but does trust Samar due to him having been in their family for so long. Ironically the person who stabs her in the back (involuntarily in a way, circumstances force it) ends up being him.

Camilla is aware there's sexual tension between Cornel and Sam as well, and doesn't really care as its not like she's in a serious relationship with the vampire.

She pities Vee, as she could tell almost instantly - alongside everyone else pretty much - why he was rejected by Angus. She is also not always that happy when Cornel tricks him into doing unpleasant work he's too lazy to do.

While DeVos sometimes freaks her out due to his whole plague demon deal, she tends to still be fairly nice to him, seeing him almost like a poor lost child who doesn't really understand yet where he went wrong.

The simple pattern tattoo she has is in reference to their late mother who also had similar tattoo, just around her collarbone.

[thatsmybook]

"A central proposition throughout the course is that human rights cannot be separated from politics. Indeed, we cannot understand either why human rights abuses happen or how and why human rights have the power to improve human welfare without examining the political contexts in which efforts to mitigate abuses take place. Human rights are inseparable from the political, even if they are designed to be outside of politics. We will wrestle with that central paradox." This is taken from the course description for The Politics of Human Rights at Berkley. Link

In Young Royals, Wille at various points says that he cannot speak on political issues, even in class discussions, in private with his boyfriend or in selecting a charity to support. He contradicts this in his famous speech in season 2. However in season 3, he reverts to using this adage whenever he is asked to take a stand on anything, or when Simon wants to take a stand in his social media. He is wrestling with the political paradox this season.

This is because he is trying to separate the private from the public like Erik did: have a boyfriend and be the Crown Prince. Yet, he himself has previously figured out how things are wrong at his school and takes a stand to make a change. He has chosen a boyfriend who when he first hears him speak, is politically engaged and who, throughout the third season is trying to open Wille to political, social and human rights violations that he should care about (because he has shown Simon previously through his speech that he does care). From Simon's need to demonstrate because of his class, Wille's privilege, to his sexuality, Simon is reminding Wille of their shared values of wanting to make changes and stand up for what is right.

Importantly, Wille stops trying to push back at the Royal Court when the consequences of his speech is a threat of closure to his school, and the deteriorating health of his mother and the Queen of his country. The very real threat that he may need to be the monarch soon makes him dampen his true stances on matters close to his heart in order to ease his life as CP and his mother's role.

Along with Simon, Vincent in seasons two and three, unendingly engages in political debate. Many don't see past the distasteful way that Vincent speaks to the actual content of his dialogue. He complains that upending the hierarchy of the third years over the first years at the lunch table, is leading to chaos, as the first years won't give way for use of the showers, seats in the common room etc. They no longer know their place and this is disturbing the peace at Hillerska. Throughout season three, he questions Simon's politics at every opportunity to force both Wille and Simon (and the audience) to question their political and social positions and reason with how they could possibly be compatible.

Through both Simon and Vincent, the show is telling us in season three, that Wille can not continue to ignore these issues and must stop being passive and take an active stance.

Felice too, is engaging in the politics of race and class and where they intersect, for the audience to understand the show's interest in political stances/ taking a stand on issues one cares about.

Young Royals wants its audience to understand that politics is intertwined with their lives. Caring about each other and our rights to exist as free people to love and make choices and thrive, is what politics is. Making a stand in some way is how we use our own agency to change our circumstances, if we are able to, and the lives of others around us.

All the unanswered social discussions and open arguments that Wilmon still have to address individually and as a couple are once again, an example of how politics works in our lives. It is never a one and done thing. It continuously needs to be addressed and fought for and discussed to gain a better life for ourselves and others. This includes Simon, Wille and August's mental health. August has just recently had an epiphany (with Simon's help) about what is going on with him since both his father and Erik died. Simon and Wille still have to contend with how the outside world (society and the political stances that govern it) have affected their mental well-being. Having 'voted' with their feet (they both have 'left' the monarchy's fixed hold on them), they are now free to assign headspace to new and emerging life battles. They have learned and grown from their experience this year, with a new understanding of what they are capable of going forward. All five characters have.

(As I write this, trans children's human rights have been decided on by the UK government and the High Court's decision to block access to fundamental health - puberty blockers. Link Yes lgbtqia+ human rights should not be political, but the paradox is that they are. )

[variousqueerthings]

WATCHING THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC (what a mouthful) FINAL THOUGHTS (sort of, I'm never done with Jeanne D'arc):

so the thing that's interesting about this one is that in writing her young and inexperienced which she was and also wrapped into this movie's depiction of womanhood and in the way it writes mental health is that she's got this sort of "idek what i'm doing or what the consequences are" vibe to her a lot of the time, especially after the first big battle and she sees all the corpses around her and has a meltdown followed by what seems to be dissociation for pretty much the whole rest of the film until her death

and the other thing is the things it chooses to play very straight and the things it does very differently -- so the killing of her sister in the beginning, which gives an early trauma to hearken back to and an added "impetus" for her to go to war, and which never happened vs the very specific sources it chose to deal with for her relationship to gender presentation (shocker i'm going into that), opting to nearly totally brush past it until the scene where she's "forced" to wear men's clothing again and gets burned for it -- which there is, to be clear, textual evidence that she wasn't given other clothes while incarcerated and did get judged for that, but also noticeably didn't include any of the other writing related to her visions telling her to wear men's clothing and this movie heavily mixing joan's visions with her as someone who's got a mental health issue of some kind, it's interesting that this snag of the clothing was mainly done away with, because it's a film that doesn't totally engage with her as someone with agency. she's mad, you see. that is the focal point. and what does "wearing men's clothings because the visions told me to" have to do with this madness? nothing, in fact it's kind of... not-very-mad-seeming

which is interesting as a counterpoint to a version i saw in the globe, which kind of went "an interpretation of joan as ye olde non-binary and also a lesbian" (this is flippantly written for brevity's sake, it was doing more than that, but that is the gist) which i did enjoy for the way it brought together a massive community of trans and nb theatre-goers within the globe and really felt like it was more for us than for joan, which i had struggles with because it went so far into the other direction of making everything a bit too modern for me. a bit too "joan's doing these choices with the idea that one day men's clothing will become allowed and joan has an internal sense of gender that coheres with modern sensibilities," and being a little timid around the religious and vision-y side of things

which is the crux of joan. you probably won't get a version that you're totally satisfied with, because joan As Figure encapsulates so many seeming paradoxes that we project ourselves onto. there's a distinct messiness to her that is very human in a way you don't always feel to quite this extent with mythos -- probably because of those court records and the subsequent early writings and the fact that she was nineteen years old when she was killed and it wasn't really that long ago comparatively

I think this movie struggled under the weight of that humanity, not for lack of trying to show it, but a. because of whatever personal bias besson went in with (which included basically stealing the project from kathryn bigelow and casting his then-wife mila jovovich, so youknow. there's some Vibes inherent in that already, and i do think bigelow could have done much more with both the feminism and the action, both of which were very uneven in this version imo) b. because of whatever other weird choices were made (i still think it was incredibly ugly-looking and many of the actors were flat -- not you, vincent cassel you were great) and c. because a movie possibly can't do it justice in the first place idk. we'll keep searching

obvs the passion of joan of arc is a masterclass. but it manages to get around a lot of these issues by essentially being all about the trial and a study of one of the most evocative faces ever put to silent film -- now that's giving "because the visions told me to"!

[thewhumpcaretaker]

Slow-Burn Plots

I've just had a major realization about my writing. I tend to write a central slow-burn relationship, and although I thought they were quite different, I think they all follow the same pattern. Character A has a conflict, and Character B has a conflict. But A can't resolve their conflict unless B resolves theirs, and vice versa. There's some tie between the two. This seems like an almost hopelessly paradoxical situation at first. But it leads to a critical moment in which both characters must take a leap of faith at the same time, each trusting the other.

Let's look at how this plays out in each of the books I've written or am writing. Some spoilers about my longfics below (but they are only about general plot direction - I would say anyone can read them but it's up to you):

Beyond Judgement

Vincent's Conflict: Can Vincent give up his place in the High Table? John's Conflict: Can John respect Vincent fully as a person capable of doing the right thing? The tie between the two: John can't respect Vincent unless he gives up the High Table, and Vincent can't do that without John's respect supporting him.

Those Who Have Something to Live For

Vincent's Conflict: Can Vincent give Chidi freedom? Chidi's Conflict: Can Chidi prove that he wants to stay by Vincent's side? The tie between the two: Chidi can't prove that he truly wants to stay by Vincent's side unless Vincent gives him an opportunity to walk away, and Vincent can't give him that opportunity until he trusts him enough to believe he'll stay.

Curse in Two Bodies

Adelais' Conflict: Can Adelais confess and take accountability for his crimes? Ninlen's Conflict: Can Ninlen hold Adelais accountable? The tie between the two: Ninlen can't hold Adelais accountable unless he understands what Adelais has actually done, and Adelais can't confess that without Ninlen encouraging him to be accountable.

Beneath the Ice

Jens' Conflict: Can Jens destroy the APOKRA? Messenger's Conflict: Can Messenger break free from the APOKRA? The tie between the two: Jens can't destroy the APOKRA without Messenger's help, and Messenger can't break free enough to help him unless Jens sufficiently weakens the APOKRA's control.

I also notice something: At the weak points of every story here, there's a common factor. One of the character's conflicts is an external conflict rather than an internal one, so it's not as compelling. This happens in three places. First, Chidi's conflict is external - whether he can prove something to Vincent is just a matter of his capabilities and whether Vincent believes him, not his own mental state. Second and third, both Jens AND Messenger's conflicts are external. Whether Jens can destroy the APOKRA is just a matter of his abilities and who is willing to help him. And whether Messenger can break free might seem like a matter of internal decision, but there's no real agency if it's just resting on a abstract notion of "psychic strength," as if Messenger and the APOKRA are metaphysically arm wrestling. No wonder I lost interest in that story! I should rework the central conflict if I'm going to continue it.

[atopearth]

Ikemen Vampire Part 13 - Vlad Route

I am so so excited!! Vlad is so beautiful and I'm even more interested in him after le Comte's route, so yay!! Off to a great start with the beautiful CG tbh, it's so prettyyyy!! I don't even blame the heroine for being so attracted to Vlad's ethereal beauty that she's been trying to look for him ever since she saw him haha, especially since he gave her a huge bouquet of flowers, like who wouldn't swoon?! Vlad smiling is the sweetest thing ever, I die for his smile. It's so adorable how Vlad told the heroine to work for him one hour every day after she finishes her shopping, and he's just been taking her around and trying to cheer her up and play with her lol. He's so sweet. Legitt, how can you not fall for Vlad when he plays the violin, invites you to dance and have fun? He is an angel🥲 Omg Vlad can tell jokes, I am dead, he's so cute. And he's so thoughtful and I love how he gives her flowers always representing something meaningful.

The heroine really is always so reckless. I kinda wish they didn't reuse the trying to save Vincent's painting scenario again in this route but seeing Theo and Vincent so concerned over her was really sweet so it's okay. I find it so sweet how the guys were actually gossiping about the heroine getting close to a guy outside all this time and how they wanted to introduce themselves, and how nice it would be if this made her decide to stay with them in this world. They're so cute!! Which makes it all the more saddening that this person had to be Vlad. I can't imagine seeing the person I love so calmly deal with a person like a "wilted flower" and yet look the same as usual. But I can't bear to hate them, especially remembering how Charles asked the heroine to please not hate them😭 I'm glad Napoleon talked to the heroine and discussed whether they could really just write off Vlad as just "evil". When Vlad came and gave the heroine the single red rose, I couldn't help but soften my heart for him. Like, I've been taken by Vlad the first time I saw him, but seeing the pure and genuine person he is that keeps his promises regardless of what happens makes my heart so happy yet hurt so much. He's the one who had to see the desolate future, the one who experienced it first hand and know how it feels to be all alone in a world of nothingness, and it's just impossible for me to blame him for his actions knowing how "kind" he is.

The heroine is brave for jumping into that door with the warped space not knowing if she'll be able to arrive at where she wants to go or not. Kid Vlad is very cute. Considering how the girl in the portrait looked exactly like the heroine, I'm not surprised it was actually the her who time travelled to the past and thus completing the time paradox but I guess it does make a bit more sense as to why Vlad listens to her. It honestly breaks my heart to think about Vlad having to face the fate of his whole family and clan massacred by vampire hunters at such a young age. A child with no one to rely on anymore and no one to care for him, and yet despite everything, he still turned out so kind. I wanted to cry when Vlad thanked her for finding him (in the closet when his parents said they're playing hide and seek) and said he'll find her next time. If they make the heroine Vlad's reason for living all this time and to not hate humans but instead the crimes they commit, how an I supposed to happily do the other routes where she doesn't end up with him? 😭 But I guess considering how Vlad is, he'll probably be happy for the heroine as long as she's happy. Considering she was the one who saved him when he was a child, I guess it's understandable that Vlad would be more receptive towards her ideals and the future she wants because he's only living in this world because of her existence, so how can I really fault him for changing his goals because of her? And I guess seeing her again helped him think that he can believe in humans again since she has always been as kind as she used to be in his memory.

I spent my gems and got the premium story for chapter 24 and I really enjoyed seeing the heroine tell him she wanted them to live side by side together and protect the world together because she didn't want him alone to carry the burden as some sort of divine child or god that is deemed to protect this world, but she wants them both to protect this world because they love both humans and vampires and they want everyone to live happily, just like his original wish, and I couldn't help but feel touched by that. Life was so difficult for Vlad because he was always 'alone', so even though his wish was probably the same, the methods he decided on changed because he didn't believe in people like he could back then, so I'm glad he's found the heroine again. They can support each other. It was so funny how the guys basically had a round table discussion on where the heroine would stay lmao. One thing I really liked is that Vlad was the one to ask the heroine to become a vampire so they could spend eternity together. Usually, the guy finds it difficult or they hesitate because it's a life of torture but I love that Vlad has confidence that they'll love each other for eternity and knows the heroine feels the same so him asking her to become a vampire felt like a strong profession of love rather than a request that I would be scared for the heroine to accept. I believe in Vlad's love for her and I believe in her strength that no matter what happens, they'll be able to overcome it together. I wish we got a snippet of their vampire life though haha.

Overall, even though real life ended up interfering and I took a long break from this route, I have to say it didn't diminish my feelings for Vlad at all! I really liked Vlad and his route was good. I enjoyed how we got to see how kind Vlad was and how that kindness caused him to go down a path others didn't accept. I empathised with him and loved him understanding his choices even if it hurt many people. I think what I loved the most was seeing the young Vlad and how all along, he has been looking for the heroine and also waiting for her to find him. I loved how they both cherished each other as much as the other did and I liked how the her from the past and the her in the present saved him and gave him hope to believe in the kindness of humans again. I won't say the route was perfect, but everything that I didn't like, Vlad's personality and sweetness more than made up for.

[artistsonthelam]

Some of my favorites from the VIP Preview and Opening Night of Expo Chicago on Thursday (and what a gorgeous day it was to be out on Navy Pier!). The art fair is now open to the public!

1 - Antonio Santín, Panza Burra (2025), oil on canvas, Marc Straus Gallery. A perennial favorite Expo artist staple of mine ever since I first saw his trompe l'oeil paintings in 2013 (possibly earlier!).

2 - Yashua Klos, Studying How To Burn It Down (2025), woodblock prints on muslin, Japanese rice paper, acrylic, oil paint, and wood on canvas, Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery.

3 - Craig Cameron-Mackintosh (b. 1987), The Ledge (2025), oil on canvas, Ebony Curated.

4 - Esaí Alfredo, Spinello Projects. Loved all his paintings in this solo booth. "Starless is a new thematic presentation of paintings, an evocative series of nocturnal scenes inspired by science fiction and set against the hauntingly familiar landscapes of his hometown, Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, as well as the shadowy subtropics of South Florida's Everglades. Rooted in Alfredo's early exposure to pop culture, sci-fi, horror, and disaster narratives, Starless blends speculative fiction with personal memory, queerness, and myth-making. At the center of these works is the gay male figure and gaze, reflected through the atmospheric lens of a world where light—and certainty—seem perpetually out of reach."

5 - Anne Lindberg, forbidden color, graphite and colored pencil on mat board, Secrist | Beach.

6 - Florence Solis, acrylic on canvas, The Mission Projects.

7 - Han Young Wook, Face, oil on aluminum, scratch, BHAK.

8 - Shawn Huckins, Sunset Over the Valley with Dark Blue Satin Fabric (2025), oil and acrylic on canvas, Richard Heller Gallery.

9 - Harriet White, "Haven," oil on linen, GBS Fine Art.

10 - Luftwerk, Prairie Colorfield, sand and botanicals, 6018|North.

11 - Tia Keobounpheng, Threads No. 25 (2025), pencil, colored pencil, thread on wood, Weinstein Hammons Gallery.

12 - Yigal Ozeri, New Paintings (yes, these are paintings!), Brandt Gallery Amsterdam.

13 - Kandy G Lopez, yarn and paint on hook mesh canvas, ACA Galleries.

14 - Nathan Vincent, Locker Room, Lion Brand yarn, styrofoam and wood, walter maciel gallery.

15 - Marlene Stamm, 5 Hours of Light (2025), watercolor on paper, OMA Galeria. "For every single image, a match is lit and held, and time is measured with a stopwatch. The watercolor captures the portrait of the burnt match and the duration of the flame is written down."

17 - Things that tickled my fancy in the store: Pleasure Paradox.

18 & 19 - More things that tickled my fancy in the store.

I also saw some repeats of art I liked from last month's Art Basel Hong Kong and Art Central Hong Kong so I didn't include those here; take a look at my highlights from those fairs here and here to view 'em. ^_^

// (c) Jenny Lam 2025