#yeah. keystone stuff

[dragonpyre]

Idk who needs to hear this but humans are also technically a keystone species

[xxplastic-cubexx]

sorry if you've already mentioned but what (re?)ignited your love of comics/x-men/cherik? curious because there are so many different adaptations of them

i think im gonna speak for a few (or a lot of) people when i say that TL;DR the wolverine x deadpool movie that came out this summer is what pulled me back into comics and i COULD leave it there but i will go into excruciating and unnecessary detail instead because i love an origin story and i love oversharing.

under the cut tho because im nice sometimes (there's also wxdp doodles in here. if you want to see that)

ironically (and probably commonly), growing up i was more of an avengers kid. Kinda. Loosely <- binge watched the cartoons and movies and read copious amounts of comics and fics and i am hoarding fanart in my old dresser as we speak ok 'loosely' is a modest lie.

embarrassingly i remember getting into discus cause of captain america LMAO so yeah needless to say i was a Humble Fan- me joining my school's comic class/club didnt help either (shoutout to my teach from that she was the realest one out there for. A Multitude of reasons). she definitely is was inspires me to even draw still and make comics and i often think bout the tips i learned from her class tbh she was great

back to the movies t and comics tho, i got into em because my brother would offer to take me and that's how we'd hang out (i rarely saw movies in theaters and i even more rarely went anywhere as a teenager. still kinda like that today tbh ooops) and yk. it just snowballed after that.

my brother and i have always liked comics- he just more than me for a while (though he still very much loves comics and As We Know From My Posts we still talk about them whenever i see him To An Exhausting Degree)

durin then i was really into stony and i have a few surviving doodles i made but those are between me and god. and anyone who asks tbh LOL

'snap can you make this related to x-men again this is long' ok so fast forward to This Summer again I Still Don't Really See Movies but my brother offered to take me and this was the first time i'd actually seen an x-men movie in full

as a kid i only remember seeing the 'perfection' scene between erik and raven in first class while i was channel surfing. pretty sure i changed the channel after seeing mystique naked cause i was scared my parents would get mad at me if they caught me watching it LOL

BUT MOVING ON As A Kid i think it's also natural you'll sometimes watch 92 if it's on And I Did though evidently it didn't stick too hard (i do remember really liking beast and gambit though.... still do really): my knowledge of x-men was. INCREDIBLY sparse. like diabolically so so i didnt have too much expectations (aside from the fact i vaguely liked deadpool beforehand).

tbh i dont know why my bro never took me to see any of the x-men movies. it's not like he doesn't Also like x-men (90% sure nightcrawler's his favorite but my brother will be caught dead saying he has absolute favorites like that)- he owns a bitch load of deadpool comics/omnibus sets too (of which ive read over the years and reread this year) but Shrug moving on

Much Like Most Of The Internet i fell down the rabbit hole that way. i have some doodles i made a couple days after seeing WxDP that i now have an excuse to throw at all of you Look And Perceive

and so. As I Do. i got curious and told myself i'd binge watch all the x-men movies the week before i went back to school And Then I Did ft. My Brother Sometimes and then i said i'd binge watch all of '92 and And I Did That ft. My Brother Sometimes But Less So and now we're here. currently watching Evolution...

once i got to school i realized i lived near a comic shop and started getting into the comics that way (the first ones i got since going down this rabbit hole was Magneto Was Right!, The Resurrection of Magneto, and The Trial of Magneto. if you were curious !!!!! clearly i didnt care too much about context i just needed to see My Guy jelvejlkvj i have no regrets and Evidently ive read more since)

i'm pretty sure what dragged me into cherik specifically was the fact i saw a clip of The Famous ending to 92 where erik's aghast at the notion jean even has to question his love for charles. i think that was what officially had me refocus my lens on them: not a single poolverine thought after that LOL (all the cherik posting i saw on twitter definitely helped too but that was the nail in the coffin for any other interests i had: i was locked into cherik and x-men in general now)

that clip specifically, i was surprised at the fact they- frequently even- have the x-men franchise say erik loves charles and vice versa so bluntly. even if it's not meant to be romantic, i fear im just a fan of how casually the word's thrown around with them two and i got tender bout it all. Then Yk. i just live for the drama. the hilarity even. the sincerity .... they make me sick if i think of them too long so im gonna end it here

before i go tho ironically enough, the first x-men issue i owned was This one (story a this is that while stuck in some wacko dimension charles accidentally gets himself trapped in logan's mind while utilizing his astral projection. if you were curious). pretty sure i got it for free with another comic set i got years ago since our old comic shop loved to do that, but it's poetic aint it. maybe ill doodle something referencing it..

i should probably look into finishing this arc someday im Dummy curious to even know how it started and how it ends.....

[edwardteachswombtattoo]

This isn't related directly to the current Discourse (TM) about Iggy Fingers and racism, but I'd like to point out that the two most thematically important people in Ed's life are Mama Teach and Stede. And there is a lot to be said about how indigenous women are treated (i.e. discarded) in various narratives, but there is something to be said about how Mama Teach influences and permeates the narrative despite having so little screen time. Ed's actions as a young boy, spurred by his desperate need to protect himself and his mama from his abusive father, are corrosive and defining moment of his entire childhood. He literally carries a piece of his mama (the red silk) close to his heart. We spend so little time with Mama Teach, but she's also kind of...always there, she's been there since the very first time we meet Ed (he's had the red silk the entire time, let's not forget).

One of the big reasons all this "Ed is abusive/Ed has anger issues/Ed is just like his dad!!!" stuff confuses and pisses me off so damn much is because like. Back in June of 2022, soon after I finished bingeing all of Season 1, I saw a lot of completely serious takes equating Ed's behavior towards Iggy as equivalent to Ed's dad abusing his mother. And those takes made me uncomfortable and baffled, but, you know, didn't want to start shit so I just blocked and moved on. But those takes have stuck with me all this time, not just because they are so blatantly wrong and very anti-canon but also because they kind of miss a fundamental aspect of Edward Teach that the show clearly wants us to notice. And you know, I made a post about this before, but I'm going to say it again.

During this scene that is being played for comedy (because, you know, it's a romantic comedy) where Ed is essentially recreating a family unit that is familiar to him, there are likely intentional parallels between this recreated family unit (father, son, mother) and the family unit he grew up in. But in this recreated family unit, Ed is taking on the role of his mama. We even have a (comical, but again I'm sure they did this on purpose) rehash of what we see in that Season 1 flashback, violence breaking out during a meal! Yeah, sure, this is being played for laughs but I really can't imagine the writers would make such strong parallels completely by accident and not intend this to mean something. Also, I have watched a lot of shows that have very serious scenes being played for laughs because the comedy aspect is meant to off-set what would otherwise be deeply uncomfortable and a jarring shift in tone. Ed's suicidal spiral at the start of Season 2 also does this, blending comedy with drama. I actually think it's a keystone of how Ed is written and in general how this show approaches these serious topics while maintaining tone. The "snail fork" scene being the perfect example. The racist French captain calling Ed what amounts to/is clearly meant to be read by the audience as a racial slur and Ed (understandably!!) getting very angry and having the guy skinned with a snail fork in what is meant to be both serious and a comedy beat in context.

Idk guys. Maybe let's stop focusing on Iggy Fingers for a hot second and think about how Ed's love for his mama is so strong and beautiful and eternal and in many ways the show seems to want us to draw parallels between Ed and his mother? Like. You can argue about how "people who are abused abuse people" and shit like that, but OFMD doesn't seem interested in turning abuse victims into abusers. It seems more interested in exploring how abuse victims (like Ed and Stede, for example) can easily fall back into the pattern of seeking out abusive relationships and/or validation from people who remind them of their abusers. Yeah, obviously abuse victims can abuse people, but they can also be trapped in a cycle of victimhood because they seek comfort in relationships that recreate this abusive dynamic.

And I'd just like to point this out: Stede also had an abusive dad who treated him like shit. And he was physically and emotionally bullied for a great deal of his life!! But the worst thing we ever see Stede do is neglect his wife and kids, which is bad but he never like. Treats them the way his dad treated him. And Stede isn't perfect especially at the start of the show, he has some racist tendencies to unlearn and some realizations he needs to make, but even when he's putting himself in the role of patriarch on The Revenge he never abuses any members of his crew, even though he is literally part of a culture where stuff like that is normalized. For all of Stede's faults, he genuinely doesn't want his crew to experience what he did as a child (an angry emotionally and physically abusive patriarch, constant bullying from his peers, etc.). And you know, if we can accept that Stede grew up with an abusive dad and actively chose to never recreate that abusive dynamic even in an environment where such actions are encouraged, I think we can also make the very easy realization that we are not meant to read Ed as an abuser/future abuser who takes after his dad. Because a big part of this show is that neither of these men take after their shitty dads.

Anywayyy go listen to "Suffocation" by Against Me!, a song that I feel encapsulates Ed and Stede so well. And while you're listening to that, I'd also recommend "Delicate, Petite, & Other Things I'll Never Be", which is an Edward Teach song if I've ever heard one. Peace and love on Planet Earth.

[grayson-on-the-chandelier]

I think I'm overdue for an intro.

💙NIGHTWING IS IN THE HOUSE!!! 💙

They call me "peacock but masculine". I preen often.

My name is Richards "Dick" Grayson-Wayne, son of Bruce Thomas Wayne, and brother of...

Jason Todd-Wayne

Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne

Damian al-Ghul Wayne

Cassandra Cain-Wayne

And a lot more siblings. (Dad is a hoarder ✋😒)

Resident and Vigilante Hero of Bludhaven, but I do stop by in Keystone and Gotham.

I'm HelPol and I work with Hermes :]

I have three kids now :] @that-spider-in-gotham , her name is Sage, hero name Arachne. 🕷, Astro, @batmans-sidekick-robin 🫶 and Adam, @cookiesnotd3ad 🍪 but Adam is in shared custody with me and his other parent.

I broke up with Wally... 💔

I have someone living in my brain rent free. Say hi to Eo.

Hiiiii!!!!! :D I'm Eo, god of Birds and Dreams!!!! I love ducks and I'm Dickie's best friend!!!

You mean boyfriend?

Yeah!!!!

My account is @e0bard-birds-of-a-feather follow me!!!

Update, it's not Eo anymore. It's Stranger. Say hello, Stranger.

Hello... People of the web.

He's a manifestation of my god-marked shit. I don't wanna know.

Eo is still up, but he's out of my body now. So yeah. Same account.

ANYWHO, I'll be in touch! Nightwing out!

🐦🦇

P. S. I'm a bird until further notice.🐦

P.S.S. I think there's no further notice. I'm a winged person permanently. 🥲

OOC: Pro tip, he's turned into a God/demigod, specifically God of Memories since he's so in touch with the past and always thinking of the future.

Ooc: hi!! Gonna keep things simple, I hate disclosing myself to the public. No Offense!

Pronouns are She/They, but just call me Clay when referring to me! (No, I am not Clay face)

Dick has had Eo in his brain for a couple months, about 9-12. Eo is super smitten, I swear. I can see why. Don't worry, Nightwing is also on my hear me out list. You and I both Eo. Lmao

I make art, too, and I do free commissions!! Feel free to ask for any art and stuff. References for how my art looks like will be below 👇

I'm often busy, but if I am online, come say hi! I accept asks and I want more asks cause I can be bored easily. :/

✨Okay, here is where the crazy is. Dickie is a winged person! It's my AU of him

I'm a pan kid :] ❤💛💙

GMT +8 for anyone who's wondering. DMs and RP requests are available anytime!

My best real life friend is @ilikesnowbunnies !!

My girlfriend is @/e0bard-birds-of-a-feather !!

My social media bestie is @imbatman-imtired !! Hi!!

I am HelPol, but I don't discriminate any other religion! Don't worry! I work with Hermes and Poseidon most often :]

My favourite musical is EPIC: the Musical by Jorge Rivera-Herrans :)

Anything that is inappropriate, or something that includes any $3×ualized blogs/art are not allowed on my page. I also do not allow any 🔞 art commissions. Sorry :/

But if you block #suggestive cause that's where I keep all the spice, you're welcome to stay. :]

Not gonna disclose my age. :[ but don't worry! Mun's blog is well for viewers over 18. And mun is over 18. Trust.

I have both OCD and ADHD. :/

Mun also is not as free as a bird!!! I have parenting restrictions, studies and every week I have to take some time off to memorize some history for a quiz (translated from Asian-slang) so please bear in mind that I may not be online for several days at a time, most likely because my Tumblr is locked.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!!

Below is IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Art references down here!!!

[fawnbong]

HELLO O HEHEHE could i ask for some skipp x reader for these trying times... i'll love quite literally anything you write.. HAVE A NICE DAY!!!

"Sunlight on the Surface" - Ramshackle

Skipp x Reader

Romantic

Mostly Headcanons

---

YAHOO SKIPP MERMAID SIREN STUFF

These are trying times for sure yeah I gotchu man

Stupid title but I based it off of like skipps hair?? And like imagine it under water ykyk?? Like orange and stuff bye this is stupid

---

Pretend you're some kind of deep-sea diver or explorer or nerd or whatever and Skipp is just a mermaid/siren guy chilling way down below thankz

Skipp, like just about every single marine creature, sticks to the ocean floors rather than the shoreline—mainly due to the fact mermaids can't breathe out of water for long. He can, however, find fun in basking in the rare sunlight for a few moments every now and then. Sirens don't typically have a good rep— he can understand that— but he'd rather avoid being pelted with rocks and coarse sand. He's sure that if they just heard a little tune from his mandolin they'd change their minds.

Most gentle soul ever physically and like emotionally?? If that's the word

He spends his days strumming his mandolin and entertaining the local marine life, scrounging around the sandy bottoms and between the long, winding seaweed, and sticking by Stone's side whenever he allows him. He has an almost endless ocean to explore, but he likes to stick by Ramshackle's harbor. That's where he gets to see Vinnie every now and then, and he practically grew up in the murky waters below the dock pilings. He's friends with practically everyone (even the animals and even Stone), and is more than happy to make more.

You're not crazy about Ramshackle's paranormal or mystical creatures—you don't go out searching for unicorns or Santa. Rather, neat shells and small specimens, keystone species, bioindicators, lots of nerdy things of the like.

So, running into a real-life siren certainly takes you by surprise. As in, it makes you choke on water and stupidly flail about in a fearful, panicked frenzy, which effectively gains the creature's attention. You only flail about more when it swims over and even grabs hold of you. That's when you pass out from both fear and lack of oxygen.

When you wake up, you're back on land (kind of) again, all your items returned to your side. You're rested on a massive, mossy rock that pokes up through the ocean waves. It's not too far from shore, at least. It doesn't take long for you to put two and two together: the evil siren could've taken your things and discarded your floundering form for shark food, but it didn't. They didn't, rather.

When Skipp hesitantly pokes his head out of the water moments later, you refrain from freaking out. That's good, he's glad. He approaches you with his usual, friendly demeanor, toned down just a bit so you don't get scared and fall off the rock you're perched on. He's "normal", for a siren, you can tell. He even offers to go find you some food, but you'd much rather be on your way.

So, he offers to help you reach the shore. He doesn't think you should be swimming on your own in such a winded state. It takes about another half hour or so to gradually gain an ounce of your trust before you let him help you. He probably has you drape one arm over his shoulders to hold yourself up and does most of the work from there.

I blacked out and started writing where am I going with this

You make it back safely, to your surprise, and all in one piece. He acts like it's no big deal and wishes you "the very best" before dipping back down into the water and swimming away. Your interaction was mostly panic-filled (on your end), but overall pleasant and painfully brief. But, for your own safety, you settle on avoiding deeper waters for a bit.

The next day you're back at it again despite your prior declaration. Maybe it's just because you're filled with morbid curiosity and desperate to know more, or maybe you just want some mermaid guy to save you again idk

Regardless, you inevitably bump into each other. You kind of just float around the surface and wait for him to approach you since you lack lungs like his. He'll pop his head out of the water, give you a warm greeting, and ask how you're doing. Probably says you should go home and rest instead of poke around underwater, but he's a little surprised when you admit something along the lines of wanting to know more about sirens, specifically him. You clearly think he's weird and out of the ordinary, but he can look past that. Curiosity is natural, after all. So he bites and explains that, no, he does not eat humans. Or any meat of any kind.

Tiny tidbit I wrote when I was gonna do a oneshot heeheehahahhol

---

You lean back against the sandy dunes, legs outstretched in the water before you.

"Really? You don't eat humans? Seriously? That can't be right. You're so gonna drown me and eat me, huh." You're mostly joking. Skipp laughs and waves you off.

"Oh, no of course not! I'm vegetarian."

"...what?"

"Huh. Never heard of a vegetarian siren. And you like it? Is that, like, a common thing, or...? You don't ever feel weak, or sick, or...I don't know, wrong?" you gradually lose your voice, silently pondering if you're being too invasive, or even insensitive. "Sorry. I could've worded that better."

"Vegetarian! I don't eat fish. Or humans, for that matter. So you've got nothing to worry about!" He flashes you a toothy, reassuring smile as he mindlessly strums his mandolin, upper body rested against a heavy rock submerged in the mellow waves.

"Nah, it's fine. I don't really feel weak or sick or wrong. I feel just...normal, I guess! I recommend. Fish are friends, not food." He gives you a big dorky smile as he takes a moment to duck underwater before poking his head through the sloshing waves once more, shaking his head this way and that to shake off some of the excess water from his hair. "What do you eat?"

You only shrug in response. "All kinds of things, I guess. Fish included. Sorry."

He feins a dramatic heartbroken expression clutching whenever his heart would be and sputtering in shock. "What?! Cruelty!" He breaks out into a fit of giggles after.

You laugh along as you share more of your favorite foods and the ones commonly sold along the streets in Ramshackle. Skipp seems entertained. He wades through the waters with ease, occasionally dipping under for a brief moment before returning like nothing ever happened, and seems to hold a permanent, toothy grin. You like that about him.

Tgat was kinda stupid I just wanted to include it Ook abyways

---

You're quick to become friends, or at least friendly acquaintances, but something remotely close to romance takes quite a while to develop (naturally), being two different yet still fairly similar species and all. Also, I feel like Skipp wouldn't want you thinking he's hasty to earn your trust so that he can bite your face off, regardless of how many times he's reassured you he's a very friendly vegetarian, so he's happy with gradually growing closer over extended periods of time. Not like he has ulterior motives or anything anyway idk

(I'm gonna basically restate whatever I wrote in my other one involving mermaid skipp, so plsss bear (bare? bear) with me 😞)

Big fan of serenading you with his mandolin skills and charming voice. He dares to creep closer to land, or even hang around the docks, all so that he can hang around your presence for a little while. He also probably offers on more than one occasion to teach you. It's difficult to do in water but he swears up and down he can make it work (and he absolutely will).

Loves exchanging information and fun facts with you, since you both live in areas that vastly contrast the other's. He's always eager to learn more about your daily life (you in general), and is more than happy to share his experiences in the ocean and its weird, native creatures with you. He has a way of delivering morbid or creepy facts with ease that manages to draw laughter regardless of how odd they may be.

He's so giving without expecting a single thing in return. Frequently comes bearing gifts and trinkets, things you've never seen before. Doesn't really anticipate a gift in return (although an apple or two would be nice), but such a gesture does mean a lot to him and is treated as such (come back to this word better). He keeps it tucked away or frequently adorns it if it's a wearable item, and absolutely sheds tears if it gets lost, stolen, or broken at any point. He's pretty sentimental and holds you and everything you bring to high regards.

Because he's almost always stuck in the water, you typically come to him rather than him coming to you (aka land), and it's a small tiny detail and really not a big deal, but it doesn't go unnoticed by Skipp and he's actually insanely grateful to have a reoccurring visitor (you) that's willing to trek to deep waters just to say good morning. He makes it obvious, too. Skipp has no issue with spewing sentimental, genuine, sometimes sappy speeches about how much he values you and your efforts and your humor and your face and all that. He's kind of cheesy about it, too.

Very resourceful and can probably make jewelry and fun designs out of things like seaweed, seagrass, and even litter, so bracelets and funny looking necklaces crafted from shreds of plastic and seagrass are common gifts.

Such a gentle and respectful soul. He honors and appreciates the marine life and just about every living creature on Earth, which obviously includes you. He's never pushy or coercive, despite being a siren and being particularly good at it. The ocean can be scary at times, especially when mermaids and sirens are added to the mix of already strange local life, but he puts on a big show of being protective and strong for your sake.

If you wanna hug you have to dive into the ocean and figure it out there. Maybe you can share a fire kiss like Mabel's and Mermando's 🔥🔥

Yeah like this

---

A/N: NI HAO FINE SHYTS

I keep changing my name sorry

Hii hope this works cuz once again im NOT proofreading allat goodnight

[beemers-hell]

you did doc hcs....and tricky hcs...how about Jeb (not biased)

this is perfect actually bc like a week or so ago I was asked by Another particular Jeb enjoyer to spill my hcs about him (hi walnut lmao)

anyway:

Jeb HCs!

Around 65~70ish

Trans Man, doesn't care enough about relationship stuff to pick a specific orientation label

Around ~7'04"

South West Asian

Autistic As Fuck, generally very anti social and self isolating but people can get into his good graces and he'll try to show a bit more for them

Due to the fact his body has literally fuckin blown up + he's been in possession of the keystone fragment for so long (and I imagine wielding the KF is gonna fuck you up in the long run) he deals with a whole host of body aches and pains and afflictions, and also arthritis bc that dudes pushing 70 ofc lol

His savior complex thing is a direct result of him having the "I have to fight tooth n nail for what I think is right" brand of autism, compounded with just the insanity of everything in Nevada of course. His initial plan to end Project Nexus was gonna be it for him for his "I need to do whats right" mission, but the keystone fragment kinda drove him fucking nuts, so the "i must purge Nevada of all sinners Period" thing happened as a result

Yeah him n hofnarr had a thing going on, he was a bit too closed off to be fully open n honest about it at the time and now that hofnarr is tricky and he's the way that he is, he regrets how shut in he was. he's too stubborn to give up on tricky entirely which is why I have them still working together to do shit in general, esp in dad au stuff cause boxxy right, but he's not tryna like, figure out how to revert tricky back to hofnarr, he's just tryna maintain a connection with him in general despite the insanely different routes they went down

Jeb is incredibly selfish and Will do whatever the hell he wants if he thinks it serves his mission to do good by Nevada, however he isn't an evil morally bankrupt mf, like doc he's just an asshole, and he's tunnel visioning his way through his crusade. You won't catch him harming people for no reason, and this esp applies to like, kids n shit, but he's not above putting a mf through hell if it means his goals are accomplished

could argue everyone loves guns n shit but Jeb LOVES loves his guns, lil weirdo autistic special interest in firearms (and religion in general but this is about weapons lol)

masks like 24/7 this dude is not comfortable at ALL being ND. He's reserved for the most part but when he speaks oh boy is he bringing out that fuckin thesaurus!

he tries his best to look kept together bc "Savior of Nevada" and all that but dude struggles fuckin bad with executive dysfunction, like his hair is greasy as hell </3

[nellynee]

Recently reminded that I never actually completed my series of cultural, biological, and world building Trolls (DreamWorks) meta that I've had sitting in my Drafts since 2021. So rather than finish it, I've decided to post what I had with some minor edits, with a second post to come about some tribe specific meta.

At some points you might see references that don't exist (ala, see "subject on expanding on this idea") where I had planned a series of other articles to be linked back later. Rather than write them all out and burn myself out, I'll probably only address the mentioned topics if someone shows interest, and link them back later then. So yeah, feel free to ask on any of those or for explanations or expansions.

This stuff is ancient, but overall holds up and is still my general headcanons to this day, though the tone is strange to me now after all this time. Most notably I have not watched the third movie. I have spoiled myself for it for the most part, but what I've seen has left me disappointed and uninterested, so all of this is technically canon compliant to a point up through World Tour, colored by the TV shows, and does not account for Band Together at all. Everything below is as written as of 2021, with any modern expansions labeled with an edit.

Reminder to take all this as a “generalization and stereotyping” sort of thing, which of course ignores obvious exceptions and nuances and personal preferences of a sentient species 

General biology and behaviors:

Trolls are a plant based lifeform. All parts of a Troll including hair are digestible, though due to the repeated consumption and internal refinement of excess sugars, their sap is exceptionally sweet. While Trolls come in a variation of shapes and colors, their sap is universally transparent with visible iridescence. Troll sap is known to cause a euphoric high in most species and thus, Trolls are the victims of several natural predators. 

It is believed that the phenomenon known as Harmonic Tranquilizing developed as a direct result, though this is up for debate as other uses have been observed. Known consistencies in this behavior is the use of vocalizations to affect the immediate vicinity of said Troll in a pacifying way. Experiencing these vocalizations causes a much milder form of the same euphoric high produced by consuming the sap. It is unknown how these vocalizations are able to affect their surroundings, though it’s believed to affect the endocrine systems, as they affect low sentience flora as well as all fauna. All Trolls carry this ability, with the only known exceptions being instrumental based Troll mutations. While most mutations of this variety are small communities of nomads who have found alternative adaptions, the most prolific and notable of these exceptions would be the mountain dwelling Classical Trolls, who at some unknown point completely lost the ability to use of Harmonic Tranquilizing in exchange for their highly domesticated local fauna being able to do so instead. (see Trolls as a keystone species, see Troll symbiotic relationships) 

Edit: (sing away the paaaaain. Harmonic Tranquilizing was my way of trying to create a word for the behaviors we see in trolls through singing. I've specifically had some form of this headcanons since movie one, talking about Branch and going grey as a hormonal stress response, and how singing might be used around him as a subconscious attempt to reduce stress and increase health. Also explaining away the end of movie dance sequences, singing when nervous or towards those who are upset. This isn't a word used by the trolls (maybe something made up by some very specific funk trolls doing some very specific research) but it's no more a general word in the trolls lexicon as say a word for "you exude dopamine when eating good food" would for people. Though it is a much more intense phenomenon capable of being observed. Troll societies who have observed with would probably adhere it to some facet of bonding or spirituality when addressed.)

It is strongly believed classical Trolls did have this ability at one point, as their closest known relative, the Operatic Troll, retains the ability. Why they lost this ability is unknown though, as other variations of farmer Trolls, the most notable and prolific being the yodeling Troll, contains specifically strong examples. It is believed that oxygen availability at high altitudes may be a factor in this loss.

(edit: will be discussing Operatic trolls and nomads in my tribe specific posts)

Another notable species that is rapidly loosing the classic example of Harmonic Tranquilizing is the underwater Techno Troll. While examples of vocalization have been found, the majority of the Harmonic Tranquilizing affect seems to come from the rhythmic pulsing of the Techno Troll’s exposed Wishstone (see wishstones in mythology) 

The initial development of this ability is up for debate due to the varied uses that have been observed. Said uses include

pacification of predators

pacification of farmed resources in the form of living creatures from more predatory Trolls

calming of young

encouragement of aggression from other Trolss (notable in that vocalizations can affect other Trolls in ways other than pacifying, and seemingly done with intention) 

encouragement of a lack of aggression from other Trolls

vocalization from nearby fauna and flora (unknown if this is a byproduct of pacification or intent

hormonal balancing in imbalanced trolls (see troll coloration variation vs loss of color)

courting behaviors

large vocalization gatherings of unknown meaning, though observation of behaviors lead the belief as bonding exercises, potentially through said hormone balancing

observations of said behaviors has led to the prevalent theory that trolls of similar genre’s are able to cause a more euphoric sensation in one another, as when placed together, different genres are still prone to grouping

(edit: basically, there is some biological component to what a troll's genre is. Genre is both your heritage, and what you practice, in the way that say, Cooper is a Funk Troll by birth and Pop by practice. Trolls of similar genre have physical responses to their genre's style, and will see different genre's presentations as positive or negative specifically when comparing it to their own reactions. Example, a classical troll might appreciate a hard rock's guitar solo for its technical skill, while the hard rock troll might resonate with the message of the song and loud bodaciousness)

Trolls are an ancient species whose variations have become keystone to their respective environments. How they do so vary, though it is most closely related to community building and food collection, some general trends in environmental changes include domestication of local species to suit the Troll’s needs, large scale housing that directly affects the landscape, waterway redirections, and resource hoarding.  

On Wishstones:

(edit: Wishstones are a completely unaddressed subject in the DreamWorks Trolls universe, but that wasn't always so. For those who weren't around for the original dolls, Wishstones were the little gem at their belly buttons, and trolls were advertised with the perks of rubbing their stones to grant wishes. Watch an old commercial, they are wild.

The artbook for the first movie addresses Wishstones in an early draft that wanted to establish Creek as a villain early in the story. In that version, his sister was a fully acended troll with a working Wishstone that let her float around in a meditative state. Creek was supposed to have one hell of a complex over his not working stone, and it was supposed to be an indicator of his inner darkness and nature. As it stands, the visual gag of him floating only to reveal he's being carried around is a byproduct of that cut storyline)

Wishstones are the core of a Troll that makes them function. Though they are found to beat much like a heart in an animal, it doesn’t appear to have any sort direct biological function as an muscular organ might. Rather, it works closer to a brain, sending out pulses that direct the health and actions of a Troll. The beating of the Wishstone is necessary, and limbs cut from the main body of the Troll immediately go grey while those injured but still connected to the Wishstones will retain color. An otherwise heathy Troll with an injured Wishstone with quickly fade to grey and expire. Studies indicate that the tempo of beats that a Wishstone maintains is related the Troll’s genre. While most are internalized, some Trolls have adapted to a partially externalized Wishstone for unknown reasons. While it has been found that an exposed Wishstone is necessary for a flight capable Troll, an exposed Wishstone is not necessarily indicative of flight capability. Nomadic Gem Trolls, a subgenre of the Instrumental Trolls, are famous for their beautiful exposed Wishstones, which are said to be covered in a layer of hardened sucralose for protection. Common Troll mythology tells of Gemtrolls who are able to grant fortune telling and wishes if the Wishstone is touched directly, which is where the name of the stone originates. Gem Trolls were nearly hunted to extinction by their own kind as a result, and are a common target of bounty hunters.

(I'll probably go into it deeper when I go over the tribes, but I found it *veeeeeeery* interesting that a series ofpreviously completely sequestered series of cultures would need out of tribe bounty hunters....)

On Troll diet:

(tldr: trolls are plants and their heads are flowers, fight me)

Trolls contain chlorophyll and are able to photosynthesize. Trolls come in a large variety of exceptionally bright colors, but their pigment base comes from highly modified pigment chains not unlike anthocyanin, leaving low pigmentated trolls dark in color but still capable of said photosynthesis. (see Trolls and environmental factors for variations)

As a result, Trolls have very small caloric needs, but disproportionately large trace mineral and water requirements. Trolls are capable of consumption and can augment their needs accordingly to environment. In ideal conditions, a Troll could theoretically subsidize entirely on sunlight and mineral rich waters, but such conditions have yet to be found in the wilds. All Trolls are capable of opportunistic omnivorous behaviors, but show poor meat digestion and a marked preference for high sugar content foods. 

(Pop Troll, having only been reintroduced to a moderately rich environment, are not noteworthy, but are a decent comparative control when compared to nomadic subgenres and more extreme mutations)

Closest to the ideal conditions are the Mountain trolls. Rich clean waters and great sun exposure have lead Classical Trolls and their variations to give up much of their darker chlorophyll in favor of the light hair and gold skin camouflage that makes them nearly invisible to airborne predators, but their flying has left them with a much higher calorie and water needs. Classical trolls have adapted a social culture around domestication of the local fauna in a symbiotic train of extensive trade deals. Forming large clans each with their own specializations, the clan’s highly specifically domesticated animals are able to imitate harmonic tranquilizing of very specific kinds, and Classical trolls often form large bands of concerts to make the best use of various specializations at once. Classical trolls use this to control local resources and repel predators to a much greater effect than any other Troll species around. Classical trolls take great pride in their patron animals and live in excess, using said excess to bribe the local clouds for water resources.

(this information above should go into the classical troll shtick, and most will be repeated there, but it's in the original draft so.....)

Trolls do not naturally retain water or excess calories. A majority of waste is exuded out of the mouth as a sort of colorful paste. But excess is refined in the guts and exuded from an orifice at the bottom of the abdomen as a sort of highly nutritional nugget. These nuggets have been observed as being stored for later, given to the sick and young, consumed for large gatherings, and are apparently incredibly sweet to taste. Arguments can also be made of its development as a defense mechanism, in which a startled troll might drop the contents of their stomach to distract a predator with a sweet smelling alternative. While all trolls have this byproduct to some degree (see Trolls and animal domestication, see Country Trolls and gut fermentation) Funk Troll territory is both lavish and lush, and their guts have evolved this refinement to an art. Funk Troll history is filled with periods of rich trade between other Troll Tribes, as well as periodical raids and the occasional territory dispute when they were land bound. 

(edit: look....look. I don't want to think about the poop cupcakes, you don't want to think about the poop cupcakes. And yet here I am, here I was, trying to justify the poop cupcakes. The best way I found was to remove the action as far away from waste production as I could, and perhaps tie the action through Cooper, to some of the excess and opulence of the Funk trolls. The closest real world examples would probably be bees, in that it's the collection of sugars, excreted at high concentrations in times of excess, to be consumed in times of little. And also it's explicitly bug vomit but we do not care cause it's yummy. I almost guarantee that this stuff was a Bergan delicacy in the heyday of Troll domestication, and would be so again if rediscovered and capable of mass harvesting)

Rock Trolls live in a similarly mineral rich calorie deficient environment to Classical Trolls, but have evolved a nomadic lifestyle to compensate. Rock trolls have a very high calorie requirement due to local volcanic activity lowering sun quality in their territories, and have become strip grazers in response. They rely heavily on complex networks of travel routs to survive, to allow new growth to appear as fast as they can get to it without starving. Population growth is leaving them more and more dependent on their local variation of Bug Bus (see Angler Bus. See symbiotic Troll relationships. See great Troll migration theories) to travel these routs at greater speeds. It is believed that the gradual darkening and lack of pigmenting in Rock Trolls is due to the greater need to depend on anthocyanin based photosynthesis, but it’s unknown if the change is happening quick enough to maintain sustainability of the population. Current outlook seems unlikely, as Rock Trolls also rely heavily on their opportunistic diet for their water consumption as well. (Note: Am I insinuating that part of Barb’s motivations in the movie came in part from the slightly farther than beginning stresses of food insecurity in her people and the hope that if all Trolls were rock that would mean more resources?... yes I am

(edit: in fact, that was directly what I was implying. Will get into in much greater detail in the rock troll article)

Techno Trolls are a very unique case as the exclusive deep sea aquatic troll (yet known). Their exceptionally high anthocyanin content insinuates they were once surface dwellers, but its later been found they they do very little in the ways of consumption, relying almost exclusively on hydrothermal vents for their mineral needs. Note that Techno Trolls are not bioluminescent by nature, but rather, have developed a symbiotic relationship with a bioluminescent bacteria that lives on and in the Troll. This bacteria uses heat from the thermal vents to chemically produce energy, which is shared with the Troll. Note that parental Techno Trolls do not partake in the bonding experience known as sunbathing with their young, rather have taken to a much higher level of skinship with offspring in developmental stages to share this bacteria.  Techno Trolls also receive a very high degree of their pigmentation from their bacteria and thus have the greatest child to parent resemblance of all Troll types. Techno Trolls are a rare case of visual identifiers over vocal, and a infant Techno Trolls can pick out a parent in a group using the exact variation of their parent’s glow as an indicator.

Country Trolls are the most vicious, outwardly aggressive, and carnivorous of all Troll genres. They have become almost entirely reliant on Bugfallo for their nutritional and liquid consumption, as Bugfallo are able to to consume the normally toxic to Trolls but prevalent cacti and produce a sweet and far less toxic Honeydew the Trolls can consume in response. The Honeydew is overly processed to the point of little nutritional value, and consumption of Bugfallo flesh is high enough in demand to compensate that Country Trolls are known to subsidize their diet by raiding other genres, most notably the herding tribes of Yodlers to the north and the nomadic subgenres. Direct consumption of local cacti by the Trolls is technically possible and only fatal in the long term, and is often done by the older generations, as the gut byproduct of the cacti are highly fermented and alcoholic. Repetitive consumption of this fluid quickly intoxicates said Trolls as it ferments more and gets stronger, and some Country Troll families boast multiple  generations worth of the same alcohol being re consumed. 

(edit: country trolls make tequila in their guts. Their elderly are almost always piss drunk on it. Pass it on)

On troll biology and hair:

Trolls do not have bones, and maintain their shapes through a combination of stretchy membranes and internal pressure. These membranes deteriorate rapidly after death. Chemical reactions upon expiration cause the rapid fermentation of internal sugars, which upon evaporation, leaves a unique and delicate latticework of internal and external structures. It is unknown if this structure aids in shape maintaining, or is adjacent to an nervous system. Trolls are not animals and do not have a brain, but have something noticeably adjacent in the form of a Wishstone kept in the abdomen.

Trolls do have an organ on top of said abdomen that contains some sensory organs of varying use, but what common observation in mammals would call the head of the Troll is rather it’s reproductive organs. Trolls grow large amounts of long thin filaments around their stigma that are able to extend and retract at will. Excess length is kept within the organ’s cavity, reeled around the internal ovary, and can be reeled out at will to more than 10 times the length of the troll in the most impressive of species. These filaments are very thin, excessively strong, and are controlled by minute musculature covering the entire length of the filaments. Though referred to as hair, these filaments are a living functional organ of the troll and should not be cut under any circumstances. It’s believed that ancient trolls once used these in reproductive behaviors, the most common theories being courting displays, passive pollen collection, or mate capturing, but there is no concrete evidence to support such claims other than the rapid filament growth that comes at sexual maturity. 

Most modern trolls only have vestigial extension abilities and musculature with enough control to allow conception, but there are notable exceptions. Pop Trolls are famous for their unique chromatophores and dexterity, wish allow them to use their filaments as camouflage to a great degree of success. Like most decorative trolls, (see decorative trolls and hair shapes) Country Trolls have very high external musculature for control, but nearly no internal musculature. But Country Trolls have very notably retained this musculature around their forward facing sensory organs in some individuals. Classical Trolls are another ornamental Troll that has lost most internal musculature, but have interestingly enough mutated to have some filaments grow down and out the back of the abdomen. Cursory dissection of filaments has led to theoretical similarities to those of the Techno Trolls and might be responsible for flight. Techno trolls have the greatest relative reeling ability, though it's uses are unknown, as they are relatively young for an aquatic species and such ability would have developed before their time in water. Modern uses see it being employed in current surfing, allowing Techno trolls to travel great distances with little energy (see migratory trolls)

On “Grey” or “dark” Trolls:

Trolls are famous for their wild variations in pigmentations, but occasionally darkened Trolls that don’t fit their genere’s coloration can be spotted. These trolls should not be confused with naturally dark colored Trolls, who normally contain very high chlorophyll concentrations in darker locations (see Techno Trolls, Rock trolls, Punk trolls and grunge variations, Operetic Trolls, and other dark dwelling variations) 

Grey Trolls are Trolls who’s Wishstones have gone quiet (note that a Wishstone can not go silent, as that denotes a dead Troll, but direct correlation has been found between the strength of the beat of a Troll’s Wishstone and primary pigmentation) Trolls can go dark for a large variety of reasons, but it is far more common denotes some sort of long term mental distress. Troll who have received fatal blows do not often loose color as there is no time for the hormonal trigger to take place, though all Trolls lose pigmentation at some point in decomposition. A grey freshly killed Troll denotes suffering or complete separation from the Wishstone.

(edit: This is in reference to Chef's cookbook in her deleated song, a few pages of which can be screen grabbed and read. One recipe calls for thinly slicing the finished product, with a troll still alive in said product, and mentions that a troll that survives a few slices will loose its coloring before it dies, unlike a quickly killed troll, which will retain its bright coloring. The note continues that the cook in question should not worry, as a grey troll retains it's flavor and euphoric effects, it just doesn't look appetizing, and the presentation and filling should cover that up nicely. Absolutely horrific, and has always stuck with me)

Otherwise healthy Trolls might go grey if they have long term medical issues that cause suffering, but this is considered beyond quality of life as it has affected the Trolls mental health. Most common issues in greyed out Trolls is mental distress. It is believed that low pigmentation in a normally pigmented Troll intended to be a visual signal to their community that a Troll is in distress, as other Trolls are often seen using Harmonic Tranquilizing on the affected Troll to great effect, as the euphoric affect of the vocalizations seem to cause artificial stimulation to the Wishstone (see first song stimulation in newborn Trolls) Greying out is commonly very temporary given enough communal exposure. Resistant Trolls most commonly succumb to wasting as they show a resistance to eating and sun exposure and have little interest in personal hygiene or sleep. Long term grey out effects is unknown and untested. Note that grey Trolls do no produce glitter inert or otherwise, do not court or show any other signs of reproductive interest, nor to do they produce seeds/eggs when exposed to glitter, indicating infertility. 

(edit: lot of this is based off of the general reaction to Branch and the very visible physical indicator of his mental distress. And the idea that the best cure for what's ailing him really is music. Poppy's continued determination to pull Branch into social gatherings and songs in the first movie is as close to an instinctual reaction to his physical and mental state as you get for a troll. For those outside his tribe, in briefly meeting him, his coloring is dark enough he might be mistaken for a mixed breed of some kind (*flips off Band Together* you will pry Soft Rock!Branch genetics from my cold dead hands) and those who dont assume might think he's just in chronic pain)

(edit 2: am I also insinuating that Branch's depression makes him both infertile and without sexual desire? Yes I am. I developed this idea in parallel to my own struggles in trying to untie my own asexuality from my depression. The original idea coming from the hilarious idea that Pop Trolls have accidently developed a propensity for giant springtime orgies, which look an awful lot like the world's glitteriest dance party. I had developed 3 separate chapters, one before the movie in which Branch looks on with some bitterness but overall apathy, one in which recently recovering Branch finds himself on the outskirts but without inclination to join, much to his own embarrassment. He spends most of the time with the people helping on the sidelines (hydration, food, childcare, ECT) and talking to *actual asexual* Biggie. The third fallows quite deep into recovery and the discovery of his own desire to pursue Poppy in the fray beyond romantic.)

On reproductive biology and child rearing: 

Trolls are plants and are built very similar to a flower (edit: not similar. They are straight up a flower). The organ on top of their abdomen contains their ovaries, with their stigma terminating in their scalp. There is little visual indication of the stigma compared to the rest of the scalp, but there is a textural change that can be determined with practice.

(edit: in a very tldr short version. Their body is the stem, their head is the ovary containing the seeds (eggs) their hair their petals. Their cheeks are the part that produce pollen (glitter) and the central part of their scalp the place pollen is received and where the seed emerges. Troll sex consists of rubbing their cheeks together, and potentially all over each other, and hoping the pollen is exposed to the stigma.)

(edit 2: I spent a loooooong time contemplating whether the stigma (pollen receiving organ that takes it to the ovaries to produce a seed) should be on the scalp, or in the mouth, adding kissing and licking into the mix, and I'm still really attached the idea of the soft pallet as the exposed part of the stigma. I'm up for debate on either option.)

Trolls do not have filaments, and their anther is instead exposed on the apple of their cheeks. Troll Microsporangium is chunky, shimmery, and metallic in color, and is universally referred to by trolls as Glitter. (note that the inferior set of cheeks on the lower abdomen also produces large quantities of glitter, but this glitter in inert). Trolls also produce inert Glitter on the anther from birth, and that inert Glitter is visibly different from viable Glitter, with viable Glitter being discernably more holographic and chunkier than inert Glitter. Trolls can easily tell the difference between and are unbothered by common inert Glitter, though it can be seen as an attractive trait. Other attractive traits vary by genre, but high pigmentation, well groomed hair (see ornamental Trolls) and pleasant vocalizations are universal attractors as well.

Note that Glitter covered mutations have been noted in the wild (see classical trolls, see pigmentation display theory) and artificially (see the Bergan affects on troll biology). Glitter covered Trolls are not more reproductivly viable, but carry a mutation that causes production of inert glitter in mass. 

Reproductive Troll sex consists of courting behaviors to trigger hormonal responses, viable glitter production, and the frantic rubbing of the anthers on each other to encourage cross pollination. Even the most advanced Troll societies are not particularly interested in the sciences behind reproduction, so general Troll society tends to be less than knowledgeable and ascribe some spirituality to the act. But some tribes know more than others, and bathing is almost universally considered the most consistent contraceptive. 

(edit: look. Humans as a species only like, *just* figured out how human reproduction works on a molecular level. The only trolls debatably advanced enough to care might be the Funk trolls. Most trolls aren't going to know how their bodies work in sexual and non sexual ways, and their understanding of how they do work will mostly boil down to whatever mysticism their cultures have attached to it, as well as any correlations they've discovered, and any misconceptions when conflating it with causation

Reproductive sex rarely leads to conception. Unless a Troll accidently or otherwise rubs the Glitter in their hair, the Glitter has a short viability span and must drift into the hair naturally. Conception is less common in small Troll communities as the presence of children suppresses reproductive hormones. Larger communities can afford to sequester children away and thus encourage reproduction in not child responsible adults.

(edit: this was the beginning of a long article attempting to explain the Pop troll numbers vs how much they must have been eaten and needing replaced vs the sustained population down the road, moved to pop troll article)

(edit: and this is where it ends. I had a whole listing of tribe specific diets, courting behaviors, some rough historical events and holidays, ECT, but I'm now choosing to save those for individual posts.

[gorogues]

Fictober 2024

Prompt number #13 Fanfiction Fandom: Flash Rogues Rating: G Warnings: None

Day Thirteen: “That’s not the point”

Hartley wiped his brow as he plodded into the Rogues’ safehouse, with James bouncing in behind him.

“What a rush that was!” James enthused merrily, doing a handstand and flip.  His friend just felt drained and a little bit ill, and he all but collapsed onto a moth-eaten couch, eyes closed.

“I never want to do it again,” Hartley said as he rubbed his throbbing temples, and James tossed him an ice pack for his head.

“C’mon Pipes, it was a blast!”

Hartley opened his eyes to stare at him.  “How can you say that?!  You came so close to dying when that vigilante shot at you!  I honestly thought you were dead for a few seconds!”

“But I didn’t die,” James shrugged.  “I did that totally amazing move and wowed the crowd when I leaped out of the way…it was fun!”

Hartley sighed, somehow even more exhausted.  “By ‘the crowd’ you just mean the other Rogues, and I don’t think they were all that impressed.”

“Pfft, I saw the look on Scudder’s and Heat Wave’s faces.  They thought it was the bee’s knees, which it totally was.  Besides: fun.”

“That’s not the point, James!” Hartley exclaimed, sitting up for emphasis.  “You do all this unnecessarily dangerous stuff and it could kill you someday, but I care about you!  You’re my only friend in this group, maybe my best friend ever, and you mean a lot to me,” he finished, looking down at the floor. 

He didn’t want to admit that maybe he thought of James as more than a friend, for fear of losing the only important person in his life.  Friends they would have to remain…at least for now.

James was quiet for a few moments.  “I’m sorry, Hart, I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“I didn’t mean to make things weird, James, and I apologize.  It’s just that incidents like this have happened before and they never seem to bother you.  Why doesn’t it bother you?”

“You learn to take risks in the circus,” James shrugged ruefully, “and with my parents I had to take a lot more than I ever felt comfortable with.  Guess I got used to it and it sort of hardened me.”  He shrugged again, looking more uneasy than his friend had possibly ever seen him.

Hartley had to resist the urge to give him a hug, deciding that it’d only increase James’ discomfort.  But he did fix him with a sympathetic look.  “That’s awful, but I want you to know that I care about what happens to you and how you feel, and your parents can go get bent.”

James laughed, the return of a joyous tinkling sound Hartley loved to hear.  “That’s one way of putting it, and yeah, they sure can.  Yours too, from what you’ve told me.  Beer?”

Hartley nodded, relieved the tension was over, and James tossed a can in his direction.  They both cracked open one of Keystone's worst lagers, and James held his aloft in a toast.

“To good friends, and time spent commiserating about lousy parents.”

“Hear, hear!” Hartley smiled, and he made a mental note to incorporate that wonderful ringing laughter into his next musical composition.  Hearing it always brightened his day.

[pokemonshelterstories]

i found this real weird rock while i was travelling in Sinnoh. the crack in it and the dots make it look like it's got a face on it! i wanna keep it as like a mantlepiece my archaeologist friend keeps telling me to throw it out, saying something about 'spiritomb' or whatever. it's just a rock. you got any clues about that? i know you're probably no rock expert but i figured i might as well ask while i'm here!

oh, that sounds like an odd keystone...yeah, they're stones designed to trap mischievous spirits. get 108 of em in there and you get a spiritomb. a lot of times they kind of already have a spiritomb in them.

i mean, you can keep it? but they're pretty mischeivous, and the keystone only helps so much. if you start waking up to your furniture being moved slightly to the left or your socks mismatched or minor curse symptoms (usually stuff like dizzy spells/lack of coordination) then you've got a ghostie on your hands

[ask-postcrash-curly]

Heya curlster! Here’s some more su!

These two episodes are more about interpersonal relationships and conflicts and all that, soooo… not really any fire or explosions or anything to worry about, haha.

Season 2 episode 11: Cry for Help

Don’t think any trigger warnings apply. No explosions, just a structure falling down

Season 2 episode 12: Keystone Motel

This episode has a couple of my favorite Greg lines, haha.

Don’t think any trigger warnings apply.

[beams those 2 episodes into your head]

Hey, Possumsster! I think I can handle a structure falling down, hah.

Aww, Pearl's excited. We haven't seen this one, have we? Wow, she's got a strong personality. In a good way! She's a real show-woman. Poor Amethyst seems left out, though. And now she's singing about it... Yeah, there we go.

Whoa. There's a plot twist.

...Depressing end, wow.

Aaaand depressing start. A state... named Keystone?? Huh?

Oh fuck, that's probably not good. ...This temperature stuff seems very unpleasant.

Huh. It's actually called the best diner in the world. It really is something that they can go out in public and no one notices that they're red and blue.

This is sweet, at least...

[harrisonarchive]

Photo by John Pratt/Keystone Features/Getty Images.

Rest in peace, radio and television presenter Annie Nightingale. Condolences to her family and friends. Annie Nightingale: “Well, he [George] was both — I mean have Hare Krishna people come in the office, into Apple, chanting, and, yeah, he was very genuinely involved in [spirituality] and believed in it. And Transcendental Meditation. Obviously his whole connection with the Maharishi and the whole experience with the Eastern — and looking for other cultures to be inspired by was very clear, but George was a very complex guy [laughs], you know. He’d give as good as he got. I mean he wasn’t… some sort of ethereal creature. He’d tell you what he thought of you. Yeah, and if he didn’t want to do something, he’d say so in you know… in very strong language [laughs] as well. I mean not that — he was always very brilliant to me. In fact, once he said to me — it must’ve been after The Beatles broke up — at a party. He said, ‘You were very good to us,’ and I went, ‘What are you talking about?! Me? You’ve changed my life! You’ve changed the lives of millions of people!’ I mean, maybe I just didn’t slag them off is what he meant, you know. Because the press turned on The Beatles a lot, you know. People don’t realize that now, but they were fighting quite a losing battle a lot of the time. Even early ‘60s, people going, ‘Oh, that “yeah yeah yeah” stuff, it’s all over.’ People were writing them off even after a year or two, and once they made Pepper and gone psychedelic then that really got the media completely riled up. ‘What was that all about?’ And growing their hair, like they looked weird now. They did not look like the mop tops in their nice Cardin jackets.” - BBC Radio 2, September 2019 (x)

[longitudinalwaveme]

Fictober 2024

Day 8: Are We Happy? 

Wally had been having a wonderful day at the hockey rink with Linda, watching the first big game of the season. While he wasn’t really that big of a hockey fan, Linda adored the Keystone City Combines, and if she was happy, he was happy. 

And then Dr. Alchemy had shown up. Because there was some sort of law which stated that a Flash’s nice night out must be interrupted by at least one creep in a mask. 

“Tremble in fear, Keystone City! For I, the nigh-omnipotent Dr. Alchemy, have returned to rule over you all!”

The rest of the people in the rink seemed even less impressed that Wally felt by the not-so-good doctor’s inconvenient arrival. 

“Boo! Get off the ice!” 

“Yeah, we paid good money for these tickets!” 

“Come on, team! Let’s get the creep!” the Combines’ team captain yelled. Almost as one, the team skated forward, hockey pucks raised. Dr. Alchemy cackled madly. 

“Fools! Let’s see how well you skate when I turn the ice into hydrochloric acid!” Just as Dr. Alchemy raised his Philosopher’s Stone, Wally changed into his Flash costume, darted out on the ice, and managed to spirit all twelve of the players who were currently on the ice to safety, mere milliseconds before the ice underneath them turned into a potent acid. 

“Why, if it isn’t Kid Flash! I see you’re as fast as ever—but are you fast enough to outrun a cloud of magnesium?” Suddenly, the air around Wally was ablaze; so hot that it was actually impairing his vision. But this wasn’t Wally’s first rodeo with Dr. Alchemy. He rotated his arms at super speed and was quickly able to extinguish the flames.

“Come on, doc! You didn’t really expect me to be taken out by that old chestnut, did you?” Wally asked—only to completely lose his footing and go careening uncontrollably across the ice. He finally came to a stop when he collided violently with a pole of one of the nets. 

“Amateur! You were so busy focusing on putting out the fire that you didn’t notice I was coating the ice with polytetrafluoroethylene—a material with one of the lowest friction coefficients known!” Wally tried to struggle to his feet, but found that his head didn’t want to stop spinning just yet. 

“Now, just to make sure you stay put—here’s some specialized acrylic adhesive to keep you running in place!” Suddenly, a sticky substance covered Wally, binding him to the pole he’d collided into. He used several vibratory tricks in the hopes of escaping, but quickly discovered that Dr. Alchemy had done his homework. Whatever this stuff was, he was stuck fast. 

“Now, where’s the real Flash? I didn’t make my grand comeback just to face the Twin Cities’ second-string hero!” If Wally had been a few years younger, comments like that would’ve caused his admittedly short temper to explode. Now that he was secure in his powers, though, it was just a mild annoyance. Really, he was a lot angrier about the fact that his nice night with Linda had been hijacked by the ego trip of a man wielding the world’s most powerful potato. 

“Isn’t that the real Flash?” someone in the audience asked.  

“It sure looks like him.” 

“Maybe it’s Impulse?”

“No way. Impulse has bigger feet than that. And a different costume.” 

“Could be the old Flash.” 

“The old Flash has a hat!”

“Perhaps I just need to provide the Flash with a little more…incentive. Once you’re all trapped in here after I turn the doors to solid titanium, he’ll be forced to come and rescue you—and that will be his doom!” And with a wave of the Philosopher’s Stone, all the exits were transformed into solid blocks of gleaming metal. If Uncle Barry had been on Earth, Wally knew that such a display would get him to come running—but he was off with Superman and Green Lantern in space, fighting off another wave of face-hugging starfish. It didn’t matter what Dr. Alchemy did; it wouldn’t summon the Flash that he wanted. 

“As for the rest of you—start handing over your valuables. The prodigious Dr. Alchemy demands tribute–-which he will accept in jewelry, cash, and all major credit cards.” Wally tried to vibrate loose again, but to no avail. This was so embarrassing…

Dr. Alchemy started collecting loot from the crowd, only to pause in front of a very pretty young woman. 

“Hello, there, you gorgeous doll. How’d you like for me to show you a whole new type of alchemy?” he leered as he caressed her cheek creepily. 

Aaand that cinched it. Wally had been pretty sure which Dr. Alchemy had crashed the hockey game from the start, but the really obnoxious pervert behavior meant that it was definitely Alvin. 

In response, the woman shrieked and grabbed the hand of the young man next to her, who was probably her boyfriend. 

“Get your filthy hands off my girlfriend!” the young man exclaimed. Alvin frowned. 

“You’re her boyfriend, eh? A minor setback—-but one that’s thoroughly surmountable for a man of my vast powers!” He waved the stone, and suddenly the young man was transmogrified into a solid jade statue. The young woman screamed.

“Andrew!” Alvin, seemingly oblivious to the young woman’s horror, gave her a big, creepy grin. 

“You’re single now, honey—and considerably richer, now that you have that nice jade statue. So, what do you say? You wanna go out with me now?” The woman understandably responded by slapping Alvin across the face. 

“You killed my boyfriend! Why would I ever want to go out with you?” Alvin didn’t seem deterred. 

“I can always turn him back if you really want me to, babe. Though I don’t know why you would. He’s much less annoying as a jade statue. So, what do you want for dinner?” 

“Dinner?” 

‘Yeah. I’m takin’ you out tonight—right after I kill the Flash, of course.” 

“Are you nuts? I wouldn’t date you if you were the last man on Earth!” To emphasize her point, the woman slapped him again. 

“Wrong answer, sweet cheeks.” Alvin waved his Philosopher’s Stone, and suddenly the woman was transformed into what looked like a ruby statue. 

“Ahem! Now that that little romantic interlude is out of the way—let’s get back to the issue of my tribute, shall we?” 

For the next twenty minutes, Alvin made his rounds through the crowd, collecting the money, cards, and jewelry in two large bags that he had materialized out of thin air. Once both bags were filled to the bursting point, he made his way back over to Wally, who was still struggling to free himself. 

“It’s a travesty, really. I go through all this time and effort to rob the entire stadium blind—and what do I get? Not only does the real Flash not bother to show up, but my romantic overtures are rejected, too! Why does no one respect me?” 

“Maybe because you’re a creepy sewer-dwelling gremlin?” Wally suggested. 

“How dare you! I’m the most powerful villain on the face of the Earth!”

“Funny. For someone who’s that powerful, you sure don’t seem very content being yourself. Are you really happy with your sad, creepy little life, Alvin?” 

“Am I happy? I’m overjoyed!” Then Alvin looked down at his Philosopher’s Stone. 

“Tell me, my precious: are we happy?” Amazingly, the stone actually seemed to respond; it started to glow more brightly and turned the walls of the stadium to solid gold. 

“That’s what I thought. We’re very happy together.” 

“Whatever you say, Gollum.” Alvin scowled. 

“I am not Gollum! I am Dr. Alchemy, and I am—-” Suddenly, one of the solid blocks of titanium that had once been a door hissed and turned into steam. 

“You are nothing but a pretender! A fraud, who decided to cash in on the identity I tried so hard to leave behind!”  Mr. Element exclaimed as he stepped through the new gap in the wall. A big grin spread across Alvin’s face, revealing some inhumanly sharp teeth. 

“Hello, brother Al! It’s been a long time!” 

“Not long enough.” 

“You wound me, brother Alvin—so I’ll just have to return the favor. Eat HClO4!” Alvin waved the Philosopher’s Stone, and a wave of acid went flying towards Mr. Element, who transmuted it into what looked like it might be orange juice seconds before it could make contact. 

“Alvin, I’m a reasonable man. I don’t want to have another element duel. I’m forty-five years old, the Mr. Element suit doesn’t really fit me properly anymore, and I’ve been trying to put this costumed nonsense behind me for the past twenty years of my life. Why don’t you just surrender quietly and save us both the trouble?” Dr. Alchemy laughed. 

“You’ve gone soft, brother Al! Maybe a hailstorm of diamonds will toughen you back up!” Dr. Alchemy waved his stone, and dozens of large diamonds started to fall out of the sky. Mr. Element responded by using his Element Gun to transmute the diamonds into feathers. 

“You want to do it the hard way? Fine. We can do it the hard way,” Mr. Element said as he continued to approach. As he came closer, he fired a beam from his Element Gun, which turned the floor around Dr. Alchemy into what looked like it might be quicksand.

“Nice try, brother Al—but your little tricks can’t stop me!” He waved the Philosopher’s Stone and was instantly freed from the quicksand, which transmuted into water. In response, Mr. Element fired a beam from the Element Gun past the gloating Dr. Alchemy. It hit the glue that Wally had been struggling against, and suddenly it didn’t seem quite so sticky. Wally grinned. 

“You missed! Clearly, you’ve been out of the game for too long!” Mr. Element gave a quiet chuckle. 

“I didn’t miss, Alvin. I was just distracting you.” Alvin’s eyes went wide, and he spun around in horror—just in time for Wally to vibrate out of the glue and sock him right in the nose. The momentum of the punch sent Alvin flying, and his bags of stolen loot flew out of his hands. He hit the side of the ice rink a few seconds later, and then one of the bags of loot clunked him right on his head. As Dr. Alchemy went limp, Mr. Element took off his silly-looking gas mask to reveal the care-worn face of Dr. Albert Desmond. 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner, but Alvin made a point of visiting Rita and me and trapping us in our bedroom yesterday. He was hoping that he would be able to frame me for the crime—again.” 

“Hey, no problem. You made it here in time to help me stop the bad guy. That’s all that matters,” Wally replied. 

“You have no idea how tired I am of dealing with him. Every time I think he has to be gone for good, he pops up again—and this time, he dumped beer cans and disgusting magazines all over our floor and ate everything in the fridge but the vegetables! It’s a good thing I can transmute things, because if not, it would take weeks for Rita and me to clean the place up,” Albert said wearily. 

“In speaking of transmutation, I need you to save a couple of people Alvin turned into statues.” Wally pointed in the direction of the young couple Alvin had transmuted earlier. 

“What happened to them?” Albert asked, sounding horrified. 

“Alvin was hitting on the woman, and wouldn’t take no for an answer.” Albert groaned. 

“Why am I not surprised?” Albert walked over to Alvin’s unconscious body, knelt down next to him, grabbed the Philosopher’s Stone out of his hand, and then walked over to the transmuted couple. He touched the stone to the woman, and then to the man, and a few seconds later both of them were once again flesh and blood. 

“Andrew! Are you all right?” 

“Yes, Sasha, I’m all right. I’m just glad you’re okay.” The two of them kissed, and then the woman turned to Albert. 

“Thank you so much!” she said. 

“It was the least I could do, really,” Albert replied quietly. 

“You saved our lives, man. We really owe you one,” the young man said. Albert ducked his head.

“Just pay it forward, and we’ll be more than even.” With that, Albert made his way back to Wally and looked at him hopefully. 

“Would you mind getting me back home? I have a wife who’s worried about me and a huge mess to clean up.” Wally grinned. 

“Sure, Dr. Desmond! Just give me a sec.” Wally grabbed the two bags of loot, distributed the contents back to their rightful owners, and was back at Albert’s side in less than ten seconds.

“All aboard the Flash express!” Two seconds later, Wally and Albert were at a cozy house in the suburbs of Central City, where they were promptly greeted by Rita Desmond. 

“Albert! You’re home! I was so worried about you!” 

“I’m sorry, Rita. For…for everything.” 

“What are you apologizing for? You’re not the one who locked me in a bedroom, emptied my kitchen, and ruined my floors! It’s that disgusting little gremlin who should be apologizing! I’m so tired of him showing up and upending our lives!” 

“You and me both, Rita—but I don’t know what to do. We send him to prison and he breaks out. We destroy the Philosopher’s Stone, and it just reconstitutes itself and finds its way back to him. I turn him to granite, and he pops up again in the flesh two months later like nothing happened. How do you stop something you can’t contain?” Suddenly, Rita glanced at Wally and grinned wickedly. 

“You’re friends with Hartley Rathaway, aren’t you?” she asked. 

“Piper? Of course! I just talked to him this morning.” 

“Well, it still might not be enough to get rid of Alvin for good, but I think the Pied Piper’s music might be just what I need to make sure he stays away from Albert and me for a long, long time.” Wally grinned as he realized what Rita had in mind.  

“Rita, you are an evil genius, and I love it.” 

************************************************************************

Two days later, Wally, Linda, Irey, Jai, Wade, Albert, Rita, and Hartley were enjoying a lovely backyard party at the Desmonds’ house. Jai and Irey were splashing in the heated above ground pool, Wade was crawling around on the grass under Wally’s watchful eye, Linda and Hartley were commiserating over the lousy season Central City’s baseball team had had this year, and Albert and Rita were holding hands and enjoying both their drinks and the state of their newly pristine house. 

“Alvin, would you mind filling my glass? I’m getting low on lemonade,” Rita said. Alvin scowled, but the small MP3 player that was clipped to his shirt and chirping out a merry little tune ensured that he would cooperate with her request. 

“Of course not,” he muttered glumly, as the Pied Piper’s hypnotic music forced him to pour her another drink from the bottle of lemonade that was resting on the tray he was holding. 

“Of course not what, Alvin?” Rita asked. 

“Of course not, ma’am,” Alvin ground out as he secured the lid back on the bottle. Wally snickered. He had to hand it to Rita—using Piper’s hypnotic music to force Alvin to pay off the rather considerable debt he owed to her and Albert by working as their servant was a surefire way to keep him from annoying the Desmonds for a long, long time. After all, there was nothing Alvin hated more than work. 

“That’s better. Now, why don’t you get started on cleaning out the junk in our basement? I’ve been wanting that mess sorted out for years, but we’ve just never had the time to get around to it,” Rita said. Alvin’s shoulders slumped. 

“Whatever you say, ma’am.” As Alvin wandered off towards the basement, Albert shook his head. 

“You know,  I almost feel sorry for him.” Rita took a sip of her lemonade. 

“I don’t. We’ve been putting up with his nonsense for what, ten years now? I think brother Alvin—as he insists on calling himself— owes us a few favors.” Wally laughed.

“You know, I’m really starting to wonder which of the two of you used to be the supervillain.” Rita smiled. 

“Well, you know what they say. Mr. Element hath no fury like a very frustrated astral sister-in-law.”

[echostalker]

Stories storyline and Idea (Will Edit Once I worked On Something) *edit 2*

Stories being worked on:

Goblet Musical 2/15

Chapter 1 & 2- complete

Chp3- Fight it out boys; Ron’s Heart and Harry’s Remorse

Might make it a two parter? Took me away but I now got a song for Harry. Yeah!

Chap4- Percy’s Fury, The Twins Fucked Up

This is now going to be a two parter with maybe another chp in between. Thinking of renaming it as Mother Bear’s Fury with Percy as the main character in this chapter. Maybe have Oliver? Make 4.5/5 as The Eye Of The Storm Thy Name Is Oliver? Weasley’s background and lore?

Ch5 - I Hate That Girl

That would be the song. Oc female x Oc female from the other schools. Ron making new friends? The excitement of the Yule Ball. More magic lore?

(Add more later)

Tiger Golem And Star Void 2/7

Chapter 1- complete

Chp2- complete (change the title and added another day)

Chp3- Enter From Stage Left Chuuya

Is in the present obviously. :p Dazai is on the prowl trying to figure out what’s going on. Flirty Atsushi, flirty Atsushi! Chuuya is here to mess with his dumb fish and make passes at kitty. Hints of Chuuatsu (Blue Sunset? Red Tiger? Lord Chaos? Like the first one better as a shipping name) meeting in France. Dazai finds out Chuuya gave Atsushi colored necklaces Day 16 Jealousy No WIP yet

Chp4- Added Chapter No Title Yet

Another hint at the past. Angry cat. The Mori deal’s aftermath. Unhinged cat. Death threats. Reason for Atsushi’s runner. Day 24 Broken and Day 22 Cold No WIP yet

Chp5- Dazai’s Truth Of The Heart

More flirty kitty. Dazai is confusion. ADA making more appearances? Naomi is not the sister? Kyouka is little sister? Lore?! shots shot shot everybody! Dazai is actually honest with himself Day 12 Affections and Day 2 Drunk Confession No WIP yet

Chp6- A Smile In The Dark Of The Tiger’s Eyes

Atsushi says suspicious and concerned things. Kitty knows things. Ranpo doesn’t know things? Unhinged kit-cat. Mistaken accusations? Day 25 Secret No WIP yet

Chp7- It’s Forever But Never The End

Last chapter. Open ending because stuff. Semi-confession? Agatha Christie throws the glove at Atsushi’s feet. She gets a slap with it. Atsushi gives no shit! Dazai is less confusion and wants to sleep Day 27 Love and Day 28 Future No WIP Yet

Stories I have ideas on

DC

Reincarnation: Wally is reborn as Ron from Harry Potter. He is not going to follow any storyline and is ready to throw down at anytime. Taking reference from my Lily’s Ghost, Den Mother, Sacred 28 vs Sacred 28 (maybe?). Molly, Twins and Book/Movie Hermione Critical. GreenChess (aka ronarry) wishful birdflash

Regression: Wally goes back in time to the age of five. The age he first met The Flash. Now there’s two ideas for this. One which is like Wally’s Bird. He’s regress in a world like his old one but is born two years younger than his best friend. He finds out that it a bit darker because there was never a Robin to kick start the era of sidekicks. His bird is now a Talon that is very clingy. Works with old Batsy to save his bird. Will sass the bat at any given moment. Ends up with a Violet Ring of Love. So Star Sapphire Wally! (Ben 10 Anodite style powers! Like the hair! The hair was my favorite part of the alien lol) No speedster Wally. He missed the deadline of getting his powers because he was born too late. Trans Wally. Birdflash

Isakai: From Young Justice to before the Dc Son of Batman. So Flashpoint Paradox? I don’t know the correct timeline. *shrugs* Wally reappears in the Arctic but in a different universe. Lot darker because of the Flashpoint. He is very confuse but try’s to get around using everything he was taught by the Flashes, the Green Lanterns, Batman and Nightwing growing up. Gets a Job in Gotham because he believes that he’ll have a mental breakdown if he stays in Central or Keystone (the Twin Jewel Cities know by locals- I grew up calling them that and I will not stop). Woks at Wayne’s, meets Dick Greyson which causes heartaches, flirty Dick chasing after the guy will turn him down every time (it drives him mad because Wally is so familiar and being around him make him feel whole) and batclan breaking into his apt. He mets Tim and is shock how bad he is at self care. Horrified at how distant the batfam is. Is very close at throwing hands with Batman and Nightwing. (Can’t throw hands with Dick because he not suppose to know the bat secret.) Taking reference from Wally’s Favorite. The Pink Lantern Wally? Just like the one on top but still a speedster? Birdflash with hard to get Wally and pan disaster Dick.

PJO

The Moon And The Ocean Tide -Reincarnation/Regression: SI Oc from my ao3 story My New Life’s Crazy Adventure. I’m take the Oc name Echo and having her rebirth as a Demi Titian of the Moon Titan Selene that isn’t really powerful. Grew up at a round camper that bumps head with Annabeth over how to greet new campers. She goes by Usagi as a teasing nickname by those who watch Sailor Moon, not because she looks like her (she does not look like any of the characters. At all.) but because of her sign. Which looks like the silver-blue dreamworks logo, except with a female figure playing a traditional biwa. (She was also born with the last name Tsukino) Echo is the name she prefers, even though she is named Serenity which also doesn’t help. Percy has regressed into the younger version of himself at the beginning of his story. (More like after his school field trip) He is a jaded, has ptsd and grudge hold college student whose girlfriend broke up with him to focus more on her schooling. (He’s a bit bitter about it because he left his family for her, went on a shit quest for school recommendations and knows she was extremely possessive that fuck over his other relationship.) He played to the script as closely as he could, bypassing his time until he reaches Camp Half-Blood, until the scene on the bridge with Annabeth. Echo, being a fan of Percy/use to have a crush on him (so she says), steps up after his talk with the blonde. Not knowing he has regressed, she offers to show him the Camp Video and explains how the camp works. Percy is lowkey wary and guarded because he’s expecting for every thing to be the same with only him being different. He agrees and Echo is like a puppy as she babbles to the 12yr old about what her home for eleven years is. She also one of the people to actually helps him and talks to him as a person after his mark. (She also sides with Athena in his first war game because he asked her using a ‘I’m a newbie and feel more comfortable with a friend’ and even though she suspects him, she’s weak for him.) When he get his first quest, Annabeth demands to go like the first time but Percy sneers with a ‘He rather go with Echo’. Causing the girl to panic and say ‘No! I refuse to fuck the story!’. This outs her to him, which outs Percy to her. They make a deal that he goes on the quest like the original timeline and she becomes his eyes and ears at camp. DarkPercy. SI character. All books are on her. Refuse to rewrite Percy’s adventures. Slow burn between Percy & Echo?? Echo actually try’s to canon fix-it.

BSD

TTGASV: First side story of my BSD Dazatsu story. (For now) It how Chuuya and Atsushi met in France. Mostly of Atsushi longing for Dazai and missing his baby sister. Mentioning of sending gifts, postcards and word travel. Lore of our boy’s past lives. Mentions of vessels, human sacrifices and reborn gods. Headcanons at play. Pinning Dazatsu, Day 6 Home and Day 15 Book, and slow burn chuuatsu Slice of Life

HP

Movie HP Characters reacting to My AU Memes?

One Piece

Zoro Was born in Aokigahara

Zoro Judgement of Sanji’s treatment of women 5 +1

Crossovers

Hp x Op= 3 Swords Demon And His Magical Son- 5yr Ron transporting to the Op world and getting raise by Zoro, Luffy and the other’s Straw Hats.

[floaroanemoia]

A gentle reminder that if Sarana was in Legends: Arceus, the main way you'd encounter her (before the post-game + when a quest line for Shaymin and all the Floaro stuff unlocks) would be her standing ominously in some tucked away spot on the map, being like "Oh hey you're looking for all the wisps that escaped from a keystone?? Lmao sucks to be you. yeah it's hard yakka, here's where i saw some" and putting the locations of 3 of them on the map in exchange for items and materials.

And then talking about something completely unrelated immediately afterwards/if talked to again.

And you get no explanation on how she can see them or what her deal is at least until the protag gets kicked out of Jubilife Village.

[some-pers0n]

*VERY randomly puts this in your inbox*

Have you ever watched the movie Suzume (2022)?

And if so, what are your thoughts and/or feelings about Daijin?

Hey so when I got this ask I was like "oh, I've never watched that! I'll make sure to since it's a recc" and then I watched it and now I'm feeling like my heart was torn from my chest. Good movie! Really gorgeous and brings with a really fun adventure but also a heartwarming and bittersweet. Hold on lemme get my thoughts in order... Spoilers, of course!

So it's a story about coming of age, obviously. Suzume is holding onto the tragedy of her mother dying in the tragedy of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. She lives with her aunt for 12 years before then being whisked away on an adventure with a mysterious boy (whom she falls in love with)(obviously)

Suzume is pretty tragic in that sense. She's 16 years old and at a very crucial moment in her life where she's transitioning from childhood into adulthood. The way she goes about Japan and closes the gates, remnants of the past, as a means of which to close the door on what was and focus on what is...yeah that's a nice metaphor. That and also the constant allusions to Japan itself being in a transitional state, paralleling Suzume.

She was probably one of my favourite characters. I really liked seeing her journey of reconciling with her mother's passing. That ending bit where she had to step up and be the mother figure she always needed, with her being the one that Suzume went on this whole adventure for...god it hurt me. Poor girl. She's really funny, sweet, and I love her general energy and such.

Souta was also a very entertaining character. At first I was like "oh boy edgy mysterious boy who refuses to say anything" and then??? CHAIR??? I went into this movie completely blind, so seeing him become a. chair was completely surprising. The animation on the chair was infectious in how much joy and whimsy it radiated. A three-legged chair with lil' holes for eyes. The animation of it just moving was stellar and gripping. Whenever it was in a chase scene or trying to just run I was glued to the screen. It's so fun.

All of the side characters were so fun too. I loved all the people Suzume met on her journey and the general sense of her being so, so far from home. The constant shots of her looking at the map and seeing just how far she was I always liked. That and also how the cities got bigger and more bustling until she was finally in Tokyo itself. I loved the aunt too, Tamaki. I fully understood and sympathized with her struggles of being a woman who couldn't find time to go out on a date and sometimes feeling like she lost the best years of her life trying to raise her sister's daughter. Yet...she loves Suzume. She's her daughter. For how much trouble she can be, Tamaki adores her.

As for Daijin? Hm. Y'know, I searched up stuff relating to the movie after watching it and I saw a lot of people attached to this lil' guy. I thought he was cute. I liked the scenes where it was being a mischievous troublemaker, smiling and giggling the whole time, but I dunno. I think I would've liked if Daijin was in the movie more. I just didn't get terribly attached and was only like "aw that's sad" when he turned back into the keystone. Like sure yeah Daijin is pretty tragic in the sense that he's essentially a child who just wants to have fun and be liked by Suzume, the one who freed him, but I didn't get entirely invested in him.

Honestly? I thought Daijin was nice as a little chaotic being, letting the gates open up and cause havoc. I thought Daijin was just kinda messing around and playing a trickster role as opposed to an innocent childish one. I thought he wanted all of Japan to fall and for the worm to break away as opposed to treating it like a game. When Daijin came to Suzume after they stopped Tokyo from exploding and Suzume exploded at him, I was like "YEAH?? YOU DESERVE IT????" which was kinda jarring seeing how the majority of people reacted with sadness. Maybe it's cause Daijin is a cute cat or somethin' idk. I like villains. I don't dislike where Daijin's character went, but I did wish he was more present in the movie and his motives made slightly clearer. Same with Sadajin too. Both characters as well as their more god-like forms should've been more present methinks, perhaps with Sadajin trying to help Suzume when the Tokyo gate was unlocked and sticking with her.

I dunno. It was a really nice and fun movie! I've been meaning to check out Makoto Shinkai's works for a long while now, and this was a great introduction to him. I was also recommended Weathering with You as well as, of course, Your Name. I'll maybe write a post when I watch them, especially since this movie on its own is supurb and super great. Lovely and lively animation, fun and entertaining characters, heartwarming and emotional story, interesting and compelling themes and messages, etc.

[sleepdeprivedsimp234]

I TORTURED GOV! <333 I’M NOT RESPONSIBLE- YALL CHOSE HIM FOR THE TORTURE VICTIM MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-[dies]

@misery-has-no-company-now :)

Summary: life gets too much for the poor suit bastard and he snaps at PA

TW for: mention of wanting to do s3lf h4rm, but no actual sh. And talks of alcoholism and possible 4bus3?

————————

    It was around 8pm and Gov had just about had enough. Enough of what? Life. F*cking life. Email after email......document after document......scolding after scolding......paper after paper......coffee after coffee...... sleepless night after sleepless night......he was simply done with it. This was his life every day. God everything was so loud...

    Gov eyed the dagger on the corner of his desk. He remembers his sister, International District of Columbia or just IDC, gifting him the dagger a few years ago, though he couldn't exactly remember why. And he wasn't going to try to. He was way too tired for that. He continues to stare at the dagger for another five minutes, allowing those thoughts to fill his already crowded mind. He didn't exactly want to die right? No...... Just a little bit of blood...nothing much... he started to reach for the intricately designed blade. C'mon... no one will even notice...just a little... He pulls his hand back before it makes contact with the hilt. No. He couldn't. Not after the years of being clean. He can't. But would anyone actually notice if I just took a little blood...? Yes. Yes they would. ...but would they...?

    He was quickly ripped out of his thoughts as he heard a knock on the door. Gov quickly ran a hand through his hair and wiped away the tears that he hadn't even noticed had built up in his eyes. He took a sip of coffee before saying:

    "Come in!" in his voice that was raspy from disuse. He turned back to his work. He heard the faint sound of the door opening. And the sound of it locking. Through the corner of his eye, he could see Pennsylvania. Why him... he didn't feel like talking to his father. If he could even call him that. He never acted like much of a father to be honest. A good father isn't supposed to get drunk and thrown into a blind rage almost every night. A good father wouldn't neglect and ignore his son until he needed him. A good father wouldn't sit calmly knowing that his son was being bombarded with unreasonable amounts of work that was definitely too much for one man to do on his own and then getting yelled at or worse when there's a small mistake or when one little paper amongst several doesn't get turned in. Yeah. Pennsylvania is hardly what Gov would consider a good father. Yet still, he turned his chair towards him and put on his very practiced polite voice:

"Hello Pennsylvania, how may I help you?" he asked, smiling politely. That smile that was for sure not genuine. The one he used when talking to politicians and sh*t.

"C'mon. Ya need to take a break idiot." said the keystone state, his voice filled with...concern??? Well that's new...

"I'm fine." muttered Gov, voice barely above a whisper.

"No yer not. Ya can't go this long without sleepin' or eatin' or drinkin' anythin' besides coffee and energy drinks. It ain't good for ya."

"...since when did you care?"

"what?"

Gov looked up from his work to weakly glare at his father. "I said, Pennsylvania, since when did you care?"

"What are ya on about?? Yer my kid! O' course I care about you!!"

Welp. That was the last straw.

"What the hell do you mean ya care??? Since when didja ever care about me????" Gov said, raising his venom-filled voice a little as his NE accent started making itself known.

"What??? Gov, you're my son, why the f(speaks PA)k would I not care??? What are you on about????"

Gov laughed a bit in almost a psychopathic way. Pennsylvania backed up slightly as Gov arose from his seat, staring down into his very soul.

"You???? THE Commonwealth of Pennsylvania?? Cares about me??? Oh that's gold." Gov said, towering over his father.

"What the F(SPEAKS PA)K are you talkin' about?! Since when have I ever stopped lovin' you?!" Pennsylvania shouted.

"So the years of you watching me constantly getting bombarded with overwhelming amounts of work was love?? The constant nights of you gettin' drunk every goddamn night and bein' thrown into a blind rage by every little thing was love??? Every single time you sat by and watched as I was brutally scolded and sometimes hit by my handlers was love???? Only ever bein' proud of me when I was workin' my ass off was love????? THAT was love?!?!" Gov shouted. Damn did it feel good to yell.

"......"

"WELL?! ANSWER MY GODDAMN QUESTIONS GODDAMNIT!!" Gov shouted again, tears rolling down his face.

"I- I know that you're angry......"

"I'm not angry, I am in pain, and YOU put me here!!" said the younger personification, holding back a choked sob. He glared not daggers, but swords into his father's soul. The Keystone State squirmed a bit uncomfortably at the feeling of his son's gaze. Good.

"I-"

Gov chokes back another sob, "You! The person who's supposed to love me more than anything..."

Pennsylvania finally backed out of the corner he had backed himself into. "G-Gov I-" he placed a hand on Gov's shoulder.

"Git the HELL OFF OF ME!!" Gov said before delivering a harsh slap to Pennsylvania's face, leaving the older state in shock. After a few seconds, Gov came to the realization of what he just did. 'I'm such an idiot...' he thought to himself as he frantically looked for an exit.

Gov got up and ran towards the door, shoving his father out of the way in the process. He bolted through the Northeast Floor of the statehouse, trying to ignore any confused looks from the NE states that were still awake and out. He ran about halfway before stopping near a window. He knew that right below the window was Louisiana's room. Loui. Loui is safe. Loui is good. Must go to Loui. Gov opened the window and jumped out, ignoring the slight pain that shot through his legs when he landed. As he started to catch his breath, he heard a window open and a few soft voices:

"Sha??? Are ya aight??" Loui...

"What the hell?? Damn Fed I didn't know this was mission impossible!" Florida...

!SMACK!

"Ow!"

"Shut yer damn mouth Florida! Hon are ya okay??" Texas...

"Eh he'll be fine it ain't that big of a drop." New York. Duh.

"York it's at least a 4 or 5 story drop!" Cali...

"And?"

"I-"

Gov never thought he would feel so relieved to hear the voices of his boyfriends. He never thought he would be so relieved to feel strong arms pull him up and in through the window......

————————