optimisticallycyn

[optimisticallycyn]

Archie Raph vs 2003 Leo

@majachee contributed pics ❤️

Raphael has been having fun at this tournament, and he fights well when he's having fun.

He also has his favorite outfit this round--which is not the one he thrifted with COOTS Donnie, that's his, uh, second favorite. For a fight against an icon like 03 Leo, he needs his shadow suit.

Confidence is high going in. Raphael is a hard hitter when it comes to that, but his fighting style actually is pretty sneaky. He's being a goof about the shadow suit but he really will blend in as well as he can and wait for the best moment to strike. One of my favorite moments fighting-wise is when he returns (from being with the Mutanimals iirc) unexpectedly and saves Master Splinter from being dropped off a roof. The sneaking was good, the altitude and quick...ness... was also impressive. And he had a red hood which suits him. Overall, he's got a lot of tenacity and creativity.

He will need it.

Because this guy will drop you off a roof if you give him half a chance.

Leo has also experienced a lot. He came to a place of better emotional regulation and self-esteem than Raphael ultimately landed, but in this fight I don't think that's particularly relevant, they both have been having a great time.

Actually, the most relevant moment for Leo, imo, is beating Ue when he first challenged him. Always coming back, getting his enemy's guard down, staying calm enough in crisis moments to still turn the tide. And that was in a fight he had no chance to prepare for.

They both had impressive matches last round. Now they are the only ones standing in each other's way of victory--a dangerous place to stand, in either case.

[optimisticallycyn]

People often say LOTR is a story about hope. (I'm reminded of it because someone said it in the notes of my Faramir post.) And that's true, but it's not the whole picture: LOTR is in large part a story about having to go on in the absence of hope.

Frodo has lost hope, as well as the ability to access any positive emotion, by Return. He is already losing it in Towers: he keeps going through duty and determination and of course Sam's constant help.

For most of the story, Sam is fueled by hope, which is why it's such a huge moment when he finally lets go of the hope of surviving and returning home, and focuses on making it to the Mountain. To speed their way and lighten the load, he throws his beloved pots and pans into a pit, accepting that he will never cook, or eat, again.

When Eowyn kills the Witch King, she's beyond hope and seeking for a glorious death in battle. It's possible that in addition to her love and loyalty for Théoden, she's strengthened by her hopelessness, the fear of the Nazgúl cannot touch someone who's already past despair.

Faramir is his father's son, he doesn't have any more hope of Gondor's victory or survival than Denethor does, he says as much to Frodo. What hope have we? It is long since we had any hope. ... We are a failing people, a springless autumn. He knows he's fighting a losing war and it's killing him. When he rejects the ring, he doesn't do it in the hope that his people can survive without it, he has good reason to believe they cannot. He acts correctly in the absence of hope.

Of course LOTR has a (mostly) happy ending, all the unlikely hopes come true, the characters who have lost hope gain what they didn't even hope for, and everyone is rewarded for their bravery and goodness, so on some level the message is that hope was justified. But the book never chastises characters who lost hope, it was completely reasonable of them to do so. Despair pushed Théoden and Denethor into inaction, pushed Saruman into collaboration, but the characters who despaired and held up under the weight of despair are Tolkien's real heroes.

(In an early draft of Return, Frodo and Sam receive honorary titles in Noldorin: Endurance beyond Hope and Hope Unquenchable, respectively. Then he cut it, probably because it was stating the themes of the entire book way too obviously, because this is what Tolkien cared about, really: enduring beyond hope. Without hope.)

Also, people who know more than me about the concept of estel, feel free to @ me.

[optimisticallycyn]

I love these sillies sm

[optimisticallycyn]

2k3 S1E19 'Tales of Leo'

what i rly like about this ep is that amidst pain / fear / grief, the family shares not only nostalgia and comfort, but also hilarity:

Exhibits A-C:

the 'logical, genius, practical, easygoing brother' Don-"u no save the toy-car?"-atello

Michel-"will throw anything from clownfaces to onion burps and literal nunchucks at oniichan for a reaction"-angelo

Raph-"i'll rather get eaten by this croc than take advice"-ael

...AND even his own father "halpz im gon fall off LOL NAHHH SIKE" master ninja Splinter:

😬😬😬 ain't easy being blue. Now, seriously speaking, it is heartwarming to think that remembering Leo, even in a very difficult time, brings up not only joy but fun for his family. Despite all the flaws Leo sees in himself, despite everyone who thinks Leo a boring/annoying character - for the people he loves, Leo has been *enough* from day one. They love him as he is, and remember him with effortless fondness, joy and warmth. He *doesn't* have to be a class-clown or a super-ninja to make them smile - just the memory of him, just the fact of his existence, is enough. The series and us fans note how much Leo sacrifices for his family - but that boundless love is clearly returned. i don't think there can be anything more rewarding for Leo than this: knowing that just remembering him, him simply being alive, gives his loved ones comfort, hope and laughter even in dark frightening times.

This is why Leo does what he does.

...still.

SOMEBODY

SAVE HIM 🤣

[optimisticallycyn]

~ Orange and Blue ~

[optimisticallycyn]

Hi, I noticed your story has conflict in it, and I was wondering why you didn't just write people who are right doing everything correctly with a note saying "I enthusiastically co-sign everything in this story"? Must be some kind of mistake haha

[optimisticallycyn]

Promise I’ll update my fics soon. I’ve been debut novelling my ass off.

[optimisticallycyn]

The way you doodled that Splinter has me so delighted omfg he’s just a lil guy. With big ears. Rat boy..

[optimisticallycyn]

What was Splinter's reaction (if he's even still alive) to the whole situation?

How does he feel about Casey Being is son in law?

Does Brutus sit on him? Please tell me he does, because all I can imagine him jumping on top of Splinter like he does to Leo. XD

This happens after season 5 so Splinter is not alive. He’s happy Leo found someone but sad that they had to go through so much and wished they could’ve gotten together under better circumstances. Brutus can see Splinter’s ghost and tries to lick him and sit on him which Splinter finds amusing until Brutus starts chewing the furniture in the lair, turns out dogs can see ghosts but dont listen to them.

Brutus also tries to play with Splinter but it doesn’t really work out

[optimisticallycyn]

Full comic under read more

Keep reading

[optimisticallycyn]

NBODY STOP ME EVER TUMBLR X AO3 IS REAL

AAAAAAAAAAA

and of course the quality has to get crunched WHATEVER

[optimisticallycyn]

So...ao3 and tumblr are getting married on Twitter now

[optimisticallycyn]

More Tumblr x AO3 art. Anyone else remember when the archive was in the hospital for like 3 days? Yeahahahah that was scary

...also AO3 would get stabbed and then say 'im sorry for the mess' dksflakdfj;as

[optimisticallycyn]

when the ao3 author is funny in the chapter notes and i get lowkey parasocial

[optimisticallycyn]

The 2012 Turtles have the equivalent of an iPhone on their shells at all times, but still choose to use Donatello as their own personal search engine.

To be fair, he’s probably a much more reliable source. Especially since everything is using AI now.

[optimisticallycyn]

When you say "fanfiction should be censored" you are normalizing the idea of censorship, amplifying conservative views of sex, and endangering queer media.

[optimisticallycyn]

my hottest take