#DELICIOUS FREAKING STORYTELLING

[kiseopingu]

The Wildmother being so much more scared of Predathos than she is of The Spider Queen and thus being willing to "sacrifice" Opal as a champion of the Betrayer Gods I am THRIVING. @quiddie the DM that you are!!!

[gffa]

Do I know the Ric Grayson arc is going to be a slog to get through?  Sure, even with being able to binge it, it’s going to be A Long Read.  But you know what I will say for this overall moment in the timeline?  (Batman #55 + Nightwing Annual #2 + Nightwing #50) THEY KNOW HOW TO START ME OFF RIGHT.  I have never seen anyone that level of nuclear hot when getting shot, much less following it up with Caring Dad Bruce who just picks up his kid and protectively leans his head in against Bruce’s shoulder to haul ass to get him help because HE.  WILL.  BE.  FINE. like Bruce will fucking will him into being fine if he has to, like that’s some quality visual storytelling there, you can just take one glace at that page and know Batman loves that kid in his arms, and then!! AND THEN!! Ric Grayson may be kind of annoying but holy SHIT that dude is hot.  Do you SEE the way he’s drawn in those panels!? What I’m looking forward to with this arc is that it seems like it was an actual shakeup of the status quo, that the length of it means that it actually had some time for the impact, that Bruce actually has to not just freak out about Dick losing his memories, not just freak out at the distance Dick puts between them now that he doesn’t remember Bruce or Nightwing or the entire history that led him to being the heart of his family, but that Bruce actually is going to have to work at this for the first time in a long while. That it comes on the heels of Selina leaving him at the altar, so the entire reason Dick was in Gotham was because he was trying to cheer up Bruce, the entire reason KGBeast shot him was because Bane was trying to get to Batman, so there’s some really delicious underlying guilt that he can’t rely on Dick to forgive him for, because this Dick can’t and won’t do that for him. I am prepared to hunker down and dig out all the Batdad and Batson feelings that this arc will give me and, if nothing else, holy shit, that is some very stunningly gorgeous art in Nightwing #50 and those panels from the Annual where Bruce hauls him off are off the charts Batdad Feelings.  Maybe this arc will eventually reveal itself to be garbage, but for now HOLY SHIT THAT IS SOME PRIME QUALITY READING MATERIAL RIGHT THERE.

[msblueberrybi]

First of all, Buck is confirmed as BISEXUAL!!! Yay!! Let me tell you, I truly didn't fully believe it was going to happen until it happened. Because it's unprecedented. It usually doesn't happen like this. On a mainstream first-responder TV show. It does happen in real life (I realized I was bi at about 34). On a TV show like this, in a context like this, when a character hasn't been pre established as queer, not a teen, not a side character, when it's not a comedy, when it's not a fantasy... So yay!

Second of all, the Buddie of it all... We do understand that TV shows need drama, right? So what would be the point if they got together right away? Not only it makes sense for Buck to date other men, to get some experiences, to get his bearings first before he gets together with the love of his life. But it makes perfect sense in terms of storytelling. Of course they are going to drag it out, of course! The delicious drama of it all!

But now we know it's freaking POSSIBLE !! And I know many wonderful people on here have been writing metas for years about how it's going to happen for sure. But... Now it's DEFINITELY possible!! I'm delighted!

P.S. Last season I thought Eddie would get on a queer train first and hoped I'd get to see Eddie dating men slut era... But this works too)))))

[acheronist]

I am reading The Goldfinch. I'm where he just started hanging out at the furniture/antiques place regularly. It's written well, it's holding my inerest, but I don't yet see what all the fuss is about. So not as a criticism but in an effort to appreciate something I might be missing, why is it a book you love?

well.

donna tartt is one of my favorite authors anyways. I think she's a spectacular freak and her storytelling skills are exceptionally good and i've read as much of her work as i can possibly get my little hands on!

but for tgf specifically, the narrative being soooo so so centered on personal emphasis & meaning being bestowed upon specific artworks despite them being very unpersonal objects (after they get out of the artist's hands, that is,) in stark comparison to the way that art that can belong to/be seen/be consumed any random fucking person alive in the modern age has been the only existential buoy in my life for a very very very long time. in my lowest times, instead of killing myself i go stand in art museums and think about how much love and creativity is innate in humanity despite times of crisis and war and disease and all of the fucking agonies and everything going wrong and having no control over it. ha ha. it's always been a balm to me, to remember that there is goodness and love preserved in artwork, and that artwork is tougher and longer-lasting than you'd initially think, and that it's always there waiting for me to come back to it and see it in a different emotional state to find new meanings in it. this is the same as how theo thinks about the painting thru different times in his life!! going from needing it desperately as a connection to his mom, obsessively as a comfort, and then reviling it for being a representation of his life's biggest trauma and yet still tending to it and caring for it, to the heartache of losing it and the relief of retrieving it with the one person who genuinely loves him as an act of devotion and apology for a previous betrayal....all while navigating how systems in power are neglectful and uncaring and capitalistic. it's all just So Much To Me.....

and I know the middle chapters where theo just goes on and on about the intricacies of antique forgery aren't as fun and sexy as the vegas chapters with boris (underage drug abuse and gay sex WHEEEEEE) OR the actual criminal chapters at the end (mysterious borderline-noir criminal heist slash subtextual romcom), but they're soooo so poignant to me. because in my own little life, curating the art and music around me and finding beauty and importance and symbolism in these subtle things is a vital central axis that i need to have, much like i need a nice bed or a good meal or a glass of clean water. much of how i cope and navigate the world is very deeply focused around art & art analysis, and I think the only other book i've read that articulated that sort of feeling quite as eloquently would be john berger's way of seeing, which is an academic and analytical text. but i just love fiction so much, so to have tgf as the extremely emotional fiction option to go along w my nonfiction art thesis books that are tonally very prim and objective and well organized..... DELICIOUS. i love it. and i love a fictive narrative built upon tragedy. i love works that call back to each other in conversation, and stories that cannot exist without the foundation of Something Else Existing A Millennia Prior. i love comparing works and establishing what makes them similar or different but how they approach the same themes. and i love to see characters (THEO. boris. pippa. hobie. andy.) that i can identify with who struggle with similiar problems i have, because it makes it easier for me to get thru my own life. this isn't groundbreaking reasoning though, that's just how every human alive consumes art and content. of course we look for ourselves in fiction. of course we as individuals want to find things that we relate to.

and also in a purely self-indulgence way, I also looooooove it when media is unbearably long and i can get completely entranced and study it closely and always be able to find new details that throw the whole story into a completely new light, which I think tgf does very well because it's almost 900 pages LMAO. every time i reread it there's a new nuanced angle for me to think about actions and thoughts leading into consequences and i just eat that up every single time.......

but despite all of this i do recognize that tgf is not everyone's cup of tea. like it's genuinely one of the most meaningful texts in my heart but i completely understand how it can be long, and boring, and melodramatic, and a bit insane, and convoluted, and pompous, and not worth the time to get from cover to cover.

but it is worth the time. to me.

[j-restlessgeek]

Aaaaaaahhhhhhh, i got my gift from @feral4kaarijasquat and its freaking everything. So good. Loved everything. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰. Thank you so much, you absolutely outdid yourself. So good. Cried over it, its so touching, soft and sweet.

It had häärijä 🥰🥰🥰 john 😻😻😻 and chelsea 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛. Jere 💚 was there too. Storytelling was an absolute delight, delicious and very enjoyable. Reread it already several times, i want it injected into my blood stream, on the inside of my eyes to look at it whenever i close my eyes 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛.

This is the best christmas ever, thank you so much 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🫂🫂🫂🫂. Hugs and hot chocolate to you. 🎄🎄🎄

So good, it is so fluffy and silly and sweet. Loved the pancake bit. Also yes please scare the old man john 💛💛💛💛💛💛. Every bit with chelsea, our sweet and beloved chelsea, was so good and sweet and well written. I cried. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. Thank you so much for this 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

[natigail]

d&p are each recreating a video from their own channels + one gaming or joint video + you get to pick! which ones are you choosing?

Okay, this was sitting in my inbox for entirely too long, but I have so many DnP thoughts right now that I decided to answer it while the head is abuzzing. You may notice a theme inspired by recent events.

Dan solo video - recreating Basically I'm Gay (except Dangender™️ version)

I don't think I've talked about this before but the gender talk Dan has been talking about lately is so important and intriguing to me. As someone who first figured out my queer sexuality and then my queer gender, I'm so curious to hear him talk about this. And like, he left a door open with the "I feel like a fromless blob" in BIG. Like that came out before I was questioning my gender but it might honestly have been the start of thoughts in the back of my mind. Because that sounded nice. Formless blob. It felt like a very hard hitting vibe. I want another long ass video essay that'll punch me in the gut, make me reflect on society and gender and everything in between.

Phil solo video - recreating Trying To Catch And Rescue An Injured WILD Pigeon (any animal edition)

This video was genuinely so damn delightful and I loved how Phil just went all in on saving a wild animal. Like I felt so much for Steve the pigeon and seeing Phil in action to catch him, call the vet and just figure everything out. Like it was inspiring and heartwarming and with Phil's natural inclination towards animals I don't doubt he could come across another animal that would need help. He's got such a big heart and he could never walk away from anyone that needed help. He can spring into action like no other and his way of storytelling is so damn compelling.

Joint video - recreating DAN AND PHIL MASSIVE PIZZA MUKBANG (Fryday edition?)

Listen, this video is so close to my heart and the way that they invited us in on a sacred Domino tradition and just chatted with us was so freaking great and lovely. It was just them hanging out, only vaguely paying attention to the camera and existing. I would love another video where we're just invited in to observe the chats and see them eat delicious food. Seeing fryday (on a Saturday) could be really cool, though I also understand if they'd want to keep that for themselves. But I just want more of those open and honest vibes, candid little confessions and the pure domesticity of it.

[yournowheregirl]

Today I present to you, a silly little headcanon that’s near and dear to my heart: Eddie Munson, local carnival freak.

At the edge of Hawkins, there’s a year-round carnival, lively and loud from spring through fall, and quiet and deserted during the winter time. There are stands where you play games to win prizes, food stalls with delicious sweets, attractions that make your head spin, and in the middle of it all, the freak show.

That’s where little Eddie Munson grows up, in between the strange and bizarre. His parents both work at the carnival, his dad at the shooting range, his mom at the freak show as a so-called ‘real-life mermaid’ (when Eddie was a baby, they even dressed him up in a similar mermaid tail, showcasing him as a merbaby). Eddie’s uncle Wayne also works at the freak show, but doing behind the scenes jobs, rather than acting.

For a kid, growing up at a carnival feels magical. Every day, Eddie run around across the grounds, goes on rides for free, and gets doted on by the the nice ladies at the funnel cake stand, who always saves him a little extra. He also learns all the behind the scenes secrets, like how balloon popping stand is kind of rigged and how the bearded lady glues on extra hair to make her beard look fuller. For him, it’s paradise.

His father wants him to get his hands dirty as soon as he’s old enough, teaching how to clean the rifles and how to make the customer think they’re about to win big, when in actuality, they’re sure to lose. Eddie doesn’t like working with his dad, he always loses his temper whenever Eddie messes something up or complains that his dad didn’t play fair.

And while he doesn’t like working at the shooting range, he loves working at the freak show. He’d spent ages backstage, watching the actors get ready, listening to his mom talk as she did her make-up and got into her costume, helping uncle Wayne count the tickets in the ticket booth.

But what really gets Eddie’s heart racing is when the lights went out and the show’s announcer, Theodore, walks on stage. He’s the one outside in his velvet top hat and cherry red tails who lures people in with promises of a magical and mysterious show, and that showmanship continues inside the tent. With flailing hands and a deep, mesmerizing voice, he compels the audience as he introduces the acts and Eddie watches him with big eyes everyday. When he grows up, he wants to be exactly like Theo.

Theo takes him under his wing, teaches him the secrets of presentation and storytelling but every time Eddie begs him to get on stage, Theo shakes his head and tells him he’s not ready yet. Eddie practices and practices, talking to himself in the ticket booth - Wayne said he’s old enough to run that by himself now - and telling his mother the most elaborate stories. Still, he’s stuck in the ticket booth most of the days, scribbling stories he’d tell one day on a notepad.

One day, Theo is up on his soapbox in front of the tent, when he has the worst coughing fit Eddie has ever seen. He swears he’s too sick to continue so Wayne pushes Eddie forward. He tumbles onto the wooden crate, his limbs trembling as he watches the carnival goers passing by. His voice is shaky at first, but then he remembers Theo’s advice: get their attention and make sure you keep it.

So, Eddie howls like a goddamn wolf, the carnival visitors turn their heads in curiosity and then Eddie presents the freak show like he has done so a thousand times before.

It works.

It works really well, in fact.

Turns out, people go crazy for a scrawny kid with messy curls who promises them a show beyond their wildest imagination. Even people who’d normally never set foot inside, like those preppy kids in their spotless white polos and perfectly coiffed hair, are fascinated by Eddie’s voice and showmanship.

Eddie’s heart is racing once he’s back inside the tent, his mouth going a hundred miles an hour as he tells his mom about what just happened. She just smiles and ruffles his curls and tells him she’s so proud of him. Wayne claps him on the back, tells him a nice work, kiddo and hurries back to start the show.

Eddie follows him, confused because how is the show going to start when Theo is too sick to even speak and why is Theo all dressed up in his top hat and tailcoat sauntering across the stage already? But then, Theo catches his eye from across the tent and winks at him and Eddie knows it was an all act to give his first taste of actual showmanship. And now, he’s hungry for more, so he and Theo make a deal. Eddie’s allowed to be announcer outside, doing whatever it takes to get people inside the tent, and Theo takes care of the presentation inside, saying that Eddie has to work hard to earn his top hat and tails.

It’s a perfectly good solution, except that people outside the carnival start to notice too. The kids who walk past him as he stands on his soapbox, are the same kids that walk past him in the hallways at school and once word gets out that Eddie is the one pulling crazy stunts to get people to see the most bizarre things, they start to make fun of him for it. They whisper rumors behind his back and some girls act all scared as he sits down in class. Some of the boys are shoving him and taunting him to tell them a good story. When he freezes on the spot, unable to speak, they laugh at him and one boy even says that he can see why they hired Eddie because he’s just as big of a freak as the rest of them.

After yet another day of people taunting him for no reason, Eddie cries on the way home. Not because they hurt his feelings, but because he doesn’t understand what his classmates see, he doesn’t see how people could ever think that the people he grew up with, could ever be scary. Because those are the same people who help him with his math homework, who tell jokes and make him laugh until his stomach hurts, who hold his hand when his mom gets sick and his dad gets home drunk out of his mind. Just because they are (or act) a little different, doesn’t mean they’re scary or weird, just means they’re unique.

From that moment on, Eddie wears his newly acquired nickname with pride because his classmates might not see it, but he’s proud to be a freak.

[pocket-size-cthulhu]

I haven't read Dune yet (my copy is on its way!), But i am SO excited to just because of the way i feel like it subverts expectations. I'll reflect on this more after reading but i feel like specifically Paul's "special boy chosen one" status is a great subversion of the "special boy chosen one" genre.

Like, first of all, we know from the start why we're following Paul Atreides around instead of some other random schmuck. He's the heir of one of the most influential families in the universe, which would make him a notable figure in any case; but he's also the son of a powerful witch. Pretty badass combination and there's no "he's just a special boy" about it; it makes sense that Shit Would Happen to this kid.

Second of all, his ✨ magic powers✨ aren't unexplained either. I'm in no way a fan of eugenics irl, buuuut i gotta say that "this messed up boy is the product of thousands of years of carefully controlled human eugenics" is a pretty sick basis for a person's power. Not only does it explain why he's powerful--something i personally like, especially where "special boy is inexplicably more talented than others" is such a common trope--but also it gives his powers an inherent dark and troubling nature, both for the audience and for the character himself. Paul feels like he's a freak, a mistake, something kinda scary, and we as the audience are kinda forced to agree with him.

As an add-on to that last point, the fact that the Bene Gesserit go around doing colonizing/missionary work all over the galaxy, and that's a big reason why people are drawn to Paul, is an incredible detail as well that adds context and nuance.

The last thing for now that i think is a really interesting and effective subversion of expectations is the fact that Paul doesn't always do things we approve of. I still don't know how the first book ends (I've watched the movie and tons of lore vids about the first half of Dune lol), but like, i could genuinely see Paul becoming a savior or a dark lord. The moral ambiguity really adds a fun and delicious storytelling layer here.

Looking forward to reading the book! If i have any more spice fueled big brain moments I'll share them.

[madstronaut]

baby's first soap fic (redux)

re-wrote this with the wrath of a thousand suns burning out after discovering my original post somehow disappeared/got deleted (even though the link was still in my masterpost? smh)

Reading: love you from afar by @roosterr

i found this while first tiptoeing into the depths of cod fandom on tumblr after huffing the gateway drug of simping for COD men (ghost fanart/fics) and the way johnny is portrayed here is what made me start looking up soap fics <3

once again so many absolutely delicious tropes here, key being clueless reader - though i vibe with reader being like "oh i guess im the person to leave a little treat for myself to find after a long day like my favorite choco on my bed" big mood reader, big mood - i aspire to your imaginary self-care standards

also johnny willing to bridal carry you after getting hurt and willing to stay with you at the docs? keep these kind of friends close <3

not me running to google language/meaning of flowers after roosty mentioned they were gardenias

i was late to the soap is canonically an artist/kept a journal game and freaking love it when writers incorporate it into their fics <3 also really brings to mind the phrase "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" - i have drawn/been drawn by friends and etc. and truly so touching to see how your love ones see you through their art <3

i also love that soap panics when his little secret project gets outed to gaz and co. who already know about his crush - i fucking love having wholesome little secrets with the intent to commit random acts of love/kindness/chaotic good/etc. etc.

"someone went in your room while you were gone?" ghost's low voice caught your attention, "bit creepy, innit," he grumbled, his gaze darting between you and somewhere next to you.

"christ…" ghost mutters, shaking his head in exasperation.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA GHOST YOU HAVE NO FUCKING CHILL

"could be a good bonding exercise," price had the same entertained tone in his voice as he looked between the four of you, "any thoughts, soap?"

please god i would commit crime to read teh side group chat where they absolutely roast soap for his antics...and reader for how fucking clueless she is

i vibrated out of my seat at excitement of plot twist of fake!admirer sending a fake note and wanting to meet reader, 10/10 storytelling *chefs kisses*

also "hey sarge" to reader? yes we love a girlboss (is this still a pc term? idk someone correct me if its not, still catching up to the barbification of slang words and reclaiming of feminine power with 'girlmath' and 'girldinner' etc etc)

"in fact, i don't actually know you at all. i couldn't recall your name even if you held a gun to my head." FUCK YES MY QUEEN FUCKING GET HIM FUCKING STEP ON HIM *sry busy morphing into that rabid dog barking gif to hype reader up*

when johnny says your name in that deep, gravelly tone, your heart skips a beat and your eyes snap to meet his. "who was it." he asks, but it's not a question anymore, and every fibre of your being is telling you to just give in to him.

my god when the quiet/sweet/always happy-go-lucky ones get angry it is so hot terrifying

and UNF THE LETTER!!!!!! THE LETTER. Every single fucking thing about the letter is pure perfection and sunlight "you're my person" 🥺🥺🥺 THE STRAIGHT-UP I LOVE YOU *claps johnny on back for saying it straight*🥺🥺🥺 signing off with "your heart" 🥺🥺🥺

i love how reader immediately takes off running, fucking yes queen GO GET YOUR MANS??? HURRY THE FUCK UP???

the two of you stay like that for moments that feel like hours in each other's embrace, only pulling away when your lungs are burning and your lips are swollen. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

"yer stayin' with me tonight, non negotiable." he murmurs, running a hand up and down the length of your spine. lmao negotiable?? sir??? reader did not even stand a chance??? who could tbh

last but not least, i learned the meaning of bawbag by googling it via reading this fic so once again, another absolute banger of a fic for cod fandom, ty for filling my heart soul ovaries brain with some much needed and at times completely useless light love and lore <3

[paperstorm]

Carlos crying as he watched himself as a young child sit on his dad's lap and laugh with him was one of the most heartwrenching things I have ever seen on this show. This show sometimes drops the ball with their storytelling but then has it's moments like this one that are 10/10 like that was actually insane. And to add to Rafa's already long list of incredible performances, his interrogation with Pablo was so well done my jaw was on the floor. That was a performance I would have expected from a freaking Batman movie! That man is better at showing emotions then most top dog actors I am so impressed with him. Everytime he cries it makes me sick because it feels so real.

It was so so so so sad. The reminder of how gentle his dad was, once upon a time. That it's softness Carlos clearly doesn't remember, because at some point his dad stopped being that gentle and that has taken over Carlos's memories and that's all he really knows. The ache of why Gabriel stopped, which now we will never know. It's all so tragic but such delicious angst.

[onebluebookworm]

October 2023 Book Club Picks

Coraline by Neil Gaiman: The little door was like a dream come true for Coraline. After her inattentive parents move her to a new house, full of oddball neighbors and nothing fun to do, Coraline thought she would go out of her mind with boredom...until she crawled through the door one day and found herself in the arms of her Other Mother, a kind, cheerful who can grant Coraline's every wish. Fun games, delicious food, never-ending adventures - it's all a dream come true to Coraline. But as she falls deeper into the Other Mother's world, she starts to realize that everything is not as it seems...and that the Other Mother has no intention of letting her leave.

Plunge by Joe Hill: In 1983, the research ship Derleth vanished near the Arctic circle. Thirty-five years later, the ship sent out a distress call. Tracing the signal to a remote atoll in the Bering Strait, the Rococo oil company hires the Carpenter brothers and their salvage crew to investigate the ghost ship. Joined by a marine biologist and an oil executive, the brothers set out on a grim mission to learn what caused the disappearance and recover the bodies of the crew...only to find that the Derleth's men aren't dead. Even if they're also not quite...alive...anymore.

Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession With the Hideous and the Haunting by W. Scott Poole: Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger - from the colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. But how did this macabre fascination take root? Poole seeks to answer that question by tracing it through history and culture, opining that the creation of the monstrous "other" not only reflects society's fears but shapes actual historical behavior and becomes a cultural reminder of inhuman acts.

Anthony Bourdain's Hungry Ghosts by Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose: On a dark, haunted night, a Russian oligarch dares a circle of international chefs to play the samurai game of 100 Candles--where each storyteller tells a terrifying tale of ghosts, demons and unspeakable beings--and prays to survive the challenge.

Mister Magic by Kiersten White: Even thirty years after tragedy shut down production, fans of the long-running children's show Mister Magic still reminisce fondly on the internet about it - the lessons they learned, the fun they had, and above all, the protection and guidance from the show's enigmatic host. Even the former cast, called the Circle of Friends, have spent all their lives searching for that unique brand of love and fulfillment they felt under Mister Magic's watchful eye. But with no surviving footage and no information about the show's production, memories are all the Circle of Friends has. When a twist of fate finally brings the Circle back together in the remote desert compound where the show was filmed, they finally begin putting the piece together about the beloved childhood show - what happened on that deadly last day? Who, or what, is Mister Magic? And have the Friends come to this compound of their own free will...or have they been lured into a trap?

[larrythefloridaman]

handing you more characters bc your analysis is so delicious .

crimson. the scrunkly. most likely to be cpuk's tumblr sillyman.

Studying this little freak like a bug <3

(cpuk and ncct spoilers)

The thing about Crimson is that narratively, he is, as a villain, a bad coping mechanism or a self-destructive behavior. Barely even a metaphor- thats literally what he is to peppermint in pretty much no uncertain terms, she's parasocially in love with him because he, and the concept of a multiverse, allows her to indulge in the fantasy of a world where she's happy, and indulging unhealthily in fantasy is what actively drives people away from her, making her even lonelier. And she's not the only example of characters whom crimson's relationship to them is defined by them giving in to a character flaw. Chessmaster is the other clear cut example- succumbing to his inferiority complex and giving in to evil for the sake of proving himself are directly interrelated events, and he broke free when he was given kindness and support, a clearer picture of why he's like this (because he was designed to be,) and a vision of something different, something healthier, to be. He tempts people, consciously or not, to act their worst.

Hamburger Helper was a family man. Season one's storytelling is patchier than later seasons, but one can read between the lines, both then and later, to see something of a Mr. Incredible style gloryhound mid-life crisis to inspire his behavior, and his husband putting his foot down and breaking things off wasn't enough to drag him back to sense- especially since his son was on his side, resenting dadondorf for both his more firm parenting and splitting their family, launching into his ongoing emo phase and "trying to summon satan to kill his dad." (Real line from cpuk1. smthn smthn nccts crimson's first host was a dad and hes good with kids and says despite being kind of a monster he wouldn't hurt one. food for thought) But when The Grunk died, the show went on hiatus, and he was left in the broken fizzled aftermath of all that and forced to slowly realize how immature he'd been behaving and what ultimately really mattered to him and defected from Crimson of his own will.

Valentine was a risk taker, all for the drama of the show. Valentine walked directly into explosions just to see if he could survive them. He's a performer and a gentleman and a hero to the people. However, a risk taken in performance is a risk nonetheless and his overconfidence was his downfall. Valentine made a bet. Didn't tell a soul before he did it, other than a crimson possessed hamburger helper, speaking in their minds- hold your breath for the drama! And then he lost. And the deal was real. And so were the consequences. And the show he so loved came crashing to a halt as he was used to kill a man. (I'd also like to note, captain crimson in the nccts is kind of another example of a recreation of val as an image without his input, if im understanding the dream-fakes correctly- bc theyre composed of the current dreamers recollection of them, and Val isnt in the fourth dream. So once again val is being copied over as a biased outsiders image formed from people's perceptions of him, this one more literal and impermanent and largely defined by a very publically known traumatic experience that he really doesnt like to talk about and the person who controlled him in that time, while Quad was originally made to be a sort of exaggerated parody of what he loves and values. fun.)

Larry's... well, I've talked about Larry's problem. He overextends himself, unwilling to burden others intentionally even if they're willing to bear it, and needs to show himself a little self-compassion. And the circumstances of his possession? He functionally agreed to saving Crimson's life, and Crimson repays this by running off with his body right away and refusing to let Larry see his loved ones (for reasons of self-protection, crimson desiring to lie low right now, but still) and Larry's still trying to fix him from the inside. Bro thats nice and very noble and all bc god knows crimson genuinely needs help but you functionally got kidnapped my dude!!!!!! You missed yet another Valentines day after SEVEN missed Valentines days! you're on course to miss a NINTH since the show's gone off air in your absence!!! Your man just wants you to be safe for once!!!!!! He misses you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sidenote ive noticed in terms of teaching the lesson of not overextending your compassion sometimes folks trying to teach it fumble the point by making it so the way its taught is by making the target not 'worthy' of the compassion somehow (tricking the giver of care or help into thinking they need it when they really dont or smthn) as if overextending yourself is a matter of choosing who's morally deserving of help and weeding out the untrustworthy lazy manipulators or some shit rather than You Cannot Help Everyone, its a Logistical Impossibility and By Trying You Will Only Hurt Yourself and Eventually Others as Either Your Loved Ones Worry Themselves Sick To Death Over You as Your Wellbeing Inevitably Declines Or You End Up Lashing Out At Others Because Your Needs Have Gone Uncared For As A Result, Therefore You Literally NEED to be Helped Because You Literally Cannot Bear It All Alone and im glad thats more the kind of vibe set up here. Like. Crimson definitely definitely definitely needs help that much is clear. But Larry aint the fucker to do it. because He's Super Not Okay Either and also, he'd been trying to get Crimson to open up for however long it was between cpuk orange and ncct2 hed been trying and didn't know Funbox's name when Crimson was willing to say that on live tv but Dani spends an hour in a vent with him and he's Explaining His Personal Living Nightmare to her. Larry is not a person hes willing to open up to, probably Specifically Because he is trying and wants to help him! Larry's fuckin. Red Cross Syndrome actively makes Crimson want to clam up! They can be good buds, they certainly seem to enjoy eachothers company well enough, but not in the 'i can unload about my trauma to you' way right now because neither of them are people who think they need or deserve that yet!

Maladaptive coping mechanisms and emotional regulation strats being the domain of a god of treachery makes sense- especially in a show about compassion and healing the way CPUK often is. they don't fix the real problem. Often they make it worse. They make you feel better, stronger, until they don't, they take control of your life, and sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you realize you have a shovel in your hands. But, the thing about them is, they're NOT 'evil,' they're volatile, theyre unhealthy, and they don't come from nowhere. Its the culmination of unaddressed pain. And as with Chartreuse's tragedy, this applies to Crimson as much as it does to those his powers effect- this badboy's chock full of dumb destructive shit he does to feel power and control over and satisfaction with his own life, and that makes itself most apparent in his relationship with Crimsonaut. Now, Crimsonaut lacks much of a firm moral compass- but he's kind, in a snarky long-suffering sort of way. he was created by Dr. Order to venture into the crimson for study. We don't know how that went, but we know the result. Allowing Crimson to hide and recover in his body, lying about being uncontaminated upon his return from meeting him, intentionally hiding and protecting Crimson from discovery until he was strong enough to start taking control of the body from time to time and getting up to his shit again. Crimsonaut is more than capable of verbally standing up to Crimson, he puts his foot down- but he puts his foot down only when Crimson condescends to him, treats him like he's not an equal. Crimson calls him his little buddy- like hes affectionately describing a cat or a small animal or perhaps one of those fucked up lil splatoon fish, and Crimsonaut tells the evil primordial god in his body that he owes him at least the title of friend. Takes some backbone, which he chooses not to use later. He wasn't happy with crimson attempting to destroy the universe, where he lives, but after the fact, their relationship as we see it doesnt seem to have changed at all. Crimsonaut was still willingly playing his snarky human shield. Crimsonaut's friendly with Dani, and no exorcism ever happened. even though he very nearly successfully destroyed a universe, (and got them both put on a fucking Leash by his siblings for weeks after the fact,) he'd rather let him stay. But being separated from Crimson as a result of Crimson's own meddling, getting a nice breather away from him, and Crimson using this break as an opportunity to make a direct attempt to kill him to avoid being put back was the last straw. he was horrible despite when they got along and what he was made for and he couldnt just put up with it anymore, although Prism's next move might have... complicated his feelings about it. Crimson might honestly care about him, but that didn't make him any less of a toxic friend, and for that, Crimsonaut doesnt owe him a continued place in his life, and Crimson lost himself the most earnest, faithful, selflessly motivated friend he seems to have had since he arrived in this universe entirely through his own short-sighted self-destructive inability to deal with the minor restrictions living with Crimsonaut imposes on his life. He cant make himself willingly hand over control to another person enough to adapt to a minor dietary restriction. Absolute control freak. And... well. We know why.

Prism and the Ciblings relationship wasnt... explicitly cast as being abusive in those words before the nccts, though one could easily read between the lines. And what the implications spoke loud and clear already was bad enough. But things are called what they are in the nccts, (not by the cods, who. likely think its... not normal. but maybe normal for gods. Theres not really other examples of godly parenting for them to draw from, after all. But Folk correctly labels Prism as abusive.) and Crimson's status as a favorite target of torment is exposed, and recontextualizes... a lot of things, really. He implies quite straightforwardly that everything he says should be taken with a grain of 'im aware of when Prism's watching and what im willing to say when she is is effected somewhat by that.' His words are inherently a bit deceptive, but not necessarily maliciously- but self-protectively. Every respectable parenting resource: "strict helicopter parenting doesnt teach your child obedience, it teaches your child how to lie to you" prism raising a god of treachery: "haha yeah thats the point :)"

Crimson and Prism's relationship is a pretty realistic example of the effect of the beginning of a cycle of abuse, in the broad sense. A parent, effected by existential stresses they cannot escape, be they monetary, interpersonal, psychological, whatever, lashes out against their children in the process of raising them, simultaneously traumatizing them and modeling toxic behavior to them, which they ultimately mimic because thats how dealing with problems and stress was modeled to them in their formative years, lacking access to or knowledge of more positive outlets for their feelings.

Crimson wants to be nothing like her- but he is, unthinkingly, like her. He hurts people to his own ends, he manipulates the truth, he's controlling, a number of other small things- a sickly smile to reflect prism's vacant yet intense one. He is his mother's son. Godhood of treachery and godhood of stories are... rather similar in concept, really- i don't recall who, but ive heard a certain philosophy of storytelling said as, paraphrasing, 'fiction is lies, falsehood, in service to truth.' he adopts an aesthetic of opposition, blood guts and chocolate cake, without really deconstructing his behavior in context, because changing who he is means making himself more vulnerable to being changed while he's figuring himself out, and Prism's entire modus operandi is changing you without you ever noticing, and he wants to believe through his rebellion he can atleast be fully authentically himself, uninfluenced. But change cannot be staved off forever, and despite what he wanted to believe, he's still stuck. Choosing evil is not an escape, it is another cage. The hopelessness and stagnation of lacking meaningful choice setting in seems to be changing him anyway.

I marked the 'horrible person' square the way i did because normally when one claims a tragic villain 'had no choice' but to commit their actions, its not really an accurate reflection- having reasons and motives to do what you do doesnt change that you chose to do them, if only under duress. But Crimson was... very particularly, literally and specifically being disallowed from having a choice in who he turned out to be under the gaze of a panopticonic and brutal authority that could begin watching him at any time, and what they wanted him to be was evil. He was born to be a villain and groomed into it, lead to evil blindly by a strict parent who's strictness was applied specifically to spawn the rebellion it caused and create a self-demonizing villain. He could've chosen to be better in theory- options were technically there- but he wanted to be a villain because he was raised in such a way that it felt like a meaningful rebellion against Prism's goody two shoes persona, but it wasnt, and he wouldnt have been allowed to pick the better options anyway- judging from things like Prism hitting the undo button on TOJ giving her a shiner, anything deviating too far from the plan can just be undone anyway, with none but her (and the audience,) maintaining memory of it, although it's marks are left regardless. little retcons. (Prism saying she felt guilt for what she 'had to do' to Crimson is... a bit supported by this- if she never wanted him to ever have nice things she could very easily take All of it away. She could have made that hug never happen. But she did let him have that. Doesnt make the constant cruelty better but yknow. Abusers are weird and complicated people sometimes and often they believe what they're doing is for the best for the child even if it really really isnt)

While we all came to agreement that Doctor Order's statement, about how if someone is changed by prism by unnoticed inches it will become miles over time, did not apply to her... I think it applies to Crimson, although not fully in the magical sense she meant, but the metaphorical. I think once upon a time there mightve been a better nature and hope in crimson which was slowly, steadily, and thoroughly corroded for a long, long time. Started CPUK Reboot in my rewatch recently, and before it became Team Calibur, Team Crimson's uniting factor wasnt even evil- it was passion. Bizarre, considering how inhuman Crimson was played in the first season. Kindness is what comes naturally to people. All that doesnt have to matter, not in the least, to the people he's hurt- but free will has always been more theoretical for him than the average person with Prism's eyes trained on him, and morality greys and greys as one gets into the weeds of why people are the way they are and when you remove or bar off meaningful and conscious choice from the equation. It is, sometimes, a luxury to have the option to be a good person, even if you aren't aware those options have been closed off to you. People get trapped, often without even knowing, in doing things that contradict what they believe or understand to be right to survive and enjoy any kind of happiness or fulfillment every day. smthn smthn no ethical consumption under capitalism for a familiar example. Crimson just raises So Many Fun Moral Philosophy Questions. God i love 'born to be evil, are so much more than that' type characters theyre always so human and fun to get pretentious about. can you tell my family's ex-catholic /j

Judging by his resentful tone with things like lovey dovey romance and Prism's 'barney the dinosaur' demeanor, i think its pretty fair to assume Prism's faux-sugary demeanor has made him thoroughly distrustful or disdainful of anything too 'sweet' at the outset. Only pain and grit is 'real', anything too sweet is a facade waiting to stab you in the back. Despite his two-faced smarmy deceitfulness being a defining trait, being Authentically Himself seems to concern Crimson a great deal, and for obvious reason. That being said i think theres also a part of crimson that wishes he could win over her approval, judging from his conversation with captain crimson- where i think he's the only one of the cods to actually briefly label prism as their mom directly, if only in a snarky derisive way, (usually they fall in line with her description of herself as their babysitter, but i mean. When your parent is a primordial cloud of feelings and ideas and not a person that can raise you but their emissary raises you in their place idc thats functionally a Mom) and implies Crimson sticks around here because of Prism in a way that makes it sound like it was a deliberate choice- it'd certainly explain why he actually tried to be good at the job he Knew he had (until attempting to self-sabotage to prove a point,) and making a point out of cobalt fucking up at his, despite his typically impulsive and self-indulgent personality. not really realizing he never could have her approval until his godhood of treachery was revealed to him, a title which means he is inescapably evil to her. I think Crimson wants very badly to be liked and approved of by Somebody, and in failing to get that from Prism has... latched on to the audience a bit, as another extension of his progenitor Spectrum. Crimson sees chat! He can see everything we say about him! He probably has thoughts and feelings on a good lot of it! He started using the nickname Crimbo because of us, and throughout orange's intros iirc he seemed more than a little disappointed by the reception to him as host not just from the competitors but from us in chat booing him (in a heelish kind of way, largely. God knows we do love crimson even if he sucks <3) and for god's sake the nelson warping is activated by us complimenting him. hes So Desperate for us to like him! Not unlike prism was!

i think the treachery reveal ultimately came as the second hit of a three hit combo of crimson's held beliefs being challenged. I think Crimson percieved Cobalt as kinda... Prism's lapdog to some extent? always trying to be the 'responsible' one, managing his and Chartreuse's behavior on Prism's advice while botching his own job. Cobalt showed his care for Crimson as his little brother through making deals to keep him alive, but considering he spends every other moment they're together (understandably, crimson is not a good person and cobalt has a very firm and deliberately constructed punitive moral compass to keep from losing sight of his responsibilities,) being critical of him on moral grounds it makes their relationship feel much more... transactional, even if Cobalt doesnt mean things that way. Like he's only making these deals to protect him because Someone needs to do his job. And then a disguised Crimson, after his apparent death, walks in on Cobalt discussing with Chartreuse that they need to do something about Prism, that this has all gone on too long. He cares, regardless of their stupid jobs, he just wants Crimson to be Less of an Asshole. And then, after the treachery reveal, there's chartreuse giving up her godhood.

Crimson's been confused by and rudely dismissive of his sister's relationship ever since he found out- particularly so after learning what she's been doing to maintain it. She's weakening herself, hurting herself, making herself vulnerable, to maintain a relationship with some mortal who, even if she could keep up what she was doing, not telling him anything and enduring the pain of keeping his fracture in the timeline sustained, would have sixty maybe seventy years at best to be with her and then she'd be back to the usual. They are incomprehensibly old, Folk is a blip in the grand scheme. She'll get over him, she should stop whining about it, its spilt milk. And then she gave up her godhood entirely. This mortal was worth facing not just pain, but the inevitability of death to her, worth facing the absolute vulnerability of mortal life. Crimson still can't understand it... he still doesnt agree with her decision and he doesnt particularly like Folk that much. but he can understand this is Really Fucking Important to her. and he cares about her enough to respect it and want to be a part of it as much as he can.

Ultimately, what i think Crimson really needs is to learn is how to trust someone enough to willingly hand over power and control to someone else without it being the end of the world and that change can be for the better, and him respecting the agency of other people even if he intensely disagrees with their decisions is an important step in the right direction on that front.

[deliriumsdelight7]

So glad to hear Cursed Ties hasn't been abandoned! It's one of my favorite rumbelle fics :)

Really?! I definitely thought this was gonna be the fic that would drive people to be like, “ew, that Del is a degenerate. We should all collectively shun her.” Glad to know I’m not the only freak here.

If you like this fic, definitely go read Doubts by Megara_Bee (I’ll include a link). It definitely awakened my latent Daddy kink, when I’d been thoroughly squicked out by the concept before.

I definitely don’t want to step on toes by writing the same premise. I just really love the idea of leaning into the “curse” angle of it. Like, these people are supposed to be miserable for 28 years. And they’re supposed to be passive in their misery. They never try to escape or improve their circumstances. That concept, with the whole taboo sex thing, is delicious.

But it also presents a unique challenge. These characters CANNOT change. They cannot grow. They can’t figure out what’s happening to them. They HAVE to remain stagnant for nearly 3 decades, unaware that any real time has passed. And they have to be unhappy the entire time. That’s… not an easy thing to write, from either an emotional or a storytelling standpoint.

I’m also deeply unhappy with the cliffhanger I left the last chapter at. I’m thinking I want to extend the scene to its logical finish before I can go any further.

Thanks so much for the ask! I’m very self-conscious about this one (hence why I initially published it on anon).

[legacysam]

Okay so I watched season 3 of Two Sentence Horror Stories (because that was the season netflix started me with? weird but okay). Mixed quality as one might expect from an anthology show, but I took some notes in case anybody wants to know which ones are worth watching (content warnings under the cut):

Crush: meh, I don't know if I'd call this horror exactly. twenty minutes of two aging sisters being cruel to each other, bit of a twist at the end but not really worth watching for it, imo.

Plant Life: okay I loved this one. maybe if you didn't want to be [spoiler] by a houseplant you should have been a more attentive boyfriend! black mirror vibes. 🌈

Toxic: not bad. starts off being about teenage boys who are too into pranks and being mean to each other, which does not interest me, but it gets better when very bad things start happening. Better in the sense of more fun to watch, not better for the boys lmao.

Teatime: creepy child, creepy dolls, 10/10 very good take on a classic (also includes one of my favorite horror tropes but shh spoilers)

Teeth: 🌈

The Killer Inside: more of a thriller with some supernatural flavor. pretty good if you enjoy the whole "people doing horrific things out of love" trope, otherwise skippable.

Patel Motel Cartel: this entire episode happens because of Families Keeping Secrets For No Good Reason, which is one of my least favorite tropes. it also feels kind of like a clunky pilot for a kids/young teens show, which sucks because the worldbuilding concept it sets up toward the end is pretty fun.

Erased: this one has a really great premise (the erasure of native Hawaiians by white colonists/developers as a literal supernatural threat), but the execution of the supernatural elements is pretty rough. I feel like the concept could be a whole movie on its own with tighter writing.

Heirloom: Get Out meets Haunting in Connecticut 2, ie. the real horror is racism and the ghosts are a reminder that it's not over. good concept, a bit predictable, but this was DEFINITELY a movie pitch that got cut down to just the most dramatic moments to fit the 20 min format. I love that it takes place in the northwest and references racial history outside of the south, it's just a shame it didn't have time to deal with uh. any of it, really.

Homecoming: Mmm love some horror about families and generational trauma, especially with themes of storytelling and truth/memory. *chef kiss* delicious.

Content warnings (aside from general "this is horror, there is violence and there are creepy things and jump scares and stuff"):

Crush: violent animal death and remains, cancer mention, elder abuse

Plant Life: body horror (being turned into a plant)

Toxic: typical zombie horror

Teatime: body horror (being turned into a doll)

Teeth: brief flash of an animal getting hit by a car, intimate partner violence (woman puts a chokehold on her gf so she'll be unconscious and not see the fighting that happens next), blood/gore, mostly after-the-fact due to the aforementioned gf being unconscious for most of the action. Honestly the choking thing feels weirdly extreme and gets glossed over a bit too easily for my taste.

The Killer Inside: terminal illness, kidnapping/imprisonment, medical abuse/malpractice, nonconsensual surgery, blood

Patel Motel Cartel: none really. general jumpscares, bad guy that cocoons victims if that freaks you out.

Erased: body horror (disappearing limbs/features), family members vanishing, predatory developers trying to coerce native Hawaiians into selling their land.

Heirloom: a missing child, ghosts, a little gore, racism.

Homecoming: adult sons come home because their father is dying, and one of them remembers him as abusive while the others don't, so there's some gaslighty stuff here plus parent death. monster horror, references to drug addiction.

[pintonki]

Ironman moneyclip

Men Wallet Money Clip Card Holder Cowhide Leather Rfid Slim Multifunction. Mercifully, she said yes!Īre public proposals cringey? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. New EVA Large-capacity Pencil Case Spiderman Ironman Batman Capital American. READ MORE: Triple jumper performs 'salmon' routine after attempt goes badly wrongįortunately, a couple of bystanders stepped in to help, massaging his legs as he whipped the ring out once more - this time lying flat on the ground.Īfter being lifted back to his knees, a grimacing Moriatiel eventually popped the question, prompting wild cheers from the surrounding crowd. What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out, quite a lot.Ī Spanish triathlete had one of the biggest moments of his life ruined after succumbing to cramp as he got down on one knee to propose to his partner at the finish line of Ironman Talinn in Estonia last week.Īfter finishing sixth in the men's 40 to 44 age group, an ordeal that took him over nine hours, Cristian Moriatiel got down on his knee, ring in hand, only to collapse in agony. Rushing thieving and Wintertodt are good ways. Getting 99 FM at Wintertodt and 99 Thieving at knights is sort of like a 'starter kit for ironmen'. Not a fan of the credit card life If you’re a money man, this robust behemoth money clip is a must-have With multiple silicone bands to separate the big ones from the change, this money clip is the best investment to safeguard your fat wads of dough wherever you go 79. So far Ive been using the agility pyramid, and was wondering if there were any better methods. War is a deadly business, and for a split second in Iron Man, the story’s comic-book mask falls and the mortality of the enterprise comes to the front.The plan was simple complete Ironman challenge, propose to girlfriend, live happily ever after. Relatively new hcim (btw) wondering what everyones method for making cash was. The sequence isn’t a warning that a man in powered armor might drop you out of the sky it’s that a freak accident will. Rhodes’ cover for the incident - a training accident - is painfully on-the-nose when you consider that training accidents kill more U.S. military, that one scene in Iron Man actually captures a sad reality of the military-industrial complex: for all the money and investment spent on high-tech military equipment, this shit breaks and breaks often - and U.S. But there’s a delicious sliver of irony that, despite the fact that these cinematic appearances are supposed to be advertisements for the U.S. military personnel aren’t the central heroes of these stories, which focus on more otherworldly phenomena (sorry, Captain America). There’s nothing wrong with this so far as storytelling goes, of course: U.S. While the Air Force’s entertainment liaison office may have viewed this entire sequence as all but a giant ad for the F-22, long the subject of its own production drama in military and legislative circles, let’s be real: the entire sequence is basically one long Class A mishap, and the only thing that would make it more realistic is a caveat that yes, the investigation into the incident is still ongoing as of Iron Man 2 when Rhodes eventually bogarts a suit of armor for the Air Force to weaponize. James Rhodes (a Marine aviator in the comics, but I digress) covering up the whole incident as a training mishap in which, thankfully, nobody died. Stark, being the hero, saves the pilot’s ass when his parachute won’t deploy, and the climactic scene ends in a distinctly unclimactic manner: with Air Force Col. Stark deploys flares to deal with an incoming missile before a hail of high-caliber gunfire from one of the Raptors forces him to deploy his flaps - and end up on the underside of one of the F-22s. What happens next is an unmitigated disaster: the F-22 rolls, sending the armored Stark tumbling into his wingman’s starboard wing and sending them both plummeting towards the ground. Sure, Tony Stark may turn from weapons dealer to armored peacenik, but it’s no secret that the Defense Department was happy to provide far-reaching production assistance agreements for the first two installments of the trilogy, furnishing Marvel Studios with everything from technical assistance to “production value” - soldiers, vehicles, and locations (see the C-17s at Edwards Air Force Base in Iron Man 2). Indeed, the DoD was more than happy to work with Marvel Studios until the “unreality” of The Avengers induced the Pentagon to halt its cooperation with the cinematic juggernaut (although that didn’t last long - just look at Captain Marvel). military-industrial complex as it is an overt critique. Little has changed in the decades since Stark first donned his suit of armor: as a movie, Iron Man is as much a product of the U.S. I thought it would be fun to take the kind of character that nobody would like, none of our readers would like, and shove him down their throats and make them like him … And he became very popular.” He was a weapons manufacturer, he was providing weapons for the Army, he was rich, he was an industrialist. “So I got a hero who represented that to the hundredth degree.

[ilikekidsshows]

I don't know if you're still doing these, or if you've already done it, but how do you think Marinette would fare with Sass (specifically, the Second Chance power)?

I have some good news for you, Anon. The kwami compatibility stuff isn’t a challenge I was doing for a bit or something like that. I will probably keep posting kwami compatibility stuff as long as people keep sending me ideas, because I don’t see myself getting bored of it just yet.

And boy, did you give me a good one. I’m gonna just come right out and say it; Sass is the kwami I’m considering giving to Marinette in my Kwami Swap concept: The Brave, The Bold and The Miraculous. The reason for this is very simple; giving Marinette the Snake Miraculous is a very delicious idea from a storytelling perspective, because there are just so many ways to play with that setup.

Like, you can emphasize the aspects of Marinette that make her perfect for the Second Chance ability. Her ability to plan, take elements of the battlefield into account and direct others towards the desirable conclusion. The Second Chance ability could only enhance her tendencies towards leadership and mission control. However, you can still keep her from being too Overpowered with the five minute limit she has to work with. That’s a very small window to do your thing, even as you get to do it over and over again.

On the other end of the scale, you can focus on how Marinette would clash with the power. She’s a control freak; she wants to be able to control every little factor that she can to ensure the best possible outcome, while fearing the worst possible outcome. Marinette could go through the same five minutes 25,917 times, not because every other time was a failure, but because she didn’t get the exact conclusion she wanted to play out.

Another angle to work with would be Marinette’s anxiety, and how it could make using the Miraculous daunting for her. With the Lucky Charm, Marinette gets one solution from the Miraculous power that she needs to turn into a workable strategy. This means that the Lucky Charm item functions as a clue on how to solve a problem. With the Second Chance, you get no clues. You only have your own wits, your own Intuition, to take note of the different elements at play and figure out how to use them to solve the problem at hand. It’s a huge undertaking, and it requires you to keep a cool head, because there’s nothing telling you that you’ve hit the correct solution, and letting the time frame of the power pass over means never knowing if you couldn’t have honed your knowledge of the situation more, if you couldn’t have done better.

You could even have one of these approaches flow into another one to make the mastering of the Miraculous into a more explicit story arc.

Anyway, Marinette with the Snake Miraculous is good story fodder, excellent stuff.