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that-one-fandom-girl · 8 months ago

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Rating Miraculous Super Names Based on Their Creativity

(Not based on whether I like them or think they’re catchy—just creativity. Personally, I like/love most of the characters and their names (and really wouldn’t change them at all), so that’s not going to color my thoughts on them, really. Also, I will talk about cultures and languages in this post and I’m not making any comments about them themselves or anything like that—just the creativity of the characters that may *have* said cultures and languages—using the knowledge of them I know or looked up. This post is also both slightly serious and very much not at the same time, lol)

Ladybug: Marinette had several little pet-names in the Origins episode; Wonder-Bug (my personal fav), Bug-Lady, and Clumsy-Girl, and she took the one thought of “well, Tikki said I get magical ladybugs to fix everything and I have a red and black motif, so I’ll call myself Ladybug” (while Alya took the same information and made the most complex names known in existence 😆). I’d say, about 4-4.5 out of 10 for her main super name; it’s not the most creative, but it’s not the worst on this list, lolol.

For her other names:

Ladynoire: (They both named each other for the Kwami-swap if you watch the episode, so those two names are really a judgement on the other person’s creativity, lol). Adrien mushed both his own super name and Ladybug’s super name together and recreated their ship name, basically. Eh, I’d say probably maybe a solid 6 out of 10? More creative, but he could’ve just read all their in-universe fans’ discourse and gave their ship name to her, which would fit with his crush on her 😆.

Multi-Mouse: 6.5? She used the fact that she used *multiple* miraculous *multiple* times and that she was a mouse for her name.

Her other names are basically just putting other miraculous or power-ups with the name ‘Ladybug’: soooo…3? 4?

Cat Noir: for him, it depends on which of the two main dubs you watch; if you watch the English dub, Adrien went, “well, two of the languages I’m most fluent in is English and French, and I am a black cat, so I’ll honor both languages and call myself Cat Noir”, which is slightly more creative. But if you use the French dub version of his name, Chat Noir, it sounds like he just went “I’m a black cat…I’ll just call myself ‘Black Cat’��—which *is* an actual character in other superhero media (The Black Cat in Marvel Comics)— but he’s not even *the* black cat, he’s only ‘Black Cat’ 😆. So my vote is English dub = 4.5, French dub = 4.

Mr. Bug: Marinette took her base name and gave him the male prefix instead, which, okay, it does work and she brought something else to the table; but if I’m being honest, we could’ve gotten the name ‘Lord Bug’, and that would’ve been funny, lol (jk). 6-6.5 out of 10.

Cat Walker: 9.5-10. Yes, I rate this as one of the highest (if not the highest) in this list—here’s why; he’s acting more like his ‘perfect Adrien’ golden boy model persona, a.k.a. he’s putting on a show, and his name is a play on the word ‘Cat Walk’…which is all three, a way to walk on the runway, the runway itself, and an elevated bridge walked on above a stage for behind-the-scenes work. All that meaning in his name AND it’s a pun??? Absolute freaking amazing job, Adrien; you rocked it!

His other names are again, pretty much just putting his main super name with the various other miraculous and power ups: so again, 3? 4? EXCEPT for his ice power-up which is called ‘Ice Noir’, which translates to ‘Black Ice’ which is a dangerous type of ice and fits into his destruction motif, so that one gets a bit more; I’d say about 6 out of 10.

Rena Rouge; depending on what you take it as, it’s either a play on the words “red fox” in French (Renard Rouge)—it’s creative because it’s a *play* on the words, not the actual words themselves—or Alya used her both her Creole roots and French language as inspiration and used the Creole word for ‘fox’ (Rena) and French word for ‘red’ (Rouge). First possibility: 5, second: 6-6.5

Carapace: Nino used his knowledge of turtles and his super ability of protecting people as inspiration for his name—Carapace, which is the word for a turtle’s shell. Ehh, 5?

Queen Bee: Chloe used both the animal super she is and her status as inspiration for her name—plus it’s also a pun, which makes it even more fun. She’s a bee, she’s the popular girl in school (a.k.a. a ‘queen bee’ in school), it fits her personality, and she ran with it. A solid 7, maybe

Hawkmoth: I mean, he’s not very creative here—but at least Gabriel chose a *type* of moth to use as a name…why he chose a *moth* name in the first place when he’s a *butterfly* is another thing, tho, lolol! But I did read that Hawk Moths are known for their fast flying, so I guess that works for the Akumas. If it was a contest for catchy, I’d give it a higher rating, but for creativity? Less than our main heroes: 3. I wouldn’t give him a ton because he’s a butterfly instead of a moth, but he did choose a fitting type so…

Bunnyx: Alix literally just put an ‘X’ after the word ‘bunny’; she gets, like, a 1 😂.

Caprikid: Nathaniel used him being a goat-inspired superhero, the goat horoscope, the fact he is a kid, and the fact that goat children are called ‘kids’ put together to make his name. Pretty awesome, actually. 7-8? It just fits very well.

King Monkey: I gotta admit, I wasn’t gonna give Kim a very high score ‘cause I thought he was basically just the miraculous version of Donkey Kong, lolol; but I looked him up on Miraculous Wiki, and it says his name was inspired by an ancient Chinese legend and the novel has been adapted into a show called “Monkey Magic”, which is kind of a pretty cool fitting-sounding reference. So if Kim actually thought it through like that, 7-7.5? But knowing Kim, and if he just went, “dude, imma be like Donkey Kong! What sounds like Donkey Kong???….. King Monkey!”, then I’m only gonna give him like a 3-3.5 as well 😆.

Viperion: Luka did alright; not amazing, but it fits. ‘Viper’, a type of snake, for a snake-themed hero. 4-4.5?

Purple Tigress: …all Juleka did was was describe herself 😆. But she did do better than Alix, so I’ll give her a 2, lolol!

Miss Hound: I feel like Sabrina is in the group of heroes who went really literal, but still tried, so I’ll give her the same rating—4-4.5.

Minotaurox: Ivan used the animal words Minotaur and Ox, and put them together; an ox is, well, an ox, and a Minotaur is a tough creature from Greek mythology that is half-man and half-bull, so it does have some coolness to it. 7-7.5

Pegasus: Max did use a cool figure for his name, but he only used the fact that he was a horse and the very well known figure of Pegasus together for his name. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty cool, but after some of the other names on this list, and how some of them fit together; I feel like it’s just not *as* creative of a name. I think I’ll give him maybe a 5?

Polymouse: Mylene used the word ‘poly’ which means ‘many’ and mouse, so I’ll give her the same as I gave Multimouse, since they’re very similar—6.5

Ryuko: I didn’t know what this meant until I looked it up on Miraculous Wiki, and it says that while it can have many meanings in Japanese; it’s most likely that it means “child of the dragon”, and that just sounds cool as heck. To me, it sounds like Kagami pushed the ‘having a pun or fitting mythological/cultural figure as part of the name’ thing to the side and just made up a cool-sounding name on her own, which is pretty cool and creative! 8? 8.5?

Pigella: I feel like Rose just put a feminine suffix to the word ‘pig’, which…doesn’t seem as creative. To be fair to her, I don’t think it’s very easy to make a cool, creative sounding name incorporating the word *pig* into it. It does sound like she tried, and the flair she put at the end does fit her personality, so I’ll give her a little more credit. 5?

Rooster Bold: Marc tried, like Rose, but…. It doesn’t feel like a creative name; just his animal and what he becomes after being a hero. 3, maybe?

GUYS, I did NOT know what ‘Argos’ meant, so I looked it up on regular Wikipedia, and it’s a ship from Greek Mythology that carried the Argonauts on their quest to get the Golden Fleece and that, quote, “some sources state that since people had not seen a ship before, they described the Argo as a monster”, unquote!! 😭😭😂😂😂 Does that NOT sound like Felix? Okay, that’s it; Felix wins this whole thing!! Cat Walker was a good second, but, sorry Adrien! Your dramatic and showman cousin wins the competition! He gets an 11 out of 10.

……I absolutely love how half of these characters just literally used their animal names as 3/4’s of their super name, and then there’s freaking Felix who uses his entire backstory/character arc as a super name 😂. It really shows the range of the show, fr fr!

P.S. I realized I forgot about Mayura and Vesperia.

I looked it up and Reddit says that ‘Mayura’ means ‘peacock’, so…4.5-5?

Miraculous Wiki says that Vesperia’s name is derived from the Italian word ‘Vespa’, which means ‘wasp’, so her name means the female wasp. Sounds kinda cool and she added specificity to her animal, so 6?

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mikaykayrae · 8 days ago

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Stranger Things Theories

(Byler Endgame pt. 1 👀)

Since the first crumbs of season 5 have started coming out I’m going to start posting my theories on here just so I can say ‘I told you so!’ When I’m inevitably right.

(I’m always right trust 🤞😭)

I’ll be adding evidence and everything to support these claims as well! (Stay tuned?!?)

The first of the bunch are gonna be my endgame couples and how they will get together. So before my first theory, let’s make one thing clear; I’m a Byler truther through and through. So that’s what my first theory is gonna be about.

Endgame couple: Mike + Will

Mike I’ll just put it this way, a) The show ends with Mileven endgame and Will is just miserable, and so are Mike and El as it is shown that their relationship brings out the worst in each other. b) Mike is one of the most beautifully written complex characters ever created and the writers are geniuses. El finally gets the independence she so desperately needs and Mike returns to his old season 1-2 self. A fan favorite, not the selfish jerk we see in season 3-4.

Will: The writers have set it up so that his character goes no where without Byler or another love interest, and as far as we know another love interest hasn’t been introduced. So if Byler isn’t endgame, Will is just a sad gay boy for all eternity. (Side note: Will is not dying he’s the main character and that would not be a satisfying ending at all) Byler would be a very conclusive and the optimal ending for Will. Everyone rooting for him to have a happy ending will get that.

PS. I could not figure out how to turn Will’s name yellow, so orange it is 🤷🏻‍♀️

💌 Mikaykayrae

#stranger things #byler endgame #byler nation #fan theories #season 5 #i told you so #anti milkvan #Gay #queer #queerbaiting #van scene

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funhouse-mirror-barbie · 2 years ago

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Nuanced and Multifaceted Conflict vs. “Good v. Evil” in fiction

So. This is another thing I’ve wanted to talk about for a while. I promise I won’t always be focusing on Helluva Boss in my critiques, and I actually have quite a few other series I want to talk about.

There’s a big chance that I’ll be saying everything other people have already said, but I can’t help but WANT to talk about this specific character in regard to the story’s conflict. I think that it’s important to recognize when a character is written to be a complex person, and when a character is written to be an enemy to be defeated, and how not following through with your set-up can affect your story.

And HB does that A LOT in my opinion.

So. Let’s get into it. This time I’ll be talking about complex conflict between characters vs. black and white conflict, and I’ll also be touching on story set-ups and audience expectations.

I want to talk about a character who could have really made some of the internal character conflicts have so much more depth and intrigue. I want to talk about Stella Goetia

*as a side note this post is MUCH longer than I intended but I really wanted to get into a lot of the background and reasons for how Stella’s character development has actually completely changed what HB’d story conflict could have looked like. I’ll try and sum up everything in the end in a TLDR for y’all

So. Most of the reviews of her character I see talk about how she’s been “ruined” by the writing team revealing that she’s always been very abusive towards Stolas

I have to start off by saying I actually don’t think that Stella or her portrayal was “ruined” by the writing direction her character has been taken in.

In fact, this critique bothers me, because it doesn’t really get to what I think the actual root of why people are disappointed in Stella’s characterization, and the type of conflict that now exists between her and Stolas.

The main reason I believe people are unsatisfied with Stella is because they believed that her character was being set up for a complex and nuanced conflict between her and Stolas, and then that turned out not to be the case.

A quick disclaimer- I do think it’s possible to subvert audience expectations about story and characters in a satisfying way. But it has to be done in a way that respects the audiences intelligence and willingness to think about the story.

If your plot-twist, unreliable narrator, subversion, or what-have-you is done well, the audience should be able to either figure out what’s going based on the little information you’ve given them, and if they don’t, the change or subversion should still make sense and CLICK in hindsight.

Otherwise, your subversion will end up feeling cheap or confusing. Or worse, like a lie.

And this is one of the MAIN issues I think people have with Stella.

As the audience, we were NOT given enough information on her or her character before it’s revealed that she’s just “evil” and always has been, apparently since she was a literal child.

Again, I don’t think it’s an inherently bad decision to have a flat or pure evil villain. I’m fine with Stella being one, even if it’s less interesting to me personally.

But it’s definitely very different from what was initially implied and set-up, and the audience can pick up on that.

Before S2E1 “The Circus” we see Stella a total of 3 times in person, with one time being a flashback.

I’m going to go over those times to analyze if anything set-up in Stella’s appearances points towards her being. Well, totally and irredeemably awful and abusive I guess.

The very first time we see Stella is in the same bed with Stolas��Octavia calls for her parents, both Stolas AND Stella. Stella grumbles and refuses to get up and tells Stolas to go. This doesn’t immediately strike me as a sign of her being a terrible person. That exact scenario is present in a lot of family comedies, kids’ movies, and sitcoms.

Nothing about this screams that Stella is a terrible parent or an abusive partner to me. It just tells me she’s tired and doesn’t want to get up, which again, is not uncommon.

The next time we see her, she’s yelling at Stolas, and she throws a servant at him in anger.

Now, there’s no excuse for this, her behavior here is not okay, regardless of her feelings. But we understand why she’s acting the way she is--she’s furious with Stolas for cheating on her. At this point with the information we have, it’s also very reasonable to believe her feelings have been hurt.

Later Octavia talks about how her parents didn’t used to hate each other, and the way Stolas’ tries to explain their failing marriage to her comes across like his relationship with Stella is one that’s always had difficulties that they have tried and failed to overcome.

None of this information is enough to really convey or hint that Stella is and has always been abusive or evil. It shows that Stella and Stolas have a very rough relationship, and that Stella most likely has anger management difficulties, but you have to do lot of extra work to come to the conclusion that Stella is completely at fault here.

The next time we see her though, things have clearly escalated, because it’s revealed that she’s one that hired Striker to assassinate Stolas.

Now. Usually. Yeah. That would be a HUGE red flag. And I mean. It still obviously is.

But, and I never thought I’d use this uno reverse card, this is one of the few times where the explanation of “But it’s hell, what did you expect???” actually makes sense to me.

Because yeah, it is hell. It’s the end of episode 5 when we learn this, and our protagonists have killed and assassinated multiple people. Taking a hit out on people really doesn’t seem to be that uncommon of a thing in hell.

Even the next scene after the reveal that Stella is the one who hired Striker makes light of how serious this is, by showing that Stella was basically yelling her assassination plot right to Stolas’ face.

This is played for laughs! I genuinely am not sure if the writers intended for this to be foreshadowing of Stella’s abuse or not because if so, they turned her attempting to kill her husband into a joke!

If you cannot keep your themes or tone consistent, how is the audience supposed to follow your story?

There is subtle storytelling, and then there’s tacking information and character points later on in your writing. And this can have two causes.

Either your audience has to do the work of story-telling for you and make up their own reasons for what’s happening to make the story coherent OR they will be disappointed and dissatisfied by the final product.

I think that’s the main reason why S2E1 of Helluva Boss felt so jarring story-wise, and why Stella, to me at least, suddenly felt like a brand new character.

Like I haven’t been this confused by a character being suddenly evil since Hans from Frozen.

(like seriously why the hell did they put this scene in if not to just trick the audience. This isn’t giving us any plot info it’s only giving us contradictory info on his character. Like I talked about before, Hans’ heel-face-turn doesn’t feel like a twist. It feels like a lie.)

Okay so, how does any of this actually affect anything? Who cares if Stella is evil, that doesn’t automatically make the story bad!

Well. Yeah, of course not. Ironically, having the main conflict your story being a battle between “Good v. Bad” characters is neither good nor bad. It’s just a story decision. And ultimately at the end of the day, the writers of Helluva Boss can choose to tell their story however they’d like.

But, depending on how this is executed, good v evil stories can be a lot less interesting than morally grey or complicated conflicts and characters.

I am more interested in the version of the story where Stella and Stolas are imperfect and messy people. I am more interested in the story where Stolas has an affair to escape being in an arranged marriage, and Stella overreacts by arranging a hit on her husband (unless calling out a hit is normal in hell, but we can’t know b/c there is no baseline for what is considered normal in hell)

I am so much more interested in the story where Stolas and Stella are both depicted as being in the wrong, as being incredibly hurt by each other’s actions, and as not knowing how to repair their broken relationship for the sake of their daughter.

That story feels very real to me. It’s one I want to engage and invest in.

I want to see if these characters can grow to accept their mistakes and learn and change for the sake of Octavia and having to co-exist with each other, or if they’ll slip back into mutual destruction and toxicity.

But that’s not the story we’ll get to see, because it seems like the writers are more interested in keeping Stolas from having to grow as a character. And because of that, Stella has been turned into an evil obstacle that must be defeated, instead of a nuanced and real person.

I also feel like I have to say. I know I would be MUCH less frustrated by this if I hadn’t seen an HB crew member talking about how their show is similar to Bojack Horseman.

Because. It’s just not. I’m sorry, I’m not saying that to be mean, or condescending, or rude, but the way characters are written in Helluva Boss is almost completely black and white at this point.

Regardless of the writer’s intent, the vast majority of the choices they have made in Season 2 come off as explanations to excuse the protagonist’s mistakes, and give them a “get out of being potentially in the wrong” free card.

Compared to the writing decisions in Bojack, which almost always has characters confront their wrongdoings, for better or worse, HB honestly feels like it’s the Anti-Bojack.

It would take a TON of character development and time to make HB’s characters as interesting, fleshed-out, and as real as Bojack’s are, and at this point that’s I don’t think it will ever happen.

Again. Having black and white conflict is FINE. It is a choice in story telling that can be done very effectively. But if you are making a black and white story where one side is always terrible and evil, and one side can do no wrong, you can’t act like you’ve written something that is deeper and more emotionally complex and grey than that.

And the first time the writers gave Stella more than 3 sentences to string together, they made it very clear that any chance of her being a more complex and engaging character was being tossed out the window.

————

TLDR:

The main reason people are upset about Stella being shown as abusive in S2E1 of HB is probably because the initial depictions of her didn’t give us enough information on her character to tell that she was just evil/a terrible person.

The way the story was written in S1 to set up the possibility of a very interesting and complex conflict between Stella and Stolas, and when it was revealed that she’s just. The worst. There were people that were disappointed by this, because they expected more.

Audiences actually aren’t idiots, and when you subtly foreshadow something and then completely change things, that can be frustrating.

It’s MORE than okay to write a straightforward good v evil story, but it depending on the way it’s written and executed, it may not be as interesting to mature audiences as a more morally grey story would be.

If you can’t write characters confronting their flaws and being in the wrong, please don’t compare your writing to Bojack, I mean. C’mon.

#helluva boss critical #helluva boss critique #character critique #stella goetia #hb stella #helluva boss stella #media conversation #media critique #media criticism #writing female characters #writing critique #writing #funhouse convo

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peachdues · 7 months ago

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Peach, I know you’re the queen of fragrances and I need some help bc I’ve absolutely fallen for the Pengaligon’s Clandestine Clara that I got in a sample but a bottle it $315 dollars 😭 I’m not a perfume girlie but it’s literally the only perfume I’ve ever liked the smell of on me and I’ve been literally OBSESSED with it and I ran out of the sample MONTHS ago. Do you have any suggestions for a cheaper dupe or something that is similar?

A PENHALIGON LOVER?? AFTER MY OWN HEART??

God, I LOVE the penhaligon perfumes — the scents and bottle designs are utterly exquisite. The price point, however…not so much 😭 one day I will splurge, though!

Clandestine Clara is a wonderfully warm and spicy gourmand, and those are having quite the moment on the perfume market! Lucky for you, that means there are tons of options!

First, let’s break down the main notes in Clandestine Clara so you know what to keep an eye out for:

Top note: rum

Middle note: tonka bean

Base note: oppoponax (AKA sweet myrrh/resin)

Pretty straightforward, and utterly gorgeous. Mainly, you want to keep an eye out for spicy, boozy gourmands with a good dose of vanilla.

Here are some good dupes!

Divain 692 — this is a direct dupe of Clandestine Clara. Probably the closest you’ll get to the exact scent profile and it has decent longevity!

Top notes: rum and vanilla

Middle notes: cinnamon and musk

Base notes: amber and patchouli.

The rest of these are Clandestine Clara adjacent — meaning they share many of the same key notes, but combine them with others in a way that makes them not quite a dupe, but still remain safely within that spicy/boozy gourmand family. I’ll bold the overlapping notes!

Killian Paris — angel’s share

Key notes: cognac, tonka bean, and oakwood. Other notes include cinnamon, sandalwood, praline, and vanilla.

Memoirs of a trespasser — imaginary authors

Y’all should know by now that I’m a HUGE fan of imaginary authors. This one is a gorgeous spicy gourmand.

Key notes: Madagascar Vanilla, Guaiac Wood, Myrrh, Benzoin, Ambrette Seed, Oak (benzoin and oppoponax are very similar!)

Lush — turmeric latte

THIS ONEEEE. Smells like a spiced cookie.

Key notes: benzoin, tonka, vanilla, cinnamon

Note that if you want to make this extra sweet (and more akin to Clandestine Clara), I’d recommend layering this with either the sticky dates body lotion OR body spray!

DS & Durga — deep dark vanilla

Okay so this one is more expensive BUT in case you want to splurge OR want something with a little more complexity, I figured I’d throw it in!

Key notes: Cabrueva, Orchid, Pink Pepper, Vines, Green Vanilla Leaves, Cypress Root, Vanilla Absolute (will smell similar to tonka), Dark Patchouli, Hay

Demeter fragrance library — cardamom

This is straight cardamom which is the perfect warm spice.

I hope this is helpful!! Stay gorgeous!!

#gimme all your perfume asks!!#🍑‘s peaches #🍑’s perfume recs

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big-nerd-boi · 1 year ago

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Kill the crown.

Idk how to label my posts but ayyyy I gotta brand this right y’all lmao. Anyways!

Since kill the crown is a sequel to Journey to the West, this means I get to use the pilgrimage for my own nefarious purposes HEHEHEHEH- cough.

That means creative liberties as well since I’m terrible at following canon! Especially when I’m honestly looking at everybody like they’re idiots ( Pigsy. Pigsy. PIGSY.) and I am a character development kinda guy.

So with my own version of Tripitaka, he gets a few extra experiences within this long, tedious, dangerous journey!

Along with a not so fancy holy monk design.

The cassock Guanyin had given him is said to be in the wraps carried along with the supplies, so I think he’d prefer something easier for travel.

Did you know he’s only 18/19 starting the journey? I bet he had near chronic puffy eyes from all his crying, which, me during exam week.

Finally, his leg.

Now I’m not sure when it takes place besides when the entire pilgrimage is together. But a cobra demon kidnaps Tang shocker surprise, he pleads to be let go- that he doesn’t wanna be dinner, that monkey is gonna rock their shit, etc.

But the demon just injects Tripitaka with their venom, and waits for it to kill him.

Before it can, he’s saved, demon killed, happy ending! All except, Tripitaka can’t move his left leg. Well he can move it at the hip, but below the knee? Nothing. He can vaguely feel it, put some weight on it, but he can’t move it beyond some bending of his knee.

So Bai-long-bai is immediately tasked to step up his game, and Tripitaka gets to realize that he’s had a far too close brush with death! Fun!

His priest staff is also now used as a cane for when he’s walking.

This can also give him the excuse of why he can’t just run away at times, because he can’t run.

I really really hope I can make his character more likable man,,, something beyond the jerk he is in the book. Okay that’s not just it. He’s complex, I’ll say that.

I just don’t root for him compared to Wukong yknow? He feels flat!

I wanna change that, even if he’s no longer the main character. Despite all my complaints, I still love journey to the west with all my heart and I want to do it justice with Kill the Crown!

I hope I can do that, and that you all can enjoy it as much as I do.

#journey to the west #jttw #jttw au #kill the crown #jttw fanart #tripitaka #tang sanzang #jttw tripitaka #jttw tang sanzang #artwork #artists on tumblr

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ncisfranchise-source · 5 months ago

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There are so many pivotal elements that go into nailing a successful show, and one of those is having likable characters. Luckily, NCIS: Origins has plenty to work with in Mike Franks.

Don’t get me wrong, because I am the unofficial leader of the “Mary Jo Fan Club,” but Mike Franks is something else.

The character has been a staple of the franchise’s flagship series, NCIS, since its inception. So, his presence in a prequel series was heavily expected and very much appreciated.

However, there’s no way anyone could have known the amount of talent Schmid would bring to the character, let alone the unexpected, well, sex appeal.

There’s A Lot Under Mike Frank’s Rough Exterior, But You’d Have To Get Past The Chiseled Abs First

I’ll be the first to admit that there is something very attractive about the younger Mike Franks. While that partly has to do with the actor’s natural good looks, it goes far beyond that.

For one thing, Mike’s presence is felt in almost every scene, whether he is present or not. I’ve said in most of my reviews for NCIS: Origins that Mike is a big part of the heart of the show.

He cares deeply for the people in his life, whether they are personal or professional relationships. Although, with Mike, there is a big overlap between his home and work life.

How else could we have gotten a scene of Diany Rodriguez’s (The Blacklist) Vera rousing Mike from a hangover coma with nothing but his tighty-whities on? Mike’s abs did a lot of the heavy lifting after that.

His chiseled midsection, coupled with his devotion to Tish, makes for marriage material if I’ve ever seen it.

Everyone Loves A Well-Developed Character, And Mike Might Be The Most Complex Character on NCIS: Origins

Honestly, the most attractive aspect of Mike Franks is that he always seems ready to put someone else’s issues before his own – even if it puts him in an uncomfortable situation.

He may not be the best with his words, as poor Special Agent Lala Dominguez has experienced on more than one occasion. In the end, though, he always makes good with the people he cares about.

Even though Austin Stowell‘s Gibbs is the protagonist and the root of the main plot points, a lot of time it really feels like this is the “Mike Franks Show.”

Then again, it’s safe to say, at this point, that he is the most well-developed and complex character on the series so far.

Mike Franks isn’t just for the ladies either, because Mike is man’s man through and through, with the cowboy vibes and boots to boot.

Mike’s Perfectly Imperfect Personality Makes Him The Most Relatable Character On NCIS: Origins So Far

Now, I have never found “crumb catchers” particularly enticing, but damn it if that man doesn’t know how to rock a stache. They haven’t shown it yet, but I bet Mike gently brushes his mustache every night before bed.

With his grizzled demeanor that is as subtle as a shotgun, it would be so easy for the character to rub any viewer the wrong way, but it works.

That is, in no small part, due to the almost three decades that Kyle Schmid has spent in the entertainment industry. From Accused, SIX, and The Rookie, Schmid has made the television rounds.

However, none of his roles have ever put him through a transformation like the one for Mike Franks. So, what exactly does Kyle Schmid do to make Mike Franks so sexy?

First off, there are too many variables for it to be just one thing. Kyle’s good looks and talent, coupled with the established history of Mike Franks, is exactly how you craft a fan-favorite character.

He sees the faults in others but easily looks past them because he is fully aware of the faults within himself.

Suffice it to say, CBS‘s NCIS: Origins knocked it out of the park when they picked Kyle Schmid for Mike Franks.

#ncis origins #kyle schmid

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theanoninyourinbox · 9 months ago

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Personally for your Skyrim AU I want to hear how you’ve organized all the different factions 👀 I love worldbuilding and Skyrim’s political landscape is so complex!

SO I GOTTA SAY THIS FIRST

Each major city is now a Clan - Whiterun is Paleclan, for example. And each Clan has smaller Clowders or Settlements under it, with a Leader but not one chosen by Sovngarde. So Riverwood is now The River Woods of Paleclan. Not all of these are believers of Sovngarde but will follow the rules of the Clan they are protected by.

Now that I got that brain blurb out of the way, the Factions. They’re vastly different so I’ll be handling them differently. And in alphabetical order for the sake of my brain lol

The Bard’s College is now called The Singers, and they are a well loved part of Clan Culture. Singers are, well, singers, but also historians and messengers - a good Singer can take the sting off of a bad message. They are taught in Solitudeclan territory, in an echoing crevasse with great acoustics. Generally speaking, the Imperial Clowder isn’t as impressed with the Singers, but that’s more of a cultural point than anything else. Most Singers live at the taverns and inns, but some become part of Clans and live in the Clan Territories more permanently. Some never set down roots. It differs from cat to cat.

The Blades are, well, the Blades - an ancient order of Dragon Slayers, and in the Imperial Clowder they were once a respectable role to pursue. Very few made it, but many tried. However, after the defeat of the Imperial Clowder by the Thalmor, they went underground, and are very close to dying off…

The College of Winterhold is now the Sky Touched Towers. In the lands of the Brokenclan (once Snowberryclan), Mages cultivate the magical abilities that all cats in this world have through study and practice. Many find themselves distrusted by the Clan and by outsiders, but most just want to study and learn! Really! Currently led by Savos’aren, and under his leadership, are making strides into improving relations with outsiders.

The Companions have changed the least - they’re fighters and brawlers, for glory and defense and fun. Companions can be hired to help in emergencies, and sometimes will just show up to conflicts. Led by Whitemane, their main camp is on Paleclan land, and Giantstar, leader of Paleclan, will sneak out with Whitemane to have a good time. However, the highest ranking members, called the Circle, have a dangerous secret…

The Coven of Namira is an underground organization, for good reason. Literally cannibals, and with an urge to feed others their horrible meals, they sneak and murder and desecrate graves.

The Dark Brotherhood, here called the Dark Claws, is mostly spoken of as old fireside tales, but they are dangerously real. Following the will of Sithis and the Night Mother, they are killers in the dark. Those who know the Black Sacrament can call upon them, and they never give up on a victim. They once prowled the world, but now huddle in the woods, under the rule of Astrid…

The Greybeards are now Hrothgar Colony, on the high mountain peaks. There, the few cats commune with Sovngarde and learn the ancient ways of Windcaller, the first to Shout as the Dragons do. Hrothgar is where Clan Leaders receive their lives, by listening to the Call Of Sovngarde. They are fed by the nearby settlements, though they do hunt in the nearby peaks, and harbor a strange guest…

The Imperial Clowder is made up of cats of every breed, all under the rule of Emperor Titus Mede II. They are militant but not violent, strict but not tyrannical. And a bit poorly managed unfortunately. They often ally with other Clowders and Clans, however their tendency to spread out led to their defeat by the Thalmor. Led in Solitudeclan territory by General Tullius, who is skeptical but respectful of Clan Culture. Little does he know, that if Fairstar of Solitudeclan were to fall, he would be called to Hear the Call of Sovngarde…

Stormcloaks are now the Storm Rebellion, seeking to revoke all outside influences from the land of Skyrim. Led by the charismatic Wolfstar of Frozenclan, the Rebels are fierce, patriotic…and horribly racist (speciesist? You get the idea). Their camps are many, and with Wolfstar having the power to Shout, they seem unstoppable…

The Thieves Guild is now the Sneakpaws, unashamed of the apprentice naming - for a thief is always learning. They scuttle and creep and take what they wish - within reason. They are no philanthropists, but an unspoken rule is to never steal from the poor. They do protect some cats - from other unaffiliated thieves, and for a price. Currently led by Frayedpelt, they thrive in Riftclan’s many tunnel systems. They are linked to another mysterious group, said to be led by the Night Herself…

aaaaand that’s it for now! Whew that was a Lot! If I’m missing any big details let me know! I’ll fix it!

#hello from the void #ask answered #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats au #Skyrim #skyrim au #lore dump #Things I am somewhat making up as I go along #warriors of skyrim au

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erimeows · 1 year ago

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Snowfall

Winter in Konoha is seldom noticeable, as the village tends to stay warm year-round. This year, however, they’ve been hit with a cold front from the south that has a bitter chill and steady snowfall blowing past Sai. He sits on the railing just outside of his apartment, carefully balanced and staring out at the city so he can replicate the visual of the snow falling onto the villagers on the sketchpad in front of him.

The village is different today. People have hearts and banners with different colors strung all about their homes and businesses, their spirits seem better, and the cafes and restaurants are filled to the brim. Sai isn’t sure what’s going on- a holiday? A festival?

Before he can think about it much more, Sai hears footsteps running up the steps of his apartment complex. He turns to see Sakura and Naruto fast approaching, Sakura with a big gift bag in her hands.

“Sai!” Naruto greets. “Hey, Sai!”

“Naruto, Sakura, what is it?” Sai asks, closing his sketchbook and jumping off of the railing so he can stand in front of his building on his feet.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!” Sakura grins and holds the gift bag out.

Sai takes the bag, then looks between his two friends, confused.

Valentine’s Day?

“...What?” He mutters.

“What, are you surprised we got you something? Don’t take it the wrong way, y’know,” Naruto huffs and crosses his arms over his chest. “We’re just doing it in a friendly way! It’s nothing, y’know, weird.”

“No, it’s not that I’m baffled by. I assumed it was normal to get your friends gifts,” Sai explains. “It’s just… Valentine’s Day? I’m not familiar with it.”

“Wait,” Sakura pauses, her seafoam eyes going wide. “You don’t know what Valentine’s Day is?”

“No. I’m still learning about holidays- we were never allowed to celebrate them in Root,” Sai hums, then sits on the ground and looks through the gift bag. It’s a new sketchbook, which he has tons of, and colored pencils that are far too cheap for him to do any good work with. Still, he knows that there was a lot of thought put into them, so he tries his best not to say anything rude. “I’m not even sure of when my own birthday is. Danzo refused to tell me, as he didn’t want me to celebrate it… They created their best soldiers by ripping away any traces of individuality, so we were all just considered a year older on the first of the calendar year, and were never celebrated.”

“That’s sad,” Naruto frowns. “Why don’t we choose you a birthday date sometime soon?”

“I think I’d like that, but first, educate me about Valentine’s Day.”

“Right,” Sakura nods. “Basically, Valentine’s Day is the day of love! You get gifts for your close friends and family sometimes, but the main point is to get gifts and spend time with your romantic partner- or confess to someone! So, to sum it up, you just express your love for someone.”

“Your love for someone, hm?” Sai hums. He thinks of his captain, Yamato, of Sakura and Naruto, and of the girl he’s developed a ‘crush’ on since meeting her; Ino. Ino seems like the type who would enjoy something like Valentine’s Day… Maybe he could get her something. “Would you two be interested in helping me pick out a romantic gift for someone?”

“Oh, hell yeah, Sai! Put it there,” Naruto exclaims and holds his hand out. Sai simply blinks at the blond, unsure of what to do until he gets an explanation. “I meant, like, for a high five! C’mon.”

“Oh,” Sai reaches forward with his hand and slaps Naruto’s, albeit a bit awkwardly.

When he pulls back, he looks to Sakura.

“I’ll help you pick out something for Ino, but we came and got you so we could go get stuff for Captain Yamato! So, come help us first.”

With that, Naruto and Sakura are dragging Sai by his hands, and though he had planned to spend the day alone, he can’t help but smile at his two friends.

February isn’t a good month for Yamato in the slightest. His joints are worn and painful from the years of strenuous work in Root and Anbu, and the cold weather certainly doesn’t help. On top of that, his jutsu is much easier to use and control during spring and summer- and even fall- so training and going on missions has been more difficult for him.

Thankfully, for the first time in a long time, Yamato has a day off. He sleeps in, lounges around the house, stays in his pajamas, and makes himself a nice cup of hot tea. As he sits on the couch, sipping away to warm his achy body and staring at the falling snow out his window with his cat, Scarecrow, laying across his lap.

Just as he gets comfortable and leans back into the couch, there’s a knock on his door. Scarecrow stands up and runs to the door, letting out a scratchy meow. Yamato goes to open the door. Much to his surprise, the kids of Team Kakashi are there.

“Captain Yamato!” Naruto greets as Scarecrow purrs and rubs up against his legs.

“Oh, Sakura, Naruto, Sai, good morning. Come on in,” Yamato steps aside to allow the three teenagers in before shutting the door behind them. Naruto makes himself comfortable by plopping down on his living room couch, Sai stands stiffly by the window, and Sakura approaches him to push a gift basket into his hands. Yamato holds the basket and looks down at it with a baffled stare. It’s pretty, hand woven and filled with green wrapping paper. “A gift basket? What for?”

“Valentine’s Day! Don’t tell me you don’t know what it is either,” Naruto groans. At that, Yamato glances towards Sai, who seems unbothered. Scarecrow hops onto the windowsill by Sai and rubs up against his hand. “Do we need to explain it to you, too?”

“No, no, I’m fully aware of the concept,” Yamato laughs and sits down next to Naruto on the couch. He awkwardly scratches the back of his neck and tries to avoid the three sets of prying eyes that are trained on him. “I just forgot it was today. I mean, I don’t usually have anyone to celebrate it with…”

“Really? That’s hard to believe, Captain,” Sakura says with a furrowed brow.

At that, Yamato blinks, surprised.

“You think so?”

“You’re a good guy-” Sakura starts, only for Naruto to interrupt with-

“Even if you are scary-”

“Shut up, Naruto!” Sakura yells, then turns to Yamato as he looks through the big gift basket. It has a bonsai plant, a watering can, some candied walnuts, a big bottle of wine, and what appears to be a handmade scarf. “Anyway… We all just wanted to show you how much we appreciate everything you’ve been doing for us since you’ve been appointed our team captain. We love you a lot.”

“Well… Thank you, guys. I really do appreciate it, and I love you all, too.”

“Yes, of course,” Sakura smiles. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“So? Is there anyone you’d like to celebrate with?” Naruto asks, totally unprompted. “Today may be the day to make your move!”

“Naruto, I don’t really think…” Yamato pauses. There is someone- there’s been someone- and Yamato has loved him for a very long time, but he’s so scared of ruining what they have and getting rejected that he hasn’t dared to fess up. For all he knows, Kakashi could have a date of his own today. “Well, that’s a complicated question with a complicated answer.”

“What!? I was joking!” Naruto exclaims with a red face. Sai watches them all, seemingly amused. “No way, you actually like someone?”

“That is so not your business, you idiot,” Sakura scolds, though she does a poor job of hiding the fact that she wants to know as well when she gives Yamato a questioning sort of glance just seconds later.

“Actually, I’m sort of curious too,” Sai pauses, furrowing his brow as if he’s in deep thought. “If you like this woman, why not get a gift for her? Isn’t that the custom?”

“Well, for one, it’s not a woman,” Yamato clarifies, to which Naruto’s jaw drops. The other two don’t look even remotely surprised, and he isn’t sure how he feels about that. “And honestly, a Valentine’s Day gift could easily be interpreted as a love confession.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” Sakura asks. “It’s not healthy to bottle up your feelings.”

“I’m not ‘bottling up my feelings’. I just know better,” Yamato sighs. “Anyway, you kids should go enjoy the rest of your holiday. I’m sure you guys at least have dates. I’ll enjoy today just fine on my own.”

Yamato quickly shoos the group out of his home, but finds himself fully dressed and at Yamanaka Flowers just half an hour later, staring at the bouquets through the glass window. He sees so many flowers that he could easily imagine sitting in a vase in Kakashi’s window, but… He just can’t bring himself to go in and get them.

Meanwhile, Ino Yamanaka stands at the cash register, a big smile on her face as she sees all of the happy couples walking through her shop. She notices Yamato standing outside and longingly peering in, so she rushes to the entrance to catch him before he can psych himself out of coming in (which she’s seen him do a lot of times since he’s been discharged from Anbu).

“Hey, Captain,” Ino grins as she pokes her head out the door of the shop. The brunette looks towards her, his cheeks burning bright red as if he’s embarrassed to have been caught here. “You looking to buy something?

“Er, yes,” The captain answers rather awkwardly, which is nothing new if Sakura’s many stories about him are anything to go by.

“Of course, Captain Yamato, what do you need?” Ino grabs Yamato by the arm and drags him into the shop. “Are you looking for something for your special someone?”

“Precisely. What kind of flowers are appropriate for a, uh… Love confession?”

“Well, let’s see,” With Yamato following close behind, Ino goes to the massive wall of flowers and starts arranging a bouquet in white wrapping paper. “You’re a very direct, straight-forward person, so… I think a simple bouquet of red tulips and pink dahlias will do! The tulips symbolize a declaration of love and the dahlias symbolize gratitude.”

“Gratitude?” Yamato mutters. Though the rest of Kakashi’s team is too dense to figure it out, Ino has seen Kakashi and Yamato around the village many times now. Better yet, she’s seen the way that Yamato looks at Kakashi when they’re together; the blush on his cheeks, the spacey and loving sparkle in his dark eyes, the way he glances away when Kakashi tries to meet his gaze. His crush on Kakashi couldn’t be more obvious, yet the man thinks that no one else knows. It’s a miracle that he’s finally deciding to confess. “Well, I guess that is fitting. Thank you, Ino, I really appreciate it.”

“Of course. It’s on me today, alright? So don’t worry about paying for it,” Ino says with a wink and clasps Yamato’s hands around the stems of the flowers, then follows up with- “Just be sure to tell Kakashi-Sensei that I said hello!”

“Yes… Thank you.”

Yamato leaves in a hurry, seemingly humiliated at Ino’s little callout. Ino makes a mental note to tell Sakura about this later and scurries back to the register. The rest of the day is busy, but pleasant, with almost all of the flowers getting sold out. The clock hits eight and she gets ready to close, but right as she heads to the door to lock it, Sai swings it wide open and enters the shop with red cheeks.

“Ino?”

“O-Oh, Sai! Hello!” Ino offers a smile, but she can’t help how nervous she becomes. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t have a huge crush on Sai- he’s attractive with a unique sense of humor, and unlike Sasuke or any of the others she’s shown interest in before, he’s been nothing but nice to her. So, when he shows up at the flower shop at the last minute with ruffled ebony locks and red cheeks, Ino’s heart starts to race. Briefly, she considers the upsetting possibility that he could be here to get a Valentine’s Day gift for someone else; another girl, even. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, actually,” Sai answers with a nod.

“What are you looking for?”

“I’m not here to buy anything,” Sai responds, shaking his head. He reaches into the pocket of his pants and pulls out a jewelry box, which he holds out to Ino. “I’m here to give this to you, beautiful.”

Ino pauses, a nervous laugh falling from in between her lips.

This might be the best Valentine’s Day she’s had yet.

“Aw, really?” Ino questions. She glances up at Sai’s face, and then back down at the box. She opens it to see a beautiful silver necklace with a teardrop-shaped sapphire in the center; her birthstone. Whether Sai knew that or whether it was a lucky guess, Ino isn’t sure. She briefly thinks to ask if Sakura helped Sai pick the piece out before thinking better of it. “You’re so sweet! Let’s go on a date!”

“Wait, what?” Sai blinks.

“Dad,” Ino calls out, turning to where she knows her father is working on cultivating plants in the very back of the shop. She yells at the man over the back counter as she hurriedly clasps her new necklace around her neck. “I’ve gotta go, can you come take over and close?”

“I’ll be there in a second, honey, go on ahead!”

With her work day over, Ino grabs Sai by the hand and drags him out of the shop into the cool evening air.

Kakashi Hatake doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Or, he hasn’t in a long, long time.

He remembers when he was little, he would wake up to a big teddy bear and chocolates on the table beside his tiny bed, left by his father. When he got older and his father passed away, Kushina and Minato were kind enough to let him tag along on their Valentine’s dates- and Rin would shower him with gifts. Now, since all of them have passed, he’s spent every Valentine’s Day alone.

This year, however, he’s ready to move on. Maybe it’s stupid, but he’s developed feelings for Yamato since the younger man was discharged from Anbu. He’s convinced himself for months that it would go terribly if he acted on them, and that it’s not a good time, but when have times ever been good for either of them?

He returns from a mission just past eight and rushes to Yamanaka Flowers right as they’re closing. He sees Inoichi starting to lock the door when he arrives, and thankfully, the man is kind enough to open the door and sell him the last bouquet in the store; some sad, wilting white roses that are in such poor condition that there’s a discount on them.

As pitiful as the poor things are, he figures they’re better than nothing- that and Yamato is so good at caring for plants that he hopes the man will be able to bring them back from the brink.

He takes himself and the bouquet to Yamato’s apartment and stands on the balcony just outside of the man’s sliding glass door. He peers into the kitchen to see Yamato sat at the kitchen table with a bouquet of red tulips and pink dahlias in a glass vase and a pen in his hand. There’s probably five crumpled up pieces of paper on the floor and ten more on the table as Yamato sits there trying to write whatever it is he’s working on. Based on the flowers and the pretty pink envelope, Kakashi can only guess that it’s a love letter. Then, his gaze softens when he notices a ribbon tied around the vase of flowers with a note attached; to Kakashi, it reads.

“God, I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Yamato groans, crumpling up the paper in front of him and tossing it to the floor again. When he glances over to the sliding door, he notices Kakashi through the glass and jumps. “O-Oh, Senpai!”

“Tenzo,” Kakashi greets, quickly sliding the door open. He considers scolding Yamato for leaving it unlocked before thinking better of it. “Good to see you, as always.”

“I told you to stop calling me that.”

“Fine, then, Yamato,” Kakashi waltzes in and slides the door closed behind him with the bouquet of white roses still in hand. Immediately, a large black cat with one eye comes and rubs itself against Kakashi’s legs. He bends down just far enough to pet the animal and smiles when they arch their back into Kakashi’s touch. “I didn’t know you had a cat. What’s its name?”

“Uh,” Yamato struggles to get any words out as he rushes to throw all the abandoned letters in his kitchen trash can. The cat leaves Kakashi’s side and paws at a paper ball, which they then proceed to chase and slap around the kitchen floor. “His name’s Scarecrow. He sort of kept breaking in through my window, and he didn’t have a microchip or collar, so I just let him in and kept him.”

“Scarecrow, huh? That’s cute,” Kakashi grins, then, in a moment of bravery, holds the bouquet out to his friend- hopefully future lover. “Happy Valentine’s Day. Sorry it’s not the nicest- by the time I got there, they were closing and Inoichi didn’t have much left except for these.”

“Senpai… You really shouldn’t gift people bouquets like this unless you want them to get the wrong idea,” Yamato says with a sheepish smile as he unwraps the bouquet from the paper and gently places it with the flowers he seems to have bought for Kakashi in the glass vase on the table.

“And what would ‘the wrong idea’ mean?” Kakashi asks, leaning against the kitchen counter.

“Well, you know-” Yamato, seemingly flustered, covers his face with his hands- but Kakashi can see that the tips of his ears are bright red. “If you give people things like this… They might assume that you have feelings for them.”

Kakashi walks up to Yamato and pulls the man’s hands away from his face.

“Well, that would be the right idea.”

“You-” Yamato pauses, his big brown eyes going wide. “Are you messing with me?”

“Not at all,” Kakashi answers, then gestures to the paper-filled trash can, the flowers, and the empty envelope on the kitchen table. “And if this whole mess is anything to go by, I’m assuming you have feelings for me, too?”

“I, uh, yeah. You’d be correct.”

“I’m glad, then.”

Yamato allows his eyes to fall shut and lets out what appears to be a sigh of relief.

“I stopped by the flower shop, too, I just… Was having trouble bringing them to you,” Yamato frowns as he looks at the flowers on the table. “At first, I thought they weren’t enough, so I spent the rest of the day looking for a good gift to go with them, but I couldn’t find anything- and then, I thought I could make something, or write you something, and well… That didn’t work out.”

“Don’t worry about it. The flowers by themselves are perfect. I’m just sad we didn’t do this earlier if we both felt this way,” Kakashi laughs and moves the vase from the table to the window sill so the flowers can sit in sunlight. “I fully expected to come here and for you to Mokuton me out your window in a fit of blinding rage.”

“...Seriously?”

“Yeah. Why else do you think I waited so long? I’m usually not one to beat around the bush, I just… Hated to think about you spending today alone, and I was waiting for the right time, but the right time never came, so why not tell you tonight?”

“Well,” Yamato smiles and walks up to Kakashi. Much to Kakash’s surprise, Yamato wraps his arms around his waist, pulls him into a hug, and rests his forehead on his shoulder. Kakashi isn’t used to being touched like this, so his heart is pounding hard and slow against his chest as he slowly reaches forward to return the hug and hold Yamato close to his body. “Thank you… For saying something. I’m not sure I would’ve ever gathered the courage to. If you hadn’t come, these beautiful flowers would’ve probably stayed on my kitchen table and wilted…”

“I’m just glad you accepted my feelings,” Kakashi pulls back and rests a gloved hand on one of Yamato’s cheeks. “Why don’t we go on a date? Valentine’s Day isn’t over yet.”

“But it’s past nine,” Yamato argues. “As sweet as that is, Senpai, everywhere is going to be closed by now!”

“Ichiraku’s still open.”

“Then, sure. It’ll be my treat.”

“Oh, no,” Kakashi shakes his head and takes Yamato by the hand. “It’ll be mine. Now, let’s go.”

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waroferas · 9 months ago

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prances in here like a ponie :] i've seen you talk abt the others being the more insecure ones but what do you think is RED'S biggest insecurity/fatal flaw? i've always seen him as the one who's least concerned about how he's perceived. love, hero

EEEK THIS IS SO FUN !!! i have lots to say, but the Shortest answer i can give is that his flaw probably Is his low self-confidence/esteem, he just never had anything to lose in the first place so it manifests differently.

my brain dump of how i came to this conclusion below ^.^

just to be clear all this is spinning off of my own reading that red as ‘the emotional one’ is made up of lots of stuff that link Prime usually represses/heavily manages.

the main idea here is that green, blue, and vio’s fatal flaws are different flavors of the same inferiority complex, which makes all of them their own worst enemies. red is different because he doesn’t seem to show off any sort of deep-rooted complex. realistically? this is because he is the comedy relief in what is already an inherently silly comic. but if you want to take my hand and play and have fun with me, it’s the same issue. it’s simply harder to define because it’s not something of his own making.

you can learn a lot about a character from their lowest points, and i would say that red’s is in the temple of darkness. even on his solo mission he wasn’t engulfed in hopelessness the same way that he is in this sequence. to his knowledge green and vio are dead, while blue and him are trapped in the dark with a monster. he completely gives up.

he isn’t just upset at the prospect of people he cares about being lost, this is a Complete lack of confidence. green and vio are done and he and blue are as good as dead. the only way they make it out is blue showing his own self-confidence and giving red back that hope

there is something to be picked at here!! a character that is so used to being bullied naturally wouldn’t have a reputation to uphold, so why would he care about the way other people see him? he doesn’t have a complex that leads him to overcompensate. red, as the least valued color, is at peace with his own weakness because he’s only ever been told that his worst is his best.

something that i would really like to point out as a little bonus is that this Is resolved. he doesn’t really get this hopeless again, and by saving blue with his own skills he’s not only proven that he can be reliable to the others, he also proved it to himself. i won’t say that making a friend (and link Prime making peace between these polarizing fractions of himself) fixed him, but based on the way he plays around with blue for the rest of the manga i would say it helped. also it’s cute and i like it

to share my opinions further. this answer feels kind of cliche and i associate it with some cookie cutter characterization LOL. maybe next time i reread the manga i’ll come back to this post and do some review ^.^ but i’m confident its not a bastardized reading or some sort of reach as long as you remember that self esteem expresses itself in many different ways, and red has so much to bring to the table as a lovely and fun character.

#fsa #m #PHHHHHEW #thanks hero . god i hope this makes sense

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tired-enby-thats-obsessed · 2 months ago

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Unfinished Steampunk One Shot.

{This was something I wrote for a discord writing contest, the challenge was to keep it under 5,000 words. I never ended up finishing it, so I never submitted it. I'm posting it here so it doesn't rot with the rest of my unfinished excerpts, cos it's the most developed}

The smooth stone sat in the shadow of a large willow tree, once a vibrant force of its own, every spring it’s bloom would indicate the start of the season and bring colour to those visiting their loved one. Over the years however the rot in the ground had been absorbed by the roots and the trunk had withered, the branches started to cling to the ground, and it had not produced a single flower since the headstone had been placed in front of it.

Dr. Handerson stood at the unmarked headstone, the only homage to his wife’s achievements. Scaletta Handerson the woman that cured the plague, the first [placeholder]’s assistant to be awarded a [placeholder]. However, all of that and even her name was buried with her, or they would’ve been if the body was found.

He wasn’t a short man but was often called such next his late wife who was a charming six foot against his five eight. Under a full brimmed leather hat adorned with a pair of welding appropriate goggles, his rusty red hair was combed back. His eyes reflected a muddy pond, and the hard stone shape of his nose didn’t help the matter, even in a place like this he heard Scaletta admonishing him, ‘but love your eyes aren’t of mud but the shine of freshly lacquered wood’.

He wore his usual attire of brown slacks, a white dress shirt and a pin striped jacket of khaki and tan. He pulled out the ornate golden watch that was given to him on their 4th anniversary. It was engraved with lavender and rabbits. The time read half past eleven, the brass hands mocking him.

“Our time runs short once more my dearest. Hopefully after today I’ll be back with good news.”

With that he placed the bouquet down gently on the neglected plot. It was an arrangement of Red Spider Lilies, Orange Orchids, Black Roses, Laurestine, and Lavender, wrapped together with a black leather band and a golden pin engraved with The [placeholder] Academy’s insignia.

The city bustled around the small plot of land, it wasn’t like the main city’s cemetery, it was reserved for those like Scaletta, forgotten and left. As so the thin barrier between the dying grass and roughened cobble was a rusted wrought iron fence, it’s gate barely swung closed.

Handerson heard his feet as they tapped against the stone, he walked through the tight streets, brick houses cramped together, long glass windows of vibrant colours and snaking metal fixtures the only thing to differentiate one home from the other. They were large, tall complexes, where neighbours could speak with each other through the walls, the Handerson’s had the displeasure of living in these ghastly buildings during their pre-apprentice days.

The city merged from the ugly looking brick towers conjoined with iron lacing into truly ornate buildings. The brick work shaped and widened into flattering shapes for the heights of structures, some having various flowers or animals carved into the stone itself, windows made from a glistening crystal, a sight the city was famous for, manly artists travelled just to get a change to translate the spectacle to canvas. The Academy itself sat in the centre of it all. White peaks that seemed to connect the heaven to the earth where the world’s most brilliant minds to ticker. The large gates had an initial layer of brick that thick iron spouted from, intertwining itself and mingling to create the barrier. Large building that looked almost identical to the ones in the city were spread around for various purposes, their striking differences was the features of murals either painted or carved into the buildings themselves, most depicting common stories or origins of the landscape.

Handerson walked into a rare stout building, no second, third or fourth story just the first. Its roof could be seen from standing on the ground, a rare sight this far in. Its entire inside was exposed by the glass that made its primary structural integrity. The innards looked very much like a work shop he would see on campus, plans, half-built components, and displaced tools, the only oddity was, almost like the building itself was divided by some invisible force, the other half was a vibrant café. Handerson saw the man he had hired sat near that sharp cut, so he entered.

Despite the place doubling as a workshop, the air smelt of baked goods and sweets, not a whiff of oil or grease. He pulled out his watch, it ticked over to twelve o’clock as he did, he nodded and sat down in front of the man. He wore a black leather hat and was halfway through his meal of fresh bread and a muffin. The coffee to his side remained untouched.

“Bad coffee?”

“It tastes like they use the oil filter but can’t say a bad thing about the food.” The man had wiry black hair that patched across his face and framed it like a bush. His eyes were the same slick colour, his skin splotched through off shades of pink.

“And about Rhion?” Handerson only had so long before he had to be in front of the faculty and plead his case to remain a [placeholder].

The man brushed his hand on himself and shook his head. “Nothing to worry about my friend, she’s nosy and that will be dealt with during the surprise dorm inspection she has today, she’s also been out since mornin’ even if the bird had the chance to find it there’s no way she could get rid of it in time.” Handerson let his shoulders drop and fixed his tie. “It’s for the best anyway, she’s been snooping in all sorts of things, been causing trouble for all of us, she’s not cut out for this business.” Handerson simply nodded, usually he would’ve absconded someone insulting his apprentice, but that would do nothing productive now.

“Thank you dearly for your help, but I have a letter of potential reprimand to appeal.”

“Like I said she had it coming, hate to see people like her get the praise after what happened to your Scaletta.”

“Agreed.” Handerson said sharply and saw his associate shrink without another word.

Before the bold gates of the campus the track scarred the land, a trench with evenly spaced indents for the gear like wheels of the trains to run through without interruption, the whistle could be heard in the distance, Handerson didn’t have the time to wait so he simply crossed the two-metre divide in long measured and quick paces. After reaching safety he pulled out his watch once more, those brass hands pointed ever closer to his deadline of half past one.

The large tower stood above him, on the other side of the courtyard, adored with thousands of blooming roses and lilies he saw a group of people, their red hats and pinstripe coats told him exactly who they were, his limbs softened as he entered the men’s tower.

Despite his nerves being momentarily settled he made his way up the steps two at a time, until the sight of his named carved into a wooden door met his gaze, he threw it open and slammed it shut.

The state of it told him undeniably that it had been rummaged through, stacks of files unaligned, papers scattered, devices and parts moved, tools off their racks. He marched towards his desk. Unlocked the second last drawer from the floor. It opened to nothing. He then pulled the entire thing out, along with the bottom drawer and saw the small lock attached to the ground itself. It glinted in the light. He pulled out his watch and flicked through each key connected to the chain until he found the right one. With a quick turn and pull a small hatch clicked open.

There was a stack of documents, photos, plans, and a small prototype, on one of the folders in neat print was the name ‘Scaletta Handerson.’ He slammed the hatch shut and placed his drawers back into place and looked around the room.

It was a fairly large workshop as he was a senior [placeholder], from where he stood a small bed could be seen hanging from two separate work desks. He walked over to the hammock and ruffled through the bedding. It was empty. He opened various drawers, all empty. He slammed his fist onto the desk. Essential plans had been striped, parts taken and tools stolen, he wasn’t worried about their whereabouts he knew he would see it all again in due time.

Handerson made his way back down the spire and opened the door into the burning sun, it scorched his clothing. He lowered his brim to stop the light from blinding him. At the woman’s tower he saw that many students had now gathered as law enforcement sectioned off the area. Handerson didn’t have time to gawk at the scene and instead made a beeline towards a rather elegant office. Like most of the other buildings it was a single story, with a circular roof made of the same brick the rest of the structure was. At its rear a larger attachment, closer to three stories tall, with the same style of roof, and notable windowless but still decorated in murals. The entire thing was a dull rose pink as opposed to the white and reds of the other bricks. The occasional column draped down from the roof. All the engravings and murals mirrored the flower garden in front of it, among the entrance large bay windows adorned the sides of a meticulously carved wooden door.

He entered and the space opened into a spacious foyer, the bays of the windows decorated for guest seating in push cushions. Each had a table in front for tea or other beverages. On the other side on the bay windows were multiple desks, most had a staff member seated, in the centre a large door that led to the back room. As he arrived a staff member placed various small cakes and finger sandwiches.

“Oh Dr. Handerson.” She stopped, she wore a dark blue hat and plain coat, a white dress shirt and a skirt that had a white and light blue striped pattern. It contrasted well with her dark skin. Tightly curled hair poured from under her brim, her eyes glistened like opals, in many ways she was different from Scaletta but just as stunning.

“Dr. Mandelman.” Handerson tipped his hat. “I regret being a stranger-“

“No no, enough of that nonsense.” She placed the final plate and waved her hand dismissively at him. “It take two to start a conversation after all, and with my new job as admin I am no less busy than you have been.” Her hands rested behind her back, and she stood straight. “Especially since another one of your appetences has filed for a reprimand.” Her friendly demeanour evaporated, and he stepped back just a little, even considered fetching another admin to help with his query.

“That’s why you’re really here isn’t it?” He could only nod at her. “I tolerate you Dr. Handerson, I will not speak ill of the dead and her choices, but I can do so of the living.” She gestured him toward the front desk. He almost ran, the chance to break himself away from Mandelman’s searing eyes brought temporary relief.

She moved behind him gracefully, if not for her heavy boots, she was almost silent as she strode behind the desk. To their left was the heavy door where two security guards sat. The few people on campus allowed to have weaponry on them and allowed to break dress code. They didn’t wear hats, nor coats. The man was in a dress shirt and black pants, a large knife hung from his side. The woman opposite wore the same, but had a small firearm, and a sack he assumed was for the loading equipment.

“What would you like?” His attention was brough back to the woman in front of him. He sat back in his seat and clasped his hands together.

“I request a copy of the certificate that states I have the legal right to hold possession of Scalet’a's legal research and fill out a statement of stolen property.”

Mandelman nodded and opened a drawer. She flicked through various sheets of paper and placed a form in front of him as well as a rectangular box.

“Do make sure you fill out the form correctly but swiftly Dr. Handerson.” She pulled out her own pocket watch, a gorgeous silver. “You only have half an hour before your appeal and it would be a shame for you to lose your position on such petty matters, surely Scaletta would scold you from beyond the grave.”

He stood upright suddenly and pushed his mass over the table, steadied as his hands slammed against the wood, she barely flinched and gestured for him to look around. The guards eyed him, and the other staff stiffened. She brought his attention back with a flick of her hand.

“Is something the matter Dr.” She raised a brow, and he slowly sat back down scowling at her, his nails bit his palms as he placed them back into his lap.

“You knew nothing of her, your invitation to the funeral was for pleasantries only, you would do well to remember your place.” He said in a hushed tone and wanted to rise once more at her amused scoff.

“As would you.” She said and strode passed the guards into the back room. He wanted to follow but knew it would lead to his arrest.

He sat to himself but could feel the stare of the room on him. He opened the box to a quill and closed pot of ink. He gently placed down the ink and popped the cork to the vial. The form asked him many questions, most importantly a list of missing contents. He had to think carefully as he wrote down numerous items, if this was filed today, he could suspend almost every piece of evidence Rhion could have against him. He looked up as heard the door open. Mandelman stood with a folder in her hands.

“This has been signed and dated by the head professor and co-signed by the chief guard and myself to authenticate it as an official copy of the document in question, please sign to confirm it is the correct document you wanted copied.”

He snatched the paper from her hand, and she sat, the smirk still on her faced mocked him, he had to open the folder just to stop himself from saying anything. He made sure to read the entire document and the list of contents he had a legal right too, if anything Rhion stole was missing it would look worse from him.

He finally signed and laid it open for the ink to dry.

“Is that all?” He looked up at her, faux innocence dripped from her features.

“Of course not!” He pushed the form forward. “I want that filed.” She looked over it.

“I can’t do that.”

He calmed himself with a breath, before he whipped out his watch, he knew she was doing this on purpose. “Why?’ He pressed; anger bubbled in his tone.

“Because my shift has officially ended Dr. Handerson.”

“I need you to do this.”

“I know, but your conduct has earnt you no favours from me.”

“I’ll ruin your career. You ought to know your place” He seethed at her. She smiled and stood, her suitcase in her hands.

“And so should a man of your position.” With that she walked over to the door once more and disappeared behind it.

Handerson looked at his watch and back to his report. He looked around and saw a man in the same attire as Mandelman, except his skirt was floor length. Handerson collected his things in a scrambled manner and placed everything on the desk in front of the man. He barely looked up, reading over the page in his hands.

“I’m sorry Dr. Handerson was it?” Handerson went to speak but was cut off with a sharp wave and pointed look. “I will not be processing anything for you at this time, nor will anybody here-“

“That is entirely unacceptable.”

“No what was unacceptable was your threats towards Dr. Mandelman, and they won’t work on me either, in fact I would tread very carefully if I were you, because if your apprentice Rhion were to make a visit here, she would immediately have more evidence for that appeal she’s making in front of the board.”

Handerson shoved the papers into his own case and glared at the seated man. He would deal with everyone in here at a separate date, even if it meant the academy was without admin for months.

He opened the door to the outside. The large central garden that welcomed visitors was to his left, as well at the towers that banked it. He could still see law enforcement, dressed very similar to the guards, the only notable difference was the gleaming metal that adorned shirts and the very rare coats. To his right were wide paths coupled with short buildings each having their own purpose. Some wide and fat, others just enough space for the singular use that was held within. All were merely draped in front of the heart of the campus. It was almost as impressive the city’s parliament. An audacious thing, gleamed of white marble and bleached brick. It’s roofs all circular with columns that fell and splashed on the ground, at least 15 meters from the columns to the exterior walls. The main entrance consisted of two large oaken doors, they curved into an arch, and like so many others on campus they were engraved with various plant life and animals. On the front side framed windows between every gap the columns left. Security dotted nearly every empty space.

Handerson approached briefcase in hand and head held high. He took out his watch to avoid eye contact with those around him, barely able to keep a gentle hand while holding it. His steps were needlessly heavy, even with the stone’s tendency to enhance them.

The interior space was just as impressive, the foyer was less a place to welcome guests but an exercise in making one feel small, with its high roof and wide empty area, doors flooded every side, and only two desks complimenting the entrance for the receptionists offered seating. Handerson walked over to one of the staff, she was wearing the standard blue attire of her position.

“Arriving as Dr. Handerson.”

She pulled out a ledger and scanned through it, her eyes flicked back up at him ever so often before they went back to the list.

“You are aware while arrival at any time before hearings is allowed it’s standard to arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time.” Her face was void of emotion and voice not more expressive.

“And lecturing me won’t make the process any faster.” He said.

“Very well.” She closed the ledger with a snap and clasped her hands on top of it. “I need to see ID and the served papers.”

Handerson gestured his hands at her in a clawed motion before he huffed and opened his case with two soft clicks. He lunged his hand forwards to stop the papers from spilling. He rummaged through, finding the call to appear for the potential reprimand and his certificate of achieving [placeholder]. He whipped the pages at her, and she slowly plucked them from his hand. He tapped his foot while he held the open case.

She nodded and handed them back. “You’re in room 34, if you take the forth door on your left-“

He slammed his case shut. “I know where I’m going thank you.” He dipped his head forward barely avoiding a scowl before he stamped his feet towards his destination.

He wound his way through the halls at a light jog, he threw open the door to his waiting room, and didn’t bother to close it with any delicacy. It was so different from the entrance, the floor a worn wood, walls in a dull dark moss, and seating that was simply wooden benches suited to the garden. He sat down with two guards that watched his every move. He sat across from the two women, next to [name]

One was Rhion sat in her green hat and coat, almost blended into the wall, unlike most she wore a black shirt, and pants as opposed to the white most were expected to wear. Although he admittedly that the white would only make her look paler against her already white skin. Her hair was tied back into a bun and only the light brown strands that escaped to her face could be seen from under her hat. Her eyes were the same brown of manure. She was a lot bulkier than most women and the muscle that she earnt from constantly lifting heavy objects would look like fat to those that were ignorant on such things.

Handerson however was a lot more surprised to see her accomplice. Another one of his previous apprentices. A woman named Torin. She was a small thing, meek, timid and Handerson knew she was only here on Rhion’s request, she could barely keep herself from the foetal position in the silence of this room. She had gained a measurable amount of weight from when Handerson had last saw her, but she still carried the same beauty she had while his subordinate. She was wearing a white hat with a black ribbon, white shirt and pleated skirt, and a black coat. She hadn’t even kept her rank as student [placeholder]. Her eyes were a deep blue, and dusty brown hair draped from every which way, it spilt from the brim of her hat like a valve released pressure. She looked darker compared to Rhion, but that was an easy feat.

He stared at both. Rhion gave him the same bitter look in kind, Torin had an undefeated interest in the woodworking beneath their feet.

“How was your morning? Rhion.” He smiled and placed his case in his lap, hers sat neatly by her feet.

“Hmm, random inspection, but I have a feeling you knew that.”

“Oh, with the accusations already.” He placed a hand on his chest. “How cruel.”

“Quite.” She simply bit.

The door to the hall opened once more and Handerson nearly jumped from his seat at the site of Mandelman.

“What are you doing here?” He pointed a finger at her. She simply adjusted her coat and shrugged.

“I was asked to give a witness statement; I thought you would’ve been able to put that together Doctor.” She sat down with the other women, the tension washed from Rhion and flooded over Handerson. He swallowed and sat with the case in his lap and watched as his hands interlocked, separated and interlocked again.

Handerson jumped as the door opposite the hall popped open. A woman in a violet dress and black coat ushered them all in.

The room was large, at the front was a large stand, the judge sat in, made of a lightly coloured study hard wood, beside it a smaller witness stands. Two rows of seats lead up with a narrow walkway. Handerson made his way to the left-hand desk, and peered over to the right, all three women from the waiting room and a fourth he didn’t recognise, but she also wore a violet dress that draped all the way to the floor.

The judge was an older woman, her robes were a deep purple with black stripes that flowed down, and Handerson immediately felt his odds further outweigh him, he just knew Mandelman had set this whole thing up.

She pulled out some papers. “Be seated.” She muttered and Handerson compelled himself to sit.

The judge cracked her neck and let out a hum.

“Dr Handerson, this is the fourth attempt at a letter of reprimand on your file.” She peered down at him; her pale blue eyes scanned him as her talons wrapped around the piece of paper in her hands.

“Yes, your honour.” He chocked out through the saliva that built in his throat.

She hummed again. “And Apprentice Rhion, your dorm was found with illegal contraband just an hour before trial.”

“Yes, that is the case your honour.” She said with a solemn face. Handerson gripped the table at his hands.

That should’ve thrown this entire case out, why were they still here? He thought as he scanned the room.

“Do you have the record of yesterday’s dorm inspection Rhion?” Handerson fell his stomach roll up to his chest as he looked at the woman next to him.

Why hadn’t that moron told me there was an inspection yesterday? Is he trying to set me up.

“I do.” Rhion opened her case, and slowly shuffled through the papers, Handerson took a deep breath in with each paper placed down and let that breath out with the next that was picked up.

She has no idea that was me, I’m fine, I just have to get through this the old-fashioned way.

He saw the paper exchange hands and watched the judge intently. He could feel the watch in his jacket tick by.

#original fiction #original writing #steampunk #fiction #excerpt #short story #unfinished #cliffhanger

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