#Pretty Protector Protagonist

[starryknight-dragonarts]

I have been following along with Truegreen7's series on Youtube where he and 3 other Fakemon artists get together to design a new pokemon based on the same prompt. This Prompt was: Pretty, Protector, Protagonist

I started my prompt with the word "Protagonist", what animal and type would I want to see be a Protagonist? Well as evident by my love of Charizard and Salazzle I really like Hot Lizards so I would go for a Fire type Lizard! They are meant to be Feminine but I don't just want to copy Salazzle's look so I decided to go with a different body type to emphasize her strength, if Salazzle is a Glass Cannon of Special attack then this pokemon would be a Tank that can take a hit and give it back.

I decided to base mine off of the Marine Iguana, native to the Galapagos islands, they spend most of their time basking on hot rocky beaches to build up heat and energy to then go diving in the cold pacific ocean and graze on sea plants so Fire/Water type seemed perfect. They prefer being warm on land but they have adapted to a semi aquatic lifestyle. Another fun fact about Marine Iguanas that is relevant to this is that when they feed on sea plants they also end up swallowing some sea water and have to get rid of the salt somehow so they projectile sneeze the salt out their nose which is why their faces often look white and have salt crystals built up on their heads. I imagine this pokemon has a signature move where it fires hot salty steam out of it's big round snout that has a damage over time effect like Salt Cure.

Marine Iguanas are not what people often consider traditionally beautiful looking, Famous naturalist Charles Darwin called them: "Hideous looking creature, of a dirty black colour, stupid, and sluggish" and then spent time picking them up from the beach and throwing them in the ocean to watch them swim back…this obviously is now very illegal. Thank you for your contributions to Natural Science Darwin, you also married your first cousin!

Personally I think they are very cool looking like something reminiscent of prehistoric times, while usually a black volcanic color sometimes Marine Iguanas bear a mix of Red and Teal which looks majestic. I figured the pre-evolution should look small, cute, and like something you would want to protect but has the potential to be strong. Mariguna is a fun loving child who loves to play on the beach. When they go swimming they make a bubble jet from the heat vents on their hands and feet to propel them through the water. Mariguna sometimes get picked on by bigger pokemon so they stick around their much larger evolution for protection.

Then Mariguna becomes Ambroyroar, a Big Sunbaking Beach Babe with scales that make it look like she is wearing a Bikini, and has muscles like a powerlifter, not a traditional feminine aesthetic but very beautiful nonetheless. They spend most of their time laying on the beach and up on rocky cliffs by the sea basking in the sun and building up heat. If anybody messes with their Mariguna then they are ready to move and fight at any moment using the heat Vents on their hands and feet to inflict burns on enemies.

[destroyingangelzzz]

Some older fakemon designs that have held up pretty well.

The first was an older starter concept that ended up being a combination rainbow mantis shrimp/ghost shrimp. I’d want to imrpove the form and shape of the pincers

The second was me following along with the truegreen7 four artists videos. The “Pretty, Protector, Protagonist” prompt. It was gonna have a second stage that furthered those concepts but I mostly just wanted to make a golden snub-nosed monkey pokemon

The last was for a small fan pokemon design contest, based on deers/deer ticks (and to a lesser extent, CWD, but research that with caution, its a disturbing disease that effects deer, elk, etc). Thats what the green orbs are supposed to represent, but it’s bit vague without animation to help. But i loved the palette, shape and context, and I had an evo planned for it as well. The sketches below

[thatbookgirl1118]

I cannot for the life of me find the original post (tumblr is a hellsite) but this was sent in an atla gc:

@the-badger-mole

and tbh i always kinda felt like kataang was weird exactly because of that one-sidedness??? like there's one episode of katara maybe sort-of seeing aang as a love interest (when the fortune teller tells her she'll marry a powerful bender), but then the rest of the show is her being passive in the relationship or actively pushing aang away (like their second kiss). and then at the end she just randomly decided "okay i like you i guess."

whereas aang got a bunch of pining moments and you actually believed he was in love with katara.

and most of their relationship was about how she helped aang - he did contribute to her character development over the course of the series especially as a bender of course but it didn't feel as emotionally/spiritually deep as katara's literal one episode sidequest with zuko.

but then someone else wrote "I would argue the opposite? Kataang is where Katara choose the peaceful nomad which subverts the trope presented where zutara is where she chooses the strong protector/combatant. Aang as a character is a subversion of the typical hero while zutara is like,,, coloniser romance idk"

and honestly... i kinda get that. aang was problematic in a lot of ways, but he was definitely a subversive protagonist, and i can see the power of allowing the woman to choose the pacifist vegetarian over the extremely obviously hot jock badboy. this is an incredible oversimplification of their characters of course, but the point stands.

Basically, Kataang is the ship we all logically want - the sweet, friendship-based, seemingly subversive one. But Zutara is the one that actually makes sense in the story, with these characters, not their tropes. Aang is subversive, but he and Katara are also kind of terrible for each other - he isn't mature or selfless enough for Katara, who needs someone to force her to take care of herself because she's always the one taking care of everyone else (wonder what that's like). That's why she and Zuko are so perfect, because he not only takes care of her, he makes HER prioritize herself. Aang... does not. He's pretty selfish, which yes is partially due to his immaturity (I personally don't count Korra as canon because it treated ALL the og characters terribly so I'm speaking purely from his 12 yo self), but it's also just a basic incompatibility thing. And Katara is actually equally bad for Aang - she enables him waaay too much, and he needs someone who doesn't. Who forces him to stand up on his own two feet and take responsibility. She's too much of a mother, and her relationship with Aang is too mother/older sister-ish.

With Zuko, on the other hand? Katara started out HATING him, forcing him to prove himself to her instead of handing him everything she had like she tended to do with Aang and Sokka. He had to earn her care, and as a result he appreciates it way more and demands way less of it. He's a far less selfish character generally for the same reasons, and is much more mature/has a better understanding of life and gray areas. Southern Raiders is a great example of this - he's down for whatever Katara decides because he understands that there's no one right answer, unlike Aang who simply preaches forgiveness. I'm not necessarily attacking Aang about that either - I do believe that grudges eat away at a person, and taking a life does haunt you, so forgiveness isn't necessarily bad advice. But it's not what Katara needed. Aang is great as a friend, but I don't think he's what Katara needs from a romantic partner. Zuko just... is.

[itz-pandora]

do you have a list for your swap au and who everyone’s swapped with (and possibly designs)? I’d like to see them so I could quite possibly fanart them🫶

OH OFC ILL PROVIDE EVERYTHING I HAVE!

Shadow and Sonic are swapped with each other! These are their designs.

Shadow is the protagonist, and he's usually reserved and introverted. He wants to help who he can, which is why he fights against Maria.

Sonic's got DNA from Chaos, so he's got a ton of funky attributes to play around with (he is almost only made of water, he has water manipulation abilities, stuff like his tongue & blood is water (glowy tho!), and he can't get injured in a regular way. You can scroll through my Sonic swap AU tag to see thesecon action!) He's a chaotic neutral who's always looking for an adrenaline rush, he tends to lean towards people who could give him that, or people who he has compassion for (like Maria). He still cannot swim LMAO

Rouge and Tails are swapped! I don't have a design for Tails yet though.

Rouge is Shadow's older sister figure and she's the extroverted one of the two (so their dynamic is more like Rouge is Sonic and Shadow is Tails). I haven't gotten everything down for her just yet, but I want to keep her Jewel enjoyment and sass.

Tails works for GUN before briefly working for Maria. He keeps Sonic in check for a while. He's serious and pretty much the opposite of Sonic. Think kinda like Nine!

Silver and Amy are swapped!

Silver is the annoying but sweet younger friend, kinda clingy but everyone would keep him safe. His weapon is a slingshot and he has incredible aim, if you gave this kid an actually dangerous weapon, that'd be scary. Also he's got a great intuition and ppl swear he's clairvoyant (he's not LOL)

Amy comes from the future and has psychokinesis AND a hammer! She has to use her psychokinesis to actually swing her hammer since it's HEAVY. She tries to find joy in her situation, but she's a bit jaded from her time in the future. (She's more confident and upbeat than canon silver tho)

Maria is swapped with Eggman! But He doesn't have a design yet.

Maria was still raised on the ARK, but she was raised there alongside Ivo. She was fascinated with Project Sonic, and she had therapy in the ARK that helped her with her illness, but after her grandfather was killed and the ARK was shut down, she had to live with her illness afflicting her worse than before.

Ivo (Eggman) is actually more swapped with the GUN commander tbh, was raised alongside Maria, and after the raid on the ARK, he ended up blaming the inhabitants of the ARK (making Sonic and forcing him to be there during the raid) and ended up joining GUN as the lead engineer. Him and Maria get a "cousin rivalry" because of it.

Blazd and Knuckles are swapped with each other! (Not 100% on Blaze's design yet tho)

Blaze is the guardian of the Master Emerald, and she uses her claws to fight. She's very skilled and nimble, so she's a difficult opponent. She's a stoic girl with a heart of gold.

Knuckles is the protector of the Sol Emeralds, and he has fire powers (something something he ate the Sol Dimension Iblis something something ♪ the flames of disaster ♪) he's a proud warrior, the struggles to ask for help, since he's used to being strong enough to do everything alone.

Another swap I haven't drawn yet is Cream and Big.

I also don't have ideas for most other things so feel free to suggest anything 💕

[toaskello]

Today seems like a good day to ramble about my favorite bit of imagery in all of Bionicle, and that would be the twin eclipse in Legends of Metru Nui.

To start, let's recap a bit. Our protagonists, the Matoran and friends, live on a tropical island. The deity they worship is the Great Spirit Mata Nui, a vague, godlike figure cast into unending slumber by his jealous brother. We never see this entity, although he is often represented with symbols like the Kanohi Hau or a rock with etched details representing an abstraction of that mask. Similarly, we never see him do anything, as he is sleeping. All we know is that the village elders say he was benevolent and good.

The first major plot twist in Bionicle comes when the Matoran travel underground and find their original home: a large cavernous dome with an island city surrounded by a vast silver sea. Despite being underground, twin suns are visible in the sky, frozen in a partial eclipse.

The next year of Bionicle is a flashback, taking place on this island city while Mata Nui is awake and the suns are shining bright. Mata Nui himself and his actions are still seemingly nowhere to be seen.

Tragedy strikes at the end of the year when Mata Nui's jealous brother infects him with a virus and sends him into his slumber while the twin suns eclipse. With the limited information about the true nature of Mata Nui we had in 2004, this always seemed to be a rather on-the-nose metaphor. The Great Spirit who watches over the Matoran falls asleep and the suns overhead eclipse in a manner that makes them look like closing eyes. He can no longer protect the Matoran from the eternal shadow like he once did.

Fast forward four years and the big reveal that all of Bionicle had been building up to is finally made known. The Great Spirit Mata Nui was a metallic colossus in which the Matoran resided. The island city was his brain, the silver sea his cerebrospinal fluid, the dome his skull. The suns, as it so happens, actually are his eyes. But importantly, the eyes are not looking down on the Matoran - they are looking up, away from them.

Mata Nui, as it so happens, was rather unconcerned with the inner workings of his body. He wasn't malicious, but he cared about his people as much as you and i care about our sesamoid bones. Do you know how many you have and where? Probably not. His major character arc going forward is recognizing this and, after being humbled into a puny (7-foot-tall) humanoid, learning to care and respect other beings, even those he would usually consider beneath him.

The reason I love this shot so much is that it works perfectly for both views of Mata Nui: the Matoran interpretation of an idyllic protector who banishes shadows from his place in the heavens, and the giant robot with people in his brain who is preoccupied with observing space. The perception of this scene changes as our understanding of both the biology and personality of Mata Nui are revealed throughout the story.

Like, they made a movie for a toy with this shot that you would have to go back and watch four years later to fully appreciate. And IDK, I think it's pretty cool.

[bodegadulac]

What did you think of the first phase of the WCU?

Hmmm, you know what. I'm reviewing it.

First of all Dragon from 2008, the movie that started it all.

I liked:

●Seeing her origin, how newfoundland fell and her sheer sense of powerlessness before triggering.

●The evolution from her first crude suit to a more regined dragon armor.

●I liked RDJ as Collin, i was very happed they picked up his stinger for the sequel.

●Teacher was a pretty good villain, hapoy they didn't kill him off.

What i didn't like:

●Gwynnet Paltrow's character was unnecesary, why would dragon need a secretary???

●It doesn't get how to make you feel stakes when the protag is an IA

●Terrence Howard as Rennick is just there, and how they changed the actor in the next film left a sour taste.

7/10

Then you have Lung: Dragon of Kyushu.

What can i say that hasn't been said yet? I was skeptic for them reimagining Lung as a hero but it just works.

I like how it set up Leviathan as the overarching villain of the phase, i like how it has that runaway vibe with Kenta running from the Yangban.

The CGI of his fight against Seven was pasable, and the post credit scene with Zero planning to hunt him down went nowhere. But idc, it was overall pretty good. 9/10

I would have killed for another Lung movie.

The ugly duckling of Phase 1, Dragon 2.

I honestly liked it more than the first one, Saint and the dragon slayers are an actual threat that works.

Dragons own issues with her nature are explored in a neat way.

I liked the teacher plot twist at the end, that he had been manipulating saint.

And please tell me the scene of Dragon and Armsmaster killing the Dragonslayers didn't fuck.

8/10, fun watch.

Theo my beloved. Golem fucked so much man.

A coming of age story about a young man leaving his nazi family behind.

It kind of gets completely interrumpted by the Slaughterhouse nine tbh.

Like i get you are building up a cinematic universe but having some guy show up, say "i will come back on a couple years and kill everybody and thats on you" and fuck off wasn't terribly great.

But the final fight against Hookwolf as a middlepoint between the nazi family subplot and the slaughterhouse 9 subplot worked.

6/10

I don't like flashback movies in big cinematic universes. Sometimes they feel like they don't mean a thing on the long term because most characters are dead so they won't affect that comes later.

Miss Millitia: the first ward shutted me up.

Hanah is a fucking great protagonist, all of the first wards are great.

I loved her bromance with mouse protector, i cried when she died.

What the fuck is Hugo Weaving playing Allfather????

Overall i feel like this is the best out of the Phase.

10/10

It all came to it. Protectorate from 2012.

Leviathan was pretty built up from Lung and Dragon so it felt like it worked. Jack felt pretty tacked on tbh.

I like how it sets up Scion as this cameo total force of good that can't affect the plot. Wonder what they will do with him.

I didn't like that Collin set a fucking nuke towards new york. I hope there are consecuences for this in the future.

Liked how director Armstrong got to assemble the tram through the movies.

I don't know how to feel about Blue Flechette, apparently her first costume in the comics was like that? Idk.

Scarlett Johansen as Queen aka Emily Piggot from the PRT was cool.

Honestly that what Protectorate is. Cool.

Even if that bastard Jack escaped at the end of the movie.

8/10

[alanaartdream]

Ok my adhd brain doesn’t want to sleep until I draw my Fairy Timmy (with the Nicktoons unite gang) having to deal with grown up Dale hitting on him because

@jaytalking Fairy Timmy au inspired @bunnieswithknives to draw Dale’s one sided love with their fairy Timmy design and I couldn’t stop laughing and giggling seeing a Adult Jimmy Neutron being oooh so mad at dale for trying to get with Timmy in my mind

As you can see I had to sketch it out

Now peri and Jimmy are planning Dale’s demise as we speak while Danny and SpongeBob are wondering if they should help Timmy to get away from this Dale Creep

I kinda want to draw Jimmy with his hair down but figured people might not recognise Jimmy without his classic hairstyle ^^;

Also why Danny drawn as a beefcake here? (Or my attempt at drawing a adult beefcake Danny) well Bustch up on his YouTube channel has given up some drawings/ stories information on what adult Danny Sam and Trucker would be and apparently they’re a incredible ghost hunting team in their future; Sam And Danny get Married & Tucker ends up mayor/ president of their town/ city aaaannnddd because of all the ghost fighting Danny been doing for YEARS he becomes very fit and ripped (( can someone tell me why But h likes to make his male protagonist grow up to be big beefcakes? Because it seems to be a trend with him))

Also I heard someone say that butch once said he wanted to Make Danny Fenton/ phantom and Timmy Turner Cousins but didn’t go through with that idea because that would’ve been pretty good idea AND would explain why A) Timmy and Danny kinda look alike a bit and B) Timmy’s crazy lazy and very dumb birth parents where kinda obsessed with ghost hunting in their past before they had Timmy (but they were SO OO bad at it I mean they way of fighting ghosts was to blow up the house the ghosts were hunting and they blew up everyone’s house and got chased to the other side of town and had to change their names.. Danny & Danny’s parents would be horrified learning there was ghost hunters this bad out there)

Also I was gonna go with Danny saying

*do you see this shit SpongeBob* but then thought no way would Danny swear around his emotional support sponge 🧽

Also in my fairy Timmy can’t stand Dale either

And being as Wanda & Cosmo knows Timmy did want to grow his hair out but his birth father never LET him and would always cut it short if he was to be adopted by them and raised with Peri/poof then I’d know Timmy would grow his hair out and keep it in a ponytail as a fairy adult so it’s why my fairy Timmy has long hair

Danny being as he’s fighting ghosts all the time and being as Butch has said Sam & Danny get married and have 2 kids who inherit Ghost powers but a little different from their Dad he most likely doesn’t want his hair too long and it might just be a little long but not long enough to tie up being as he most likely needs to look professional being the city’s ghost protector/ fighter and likely doesn’t want his hair to bother him while he fights ghosts

Just my own experience being as I work for a hospital and had my hair short before to try to keep it from bothering me during a hot summer working week but thanks to being busy and some lockdowns it’s back to being long now but I understand keeping a hold city and raising kids means yo have no time dealing with long hair so mostly try to keep it shortish

Anyway thank you for enjoying my silly au ideas and drawings it’s been fun to draw them down

[tinycurlyfry]

I don't get it ngl . Why would the author give every single side character some set of chapters exploring everything about their past & fleshing out everything about them & giving them centric arcs with the conflict revolving around them while Sakura" the protagonist"barely get one chapter focus on him alone/ the conflict of every arc doesn't revolve around him . Very disappointing treatment for Sakura from the author!

I would personally argue that every arc is a Sakura-centric arc, even when the conflict revolves around another character on the surface! We see Sakura almost every single chapter, and he definitely gets the most amount of panel/screen-time than any other character. I believe each arc is built around a lesson or push he needs to grow into his fullest potential as a character (this honestly might be an analysis I do at some point on my wbk blog- what important is being imparted to Sakura towards his personal growth in each arc). Each arc is him growing into a person he can be proud of, learning how to be a protector and leader of Furin and the town, and have ingrained internally that he is just as deserving of love and should be valued as much as everything and everyone else in Makochi.

We don't necessarily need to know the specific details of why he is a part of Furin because we already know that part! He's spent his whole life being rejected and treated like he is incapable of doing any good. He's always had to do things on his own and was never able to make positive connections with those around him. But the characters around him? We are told these things about Sakura pretty quickly and everything else is just filling in the gaps. However- Why does Sugishita practically worship Umemiya? Why is a pretty boy like Kiryuu a 'delinquent'/fighter? We don't know these things, nor does Sakura. A part of Sakura's personal journey in becoming a good leader or even just his personal journey in learning how make connections IS to learn about the people he is protecting/the people who are putting their support behind him. Getting to know these people's backstories IS a part of Sakura's personal growth as a character.

Every little thing we learn about Sakura's past does build up though! Maybe we don't get it all at once, but we may continue to get it throughout the rest of the series, however long it goes. We cover more than one manga chapter in a singular episode of the anime, if side characters gets one episode about their backstory that's really not that unheard of! Though I do admit that the slow and gradual reveal of small details from the main character's backstory is unconventional to most animes, there are so many other series where huge things about the main character's backstory is reveal WAY into the story (Luffy from One Piece especially comes to mind immediately, but Noragami and Clannad are other series where huge details about the main character's backstory are revealed as the story progresses).

It definitely is a preference of storytelling, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that Sakura's character is neglected by the narrative. So much of every arc has something that Sakura needs to learn, or involves a change in perspective he needs to develop further to push beyond the mindset and deeply-rooted beliefs of his (lack of) self worth that he's been left with from his past.

[licncourt]

Read your lestat recent post..

Do you have a post on lestats performative masculinity?? I’ve never thought of it like that. Granted I’ve only read the first two books and watched the series but lestat seemed comfortable in his masculinity I think. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention. I know Louis has been performing

I do have this one, but I don't think I have anything dedicated to just that!

I would argue that Lestat is incredibly insecure in that area, though it becomes even more obvious later in the books, especially the 90s and 00s. The post I linked explains my thoughts more, but both Louis and Lestat are pushing their versions of masculinity on each other, but they still see each other as feminized (with very negative connotations).

In Lestat's case, the version of masculinity he aspires to is modeled partially on his father (control through brute force, the ability to bend others to your will) and in my opinion, also on the leading man role that's so alluring to him. He finds it in Lélio, as a rockstar, and even as the protagonist of his own books because it's so aspirational for him, even though he never is quite able to achieve it. Even his greatest "masculine", coming-of-age achievement of killing the wolves is very much a Pyrrhic victory that haunts him for the remainder of the series. I think of his reaction to that event every time he throws his weight around and you can feel the edge of desperation and hysteria.

And then of course, the later books turn him into what is basically a caricature of idealized manhood, but to such an extent that it reads as painfully fake and forced. His characterization in TVL even begins with him as a very sweet young man who had to don the mantle of masculine protector and provider even at the expense of his happiness and innocence. That changes abruptly over the course of the books, reaching its peak in the PL trilogy where even his occasional moments of deep, honest vulnerability kind of fade away until he's "perfect". If we ignore the Anne of it all and her reasons for making him that way, it paints a picture of a scared kid simply putting on the costume of the man he wants to be.

I want to note that even the flamboyant way he presents himself throughout the books isn't at all out of line with the masculine standards of his human lifetime, so I would say some cultural relativism applies here as well. I think that carries forward into how he presents himself in the modern day (80s and on), even though sometimes to us it feel contradictory. His idea of masculinity is molded by the late 18th century and an understanding of how to be the ideal modern man probably escapes him a bit, something that I'm sure he's aware of to some degree.

I also think there's an element of a double bluff with Lestat. He's clearly insecure in his inability to fulfill his own masculine ideal, but he compensates by pushing the French dandy angle to the extreme perhaps to give others the impression that he MUST be confident in his manhood. Louis also does this in his own way, playing up his intellectualism seemingly to compensate for the deficiencies he perceives in his masculinity. Kind of a "well I don't need to be the tough guy because I'm smarter than you anyway and soooo above macho bullshit" to Lestat's "I'm actually so secure that I can be as pretty and ditzy and vain and frivolous as I want, see??" Match made in hell <3

[supernaturalsophie]

Dean winchester: a character study. 

Dean's role: Dean is one of two main protagonists in the american tv show supernatural. His role is to be a hunter of the supernatural with his younger brother, sam. Dean is 6’1. He has short brown hair and green eyes. He is often described as “pretty or handsome” from other figures. When dressing, Dean often sticks to the classics. A flannel, jeans, combat boots, a leather jacket or the occasional work jacket, and a long sleeve shirt. 

Deans traits and personality: dean is a complex character. He is stubborn, brave, kind hearted, he's known for his protective nature. He's a skilled hunter. Sometimes, Dean will want to kill a monster just because they are one, because that is what he was raised to do. Dean often talks about pushing on no matter what. He also talks about if anything happened to his brother Sam,  he wouldn't be able to push on. “Here aint no me if there aint no you.”  Some of Dean's last words to his brother were “always keep fighting”. Because no matter what their battle with evil will never end even if Dean isn't there physically. Dean's mannerisms are normally gruff, reckless, and protective over the people he loves. 

Deans motivations and goals: Dean's number one motivation since he was a child is taking care of his younger brother, sam. Sam is the only family that Dean has left. He raised sam. He only wants what is best for his family. Dean's goals were to get out of the hunting business, have a family, become a firefighter. Dean grapples with his past, his fathers legacy of being a hunter, and the burden that comes along with the job. He strides for a sense of self acceptance and peace. Trying to find a balance between his duty and a lifelong dream of living normally. 

Dean's relationship with others: (Sam, castiel.) Dean's relationship with Sam is the most important to him, it's the start of a foundation of deep trust and brotherly love. Dean acting as the protector and Sam being the one that needs protecting, they both still have moments of vulnerability. As the show carries on, their relationship gets tested by obstacles that lead to arguments and tension between the two. But no matter what, Dean and Sam will love each other deeply. Dean's relationship with the angel Castiel is more complicated. Dean at first, had initial scepticism. Castiel introduced himself as the angel that raised Dean from hell. Which wasn’t a lie. Castiel's actions and consistent loyalty is what got him deans respect. As they continued to work together to hunt the supernatural, the two grew unwavering respect for eachother. Dean and Castiel saw each other as brothers. When Castiel passed away, Dean was broken, losing a brother. 

Dean's purpose: Dean's purpose was to be a guardian. He was a fighter from a young age. He took the family role and John's legacy. Dean later found out he was destined to be the vessel of the archangel michael. He consents to the role to battle lucifer. Dean values his family's safety over anything else, going as far to kill a demon in their human host in order to save sam. 

Dean's growth throughout the show: throughout the show, Dean has shown growth in character. In the early seasons, Dean is shown as a strong protective, confident figure. Taking the role after his dad, becoming a hunter. He's extremely loyal to his family's name. He continues to carry grief and responsibility wherever he goes. Dean grows into the later seasons, he continues to learn to lean and trust others including Sam and his friends. He learns with a greater understanding of compassion and empathy. Dean struggles with moments like the mark of Cain, which leads to isolation. He also struggles with having to grieve his brother's death in the earlier part of the show, the death of his friends, like charlie. And actually finding happiness for himself.

[arizonaraine]

Sorting Hat Chats: Gladiator

I. Freaking. Love. This. Movie. Is it historically accurate? Not especially. Is the story fairly simple? Yes, but there's a difference between a SIMPLE story and a SIMPLISTIC one. The performances are top notch, the music, the costumes... *chef's kiss.*

So, without further ado...

Maximus is a Badger primary. He recognizes the humanity in the Germanic tribes-- "would you (know you're beaten), Quintus? Would I?" He's a great general, but his heart is at home with his family. After the first battle, he spends time among the wounded and is upset when it is suggested that they "died for nothing." He's deeply loyal to the memory Marcus Aurelius. Wherever Maximus goes, he collects people (Juba, Proximo, the German, Lucius) by being kind when he doesn't necessarily need to be. He inspires loyalty and goodness in others just by being who he is.

In true protagonist style, Maximus is a Lion secondary. There's no pretending with him-- if Maximus feels something is wrong, he won't do it. "With all my heart, no," he says to Marcus Aurelius when he initially refusing to become protector of Rome-- it's a gut reaction. He will not salute Commodus; he turns his back on him. Though he shows some Bird-like strategizing in battle, to me, it reads as an intuitive grasp of going on-- the art of reacting to things rather than planning for them. Even his habit of feeling the earth before going into battle screams Lion: it's a tactile, grounding, in-the-moment exercise.

Lucilla is a Snake primary. She cares about Rome, she cares about her father's memory, she cares about Maximus-- but at the end of the day, she will prioritize her son's safety ahead of everyone and everything else. (Side note: I think that Ridley Scott writes Snake women a lot-- Lucilla and Sybilla from Kingdom of Heaven are pretty much the same character). There's room to argue for more depth here, but I feel that her primary is pretty straightforward.

I read Lucilla as a Bird secondary. She's strategic where Maximus is not. She makes practical decisions, lays plans, and collects information behind the scenes. She also seems to use a bit of a Snake secondary model-- or maybe it's her Bird secondary in an "Actor Bird" form. She knows how to play Commodus, and tries something similar with Maximus-- a little flirty, a little coy-- and drops it the minute she sees it's not working with him.

Commodus is also a Snake primary, but an Exploded one. His whole worldview and perception of himself is wrapped up in a handful of people. He's desperate for his father's approval, even after he kills him (there's a scene in the director's cut with Commodus destroying a bust of Marcus Aurelius, then hugging/clinging to the ruins). All Commodus wants to be loved by his father, his sister, and the people of Rome. With the latter, he compares himself to a father and the people to children. He wants to give them the love he feels he was denied. But his idea of love is destructive to his wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around him. In the end, it gets him killed in the arena-- defeated by his own need for the crowd's approval.

Commodus is a Lion secondary with absolutely no impulse control. His father rejects him? Kill him. Maximus defies him? Try to kill him. His one strategic success comes when he accepts the counsel of a senator to "let (his enemies) come... and nibble." Challenging Maximus-- a GENERAL with YEARS OF EXPERIENCE-- to fight him in the arena is a terrible idea, but Commodus does it anyway.

Marcus Aurelius doesn't get as much screen time as I wish he did (RIP, Richard Harris). He's our lone Bird primary. He's THE Philosopher. He has carefully constructed his worldview, weighed his options, and decided on a course of action. He believes that Commodus is "not a moral man" because he lacks the virtues that Marcus Aurelius values: wisdom, justice, fortitude, and temperance. His choice to make Maximus the protector of Rome is careful and deliberate-- he's observed Maximus in many situations and knows that he does not desire power. That's why it must be Maximus. It's perfectly logical to him, and he believes that he can explain it to any reasonable person (unfortunately, Commodus is far from reasonable). Marcus Aurelius forever puts first the idea of Rome: it is his bright, shining TRUTH.

He's also a Bird secondary: the man writes like nobody's business. He's a deep thinker, a strategist, a collector of maps and other odds and ends to put in his toolkit.

I read Proximo as a Glory Hound Lion. He was once a gladiator himself, and you can feel it in his speeches about the crowd: even though he knows that fame is a fickle mistress, he loves the adulation, the money, being a star. He misses it. He believes that he and his men belong in the Colosseum. Before they go in to fight, he fills them up with his vision of glory.

I think that he's a Snake secondary. He can be charming, he can be adaptable. He plays people off each other to get the best price. He was "the best" in the arena because he "won the crowd." But he knows how and when to cut his loses and go blunt. He describes himself as "an entertainer."

Bonus! I see Juba as a Double Badger. He tends to Maximus's wound even before they become friends. He relies on memories of his people and traditions when things are at their bleakest. He offers encouragement in his own quiet, wise way. Some of the best lines in the movie are his, IMO: "I will see you again. But not yet. Not yet," and "you have a great name. He must kill your name before he kills you."

TL;DR:

Maximus: Badger Primary, Lion Secondary ("The Protagonist")

Lucilla: Snake Primary, Bird Secondary, possible Snake secondary model ("The Villain/the Mastermind")

Commodus: Snake Primary, Lion Secondary ("The Lancelot")

Marcus Aurelius: Bird Primary, Bird Secondary ("The Scientist")

Proximo: Lion Primary, Snake Secondary ("The Robin Hood")

Juba: Badger Primary, Badger Secondary ("The Peacemaker")

(archetype titles ala @wisteria-lodge:))

[trans-queen-administrator]

During the talk with Phir Sē, it comes up that he has a daughter when he tells Taylor about how keenly aware he is of what he could be sacrificing to kill Behemoth.

And it's very odd to me that she's a hero, when her father is one of the men so monstrous that he's used as evidence for why the PRT should stick around. It's almost like the stereotypical superhero show plot where the plucky protagonist hero learns their dad is Doctor Evilman or whatever, but this is Worm. Later in the conversation Phir Sē reveals that he sacrificed family before in a similar scenario

And I can't help but feel that him sacrificing his wife and sons is connected to his daughter being a hero? Like imagine being her, and seeing your dad refuse to save the rest of your family because of the greater good. He could effortlessly step backwards in time but he stands there while their corpses cool instead. That could definitely crack a rift between them and cause his daughter to join the heroes in a desperate attempt to prove that you can save everyone. Hell, I could even see her dad letting her family die being a trigger event. And she's specifically one of the bright and popular heroes, one of the campy flashy ones like Mouse Protector. How much of that is because she can't bear to let herself be anything less than the ideal of a hero, because she can't stomach the thought of being someone who has to make a sacrifice like her father? Phir Sē says he'll live the rest of his life down in his bunker mourning her if he fails, but I think he's already been doing that. He's been consumed by the guilt of who he left in the past and how that ruined his only tie left, and he wants to do something that justifies his existence. If he kills Behemoth, the world celebrates, people are saved, and maybe his daughter will talk to him again. If not, he keeps living as he always has, alone and crippled by the weight of his actions.

I wonder how he felt, in his last moments. The bomb didn't kill the Endbringer, and Behemoth hunted down his bunker and killed him. He had to have seen that it survived, and while maybe he didn't fail so hard he vaporized the country, he didn't redeem himself, he didn't save anyone. He'll never know that his actions weakened Behemoth enough for Scion to finish the job, from his perspective he lost. I wonder if his daughter survived, and if she knows what he did to tip the scales of the battle. Would she even mourn him, assuming he caused her trigger and she knows he let her family die?

He liked Weaver because she reminded him of himself with her ruthless pragmatism and ability to make the hard choices, while also reminding him of his daughter with her idealistic nature. I think he saw a version of himself in her, one that didn't end up isolated in a bunker with no family left. One that has hope and still kept the humanity he feels he lost. She talks to him about working together with others, communicating, and he doesn't think it's something that's possible, he thinks humanity is a "wretched, petty species" and that infighting and lack of coordination would prevail even against an Endbringer. And I think he's right in thinking Taylor is like a younger version of him, because that's exactly what happens during Gold Morning until she makes them work together. He would feel vindicated, seeing Khepri.

Honestly I really wish he survived, he's such an interesting character and I would love to see more of him beyond a single random Tohu face. Most of this is headcanon but like, I think it fits pretty well, so who knows maybe it's the intended subtext.

[official-sonic-team]

sonic adventure one is so fascinating because it’s literally knuckles’s game. the entire plot connects back to him as the last surviving echidna. he has an opening and closing monologue regarding his duty as the protector of the master emerald and why he had been chosen to do so. im pretty sure he’s the one transported to the past the most often. it’s so fascinating because by all means he really is the protagonist of this story. but it’s sonic at the end of the day whos able to defeat the god creature that decimated his ancestors and lead him to the predicament of his duty that his story had been discussing.

[unsoundedcomic]

Genuine praise and applause here, you've achieved something unprecedented to me as a reader: I feel shaken and uncertain about a protagonist I once liked, but also still completely invested in their story.

Right now (I've just read 18-80 to 84) I feel you've struck a great balance of surprise (at Duane) and trust (in your story). Perhaps because no single choice of Duane's felt out-of-character, as they slowly added up? I honestly can't predict how I'll feel about him and his flaws by the end of Unsounded, but for once, I'm enjoying that unease! Because of the care you've taken in building your characters so far, I at least still have faith in *you* to reach a satisfying ending.

Oh this should be a question, hmm. Were you at all tempted to foreshadow Duane's recent/future choices more obviously (by character or plot), softening a bit of the impact for a smoother story? Because again, I'm glad you didn't – perfectly threaded needle to keep me captivated.

So glad you're having a good time!

I hope Duane's current state is pretty well telegraphed, though I know it can be hard to remember past instances when the webcomic delivery spaces everything out. He's repeatedly shown himself to be hypocritical and selective in regards to kids. The army story ended with him continuing to train babies in the killing arts and accepting a false narrative that he had never let one of them die. This led right into him turning a blind eye to the Litriya twins for the sake of helping the Aldish invaders get to the construct facility. He felt AWFUL about this - we saw it - and tried to make up for it, but even that very action was already going against what was said in the black water: God is not attainable by transaction. Duane was trying to erase that debt to Litriya. It doesn't work that way! Like Claggart said, you got to acknowledge your mistakes and keep moving.

Duane started to. He truly did, when he spoke to Lori and the Peaceguard, then moved to go defend the shrine. But then Mikaila was there in the sky and all development was cut short in tandem with his poor rotten head.

What did he see when he and Toma and Elka approached Port Morstorben's ravaged gate? Not all the dead bodies. Not a vision of Sara asking him to help defend her people. Instead Duane saw Lemuel and Leysa and Mikaila. The eels have always known exactly how to steer Duane towards his worst self, and they use his best self to do it. They use his blind love for his family, his loyalty towards his homeland, and his faith in God. These can all be fantastic attributes or they can make a monster.

So yeah, I feel like the foreshadowing is there pretty thick. What makes it still compelling, I hope, is Duane's selfishness and reluctance to change are so often counterbalanced by his earnest desire to make things better and to help the people around him as individuals, in the moment. There's not an ounce of real malice in the man, but when Duane stews, he often talks himself into making the wrong choice. When he acts with all the compulsion of a big-hearted protector, he tends towards selfless compassion.

[pendwelling]

svsss!TWSB AU thoughts....

I think I remember that someone once compared Jung Yeseo to Scum Villain's Shen Qingqiu (Shen Yuan; who are both transmigrators), and Cédric to Luo Binghe but actually thinking about it, it would be more accurate to say that Christelle fits the role of Luo Binghe more.

They're both the original protagonists of the novel(s) who are able to emit that "sticky, clingy, aegyo-esque character infatuated with the MC like a duckling/puppy" energy on the surface, but who are actually pretty brutal on the inside.... it's so gap moe (or should I say reverse gap moe?? Gap Horror). Christelle as a heavenly demon and the Emperor of all realms is also just an amazing vision too. She's rlly the type to act cute with peerless immortal master Jung Yeseo(Jesse Venetiaan)(who, after transmigrating, is only acting peerless and untouchable but is actually The Silly of All Time™) while being ruthless and mischievous behind his back. The kind of character who only shows one bright side and facade while harbouring so much darkness. SO WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING CODED. SHE WOULD FIT SO WELL.

MEANWHILE CÉDRIC....... ISN'T HE MUCH MORE LIKE LIU QINGGE HAHA—both Yeseo and SQQ used them as vehicles at some point in their respective narratives 😭 The one-sided feelings absurdly beautiful and handsome young master from a wealthy family swordsman... Cédric who vows to stand by Yeseo's side like a protector, a silent but devoted sentinel..... War God Cédric who is somewhat aloof yet has his own gap moe tsundere-ness if pushed far enough. The type that would leave presents at Yeseo's doorstep without any more elaboration that would leave Yeseo confused about his intentions.... THE SOCIAL INEPTNESS (BUT HE DOES HIS BEST). IT'S PERFECT.

((ANYWAY YEAH..... This was supposed to just be an AU word vomit ramble but now I'm actually tempted to write it out..... send help pls TWSB's ao3 tag deserves more food. A xianxia/murim AU sounds so delicious rn......))

[alicecatfan2007-owlfallsau]

A new gravity falls AU! Cipher's Zodiac Warriors AU!

Un nuevo AU de gravity falls! Cipher's Zodiac Warriors AU!

IN ENGLISH

What is "Cipher's Zodiac Warriors AU"?

This AU is inspired by the "mahō shōjo" animes, in which the protagonists acquire magical abilities, this time I want to do something like a mixed "mahō shōjo", meaning that there are magical boys and girls.

AU Title: Cipher's Zodiac Warriors AU

The evil Bill Cipher from the realm of nightmares invades the realm of dreams, Euclydia, and defeats the kingdom's protector. To free the kingdom of Euclydia, AXOLOTL travels to Earth in search of Bill's Wheel of Zodiac Warriors, whose job is to unite their powers to defeat Bill and his minions and bring peace to Euclydia.

On Stanley and Stanford Pines' first day of eighth grade, AXOLOTL meets the Pines twins by chance, which will be the first step in finding the ten Zodiac Warriors

Join Stanley, Stanford, Fidds, and the other Zodiac Warriors as they try to learn to control their powers, survive school, keep their identities a secret, and figure out how to save the world!

An alternate universe where Stan, Ford, and Fidds and other characters are students who discover jewels that give them magical powers

Characters, symbols, powers and magic items from Cipher's Zodiac Warriors | Gravity falls Au

Smile! Smile! Smile! Smile! Smile! Pretty Cure! Let's Go! / Cipher's Zodiac Warriors AU

EN ESPAÑOL

¿Que es "Cipher's Zodiac Warriors AU"?

Este AU esta inspirado en los animes "mahō shōjo", en los que los protagonistas adquieren habilidades magicas, esta vez quiero hacer algo como un "mahō shōjo" mixto, osea que hayan chicos y chcias magicas

titulo del AU: Cipher's Zodiac Warriors AU

El malevolo Bill Cipher, del reino de las pesadillas, invade el reino de los sueños, Euclydiay derrota al protector del reino. Para liberar al reino de Euclydia, AXOLOTL viaja a la tierra en busca de los guerreros del zodiaco de la rueda de Bill, cuyo trabajo es unir sus poderes para derrotar a Bill y a sus secuaces y traer la paz a Euclydia.

En el primer día, en el octavo grado de Stanley y Stanford Pines, AXOLOTL se encuentra con los gemelos Pines de casualidad, esto será el primer paso para encontrar a los diez guerreros del zodiaco

Únete a Stanley, Stanford, Fidds y a los demás guerreros del zodiaco mientras tratan de aprender a controlar sus poderes, sobrevivir a la escuela, mantener sus identidades en secreto, ¡y averiguar como salvar al mundo!

Un universo alternativo donde Stan, Ford y Fidds y otros personajes son estudiantes que descubren joyas que les dan poderes mágicos

Personajes, símbolos, poderes y objetos mágicos de Cipher's Zodiac Warriors | Gravity falls Au

Smile! Smile! Smile! Smile! Smile! Pretty Cure! Let's Go! / Cipher's Zodiac Warriors AU