#and crushes on video game characters aren’t the same as on real people

[always-a-slut-4-ghouls]

I know it’s not a reliable way to judge how things work for most alloromantics, but apparently you guys are having romantic feelings a few times a month, sometimes a few times a WEEK?! I just thought… you guys felt it every few years or when you have had a few dates or something. But huh?! A week?! Is that true?

I have literally only had crushes. I don’t feel little instances of quick attraction (which other people apparently do???) I’ll see someone and go “huh, they look nice” but it won’t really be romantic, just aesthetic. And even that only happens every once in awhile. The only time I ever really feel romantic attraction is when I get a strong crush. My feelings, annoyingly, have no in-between. They also can’t be prompted by me attempting to set them up, like a date. It just doesn’t do anything, and not “it doesn’t happen every time” that I think is normal, no, it just doesn’t happen at all. I wish it worked, I really do. It would make my life so much simpler, but it never does. Sometimes I’ll see someone do something and go like, “aww, that’s cute” but it’s more just general endearment or maybe affection. It doesn’t feel romantic. I’m so confused.

[mythicaldemigoddess-of-deltarune]

Sonic Prime: The Doctor Don't Love Triangle (2023)

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[Note: Don’t Reblog Without Permission, also it’s okay to skip some parts that doesn’t talk about the drawing....but I hope some like this drawing.] 

Credit for Sonic The Hedgehog goes to Sega

Credit for Sonic Prime Series goes to Sega & Netflix

----------------

some might need to click on the drawing to make it bigger, to see it a bit better and to read what Lucia has behind her back.

Lilli and Lucia are characters from Sonic Unleashed Video Game. this drawing shows a Love Triangle, where Doctor Don't ends up having a crush on Lilli who is WAY too old for him...

and Lucia points this out to him and even tells him that Lilli has a boyfriend, and Lucia is holding a V-Day Card behind her back that is for Doctor Don't from Lucia herself....meaning she has a crush on him.

even though it is Mother’s Day today, and not Valentine’s Day, but in the drawing the card could be a V-Day Card that she plans to give to him on Valentine’s Day the next year...

but even if Lucia does tell Doctor Don't about Lilli being too old for him and that she has a boyfriend, but I don't think Doctor Don't is listening in this drawing... he is too busy being smitten like a kitten over Lilli. XD

it does appear that Lucia and Doctor Don't are more closer to the same age, I would OTP ship them together.

plus it is possible Doctor Don't would end up getting his heart broken by Lilli, and she wouldn't end up returning his feelings.

the crush that Doctor Don't has on Lilli in this drawing is of course adorable and cute, but we know it is a hopeless love that will be one-sided.

it be funny if Mr. Doctor Eggman, Doctor Deep and Doctor Done-It have to give Doctor Don't "the talk" because he gets his first crush. XD

of course Rusty will have take Doctor Babble out of the room while those three give Doctor Don't the talk.

even if the idea (even if it is Fanon and not at all Canon) of Lucia having a crush on a "bad boy" isn't really all that surprising...

I mean there are some who do go for the bad boys, and for some bad girls.... even though I don't know how many will end up getting a crush on Doctor Deep, but I still think he is a Egg-Himbo, much like Eggman from Sonic Boom. when you have different counterparts of Eggman, chances are that a few of them will be a Egg-Himbo. so far Eggman from Sonic Boom and Doctor Deep from Sonic Prime are the only Egg-Himbos that we know of... I wonder if Doctor Deep will show some cute idiot moments in Season 2 of Sonic Prime....? even if Doctor Don't did end up getting a crush, it is possible Doctor Deep will give him the wrong type of advice.

even if Mr. Doctor Eggman, Doctor Done-It, Doctor Don't, Doctor Deep and Doctor Babble are suppose to be "evil", they are not as evil as some humans in this world...

like a inhuman filth of a man named [Redacted] who just became this Earth Angel's enemy.

I'm not going to say who the man is, only call him by [Redacted]....but what he has done, just made him my enemy, because he crossed a line that a inhuman filth like him shouldn't of....

so those counterparts of Eggman, are not as evil as that [Redacted] person...or those like him who have crossed lines they shouldn't of, hurting the happiness of good people...

the best thing I can do is hope and pray that things will work out and that disgusting inhuman filth of a man doesn't get his way...

I'm still not going to say the name of the man, and it is best that I only call him by [Redacted] and hopefully things will work out and he will be put a stop to.

I like Eggman and his counterparts in Sonic Prime, even though they are suppose to be the "bad guys", they aren't as bad as some humans in real life. even some bad guys (but not all of them) in video games, cartoon shows and movies have good hearts and aren't truly evil or monsters.

and yes, sometimes those who are suppose to be the "good guys" can end up doing terrible things thinking it will "fix" everything. at least Steven Universe, Ruby Rose and Luz Noceda did better than Star Butterfly, Scrooge McDuck and Future Princess Twilight Sparkle...

I still like SVTFOE, Ducktales Reboot and MLPFIM, I just don't agree with how they seem to solve things by not understanding why the bad guys like Toffee, Bradford Buzzard, Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow are the way they are...

and that they might have some form of really bad trauma, even if this might not be so for every bad guy.

I still don't like that Star went from being mad at her Mom (Moon Butterfly) to making Magic the scapegoat, because FYI to Star Butterfly, magic was NEVER the problem...

the problem was that Star's family had misused magic, and Moon had ended up super misusing the magic, and caused more harm than good.

even though not everyone has to agree with me on this, but I'm still going to stick to that view, because I know that what Star did was scapegoating.

at least Sonic from Sonic Prime, had owned up to his mistake once he figured out it wasn't Eggman who broke his world.

Sonic didn't scapegoat Eggman on purpose, he didn't know the truth until later on that he was the one that broke his world, not Eggman.

a hero doesn't have to be perfect, and they can show a sad side to themself, like Ruby Rose and Steven Universe have shown.

and there are some people who have been through a very bad depression, who can relate to those characters, and yeah it does take time to heal and it’s good that both Steven and Ruby were able to heal.   

and maybe the reason why Eggman became the way he is, might have to do with his cousin Maria.....

of course we can't say the same for his counterpart from the Satam Timeline or even the Sonic Underground Timeline...

and the G.U.N. group are full of inhuman filth (save for one of them), even in the Sonic Movie Timeline.

the G.U.N. in the Sonic Movie Timeline, are all stupid inhuman dirty shisno.

but at least one of them ended up having a change of heart, I'm talking about Randall.

even if he was part of G.U.N. he is still a good person, he just had been working with the wrong people.

Randall should leave G.U.N. and become part of a type of Freedom Fighter group, that fights Eggman...

anyway I know this Love Triangle idea might seem weird, but I couldn't help but wanted to draw Doctor Don't having his first crush, even if it is on a much older girl who is old enough to be his older sister.

and the girl that does like him and seems to be around the same age as him, tries to get through to him that the girl he likes is too old for him and already has a boyfriend.

I know a ship of Doctor Don't x Lucia wouldn't be canon and it will stay fanon only, but is it weird that it has just now become my OTP...?

as the song goes "in canon they never met, but I don't care....I ship it!" 

also I want to point out that I do know that Lilli from Sonic Unleashed, doesn’t wear any form of eye-shadow, but I gave her green eye-shadow in this drawing. and I think it fits her perfectly.

also if I have to say what inhuman filth I’m displeased with, but still only censor their name with [Redacted], I will say that it is someone who is Anti-LGBTQ.

even if you do have some jerks who have something against Aces, at least there are some people who are part of the LGBT and even allies who aren’t insensitive jerks to Aces or Aroaces or even to those who are Aroaceflux....and the Ace in the “A” in LGBTQIA, shouldn’t be censored and people thinking the “A” stands for Ally, but while the “A” could be seen as a Multi-A that can be for every “A” but humans better know better as to not exclude Aces....

but anyway while some humans don’t cross certain lines, like some religious people have some toxic-religious people in their group that might cross certain lines, but only a few that might end up crossing a very stupid and disgusting line....

but this [Redacted] guy, he had crossed a very dangerous line, and I’m not going to say right now who he is or what he has done, but like I said before...

he just became this Earth Angel’s Enemy, even though I am a Defective Earth Angel that doesn’t work 100% correctly like other Earth Angels...

and the whole being a descendant of a few royal families, and then thinking about the whole Earth Angel thing, kind of made the whole “Earth Angel Princess” weird thought pop into my head...

I mean it took me I don’t know how long to figure out and process, that Jesus is technically family, cause we are both descendants of King David.

I still don’t see me being a descendant of King Solomon as a curse or a bad thing, even if he did end up giving me and some of his other descendants, a whole lot of step-grandmothers...

(that is a lot of mother’s day cards to give out.)

but being a descendant of him and his son Rehoboam, is more of a blessing than a curse, cause it means I don’t have to sit on that throne.

so jokes on those who still believe that’s a curse.

play the song “The Jokes On You” by Niki Watkins.

cause it matches my thoughts and feelings about being King Solomon and his son Rehoboam’s descendant.

anyway, maybe I could say who that dirty shisno who I’m calling [Redacted] in maybe a future post....but he still cross lines he shouldn’t of...                           

best to try to enjoy this sacred day for mothers, I even gave my Mom a early mother’s day gift, but I’m thinking of giving her another gift, so I plan to get to work on that later.

anyway even if The Chaos Council are suppose to be “evil” but I still like them better than some disgusting dirty shisno who are inhuman filth and being disgrace to not just humanity but all of omnimanity.

even Sonic, his friends and Eggman make up Omnimanity...

even Other Humans, Overlanders and Mobians make up the rest of Omnimanity, even the Geth from Mass Effect are part of Omnimanity. 

basically “Omnimanity” makes up those who are human and non-human, and even those who are hybrid, as well as like Heteromorphic like Ainz Ooal Gown from the Overlord series....which the name Overlord shouldn’t be confused for the Overlord 2007 video game series, which of course first released around 2007.

it might not make sense to some, but it just seems to work...and so far I’m the only one I know of that is using that word.

 anyway I know this ship is weird, but I’m still gonna see Doctor Don’t x Lucia as my OTP and it’s okay that not everyone ships them.

and so far, this is my first ship drawing of Doctor Don’t x Lucia...

but it is still a Love Triangle, that shows that Lucia likes Doctor Don’t but he likes Lilli....but like Lucia points out, Lilli already has a boyfriend.           

[everythingfromdust]

What Homestuck is About

I don’t remember writing this, I never finished writing this, and I just found it in my drafts. If you asked me today to come up with what homestuck is about I would not be able to go into this level of detail at all. here you go.

the post;

As told by someone who hasn’t read Homestuck.

Before I begin, lets go over my Homestuck experience. At some point in like 2010 probably people got obsessed with zodiac symbols for some reason, and also candy corn horns. I saw them around and they did not affect me in any way. A few years ago I was commissioned to draw Homestuck fanart, I was linked a video of nonsense about some dude who controlled planets with his veins maybe. This was for inspiration for the drawing. I drew fanart, they liked it. After that happened I found out that I had been drawing other Homestuck fanart by commission, about a green planet or something, this was a surprise to me. I found this strange, told my friend who liked Homestuck and he told me to read it. I read the first few pages and got bored, I am sorry to your fandom, it just wasn’t my thing. What was my thing, was reading random-ass theories about Homestuck and looking at fanart as it came on my dashboard.

Now, with that in mind, here is what Homestuck is about...

Homestuck is a webcomic about 4 teenagers, Dave, Rose, Karkat (Online handle?) and Egbert. Egbert and Rose are the same age, they are friends by convenience but don’t have a lot in common. Dave is Egbert’s cool older brother who is also an asshole sometimes but only to hide his fragile ego. Karkat is a loner type who is sarcastic. Rose has a crush on Karkat but they have never met in person. Rose is also very sarcastic, but hers is more mean spirited while Karkat is just defensive with a kind heart. 

Karkat is way more into videogames than the rest of them, and ends up being the ‘leader’ of the group, ironically as most of her motivation is to be alone. However, Rose likes her, so she follows Karkat’s lead with regards to what games they play online, Egbert follows Rose because he doesn’t have other friends, Dave has to keep an eye on his little brother so follows them on their adventures reluctantly (but slowly learns to be part of the group). The first story arc establishes the characters and the world. The viewer interacts with these characters through the occasional videogame interface but mostly a webcomic format. The characters are very meta and self aware which is funny without getting into too much action before...

Suprise plot twist Karkat realizes they have been playing a game copy of their own lives within a webcomic/web-game thing. We find out later that she suspected this all along and only wanted to be alone because she thought everyone else was a simulation. 

Almost immediately Dave thinks that this plot twist is stupid, and the meta commentary on Homestuck itself reaches new sarcastic heights. The fandom takes this idea and runs with it, causing many fans to insist that Homestuck sucks. 

When they break into ‘reality’ Karkat is shocked to find that the other three have come as well. Thus begins her overarching subplot of learning to trust others and believing she can fall in love with Rose. Karkat and Rose question still if this reality is really the real one. Spoiler: It isn’t. While they try to discover the why and how of their situation Egbert is busy altering the code of the game to give himself insane powers and become ‘god tier.’ Dave is doing stuff to, but I think it’s mostly just fucking off and making jokes. 

There are monsters called trolls with candy-corn-horns at some point, but I’m lead to believe that they aren’t actually a big part of the story even though they are widely loved by fans. They probably happen early on in the story which is why they are fairly iconic for the series. The trolls are sentient too, each represents a sign of the zodiac, and each main character has a troll that is ‘them’ in an alternate game reality. So there are 4 trolls that represent the main characters, and this is symbolic somehow especially when you think about the 8 trolls who have no ‘main character’ components. 

Insane Clown Posse is involved somehow but I don’t understand if they are plot relevant or just a joke that the comic creator likes to fall back on. 

So anyway, eventually all the characters go god tier, they have to figure out their own personal way to get there and I bet it is really plot heavy and long. They can control the base code of the game, and they all start fighting with one another. 

The plot gets really huge in scope, as they find that their simulated reality 

[jadedrrose]

ooo i see i see and dw for smt go at ur own pace,, you might just rage with it if u play it yourself cause it's kinda hard lol

aoc IS A PREQU3L i didn't know it was!! OH MAN THE SCENES WITH THE CHAMPIONS 😭😭 I WISH I COULD PLAY IT i wanna play totk but. i cant since my switch is broken and if aoc is on that too then 🥰🥰🥰 yay.

i'm guessing it's in the same style? oh god that'd be even better i'm like ripping a present with each ask i send,, i really liked botw so stuff related to that does get me and yeah I'll definitely enjoy the fics because u alwasy deliver <3 sadly i don't have the time rn so tomorrow or tonight it shall be yayayay— and dayum its a 6 hours difference from here lol but same for me nighttime is always better

AND i just read the. thing about feeling nervous with the fictional crushes and s a m e i thought i was the only one YAHAHAHAHA then it goes away (for me at least) as if i knew them for really long lmao. though sometimes it comes back for some reason i feel it more with the images rather than the fics (depending on the fic,,)

Dude I hope you can fix your switch soon 😭 but yeah age of calamity is in the same art style as botw, and I don’t wanna spoil anything but you get to unlock almost every single “important” character and it’s just so fun!! I love playing as Impa (she’s young in this game) and Urbosa (and then obviously Sooga but you have to get the DLC for him). Oh and then each character has little mini mission things to level up their abilities/hearts (you just supply materials you get from playing missions) and each one has a little “story” with it and some of them are so fuckjng cute omg 😭 But whenever you’re able to play it PLEASE send me updates (especially whenever you see Sooga for the first time, even if you end up not liking him LMAO) I love seeing people react to things like this lol

Also dw about rushing to read anything!! The fics aren’t going anywhere lol

Also yes with the going away and coming back 😭 like it still hasn’t gone away with Sooga yet for me, but with Law it’s like. Never there anymore. However with Levi it did come back a few times even though it’s been… 8 ish ?? years since I started liking him lol. Actually now that I think abt it seeing videos of Law in universal Japan does it?? I think that’s just bc I know it’s a real person so it feels different lol

Anyway good luck fixing your switch, I hope you can play AOC and TOTK soon <3

[cloverchats]

In Defense of Mascot Horror

"Break and mend, I built the breath. They hunt now, drawn to life. Not Real, still keen. And Frit and Fraught with thought and zest and gest no blunt woes. Dodge, duck, flash, shoot, crawl, run, crush the vile band. Cry not, try not, do not hold out, hope no. Your life, your aim will save those with soul."

Hiya it’s Clover, I’m back from hiatus to try talking about horror, but not your standard slasher flick, I want to talk about a sub genre in the indie gaming scene that has gained significant traction over the years, the Mascot Horror.

With the success of indie games like the Five nights at Freddy’s Franchise, Bendy and the Ink Machine, and the recent but incredibly divisive title Poppy Playtime, many different people are trying their spin on the newfangled formula, not just in games, but Hollywood too! Warner Bros even going as far as to use their older IP the banana splits in a recent eyebrow raising flick. 

Yeah, that's a film that really says “I'm just here to cash in, go unnoticed by the general public, and get forgotten by anyone who even knew I existed.”

But what about those viral indie sensations that actually succeeded? What does the public think of them?

Well in all honesty, outside of people with regular internet usage, the public really doesn't know these games exist. 

Like if you walked up to a random person on the street and asked them about Mario, they probably would have some form of name recognition, but if you decide to do the same about Freddy Fazbear they would probably ask you to leave them and their children alone before they call the police. 

So instead of the general safe opinion of mainstream media and society, you’ll have to listen to this dork with little to no connection with the outside world, well i mean you don't really have to listen to me, you could always click off the video I mean nothings stopping you i mean uh-

Though in recent times with new arrivals like poppy playtime, people are starting to not only think the genre has lost its artistic value but are asking if the genre of Mascot Horror was ever good to begin with! 

I disagree and in this video I will go over why the idea was, is, and will continue to be a great twist on one of the most important genres in fiction.

 Genre/Medium incorporation. 

Mascots can come from different places, from the grocery store snack aisle to the giant corporate entities that will practically buy the planet at this point, and depending on which kind you choose, your story and to that extent your horror will have a lot of different material to work with, wherever it be thematic, historic, or different ways to torment the audience.

 Think FNAF, it takes the concept of an animatronic Chuck E Cheese Style Pizzeria, and it leans into the surreal and uncanny with the horror. Animatronics are characters we as children (or parents that really just want to finish the birthday cake and leave) pretend are alive but know aren't (because it’s a robot puppet in a fursuit programmed to sell you pizza, honestly santa claus is easier to believe in then those things) so when all of a sudden they are alive at night, and are out to get you, that is scary! It takes advantage of the weird niche gray area our brains categorize them in and uses it against us. 

 The Character Design. 

Getting a Character to be scary or even creepy is a hard process to get right, you can either have it be too much (Excessive details, gore, and sharp teeth) or too little (Pale skinny girl with long dark hair) to get you even remotely captivated by the on screen terror, but a huge purpose of a Horror Character's Design is to stick with the audience, just like a mascot character.

 Think of Bendy, just like a lot of cartoon mascots, he is simple, yet instantly identifiable, even down to a basic silhouette of his head. A Big old circle that looks like a small cookie bite out of it to emulate horns. But there are other traits that make up lots of other classic cartoon characters of that era, a bow tie, a wide smile, pie eyes, etc!

But in the atmosphere of a abandoned old cartoon studio, a possibly cute design on the various cardboard cutouts, posters, and other items starts to feel a bit off, how he is always smiling, his eyes constantly facing forward, like he's constantly observing your every move, but mocking it too, making sure that even if the real demon isn't chasing you, you never feel truly alone.

So in turn that means his design will stick with the player and yet still be tied to the horror game he originates from.

 Style.

 If you haven't noticed with these different mascot horror hits is that you can stick them right by each other and their style does stand out. Five Nights at Freddy’s and Bendy and the ink machine might both use 3D Models but there is no mistake that they are different  projects with different visions. They are visually unique due to them playing off of their kind of mascot, wherever it be a cramped, dimly lit, security office with faded colors and robotic characters to match, or a large but worn down cartoon studio that looks like you are walking through the very sketches the long gone animators might have drawn in their time working there.

Visual identity can be something a horror story might struggle on, but with the use of different kinds of mascots, these are able to separate themselves from the rest.

 Twisting expectations

While this might be a more standard point, it is an underrated one, especially given naysayers of these titles saying they are all generic because of this shared focus, but I deem it a great strength to these stories.

 Something we as humans inherently fear is the unknown, and at the same time we also fear change, so when a concept you think you understand to be something harmless like a cartoon character or animatronic animal flips itself on its head, it not only becomes a sudden and scary change in logic, but you dont know whats going to happen next, or even if what you previously knew about the subject holds any validity.

 It takes advantage of two of the most major fears we as people hold,  and combines it with all the major points made thus far, Uncanny thoughts and feelings, Memorable and unsettling designs, and surroundings styled to feel like the niche it is twisting. 

 And those are the reasons the Mascot Horror Genre is not only special, but the titles within it will have a lasting impact on the players who experience them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp7v19qSgMI&t=13s

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

why are literal 30 year olds thirsting over school aged characters like merula? it’s beyond weird & creepy, not to mention gross. i know merula’s reached adulthood by now in 7th year but a 30 year old finding an 18 year old “hot” still feels extremely wrong. besides some grown ass adults were already simping for merula long before 7th year anyway. i know the characters aren’t actual people so i guess technically they aren’t hurting anyone but it still doesn’t sit well with me.

This is just the Potter fandom, my friend. I hate to say it, but, I remember the days of people thirsting for characters like Draco and Hermione in the olden days. Them being teenagers didn't matter then, it won't now. Some of them are still doing it to the original characters, even. If you've never seen CinemaSins' videos on Harry Potter, they literally make it into a recurring joke that Hermione isn't "old enough to be hot yet." Because that's not disturbing at all.

So it's no surprise to me that this kind of thing migrates over to the HPHM generation of the Potter fandom, or indeed, that some of the older players of the game are thirsting for the HPHM kids. But in this case, it's even stranger to me, I have to admit, because they're like...pixels? They are nonrealistic pixel models on a mobile app game? People find that sexy, somehow?

If I had to guess, I'd say the reason people feel an attraction is because MC is largely the player's avatar, and when you play a video game that lets you romance some of the characters, it's basically letting *you* date said character. (Not to mention how much ship-tease MC and Merula have regardless of player input.) So that could be why some fans (even adults) feel that way for the characters.

But, again...they're cartoons? They don't look anything like actual people? If they existed in real life as they are actually presented, that would stick them deep in the uncanny valley. It would be nightmarish. They only work within their own digital universe. It's further complicated because the sprites don't ever change, so it's not really a question of the characters' physical age. They look the exact same at eleven that they do at seventeen, so, you either think the characters are hot, or you don't.

But there's one more thing, and that's personality. Granted, with fictional characters, this can be difficult to gauge, and I think we can assume the writers are all adults. But these characters are still written to be children, and to have the minds and personalities of children. To me, that will always make it creepy to have a "crush" on any of them, and I simply can't fathom that. I try not to judge people for stuff that doesn't hurt anyone, just like you talked about, but I can't wrap my head around this.

[books]

Writer Spotlight: Alexis Nedd

It's New Release Tuesday! We caught up with Alexis Nedd (@alexisthenedd) to talk about her debut novel, Don’t Hate The Player, which is out today. Alexis is a Brooklyn-based pop culture “fanthropologist” who has only ever loved things in a big, obsessive way. As the Senior Entertainment Reporter at Mashable.com, she covers television, movies, and video games, focusing on sci-fi and fantasy universes like Game of Thrones and the MCU. When she’s not writing for money, Alexis is writing for no money on her socials, where her feeds consist of deep dives on weird history and analyzing pop culture as an artifact of society.

Don’t Hate The Player is a YA romance novel that follows two competitive eSports players as they navigate school, parents, and other IRL stuff, while preparing for their biggest (and only) tournament yet. As real life and online life collide, both find the boundaries between online and IRL slipping into each other.

Can you start by telling us a little bit about Don’t Hate The Player?

In one corner, we have Emilia Romero, a popular, high-achieving Puerto Rican girl who secretly plays Guardians League Online with the elite Team Fury. No one in her real life knows she games, and everything hinges on it staying that way. In the other corner is Jake Hooper, a quiet, detrimentally empathetic nerd who’s had a crush on Emilia for years. He plays GLO with Team Unity and thinks he’s otherwise invisible.

When Guardians League Online announces a huge tournament in their city, Jake is shocked to see Emilia competing. Jake is now the only person who knows her secret, and they have to work together to keep it...all while the tournament brings their teams closer and closer to an ultimate Fury vs. Unity showdown.

Outwardly, Jake is an awkward, suffering bundle of anxiety, quite successfully hiding his integrity and wit. What was enjoyable/difficult about writing a neurodivergent romantic lead?

I started working on DHTP around the same time I learned I had ADHD. Getting that diagnosis as an adult ushered in a really strange and painful period of reevaluating my childhood, knowing that I was neurodivergent and didn’t get the help I needed. I gave a lot of the traits I used to think made me “wrong” or “bad”—the anxiety, the spinning thoughts, the self-deprecating coping mechanisms—to Jake because writing them into a lovable character felt like correcting the narrative I had grown up writing about myself.

It was difficult to excavate all of that because that level of self-evaluation totally sucks and takes forever, but by the end, I could look at Jake and think, “if I can’t hate him for feeling this way, I have no business hating myself for having felt that way.”

DHTP comes alive in its use of online gaming maps and chatrooms. How did you approach getting those virtual places right?

I made my first internet friends when cameras on phones or laptops were still rare, so I got to know a lot of people through chatrooms and forums. People’s personalities, real or constructed, come off so strongly in those rapid-fire conversations. That solved one of the problems I knew I’d have coming into this book—how do I introduce the reader to a group of characters who aren’t going to show up until the end and make them seem like part of the story the whole time? Answer: Spy on their group chat.

It was so fun to play all five roles in those chapters and determine who uses acronyms or memes, who always punctuates, what their in-jokes say about them, and so on. Truly some of my favorite parts of DHTP are in those chats.

How important do you think it is to meaningfully include online culture in YA literature?

After the year we just had, when most social interaction moved from the analog space to the digital, I consider the transformation of “online culture” into just “culture, full stop,” complete. I say this knowing I am a fully discourse-poisoned individual, and other people or writers may have the freedom to think less about that all of the time. A significant chunk of life takes place on screens these days, so if I’m writing about life... I’m going to write about the screens.

One of the big themes of DHTP is that what happens online is real whether you like it or not. So what looks from the outside like a mummy and a snake beating a guy up outside a space church can actually be the beginning of an IRL love story. Just because it’s silly doesn’t mean it’s not important.

What makes a good beginning to a story?

I don’t have any definitive advice on this, but with DHTP and the second novel I’m currently working on, I think my favorite method is putting your main characters in a situation designed to make them act the most themselves. For DHTP, we meet Jake at a party he was invited to out of politeness, so his discomfort and anxiety are front and center. Until he meets Emilia, who is only at the party because it’s in an arcade where she can indulge her gaming obsession without her parents watching. There, now we know some important things about both characters, and from here, it’s a 75k+ word journey to get them to kiss.

What’s the first book you remember loving?

This is the hardest question anyone has ever asked me. Are you sure you wouldn’t like a nice explanation of string theory instead? I’m sure I had others, but one of my formative obsessions was A Series of Unfortunate Events because as a child, I was so often frustrated with adults who didn’t believe a single word I said just because a child was saying it. Those books capture that frustration and, more importantly, do not resolve it, which I think was kinder than telling young people that everything would be OK if we read a lot of books and placed value on facts.

As a writer, how do you practice self-care when juggling work commitments and the creative processes of writing and editing?

I simply do not. After two years of working full-time and writing this book (most of it during a global pandemic), I have mastered none of the skills required to unplug and take care of myself beyond remaining alive and upright. I do not want to project the image of someone who has the self-care matrix figured out.

You don’t have to have it figured out to make something you’re proud of. You can be exhausted and smelly and know you should probably work on that soon and still create. I don’t recommend it, but it’s possible. Ask for help when you can.

What would Emilia or Jake’s blog look like if they were on Tumblr? What kind of content would they (re)blog?

Emilia’s blog would be a secret Guardians League Online stan account. She’d reblog fanart and write incredible deep dives on strategy and lore. No one would know it was her blog, but talkswithknox.tumblr.com would be required reading for people who want to know the deep magic of the game.

Jake is mostly here to read good takes on his dashboard and learn something he didn’t know when he logged in. He has never written an original post, and that’s fine.

Thanks so much for taking the time, Alexis! Don't Hate The Player is on shelves from today (and it's really, really good).

[lybeuh]

Sims 4 Legacy Challenge

a challenge by @chellplays (revisited by @lybeuh)

This is a twelve generation challenge for all of the marriage candidates from concernedape’s stardew valley.

Usual rules apply, meaning no cheats that give you an unfair advantage. Your sims do not have to look or be named after the characters in each generation. do whatever you like!

Generation 1: Abigail:

 You were raised with humble upbringings. Your dad ran a general store, while your mom was best at complaining about your “alternative lifestyle.” You left home looking to start a life free of rules and parents, and with 20 000 simoleons in your pocket, you settled down in a new city.

traits: music lover, adventurous, geek . aspiration: the curator. career: tech guru, esport gamer branch

goals:

⦁ max out the rock climbing skill ⦁ reach at least level 5 of the video game skill. ⦁ reach at least level 5 in any musical instrument. ⦁ complete the frog collection. ⦁ climb the top of the mountain in Mt. Komorebi ⦁ have one “quirky” trait, appearance-wise (e.g. unnatural hair color). ⦁ have two best friends, and marry one of them. ⦁ own a cat named david jr. ⦁ have at least two children.

Generation 2: Emily:

 You’re just working at the bar to make ends meet… but your real passion is tailoring. You make your clothes from scratch.

traits: cheerful, vegetarian, good. aspiration: freelance botanist. career: barista.

goals:

⦁ max out the knitting skill. ⦁ complete the knitted clothes colection. ⦁ must live in the same house as your sibling. ⦁ make a best friend with a sim who lives in another city/world. ⦁ grow your own garden. you like your meals organic. ⦁ decorate your house with clothing racks. you love fashion. ⦁ develop max affinity with another sim in both the green and pink bars, have two or more children with them, then “ask just to be friends.” ⦁ never marry.

Generation 3: Sam:

 You are an outgoing, friendly sim who is brimming with youthful energy. You play guitar and drums, and want to start a band as soon as you have enough songs together. However, you do have a habit of starting ambitious projects and not finishing them.

traits: music lover, outgoing, ambitious. aspiration: musical genius. career: entertainer, musician branch.

goals:

⦁ have a job as a part-time retail employee as a teen. ⦁ reach level 10 of the entertainer career. ⦁ max out the guitar skill. ⦁ reach at least level 5 in the video game skill. ⦁ must not be the youngest child. live with your younger sibling(s) until they are old enough to move out. have a good relationship with them. ⦁ have a strained relationship with your father (if not applicable, with any one parent). ⦁ become best friends with two other entertainers. ⦁ be married twice, and have one child with each spouse.

Generation 4: Sebastian:

 You are a rebellious loner who lives in your parents’ basement. You tend to get deeply absorbed in computer games, comic books, and sci-fi novels, and will sometimes spend great lengths of time pursuing these hobbies alone in your room. You can be a bit unfriendly to people you don’t know.

traits: loner, geek, bookworm. aspiration: computer whiz. career: freelance programmer.

goals:

⦁ reach the top of the freelance programmer career. ⦁ reach level 5 of the keyboard (piano) skill. ⦁ reach level 5 of the video gaming skill. ⦁ max out the programming skill. ⦁ have a negative relationship with your half-sibling and step-parent. ⦁ live in the basement of your parents’ house. ⦁ only have one child, with whom you have a strained relationship. ⦁ eventually let your relationship with your spouse deteriorate and subsequently get a divorce.

Generation 5: Penny:

 You live with your mom in a little trailer. while your mom is out carousing at the bar, you quietly tends to your chores in the dim, stuffy room you are forced to call home. you are shy and modest, without any grand ambitions for life other than settling in and starting a family. You likes to cook (although your skills are questionable) and read books from the local library.

traits: family-oriented, bookworm, neat. aspiration: big happy family career: none.

goals:

⦁ live with your mother (if not applicable, any one parent), with whom you have a negative relationship. ⦁ you must cook for your parent and clean the house every day. ⦁ live in a trailer-esque house. you are by no means wealthy. ⦁ reach level 5 of the cooking skill. ⦁ both you and your parent may not have jobs ⦁ marry the first person you fall in love with. ⦁ your spouse is the only one who may bring in any income, while you are a stay at home mom. ⦁ own a luxury pool at some point in your life.

Generation 6: Harvey:

 You’re a little old for a bachelor, but you have a kind heart and a respected position in the community. You live in a small apartment, but spend most of your time working. There’s a sense of sadness about you.

traits: genius, foodie, good. aspiration: successful lineage. career: doctor.

goals:

⦁ never date throughout your teens or young adulthood. focus on your career instead. get married only as an adult. ⦁ reach the top of the doctor career. ⦁ you love planes and decorate your house with plane related items ⦁ own a coffee machine. drink coffee as much as possible. ⦁ go jogging at least three times a week. ⦁ set up a reading garden in your backyard. ⦁ live in an apartment until you marry ⦁ have at least two children. having spent most of your life single, you want to have a comfortably sized family asap.

Generation 7: Haley:

 Being wealthy and popular throughout high school has made you a little conceited and self-centered. You have a tendency to judge people for superficial reasons. But is it too late for you to discover a deeper meaning to life? Is there a fun, open-minded young person hidden within that shell?

traits: materialistic, snob, outgoing. aspiration: fabulously wealthy. career: none (only get one after you are married).

goals:

⦁ become enemies with your one of your sibling as a teenager. ⦁ max out the photography skill. ⦁ you may only get a career after you are married, and you must follow the same career path as your spouse. they opened your mind and inspired you to have interests beyond shopping. ⦁ earn at least three points in charisma, so you may donate to online charities after you are married. ⦁ bake a cake for every birthday that comes around. ⦁ grow a flower garden. ⦁ become friends with your sibling(s) again after you are married.

Generation 8: Elliot:

You live alone in a cabin. You are a writer who dreams of one day writing a magnificent novel. You are a sentimental “romantic” with a tendency to go off onto flowery, poetic tangents. When you can afford it, you enjoy a strong beverage at the bar.

traits: romantic, bookworm, loner. aspiration: bestselling author. career: writer, author branch.

goals:

⦁ reach the top of the author career. ⦁ live in a cabin-esque house near the beach ⦁ max out the writing skill. ⦁ reach level 5 of the piano skill. ⦁ reach level 5 of the cooking skill. ⦁ own a small garden. ⦁ specialize in romance books and poetry. later, you may also specialize in sci fi or mystery novels. ⦁ write love emails to your love interest at least once a week. ⦁ go to a bar at least once a week

Generation 9: Leah:

 You love to spend time outside, foraging for a wild meal or simply enjoying the gifts of the season. You’re a talented artist with a large portfolio of work… Yet you’re too nervous to display it to the public.

traits: art lover, loves outdoors, foodie. aspiration: painter extraordinaire. career: none (painter, later on).

goals:

⦁ max out the painting skill, and paint at least 5 masterpieces. ⦁ date only one person in your young adulthood and have a child with them, but never marry. your partner is unsupportive of your artistic lifestyle and encourages you to “get a real job.” whether you choose to get a traditional career, that is not as a painter, is up to you. ⦁ eventually marry the love of your life as an adult: someone who is supportive of your art. if you did choose a career, quit and take up a career as a painter. ⦁ have at least one child with your new spouse. ⦁ harvest wild fruits, vegetables, etc. on weekends. ⦁ grow an excellent apple tree. ⦁ attend a flea market and sell your art.

Generation 10: Maru:

 You acquired a passion for creating gadgets at a young age. When you aren’t in your room, fiddling with tools and machinery, you sometime do odd jobs at the local hospital.

traits: ambitious, outgoing, geek. aspiration: nerd brain. career: astronaut, space ranger branch.

goals:

⦁ reach level 10 of the athlete career track. ⦁ max out the handiness skill. ⦁ max out the logic skill. ⦁ have a negative relationship with your half-sibling. ⦁ upgrade at least five objects. ⦁ own a rocket ship. ⦁ your sim’s partner must be friends with your father (if not applicable, with either parent) before you can become engaged. ⦁ eventually, your relationship with your spouse becomes strained and you break up. you die as soon as your eldest child is a young adult.

Generation 11: Alex:

 You love sports. You are quite arrogant and brag to everyone that you are going to be a professional athlete. Is your cockiness just a facade to mask your crushing self-doubt? Are you using your sports dream to fill the void left by the disappearance of your parents?

traits: bro, active, dog lover. aspiration: bodybuilder. career: athlete, professional athlete branch.

goals:

⦁ reach level 10 of the athlete career track. ⦁ max out the athletic skill. ⦁ become enemies with your father, but have had a very close relationship with your mother. ⦁ begin dating in your teens and go on at least three dates with three different people. ⦁ do not marry until you are in the later stages of young adulthood. you’re marrying your soulmate, someone who stuck with you despite your arrogance. ⦁ own a dog named dusty.

Generation 12: Shane:

 You are often rude and unhappy, and suffer from depression and alcohol dependence. However, your attitude starts to change towards your spouse. After work you frequently spend your evenings at the bar. If you could reset your life maybe you’d start a chicken farm. Only free-range eggs of course.

traits: lazy, gloomy, cat lover. aspiration: friend of the animal. career: retail employee.

goals:

⦁ go to the bar after work every day. ⦁ get pizza delivered at least once a week ⦁ only get married as an adult. ⦁ after marriage, quit your job as a retail employee and choose a different career path. you’ve been encouraged by your spouse to give up alcohol. ⦁ after marriage, start a small garden. ⦁ have a maximum of two children. ⦁ max out the pet trainig skill ⦁ adopt a cat named charlie. ⦁ adopt one dog and train them all tricks

[ttuesday]

Alright, what Video games would the modern VDL gang have as their favorites?

ah hello my dear anon, I see you're back again *gives you a slice of bread* welcome

Arthur

Arthur likes video games that have a good storyline. He needs something he can sink his teeth into and get emotionally invested in.

He wasn’t sure whether he was going to like Telltale’s The Walking Dead game at first but after playing for a few hours he was absolutely obsessed with it

The game makes him cry a lot especially the ending of season 1

Dutch

Dutch is a simple man, if he sees a survival game that has a tall, dominating vampire lady in it then he needs to play it.

He hasn’t played any of the other Resident Evil games but he knew he just had to play RE Village.

After finishing the game, he bought himself some circular sunglasses cause he wants to look like Heisenberg.

Charles

Charles plays video games to relax and get away from the stress of life with the gang.

He has always wanted to play the guitar but he’s never had the time to learn the instrument. But that’s what makes the absolute classic game Guitar Hero so good.

Charles becomes a pro at Guitar Hero, buying all the different guitar variations and the drums set you can get for it too.

Hosea

There’s no point trying to build anticipation for what game Hosea loves the most, it’s Candy Crush

Karen

At first, Karen loved GTA V for it’s great story and amazing characters but then she found out it has an online mode.

There’s no easy way to say this but Karen’s that player that will chase you around the map and kill you for literally no reason.

She loves it when people get really angry after she kills them, it’s something she likes to laugh about later.

John

John plays a lot of those racing games like Forza Horizon.

He likes them cause he doesn’t have to pay too much attention to what’s happening, all he has to do is drive the car.

Karen tried to get him to do a race in gta online but she kept crashing into him. After that John swore never to play gta online again.

Sean

Sean’s the kinda guy to play the same video game for MONTHS to the point where people wonder if he‘ll ever play another game or just this one forever.

Man loves Skate 3, he could play it all goddamn day and not get bored

Seriously, the amount of joy he gets out of this game is actually kinda adorable

Javier

Javier is that guy that has an entire city built in Minecraft.

He’s an expert at the game, even on hardcore mode!!!!

He also co-owns a very successful survival server with Lenny, though Javier does most of the work on it.

Pearson

there is only one right answer to this and that’s Cooking Mama

Mary-Beth

we all know Mary-Beth is an Animal Crossing fan

she even has a plush of Tom Nook 

Bill

Bill has played The Last of Us too many times to count. 

Now whenever he gets drunk he just rambles about how amazing the game is, how he loves Joel with all his heart and about how cool the different types of zombies are

...he hasn’t played the second game yet

Kieran

Are you ready to get mad? No? Ok, quickly prepare yourself to get mad. Kieran’s favourite video game is... Fortnite. HA

For his birthday, everyone buys him Fortnite lunchboxes and pencil cases lol

Lenny 

Lenny adores the Assassin’s Creed franchise, he can be a real history nerd sometimes so he loves finding all the little historical details.

But please don’t ask him what his favourite Assassin’s Creed game is. Arthur asked him once and Lenny made diagrams and charts to map out the pros and cons of each game and he still hasn’t picked which one is his favourite.

Abigail 

Her and Jack like to take turns playing Subway Surfers.

It’s what she plays whenever she gets some time to herself.

Molly

Molly loves singing as loud as she can on Singstar

She also got the dlc for it so she can sing while Charles plays guitar

Susan

Tetris... yup...

Micah 

Micah is the biggest Call of Duty fan out there.

He’s played the campaign of every game and he’s a pro at online.

And yes, he’s that guy that will sneak up and knife you in online instead of just shooting you.

Tilly 

Tilly could make a 2 hour presentation on why she loves Detroit: Become Human so much 

She makes everyone play the first mission and then judges everyone based on the choices they make

The game also makes her become very aware of the little choices she makes in everyday life

Trelawny

Trelawny thinks sending people emojis is a game

No one has told him that emojis aren’t a game because of how much fun he has with it

He sends people the most bizarre emojis all the time now 

[fanfiction-funtime]

IM SORRY IVE BEEN SLACKING ON HYPING YOU UP

Anyway I’m reading through the Things ™ and wow

Can I request something? There’s an idea I’ve been pondering for a bit. You know already who I’ll ask for, I’m guessing.

What if the reader fell for Xiao in Genshin, in a state where they constantly daydream about him. Rather than working on scenarios and scenes, it happens in real time.

Meanwhile, in another universe, Xiao in a modern setting has fallen for a Genshin character- the reader. He daydreams about them in the same manner.

To the reader, their Xiao is a guardian yaksha, Golden adeptus, and doombane itself.

To Xiao, his (y/n) is something just as exalted. I tend to use a seelie, since they’re an immortal race of ancient and now weak gods.

What they both don’t know is that they’re actually meeting in those daydreams. It’s not just imagination and the longing for company, but an actual relationship with another person.

Bonus points if it’s some sort of soulmate au and they physically can’t find each other and eventually realize it.

I’ve never told anyone about this before, and I’m excited to see what you do with it! I might work with it one day, just not yet.

(Hoo boy, this will be tough, but I'm sure I can do it! Xiao might be a bit ooc as I'm getting his personality from wiki and fanon, as well as modern au [hopefully] gives him less trauma and a slightly different personality.)

(Also, I can't do sad endings. So a bit of deus ex OC at the 3rd part)

---------------------------

Your game

---------------------------

Your pov: the dream eater of your dreams

---------------------------

You are (y/n)(l/n), and you are in the saddest love story this side of the lake.

Ever since you saw him in that first quest you were in love!

You were just a teen though, so it wasn't real right? After all, your red string wasn't connected to the screen.

Well, your string isn't connected to anything...

Y-your just a late bloomer though right?

(Ten years later)

Your now in your twenties and you still love Xiao!

He permeates your thoughts like how lovers do, you feel an inexplicable hurt in your chest similar to what many describe feeling when they see their soulmate prior to their string appearing, not to mention whenever you aren't busy you feel like you're...slipping...in...in and...

[Daydream]

It was happening again.

It was like a daydream but more...real.

Like a lucid dream.

You saw your string, just like so many other times, and you followed it.

You ran and ran, turquoise clouds parting and making paths for you to find him.

Him..

You ran and ran, glad that atleast in some way your delusions can give you some semblance of true love.

You saw the..wait..that's not the inn.

Well it is the inn, but more modern. And there was a school next to it, and a small village not far away.

Another of thing was that you were in some kind of yellow armor, it reminded you of those baby geovisnaps from genshin impact(that are absolutely BULL-)

You went into the elevator, which seemed more ancient than usual.

And when you reached the balcony, you saw him. But he was different.

Instead of the Yaksha you usually saw, you were greeted by an equally shocked man in a martial arts gi. But it was him.

But different.

You reached out, and he did the same.

And you touched

---------------------------

Xiao's pov: the midsummer knight of his dreams

---------------------------

(Clarifying: in this version Liyue is based on European mythology and aesthetic while Mondstadt is based on Chinese. So you are a fae hunting knight rather than a demon hunting yaksha)

Xiao had always been reserved, but what happened to him as a kid drew him further into his shell.

Abusive parents, accidentally giving his sister trauma induced amnesia, he felt the weight of his actions like atlas feels the world on his shoulders.

Luckily, two people took him and his sister QiQi in: QiQi's doctor Baizhu, and Xiao's therapist(and Baizhu's husband) Morax.

It was difficult to come out, even after Xiao stopped feeling so at fault. So he mostly stayed in his room and played video games.

That is until he met you.

Well met is the wrong word here.

He saw your character in his world's version of genshin impact: tribunal eruption

The way you used your weapon, the way your armor shined in the night as you rode to his wanderer. The smile you gave as he handed you (favourite food).

But most of all, the way you used fighting styles from so many martial arts and hand to hand combat techniques.

From irish kickboxing to karate, from assassination arts in ancient history of japan to systema.

It awoken two things in him: first was his want to learn martial arts and make his own.

The second was his love for you.

But don't worry, your physical attributes only drew him in. Your personality made him stay.

Years went on, he became a martial arts instructor for his own style, and moved into an apartment near a small village.

He started teaching at a school nearby, he even gets a discount on rent for giving free lessons to the owner's sons, Ivan and Viktor.

He's also convinced those two have a crush on him but it's pointless.

After all, he was a dream eater, a common group of people who have a strange ability to find their soulmate.

Specifically, the ability to have "lucid daydreams" where they meet their soulmate.

But he must be defective. After all his soulmate kept appearing as...well you. As a knight that would meet him on the balcony every night.

He assumed maybe it was your voice actor or designer, but neither of them have had the lucid daydreams.

He began thinking he'd never find his soulmate

Until one daydream...

He was on the balcony again, like a prince awaiting his knight to rescue him.

But it was different.

The apartment complex he lived in now looked much smaller, as did the tree it was built around, and the building looked far more ancient in design yet so much younger in age.

And the village and school nearby aren't there anymore.

Oddest change of all is that his gi he was wearing just a second ago is now similar to the outfit warn by the mondstadt demon slayer Corps

And when you arrived at the balcony, he noticed a red string, one that connected your heart to his. But you weren't wearing your armor, you were wearing casual, modern clothes.

He knew it was stupid, after all you can't touch your soulmate in the daydreams. But he felt compelled to....to reach out and..

You touched him.

---------------------------

nothing never comes between you, and nobody helps you get together

---------------------------

(3rd person pov)

He really did find it annoying, how often mortals would find themselves in the wrong dimension, especially when it's because the writer wants drama. And now he's written in to solve the problem.

Ah well, it's his job.

(2nd person pov)

You didn't know how to feel. You were touching Xiao...and you weren't waking up. Was this...real?

"You... you're real...different but....still the person I love...." Xiao seemed to be equally in a trance at the prospect

"yeah...so are you..."

The armor you wore melted away, and you cant see it but Xiao's fictional clothes melted from him as well. You were both equally real, in your own reality.

But you knew it couldn't last.

"When the daydream ends, I wont be able to see you anymore," Xiao said with a sea of tears in his eyes, "We've actually met now...and now...now the dreams will end."

You lean into him, "then let's make this dream the best one we've ever had."

Your about to kiss when-

"Terribly sorry about this!" A childlike voice called, "you know, interrupting your moment and all that. See for the sake of narrative, you both were put in separate universes. And it's my job to give you a happy ending."

When you both looked, you saw a child made of bone climbing into reality from some kind of hole.

"Now just wait a moment aaannnd-"

The turquoise clouds cleared, and the world rippled into a conjoined reality between genshin impact and tribunal eruption.

"Welcome to your dream world, enjoy eternal love!" The child said as he crawled back into the hole and it closed.

When he was gone, you both observed the world around you: a beautiful mix of aesthetics surrounded you, and both your armor and his adeptus clothing were on you both.

You gazed into eachother's eyes.

He placed one hand on your cheek while another held your hand, "I'm not good with speaking..speaking my emotions..but I....maybe my actions can do that for me..."

You felt your red string radiate with the warmth of love, likewise Xiao felt his daydreams dissipate like a haze leaving his mind.

You grab his hand and place your free hand on his cheek, mirroring his love, as you always have.

"Xiao...your very existence tells me all I need to hear.."

You both leaned in, and kissed.

Two lovers, in a dream made reality,

A paradise for all eternity.

---------------------------

I feel it kinda fell apart with the deus ex, but I think I scraped it back together in the end!

I hope it's good enough for what you envisioned buddy, I tried my best!

(Also I think you deserve something just as good as what happens to the reader insert in this fic, story)

(Tagging: @golden-wingseos (this is the writing blog for someone you told to tag you), and @storytravelled (just to keep the idea of tagging in mind))

[mk-wizard]

Big Hero 6 The Series: It could have been better

Hello, friends. Today, I will be analyzing a TV series based on a movie that I fell in love with for its colourful themes, deep plot, compelling characters, great CGI and memorable messages. Before I get into it, I want to take a moment to say that I have quit doing videos. They are too big of a pain in the petunia to make and I write better than I speak, so I will stick to writing essays, reviews and more. Anyway, onto the analysis.

All I can say about Big Hero 6 the series is that it had a great concept, it presented some great ideas and tried hard to be a cartoon of the times, but it could have and should have been a lot better. The show’s downfall all centers around trying too hard to be kid friendly which makes the shame sting all the more because Big Hero 6 was already kid friendly even with its dark themes, sharp edges and intelligent writing. If anything, even the brightest kid friendly cartoons (Steven Universe, She-Ra, etc.) had those things and actually benefitted from them. By needlessly trying too hard, character development got scrapped, the edges were all smoothed out, storytelling was subpar, the humour was too silly and the executive meddling in the end produced a dismal final season. However, I don’t want this analysis to be one lengthy negative rant about how awful the series was because in its defense, awful is an unfair word. It did have potential and ideas which are worth carrying over to a reboot that I hope will be done someday in the future. Also, we should root for a reboot because Big Hero 6 would not be the first story that needs it before striking gold. Just look at how many times Spider-Man was rebooted in film before MCU found the version that worked. Anyway, I will list all the things in Big Hero 6 that could have been better in my opinion;

1- Go easy on the laughs and be more generous with the action. - I love adding comedy to my own writing because I think a good sense of humour makes everything better, but Big Hero 6 is not a stand up comedy routine. It is a superhero story where we expect action, suspense and life or death situations that are to be taken seriously first. The comedy should be for relief and with the right timing. Also, the chibi cutscenes and having characters act like fools aren’t funny. Ren and Stimpy are the exception not the standard and their way of making you laugh doesn’t fit an action series. In a show as big as Big Hero 6, real life physics and danger matters.

2- Make the villains menacing and gritty. - I admit that after having a movie villain like Yokai who was the stuff of nightmares, it is going to be a challenging act to follow, but it was obvious that the writers were trying especially with some villains who could have easily gone into some dark relatable territory. For example, Mr. Sparkles (the gentleman in the photo above) embodies social media and Internet personalities. Right off the bat, you have a long list of things which embody the dark side of that like scams, fraud, using social media to dox or harass, driving people to suicide, online predators, the Internet personalities being very depressed people in real life, and much more horrifying things. When you stop and look at it, Mr. Sparkles even looks like the Joker which hints how dark and scary he could have been if the stops were removed. The same goes for enemies like Hardlight who embodies online gaming, Liv with cloning, Obake an amoral and insane scientist, and Trina and Noodle Burger Boy (more on him later) being evil robots. Globby especially should have been painted and written in much darker colours rather being played off for laughs because he has many parallels with Clay Face. The only two villains who I can say were supposed to be campy, charming and comical were Baron Von Steamer and Supersonic Sue because they were a satire of the Adam West style villains.

The rest of them needed to be dark and threatening including Mr. Sparkles. In fact, I would love a rebooted version of Mr. Sparkles who gives me the heebie-jeebies. Going back to Noodle Burger Boy, I must confess that I was actually excited when I heard that he was going to be the main villain of the final season because I thought he was going to fulfill his master’s final wish and as a reminder, Noodle Burger Boy was based on a super robot for military purposes.

It would have been fantastic if Noodle Burger Boy was upgraded into a full military war machine with a new threatening look. For that, I think all of the villains deserve to be rebooted and have their full potential unlocked for better or for worse.

3- A show about geniuses merits genius level art quality. - I am usually forgiving towards art styles, but in the case of Big Hero 6, the oversimplified style with minimal details and lack of textures did not suit the show. The characters blend in with the background which makes them look flat and the special effects were extremely dulled down. I also know for a fact that Disney can do a lot better than this because I saw how superbly Tangled the Series was drawn.

You can see and almost feel the difference in quality, the number of layers and level of detail between the two styles. I think there was no excuse Big Hero 6 was not done in the same style and at the same level if not better as Tangled.

3- Don’t dumb down or flanderize amazing characters. - I absolutely detest it when characters are flanderized because it makes them one dimensional and grating. For example, Go Go is tough as nails and extremely calm, but she is not cold or hesitant towards helping her friends. She doesn’t require very special episodes for us to know that. If anything, the movie version of Go Go reminded me a lot of Garnet in how she deconstructed the broody character. She isn’t cold or emotionless. Just calm and mature. Another good example was how Honey Lemon was rewritten to be overly positive to the point of toxicity, naïve and oblivious with a juvenile obsession with stickers. Then you have poor Fred who was rewritten to be an incompetent fool. The spark that makes Big Hero 6 shine is that they are a team of geniuses meaning they are all intelligent. Even Fred is genius in his own way just not a scientific one. He has a vivid imagination, he is resourceful and can get himself out of tight spots. Please, don’t turn characters into dummies especially if their intelligence is a part of them. It doesn’t make them better or funnier. It ruins them.

4- Tadashi needs closure and honour. - I am all for Hiro making peace with the loss of his brother, but Tadashi is to the Big Hero 6 team what Uncle Ben was to Spider-Man. His loss was the catalyst if not the reason. He should never be forgotten. Moreover, there was never any true closure to him especially with the possibility that he may still be alive up in the air. After all, like Callaghan, his body was never found and it turned out that Callaghan was still alive.

With that said, who is to say that Tadashi was not secretly still alive and just hiding or being hidden? This is something that Disney really needed to clear up if not for the fans, then at least as a service to such an important character. Never just forget about them.

5- The format can only be episodic with a deep plots, continuity and character development. - Random episodes with a mere monster of the day is an outdated format which doesn’t fit Big Hero 6′s modern and bright setting. In seasons 1 and 2, when the episodes were plot heavy with character development, the series shined brightest. It also helped move the story along, but with the final season, plot was removed, closure was abandoned or poorly written if any was given, and characters were disallowed from growing. A good example at how plot and character development could have made this series and its characters better was the relationship between Hiro and Megan. Would it have truly survived or would they have broken up?

Would Richardson Mole have eventually lost interest in his obsession with besting and bullying Fred or would his obsession consume him compelling him to become a super villain? I do see quite a few similarities between Mole and Reverse Flash.

Then you have Karmi who is in my opinion, the biggest wild card of the bunch. She was intentionally introduced as an arrogant, prickly and unlikable yet complex character who rivaled Hiro bitterly.

Yet had a huge crush on his alter ego and as time went on, started to grow up and even form a friendship with Hiro. What would have happened further down the road with her? Would she have become a super hero herself? Or maybe even another love interest for Hiro kind of like how Black Cat is for Spider-Man?

Is Obake really gone?

What does the future hold Diana (Liv’s clone), Liv herself or the Sycorax the genetics company?

Is Alistair Krei going to become an ally to Big Hero 6 or an antagonist? There is also the issue at how little we know about the other Big Hero 6 characters other than Fred, Hiro and Baymax. What are Honey Lemon, Wasabi and Go Go’s backstories? These questions matter and while not every mystery can be solved, leaving none of them solved is lazy writing.

6- Executives, kindly stay out of the writing and any other part of the creative process. - I’m sorry, execs, but there is no nice way to say it. History itself proves that every time executives got involved in the creative process of any media, it got worse not better. Leave the writing to the creative team and the execs should only handle the legal stuff. Please. We understand that TV is a business, but writing itself is not. It is an art which you just don’t have a talent for. Let the creative people do their thing with the freedom necessary and you do your thing, deal? Deal.

7- Focus on Hiro and Baymax. - The are the main characters so keep them at the heart of the series no matter what happens around them. That is all I can say.

And that sums up all the things that could have made Big Hero 6 the series better, but this is all just my opinion. What is yours?

PS: I am well aware that the Big Hero 6 series is being retconned because a new series called Baymax is in the works as well as the long awaited sequel to the first movie. I am looking forward to both with an open mind. PPS: I also am aware that some people liked this show the way it was including the art style and I am cool with that. An analysis for art that includes cartoons is never right or wrong. It is solely based on opinion. I may have thought this series could have been better, but there are people who make arguments that it could have been worse.

[kuroos-moon]

E-girl S/o 

☾ pairings: ushijima x reader, oikawa x reader, kuroo x reader 

☾ request: headcanons for Ushijima, Oikawa and Kuroo reacting to or being interested in/dating a girl that is kinda goth/e-girl/edgy? Like they wear a lot of black, like scary movies and video games, have a very sarcastic personality?

☾ warning/s: none

☾ a/note: not rlly sure if i did e-girls justice on this one im sorry 

Ushijima Wakatoshi 

• Doesn’t get the “oh, I didn’t expect girls like y/n are your type” 

• Like?? Uhm, wdym it’s self-explanatory you’re just so eye-catching 

• Yes, you caught the Ushiwaka’s eye 

• You’re not dating or anything, let alone have started a conversation 

• But there’s an impressive number of people who know he likes you a lot

• Wakatoshi’s blunt and genuinely honest for most times if not all of his life 

• “You like anyone?” “Yes.” “Really? Is it that cute girl from your cl-

• “Y/n L/n.”  

• Knows how much you love black bc it’s not rlly hard to miss, you wear it on you every chance you get

• And now you’ve cursed him with remembering you every time he sees the color 

• You heard of the rumors that one of the nation’s top three aces likes you and you don’t believe them ofc 

• Not that you don’t know you’re pretty, you love your reflection but you just reckon you’re not his type yk? 

• He’s more of an admire and fall for you more from afar type of dude

• Totally stops and stare when you walk in the gym wearing a short black skirt and a black top, with boots and chains and all 

• Doesn’t know a thing about fashion but damn, you’re so hot?? 

• Cannot hear even his own coach

• Hopes you’re not going on a date 

• “Geez, y/n, is it someone’s funeral?” “Ah, Satori-chan, why are you even out of your cascket?” 

• Kinda thinks you’re mean bc you’re sarcastic and his humor rlly isn’t up to your level lmao sorry but he wants to know what’s it like to actually talk to you 

• So he does, once he bumps into you on his way out of the gym and you just awkwardly stare at each other 

• “I like your style. Your outfit.” He says, and he is not even shy on the outside at least

• “uh thanks?” you just kinda smile at him bc ydk what youre supposed to do this is wakafreakingtoshi we’re talkin bout 

• “you like black a lot.” “yeah, I do, what of it?” 

• “you really look good in it. You own the color,” he says that like it’s no big deal before he walks away 

• You totally crush on him after that encounter 

• Basically, he doesn’t have a type. he cannot distinguish cute girls, e-girls, or any ‘type’ of girls

• What he could so naturally distinguish though, is you—his lovely darling in black—and the rest of the female population he couldn’t care less for 

Oikawa Tōru 

• You’re his most treasured babygirl and no he doesn’t take any criticism 

• Your taste in fashion? 💯/💯

• Is maybe a tad bit too in love with your pretty boy and e-girl dynamic in pics bc his Instagram is flooded with them 

• Hypes you up in your socials, in his, and in real life 

• Goes for captions like: “choke me like you hate me, y/n-chan” and “step on me and I’ll apologize instead” 

• He’s so cheesy but you love it :>

• Lets you pick out his clothes once in a while though you have different tastes and preferences 

• You return the favor too sometimes and it’s not even a compromise on either of your parts 

• You just have fun with your own things and you’re having fun in trying out things the other likes too yk? 

• One thing that shortens his lifespan is when you watch horror movies together 

• HOW ARE YOU NOT SCARED? Loves spending nights like this with you nonetheless though

• “y/n-chan is the ghost gone?” “yup, you could open your eyes now.” “thank g- hey!” 

• Is the rare male teenager who’s kinda knowledgeable in make-up products bc of u

• He knows what kind of eyeliner you use and if he sees something kinda cool when he’s out, he’ll buy it for you

• Or tell you about it: “y/n-chan do you know this eyeliner called ***? I don’t know if it was the lady’s sales talk but I think you’ll like it”—wholesome and thoughtful

• Flexes you a lot and will not tolerate all the “Tōru and y/n don’t really look good together” 

• “Right? She just doesn’t complement him right.”

• He’s childish and more so when agitated, not even Iwaizumi could hold him back

• “Oh yeah? THEN LOOK AT MY FABULOUS NAILS” flexes all ten of his fingers which you painted black just last night on your bedroom floor 

• You just flip your hair in their direction and drag Toru away bc you’re too unbothered <33 

• “y/n-chan back me up here, you have the bitchiest attitude towards me so let’s work together and unleash our sass on them so they shut up, okay?” 

• It’s really rare for him to be that way with his fans but he’s the numero uno y/n-stanner ofc he won’t take that crap 

• “your makeup and taste in clothes aren’t even half as good as y/n’s.” sticks his tongue out ✨maturely✨

• Hates when he has to play Karasuno bc you once mentioned you could imagine Tobio having the same aesthetic as you 

• You also might’ve jokingly told him that “Toru I should’ve gotten a boyfriend from Karasuno, it’d be cool to tie their jacket around my waist and cheer for him at the same time.” 

• Was so mad at you about it and refused to talk to you for days because he’s just so not childish at all 

• “Ugh, why don’t they just change their team color to pure orange. Chibi-chan domination.” 

Kuroo Tetsuro

• Already took an interest in you from what he observes is an interestingly snarky character 

• Has been seeing you in only your uniform at first though but then he finds himself thinking a bit too much about you one night

• Stalks your Instagram <33 

• Jaw drops, heart beats a tad bit faster, his yearning grows 

• You’re so pretty. So good in black. Your poses? The whole vibe of your feed? He doesn’t know what to do with his admiration you’re just so freaking meant for him

• He gets it’s not the usual style for most girls in school, and tbh he didn’t know he’d like it so much, he just does now

• Knows there was no saving him once he starts imagining scenarios about you before he goes to bed

• This dork starts to know more things about you—it’s really cool that you play the same games as him 

• Is up to date on your posts, your ig story, and your tweets but why in the world are you still not in bed at 3 in the morning? 

• You just love gaming, huh? Should he start a conversation with you about it? He played that often too with Kenma

• He just can’t seem to though bc he’s nervous and lowkey intimidated 

• Once witnessed you jokingly exchange snarky comments with your friends and you even flipped them off 

• It’s settled then, he’ll graduate without talking to you sad kuroo noises 

• You once posted a pic flexing your matte black nails on a weekend and when the weekday came, he was so excited to see them in person 

• But your nails are no longer painted, and he was so disappointed bc they looked rlly attractive to him 

• Voices out his thoughts mindlessly. “You removed your nail polish.” 

• Everyone—including you—is surprised. Your desks aren’t even next to each other but his body was facing you 

• Cringes internally once he realizes he had said it but is so surprised when you smile at him. 

• “It’s not allowed in school, it’s a shame, you think they were pretty too, right?” 

• He cannot function, he totally did not prepare for this—and to think he had so many nights imagining different scenarios about you. 

• He was rlly popular and you thought you acted too confident; you just curse yourself for it. “Oh, uh sorry I thought you saw my post.” 

• You look away, embarrassed. “Yeah,” he chuckles a bit. You cringe. 

• “Black really suits you, and your nails were pretty, wish I could’ve seen them today, that’s all.”

• And who would’ve thought your relationship would bloom since then 

• All because he’s so interested and mesmerized with everything about you <3 

General Taglist [Open]: @noyasbitchh @dinablossom @haru-the-secret @strayczennies @lalisbitch @tinymidgetsstuff @animebs @astrealia @kittykitkatstrawberry @hajimesbbygrl @kellesvt @24hr7dysdizzy @arnxldss @elianetsantana @vicassa @floraraine @beanst0ck @leinnah @kageyamasgirl @deafeningart @minibobabottle   @franko-pop @moonlightaangel @throughtheinterstices @micasaessakusa @dixonsbugaboo @thevillagehiddenintheinternet @ultzuko

[fandomsonrequests]

tv trope

fandom: be more chill

characters: michael mell

reader: gn! 

word count: 1.5k+

summary:  To him, you were the walking definition of those television tropes of the denim-clad, badass person who practically oozes confidence. The people wanted to date or be with you when they got to know you. And he was whipped. Like so whipped, not even Jeremy’s pining over Christine matched up to it. And that alone is saying something. 

a/n: AHHHHH i love Michael mell (and george salazar cos why the hell not) so much ;^; he’s such a dork i just wanna hug him

Michael Mell always thought you were so cool— like The Matrix kind of cool. You weren’t really popular but you had a reputation around the school for being this tough kid who always stood up for themselves and didn’t take any shit being thrown at them. And, when circumstances permit it, you rode your freaking motorcycle to school. Not only that, you didn’t really flaunt anything off and spoke up when you needed to.

To him, you were the walking definition of those television tropes of the denim-clad, badass person who practically oozes confidence. The people wanted to date or be with you when they got to know you. 

And he was whipped. Like so whipped, not even Jeremy’s pining over Christine matched up to it. And that alone is saying something. 

But at the same time, he was scared. He wanted to talk to you so badly, to get to know you past the television trope he saw you as. He wanted to get to know you for you. And he probably would’ve done so already if all his insecurities and anxious thoughts wouldn’t come crashing down against him like a violent wave. 

For example, in Chemistry class. You were situated in the seat right in front of him and when Mrs. Clarke requested the students to pick a partner for the lab activity, Michael hesitated in reaching out towards you. His heart was all in for it but his head was telling him otherwise. 

What if they could smell the weed on you? What if they find your Pac-Man pin collection on your bag childish? What if they think you’re weird? What if they don’t like you? 

The poor boy would retract his hand and shrivel away as he watches you get whisked away by one of his other classmates. Now he understood what Jeremy felt before he got with Christine— talking to your crush was much easier said than done. 

And the cycle repeats daily. He works up the courage, getting some hype from his best bud, which slowly crumbles the second he comes within a five feet radius from you. He turns on his heel and runs away back to his locker, scolding himself for chickening out.

But fate was getting tired of this beating around the bush and decided to take matters in its own hands. 

Michael decided to go to the library to pick up some books he needed for school while he waited for Christine and Jeremy to finish up with drama. So imagine his surprise when he saw you in the corner of the library in the “reading nook”, a very familiar comic in your hands. His favorite video game had released a few issues of their new comic, a spin-off to the main plot in the game. Of course, he bought all of them— out of impulse— and was already halfway through the first half of the series. So when he spotted the bright cover of the comic amongst the warm, monotone colors of the library, he couldn’t help but be intrigued. 

Before he knew it, his feet were dragging him towards you. He took note of the faded Mötley Crüe shirt you wore along with a pair of acid-washed ripped jeans and your scuffed sneakers. A pair of earbuds were plugged into your ears, your head bopping along to whatever music you were listening to as you read your comic. 

He fiddles with the frayed sleeves of his red hoodie covered in those iron-on patches, thoughts of what he was going to say to you running through his head. He eventually ended up just backing out and settling with pining for you from afar but his movement had caught your attention, making you look up from your comic book.

Michael freezes up as his nerves took over him- eyes wide behind his dark-rimmed glasses. You quirk a curious brow, plucking out one of your earbuds before offering a small smile. “Hey Mell,” You greet cooly. “What’s up?”

You knew his name??? 

“Wh- wha- wait you know me??” The boy stammers as he nervously meets your gaze. 

You let out a soft chuckle and he couldn’t help but fall in love with the sound. “Yeah, you’re in a few of my classes. Of course I’d know you.” You uncross your legs and close your comic book to entertain him. 

“Oh, wow.. Uhm, it just seems l-like, uhm,” Michael continued, voice shaky while his hands grew clammy. “It, I mean you, you just s-seem like the type to not r-really know others.” 

You nod in understanding at his defense. “It’s the vibes I give off isn’t it?” You sigh and shake your head. You look up at him again and scoot over to the other side of the couch situated in the reading nook to offer him some space to sit on. “Well, I hope you believe me when I say that I’m not really scary.” 

He looks over to space you had made from him and back to you before going back to the space. It goes on for a couple of moments before he decides to sit down- but on the opposite side of the couch. You two say nothing for a while, just observing one another before you speak up again.

“Anyway, is there anything you need?” You tilt your head curiously, the small smile returning to your lips. 

“Ah, no not really,” Michael admitted and scratches the back of his head. “I just saw that you were reading Apocalypse of The Damned: The Laboratorium and I kinda just… gravitated towards you.”

Your smile morphs into a bright grin and the speckled boy decided right there and then, there was nothing brighter than that rare, million-dollar-smile of yours. “You know Apocalypse of The Damned?” You ask excitedly and clutch the comic book to your chest. 

“Like the back of my hand,” He replies as confidence starts to flood his system. “I practically bought the whole series.” 

Your hands fly to your mouth to muffle your excitement, shifting in your spot to look at him properly. “Have you finished it?”

“Halfway through it. But don’t worry, I’ll try not to give out any spoilers.” 

You let out some kind of excited squawk, red coating your cheeks at how stupid you sounded. This was definitely something Michael hadn’t expected. He expected you to be cold, aloof, maybe even a bit grouchy like Jade from Victorious but your personality was quite the opposite. And he couldn’t help but grow more enamored by that. 

“I wish I had friends that geeked out with me about these kinds of things,” You huff after your small laughing fit. “They always make fun of me for it.”

“What?? Are they crazy? They’re assholes for doing that to you.” 

“No, no. They aren’t really mean but they think it’s too dorky.”

“Well,” He motioned to you. “They’re clearly missing out on things.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at that, bashfully looking down at your hands while toying with the loose end of your earbuds. You nibble at the inside of your cheek before piping up again. “You’re pretty cool, Mell. We should hang out more often.”

Michael’s jaw almost drops at that. Not only did you invite him to hang out with you, but you had actually found him interesting. That you didn’t find him or any of his quirks weird. It was such an elating feeling, one that spurred his confidence even more.

“Does this weekend sound okay for you? We could go out, grab some sushi and maybe binge read the comics together at the old drive-in.” He offers, a bit sheepish, and you nod beaming from ear to ear. 

“Sounds great,” You fish out your phone and hand it over to him. “If you don’t mind, can I get your number? So we can coordinate this whole… I guess date later in the week.” 

Michael’s face turns a deep shade of red and you couldn’t help but giggle at that, your own cheeks flushing the same color. He was so damn adorable, you wondered why you hadn’t spoken to him sooner. He types in his number and hands you back your phone, smiling uncontrollably at what was happening. 

You glance down at the time on your device, seeing that you had to go home soon. “Well, I better head out. Keep in touch will you?”

“Y-yeah, roger that.” 

You stood up and gathered your things, turning back to him as you flashed him one last smile. “I’ll see you around, Mell.” 

He waved goodbye as you walked to the exit for the library, the lovestruck expression never leaving his face. He sighs dreamily, knowing full well that if his friends saw him now they’d tease him for being so whipped for you. He didn’t mind though because at least, he had something to look forward to this weekend.

Michael gave himself a mental pat on the shoulder for working up the courage to get to know the real you as he picked up the textbooks he needed. At least he knew now that you weren’t some tv trope but someone so much more. 

[brightbeautifulthings]

See You Later by Christopher Pike

"It began with a smile, or at least that's what I thought. But then, I didn't think much when I was eighteen. I just longed for things I didn't have, and reacted when they came to me and I no longer wanted them. But love ... I always wanted to be in love, and to have love, and to pretend they were one and the same thing."

Year Read: before 2006, 2022

Rating: 4/5

About: Mark is a high school video game developer who's just fallen in love for the first time. Unfortunately, Becky already has a boyfriend, and Mark is hesitant to pursue her. When he meets Vincent, a quiet man who asks for help in play-testing his own video game, Vincent's beautiful and enigmatic girlfriend takes an interest in Mark's love life. In fact, Kara seems unusually invested in Mark going out with Becky, even to the point of trying to sabotage her current relationship. What Kara's real motivations are, and where she and Vincent truly come from, is more like one of Mark's science fiction games than he ever could have imagined. Spoilers are under the cut. Trigger warnings: character death (graphic, on-page), nuclear war, car accidents, asphyxiation, severe illness, violence, guns, blood, threats, infidelity.

Thoughts: This has always been one of my favorites of Pike's standalone novels, but for various reasons, it didn't quite hit me the same way this time. I love the story that's being told here, though it edges into science fiction territory, but Pike has always been able to make sci-fi more accessible to me. While things like time travel, cryogenic freezing, and nuclear war are all central to the plot, the truth is that they're all too vague to feel like we're truly in a sci-fi novel or to even be sure what really happens, and I'm okay with that. In instances like this one, I even prefer it, since I'm not sure the story works at all if we look at it too closely. And it's such a sad, lovely story.

As always with Pike, the book is really about people, and the small and large roles we play in the universal balance between good and evil. Every small action matters, and what matters most of all is love. As far as messages go, I'm hard pressed to think of a better one, and it's present throughout so many of his novels. Like most of Pike's narrators, Mark is a nerdy teenager with a crush, and I wasn't terribly invested in his relationship with Becky until Kara and Vincent (my love) arrived on the scene. Kara is a variation of Pike's usual mysterious, headstrong blonde, and I love their relationships with kind, quiet Vincent. While the villains aren't often on the page, the novel interrogates whether or not being a villain is a foregone conclusion. If just one thing changes, can the whole world change?

I still love Vincent's video game and the moral message there, and the whole novel comes over emphatically anti-war. What bothered me about it this time was the ending, particularly in the treatment of one of the characters, but more on that after the spoilers. I often find myself reaching for Pike's novels when I'm going through emotional distress, and whatever my thoughts about them, they never fail to comfort me. I need his worlds and his characters to remind me that there is magic and grace in everything, even (and maybe especially) when it doesn't turn out the way we hoped.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

I always found the ending of this book sad but beautiful, but this is the first time I've been a little angry reading it. Throughout the novel, I felt like Becky was being held at a distance, but Pike's characters often feel a bit distant, and it makes sense since Mark loves her without actually knowing her that well. I dislike the idea that one of our only female characters dies for the redemption of a male villain though, especially when (in her current timeline) she didn't do anything to deserve that. Kara might be far from innocent, but Becky isn't. Yeah, yeah, I get that the whole theme of the ending is forgiveness, but I struggle a little with that concept too. (Ray didn’t make any attempt to stop being an asshole before she died.) I'll always love it, just not quite in the same way as I did before.

[ifyouknowme-stayaway]

AROACE KARMA RIGHTS AROACE KARMA RIGHTS AROACE KARMA RIGHTS!!!

Can you tell that this headcanon makes me excited because it does

He hadn't really noticed it for a long while

Karma had some bigger things to worry about than crushes (or lack thereof) before E class

Yeah sure, he's overheard some of his classmates's conversations about crushes but it's not really his problem, and the way they talk about it sounds overexagerrated

Then he cuts ties with Nagisa out of paranoia of his bloodlust and his teacher betrays him

Suspension gives him wayyyy too much time to think about things

He watches a ton of movies and plays a lot of video games

And you know how that kinda stuff works. There's unfortunately almost always romance in them

Karma just doesn't get it. Like, sure, true love and all that, but it just doesn't make sense to him

He doesn't understand how a person could want to romance with someone else

It's just so much unnecessary drama

And yeah, maybe he should've started noticing something at that time

But then again, he's also at his lowest point and hates literally everyone

He doesn't really think the whole no-crushes thing is a seperate thing from his people-suck thing

Then he gets to E class

And Karma ends up in a coversation with Maehara and Sugino

No one's really sure how he got in that conversation, least of all himself

They end up talking about crushes and liking people

...it's weird

He'd already known that Maehara fell in love really easily, and that Sugino had a big crush on Kanzaki

Still, it felt weird to be actually witnessing a real conversation about crushes

Like he's missing important context that he can't quite guess or pretend to know

It feels even weirder when the topic drifts into first crushes

Cause Sugino's apparently been getting crushes since he was 11, and Maehara since he was 9

And they're just stupid, childhood crushes! Small and childish and more of a story to laugh at then something important

But Karma's still pretty taken aback by it

He drives the conversation to him teasing the two of them as fast as he can without letting on that he's starting to get nervous

Maehara seems to have noticed it a bit, but before he can bring it up, Sugino quickly catches on and plays along with the subject change

Later on that night, Karma starts thinking things through about it a little

Both Maehara and Sugino have been liking people in that way since grade school, but he hasn't felt it a single time even until his last year of middle school

And it wasn't like they had even spoken about it like feeling that way about someone that young was unusual

They'd talked about it like getting crushes that young was normal

Had he been missing out?

Was something wrong with him?

...nah, that probably wasn't it

It wasn't like he'd been that social as a kid or anything, and he'd always thought that love was for suckers, so maybe he'd just never had a chance or been stopping himself from getting out

Yeah! He was fine, he just had to wait a bit to get a crush or something

...right?

He pushes whatever problem he has with love out of sight and out of mind as best as he can

The problem is shoved right back into his face during the island field trip, unfortunately

Korosensei had paired him up with Okuda

And it wasn't like he had a problem with her! Okuda was great, she was blunt and honest and nice, and he did like her

But it wasn't a romantic like

...it's almost frustrating that it's not that kind of like

She's nice and they can act as partners in crime! The two of them are good friends and they trust each other! What more has to happen before his brain figures out he's probably supposed to like her?

At the same time, he really doesn't want to like her either

The two of them had talked after the weird tunnel of love/bad jump-scares, and Okuda and him had decided outright that being friends was good, and that there really wasn't anything between them other than mutual trust

It stops him from trying to force his feelings, but he does still wonder just when he's going to start liking people

If not even someone who clicks with him as well as Okuda can get him to have a crush, then what if no one does?

Is something wrong with him? When is the whole crush thing going to hit him? Is the part of him that's supposed to deal with feelings broken or something?

It's not like he's ever really been big on romance or anything, but it's always in movies and shows and books and games and literally everywhere

Characters that he knows don't fall in love are rare, and they've always been portrayed as sad, pathetic, unlovable or inhuman

And outside of the sad and pathetic thing, he normally would've been fine with it! He could come to terms with unlovable or inhuman

Now that he's in E class, he... really doesn't want to be cold or unlovable

Surprisingly enough for him, it's Kanzaki who helps him clear things up a bit

The two of them had been playing video games together at his place, just talking and hanging out

And it sort of just slips out that he's never had a crush before

"That's cool, I don't think I have either," she responds, and proceeds to kill his character

The two of them don't really get sappy or anything over it. They're just hanging out like normal, knowing the other understands it's a pretty groundbreaking experience for them

It's just little statements on how unbelievable that a lot of people seem to go crazy over romantic or sexual attraction, or making fun of how unrealistic the media is on love

They don't quite manage to find a name for it, but it's an insane relief to have found someone else who had shared the same experience, that they aren't alone, so if their feelings really aren't defective, at least they have someone else who's in the same boat

Needless to say, changing the topic whenever their friends talk about romance becomes much easier now that they can work together

[emiefaunwrites]

Leon & Chihiro Friendship Hcs?

Hey anon!

Sure happy to oblige! Nice to get a bit of variety in characters. Just as a heads up, I'm going to use He/Him pronouns for Chihiro (once he tells people his secret). That's how I personally see this character. But that isn't to invalidate anyone else's HCs about them.

Also have never known who I pair Chi with (since I don't personally enjoy Chimondo). But I stumbled across one recently and I'm like...yes. Yes I like. So that's included here too.

So yeah. With that I hope you enjoy!

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• Chi isn't immediately someone that Leon is drawn to.

• She's quiet, shy and nervous. And that's too close to the way he himself used to be in school.

• So he avoids the programmer until he's pulled into a friend group with Mondo.

• And they become quick friends.

• Once Chi reveals that they aren't a SHE but a HE, Leon is super supportive.

• He accompanies him and Mondo on their training regimes quite often - Mondo sometimes forgetting that Chi isn't the same bodyshape as him and sort of overdoing it - and that's where Leon steps in to mediate.

• And they have the same interest in video games too.

• Apart from Taka, no one knows that Leon is a JRPG fan (since he hides those games under his bed with COD and Halo etc on view to anyone who asks).

• Leon even gets to borrow the super rare games that Chi has collected for years - offering hin to borrow games from his own collection which is tiny in comparison.

• Chi is actually the first person to notice that Leon is crushing on their mutal friend.

• He quite often catches the redhead staring at the back of Taka's head in class with a dopey smile on his face.

• But, unlike Mondo, Chi is eager to get them together and tries to subtley make it happen.

• He knows that Leon is listening to their conversation at Valentines Day.

• He knows Leon's hanging outside the classroom when Taka's complaining about Leon's weird behaviour.

• He always makes sure that the only space left for Taka to sit in is next to Leon at film night.

• Chi is the wingman that Mondo never was - but the silent ninja kind.

• And once Leon figures it out, he is adamant to help Chi with his own romantic interests.

• That being a certain video gaming upperclassman...

• And unlike Chi, he isn't super subtle - asking Chiaki all these weird questions about men and interests.

• Right in front of Chi. Who is MORTIFIED.

• He knows his friend is doing his best but OH GOD STOP LEON!

• And eventually Leon gets bored of this whole pining thing and bluntly asks:

• 'So Chihiro's a hot dude, right Chiaki? You'd date him, right?'

• NO NO NO NO LEON WHY NO...

• 'Yes.'

• ASDFGHJKL Chi.exe has stopped working. And Leon has this shit eating grin on his face.

• Chi doesn't fancy Leon in the slightest (not because he's a guy - he's not bothered by gender at all) but my GOD he could kiss Leon right about now!

• 'My work here is done, my dude. Have a nice date!'

• And off he swans, leaving two red-faced, nervous nerds sat in the canteen who are now supposedly going to arrange a real date.

• Yeah. Leon and Chi are really good friends by the time they leave Hope's Peak.

• And it's Chi (not Hiro) that Leon asks to be his best man at his wedding.