#and i love how ray is very good at a few very specific things. and VERY BAD AT EVERYTHING ELSE

[raytorosaurus]

pick ur fighter: gerard on stage indignantly recounting the unjust overreaction of ray's arrest and overnight (?) jail stay over "two fucking batteries" vs frank seeing ray getting caught for slipping two double-a batteries out of a packet, running back into the same walmart ray stole them from to steal a camera with which he proceeded to take photos of ray being arrested (as a reminder. for attempting to shoplift two batteries), and ALSO stealing the actual sign off the wall that says "shoplifters will be prosecuted," which he then gifted to ray just to make fun of him when they picked him up from the station. all without getting caught himself.

[cherrifire]

Please share your thoughts on the other 5 cutie marks, I'd love to hear!

Hi everypony! I got like 20 asks for the Dogwarts cutie mark lore so I'm here to speak my truth!

Before we start, I would like to write a quick reminder that a pony's cutie mark is not always their "special talent", but can also represent who they are, their personalities, and a possible destiny. Different cutie marks have different meanings and interpretations, but they're not just about representing what you're good at.

That being said, let's start with the cutie mark design I'm proudest of!

Ren's Cutie Mark

Ren's cutie mark is of a sunrise and looks pretty simple at first glance but there was a lot of thought that went into this one.

First of all, I bet you're wondering why a sunrise? Well, in the show, it is pretty typical for unicorns with great magical abilities to have one relating to space (examples being Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, and Sunburst). And I figured since I wanted Ren to fall into a similar position of potentially becoming an alicorn, I gave him a cutie mark following the same trend. And I chose a sunrise to reflect the way Ren seems to glow when he enters a room. The way he carries himself is very warm and bright it just catches your eye in a similar way the sun would.

Also, Ren wears sunglasses. So a sun-themed cutie mark seemed appropriate.

Additionally, there are a couple of smaller details I want to point out too. Like the sun rays, if you look at them for a moment you'll see they're shaped like little crowns! I of course had to put a crown in thanks to how much Ren likes to play royalty, so I snuck it in there. And then the red spots underneath could both be interpreted as the sun reflected over water or blood. (But of course, this is a kid show AU so there wouldn't be any blood in Ren's destiny, just a fun reference to the red king and his whole thing about blood dyeing the snow red)

Martyn's Cutie Mark

I explained this one in an earlier ask but I thought I'd explain it again here for anyone who didn't see it!

Martyn's cutie mark is of a chopped log and a small stick.

This one is mostly a play on the name "Littlewood" but has other meanings too. As a character, Martyn tends to travel and explore quite a bit. In the Life Series specifically, he is usually the last one to find a permanent base and even then doesn't spend a lot of time in one place. Always on the move. Additionally, he's more of a wild card compared to other characters, always trying to be as unpredictable as possible.

The smaller detail here is the little swirl on top of the log is the same as the one on his Minecraft skin's shirt.

BigB's Cutie Mark

Cookies! Cookies! Cookies! BigB's cutie mark is of 3 cookies where one is trying to eat the others. There are also a few sprinkles there made to look like action lines.

We all know BigB loves cookies so of course I had to give him a cutie mark with cookies in it. For this one, I decided to follow the cutie mark trend of "symbol/item important to the pony duplicated 3 times" (examples being Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie) but I added a bit more creativity to it with the top on trying to eat the others to represent just how tasty they are 😋

Additionally, rather than the first cookie trying to eat the others, you could interpret it as opening its mouth to talk. Because BigB can not keep a secret to save his life! In Double Life when he started "secret soulmates" with Grian, he didn't last a day without opening his mouth. He told Ren about it immediately because he felt bad for keeping things from him.

Also worth quickly mentioning: People pointed out in my original post that they don't think BigB would be the element of honesty because of his behaviour in Secret Life. But that's just Secret Life. I think Secret Life to BigB was like that episode of My Little Pony where Discord makes the main 6 act the opposite of their true element. BigB was just going through a weird phase of telling very obvious lies because a book told him to.

Skizz's Cutie Mark

Skizz's cutie mark is of a lightning bolt from a couple storm clouds hitting the ground.

I think this is the cutie mark with the least thought put into it, unfortunately. There was still though just not as much as the others. The big thing I thought was fun was I made the lightning bolt shaped like an "S" to stand for Skizzleman. But other than that, this cutie mark sort of has the same meaning as Rainbow Dash's cutie mark. Quick like lightning, loud, bold, dangerous, and powerful.

Impulse's Cutie Mark

Impulse's cutie mark is of a lit-up lightbulb.

I absolutely crowded this cutie mark with the letter i. If you look closely, there are 6 of them. Impulse's design also has an i-shaped pattern on the belly if you look closely enough. But that's more of a fun easter egg and doesn't exactly reflect Impulse as a character.

There are a couple of reasons I chose a lightbulb for Impulse, the first and probably most obvious is that he's a redstone guy! He's a technical guy who likes to work smarter, not harder. So I figured the My Little Pony equivalent would be a light bulb/electricity. The second reason for the lightbulb is that it's usually used as a visual representation when characters have that "eureka!" moment in cartoons. When someone has a brilliant idea a little lightbulb turns on above their head. So since Impulse is the ideas guy, I figured a lightbulb would work for his cutie mark.

Etho's Cutie Mark

Etho's cutie mark is of a snowflake with a missing branch.

I promise there is more to this cutie mark than just "Canada is cold" even if that's part of the reason I wanted to give him a winter-themed cutie mark. While it is fun to make a nod to Etho being Canadian, I thought a winter-themed cutie mark would be fun to represent how he sometimes presents himself. Cold and a bit mysterious. I think deep down once you get to know him, those attributes melt away, but for people who have never met him, he may be intimidating that way.

I'll be honest, I don't watch a lot of Etho content, but I do have a few friends who identify as Etho girlies so I did my research. I was told in his Minecraft Let's Play World, that he has a snowflake build somewhere. I believe they said it was an iron golem farm? (Please correct me if I'm wrong) but I thought that was perfect for the cutie mark. And if you're wondering why there's a branch missing, it's because one of my friends said he was incapable of finishing builds sometimes so I thought that would be fun to include.

-=+=-

Alright. Rant over. To celebrate, here are a few pony doodles so I can put this post in my art tag.

[salty-croissants]

Could you write headcanons fluffy/romantic of rayman or Ramon please and thank you

Thank you so much for the request , it’s actually my first one :D

Hope this turned out well ! 

I ended up splitting up the headcanons given how different both personalities are , hope that’s okay ! 

Details : use of gender neutral reader ; 

established relationships ; 

some swear words are present in Ramon’s part , but other than that no warnings are needed

Rayman 🧡

Given the fact that Rayman has felt incredibly lonely pretty much his whole life , as soon as you showed him genuine kindness and interest in him without focusing on his fame he immediately took a liking to you : 

despite his seemingly very smooth demeanor , he was actually very nervous about confessing his eventual feelings for you , terrified of being rejected yet again … 

But that wasn’t the case , and let me tell you , Rayman will forever treasure the moment you told him those 4 words he was so afraid of never hearing from anyone in his life . 

He wants to know everything you like , and by everything I mean absolutely everything : 

Rayman loves to listen to you gushing about your passions and hobbies , and if you ever need something specific you will find it on your desk with an almost unnatural quickness …

< Wh - are those the acrylics I mentioned just a few minutes ago ? > 

< They sure are ! I also made sure to get you all the colors I could get my hands on , now you’ll have no trouble finishing your piece . > 

 < Ray , thank you so much ! You shouldn’t have … > 

< Anything for you , honey ~ > 

Whenever the two of you go out on a date , Rayman definitely doesn’t waste the opportunity to bring you to the most amazing ( and low key expensive ) places in the city , and this especially happened during your first dates : he really , really wanted to leave a good impression on you , though if you tell him that you’d rather spend time with him in a more quiet place he definitely won’t be unhappy to hang out either at his lounge or at your place … 

He wants you to be comfortable with him at all times .

I like to think that Rayman loves to receive kisses on his nose : whenever you walk by him and surprise him with one , this man will positively melt … 

You will definitely earn a cuddling session for when he’s done with his shows . 

He loves to hold your hand whenever you go outside , also as a way to show everyone around that this lovely person is with him , JUST him .

Some might see this as a bit excessive , but regardless of how long you two have been together Rayman is deep down still worried that he might not be good enough and that you might leave him someday , so if you reassure him on this you will definitely make him happy …

< You know I won’t ever leave you , right Ray ? You’re the only one for me , this won’t ever change . > 

< Heh … I know y/n … thank you . > 

Ramon 🖤

Now that he knows that he’s been used by Eden all these years , Ramon’s once cheerful demeanor has definitely changed a lot … but his love for you didn’t : 

the fact that you’re choosing to stay by his side despite the dangers that you two might have to face just makes his adoration for you grow even more , and he wants to make sure that no one will dare to hurt his sweetheart .

He might need to be comforted more often … 

Ramon feels horrible about letting all those terrible things Eden did just slip by him , so when the guilt becomes too much he just walks over to you and buries his face in your chest , your genuinely loving words and the sound of your heartbeat giving him a peace that nothing else is able to make him feel .

< You couldn’t have known , love … if Eden tricked you , it’s not something you can blame yourself for . We’ll figure this out , I promise . > 

< … thank you y/n … I … really needed this . > 

< Don’t mention it , Ram . >

If you’re feeling cold , no matter how many degrees it is outside and how much you protest , Ramon will cover you up with his coat .

< Stop it ! It’s freezing out here , you can’t just - > 

< I can … and I will . > 

< Uh , I don’t think so ! 

Here , give me a second … 

There , we can just share it , no reason for you to be cold . > 

< I … 

Pfft … I love you so much y/n . > 

< I love you too , Ram ~ > 

If you ever do get actually hurt by someone ? 

Ohh boy , whoever did it is in trouble … 

Ramon is going to track them down no matter how long it takes , and you better believe he’ll blow so many holes in them that not even their corpse will be remotely recognizable .

< N-no ! PLEASE HAVE MERCY !!! > 

< Heh … should’ve thought about that before putting your hands on y/n , you FUCKING BASTARD ! > 

After he’s done with making the person resign from life , Ramon is going to immediately come back to you to stay by your side if you’ve been badly wounded , constantly apologizing for not being able to keep you safe and also telling you to never ever do something that dangerous again . 

Ramon loves you so much , he just doesn’t know what he’d do with himself if you were gone …

Ramon has grown to become even more physically affectionate than before , and whenever the two of you have are alone for a moment he will just hold you in his arms , giving you loving kisses while whispering sweet nothings in your ear , his deep voice rarely failing to make you blush …

< y/n , you’re so beautiful … I never want to lose you , you’re the one thing keeping me sane in this goddamn hellhole … you’re my everything … > 

He keeps this to himself , but the reason Ramon does this is also because he isn’t even sure if the two of you are going to survive your mission of getting rid of all the oppressors of hybrids in the city .

He wants his moments with you to be engraved in his memory , because if everything were to fall apart the next day he would at least remember his beloved before the end …

You’re his very own ray of hope , after all . 

[kanonavi]

(Spoilers for 4.5 Potion event (just in case lol I know I'm late on this))

At this point, I'm really wondering if we're gonna end up getting some payoff in the future for much Paimon absolutely hates Venti for no discernible reason. Because he isn't the only person she's been kinda standoffish with over the years, but he's by far the most consistent. Like, when you consider the fact that Paimon even warmed up to Al-Haitham by the end of Sumeru, it kinda says a lot about her apparent grudge against Venti by comparison. (And I love Al-Haitham to death, but I'm not about to say he's a ray of sunshine compared to Venti.) (Event interaction-related stuff under the cut)

The contrast to how Paimon treated Diona versus how she treated Venti when they came to the potion shop together was like night and day. I've been going around to all of my friends today and describing Paimon's reaction to them as something like "Diona omg hi it's so good to see you it's been forever how have you been!!! .........And Tone-Deaf Bard." which is obviously a comedic exaggeration, but also not entirely off the mark. And all Venti did was... exist? Try to help Diona out with what she was trying to do? Yes, he's going to get free drinks out of it but he also went truly above and beyond to help Diona find a new ingredient all the way from the middle of nowhere in Dragonspine. If he didn't care about Diona's feelings and what she was trying to do, he wouldn't have done that. (But of course, Venti does care because he's a good Archon and a good person and I love him for that.)

There are genuinely very few things that make me believe in the theory that Paimon is some kind of agent from the Heavenly Principles than the fact that she hates Venti so steadfastly. There's so much evidence that connects Mondstadt and specifically Venti/the Thousand Winds to the old civilizations of Teyvat that the Heavenly Principles once destroyed. For Venti to still exist in the world and let his people make their own choices in the way that he does, of course they and by extension Paimon would hate him. Plus, even if her annoyance with him started with his tendency towards being cryptic, why would Paimon care so much about what he knows? Why does one of his voicelines imply that he doesn't want to tell the traveler things with Paimon around?? It's just so incredibly suspicious.

The scene is kinda funny though when you look at how good Venti is with kids (how helpful and kind he is to Diona despite her wanting to get rid of alcohol, which he loves) and yet one of the most childish characters in the entire game absolutely despises him. Every day I wake up and wonder what in the world Paimon's damage is and if we're going to get a justification for it, or if this is sincerely just what the writers think is funny.

[mrsbrookemunson]

Request for the 30-days-of-insecurities-thingy, smile. I'm very insecure of my smile because i got bullied a lot for it.

Could I get tagged??🙏🙏

But, of course, @maddymadquinn !!! When I read this, I knew it had to be the first part to my insecurity series, and I hope I did your request justice.

Warnings: no use of 'y/n', gn!reader, use of pet names like 'sweetheart', and 'love', insecure!reader (obvi), intrusive thoughts, self deprecating thoughts, Eddie being in love with you, 'L' bombs all over the place, bullying, fluffy, kinda rushed ending, most likely typos, and what the request says-it's all about teeth and your smile-I tried to keep it basic, if you have braces or a gap tooth or whatever, it'll fit in with the story. Enjoy :)

Word Count: 2225

Taglist: @strangerthingsstories5255 @totalmesstm @kiszkathecook @poofyloofy @beeblisss @stylesxmunson @munsonsguitarpick @mlvgren @dream-a-little-nightmare @munsonsuccubus @katsukisimpsblog @iheartyouyou @eddiebaemunson @emma77645 @eviethetheatrefreak @pappachismoth @erinsingalong @letitiasleftfoot @eddiesguitarskills @trixyvixx @myfangirlheartsblog @emxxblog @hufflepuffobsessedwithmarvel @prettiest-angel @ajokeformur-ray @livsters @cherrycolas-things @chloe-6123 @hazydespair @wolfstarsiriusly @steveharringtonswifey-09

Series Masterlist | Eddie Munson Masterlist

~ Just Smile ~

"You would look prettier if you smiled more."

"Why don't you ever smile?"

"Just smile."

You're used to comments like that, often hearing them from your classmates at Hawkins High...

But, here's the thing—

#1: My Smile

You hate your smile, often giving people the closed-mouth smile or a tight thin-lipped smile that doesn't quite ever reach your eyes. But, you refuse to smile with your teeth.

This makes one day very hard for you every time it comes.

Picture Day.

A day made from Hell to torture you, where people reassure you—"Oh!, it's not that bad..." or "Everyone looks bad in school photos." Really? Tell that to the Queen of Hawkins High, Chrissy Cunningham, or Steve 'the Hair' Harrington, or Heather Holloway, or Nancy Wheeler—even Robin seems to pull out a good one.

But, you?

Freshman Year—

"Big smile!" the photographer instructed.

And did you give her one-flashing your teeth... only to receive said photo later on just to cry to your mom about how bad it looked... and that your teeth looked wrong. The demon in your head won the longer you stared at the photo.

"Honey, it's fine—no one likes their school photos."

It was after all the other girls and boys bragging about their photos did you swear you'd never smile with your teeth in photos again.

Sophomore Year—

You prepared yourself, watching the person before you take their picture. Hearing the lady call 'next' with a short glance toward you. You took a deep breath, walking to the seat. When you sat down, your heart began to race a little—a rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins.

It felt as though things were moving in slow motion, a deep, patronizing voice, "Give me a big smile". The lady demonstrated, exaggeratedly.

Your eyes flickered to a group of your classmates, snickering at you with pointed fingers. They taunted your smile with their own.

"Big smile!" the lady repeated.

You heard the laughs of the group echoing in your ears, you quickly revealed your teeth in a wide grin. The flash of the camera temporarily blinding you.

"Next!'

You blinked a few times before moving along. You shuffled past the group until you heard the call of your name from one of them. With that you spun around to face them with nervous, wide eyes, and a once again, pounding heart.

One of the teenagers smiled at you, a fake, catty, insulting smile as they stalked closer to you. "Thought you'd want to know you have something—" They gestured to their mouth, specifically their teeth "Right there."

One of their friends snorted loudly in the back.

You frowned and went to the bathroom in a slight rush to check it out. When you found your own reflection in the mirror you bared your teeth only to find... your teeth—your smile.

All you saw was yourself.

Quickly understanding, you felt yourself falling apart—

Is that why they laugh at you when you smile and say hello passing them in the halls?

You thought you heard it in their tone—the fakeness of it all.

You ripped up your school photo when you got it after witnessing the same group as before commenting on it with their giggles and chuckles. You blocked your face with tape in your yearbook, so you'd never have to see yourself looking back.

Is that why they all laughed when you signed their yearbook the previous year? You only dug yourself farther into a hole, thinking about what would happen next.

That's when you swore you'd never smile again.

Junior Year—

The year you got a certain metalhead's attention.

He was in the same grade as you, and you shouldn't have even met, but you purposely ditched picture day and your mom forced you to go to retake day. Turns out you weren't the only one who hated this day.

The two of you grumbled under your breath, overhearing him next to you caught your attention.

"Mom forced you to do this too?" you asked.

"Uncle."

You chuckled, breathily. "What was his excuse?"

His posture straightened. "'You can't just run away and hide when you don't want to do something, boy! You have to stand up to it!'" he imitated this so-called 'uncle's' voice.

You giggled, but stopped when you suddenly felt his eyes on you. You dared to look and saw his gaze on your teeth. You cleared your throat and turned away from him.

You missed the way he frowned, as he missed the sight of your smile and the sound of your laugh in just seconds.

"What about you?" he chimed from behind you.

"Huh?" You kept your guard up, still turned away from him.

"Your mom's motive?"

"Oh—yeah! " You swallowed. "That I'll regret it one-day." You shook your head. "I highly doubt that though."

"Why didn't you attend picture day?"

"Tried to pull a you—ditch—avoid it..." you paused. "Run away from it." You suddenly found the palm of your hand more interesting than the beautiful boy behind you—actually wanting to talk to you!

You heard him chuckle. "Sounds like you and my uncle think the same of me."

"I don't know you—but I don't think you're a cult leader, that's for sure."

"But, most people do, hence why I try to get away with not doing this.” He gestures to the setup in front of you two. “Have no doubt they write freak over my face, or draw devil horns over my head in their little yearbooks."

There was a beat of silence and you could feel the slight nudge of his foot against yours.

You bit your lip, thinking about what he said. What he admitted to you so effortlessly. How could he trust you so fast without even knowing your name—who you are?

You sigh, "I hate my smile."

"C'mon, I just saw it and it's—"

"Ugly—I know."

"No, I was gonna say—"

" Next!"

You don't look back when you walk up ignoring Eddie.

"Show me a big smile!" she asks.

You, however, do not, giving her only a neutral expression. She takes the picture and looks down at it, uncomfortably.

"Uhhh... want me to take another one?"

"No." You left, hastily.

Eddie ignored the call for him as with narrowed eyes, watching you leave, he sets his own personal goal—

To get you to smile for him one day.

Senior Year—

"Ready for picture day, sweetheart?" Eddie asked, placing a sloppy kiss onto your cheek.

You grumbled, wiping his kiss away. "No."

He placed yet another kiss on your cheek in replacement of the old one. "I know, I know." He drummed a steady beat against the sides of your torso. "But, you look beautiful today, but then again you always do."

You grew flustered. "Thanks," you whispered.

"Next!'

You walked up to the seat and took your place.

"Big smile!"

You glared at the lady. "Seriously? I thought we were past this now."

Your eyes flickered to Eddie who gave you an encouraging thumbs up and a nod with an annoyingly cute smile on his face. That was enough for you to muster up a small closed-mouth smile and that was enough to make Eddie's heart soar.

Safe to say, he accomplished his goal.

Present—

Eddie did not accomplish his goal.

God, you haven't smiled in a week—a week! And at this point he thought he was going to lose his mind.

You've been having a tough week. With your allergies acting up, to school and work stressing you out, to even those special, rare moments of silence you have, only to have them be interrupted by one thing or another. And he tried, he tried to get you to even break a little smile for him, but he just couldn't do it.

Something had to be wrong.

Something was wrong, on your side of the story. Work, school, allergies, and lack of peace haven't been the only things keeping you up late at night. It was this intrusive thought every time you looked in the mirror, it was the people you interacted with at work whose gaze simply rested on your smile that made you falter, the once in a while backhanded comments people would make. You couldn't find it in yourself anymore to smile or even laugh—you felt exhausted and defeated.

Because it was you, your smile, something you owned—and people didn't like it. And at times you think you're cursed.

It's you.

You stumbled around your room, picking up random pieces of trash off the floor, and tidying things up before bed. You felt a slight pressure in between your eyebrows from wanting to cry a few times during your episodes.

You sighed and collapsed onto your bed. Just before you were about to get comfortable you heard a faint tapping on your window. You jumped at the sound, until you saw a familiar ring adorning a finger. You got up and walked over to the window, opening it.

"What are you doing here?" you ask, tiredly.

He only smiled. "I got some stuff for you." His eyes glanced behind you. "Can I come in?"

You rolled your eyes and moved to the side, giving him room for him to enter. "Come on in, Prince Charming."

His smile got wider, stepping inside, and nearly tripping on a small stack of books near your window. He revealed a bouquet of your favorite flowers. "For you." He handed them to you. You took them, with a curious expression. Suddenly, he's rifling through a plastic bag he brought. "Okay, so I got Breakfast Club, Nightmare on Elm Street, I even brought The Outsiders, and that other movie you like uh—" He read the title. "Some Kind of Wonderful."

Your eyes widened. "You brought all of those."

"Well, I thought we could have a little movie night," he replied, nonchalantly. "I also brought your favorite snacks and candy, even your favorite drink." He looked at your dumbfounded face. He set down the bag and brought his hands up to caress your upper arms. "Look, I know you've been having a bad week and I want to make it a little better."

Your eyes avert away from him. You sniffled, holding the flowers closer to your chest. "I don't deserve you, you know."

He shook his head. "Not true."

You argued, "No, no it is true, you deserve someone who you can show off to—to prove those jerks from school wrong, and I-I can't do that."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

Tears rimmed your eyes. "Eddie, why are people so mean?"

He was taken aback. "Sweetheart..." He gently took the flowers out of your hands and placed them on your dresser. He pulled you into his chest. "What's wrong? Did someone say something to you?"

You nodded. "Yes..." You cry into his shirt.

"Who? I'll go kick their ass right now."

"No! It's—" You found yourself becoming embarrassed. "it's not just one person—so many people just—" You struggled to get the words out. "I just want to be able to smile without feeling judged—I feel like I'm forced to remain in bitch-face mode just so I don't have to deal with people staring or commenting or doing something that revolves around that—especially our classmates.” You pulled away to look him in the eyes. "I just want to feel beautiful when I smile Eddie."

He looked at you in shock at your confession. He knew you hated your smile, that was the start of you two, but hearing it now as someone more than a stranger was heartbreaking to him. Seeing the one he's so so in love with falling apart in front of him over something he couldn't stop thinking about for months and months.

"God, sweetheart, don't you see I'd do anything to keep you smiling."

"What?" You furrowed your eyebrows.

"I know you hate your smile, but god—I love it. I've loved it ever since I met you, and from that moment I wanted to make you smile everyday. Lights up my world and shit, if I'm being honest." He seemed nervous, fidgeting with the ends of your shirt.

"You mean it?" Your voice slightly cracked as the emotions of love rushed through you. You're almost starstruck by him. Over the moon. Your heart flutters and your stomach flips seeing the sincerity in his eyes.

Has he always looked at you that way? Have you just never noticed?

Truth is: Yes, he has, and no... you didn't.

"Jesus, yes, you're so beautiful and that smile of yours is beautiful," he pauses. "And who fucking cares what anyone says? Or thinks? Fuck them!"

You laughed.

His eyes widen as he stumbles back with a dazed expression. "I think I just died—" He dramatically falls on the bed. "And went to heaven," he finished. "Are you an angel?"

You laugh again, this time louder. "Stop it," you squeal.

"I'm serious." He pulls you over to him. You slot between his legs as he looks up at you with a slight pout. "I want you to talk to me when you're feeling insecure about yourself. I don't want you bottling up your feelings." He cups your face with the warmth of his hands to make sure he has your full attention. "I love every single thing about you, sweetheart. And I'll do anything and everything for you to realize that, no matter how long it might take. "

If only you knew just how serious he was.

Next Chapter: Actions Speak Louder Than Words (nsfw)

[troius]

I just want to say a few things before you get to the end. First up, it's been a pleasure to read your thoughts on the series; like any fan, you have your own unique interpretations and it's always good to read how fans see certain scenes. It's also been fantastic to see fellow fans respond to your posts adding on to what you've written, again bringing your thoughts out more and generating discussion.

Also, seeing your thoughts has made me appreciate scenes and characters I never thought I would -- Yamamoto for instance, who would've thought?! They've also reminded me of why I fell in love with the series as much as I did, from the artwork to the themes to the incredible bonds between the characters. You've reminded me that BLEACH has it's flaws that can sometimes take you out of the story, but when it hits, it 100% HITS! It's a manga that's about the bonds we form, how they can help us overcome challenges and be a source of light in our lives. It's about the ways we overcome grief and the fear of death, whether it's literally fighting your way through it or slowly coming to a state of acceptance as time goes on. It's about the 'hearts' of people, about what they look like and how they're shared between those you choose. I could go on and on, but then this would become an essay and we'd be here all day.

All of this is to say, thank you for choosing to create a Tumblr account and deciding to read the series and give your thoughts along the way. I can't believe you've finally reached the end, it almost feels like I'm saying goodbye to the manga again!! I don't think I'm the only one here who sees you as a big and valued part of the community on here, so I hope you'll be sticking around! :)

Thank you so much Rays! Response under the cut because it went long.

This won't surprise you, but I too have grown in my appreciation for the series over the course of the uh three years that I've run this blog. Bleach has character concepts I've never seen elsewhere. It has moments of storytelling brilliance. It has truly, phenomenally astonishing art.

But more than anything else, I, like you, am impressed by the heart. For a story that's largely about the afterlife, Bleach is shockingly humanistic, locating virtue not in any system of belief, in any group or faction in the various conflicts that provide the setting for the manga, but in people. All people, whether they're our extremely relatable teenage protagonist and his friends, the occasionally sketchy adults in his life, or the various adversaries ranging from evil monsters to supernatural samurai to a regular-ass gang to a foreign apocalypse cult. Bleach never, not once, lets the viewer fall into the comfortable childish space of believing that there's good people and bad people in the world.

There's just people. Sometimes these people want to do bad things, like execute their sisters, or kidnap your girlfriend, or isolate you from your family, or destroy the entire world. Bleach doesn't flinch away from that either. But it (again, very humanistically) locates those bad actions not in the individual human beings, but in our relationships with one another through the systems and structures we've created to organize ourselves.

And yet in the face of the idea that humans do their worst work through other people, that's also where Bleach locates its greatest virtue. Alone, we're nothing. It's the bonds that we have with others that are what make life worth living, that are the source of everything good in this world. And navigating that dynamic, between spiritual bonds and structural shackles...that's really what adult life is all about, isn't it?

Anyhow, my adult life has been greatly enriched by all of you on here. But I'll take the chance to thank you specifically Rays, for being such a source of joy. Your positivity and passion are the sort of thing that makes a humble blogger want to come back for more, and I've deeply enjoyed hearing all of your thoughts, not just on my liveblog, but through your own posts and writing. I'll be sticking around for sure.

[holmesxwatson]

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes dir: Billy Wilder, 1970

I only watched The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes for the first time a few days ago but it lights my brain up in that special way that I know I’ll revisit it a lot. Don’t get me wrong, it’s far from perfect, for one thing Colin Blakely’s Watson is a little too shouty for me, but it’s very worthwhile to check out despite its shortcomings, which I think mostly come from the fact that so much was cut from the intended script.

I absolutely love Robert Stephens as Holmes. His face is so good, he has a way of looking at Watson when he doesn’t know he’s being observed that is very soft. I thought I was hallucinating the beginning of this movie with Holmes telling the ballet dancer he’s gay and in a relationship with Watson. I thought it was going to be played for a joke, and it was a bit, but it didn’t just end there. Holmes and Watson have a conversation about the repercussions in a lengthy scene that turns very serious by the end. I can’t believe this was 1970 and no one has since tried to build on this specific dynamic in a more meaningful way. Someone needs to remake this into a mini-series exactly how Billy Wilder intended it to be, here’s hoping public domain can make it so.

[above: script page from the cut story The Curious Case of the Upside Down Room, where Watson creates a fake case to make Holmes feel better]

Also, the backstory of the making of this film is so out of control: Robert Stephens’s nervous breakdown and suicide attempt during the production, the amount of years Billy Wilder was trying to write it and get it made, the interference of ACD’s son, the Loch Ness monster prop that the crew lost in actual Loch Ness, the immense scope of the episodic story they were going for, the way it got cut down from its original 3 hour 45 minute runtime and how that cut footage was lost forever! (this is crazy! everyone go check your attics and storage lockers right now).

In one of the interviews I found, Robert Stephens says “if something is boring — if it’s three minutes long it’s too long, but if it’s interesting it’s never long enough…you don’t want it to end.” Big same Toby Stephens’ dad, big SAME. I didn’t want it to end. I read the uncut script and I am just floored at what we missed out on. Thankfully some footage and audio remain of some of the cut scenes (but still! check your basements too).

Just fully let it settle into your brain that they filmed all of these stories in the script, and then cut most of it away. Like that is mind-blowing to me, it existed at one point as it was fully intended to be. If this was made now during home entertainment times, they would have no problem releasing an almost four-hour movie, but at the very least there would be a big director’s cut dvd release and we would be enjoying all the small Holmes x Watson moments we deserve.

Anyway, in pretty short order I found a bunch of interesting links to stuff, details below. I also consulted my very well-thumbed Conversations with Wilder book by Cameron Crowe, but there wasn’t that much more information in there. I have Robert Stephens’ memoir Knight Errant and the TPLOSH blu-ray on order so I’ll add to this post if I find any more good resources. Let me know if I’m missing anything, and enjoy!

Full movie on YouTube (x) <-update: this link went private, but it's also streaming for free on Tubi and Freevee, and available to rent on YouTube, Google Play, and Apple TV

Original roadshow draft of script on Internet Archive (x)

Missing footage: Prologue [sound only plus stills] (x), The Curious Case of the Upside Down Room [sound only plus stills] (x), The Dreadful Business of the Naked Honeymooners [footage and soundtrack only, no sound dialogue] (x), alternate ending [sound only] (x)

Making of documentary that includes behind-the-scenes snippets of some of the cut scenes [this doc is in German, but you can turn on the auto-translate to English in the YouTube settings] (x)

Interview with Ernst Walter, film editor of TPLOSH (x)

Interview with Christopher Lee “Mr. Holmes, Mr. Wilder” 2003 (x)

My YouTube playlist with all of the above links in one place plus an excellent fan vid by Just Bee that I added to the list because it’s just so good (x)

Missing Movies: A Case for Sherlock Holmes from 1994 BBC Radio 2 on Soundcloud [includes interview with Robert Stephens and folks involved in the production] (x)

Articles about the lost Loch Ness monster prop (x) (x)

The soundtrack by Miklós Rózsa (x)

[maniculum]

Bestiaryposting Results: Ilyecham

Presenting the results for the Ilyecham -- a name which continues to look wrong in Tumblr's sans-serif font. That's:

Ilyecham

There we go. As usual, if you're not sure what this is about, you may find an explanation at https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting . The text from which the artists are working is here:

I saw one post saying something along the lines of "if these things are going to keep being birds, I'm going to have to learn more about bird-drawing." I regret to tell you that the Aberdeen Bestiary has a whole section on birds, so they are indeed going to keep coming up. They make up, like, a third of the entries I have queued. Sorry. Or, if you wanted motivation to practice your avian drawing skills, you're welcome.

Also, sorry this post is a couple hours later than usual -- I had Other Obligations this evening.

Anyway, here's the art, in roughly chronological order as per usual.

@embervoices (link to post here) has drawn both a colorful adult and a less-colorful juvenile, and moreover provides us with a quick vocabulary lesson, which I always enjoy because I'm a language nerd. (They also wrote their own image description -- thank you for that, saves me some time.) I absolutely love that the Ilyecham "greedily seizing larger birds" is here represented by a hatchling aggressively going after a "bewildered goose". The linked post includes some notes on design decisions also.

@miapcain (link to post here) has done another beautifully stylized picture, showing multiple Ilyechams and their aggressive behavior. I love the style of course, and I also like that these have an almost sandpiper-like body plan with long beaks, which they apparently use to stab other birds -- or at least I think that's what the one in the bottom right is doing, which I think is pretty cool. The blue heads are a nice visual touch also, I think. The kind of tiled geometric background feels very period-appropriate, exactly the sort of thing you'd see in a particularly richly-illuminated manuscript.

@sweetlyfez (link to post here) notes that there aren't many visual details in the description, so she decided to draw a regular bird of prey and then add a wizard hat to indicate that it is armed with spirit, which I love. I actually laughed out loud when I saw her explanation of why the hat. Excellent choices, no notes. Also I think this is a pretty good bird drawing on its own merits, hat aside.

I continue to enjoy @rautavaara's drawing style (link to post here). I really like the way the rays of the sun are drawn here, specifically. Their Ilyecham is molting in an extremely dramatic fashion, missing whole clumps of feathers, which I think looks quite cool and communicates the idea well. (I worry a little bit about how long it's going to be able to stay in the sky with so many wing feathers missing, but they're apparently quite unpleasant birds, so maybe a rough landing is well deserved.)

@coolest-capybara (link to post here) has drawn us a whole family of Ilyechams. Also in excellent medieval style, as usual -- the stylized drawing are kind of all in a cluster in this post. I like the plants; coolest-capybara is quite good at drawing plants in a way that looks just like the Unidentifiable Medieval Foliage you'd expect in a manuscript. We can see one parent exhibiting its molting behavior, another fighting a much larger bird, and three poor little juveniles walking off looking a bit dejected. Hits all the highlights of the description very well, I think. The linked post includes a brief description and a few close-up details of the image.

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) would like to acknowledge that this is "kind of a mess" and "the wings are just gonna look like that", which I think is an example of artists holding themselves to very high standards because this looks very realistically rendered to me and I have no idea what might be wrong with it. That's a damn fine bird drawing right there. The linked post includes a pretty thoughtful explanation of which behaviors in the provided description are reminiscent of which birds, and how silverhart has combined elements of a few different birds to make this one.

@karthara (link to post here) has drawn us what is unmistakably a bird of prey, and briefly explains in the linked post what birds this is inspired by. I think the feather pattern is very interesting, particularly the blue on the head. Something about the way the shape of the pattern interacts with the bird's eye looks very cool. A certain je ne sais quoi, if you will.

@hairycarrot (link to post here) has done a pretty cool-looking sun in the corner of the page. One of the unexpected things I'm enjoying about these is that multiple artists decided to have fun with how to draw the sunshine in which the Ilyecham spreads its wings. Poor little guy falling out of the nest there... buddy I don't think that one is quite ready to fly.

@treesurface (link to post here) shows us an Ilyecham creating a breeze by beating their wings, as described in the entry, which I like. Their Ilyecham is equipped with a dangerous-looking pointed beak for the purpose of fighting larger birds, and the look in its eyes definitely helps with that impression. The linked post provides an explanation of design decisions.

@strixcattus (link to post here) notes that the description provided reminds them of a number of small raptors, but that all of those raptors look kind of alike, so they've given their Ilyecham a striking feather pattern to stand out from the crowd. I really like it, the pattern is excellent. I also like that we're seeing the return of an animal from a previous entry: that thing it's grabbing in its claws is a Holghras chick from a couple weeks ago. (Though I'm slightly torn because I like those little muppets, and the Holghras has enough problems without being attacked by an Ilyecham.) Strixcattus has again provided us with a modernized description of the creature in question, which is amazing as always. If any of y'all enjoy worldbuilding half as much as I do, you owe it to yourself to read these.

@moustawott (link to post here) has drawn us a very small-looking bird here, performing stationary flight to aid in its molting behavior. The feather pattern is very good, in my opinion, and I like how the molted feathers are kind of blowing away behind it. Also an excellently-rendered bird in general.

@pomrania (link to post here) envisions the Ilyecham as looking old and grumpy to fit the vibe of its described behavior -- an early draft of this drawing includes a speech bubble reading "get a job you freeloaders", which I think hits the mark pretty well. (For early drafts and additional commentary on the design, see the linked post) I like the eyebrows, I like the severe color scheme over most of the body paired with the colorful wings, and I like that this is the closest to what I pictured when I read about the Ilyecham, namely this:

(Not that it's an eagle, but you know. Vibes.)

@mobileleprechaun (link to post here) has very clearly depicted a small bird attacking a larger one. They note "heavy Season’s Greason’s inspo" and you know what? I totally see it. I also enjoy the decision to make the larger bird a dodo.

Another cool pen drawing from @cheapsweets (link to post here), who also has some thoughts about how this particular nib works for drawing. Pretty well done birds, I think. I enjoy the one on the right just shoving the juvenile out of the nest, and the stylized sun is also pretty cool. The linked post includes a detailed explanation of the design decisions, and also has some questions about the entry that are probably rhetorical, but I figure I can try and shed some light on a couple of them anyway.

Again, we have a lot of behaviours, but nothing in terms of a physical description… Did the author just thing ‘everyone knows what birds look like’, was this just a bird that the reader was expected to be familiar with, or were they all like 'I’m not describing yet another bird… :p’?

I think it's a little of all of those, and also that the author tends to be more concerned with the symbolism of the animal than naturalistic description. So if, say, the color of its feathers doesn't have a symbolic meaning attached to it, the author won't bother to tell you. Related to that...

Hang on, this is going to be some kind of inspirational virtuous animal thing, isn’t is… :p I can imagine some medieval scribe writing 'and so, the ilyecham represents the cardinal virtue of fortitude’ or something…

Interestingly, this bird's parenting style is basically the only part of its description that doesn't have any symbolic explication attached. The molting in the south wind gets, like, pages of material though, including the fantastic assertion that it's the south wind because God comes from the south but the Devil comes from the north. Literally, that's what it says:

God, it is said, will come from the south. The Devil from the north; God from the south.

Moving on, let's take a look at the Aberdeen Bestiary illustration.

Honestly, that also kind of looks like Sam the Eagle.

However, this is the entry for the Hawk. Yep. Turns out hawks are inherently opposed to the welfare state, which... actually lines up more than it should with present-day politics.

I don't have much more to add here, because most of my thoughts on hawks boil down to "Tobias was a pretty good character in the Animorphs series".

Pretty sure that's not how wings work, anatomically. But nevertheless. End of post.

[adobe-outdesign]

Will your review neopets the same way you review Pokémon? Will you review the beloved. The Korbat.

(I have a few requests for Neopet reviews, so I'll be mixing these in with the Pokemon reviews based on request order.

Neopets are different than Pokemon because you have the base color, which is usually pretty plain, and then dozens upon dozens of paint brush colors. I can't possibly review all the colors in one sitting, so I'll instead just review the base and pick out three of my favorites for that species. If you guys want a specific species + color combo, you can mention it in the requests or request afterward.

Also, no character reviews either, just the pets themselves. Characters can also be requested separately if it's something you guys would be interested in.)

Korbats are—you're not going to believe this—bats. They're fairly standard as far as bats go, but they do have the interesting addition of a long tail, something bats aren't exactly known for. What's really cool is that they use this tail to hang upside-down with, which feels like something bats would do if they did have tails:

(Side note: I love them hanging off the circle like this, but weirdly enough only two unconverted colors had this pose instead of the standard circle pose—not even non-standard body type colors either. Weird.)

I really like how Korbats are white by default, instead of the standard bat black. It gives the basic colors a nice pop of color instead of just making the entire body a single color the way most species of Neopets do. Yellow and red are especially good in this regard because the wing color is accented by the feet and ears respectively.

However, something about Korbats never quite clicked with me personally if I'm being honest, even though I love bats. I think the reason is the face—bats have very distinct noses and sometimes fox-like muzzles, depending on species, but Korbats have Kacheek-like faces and something about them feels kind of generic.

I think conversion doesn't help with this. Korbats benefited from conversion in the sense that their art was very old and dated, but things like adding eyebrows and making the eyes bigger and less dot-like looses something, even if it's technically more in-line with other Neopets. Also, putting the ears behind the heads was a big mistake—now their foreheads look gigantic. Not to say the converted version is bad or anything, as the art itself is a big upgrade, but those subtle tweaks throw it a bit.

Favorite colours:

Candy: I absolutely adore this color. It feels like an apology letter for the Halloween Korbat, which I always thought was pretty mid for the Neopet probably most associated with the color. The candy corn concept is great and the execution is perfect, with the tri-colored wings and tail.

Maraquan: Manta ray! Absolutely perfect concept and a great execution. Love the touch of bubbles under the "wings" to break up an otherwise plain design and help further convey the underwater aspect.

Relic: Another fantastic concept, and they went the extra mile by giving it an extra fierce expression. I also love how weathered the stone looks.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Hellooo! This one goes for a family request. I'd honestly like to see how would be the daily life of an autistic preteen!reader with their massive, adoptive family. Mostly how they would interact with the reader and adapt the house/environment to their needs and little quirks, such as learning about sensory overloads, stimming, helping the reader with social cues and deal with their emotions, helping them to actually vocalize their thoughts… Then later on having to listen to them rambling at random times about specific topics that reader is madly interested in (if it's not a bother, I think that reader info-dumping about beetles would be oddly cute for them)

Maybe they came to meet preteen!reader after learning that they had been rejected a few times already due to their behavior. (A bit of past experience and self-projection here, heh), the social worker would tell them about reader's disorder, which would explain their lack of eye contact, fidgeting and also lack of verbal interaction. Some members of the family would grasp the situation right away and take the reader in.

You're free to make it either a more list-like post or write a scenario which would prompt them to care for the reader. I hope you're having a nice day/night, whenever you're reading this 🤍🤍

I’m gonna use my personal obsession at the moment for this piece- Pokemon! I hope you like it!

-You have gone through several families, ones that just didn’t know how to deal with you, getting annoyed too quickly with you, trying to force you into situations that caused you to get overstimulated very quickly, and just treat you like you were… different.

-You knew you were different, you were aware that you acted differently compared to others, but you were very smart- getting good grades at school, and there were lots of things that you knew a lot about and you could talk for hours, if only they would let you.

-However, just because you were different doesn’t meant that you were less deserving of a happy home, one that was filled with patience, kindness, and love.

-This is what your social worker told your new family, that you were on the spectrum, but instead of focusing on the bad, like your past families had done, she only focused on the good, like how smart you were, that you loved to run around and play outside, and what a bright ray of sunshine you were.

-They were furious to learn how you had been treated in the past, those past families who treated you so cruelly, not accepting you for you- but that’s what made them different, they were all a melting pot of different personalities and quirks as well, you would fit right in with them.

-You had never had a family so large before- there were so many people, but unlike before, they were all so patient with you- letting you come to them, not at all bothered that you fidgeted a lot, or had a hard time making eye contact with them- to them, it was just some of your quirks.

-You got to know your family, on your terms, Loki was a prankster but he always made sure to tell you all about them, so you didn’t get scared or get worked up, and he didn’t pull pranks on you unless if you had spoken to him beforehand about the pranks you found funny that wouldn’t bother you.

-Poseidon, while not the most sociable person, at least to others, allowed you to just sit and ramble on and on about Pokemon, sitting beside him, showing him your team or the Pokemon you caught in your game, showing him your trading card collection, and telling him about all the lore and knowledge you knew about Pokemon. He would just sit there, occasionally taking a drink, but not interrupting you, something you adored, as you never got to talk to others like this before, before your new family.

-Loki loved it when you talked about Pokemon, he encouraged you, wanting you to talk more, and you did- as you were comfortable, even more so when he got a switch and got a Pokemon game, so he could play with you!

-Hades was the most patient with you, as he wanted you to talk, wanting you to verbalize your desires and questions, never making you feel foolish and many were soon following in his footsteps, being so patient with you.

-You had never had a family like this before- it was wonderful! You had never been so happy!

-Even when you get so happy that you unintentionally overstimulate yourself, they never made you feel like a burden, just letting you sit beside them, playing your Pokemon game, and just letting you calm down on your own terms.

-You flourished under their love and care, showing that what your social worker said was true, that you were a ray of sunshine, and that you were extremely smart- bringing home a report card with straight As, something they praised you for.

-When your social worker came for a visit, just to see how you were doing, she smiled, seeing you so happy, running around, playing with Loki and Buddha with your water guns- she knew that you would be healthy, safe, and happy with this family and she was elated to approve their request to formally adopt you- submitting the paperwork herself.

-You deserved everything you had- a home, a family, and so much love.

[luvmmarner]

ɴꜱꜰᴡ ᴀʟᴘʜᴀʙᴇᴛ ;; 4 @jackhghes

A = Aftercare ;; Even if he is exhausted , Jack will always make sure that his partner is taken care of. He places a high priority on aftercare since he views it as a manifestation of care.

B = Body part ;; Jack adores every inch of the body that his partner possesses. Mostly their head and neck. He enjoys planting gentle kisses on his partner's head and inhaling deeply the intoxicating aroma of his partner's hair.

C = Cum ;; He savours the sensation of cumming inside of his lover. Jack will do anything to make his partner cum even if he is extremely tired.

D = Dirty secret ;; Jack finds the idea of chaining up his partner during sex to be appealing, but he is careful not to be too rough with his partner.

E = Experience ;; Jack doesn't have a lot of experience, but he's willing to learn more for both himself and his partner so that they can enjoy it a lot more. He would be willing to experiment with various new things even if they don’t sound so appealing.

F = Favorite position ;; Jack doesn’t have a favorite. He likes any position that makes his partner feel the greatest and most filled.

G = Goofy ;; Jack is mostly serious in bed, as he wants to fullfil the needs of his partner. He will sometimes tickle their partner after initimate moments and tease.

H = Hair ;; Jack has really nice hair; his partner loves to gently rake their hands through it. It’s very soft and silky.

I = Intimacy ;; Jack is very passionate even if he can be rough sometimes. He always checks in on his partner and makes sure it’s okay to do anything that’s new to them.

J = Jack off ;; Jack places a high priority on his own enjoyment, particularly after a tough away game. He enjoys pleasing himself just as much as he enjoys pleasing his partner in sexual activity.

K = Kink ;; Jack likes to lightly choke his partner when he’s about to cum. He also loves to excessively stimulate his partner.

L = Location ;; Jack is most comfortable in a soft, cushioned setting, such as a bed or couch. During private moments, he wants to make sure that his partner is not bothered by discomfort.

M = Motivation ;; Jack loves it when his partner's neck is exposed or when his partner is looking too good to resist.

N = No ;; Jack is not a fan of knifeplay, and he may become turned off in a situation in which there is a lack of communication.

O = Oral ;; Jack likes giving and receiving. He loves when his partner pleases him and always makes sure to return the favour.

P = Pace ;; if very frustrated after losing in the playoffs or a tough game. Jack would take out his frustrations on his partner, and not care about how fast or rough things got. However whenever he normally gets intimate with his partner he likes slow and meaningful sex.

Q = Quickie ;; Jack enjoys sex that is slow and lasts for a long time. He finds it particularly amusing to listen to his partner moan, particularly if his partner is already overstimulated.

R = Risk ;; Jack is very possessive of his partner (not in a bad way.) He wouldn’t want anyone to see his partners body except him. He wouldn’t do any risky things in public unless it’s in the car.

S = Stamina ;; Jack usually loves soft and passionate sex. On the other hand, he wouldn't mind a few more rounds until both he and his partner are unable to handle any more.

T = Toys ;; Jack doesn’t own any toys, but wouldn’t mind the idea of owning some.

U = Unfair ;; Jack likes to tease his partner and loves when he makes his partner beg.

V = Volume ;; Jack loves to express himself verbally even more so when his partner pleases him the way he likes it.

W = Wild card ;; Jack loves when his partner wears skirts, but wouldn’t admit it to his partner though.

X = X-ray ;; Jack has a perfect body to lay against or cuddle with — he could wrap his arms around his partner and it wouldn’t be uncomfortable at all.

Y = Yearning ;; Jack will only fuck his partner if his partner specifically asks for it or if Jack believes that his partner is being excessively "needy."

Z = Zzz ;; Jack likes to fall asleep shortly after or right after sex. As soon as he knows his lover needs been met.

[louwhose]

I love Frieren and Himmel's relationship so much and I mean of course I do there's so much to love. An elf that thinks a human's life passes away in the blink of an eye and human that loves her? I'm already hooked. But add into that he doesn't say anything because he knows nothing will come of it with how she views things when he knows her and is content to just admire her for all she is as she is? The fact that she cares for him in spite of thinking his life is so short and getting to know him in the time they were together but regretting not coming to know him better after he died? I mean she's literally following their journey and remembering him along the way and the end destination is the chance to see him again, but I feel like she'll realize she truly know and loved him even if they never reach heaven.

And there's just. So many tiny details. I will try to recount a lot, but I'm sure I won't get all of them.

Frieren remembers so much about him. Regardless of where they go, it's usually a memory about him more than anyone else. She remembers his favorite flower, and takes the time to find it (though she doesn't consider time a least bit rare commodity). And she remembers it, which means that even though at one point she didn't try to learn about her companions, she afterwards made the point to remember their favorite things. And when she talked with Old Man Voll, who was regretting losing his memories of his late wife and asked if she could still remember her companions clearly, she refused to consider that she ever won't. She considers their memories that precious.

And then there's Himmel. Oh my goodness. Beyond just his initial attraction, the way he's always fascinated by her magic and her making enough of an impression on him at a young age that he sought her out years later for such an important quest is delightful. And did I mention that he just loves her magic? BECAUSE HE DOES!! And it helps her to love collecting her weird spells that much more, so good and supportive, Himmel.

And fear not I shan't neglect to mention the mirrored lotus ring because I am incapable of being normal about that scene. He had Frieren choose a ring (my respectful man there where can I get me a Himmel) and when he saw which one she chose he knew what it meant and chose to present it to her in a way that was sure to be memorable to her. Even though she didn't yet know the meaning of it, once she does, she can look back on the memory of him pledging his love eternally to her, an immortal, in spite of his mortality. He may be content to never say it, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't like her to know.

And now I am going to talk about a manga arc that ends on like. Chapter 118/119? So spoilers if you choose to proceed any further.

Frieren has spent so long now working towards seeing Himmel again and then she. GETS TO SEE HIM AGAIN!!! I am certain that if I scoured this arc I could find soooo many details for them (and I am tempted but instead I will focus on a few details that come to mind and analyzing one very specific thing about it.

Just. Himmel saying he likes who she's become, not having any clue that he was a major influence for her becoming that way. I just love that he appreciates her at every stage she's at it's just so uwu. and then when FRIEREN said he's a ray of light??? omg omg omg omg oomg I die they both just see the best in each other and I live for it.

And Then There's The Wedding. If you read this far on this and didn't expect me to gush over this part here is where I disillusion you. Himmel's feelings for Frieren have been pretty obvious up to this point, but seeing that he would in his ideal world want to marry her and spend his life with her is GRAHHHHHHHHHH there's no words to describe it. and like. Frieren is there too? how am I supposed to interpret that but as her own paradise? even if it's as a looser interpretation of she wanted to spend all of Himmel's life with him??? INSANEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee

and then the fact that Himmel had his dreams presented before him, but he felt something was off, and didn't take advantage of it. Not even for a kiss. THIS RESPECTFUL MAN what is there not to like if anyone is good enough for Frieren it is without a doubt him. and the way they work together to get out of it???? oh man I love it

idk I just love their dynamic I think it's great and full of unfulfilled potential and I hope they get something some kind of closure if Frieren really does make it to see him again I just really love thinking about them thank you for coming to my presentation

[starsurface]

eh...sorry if I'm annoying but a little bit of Regressor Raiden please (I don't care if the one from the old timeline or the new one)

I did MK1 because someone else requested MK11 Regressor Lord Raiden :3

Also, none of you could ever annoy me. I love taking request, so please don't worry about how many you might send or if it's an 'inconvenience' for me <3

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Regressor Raiden Hcs

🌩 Baby regressor and no one can tell me otherwise

🌩 But also regresses from about 2-4 (more 0-4, can regress to just a few months if he's having an extremely tough day)

🌩 Main CGs are Kung Lao, Liu Kang, and all his friends :]

🌩 Favorite little nicknames are Baby Boy, Little One, Sweetie, Sweetheart, Rai, Mr. Thunder (he finds it funny), and Little Lamb

🌩 Doesn't really like nicknames based off him being Earthrealm's champion because it just reminds him of how much stress he has :(

🌩 Kung Lao is his favorite CG because they both watch each other

🌩 But his favorite regression friend is Syzoth

🌩 Mostly because Syzoth just likes cuddling and doing baby activities with him

🌩 Which means Raiden can try to figure out what block goes into what hole, and Syzoth will cuddle up to him (and try to help out)

🌩 Very, very good boy, hates breaking rules

🌩 In fact, the only times he's ‘broken’ rules is when he's had an hard day and lashes out with a sobbing hissy fit

🌩 Crying, yelling, stomping his foot, throwing things, and just feeling icky over all

🌩 A quick line of ‘Oh my poor baby, come here, sweetheart,’ and he'll stop his hissy fit and come break down in your arms

🌩 Will probably request a quick bath because of how icky and bad he feels

🌩 Bathtime with little Raiden is very soft and sweet

🌩 Small splashes, and adores bubbles

🌩 Will continuously point at the soap that makes bubbles if he thinks he doesn't have enough (mostly all times, your going to either have to softly put your foot down or suffer having to get all the bubbles rinsed out of the tub)

🌩 Will put a bubble beard on himself and giggle as he tries to do it to you

🌩 (^ If you don't like it or don't want one, just gently grab his wrist and tell him not to, and he'll place the bubbles on his head instead)

🌩 Only used his powers once while small and it was turning a hissy fit that a bolt of lightning stroke down and it absolutely terrified him

🌩 His gauntlets are placed somewhere he can't reach while small, and he'll take them off while being upset because he doesn't want to hurt you or get scared again

🌩 Again, usually a very good boy, but sometimes he can be ‘naughty’ (although it's usually always an accident)

🌩 The younger he is, he won't really understand why your so upset and get a little confused (although does piece together that this specific action makes you have a mean tone so he'll most likely not do it again)

🌩 If he's bigger, a gentle scolding is all that's needed for his to get teary eyed and offer to fix his mistake

🌩 Although if Kung Lao is also small, Raiden will usually follow his lead, whether he's doing something naughty or not

🌩 Why? Because Kung Lao's older, and if Lao says it's okay, then it must be okay!! :D

🌩 Will get really upset if Kung Lao gets him in trouble though and will silently start crying

🌩 Don't worry, they always make up and Lao apologizes for getting him scolded

🌩 Raiden really likes smaller activities

🌩 Tummy time, trying to figure out what object goes into what shaped hole, being read to, sitting on your lap, all those things

🌩 Use to suck on his thumb, but now has a paci he uses

🌩 Although he's a bit cautious about using it because he doesn't wanna ruin his teeth

🌩 Lao calls him a hypocrite because he use to suck on his thumb with no but whatever 😒 (he's also a bit cautious of that too, although doesn't like how unsanitary it can be)

🌩 He uses his paci the most when he's getting sleepy, or needs the extra comfort, and sometimes just because he wants to

🌩 Best way to fix this? Munchies

🌩 Lao loves snacks, but Raiden really enjoyed little snacks

🌩 Baby yogurt bites, baby puffs, cereal, little muffins, all that jazz

🌩 Takes forever to eat them though (and will shyly ask you to get him more by sliding you over the bowl and giving you puppy eyes 🥺)

🌩 He adores both bottles and sippy cups and you really can't make him choose which is his favorite because they're both his favorites :(

🌩 Although does have preferences baseing of his age and how his day went

🌩 Likes just plain water or warm milk with some honey and cinnamon

🌩 Has a tiny habit of stealing things but it really silent about it

🌩 Johnny's sunglasses that have been missing for twenty minutes? On Raiden's head, he'll give you the biggest smile and excitedly point to them

🌩 Liu Kang's headband that he swore he placed down for 2 seconds and it disappeared? Raiden is not currently wearing it and singing along to his favorite show

🌩 Also a babbler if he's tinier, but will babble like he's having a normal conversation

🌩 Isn't exactly shy about babbling, but also only does it around closer friends

🌩 Likes goijg outside and sitting in the Whushu Garden and looking at the butterflies while having a picnic

🌩 But also really likes just sitting down and watching his favorite TV show

🌩 (^ I could see him really liking Ruby and Max, don't ask my why)

🌩 (^ Also the intro is really easy to sing to because it like . . . two words repeated- But he'll sing along at full volume with the biggest smile!! :D)

🌩 If your really busy while he's regressed and can't give him your undivided attention, he's usually understanding of it

🌩 Will request you do you work in the living room though so he can watch his TV show with you and you can do your work at the coffee table

🌩 If you need to be in your room or office though, he'll ‘sneakingly’ check up on you every so often

🌩 Sneakingly as in you can clearly hear his pitty patters and his little giggles when he peaks through the crack of your door 🥺

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Stop, he's my Pookie Bear and I love him <3 (not babying but also . . . babying??)

[yandere-daydreams]

watched i'm in love with the villainess as per your recommendation and i

a. didn't expect it to actually be this openly gay??? thank god

b. didn't expect to actually consider picking up manga (not having season 2 is cruel as is not being warned about it)

c. need to know your opinion on them comparing homosexuality with incest. i. uhm. almost chocked on my drink? when they put the two in the same sentence? "forbidden love"???

d. find tolerating your crush being into men but getting absolutely pissed at getting outdone by another woman terribly real. how is this show so good. with this silly of a premise.

anyway. thnx. i will be hunting down the rest of your list.

it's a good show!!! and very loudly gay!!! i was first introduced through it via an out of context clip of the scene where a few of the characters sit down with the mc and very openly talk about sexuality, so i wasn't exactly caught off-guard by the gayness of it all, but just how gay the main heroine was allowed to be and how much they're willing to go into it (especially the part where lene is like 'oh i see you love people regardless of gender :)' and ray gets to be like 'no wtf i would never make eye contact with a man'), and how accurate all the references to less-than-great dating sims and what it's like to have just,,, the biggest, gayest crush on the villain of the aforementioned dating sims were all a nice surprise. definitely one of my more recent faves, absolutely read me like a fucking book then said 'but you're valid ig' at the very end.

spoilers below the cut off!!! continue at your own risk!!!

as for the mid-season incest subplot, i didn't actually mind it? i felt like there was a pretty clear difference between the way people talked about ray being into girls and lene being into her brother, with the former garnering, at most, a few insensitive comments and the latter getting more of a general 'girl they can send you to jail for that' reaction. lene was pretty established as a character, so i kind of got the vibe that ray and claire were sympathizing with her and the situation she was put in moreso that the whole ""forbidden love"" thing, and the fact that they kept it more-or-less off-screen really helped. i'm never excited to find out a show i like has an incest plottwist, but i think i can give this specific one a pass in favor of having a good time.

[sendmyresignation]

if you wanna indulge me, id love to hear your opinions on sing (all of mine are detractory which i know isnt the complete view of the song)

omg id love too!! sorry this took me a sec to formulate post-work haha. i know we don't agree about sing but honestly that's the beauty of music opinions- I feel like it becomes easier to define what I like about things when faced with legit measured criticism anyway

for me, i want to start with the structure and instrumental since it's usually not mentioned (most of the criticisms of sing are exclusively lyrical or intention-focused). it's so cool. and evocative. and full of tension!! my favorite use of synth on danger days, plus the keys and the drums (man i love the dd studio musician drums lmao), really emphasizes sing as a suspended moment both in the album (necessary bridge, tonally, between bulletproof and planetary imo) and in the track itself- its alllll building up to that bridge and final chorus. but there's all these little pieces- the backing vocals, there's so many hidden guitar parts that riff just under all the noise, that opening like, tambourine. sorry for not having a quote on hand but Ray's said he really loved writing sing and it's so totally obvious to me. especially live- part of the reason I was soooooo excited for sing swarm tour edition is that even during dd ray was like absolutely shredding for sing after the bridge. and everytime time it's so good. part of the reason the lyrics don't bother me is sing could stand alone instrumentally and I'd still want to listen to it. (sing also reminds me of Ray's solo music- the sentiment is more significant that the lyrics and the music is itself a vehicle for storytelling)

also though, i think there's a lot of intention with sing (it's up to the listener to determine if that paid off obv) but within the context of dd the record as a pirate radio station, sing has always read as a trojan horse song. making it a single too, like once a song takes on a life of its own outside the record there's new meaning and circumstance. so both within and outside the killjoy universe sing is a vehicle for not just the bridge but the overall sentiment of dd (how fucking excited was gerard when glenn beck took the glee bait) like, yes, i do agree they could've benefited from another pass over the lyrics (i will always defend keeping "sing it till your nuts" bc its sounds like sing it to your nuts though) but I don't personally get the criticism that sing isn't "specific enough" about what exactly it's against or is too optimistic about "sing it for the world"-- i think there are songs on the album (notably planetary right after it!) which do that job just fine. dd is gerard in arguably top lyrical form so theres a lot of meat in the rest of the record like. sing it for the world is a purposely simplistic art is the weapon. like those are the same sentiments rendered very differently!

also like. i do think there was a very directed target at the younger part of their fan base here (girl/boy) which is sweet. to me. like i did hear sing first when i was a young teen (one of the few dd songs i was familiar with) and it did feel huge and empowering at that moment. my chem are their best when they are navigating the dualities of their specific fame, which includes simultaneously making very serious, adult rock music which is concerned with violence death grief and sex, as well as being a role model for younger people and taking them seriously and neither of these are in rhetorical conflict with each other. so like whatever sing is a little juvenile. but it's still filled with passion! taken as a legitimate project with a creative instrumental and a narratively-driven music video. I like that aspect, it works for me. I'll never call it my favorite my chem song but its certainly not the worst when you add in the bridge (i wanted to prove my point without the bridge but like. damn!! it's a good bridge!!!). that's my spiel.

[ninadove]

If the woman next to Nathalie is indeed Amelie and Emilie is still dead, how do you imagine Amelie and Felix will redecorate The Agreste Mansion? (Assuming that they move there since Amelie is now Adrien’s only adult relative left.)

Oh my gosh Anon. That is SUCH a cute ask, but let me tell you, you have opened Pandora’s box and unleashed 50 levels of overanalysis upon the world. Time for me to turn into an architecture and interior design major for the sake of this post.

In order to get a good sense of Amelie’s taste and of the massive work that needs to be done, let’s compare the shared spaces in the Agreste mansion to those in the Graham de Vanily penthouse.

The first thing that strikes me is that the palettes are exactly the same: white and black are the dominant hues, with a pop of colour coming from earthy tones. And yet, the two atmospheres could not be more different! In my opinion, this boils down to a few key elements: lighting, shapes, space, and purpose.

1. Lighting

The most obvious one. Just look how miserable the Agrestes’ living (?) room looks in comparison to the Graham de Vanily’s. There’s an interesting subversion here when it comes to lighting sources.

The Agrestes’ mansion relies mostly on natural lighting, which gives it a greyish, depressing look. Windows are everywhere, and they’re big, but they aren’t meant to let the sun filter through; instead, they ressemble a cage keeping Adrien in.

Sunlight represents the outside world, which Gabriel "No one matters except us" hates. In his mind, whatever looms outside of the mansion is dangerous. Hawkmoth’s attacks always start with letting the light in, the same way he welcomes his victims’ negative emotions; while he keeps Emilie safe in the crypt, as far away from the sun as possible (even when we do see it fully illuminated, it has to come from an artificial source).

Emilie’s cosy little basement, Gabriel’s office and Nathalie’s room — the adults’ world — are the only spaces that get the courtesy of significant artificial lightning. In other words, there is not enough light and joy coming in from the outside, and definitely not enough coming from the inside to compensate. Which is super sad if you ask me.

Now onto the Graham de Vanily penthouse. We do not get many shots of it, and most of them are taken at night time, which I (want to) believe is a very conscious choice on the writing team’s part.

While Gabriel refuses to let sunlight, and everything good it symbolises, into his son’s life, Amelie welcomes the night and the potential dangers it carries with it. The windows make up two entire walls, offering a full view of the outside world.

Notice how the moon and stars are nowhere to be seen in this shot, yet the penthouse remains significantly brighter than the mansion on the sunniest day. The abundance of artificial light in the Graham de Vanily home, light that comes from within, is a symbol of the love they share as a family.

So obviously, we need to get Adrien some lamps, urgently.

2. Shapes

The thing about the Agreste mansion is, it has potential.

No really. Hear me out.

The use of straight lines (vertical in the overall architecture, expanding like sun rays in the minimalistic decor) is reminiscent of Art Déco, which is a very fun style. For instance, it gave us the Chrysler building:

But here, it’s just… Not working. In fact, these same lines are what makes the entire building look like a cage — not just the windows I mentioned above, but the entire structure of the place, trapped between vertical lines like behind prison bars.

On the other hand, the Graham de Vanily penthouse is ruled primarily by horizontal lines, which expand the space instead of compressing it. It’s smaller, but it feels bigger and more breathable.

This difference in structure directly contributes to my third point:

3. Space

More precisely, how it is organised to make the mansion look threatening, and the penthouse cosy.

And by that I specifically mean this AWFUL NO GOOD TERRIBLE STAIRCASE.

It’s the first thing we think about when picturing the mansion; how it towers over the characters and crushes them. There’s a reason Marinette’s act of defiance in Pretension was to rush up those despicable horrifying very very bad stairs to find Adrien; they are a symbol of Gabriel’s power over his world, his fans, his son, his victims.

Interestingly enough, the penthouse is also built on several levels — which we can infer by the presence of a very discreet mezzanine. This implies the existence of stairs, right??? Where are they???

It’s very blink-and-you-miss it — the exact opposite of the Agreste staircase. To the Graham de Vanilys, stairs are just stairs: a necessity for their comings-and-goings, a useful infrastructure in their day-to-day life as a family. Not a display of power and control.

Oh? Is that a transition I sense? Absolutely, for it is time to move on to the last part of our analysis:

4. Purpose

Just like the staircase, every single piece of furniture in the Agreste household serves a purpose. Adrien’s room is the best example of this phenomenon.

On top of the essentials (bed + desk & computer combo), we immediately notice:

- A plethora of trophies, reinforcing the message that Adrien has to be the best at everything he does, always;

- An impressive bookshelf, illustrating the top-notch (and somewhat elitist) education Adrien has been receiving at home.

"But Nina!" you might ask, "What about the fun stuff? What about the arcade games and the basketball hoop and the climbing wall?"

I hear you. Those things look pretty cool, don’t they? Until you remember that Adrien has spent his entire life in isolation. These are all appliances that would normally be found outside of the house, giving him an opportunity to socialise. In other words, they are meant to deter him from seeking enjoyment in the “real” world. If, like me, you were obsessed with N Harmonia as a pre-teen, you might notice some striking similarities to his cage room:

Still not convinced? Say hi to our friend the foosball table!

Meanwhile, on the actually loving side of the family, you get an entire piano and AN ACTUAL ABSTRACT PAINTING:

It’s not even figurative — unlike the portraits of the Agreste family members or the statue in the garden, constantly reminding us of Emilie’s absence. It’s art for the sake of art, which makes a massive difference. Things are allowed to be there for no reason other than Amelie and Felix like them.

So now that we’ve established that

How would they redecorate the mansion if given the chance?

1. Lean into the Art Déco aesthetic for a much needed dose of actual (yet elegant) fun. There are so many lines and curves to play with to get rid of this feeling of imprisonment we get from the pillars!

2. BLOW UP THOSE FUCKING STAIRS. No, really. We can find a much cuter, less pretentious alternative to whatever kind of power trip that was.

3. Get rid of the stupid bars on all those windows. Replace them with literally any other option that doesn’t make you want to choke on a pancake.

4. Also, get some lamps. Lamps EVERYWHERE, on the walls, on the ceiling, on the furniture. The resident vampire is GONE, we can have some goddamn light in this goddamn place.

5. Indulge in the pleasure of buying things just because they’re pretty. Trash the paintings and put up some actual art (abstract or not) instead. Exorcise Emilie’s ghost and Gabriel’s tacky tastes out of this place. This process has already begun, given that the statue in the garden is now gone!

6. Let Adrien decorate his own room, and have fun with it. This part may be tricky because our boy doesn’t know what he wants, but you know what, it’s part of the process! Giving him total creative control over his own space is a first step towards his making bigger decisions for himself, like choosing what he wants to be when he grows up. As requested by my ✨ awesome girlfriend ✨ @paracosmicfawn, he can also redecorate the entryway, which carries sooo much trauma for him. Maybe he can put up some cute cat statuettes along the new staircase, or something equally cheesy.

7. Build a pool, apparently

8. Last but not least, block all accesses to the basement and the attic. Hide them behind these new Kandinsky paintings they just bought. Pray to Gimmi Adrien never finds out (he will).

And that, my friend, is how you take a prison and turn it into a home full of secrets!