#but I'm also not going to say that I wouldn't give an alien a chance if something like that happened naturally

[omegapheromone]

Combining my special interests: omegaverse but in space travel setting.

Zero-G enviroment nests: nesting traditionally would be impossible, so omegas would probably utilize something like the sleeping bags on the ISS- nests that they can zip themselves inside of and be surrounded by plush, soft textures. The fun part is that there are no rules for direction in space, so omegas could choose to attach their nests on any surface of a space station/spaceship. Ceiling nests? They feel the same as any other zero-g nest. This is great for satisfying the more playful/whimsical side of omegas.

Interstellar travel tropes: large generation ships that slowly drift through space looking for new horizons on unknown planets. These huge ships have a large population of different ages all there knowing they will live their entire lives on these ships, among the stars. Alphas tasked with ship defence systems teaching young alphas how to operate them and telling tales of earth, preparing children and grandchildren to help estabilish a well-protected community when they reach the planet they were aiming for. How to build, how to provide shelter and safety. Omegas tasked with educating the children to make sure they do not forget where they came from (earth), and preparing them for being the generation that operates the ship and possibly lands it on their destination planet. Omegas teaching their children how to reaolve conflicts and how to take care of a civilization's needs, whether on a spaceship or on a new, alien planet. Betas teaching invaluable life skills to the new generations, how to operate the ship, navigate through space, how to estabilish communications and infrastructure on a new planet, how to create an equal and democratic society, teaching history lessons from earth to make sure the space-born generations don't make humanity's greatest mistakes again. How to estabilish contact and potential friendly relations with extraterrestrials if their spaceship is spotted one day. How to estabilish trade, decisionmaking and how to create a society that takes care of everyone when they land.

Heats/Ruts in space: for short-term missions to space (for example, lunar missions) these aren't as much of an issue since they could simply pick a time window where none of the crew's cycles interrupt the mission (the trip from earth to the moon is only about 3 days) and most likely the crew would be taking medication on top of that just in case, to make sure their cycle is regular and won't trigger early.

However, on longer missions, such as a trip to Mars (7 months each way) this wouldn't be possible. The goal would be to try to rotate the crew so that someone who is not on their cycle is in control of the ship at all times. The crew would probably all be taking medication to time their cycles according to these crew rotations, and separate areas/habitats would be prepared for anyone who is on their cycle, both to keep them comfortable and allow privacy, but also to keep anyone overly curious (or driven by pheromones) out.

Aliens: okay, imagine humans have spread out across the galaxy and evolved somewhat to adapt to their new enviroments. Some humans no longer exhibit a/o/b traits at all while some still do. Not only would meetings between these humans be interesting, but how about the aliens, who would be used to one "type" of human species, suddenly encountering a different kind of human? How do aliens react to heat/rut cycles? Are certain alien species similar with similar reproductive cycles? Maybe some aliens don't even have a concept of biological reproduction at all (i.e. species who have essentially become sentient machines, or maybe species that use bioengineering, cloning, etc to reproduce? Or species that are so long-lived that reproduction is not necessary?) So how do they view these things? Just. A lot to consider.

[thesoftboiledegg]

"Fear No Mort" was constant whiplash. In fact, I struggled to evaluate this episode at first because it was one twist after another. Throughout the episode, I had flashbacks to "M. Night Shaym-Aliens!" (the rap scene might've been a direct reference) and the Rickbot reveal in "Ricktional Mortpoon's Rickmas Mortcation."

For better or worse, season seven's had a lot of callbacks and episodes that mirrored previous ones: "That's Amorte" played out like "Mortynight Run"; "Air Force Wong" brought together Dr. Wong, the president and Unity; "Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie" was a "Get Schwifty" sequel.

Seasons six and seven have also piled on the fanservice. The first four seasons stubbornly refused to give us what we want, dangling fan theories or a gentler Rick in our faces before yanking it away. Rick started to change in season five, but it's another ten episodes before you get Rick in a suit and tie, Rick announcing that Rickcest is canon, Rick regularly going to therapy, Space Beth joining the family and other content that's floated around the fandom since 2017.

And let's not forget the big one: C-137 Rick and Morty, Prime Rick and Evil Morty in one episode, fighting and teaming up after we saw Evil Morty's once-forbidden backstory.

Some call it cheap thrills, but I call it a gift to the fandom that's patiently waited for the fakeouts to end. And now that I've said that: "Fear No Mort" was one giant fakeout.

But was it, though?

This is the most unpopular opinion in the world, but I'm not invested in Rick and Diane's relationship. As a gay woman, I just don't connect with opposite-gender couples. Also, I dislike the trope of the idolized dead wife that the audience only learns about through her widower. She's not her own character, just an extension of the male protagonist.

When the fake Rick and Diane reconnected, I thought "Oh boy, this is getting cheesy." They're falling for each other again: check. Rick feels guilty about her death: check. We see how similar they are: check. Rick doesn't want to leave: aaaand, check.

I'm also a little lost after the ending. Morty was the only one in the hole, so why did we see all these scenes from fake Rick's perspective? Was an NPC really that busy?

How much we learned about Diane is debatable, too, since Morty never met her. I guess his ideas came from whatever Rick's told him and maybe the ship's voice since she's based on Diane.

I did like how the episode kept reminding us that Morty's still in the Fear Hole. I mean, we didn't know that, but we knew that. No "Are they in the Fear Hole or not??" until all the twists in the third act.

Aside from that, I don't want the show to revisit the past too much because Rick needs to let go. If you're a Marvel fan, you saw the backlash to Steve Rogers traveling back in time to spend a lifetime with Peggy in "Endgame." He had a life in the present, but he refused to move on.

Nostalgia makes us yearn for earlier years, but if Rick abandoned his family to live with Diane in another reality, I wouldn't call that a sweet ending. I'd call that a disappointment and a waste of his character.

Turns out, Rick never had that option at all.

Well...in a way, he did. And when Morty told him what he saw in the Fear Hole, Rick ran back to the restroom. He looked into the hole. He thought about it. And then he did what I wanted him to do, which was walk away. In this moment, he chose the present.

Admittedly, Morty's fear came true: Rick didn't jump in the hole after him, he did just sit there and watch, and he didn't want to say that Morty's irreplaceable out loud. Plus, Rick was bewildered when Morty hugged him. But for the first time, instead of standing stiffly or gently pushing him away, Rick started to hug him back.

We also saw what Morty didn't: Rick smiling to himself after hanging up the picture of Morty that he kept in his wallet. He had the chance to wallow in shadows of the past, but he didn't take it. Rick chose him.

"Fear No Mort" could've ended with Rick just saying "Let's go" and leaving, but it didn't. Seasons one and two Rick would've bitched and moaned about Morty taking so long. Season three Rick would've left him there for a while to torment him. Season four Rick would've found a way to take advantage of this.

But seasons five, six, seven? That's real character development. That's what all the Twitter users saying "Wow, Rick and Morty is actually good" have been missing out on.

And for the first time in the series, a season didn't end with Rick relapsing or getting a (well-deserved) ass kicking. Is Morty going to get the grandfather that he deserves? Or will he move on, too, now that Rick's releasing his iron grip? Speculating is fun, but for now, let's focus on today.

[yaytheboop]

I absolutely support paying artists and supporting creators, and seeing the quality of Watcher's videos especially lately I've understood that it wouldn't be sustainable for a while now. I will never say that I expect anyone to come out with so much high-quality content so regularly without being financially compensated for it.

That being said, I think the way they've gone about this has just not been the smartest. First off by doing this so suddenly with no warning, and also having a big countdown to it when it's actually quite a sad thing to see them go. Like it felt like they were counting down to a party but then it was a funeral that took place instead, and even the mood of the video they put out was quite somber. I think it put the wrong expectations in fans (me included), which just made the shock even bigger than it needed to be (especially for this sort of announcement).

I think they actually were quite respectful of the fact that people wouldn't be able to continue to follow them over to WatcherTV, but the comment about "making it affordable so everyone could subscribe to their plan" and then it being $60 a year was kind of insulting. It would have been better if they'd been realistic about it and said that they understood that it might be a steep price for some, but that they hoped it would be affordable for some of their subscribers while still giving them the chance to produce high-quality content or something along those lines.

What I don't understand however is how this is supposed to be sustainable in the long run? Because if I'm someone who's scrolling Youtube and comes across one of their old videos, I'll watch them all there. If I'm scrolling and come across one of their newer videos, and see that the rest of those videos are behind a paywall, then I'm gonna continue to scroll, I won't pay $60 to watch someone I previously didn't really know.

I don't know businesses, especially businesses in creative fields, and definitely not USAmerican businesses in creative fields, so I'm not sure how this would work financially. However, I think there's one of two things they could have done to make it easier for us as fans to transition, as well as still earn them some of that extra revenue (to start with):

They could add a free subscription with ads on their streaming service. I don't know how easy that is, getting sponsors and incorporating pop-up ads on a service, but that's an option.

They could have started out by putting some of their bigger projects on the service, but still regularly making content on Youtube that was not as produced or financially

I think having their own streaming platform is a good idea because then they won't be bound by Youtube's restrictions and have more creative freedom, as well as the whole economic side of this. The way they're executing it however is just alienating and frankly a bit insulting to the fans who have been with them for so long and supported them through so much and now suddenly can't watch anything new anymore with barely any warning.

Yeah, this became very long but I had some thoughts that I just needed to air.

[adelarsims]

OC QUESTIONNAIRE: IVO

thank you @simarcana for the tag :)

if any of you wanted to know ivo a little better, here's your chance.

hello, my dear. i believe we never met... i'm the spellweaver here at the Academia, and a substitute librarian for the time being, until they find someone else for the job. so... in which capacity i may be of help?

NAME: that would depend on who you see in front of you right now, me or the... oh. then just ivo is more than enough, there is no need to stand on ceremony ~

NICKNAME: with such a short name as mine, no one really called me anything else. if you don’t count common words of endearment, but i don't think that counts.

GENDER: ...hmm. that made me think. i’m used to think of myself as a man, but when i imagine being offered a different opinion, it doesn’t feel alien or make me uncomfortable either... there's always something yet to be discovered about ourselves, isn't it.

STAR SIGN: Pisces, but you might not find it very fitting anymore, now that i... oh, apologies, i got a little distracted for a moment.

HEIGHT: i never bothered measuring my own height exactly. probably a little over 180 barefoot, a little under 190 on heels... why would that be important? i assure you, 171-cm-on-heels worth of the Grand Sage in a bad mood can be much scarier. ah, you want me to get you this book from the upper shelf? in that case, my dear, how about i teach you a little beckoning spell if you have the time? it will come in handy when i’m not around to help. ~

ORIENTATION: there was a time when i preferred one gender over all others. now i prefer not to prefer either. that is just for the best for everyone. i’m truly sorry if you asked out of... personal interest, my dear.

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: i’m afraid even i don't have the answer. i was here for as long as i can recall, but my childhood memories are rather... hazy. it was definitely warmer than here though, that much i remember.

FAVORITE FRUIT: peach, the juicier the better. even imagining it in my hand, its fuzzy skin is warm from the sun, juice streaming down my fingers and palm and staining my sleeve... ah, it almost makes me feel the taste in my mouth.

FAVORITE SEASON: summer. cold and damp weather can be very hard to endure, it takes a huge toll on my mind and body alike.

FAVORITE FLOWER: a whole field of forget-me-nots. and the apple tree blossoming in the warmest month of spring. it’s not something you could pluck for your amusement and put in a vase... you can only appreciate it and step away, carrying this moment of peace in your heart.

FAVORITE SCENT: oh, you know these thick, spicy scents that are an essential part of every tiny store that sells all kinds of fake occult knick-knacks impressionable young humans are so obsessed with? yeah, this scent. it’s just... so nostalgic for some reason.

COFFEE, TEA, or HOT CHOCOLATE: i much prefer pomegranate wine, my dear, but alas, now that i’m not allowed to drink alcohol anymore... it would be linden and melissa herbal tea. aside from its mild taste and soothing qualities, another great thing about it is that it never becomes tart even if you forget about it for a long time... however, i would also never say no to a cup of hot chocolate in a pleasant company ~

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: more than nine, preferably. sadly, i’m rarely given that luxury. everyone always needs something here, and you can't really say no when it's the Grand Sage who's asking, now can you?

DOGS or CATS: neither, my... guest doesn’t like animals. or, rather, they do not like to be in my presence anymore. why are you looking at me like that? i thought professor Ember warned you about... i see. apologies for confusing you then. at any rate, if i have to choose, then cats. a cat sleeps for twenty hours a day and wouldn't give me any trouble, while having a dog demands too much physical activity for my taste.

DREAM TRIP: anywhere warm, my dear. (...where i really want to go is to go back in time and make a different decision, one i won’t be regretting for the rest of my days, but...) oh, i look sad? these cold stones just aren’t good for my morale. winter this year was awfully long.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: indefinite. nothing better for the night than making a warm cozy nest out of thick fluffy blankets. the flip side is that the warmer and cozier your blanket nest is, the more heartbreaking it is to leave it in the morning.

RANDOM FACT: there’s a belief among academia students that if you jump across the hall all the way to the statue of the First Sage on just one leg the day before the exam, and throw the note with your request, and the note stays in the statue’s hands, you will get an A+ without trying. no, no, not lazy, most of them prepare for exams anyway... it’s more of a tradition now. sometimes they write completely unrelated things. poems, love confessions to each other... someone even begged the statue to make professor Ember have a crush on them, poor soul. how do i know all that? whose responsibility it is to retrieve all these notes from the statue, you think?

--

tagging @kisica-plays, @pralinesims for OC you didn't answer this for, @agena87, @adoringsentiment, @kri-babe, @puppycheesecake and anyone who sees this and suddenly wants to hop on that train

[jpeg-dot-jpeg]

😈

5 and... jaytimkon??? (For the drabble prompts)

Jpeg fr the things I would do for a jaytimkon from you akfjslajdlaja

-@bi-bats

I haven't drabbled much into jaytimkon territory, but i'll do it for you, beloved <];)

"So how long have you two been married?"

It comes out of Jason's mouth as a joke. Or, at least, he means it as a joke. He expects a scoff or an eyeroll or maybe a besotted smile. He isn't quite sure what to do with the startled look Kon gives him.

"What?" the guy asks, stupidly thick lashes fluttering in abashment. His cheeks go pink and Jason gets the sense he's resisting the urge to fan his face like a scandalized genteel woman.

Jason nods his head towards the door that Tim had just left through after walking in, saying, "Do you-" and promptly getting handed exactly what he needed from Kon without having to specify what it was. It isn't the first time it's happened since the two of them have set up shop at the little basement coffee station - separate, of course, from Tim's regular coffee station up in his living area - waiting for Tim to work his genius.

It's kind of magical the way they operate on the same wavelength - finishing each other's sentences, knowing what the other needs, vollying inside jokes back and forth too fast for Jason to even pretend to keep up. It makes some kind of longing crawl up in his throat. So he teases instead of saying Can I get in on that? Instead of saying Stop doing that before I start uncontrollably sobbing. Instead of saying Who do I have to kill to get me a bitch like that?

Kon stutters out, "We're not- that's- why would you-"

"Oh my god, breathe," Jason orders, taking pity on him. "I was messing with you. I just meant that you two practically share a brain. It's kinda freaky. But also...kinda cool."

Kon looked down and shrugged. "Just known each other a long time. Lotta missions, lotta near-death experiences. Watching Santa get blown up together probably had something to do with it."

"You- what?"

"It's whatever." Kon waves a dismissive hand through the air. "We're close, but - I dunno. You bats have something else entirely going on. I'm sure you understand him better than I do."

"Oh, come on," he can't help but protest. "Just 'cause we're both bats doesn't mean we have some kinda psychic connection. If we could communicate the way the two of you do, we'd all beat each other up a lot less."

"No, seriously," Kon insists, face open and imploring in a way that makes Jason want to cover him with a blanket so no one else can catch him like that. "Sometimes I think he's the alien, but then I hear how he talks about you, the way all of you guys work together, and it's- it's a little cult-y, but it's also really cool? Like you guys have a secret language. Plus, it doesn't hurt that he's been obsessed with you for, like, ever, so there's kind of that hero worship thing going on, and you're actually smart enough to keep up with the stuff he talks about and-"

There's something in Kon's voice that tickles the back of his brain, something between He talks about me? and 'Batclan Cult Allegations.' It sounds stretched thin and bittersweet and tense. The pieces fall together faster than he can relegate them.

"Wait a minute," he interupts. "Are you jealous? Of me?"

The idea is bizarre, absurd, unthinkable. It makes a little bird flutter around in his stomach, but he isn't sure whether that has more to do with the lovely, mysterious creature in the next room over or the goregous, good-natured creature in front of him.

Kon shrugs again, refusing to meet Jason's gaze. "Who wouldn't be?"

A warmth surges in his gut, rushing to his palms in a way that makes him want to reach out and share the heat. He puts several years of laborious therapy to use and decides to take a chance.

"And here I was, all green with envy over watching the two of you together."

And once those ethereal blue eyes lock onto his, Jason can't look away.

"Maybe if we put our heads together," he continues, hoping Kon can hear all the things he isn't saying as well, "We can parse out what the hell Tim is talking about all the time, 'cause I don't have a fuckin' clue."

The laughter that earns him sounds like bells. And when Tim walks in and asks, "What's so funny?" the two of them share a knowing look, something just between them.

[ckret2]

To be honest, it seems so impossible to picture billford actually happening right now. I trust you! But it's hard to envision the path ahead.

I'm not gonna lie the reason it took me months & months to commit to taking the fic that route is because I didn't want to go "no yeah I'm doing this" until I was sure I did have a path, and it is hard to envision lmfao. It's a very twisty and very narrow path that they're only gonna just barely squeeze through.

Without giving any spoilers, as far as I see it, any reconciliation between Ford & Bill—platonic or romantic—requires three things:

a reason for Ford to stop fearing Bill

a reason for Ford to stop hating Bill

a reason for Ford to like Bill.

We don't need anything on Bill's side, he's all prepared to like Ford as soon as Ford likes him. All he has to do is, y'know, give Ford all of those reasons.

#3 is the easiest one! Ford already has reasons to like Bill: they're all of the reasons he used to like Bill. He's an alien with infinite knowledge. That's great. But Bill could give Ford a million reasons to like him and they won't do a bit of good as long as Ford hates him. If you stab someone in the gut and give them a flower, you stabbed them in the gut. If you stab someone in the gut and give them an entire field of flowers, you still stabbed them in the gut. It's actually more insulting to get flowers than it would've been to just get stabbed. Gotta do something about the stabbing.

#1 was also pretty easy to figure out. All it takes is trapping Bill in a scenario where he's forced to demonstrate he no longer wants to kill the Pines, in a way that makes it impossible to think that it could have been an act or a lie. Easy.

#2 is the only hard part. Ford has a lot of very good reasons to hate Bill forever. Why would he even want to stop hating Bill? And that's the key:

4. a reason for Ford to WANT to stop hating Bill

The hardest and MOST IMPORTANT part. A reason for Ford to go, fine. One last shot. If you want me to think anything is different, then show me—and no more chances to slip up. He can still hate Bill at this point! Bill still has to climb that mountain. But now Ford's simply standing at the top of the mountain glaring at Bill with his arms crossed, waiting to see if he can make it to the top, rather than using a long stick to shove Bill back down every time he gets close.

Let's talk about redemption arcs!

There's a thing I believe about redemption arcs and redemption in general, which is that saying "they shouldn't get a second chance unless they deserve it" is impossible. "Deserve it" means they're good now, "deserve it" means they've already done the work to improve themselves and make amends for what they did wrong. But in the real world, somebody needs to give you a second chance BEFORE you deserve it in order to have space to work on yourself and become worthy of it.

That doesn't mean Ford, of all people, owes Bill a second chance. He was never gonna be the first to offer Bill a hand. He couldn't be, he shouldn't be. And nobody owes Bill a second chance—but in order for it to be possible for Bill to have a redemption arc at all, SOMEBODY had to give him one anyway. The whole fic is the result of people extending a hand to Bill so that he can become worthy of the help he was offered. He wouldn't be alive if the Axolotl hadn't given him a second chance. He'd still be curled up in the corner of the attic day after day waiting to die if Mabel hadn't given him a second chance. Over and over he's gonna get chances he doesn't deserve, from people who have no reason to offer them, when he regrets nothing, when he's apologized for nothing—and that's what will save him.

SOMEBODY ELSE had to offer Bill an unconditional second chance first. But—once Ford has seen that Bill might have potential—he can, if he wants, offer Bill a limited, conditional second chance. I just have to get him to want to.

After that it's smooth sailing. Get the two of them as far as "okay we can attempt having a positive relationship again" and past that it really doesn't matter what kind of positive relationship it is, platonic, romantic, sexual, whatever. "Do you think they might wanna bone or not?" is a much less important and much less difficult question than "What would it take for Ford to stop despising the triangle who ruined his life?"

Personally, I want 'em to make out nasty style. But that's far and away the least important part of this whole arc, because it was important to me that that not be a motivating factor in their reconciliation. Like I've said, I'm deliberately playing on hard mode here, and "I'm kinda sorta motivated to forgive him because I'm attracted to him" is a cheat I'm not allowing. I'm too ace to tolerate that kind of plot unless it's in a story about the frustrating folly of desire. The attraction can only come after reconciliation; and it also won't prevent them from continuing to have the kind of ongoing issues you'd expect out of two guys with a long history of heartless betrayal and murder attempts.

[katinkulta]

Okay, I'm ready to do this:

What Tommy Cash songs would you recommend for a Kääryle? I've watched the music videos for Racked and X-ray. I feel like I haven't given his music a fair chance.

Uuuum, I'll divide my recommendations into a few stages hehe. "Ranked" based on totally arbitrary criteria (sound, lyrics etc.)

Stage 0 (yeah)

Mute

Stage 1 (easy peasy feats)

xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx (Remix) by 100 gecs feat. Tommy & Hannah Diamond

It's a eurodance song hehe so it's fast paced

Delicious by Charli XCX feat. Tommy

It's great, it's a wild ride imo!

Turn It Up by Little Big & Oliver Tree feat. Tommy

It's basically like a Little Big song, and a fun listen

Stage 2 (now it's starting, I guess)

Give Me Your Money by Little Big feat. Tommy

This could've been on stage 1 but I felt there were enough songs there already lol. This is a banger

Sdubid

It's a short fun song hehe (fun in the sense that Tommy calls you stupid and dumb, and for other reasons too of course)

Winaloto

I think it fits here, don't know why. It's trap music and it will get you trapped

Baba Yaga

This song feels like it's going on forever imo, you lose the track of time while listening to it (it's not even 3 min long btw)

Boy Butterfly

This is a song for all the outsiders <333

Stage 3 (the tommy sound is coming through more)

Pussy Money Weed

Track wise this is so fucking slow, and the rap is also dragging. If this is the first Tommy song you listen to, you wouldn't necessarily continue listening (but for some reason this was one of the first songs I listened to and here I am...). It's a good song though (bread lyrics)

Little Molly

The piano sound is trippyyyy, but it's freeing to scream "LITTLE MOLLY"

Benz-Dealer (together with Quebonafide)

The track tries to attack you but it's totally a banger!!!

Stage 4 (I don't know... it's not shocking or anything like that...)

ProRapSuperstar

Uuuuum... This song is a masterpiece but not for beginners (idk why). It samples Enya's Only Time btw

HORSE B4 PORSCHE

Tommorse is thriving! Again, don't ask why it's on stage 4 (maybe because there's a 4 in the name, who knows?) (lyrics hiiiilarious lmao)

Stage 5 (I would say this is the tommy sound (not heartbass though lol))

Euroz Dollaz Yeniz

This track is fire! The drums AAAAAH

Heartbass by Salvatore Ganacci feat. Tommy

It's amazing but the first listen was hard for me

Surf

This is slow and yeah... I wouldn't want Tommy whispering like this in my ears if I didn't know what his other music is like...

GUEZ WHOZ BAK

Half human half machine not a real fucking human being

Stage ? (terrifying)

Leave Me Alone

Feels like time has slowed down... Paranoia skyrockets

DOSTOYEVSKY

The track is attacking you physically for almost the whole duration of the song... And the lyrics... Let's just say I laughed (pro comedian superstar yes yes)

Siri

The track makes me feel so fucking uneasy and anxious

Uncategorised (I wanted to mention these but couldn't figure out where to put them. They are special to me)

Zuccenberg; Baby Shock; Alien Tears

Goofy note that I've been thinking about for so long: "Tommy stop saying ня" challenge failed

THAT'S IT! I DID MY JOB!

[randomidiocyncrazies]

i think you’re forgetting that till got to top 2 on his own merits even with his rebellious personality and him literally running away from attempts to market him. he dropped heavily from the rankings for killing freddie the alien guitar and STILL managed to make a comeback, only losing to the previous champion. saying that he “only won because ivan threw his round” is such an insult to his skills. i don’t deny that ivan’s sacrifice secured till’s victory, but that doesn’t mean till isn’t a strong competitor in his own right. ivan’s stunts definitely hindered his own score, but that doesn’t change the fact that till still got 89. im not arguing that till will beat luka, im just thinking you’re underestimating till

Oh I completely agree that Till has a very good chance under normal circumstances, but. Till stopped singing before Ivan threw his mic to the ground and started assaulting him to distract the audience—us and the aliens—from that, so I think it's pretty clear that Till was trying to lose (or at least not trying to win) and probably wouldn't have gotten such a high score if Ivan didn't cause a distraction, because the aliens would definitely have noticed that he wasn't singing. Like I said in the tags of the post, I think Till's singing is obviously very good in the song, I just think Till was also very obviously engaging in passive suicide by making it clear he's not trying to win (I'd argue he was actively trying to lose by stopping his singing before the song is over).

That's why I said the only way he won was because Ivan threw his round—not because he didn't have enough skill and charisma by himself, but because he had disengaged from the performance by literally not singing, and the aliens would've noticed & punished him for it if Ivan didn't flip from "obedient show dog" to "rabid dog" on stage. (Again, to be clear, the "rabid dog" comparison is from the aliens' perspective; we, the human audience, have access to their interiority and care about them for more than their function as performers.)

(That said, the audience in-universe did not notice Till stopped singing, so you're right that alien audiences would've anticipated a closer fight than what I've said in the tags I assume you're responding to. I do think the win would be complicated by the fact that imo quite a lot of aliens in both camps see it as an unsatisfying win? For Ivan fans obviously, but for in-universe Till fans, their boy's win is gonna be tainted by "his opponent went crazy and attacked him." I'd imagine in-universe fans are having similar discussions to what we're having now, which is completely intentional—it's pretty obvious that ALNST is a critique of the irl idol industry/elimination style tournaments, and we're intended to be the aliens in this scenario, albeit ones who have some access to their inner lives.)

Now onto Till vs Luka. I think we all want Till to beat Luka, or at least put up a good fight, but. Will Till really bounce back/regain his fire, or did Ivan's sacrifice only compounded the fact that he lost someone else, and that he'll keep losing—both in the sense that he'll keep losing people he cares about, and also in the sense that there's no real victory under this oppressive system? Given his actions in R6 (i.e. stop singing when the song is ongoing), I think Till's final rebellion would be a quiet thing—to just not perform from the start and refuse to give the aliens a show.

Tldr: Till is a very strong performer. I just also think Till would've lost in R6, not because he wasn't "good enough" in his own right, but because he disengaged from his performance in what would've been a pretty dang obvious way bc i think he just wanted an escape/wanted it to end.

Going into R7, I'm honestly not sure if Till even wants to 'put up a good fight' against Luka anymore, or if he'd rather be free and spite the system by denying aliens of what they wanted from him by not engaging at all. It'd be cool to see Till beat Luka, but I'm having trouble seeing how he'll do that: while he has the skills to at least come close, idk if he's in the right headspace to want that.

[mollyjeanne615]

Could you please write a song adapting Ted and Charlotte’s conversation/flirting/argument in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals before he leaves her alone with Sam?

Like… there’s the genuine love between them; their respective issues, fears and unhealthy beliefs getting in the way of it; their regret that they can’t just be happy together while also not taking action to make that happen; the stress of being stuck in an alien zombie apocalypse; Charlotte’s grief over and Ted’s resentment of Sam; and their difficulty actually communicating all the previous things. And of course, the sexual tension. I just think that all of those layers interplaying would make a really good song. Especially since their dynamic wasn’t explored much in the show.

There could even be a coda where Ted, after leaving, muses that he could have done better, but he’s been very careful to never give her reason to expect better from him, so she’ll get over it. They’ll be back to their version of normal soon enough (messy as it is). So he doesn’t need to go back in there and apologize or say some heartfelt shit or anything. Then the final notes are the first ones of “You Tied up My Heart”.

I say this every time but holy SHIT this was fun

So I tried to get as much of this prompt into one song as I could - it doesn't cover the entire scene, so there would be a little bit of dialogue between this and "You Tied Up My Heart," but I think it captures a lot of their relationship and connection. There could also totally be some underscoring from this going into the next song in a full production. (Also this wouldn't be in a full production cause they wouldn't be singing, but I dream.) I also cheated a bit with the orchestrations - I've been trying to make them as playable by the original bands of the shows as possible, but for this I switched out the bass part for a second guitar cause why not. There's a little bit of "Time Bastard" in the opening synth part, and there's a pretty big motif/reprise/stolen chord progression in the bridge of the song - I was trying to think of other Hatchetfield songs relating to Spankoffski stories and sexual temptation and all that, and I think this one did the trick lol. I'm super proud of the demo for this one - it came out somewhere between "Dead Girl Walking" from Heathers and "D.O.A." from The Lightning Thief, and I'm really in love with it. Hope y'all enjoy!

In the Worst Way

CHARLOTTE: Ted!  I can’t believe you’re thinking about that at a time like this, the whole world could be coming to an end!

TED: Yeah.  Exactly.  The whole world’s gone to shit and you’re worried about what someone else might think about you?

CHARLOTTE: Well, when you put it like that…

TED:

You think you’re such a good, good girl You pick your nails, you hide your stress But it’s the end of the fucking world So you can afford to decompress

You put your image on a throne You crumple underneath the crown But you need to grow a backbone Before it breaks you down

You’ve been in bed with a scumbag But baby, can’t you see You have a chance to upgrade To a sleazeball like me

So if I’m dying tonight I’ve got a great way to cap off my life I’ll be going out doing the thing I love Screwing around with another man’s wife Maybe there’s better things I should worry about today But I’d rather be here with you So let me say I want you in the worst way

CHARLOTTE: Oh, you’re such a horny bastard.

TED: Always have been, always will be.

CHARLOTTE:

My body’s telling me to run My mind is saying you’re no good But I need something just for fun So I guess I probably should

I’ve wished upon so many stars To be more confident and crude So I’ll embrace the love that’s ours With a badass attitude

TED: Okay!

CHARLOTTE:

There’s something in my gut that says You might still be alright Cause I need someone to love me Before we bite the dust tonight

So if I’m dying today I’m gonna let you lead me astray I might be meeting my maker pretty soon So I’ll get down on my knees and pray Maybe there’s better things I should worry about today But I’d rather be here with you So let me say I want you in the worst way

TED:

Ooh, I want you in the worst way, yeah

TED AND CHARLOTTE:

My happiness is coming first, I won’t be on my own Let all those without sin cast the first stones I’ll do all I can so you’ll never be alone At least until we kick the bucket

CHARLOTTE:

But should I just stick with the devil I know

TED AND CHARLOTTE:

Well, you know what, fuck it!

They make out passionately as a rocking electric guitar solo backs them up.

TED AND CHARLOTTE:

So if I’m dying right now I’ll spend this moment breaking a vow There’s nowhere else I need to be And I needed a little break anyhow Maybe there’s better things I should worry about today But I’d rather be here with you So let me say Yeah, let me say I want you in the worst way

TED:

Let’s let the chips fall where they may

TED AND CHARLOTTE:

I want you in the worst way

CHARLOTTE:

My husband’s brains fell out today

TED AND CHARLOTTE:

I want you in the worst way Maybe there’s better things I should worry about today But I’d rather be here with you So let me say I want you in the worst way

They kiss again on the button of the song.

[mosneakers]

Tycho escorts Coraleye up the stairs and to their room by her hand, allowing her to lead the way. His mind is racing, as he imagines all the thoughts going through her head since Lewis's little slip-up. Like all moves leading up to this point, every move going forward must be calculated and managed delicately, for he stands on the brink of jeopardizing everything, of losing her.

The two burst into the room, and Tycho secures the door behind him. Coraleye: Tycho what's going on? Was this about what Lewis said? He made a joke and suddenly you started acting weird! Why? Tycho: I- Coraleye: What did he mean your powers? What powers do you ha-

Realization hits her like a bullet finding its mark in the heart of a western showdown.

Coraleye: OH GOD...

Tycho remains still for a moment, studying her reaction, as she stares through his soul. He knows that now is the time to commit the ultimate act of betrayal, and steal memories away from her that don't belong to him like a bandit in the night. Don't get your hopes up, readers, he's most assuredly going to do it. He sees her in distress and justifies to himself that erasing her memory sooner rather than later will somehow be more merciful, but he also just wants to gauge her reaction a little longer this time, to truly assess the situation.

Coraleye: It all makes sense now. You have so many relatives who are aliens, how could I be so stupid... Tycho: Stop, no! You're not stupid, Coraleye! Tycho steps forwards to console her, but she pulls away.

Tycho: My relatives aren't even of the same ancestral alien lineage as I am, my father was abducted just like Sunglo- [sighs] look. It doesn't matter. Explaining this isn't important. I can see this is hurting you... Coraleye: [Quickly] Only because you didn't tell me sooner, Tycho.

Tycho: [Frowns] I did, though. I told you. I just never let you keep it. I'm a monster. Coraleye: [Stutters] Keep it? Tycho: I... I'll tell you, you find out, I erase your memory.

Coraleye: [Purses lips, swallows] ...And you're going to do that to me again, tonight? Tycho: We can't come back from this. How could you trust me after knowing this? Coraleye: I-I-I could, honey... [pleading] why don't you just give it some time, we can talk about this... then if it doesn't work out, erase my memory? Why not give it a chance? For us? Tycho can see what she's trying to do, and it makes it that much more apparent why he needs to act on these situations with haste. He feels sick to his stomach, but he can't prolong this pain anymore.

Coraleye stood in the middle of the room, lost in a cloud, robbed of the night's events and her dignity.

Tycho: Cor...?

Coraleye: [Groggily] Huh?

Tycho: Are you okay, honey? I'm so sorry... Coraleye: For what? Tycho: You, uh... I think you bumped your head or something. Medically speaking, you're fine, but you don't remember any of it. Coraleye: Oh... [Frowns] Tycho: What? Are you in pain? Coraleye: I have a little bit of a headache. Feels like a stress headache.

Stress headache? Tycho can't erase that. Tycho immediately scoops her into his arms, and she doesn't hesitate, confirming the memory erasing worked. He feels tears run down his face. Tycho: God, I'm such a piece of shit. Coraleye: Huh? Why would you say that?

Tycho: Whenever you bumped your head... I must've missed it. I just feel terrible.

Coraleye pulls away just enough to make eye contact. She affectionately sweeps a strand of hair from his face, and wipes his tears. She kisses him gently, he closes his eyes and the kiss ends too soon. Coraleye: [whispers] I can make it better...[Seductive smile]

She then kisses him again, this time much deeper. Tycho knows it wouldn't be right to let this particular moment continue on. Tycho: I want to, so bad, but... we can't. You should rest. Your head, you know. Let's lay down instead, okay? There's always tomorrow. Coraleye feels a tiny seed of rejection, but ultimately respects Tycho for his decision.

Coraleye: [Nods understandingly]

[p3ta]

gotta send Ryoji Mochizuki

Thanks for the ask! Hope your day's going well, fellow Ryoji enjoyer.

Spoilers below for P2, P3, P4, and P5R.

Send me one of these here!

First, I want to give some thoughts on his character as a whole. For the certain type of character he is (doomed, remorseful harbinger), Ryoji Mochizuki is perfect. I don't think there's a better Persona twist than his reveal as the the Appriser/Death, the thirteenth Arcana Shadow. Just because a twist is easy to see coming doesn't make it less impactful, and I particularly enjoy the way Persona 3 distills information to the player in allotments. Even knowing that, Ryoji managed to surprise me with how much more he was. And fittingly, a lot of Ryoji's characterization bounces back to the P3 Hero, and vice versa.

On top of that, Nyx Avatar is my favorite final boss in the entire Persona series and unsettled me out the first time. I'd still say that Nyx Avatar causes me more fear than the Reaper, who I'd comparatively describe as inciting panic rather than fear.

Ryoji is frequently compared to Kaworu from Neon Genesis Evangelion (NGE), and, well. Yeah. I believe I read that in a developer interview that the P3 dev team deliberately took inspiration from NGE but I'm unable to find a source at hand, so don't quote me on that. Between the two, I prefer Ryoji. He is the strongest out of the character type for me.

favorite thing about them

His layers! Ryoji is one of those late game characters who comes in and recontextualizes all the information you've learned thus far. It's why I love watching the Dictionary update throughout a playthrough. I understand why people are put off by the way he's introduced as a serial flirt, but Reload made it much more textually clear that this isn't his true personality, nor his intentions. Ryoji is proto-Teddie (Japanese Teddie, anyway); a fully formed individual who sprang into existence seeking connection. However, where Teddie's isolation and lack of identity are his defining characteristics, Ryoji's are moored in how connected he is with P3 Hero.

Ryoji ultimately only exists because of that connection, that little bit of humanity he's been given, but that's also what prevents him from being fully human. He's had a role to play since his inception, and he can't avoid that even with his newfound connections.

Ryoji's present throughout the entire story. You've got Pharos at the very beginning with the contract running errands for the Velvet Room (I like it more and more that I think about it. Picture Elizabeth or Igor having to explain to this terrifying child what he has to say. Or maybe he knew what to say all along! He has been waiting ten years), Thanatos tearing himself out of Orpheus (by far the best Persona awakening in the series and a textual highlight for what an alien force he is), and a crucial lynchpin event for Yukari's backstory, Mitsuru's backstory, as well as the crucial event for Aigis and P3 Hero.

There is no version of Persona 3 without Ryoji and I'm all the happier for it. Genuinely, if something's confusing with P3's story, there's 90% chance the answer is Ryoji or one of his many numerous forms. The remaining 10% is the Kirijo Group. That said, we don't get a lot of time with Ryoji. Ultimately, he's a part of P3 Hero and you're left to extrapolate exactly how much of each other you believe they've influenced.

Sogabe, the P3 & P4 mangaka, chose to highlight how similar Ryoji and P3 Hero look. I consider it an essential element of their relationship together.

least favorite thing about them

It'd be cheating to say nothing, wouldn't it? I'd say that his design is easy to mock and hard to get right in fanart. Between Ryoji's forehead and very Axel Kingdom Hearts approach towards long limbs – and legs in specific – the movies did not help with this. I've read reviews saying how the higher budget allowed for the characters to be more consistently on model, and thus look better, but I fervently disagree. That boy is mostly leg. Late 00s and early 10s anime art Looked Like That, though. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a soft spot for some of it.

But I love how Ryoji looks and wouldn't change it for the world. Silly slick-backed hair boy. It is funny how whenever Persona wants a villain with sympathetic qualities, they slick back the protagonist's hair (Philemon and Maruki come to mind).

Reload fixed ("fixed") this anyway but making him much fluffier in his portraits and giving his skin some color! He's achingly soft in that game.

favorite line

There's many iconic ones I could pick but I'm going to go with a new one from Reload:

It's so small, it's so playful! I like that if you choose to start an exchange he finishes the bit. It says a lot about him in such a succinct way.

Even more so when you consider the reason he came here was for Junpei's sake. Being able to balance joking around while keeping a touch of concern endears me beyond belief. Thank you, Reload.

brOTP

Junpei & Ryoji. It's not even close. This was the one element I was hoping Reload would show more and I was not disappointed! The dynamic is good for a variety of reasons, but chief among them is that despite Junpei's Persona being Magician Arcana, he is not the P3 Hero's Magician Social Link. Junpei is not the male protagonist's best friend. He clearly wants to be, but his frustration is palpable. The P3 Hero is cool, charming, and everything that Junpei plays second fiddle to, but he won't even acknowledge him. But what if there were a more likeable version of the Hero?

Instant friendship. Those two are besties from day one, where Ryoji has all the qualities but none of the knowledge, and so their dynamic is a much more even one. To me, it indicates how well Junpei and the P3 Hero might have gotten along had he not carried Death inside him for ten years. It's a brief window into another world.

There's also the fact that Ryoji, Death, befriends Junpei so close to when Takaya shoots him and he perishes. His character arc is defined by change, this act being what radically transforms his soul, and what's one of the meanings of the Death Tarot? It's like universal foreshadowing. It's funny to me too that the Magician Arcana Shadow is the one Thanatos tore to pieces. Growth for Ryoji too.

As an aside, I miss the dynamic movements from the PS2 cutscenes. Junpei being so quick to drown Ryoji is nowhere comparable to him covering Ryoji's mouth.

OTP

Hmm. This might take a second. I wonder what pairing I might like with Ryoji. Here's an unrelated picture of Messiah:

You know, Messiah is one of those Personas that has only grown on me more as time passes. My favorite of the final protagonist ones, due in part to how you have to fuse him yourself. Orpheus, the starting Persona, combined with the power of Thanatos, the penultimate manifestation of the Death Arcana. They compliment each other beautifully, and regardless of if you the player create him, he is always the true final Persona, the final result of the Judgement Arcana.

They are inevitable.

Of course it's Ryoji and P3 Hero. How could it be anything else? These two make me sick with joy. Death has a clear favorite and in the end, gets to keep him forever.

nOTP

It's funny, because I can't think of any serious pairing with Ryoji that I wouldn't view as a crack ship? I can't see any version of Ryoji with anyone but the P3 Hero nor can I take that relationship seriously. The only other being Ryoji has an established relationship with is Aigis, and that ship comes across as black comedy. I mean, there's also Ryoji and the P3 Heroine, who he is undoubtedly head over heels for, but I see her as heavily preferring Aigis. Oops.

Wait, I did remember one! Ryoji and Junpei! I'll admit, maybe it's the sheer "dudebro" vibe of their relationship, but people pairing these two was not an outcome I expected from Reload. I've seen it enough to know those who like it aren't joking, either.

It's funny, because they're both soul-taken at the tail end of their friendship (Ryoji with P3 Hero and Junpei with Chidori) so I guess I wasn't looking for it? Then again I can't see Junpei Iori kissing a man in general. If there's a Ryoji pairing that isn't my thing, these two are the Most not my thing.

random headcanon

Ryoji memory backfill!

I've seen multiple interpretations for how Ryoji's sudden transfer, housing, and parental situations were never questioned. I like exploring this for myself, especially from Ryoji's perspective. Ryoji fully believes himself to be human until 12/2's Dark Hour. So, how does he reconcile his own situation?

This headcanon states that whenever Ryoji is prompted to answer on where he lives, what he likes, or where he went to school before, he'll often "backfill" what memories he think should be there. If it's something he should reasonably know, it'll be there.

In-game you can see a couple instances of Ryoji being stumped at simple questions, like where his class trip was going to be, but excelling at others, such as when he asks Mitsuru out to a restaurant date. According to the headcanon, he failed the class trip question because it wasn't something he anticipated, but he knew a date location because it was essential to his personality. Ryoji Mochizuki is a hearthrob, it wouldn't make sense if he didn't. So he does.

I like to think Reload Ryoji's phone is another example of this backfill, though this one spills over into material items. Ryoji thinks he should have a phone and knows he should ask for others' numbers, but when he reaches for it on his first day it isn't there.

His inconsistencies are fun.

Rapid fire small ones: his favorite color is blue, he likes sunrises but not sunsets, and he's good with children.

unpopular opinion

This may be the most unpopular opinion I have in general, but I don't believe Ryoji is bisexual. Or rather, I don't necessarily believe he must be bisexual. It's not like I'm trying to shirk representation, but I think there are so many fascinating ways that you can analyze orientation for a character. Same with gender.

Ryoji, through my interpretation, is someone who could only love the protagonist. And it doesn't have to be a sexual kind of love. There's an entire spectrum of identities in our culture that we've labeled for what Ryoji's experiences could be. It brings me joy to be able to think about how – even if Ryoji knew about these identities – he'd define himself. On top of that, would how he define himself be accurate? Would he have misunderstandings about his own identity?

There tends to be a large backlash when someone even suggests a different label for a character with one widely agreed upon, which means my gender and sexuality thoughts stay hidden away. I'm more than aware of those that insist any hint of same-sex attraction is obviously platonic and fans are reading too much into things. I'd never want to take away from an individual identifying with a character for what a fandom settles on calling them.

Though one note: it's interesting to me that from the collective opinion I've seen, people have latched onto bisexual as a label rather than pansexual despite them ostensibly meaning the same thing. Something something changing social climate. Anyway. Play around with character gender and sexuality. It's good for you.

song i associate with them

Auld Lang Syne.

For old acquaintance be forgot

And ne'er brought to mind

Should old acquaintance be forgot

In the days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld lang syne

We'll drink a cup of kindness yet

For the sake of auld lang syne

-

It's a traditional New Year's celebration song. Auld Lang Syne essentially means "for old time's sake". It originates from a precursor to Scottish, and exists as a fossil word inside this otherwise Standard English prose. I find it sweet how this little, historic piece gets to survive through something that redefines it.

favorite picture of them

Well, that was a lot. If you have a keen eye, you might've already noticed I've been dropping in pictures so I'll keep this part concise.

My favorite pictures of Ryoji are his portraits:

Sweet. Fluffy. Endlessly endeared by the way his hair flairs out. A much clearer heart shape for his face. Perfection. Special mention to his startled expression. His eyes get small and I get happy, simple as that.

Although, I'll never forgive Reload for dropping his Messiah pose:

There's an element to this portrait that's a little more unearthly, but earnest. Visually, his eyes are also a clearer parallel to Aigis's in this version.

Thank you for reading all the way through! And thank you again for the ask. I'm not sure if you were expecting an essay, but I think that about sums it up.

Have a picture of Ryoji nui + charm!

[florida3exclamationpoints]

Steggy Week Day 1 - Meta

@steggyfanevents and everyone else pls accept my late offering of brainrot ranting into the void

Peggy's face says so much during the Endgame dance it's insane. It's such a contrast to Steve, who is very expressive yeah but he's really just showing one thing - that he's peaceful (if anything his eyesbrows are drawn in a little but it's just concentration, not any uncertainty like Peggy has). There's not as much going through his head because he's dealt with all of this already. He already wrapped his mind around every factor of what got him to this point, he's just savoring the moment now that he finally can. Peggy's only had the last few minutes. Of course whatever happened when she opened the door is up to everyone's headcanons, but he had to give her something good enough to convince her. Personally I think when they were dancing, he hadn't explained much yet. He just convinced her it was him by telling her something only he would know. He'll get to the 70 year nap and aliens and time traveling later lol I think he wanted to ease her into it as much as possible. Because the door is still open I really think it was just "Oh my god what the hell -> wait I can prove it (with something only Steve would know 100%) -> we've waited long enough for our dance -> ok but actually what the hell??" which leads to the entire explanation after they dance

Regardless of what Peggy knew while they danced, she hadn't had long to process it at ALL. And you can see that. She's not simply happy and peaceful. She's soooooo timidly happy. Her eyebrows are furrowed a little and you can tell she's trying to slow her thoughts down and enjoy the moment. Her smile isn't completely ear to ear uncontrollable. You can actually see her try to contain it a few times - it starts to get a little bigger and she stops herself. She's so used to not being able to feel this kind of pure unadulterated happiness. You can also see her keeping her chin and bottom lip stiff, like if she let go she'd break down crying. At first her eyes are open and it feels like she's looking into the corner at nothing to keep herself grounded. When she closes her eyes, her eyebrows relax a little. I think she was able to let go a little bit with her eyes closed. That's when you see her smile start to get a little wider, then she stops herself, then she opens her eyes again. Then she looks up at Steve. Like the grounding herself by looking at something or not looking at anything didn't work so she had to look at Steve.

Anyway back to her being timidly happy bc I think that's the best way to describe it. Look at this frame

(Sorry idk why the quality is so bad on youtube lol) she doesn't just look happy and teary. And I wouldn't say she looks confused either. If she were confused she wouldn't be dancing with him. I think it's just an instinct for her to limit her happiness. She looks like she absolutely can't believe this is happening but she knows she can't argue (again, or else she wouldn't be dancing with him), and like her mind is racing but she wants it to stop. This restrained happiness reminded me of something else and at first I couldn't figure out what it was but I did. Look

She's making the exact same face here except there's no genuine happiness in this one. Her smile is a little tighter because there's nothing behind it. But otherwise. It's the exact same expression. In both she's thinking of "another chance" with Steve, but when they're dancing it's real. In the AC scene it's just his blood that she felt like she had to defend. But when they're dancing ITS REAL!!! look again side by side sorry I'm going insane

Main point - there's just so much trepidation in her face while they dance. Timidly happy restrained joy etc etc. When she looks at Steve is when it starts to fade. Her eyes scan his face I think bc she's really trying to allow herself to feel happy and she's like look it's him you know it's him calm down it's him. Steve's smile just get bigger when he looks at her but he knows everything!! This frame shows her starting to relax

But when he smiles at her and she smiles back she's still biting it back a little and pulling her bottom lip in to control herself

That face is just. There's so much I feel that I should say but words can wait. Do you see the difference in how Steve is just so openly radiating joy but she's not there yet.

This is the most relaxed she gets the whole scene. She has to shut her mind off and remove herself from the situation and just feel to get to that point. She can do that when she kisses him. And that's where the scene cuts, when she is finally able to just feel and relax and live in the moment with him.

[masaworkdesignfan]

[happy hotel au! Episode 1: welcome and hello miss Vuitton!]

"hey vox!"

"wassup."

"uhhh I have a...weird news. Our mom came down to hell. She said "I roasted to deaths saint Peter that ain't lettin me goin hell, so they drop me to hell or should I call I became the fallen angel like Lucifer!" and she was so sarcastic?"

"that's not sarcastic."

"okay okay...listen mom said he needs you to be here."

"hehe... actually bro..me and the other v's are going to be the guest on the hotel.."

"so you're staying at the hotel?"

"yyyup.."

[after that. Vox arrived after waiting for just 3 minutes.]

[miss Vuitton] : "there you are! I told you louis, never be seperated from you're big brother."

[vox] : "b-but! Andy said-"

[Miss Vuitton] : "oh excuses? No!"

[angel dust] : "OH WHAT THE FUCK?"

[Valentino] : "what? Suprise to see me?"

[vox] : "val. We came here for redemption. Be nice."

[Valentino]: "I'm trying he wouldn't let me."

[Lucifer] : "SO YOU'RE THE PERSON WHO LICKED MY DAUGHTER?"

[Valentino] : "let me explain."

[charlie] : "woah woah dad! Calm down. Give him a chance. Also who is the other 2?"

[alastor] : "you fuck ass! Introduce!"

[vox] : "oh yeah. Hi! My highness.. I'm vox! The leader of the 3 vees! I make electronic!"

[velvette] : "heyyyy! Charlie! I'm velvette don't mind my alien core outfits. Because why not? Where's cherri bomb? He's my best friend"

[angel dust] : "SHUT UP."

[Silence.]

[charlie] : uh angel. I know it's hard to accept you're enemy to stay here but don't you want give him a chance?

[angel dust] : FINE! [mumbles and walking to his room]

[charlie] : follow me! Vox, vel,val! I will bring you to you're rooms!

[Miss Vuitton] : "well uhh...Andy. won't you introduce yourself to you're friends?"

[alastor] : "ah yes! This is Lucifer morningstar! My boyfriend! Also he's the king of hell."

[miss Vuitton] : "oh! Hi! My highness! I didn't even trust such other angels saying bad people in hell! I realize people are nice in hell! Also who even are those?"

[alastor] : "that's vaggie, niffty,husk,cherri bomb, and Adam."

[miss Vuitton] : "Adam?"

[Lucifer and alastor] : "Adam."

[miss Vuitton] : "why is Adam crying?"

[Lucifer] : "I told a joke about Cain and Abel's death."

[miss Vuitton] : "hm! Okay! Also what's going on that stuff?"

[niffty] : "hiii! Welcome to uhh..hazbin hotel? Yeah hazbin hotel! You look so cool in you're hell form! THAT'S so amazing! Also we have the best interiors in the world!"

[end]

[yyyyanyan]

Book Club: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

the stars aligned (I was a minute too late to sleep for the day on Pokemon Sleep) so I finished reading Project Hail Mary and holy shit

High points: aliens!!!!!! so much aliens so many aliens so many so many so many aliens. Rocky (the alien) is so fun too goddamn

Low points: Not into the amnesia bit (it felt too deus ex machina to me), kind of a melancholy ending

I am honestly so blown away by the aliens? like holy shit the aliens. just holy shit. aliens. I think Weir just does such a good job and it (as a science un-knower) it felt so believable to me. I love Rocky to bits and his language was also mindblowing to me?? I think that's the part of me that thinks linguistics is so interesting but I seriously could not imagine what an alien could be like (actually, before Rocky appeared on screen, I even thought the alien might look just like a human) much less think about how they could communicate. My mind was blown LOL

There were two major points where my heart absolutely DROPPED and honestly I feel like that says something about this surely? I'm tired af but I was still shook y'know? I'm literally scared of taumoebas lmfao and the way they're described as smelling gross and feeling greasy... ew!! I hate it I'm so glad I do not exist in a world where I know about real taumobeas :))))

My complaint about the amnesia is really just about how convenient it was. It was a good twist that I didn't see coming but I was also kind of like is this really possible with modern technology lmao? I guess who knows what kind of stuff the government has kept in secret but it was a little hard to just read it and be like oh yeah that seems legit.

I also feel like some of the side/supporting characters were a bit too much of a caricature, I guess? Especially DuBois (the sex discussion scene with Dr. Shapiro was SO weird) because I feel like it was framed as like, he is seriously legitimately this kind of guy and he's not playing it off as a joke, which I could have been amused by. I also wish Stratta had like... a little bit more development, I guess? She was giving me girlboss gaslight take no prisoners and I liked that she was strong and tough and would do anything to give humanity a chance to succeed, but sometimes she also seemed a bit like... a micromanager? Comparing this to The Martian (which I seriously love), I think that these characters had more defining traits but in the flanderization kind of way rather than actually being more developed.

The last thing I disliked was the ending :( it was actually a good ending lol but I felt a little sad because I wanted to see more of what happened to the Earth people and I kind of wanted Grace to go home too. On the other hand, he really did not have much attachment there and I felt like with their plans Earth would probably be okay, so it really was a good ending! but I am just an earthling attached to earth so I'm still sad anyways lol

Okay wait one more thing that I know wouldn't have made sense to have in the narrative: I wish we knew what happened to Yao and Ilyukhina on the way there. I remember there was a mention of the autofeeding thing possibly malfunctioning or something but they were going to stick backups because they were light? Actually my first theory was like an allergic reaction or something or like some machine malfunction, but I guess I'll never know. I felt sad when Grace dressed them and sent them out into space.

last note: Ryan Gosling is apparently going to be Grace in the movie adaptation??? But the cited article is from 2021 so... well hey if it happens I'll go see it I love his kenergy

[labaguetteisdabest]

who is:

your intellectual fav character of all time? the one who has great growth and means and motives?

your emotional fav character of all time? the one who gives you all the feels for no reason?

and your middle fav character of all time? the one who is an interesting character but still gives you a lot of emotions?

intellectual: this one stumped me for a few minutes because my brain isn't braining today but i think i'll go with sophie foster. she starts out as this young girl who knows nothing about her world and herself and as of what we currently have, sophie's grown into a strong person who's far less a pushover and more a force to be reckoned with who knows who she is and what she wants to do, following the fate that was written for her but also paving her own path.

emotional: alberto scorfano. is there a reason for him to give me all the feels that he does? yes. is the amount of feels i get absolutely unnecessary? fuck yes. (sorry i wrote middle before this one and you can clearly tell my brain got tired)

middle: RYLAND GRACE OH MY GODS. i love how he, in the beginning, knows nothing about why he was in a coma in outer space but, once he regains more memories, goes on, saving the world. and even though, closer to the end, he remembers that he was pretty much forced to go on the hail mary, he goes on and saves the world because he doesn't just have humanity to save, his students – his kids – to save, but he has a friend, an alien society, to save.

speaking of his students, i get hit with the biggest wave of emotions when ryland calls them his kids. he cares about them so much, and it's so genuine and kind and – as i write this i'm tearing up thinking about it help me – ryland is just the best person to be a teacher. he cares so much that he goes back to the project he was forced to, at first, just because he couldn't bear the thought of his kids suffering in such a way that they would. on page 68 (good gods is this an essay now), it says, "Thirty years. I looked out at their little faces. In thirty years they'd all be in their early forties. They would bear the brunt of it all. And it wouldn't be easy. These kids were going to grow up in an idyllic world and be thrown into an apocalyptic nightmare. ... I was looking into a room full of children. Happy children. And there was a good chance some of them would literally die of starvation," (Weir) (wow i really went essay mode). this guy- i just- *emotions intensify*

and of course, you can't talk about ryland without talking about his dog sized-alien-rock-bestie rocky. ryland grace made first contact with a sentient alien. ryland grace befriended said sentient alien. ryland grace worked with his new alien bestie to save both of their worlds. ryland grace sacrificed his return to earth to save his best friend when he found out they made a giant mistake. ryland grace is one of the most loyal human being i've ever read about – including percy jackson, whose fatal flaw is literally loyalty.

can you tell i like project hail mary :)

[victimized-martyr]

20 & 28? i love all ur takes on kyman so so much!!!

These questions are a blast! I'm just happy y'all give me the chance to ramble abt them ghfs so thankssss

20. Do Stan and Kenny (and Butters) approve of this relationship?

Kenny canonically keeps most of his opinions to himself, and likes to watch from a distance. He’d approach Kyman in the same way, watching them unfold with a morbid curiosity, dishing his legendary advice only when he feels he absolutely must. Does that make him a dick? Probably. But, what else would you expect from Eric Cartman’s best friend?  

Butters on the other hand, is super vocal in his approval. The moment Cartman announces he’s with Kyle, its streams of "Congratulations, Eric!” and “Shoot, anyone could see this comin’ a mile away!" and “Don’t go breakin’ Kyle’s heart, Eric. He’ll fuck you up nine ways to Sunday if you do :D” 

And then there’s Stan. 

Kyle. and Cartman. Cartman and Kyle. Together….Would he approve? Well, he wouldn’t know. This indecision isn't the result of slow observation; he sensed something between Cartman and Kyle before they realized they had feelings for one another. It’s that Stan hates change, and he's anxious to think how the relationship will permanently affect the group, the one thing in Stan's life that’s endured all of South Park’s shittiness. Would things change for the better? Or worse? There’s so many ways Cartman and Kyle could fail and make things awkward in the group. Or, what if they get so engrossed with each other that they left him behind? That he disintegrates into white noise, losing his best friend? Cartman’s the only person capable of bringing out emotions no one else could with Kyle, so will he become the best or worst version of himself? It’s all too much. He needs a lot of time to process it. 

 More than anyone else, Kyle seeks Stan’s approval in his decisions, and has often come to him to rant about Cartman. Usually, he’d get a blunt response that refocuses him, if he ever gets a response at all. This time, he needs a prompt response, and Kyle’s patience is infamously thin. Kyle is already wracked with anxiety about whether being with Cartman is the “right” thing to do. Seeing Stan close in on himself once hearing the news sends Kyle’s paranoia thru the roof lmao. 

This is a whole ass fic askin to be written (am i not writing one already HILKDJGHLI), but essentially, Stan and Kyle would have a fallout before Stan reaches a conclusion on Kyman. Stan would probably say something he’d regret and be all moody and emotional for a while. Then he’ll get bitch slapped some sense into him by Wendy, or Kenny, or hell, maybe Cartman (because “Darsh, I can’t properly make out with mah boo cause he’s too busy PMS’ing over his butfucking-boyfriend. So cut the shit out already. "). He’s forced to realize that he should still be there for his best friend, whether he ends up approving of the relationship or not. Yes, Kyle wants his approval, but he also wants his super best friend more. (stg this is Kenny Dies all over again. Hoe runs away to deal with his own emotions before being there for others. When will he learn lol)

Stan’s wary for a majority of the relationship. But he’s there for Kyle. He’ll always be there. 

28. controversial opinion on kyman?

It has less to do with Kyman and more to do with tropes. I'm so SO tired of Party at Tolkien's House as the catalyst for Kyman. ;-; it's just, too easy to write, and it's even easier to fall into the trappings of "kiss as the only romantic awakening" and teen angst. Honestly? The kids probably wouldn't be able to enjoy themselves, bc the adults suck, and it's south park, so they end up crashing the party. And then aliens get involved, bc shit like that happens. Kyle and Cartman are feelin each other up and wanna seal the deal in the closet~? Well they can't. Randy's in there playin 7 minutes in heaven with a monkey and lo and behold, is the reason we have monkeypox declared as a health emergency.