#but mostly my point is. you know the depth this has effected her to.

[ssaalexblake]

It speaks to the depths of Beckett Mariner's trauma and the self worth issues that have stemmed from the events in her life, that her entire arc on the show has pretty much been Boimler's one episode plot in "In the Cradle of Vexilion".

Because at a base line, they're having the same crisis at these moments. It's just that Boimler is having that crisis without any of Mariner's trauma or past experience, and so T'Lynn's logical explanation of the situation was free to sink in without being too personal, too horrifying, too cold. It's not too hard for him, he gets to have distance from this that Mariner cannot, distance that's she's genuinely not capable of.

Her backstory isn't surprising, the fandom had mostly guessed way before they confirmed it that she'd served in the war, but it still hits.

All of her walking contradictions make sense. She is sabotaging herself to remain an ensign because she doesn't feel she's worth much more if Sito wasn't. It's a punishment. But it's also genuinely the comfort zone that she wants, if she's the proverbial metaphorical red shirt of the starfleet pecking order then there's no way her decisions can kill other people she's in charge of. She has lived in a space of simultaneous comfort and self distain as an ensign for a while now, and that's not something that you just drop.

I like that this all started to fall apart for her in the second half of the season, she managed to deal with it for a while before it all got just too much and she went Too far to the point that everybody who cares about her was deeply worried.

It's also fun that both Boimler and Mariner had this crisis this season, but they never could have helped each other through it. They both had other people talk them through it/knock some sense into them. They are besties, but in this situation they'd have only fed each other's fears.

[sleeplesssmoll]

Hot Take/Analysis: Sonetto went from the Foundation's cage to Vertin's leash.

Sonetto has more freedom in a physical sense. She can explore the world, experience new things, all that good stuff.

But mentally, she's still trapped.

Sonetto believes she's merely a supporting character in Vertin's story, almost admitting this to Sophia in the most recent chapter. She perceives her role as clearing the path for more significant figures capable of making an impact.

This echoes her mindset from her time with the Foundation.

Despite her undeniable prowess, Sonetto humbly sees herself as a tool for advancing supposedly "more important" causes, thus undervaluing her own worth.

When Sonetto and Vertin save Regulus and the Investigators from Manus, Sonetto's teammates express relief upon seeing her, trusting in their captain to save the day. Though Vertin initiates the action by reacting to the threat faster (her perception and ability to sense arcanum is beyond many other arcanists), Sonetto's swift response and strength play a crucial role. Despite their collaborative effort, she credits Vertin disproportionately, attributing their success mostly to Vertin's guidance and perception. It's a reocurring pattern for Sonetto to downplay her own brilliance. This leads into my next point.

LOOK AT VERTIN'S FACE WHEN SONETTO IS IN DANGER. Sonetto is so quick to defend Vertin, she ends up stressing the Timekeeper out. She was ready to die a martyr, now she's ready-- too ready to die for Vertin.

While we know Vertin has expressions, their usually subdued because she's "stoic". For her to spring up out her chair like that and show real panic is something we haven't seen from her thus far. For example, we know she gets furious with Arcana because her bangle starts searing into her skin, but her expression just looks a little mad without displaying the full extent of her fury. Btw I go more in depth Sonetto's effect on Vertin in this post and this one I made later if you're interested.

Sonetto is highly competent, but completely dependent on others in the fact that her "purpose", her "value", is assigned to her by others.

Sonetto doesn't need Vertin to shine, but only Vertin seems to get that out of the two of them. At least she dotes on the puppy? She didn't put the leash there but at the same time...

Do you think Vertin would want to remove it? Isn't it a nice safeguard if Sonetto thinks she needs Vertin? If the puppy is happy, isn't it fine to keep the leash their so it doesn't wander too far? Maybe she'll let Sonetto break this habit on her own instead of giving her insight as usual.

Vertin asks for nothing, wants for nothing, and is always ready to share joy with others.

So can't she be a little selfish this time? Can't she have just one thing in her life that? She's already lost so much.

Is this post just an excuse to lay the groundwork for Toxic TK14 due to codependency??

Codependency: An unhealthy dependence on relationships. The co-dependent will do anything to hold on to a relationship; to avoid the feeling of abandonment. An extreme need for approval and recognition. A sense of guilt when asserting themselves. A compelling need to control others. Codependency is a circular relationship in which one person needs the other person, who in turn, needs to be needed

[mage-ical-character-person]

I’ve been rotating the idea in my head that Mimzy only coming to Alastor when she needs something wasn’t a thing when they were alive. Or at least wasn’t as blatant/common.

The way they know each other is that he would frequent the place she performed at, which sort of implies that Alastor was usually the one seeking Mimzy out at that point? He speaks about this fondly, his smile is actually genuine and relaxed as he looks back on it.

Look at him! His grin is so much softer than usual. Look how he holds his hands up in the last one, and how his eyes look happy too. He feels at ease around Mimzy in a way we don’t really see elsewhere. He allows her to divulge information about his life and even adds to it. His guard is down. This is the only time his past is discussed without him getting all prickly.

This isn’t how a calculating overlord of hell acts around someone who’s only been using him as long as they’ve known each other. And he knows that nowadays she only shows up when she needs something from him.

Which to me really gives off the impression that it wasn’t always like this. And with how transactional many things are with Alastor and his dealmaking tendencies, it wouldn’t surprise me if in life maybe Alastor went to Mimzy when he needed something, and now as the Radio Demon he feels he must pay it back. Especially since with the power he’s acquired, none of the favors he does for her are any trouble for him. He even seems to enjoy them, with his comment about getting to let off steam and Mimzy claiming that “You love taking care of me” And THEN there’s the whiplash when Mimzy is talking about Alastor’s deeds as the Radio Demon and so quickly switches to “Underneath it all, he’s a total sweetie”. I know it was mostly for comedic effect, but I sort of get the vibe that their time in Hell has made them both worse (though obviously neither were great to begin with), and there’s almost a sort of cognitive dissonance where they still want to think of each other the same way they did when they were alive. Like Mimzy has a hard time thinking of the Radio Demon and her old friend Alastor as the same person. As if to her the only carryover being that she can get away with almost anything now because the Radio Demon has soft spot for her. That there’s just enough Alastor left in there that he’ll protect her, and she knows this… but otherwise hardly recognizes him.

It’s hard to think of the Radio Demon as human, which is very intentional on his part. But his old friend heard all that broadcasted carnage too. And the idea of that causing any positive, casual interactions to grow fewer and farther between with Al and Mimzy intrigues me. The idea that the persona of the Radio Demon played a part in Mimzy coming to see Alastor as sort of an embodiment of power to be used adds a sort of… depth? tragedy? That I really like. 

Ironically, Alastor still feels most human around Mimzy. Only around her does he feel like his old self, back when the facade was not one of cruelty but of innocence. Back when showing his more benign tendencies threw others off his trail instead of leaving him open to attack from rivals willing to exploit any weakness or caring.

(And the new way of doing things suits him just fine, thank you very much. Yes, the Radio Demon is who he really was all along, he was just holding back before. He’s never felt as free as he does in hell, he promises. It’s not like he is any different, he’s been probing victims for weakness longer than most of the overlords he lets live, I’ll have you know!)

But maybe there are parts of his old life he didn’t mean to leave behind. Maybe in broadcasting a facade that attempts to put as much distance between him and his humanity as possible, he’s lost something. Because his old friend has started to believe any reason to care about him as a person is gone. He’s hardly an even a person anymore. (At least that’s what he wants everyone else to think)

Both of them are holding on to a past version of the other. Neither are sure how much is left, or how much has really truly changed. Or if they were always monsters, just looking back at the past with rose-tinted glasses? After all, it’s been so long…

So I want to see Mimzy’s reaction when Vox inevitably broadcasts the footage of Alastor’s defeat at the hands of Adam all over hell. I want her to see that and see him as human again.

[nitpickrider]

a bit silly, but if you had to fill an Avengers roster, who would you pick?

Wooof, oh me oh my. Let's lay down some ground rules before I do this. 1). Only people who have been Avengers at some previous point in time. Doesn't narrow it down a LOT but this list would be a jigsaw of my favorite Z-Listers otherwise 2). Limiting it to seven people. That's the magic number with superhero teams and it gives me a reason to stop

Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America: Sometimes you just cannot beat a classic and when it comes to Avengers line ups there is no one that I think is more integral than Captain America. The pathos that he brings to the table no matter what character he is interacting with is palpable and reading through his first big volume has given me a deep respect and love for the character. He's our leader for sure, the axis of solid, steady service I can hang my weirder picks on.

Dr. Walter Newell AKA Stingray: You all saw this coming and don't act like you didn't. One of my favorite if not my FAVORITE Marvel Characters of all time. He's a doctor with an interesting specialization. His "I'm only a part time superhero" hangup is even funnier and more interesting if forced into the limelight on THE hero team. Not to mention he comes with his own swanky Hydrobase we can use for an HQ and with his wife and four kids running around underfoot we have the kind of domestic adorability I think any good team needs.

Miguel Santos AKA Living Lightning: The first time I can ever remember reading about a comic book hero being gay, as just like, part of who they are. A tiny detail in their rich inner life. Not to mention the less respect a character gets the more I want to lift them up on my shoulders. He could be the sweetheart with a little chip on his shoulder from not getting the respect his objectively awesome powers objectively deserve.

Angelica Jones AKA Firestar: Something you may not know about me. The first piece of media that really opened my eyes as to the potential and depth and scope of the Marvel Universe was Spiderman and His Amazing Friends. It was cheesy, it was cheap and yet Angelica was the first character that I felt SPECIAL for knowing and caring about. She's happy, she's passionate, her simple classic costume kicks ass and the New Warriors need their goddamn respect. 'Nuff said.

Sersi, Just Sersi: What little I have seen of this character fucking FASCINATES me. This woman is chaos incarnate. It's like she is actively making on the fly decisions with everyone she meets whether she's going to kill them, screw them, turn them into a small mammal or some combination of the three. She's *Instant Plot Complication Just Add Water* because she saw a butterfly and that somehow translates to her blowing the entire team's cover.

Dane Whitman AKA The Black Knight: I love everything about him. I love his vibe, I love the fact that his backstory is built partially around recontextualizing the lore of a mostly forgotten Atlas fantasy comic. I love that he has a wickedly evil cursed blade that comes with the side effect of basically holding him hostage to a heroic moral code. And on top of that he's a dorky intellectual who can't see a social cue if it's blaring at him from oncoming traffic.

Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk: ...I do not feel the need to explain or justify this choice. YOU know Jen is awesome. *I* know Jen is awesome. She-Hulk does not need justification. She shows up in stories and makes them better by existing. Also yes this is the bodytype I'd use. Yes, I have an addiction. No, I don't feel the need to explain that either. RESERVISTS: Characters I really like but either don't know enough about or don't think they make good Avengers

Marc Spector and System AKA Moon Knight: One of my favorite dudes but does NOT play well with others. Was interesting for about 10 seconds as a member of the West Coast team but I'd prefer he never touch the ranks again.

Flint Marko AKA Sandman: Marvel did Sandman fucking dirty by never letting him fully reform and be the good guy. I want Sandman to be the good guy dammit

Maria de Guadalupe Santiago AKA Silverclaw: I know literally nothing about her outside of reference books but her powers are dope and I dig her vibe.

[not-wholly-unheroic]

I hope to write a full review of Peter Pan and Wendy at some point in the near future once I’ve had the chance to rewatch it a few times, but in the meantime, it makes me sad that so many people seem to have hated it, and I need to just gush about a few of my favorite parts.

(Warning: This list will contain SPOILERS for the film.)

Wendy’s very realistic reaction to having her favorite bedtime story character show up in her bedroom in the middle of the night (“How are you real?!).

The reworking of the “kiss” scene. Although the childhood romance/first love thing between the two of them in most versions is adorable, seeing Wendy sort of mentally panic and scramble to find SOMETHING to give Peter when, after getting hurt, Michael suggests someone give him a kiss to make it better and Peter says he doesn’t know what that is but he thinks he needs one is hilarious and totally something an awkward teen girl would do when confronted with kissing a boy in front of her brothers.

Mr. Smee’s good heart and kindness. Gaffigan’s Smee tries on more than one occasion to shield the kids from the worst of Hook’s wrath and/or scary situations as best he can while still being loyal to Hook. And it is openly acknowledged that there is a sort of father/son relationship between Hook and Smee due to Smee having pulled him from the sea when he was just a boy. Law’s Hook isn’t always good to Smee, but he very much recognizes he wouldn’t be alive without him. It’s also nice to see that although a bit of a dork sometimes, this Smee isn’t stupid, and actually seems pretty perceptive at times.

The sea shanties!!! I love that they found a way to work a few songs into the film without it feeling too out of place in a live-action movie that isn’t a full-on musical. The songs themselves are catchy and the lyrics (which are mostly about things in the deep that will eat you…) serve to remind us of the hellish nightmare Hook lives every day in fear of the crocodile. We also get a nod to the Disney sequel. (Props to the songwriter for managing to work the word “cephalopod” into a song and actually having it fit the rhyme.) Also, the second song arguably has a ticking motif in the slow drum beat.

The crocodile’s appearance and attitude. This thing is terrifying. It’s HUGE. There is absolutely no one in their right mind who wouldn’t run from this creature. While it wants Hook most of all, it isn’t opposed to eating others either (and does apparently nab a few men who get shoved out of the way by Hook or who aren’t fast enough). Also, all the spears sticking out of its hide. Makes me think of Moby Dick. The crew has apparently tried on many occasions to get rid of this crocodile but it refuses to die.

The similarities and differences in Peter’s fight with Hook at Skull Rock as opposed to the animated film. Hook ALMOST steps off a ledge at one point like in the animated version, but Smee is there to grab us coat and pull him back before he can fall. We also get some good shadow sequences like in the animated film…but apparently, Hook’s shadow can harm Peter’s with the effect that Peter himself actually feels it.

Hook’s reaction to the crocodile. His first words on seeing the creature are just a very quiet sort of shaky, “Oh, God….” When it lunges for him at one point, he freezes in terror for a second before his instinct to run kicks back in. This man is traumatized.

Hook and Peter’s relationship. Okay, yeah, I’m upset they went with the very cliche “Hook was a Lost Boy” deal which has been done so many times now in book retellings that it’s not even new or interesting anymore (not to mention Hook really needs to be an Etonian to make him who he is…) BUT I am very pleased at the emotional depth the actors and writers went to here for BOTH of the characters. Hook is still clearly capable of brutality but he’s also deeply wounded. Peter is selfish and cocky like any little boy might be, but he’s not evil and genuinely misses the friend he used to have in James. They weren’t black and white hero/villain tropes. They were complex characters who both dealt with things poorly, and it takes Wendy pushing on their emotional walls and asking hard questions to finally make them see they can stop hurting each other and maybe repair what has been broken.

The quotes they gave Law as Hook. So many good ones that I may make an entirely separate post about it but the entire brig scene with Wendy is gut-wrenching. At first, my reaction was, “Why is he telling her all of this?” But then, I remembered that even Barrie’s Hook has a tendency to monologue and I think part of the reason he tells her so much is simply because she might be the first person other than Smee to actually want to LISTEN to his side of things. (Much as how Tink points out later in the film that Wendy is one of the first people to really hear her.)

Peter actually needing and accepting help. While admittedly, I think they may have leaned into the “girl power” thing a little too heavily in this version, it was nice to see Peter actually realize that he DOES need people in his life and that it’s OKAY to ask for help sometimes.

Everything about the ending. Peter apologizing to Hook and flat-out refusing to fight him. Hook’s initial anger and disbelief. Peter reaching out and grabbing him by the claw to keep him from falling. The pained and terrified look on Hook’s face as he scrambles to come up with just one happy thought and can’t find any. The look of horror from Peter as he watches his former best friend fall to what he assumes will be his death. The fact that Peter MOURNS for him. The symbolism of “Hook” falling away and dying while “James” survives. The little hopeful smile he gives when he sees Peter coming back. UGH! It was SO GOOD!!! 😭 And that’s not even including the emotional scene with Peter and Wendy saying their goodbyes on the rooftop in London.

This film wasn’t without it’s flaws. The pacing was a little off in places, and it doesn’t feel quite like an epic adventure…but BOY, does it have some heart to it.

[wisteriasymphony]

The LuckyBug Miracle Team Sucks - TWEOS AU Analysis

(4 individuals who don't work for their miraculous, and 1 person that does)

Just to start off, yes, I am analyzing my own work. Nobody really has the same depth of information on this other than me, after all. I want to get more into these sorts of things, because I like to organize my thinking behind the choices I make in this fic, and maybe even draw people into my work as well!

Lucky Lucky Ladybug - Viperius - CARA.PACE - Renared - Chat Noir

These are the five main holders of the LuckyBug Team before CN quits at the start of TWEOS. We're going to be talking about why most of them suck at their job (but mostly why Lucky chose terrible miraculouses for her peers), starting from worst to best synergy.

Viperius - Snake of Intuition

The ideal holder of the Snake Miraculous is someone who is level-headed, wise, and capable.

Luka Marcel Couffaine is the exact opposite of all of these things.

In TWEOS, Luka Couffaine is as far removed from empathy as humanly possible, making him a terrible superhero in general, much less one with a power as important as interrupting the flow of time. Luka never goes out of his way to explore his abilities, rarely involves himself in battle unless forced to, and put more thought into giving his superhero form a sexy haircut than into being a good teammate. He is explicitly only a superhero for the money it brings in even though he is already the son of a world-famous rockstar. Luka is not intuitive or wise, he is shallow and self-serving.

More Suitable Miraculous: None of them. Maybe the Mouse so he can multiply and go fuck himself.

CARA.PACE - Turtle of Protection

The ideal holder of the Turtle Miraculous is someone who is stable, sacrificial, and steadfast.

Nicolas Ibrahim Lahiffe, unfortunately, falls short of the mark.

While not as outwardly shitty as Luka, Nino also lacks the right qualities in an effective superhero. Nino is the type of person who, as Quinton Reviews once perfectly put it, "would rather be chill than be right". Nino is laid-back and likes to show off with his Miraculous, enjoying how cool it makes him look while still helping out at the end of the day. ...But he's not exactly protective. If anyone even stood up to Lucky being physically abusive, it should've been him. But Nino does not protect the weak, because he is the kind of person to stand on the sidelines. Nino is not a source of stability, he's too much of a laid-back (and often cowardly) jokester to protect anyone.

More Suitable Miraculous: Monkey, Pig.

Renared - Fox of Illusion

The ideal holder of the Fox Miraculous is someone who is cunning, sly, and witty.

Aaliyah Thérèse Césaire is trying so hard to make it work, but is underserved by what she's been given.

If anyone in the team has the braincells, it's Alya. Alya can draft up plans with her Holo-Illusions like second nature, strategize on the fly, and takes to her ability to make diagrams out of thin air like a fish to water. ...But that's not what the Illusions are for, is it? As natural for her determined nature, she strives to bend her miraculous to her will anyways, rarely ever using her Illusions to actually distract and more to help her with her thankless job of the actual team leader. It makes sense that she would function this way, though! Alya is a proponent of the truth through and through, and is rather blunt often to the point of being brutally honest. Alya is not cunning, she is forthright and stubborn. If only she got a miraculous to reflect that.

More Suitable Miraculous: Ox, Rooster, Bee

Lucky Lucky Ladybug - Ladybug of Creation

The ideal holder of the Ladybug Miraculous is someone who is creative, compassionate, and clever.

Marinette Anne Louise Dupain-Cheng is this in all the wrong fucking ways.

It does take a creative person to formulate a plan to woo your celebrity crush with a perfect version of you. It takes someone who knows how to be compassionate to so effectively deny a shred of it to Chat Noir. It takes a clever person to make up a fake eulogy. And yet, at the same time, Lucky Lucky Ladybug is hindered by her hot-headed entitlement and her need to be the center of attention. She lets her team do the creative work, weaponizes her compassion as something to market herself with, and is somehow so caught up in her own world that she ignores evidence of Adrien being a relationship when it is staring her in the face. Marinette is best described as an embodiment of "creation" only in the sense that she will one day orchestrate her own undoing.

More Suitable Miraculous: Anything would be better than the Ladybug. That way she isn't brainwashing people anymore.

Chat Noir/Errant - Black Cat of Destruction

The ideal— Actually, let's break from convention for this one.

If anyone is fit to embody Destruction, it is Adrien fucking Agresté.

Once you get deep enough into TWEOS, Adrien is by far the most emotionally turbulent character out of any of them. It helps that the narration is so often colored by his input, but his range is exceptional and takes up a significant focus of the story. He is the mostly openly self-destructive and suicidal, romanticizing the idea of dying with his girlfriend, but is equally willing to destroy others in pursuit of his goals.

It's also worth taking into account that TWEOS is essentially a corruption arc. The whole point of the story is to witness his circumstances tear him apart, unearth his traumas, show a version of Adrien that becomes bitter and violent and vengeful. What power would suit a vengeful, violent person better than the power to destroy things?

Conclusion

In short, it's meant to be incredibly ironic that the only holder that truly embodies their miraculous is the one that quits. The entire ordeal is a stageplay put on by higher powers, of course it's more important to them that their puppets are obedient more than anything.

Of course, this isn't to say that synergy between a person and their miraculous is a good thing, either; That's what makes the eventual magic-induced insanity even worse, after all. This is what killed Emilie, what's ruining Marinette's relationships, and what is starting to happen to Adrien as well.

[sleepingdeath-light]

relationship hcs ; black pearl cookie

requested by ; 🍾 anon (12/08/23)

fandom(s) ; cookie run

fandom masterlist(s) ; hub | specific

character(s) ; black pearl cookie

outline ; “black pearl relationship hcs ~ 🍾”

warning(s) ; some angst but mostly fluff!

black pearl cookie has been shaped by her negative and traumatic experiences with the outside world, so being able to build a relationship with her would be incredibly difficult — especially if you’re a complete stranger to her, but even if you knew her back when she went by another name (she’s put up a lot of walls and doesn’t trust easily anymore)

that being said once the two of you actually become a couple she is intensely protective over you and refuses to let you out of her sight — you’re her treasure, her beloved, the light of her life, and she refuses to lose you as she did her pearl, hence why she’s so stubborn about keeping you in her line of sight (even forgoing sleep at times when she has a feeling that a threat might be approaching)

it takes her a long time to feel comfortable taking on a smaller form with you, being reluctant to let go of the threatening aura and strength that her usual stature provides, but she deeply wants for a level of physical intimacy with you that is only possible if she’s smaller — so she compromises on that much (and you’re both so very grateful that she did)

she’s incredibly touch-starved and leans very heavily into physical touch as a love language once she’s at a place to accept and give it freely (it’s always been her primary language it’s just been tainted by her past is all) — and if you let her cuddle up to you and kiss her cheek and stroke her hair then she might just fall asleep

in terms of pet names she tends to use things like ‘treasure’ and ‘dear’ with you — such as asking you ‘is everything okay, treasure?’ or ‘are you hurt, my dear?’

it’s difficult for her to think about her past, but if you give her the time and space to discuss it then she’ll start to open up — wistfully recalling memories of her sisters and her home, trembling and tearing up as she chokes out the story of her betrayal, and distantly whispering about the years she spent isolated in the dusk gloom sea before she found you (hold her as she cries, comfort her, but don’t silence her — she wants to be open, let her speak, even if it’s difficult)

she would, and has, killed for you whether you know it or not — anyone who actively posses a threat to you, anyone who you’ve mentioned has caused you pain or strife, or even those that stray too close to the home you’ve made on an island in her home are all dealt with swiftly and effectively so that you never have to face any harm again

she’s loyal to a fault but she’s also jealous to the point of being outright territorial — and she doesn’t give any offenders a chance to explain (any and all threats to you and the relationship you share must be dealt with immediately after all) — but she also doesn’t tolerate anyone else trying to woo or flirt with her, seeing it as an insult to you and treating the guilty party accordingly

sometimes you’ll just catch her staring at you — whether it’s when you’re just waking up from a nap or a proper sleep with her resting on your chest and her body half submerged in the water, when you’re sat side by side and you’re talking about a passion of yours, or when you catch her big eyes staring up at you from the depths of the sea as you go about your day — and, whilst initially startling, it’s far from malicious and it’s simply because she’s so enamoured by you that she can’t help but stare (and sometimes she doesn’t even realise that she’s doing it, being far too caught up in her thoughts to notice)

[montypng]

new follower here, love your art so much it's filled with so much character! I saw your tag on the lovely ghoul art; so, thought I'd send an ask: I'd love to hear your thoughts on danger days! Any things at all, feel free to ramble if you want! I always love hearing others hcs/opinions/etc on the series!

HELLO this ask has been sitting in my inbox since january sorry..its mostly bc i have sooo many things 2 talk about and i wasnt sure what i wanted 2 say in this answer but whatever im just gonna ramble SO!!! U get a bunch of random hcs and maybe thematic analysis yippee!! and thank u soo much for the kind words :]

imo all the kjs have some form of body focused repetitive behavior because this is my world and i do what i want.. poison and ghoul have dermatillomania (compulsive skin picking), and kobra and jet have trich (hair pulling) maybe. I think constantly being on the run + adrenaline highs and lows would lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms for all of them and desert living leads 2 pretty shit skin (poison+kobra have at least had bad acne for sure) which is conducive to skin picking..i think the venom siblings and ghoul are bat city runaways too so the withdrawal from bli pills (+shakes and sweats) contributed to them developing bfrbs.

ghoul also gets really bad shakes and jitters from withdrawal, so when it gets so bad that they can’t work on their explosives he blasts mad gear as loud as it can from its speakers and lets himself scream all the frustration out.

also ghoul definitely has hearing loss from bomb detonation in too close proximity. tell me it would know abt proper hearing protection safety protocols with a straight face its impossible.

kobra was born w microform cleft lip, which means he has a little deformity/groove in his upper lip kind of similar to a snake’s . also he broke his nose at some point and it healed wrong so crooked nosebridge↴

both jet and kobra are prone to migraines bc of eye strain and sensitivity (jet is nearly fully blind in his right eye and both kobras eyes are extremely sensitive to light, hence the sunglasses).

sometimes when the migraines are too much they both lie down in the trans am seats together at night and close their eyes and breathe in the dark

prior to jets eye injury they were the teams best marksman, and im not sure yet how greatly that changes after they lose depth perception, but one thing i like to believe is that jet is also a great sniper (stereoscopic vision due to retinal disparity is also only effective up til about 30 meters too so he wouldnt need to rely on binocular vision for that), so maybe they focuse on that skill post-injury. how i picture their scar ↴

this is so long already but 1 last thing more in a thematic analysis vein: i need ppls opinions on the girl and her story PLEASE. she has so little agency in the canon narrative but . Where r the girlposters around here i need to hear others thoughts on her guilt complex from the fab 4s sacrifice and her running away from her own role as the protagonist of a story she never wanted 2 be part of and her blowing up the city that killed her family and whether or not that alleviated her neuroses and brought catharsis or not and her characterisation as a literal bomb and destructive force even though shes just a kid and ughhh. Linking this girl post i made a while ago w an anne carson quote that makes me crazy ANYWAYS. Talk 2 me about her. Im begging.

[jounosparticles]

the colors reminded me it's port mafia time

about all of the port mafia has black in their palletes, it is very clear to see BUT there are three exceptions

kouyou has black in her character design BUT also pinks and reds. she probably doesn't count but still! you notice the pinks/reds before you notice the black. I think this is to connect her to kyouka but I could be absolutely wrong. small little extra detail: she has spider lillies at the bottom of her kimono(?) which repersent danger and death and abandonment! (they can also represent rebirth but death is the most common meaning for them)

kaji also barely has any black in his pallet. but he's kaji. absolute unhinged creature

and finally tachihara! he has black pants but also green jacket and white shirt. obviously in the beginning he wasn't actually a port mafia member but a hunting dog (that changes but also we don't see him after he gets turned so does he get new mafia swag? the world may never know.) the green of his jacket could repersent his connection to the hunting dogs (green jacket -> green uniforms) but that might be a HUGE stretch so eerrhhree take it with salt.

mori also applies to this halfway since he has two outfits (port mafia boss + his physician outfit) BUT with his physician outfit he wears a purple button down with his white (lab? doctor?) coat over it. purple is associated with corruption and royalty and I think that applies to his position as the mafia boss BUT! BUT the lab coat covers it so ITS LIKE HIM CONCEALING IT!!!! HIDING!!!! GRR DHER I hate mori but I love putting him under a microscope sometimes dude.

anyway!!!!!!! colors!!!!!!!! fun.

ohhhh I LOVE THIS!! lots of little details i didn’t think too far into.

thinking into kouyou, the black in her design is under the pink/red mostly. as if she’s keeping the more extravagant (maybe the wrong word) or passionate part of her external while the darkness she tries to not let out. she’s talked before about how you can’t go back if you thrive in the darkness, so i assume her design reflects that a lot. she expresses beauty despite being in the darkness. pink is also associated with love and care, and she seemed to take on a role in protecting kyouka and likely loved her or deeply cared about her. (i am so here for kyouka and kouyou found family older sibling or mother-like role).

kajii has a couple black stripes on his outfit. not much, but enough to symbolize that he’s with the mafia. what’s interesting though is that they cover his eyes as well. you’d think they’d put more emphasis on his eyes to show that he is corrupted as well but they stay shielded a lot. harukawa said at one point that his eyes are pitch black even if you cannot see them. this is probably a combination of him being a scientist and keeping his face shielded and maybe adding some uncertainty for his character. i also assume the white clothes is to go with the scientist-y look. we don’t know much about him yet but i hope we do soon.

and for tachihara hmmm. i wonder if asagiri had him planned out from the start? or if he decided to add that in to give tachi some depth since he didn’t have much beforehand? either way i love that he has such a cool design, it’s one of my favourite mafia looks actually! i like your idea of the jacket connection a lot, that makes sense! i noted that tachihara also wears black wristbands, tying into the colour theme of the mafia as well. i’m going into heavy speculation here, but maybe the white on his shirt could somehow represent his purity (combined with the green jacket to show his status as an officer)? and the black of his pants could represent the effect the mafia has had on him? as in he is both good and evil. or maybe they just thought the colour contrasts looks cool and i’m looking to deep into things idc tho ily tachihara

i don’t have anything to add to mori’s designs i just really like what you said with that. really cool ideas !!

i always love seeing your ideas on stuff!!

[fereldanwench]

I saw someone recently ask why their shots weren't turning out how they wanted them to despite being able to support the highest graphical settings, so I thought I could share a little behind-the-scenes tidbit re: my approach to lighting and post-editing in VP in case it's useful.

And for my money, lighting is one of the most important factors in getting a shot that I'm happy with. Yes, a high-end graphics card can absolutely help, but that's just one tool of many that can make a difference.

(This info is probably most relevant to folks who can mod their game, but the overall principle can also be applied to vanilla photomode, too. You'll just have to find good in-game light sources since you won't be able to spawn your own, and it might require a little more finagling with the vanilla photomode exposure and contrast settings. Here are some 100% vanilla shots I took recently that I think turned out pretty decent even with those limitations, just to give you some ideas if that's what you're working with.)

Lighting & Exposure

So referencing the photos above, from left to right:

A purely vanilla shot with ray-trace enabled but no lighting tools

The same shot with lighting tools on Valerie

The same shot with lighting tools + some Lightroom editing

Beefy graphics cards can certainly make a difference here since they'll be able to render more nuanced light and shadows, but as you can see in the purely vanilla shot, that ray tracing on its own ain't doing much when it comes to lighting Valerie. The neon lights in the background are pretty, but she's barely even visible in that dark ass street.

In the second shot, Valerie is in the exact same location but has multiple light sources on her. I mostly use CharLi lights these days, which is a free suite of lighting tools available on Nexus, and the customizable ambient lights in AMM, also free on Nexus.

I didn't think to screencap my exact lighting setup, but I'm pretty sure it was something like this:

CharLi spotlight on the left and right of Valerie, tinted pink/magenta

CharLi spotlight on the upper right, tinted teal

(I think I might have had an orange CharLi spotlight too, but it wasn't visible from this angle)

2 CharLi white spotlights directly on Valerie

Probably 1 or 2 AMM customizable point lights on her face (I like using the point lights at very low brightness to accentuate faces and give them a nice glow)

Now putting all these lights on a character could end up way too bright at the default vanilla exposure, especially if you aren't using any kind of major Reshade overhaul (which I do not).

Instead, I just use the vanilla photomode exposure settings to make a scene really dark and then light it back up with my own tools. (This is also a great way to shoot in areas that might have weird lighting effects, and it can be done indoors or outdoors and at all hours of the day.)

Just a simple example of that in these shots:

On the left, Valerie has a spotlight on her face and chest--It's pretty bright, too bright for my tastes. On the right, she has the same spotlight, but the overall exposure has been dropped down to -90 and the highlights have been dropped to -60 (now it's a little too dark for my taste--If this was gonna be a real shot, I'd build up more lights, but just wanted to show how much altering the exposure can affect a shot).

Post-Editing

As for making further adjustments to colors, shadow levels, sharpness, etc. of a shot, I know a lot of folks prefer to do that with Reshade presets, but... I don't, haha. I did make a basic shader to reduce the green tint of the game, and I use the Cinematic DOF and Real Long Exposure shaders to get a nice depth of field and reduce hair pixelating. Otherwise, all other adjustments I make are in Adobe Lightroom (or Photoshop if I need to make more precise adjustments).

And it's just a personal preference here. I just don't like having to mess with too many mods and menus in-game--I feel like it increases the chance of something freezing or crashing or me accidentally closing out of photomode. It also helps to give me a new perspective to see the shot outside of the game, especially if it's a portrait-oriented shot. Plus, I just like the process. Gives me one more reason to stare at the blorbos for a little while. :3

I adjust each Lightroom preset as needed depending on the color and exposure of the shots I'm working with, but these are some of the more common settings I modify:

I almost always finetune the exposure and shadows/highlights.

I like to do a global increase for saturation and vibrance.

A lot of my presets increase the saturation of reds and blues and decrease the saturation of yellows and greens, but this can vary; e.g. i like the greens to be vibrant if it's a nature shot.

I also usually make the white balance a little cooler.

I love tinkering with the global curves settings to "flatten" the shadow levels.

And I like really crispy shots, so I always increase the sharpness, and I'll usually bump the texture and add some noise, too.

These are all things that can be done in other similar programs/apps or even with Reshade. If you're just starting out, I think using pre-made presets and filters is a great way to go, and as you get more comfortable with the tools, you can start to make little tweaks and edits to personalize the style.

So anyway, there's some of my process! Everyone's got their own, and what works for me might not work for you--Don't feel like you have to take any of this as gospel or work exactly the way I do. But maybe this will... shed some light (ha ha, I'll see myself out) on how to get started with some VP tools. <3

[wortsandall]

Jake Lockley-the lies we tell ourselves au

buckle in, this one's long next

my biggest inspiration for this whole au was this man right here. mostly from reading fanfiction and thinking-who is this man to me? and noticing the pattern that jake had become kind of one note.

the fanon jake lockley had become a kind of stereotype-the rough macho man, slinging Spanish and banging ladies-and rarely did I see anything go past those interpretations. now there's nothing really wrong with that and I don't mean to shit on anyone's perception or enjoyment of the character.

in the show, the only things we know are that

he fronts in violent moments to get marc and jake out of a bind

he speaks spanish

he has to be the one who asked the woman out at the museum

and thats exactly why we get the jake that we often see.

personally, I just wanted to explore beyond that. maybe as a black person as well i found that one note portrayal to almost be in poor taste and starts to infringe on some Latino stereotypes even if it's not purposeful. (again you do you. and I don't mean to speak over any Latino voices who may feel differently)

but jake to me can go so much deeper than that. the framing of him as the "violent" alter is so harmful when it comes to D.I.D. we all remember split. those that are uninformed about disorders like D.I.D usually don't see the harm that can come in that kind of portrayal or can be dismissive. I don't have D.I.D myself, but I do have an unfinished psych degree focusing on abnormal psych and dissociative disorders and a LOT of free time.

my main point being that I didn't want jake to just be the violent alter. it was so obvious to me that jake engages in violence as a form of protection. and that alone brings so much more depth to his character. jake only fronts in the show to get them out of a dangerous situation. and when he doesn't have to kill-he doesn't. like with the kid.

so jake immediately screamed protector to me. and the violence that comes as his form as protection is the most effective that we've seen. it's not about making sure that marc feels okay with what's been done or happy. it's about keeping them physically safe.

tw for discussions of abuse, bullying

the show shows us that marc, and in extension all the boys were abused by their mother. it may be jumping to conclusions but my next thought would be that's where jake gets the violence from. and I don't mean that he enjoys it or wishes to hurt people like he was hurt as some sort of outlet. but that now they get some kind of control over when and how they are hurt.

to make some more leaps, I thought that it's not far-fetched to believe that there could be bullying in their childhood due to potentially being seen talking to themselves. or if I wanted to make it sadder, for being both Jewish and Latino. I've seen my fair share of mixed people being forced to "pick" one or being ostracized for not fitting in the way they are supposed to.

hell, I'm fully black and have had to deal with not fitting the standard due to the way I speak, or dress, or what music I listen to, etc. if something like that was going on, I can imagine dots being connected. that in order to be left alone-violence can actually be the answer.

my mom beats me -> I tend to stay clear of her as much as I can -> these kids are bothering me -> I can make them steer clear of me

and if I'm hurt -> then its my choice -> a side effect of being in a fight -> not something done on purpose to me

I imagine that's jakes origins. he's not great for anything else in his eyes, that's all he's used to. marc wouldn't register these fights as anything abnormal. marc sees himself as broken and angry, and even as a child I think that's what he would boil these fights down to. he wouldn't remember the specifics of it-just the aftermath. feeling so angry then nothing but seeing the bully on the ground holding his nose. and just fill in the blanks for himself.

as a physical protector, jake's concern is physical safety. as they get older and they end up in psych wards or other mental facilities after their dad's growing concern about the out of character behavior. (steven, not knowing how to be covert) jake would be more aware. they are in this strange place, away from what's familiar and being treated like an invalid.

I think jake would front much more often, even if he's just watching from a corner of marc's mind. he'd be used to that kind of hyper vigilance. I don't want to demonize mental health facilities, though I know that a lot of them can be very harmful. but I don't think marc would be the one causing "trouble" in there, nor is steven.

this is where the other alters that I want to add for this au to come in. where marc remembers these wards as no big deal and steven has zero memory. but jake remembers more of the unpleasant aftermath caused by outbursts of a different alter leo. I'll get into him and what I imagine his character to be in a different post but just know that this is leo's origin: the wards they were in and out of as a teenager.

I think that once they left, they weren't fully an adult. maybe 17, about to turn 18 but marc hits the bricks. tired of his mother's abuse and his father's enabling of it. I imagine that in those couple months before 18, marc would rather be anywhere else. and jake would be the one helping with that, guiding marc without him realizing. turning them away from potential areas of danger, fully fronting in order to fight off a robber. I don't think this would be a long period-maybe a month or two. and that's why marc thought they could just leave until the military. (jake, tired of being the one to watch marc's stupid ass would wish that marc had just toughed it out at home until their 18th birthday. their mother was a known danger, the streets are not)

joining the military and everything after is mostly marc. jake only fronting similarly to the show, in life and death situations. steven and the other two alters wouldn't be fronting at all. and in these long year periods is where I think jake's role would change slightly. as marc learns how to better protect himself on his own, jake would become more of a gatekeeper. maybe not a great one, still concerned more about their physical safety than anything else.

"survive. don't die." that's jake's priority. so in these combat scenarios it is impertinent that alters who can't fight, won't. in this sole endeavor, he becomes a gatekeeper. anything that might trigger steven and the others gets heavily locked down. he has a tight hold on the front, making sure only he or marc could possibly do it. I can't imagine he'd be able to keep that tight hold at all times. maybe there's small moments where their guard is down and any of the others could front for a moment. but for the most part, he's successful.

and when he gets tired of this, maybe the others are starting to front more or marc's fatigue starts to impact him, he makes the decision that in order to stay alive, they have to go. and that he's the one who tried to leave in a fugue state.

we all know what happens next and fast-forwarding through that, jake has less of a need to front. marc has the suit now. but jake is still a gatekeeper. marc's belief that steven and everything that came with that was over is partly due to jake keeping them all neatly held back and marc unaware.

due this backstory of jake's I don't imagine him getting out much. he hasn't had time for much else and doesn't know who he is outside of protecting them. after their mother's Shiva, I think jake would be the reason why marc and steven's life start to recombine. that he'd notice how shaken marc is after her death and know that it's not a problem that he can fight. so steven starts to front more, taking the brunt of these emotional moments. jake takes an even further step back, thinking steven has his role. as a caretaker and emotional protector this would be good for marc.

in this relative calm, where marc is trying (and failing) to balance his life and steven's, jake has a lot of time on his hands. maybe he watches how marc crafts a fake life for steven and thinks that it'd be nice to have one of his own-but not know how to go about it. he's never really been a person. in his eyes. he doesn't know how to be. so maybe he takes a small step on asking out the woman at the museum (I can't remember her name or if it's ever been mentioned, sorry)

thats the last part of fanon jake that I would like to dissect. I know in the comics I've read (and its only the 2016 and 2021 ones I apologize for that) there are references to this "woman-loving" personality. there are scenes where marc, steven, and jake are all talking and jake is in a club environment with dancers. and for me, it's never read as him being some kind of playboy hounding or thirsting after woman. in most of these scenes, jake is namely talking about finding community and people to care for in the rougher crowds. the crowds that might frequent these types of areas and crowds.

that's what I'd like to focus in on. jake may be a part of a system but it is a fairly isolated one. and part of that is due to his choices, but that doesn't mean he can't yearn for community. jake would be around during the time that marc was with layla. I imagine he'd probably have fronted a number of times as well. jake wouldn't know to navigate more emotional and intimate moments making him uncomfortable around her. he's covert enough to pretend to be marc in day to day scenarios, but not this. at the same time he'd see the way they interact and clearly love each other and become envious. so when he gets a chance, he tries it out for himself. though he never gets to go on that date.

all this to say jake lockley is aroace. he wants connection, community, family. due to circumstances both in and out of his control he'd never experienced that. and the couple times he has, it's been in a romantic sense. so he tries to copy that, thinking maybe that will be the key. but it isn't. he doesn't need that. he just needs some form of intimate connection to help him learn and remember how to be human. not just as a weapon, not just as a human shield. but as a person with his own wants and needs and personality outside of what the system wants.

that's my jake lockley.

the lies we tell ourselves au masterpost

[takearisk-x]

Hey! I know you've been working a lot in tpfy and I don't want to confuse you or something xd. but I'm curious about why AG Harry is pushing Ginny away. I thought maybe he's scared she won't love him again or some other stupid noble reason. A couple weeks ago you did like an analysis of tpfy Ginny and Harry, and I would love if you could do something like that for AG Harry too. if you want and like to do it ofc. Thank you for everything<3

omg i would LOVE to do this. you honestly have no idea how much i love talking about hjp and the nightmare scenarios i throw him into. though, i'm not sure how ~spoilery~ i want to get.. so it might not be as in depth as my tpfy asks from a few weeks ago but yeah i'd love to talk about already gone h/g!!

under the cut for length and spoilers

so harry starts out in a real pickle. the love of his life, and his wife of three years, has woken up from a weeks long coma with no memory since he led her on a fruitless rescue mission where they all almost died. she doesn't remember any part of their romantic history, but she also doesn't remember anything from her 6th year and the war.

after ginny finds out about fred, and goes unconscious again, it is vaguely hinted that ginny's emotions have a direct effect on her lucidity. therefore in the spirit of trying to keep her conscious until the healers can find out what exactly went wrong when they removed the parasite, harry and the weasleys decide to... uhh... hide her entire life from her just in case something triggers another collapse.

so much happens behind the scenes that ginny has absolutely no clue about and that was very intentional and on purpose. mostly because i love it when readers find out things at the same time she does, but also because i honestly don't think i could accurately portray harry's mental state. like genuinely. but i'm getting off track.

ok, so why is harry pushing ginny away? excellent question i'm so glad you asked. harry is afraid. and he isn't going to do anything (ANYTHING) to jeopardize her health/mental well-being. at this point behind the scenes molly, george, and hermione are like "seriously harry, tell your wife she's married to you." to which he replies "absolutely not." anyways, they decide to wait him out and not push it because we all know how harry gets. however, after ginny passes out at the memorial lunch, his fears all the sudden are MASSIVELY JUSTIFIED so he says fuckk all this, i'm out. but in a 'i am terrified my wife is going to faint and never wake up' kind of way.

so fast forward to after the night at the hog's head. ginny is super pissed, right? but also, harry was like super right. finding out she was married sorta did mess her up a bit.

but us, as readers, we are kinda like.. who cares yeah? she knows! she finally knows! except harry is still pretty stand-off-ish.... wonder what that's about (insert eye emoji here)

there's more to it obviously, i'm just being funny... but i can give you a two hints on what to be on the lookout for:

the flashbacks.. what happens when you take away the context of someone's love story.. can they still love in the same ways? where does that leave harry? how can he in good conscious give ginny back the worst year of her life? would he ever be that selfish?

the parasite.. where did it come from? how did ginny get it?? why?? what is going on in the wizarding world at the moment that would have anything to do with them???

also just a reminder that we have two very big things coming up... a potential experimental treatment and an anniversary. both of which were very VERY fun chapters to outline and draft. and by fun i mean they made me cry.

thanks so much for the question <333 i adore talking about my fics

[seth-burroughs]

Anyway... headcanon post: Yomi is cognitively impaired. Sources? the depths of my twisted mind ;3

Sometimes has quote unquote good days where his symptoms don't get as severe (or he/others don't think they do), sometimes he gets worse, it varies on the phase on the moon, the earth's axis and the horoscope. (according to Guillaume, it's all because he's a libra) (he attempts to squash her like a bug every time but she's just too fast man.....)

Slow reaction times (although it gets weird sometimes). Sometimes it's delayed by just a second or a few, sometimes for way more which causes problems ranging from mild annoyance to literally almost dying via honda tire. An example of this is when he might walk to a crosswalk, forgets that he actually needs to check if any cars are coming, walks onto traffic, oh look a car. He notices a car car coming, stops, knows he should move out of the way in that scenario, but it just doesn't occur to him to do that, and he just stands there staring almost completely frozen, deer-style, until finally either, A.) he realizes "oh shit I'm about to get ran over so that's what's happening maybe" and fucking bolts to the side at literal last minute, or B.) the driver stops for him and is about to leave the car and scream at him about it, before noticing that's the director and almost shitting themselves from raw fear then profusely apologizing. You know those crosswalks at Kanai Ward, that detect pedestrians and stop oncoming traffic for them? While they were mostly created for the citizens, an also big reason why they were able to exist is because the Yomi Squad funded it so well in order to stop him from killing himself one day. The bicycle paths are still a problem though and have claimed many of his bones to this day

Knows the city pretty well (allegedly), and is able to get around via yomi autopilot. He just walks with zero (or extremely irrelevant) thoughts in his head, not paying attention to almost anything, just getting guided by habit/reflex/walking on the same path so often he just memorizes when to turn or enter while not even having to look where he's going, you get me right? He'll probably be fine. As long as he doesn't snap out of it and regain consciousness. In that case he's reminded he exists, looks around, thinks "where the fuck am I", remembers what he's supposed to do after a moment, but then forgets how he even gets there in the first place and is effectively lost. So what he does is to recount every single detail, instruction and direction in which path he usually takes to get him to a point where he is currently (which might. take a While), and then he finally remembers where he is and can carry on as usual. Do NOT disturb him in this state or he will completely lose his train of thought and get incredibly pissed he has to do it all over and violently take it out on you or perhaps even everyone around too.

^How he deals with the above things is that he simply very, very rarely travels without somebody else, which either Martina or F-Zilch (not counting occassional Cop Entourage as that's a bit different). If they aren't available, he either picks some other (preferably quiet, the chatty types are always the most insufferable) employee of his, or just goes alone or refuses to leave his house at all that day.

Sometimes when someone is speaking to him he can feel that he's not gonna register any word of what they're gonna say and just loses focus. No, he won't ask them to repeat themselves, that's for pussies like Seth, if he didn't hear whatever it is they wanted to tell him then maybe it just isn't that important. Maybe.

Takes an awful long time to shower, as soon as his skin makes contact with water he ceases awareness of existing and he has to wait until he remembers he's alive until he keeps going. (though that isn't the sole reason as to why he cannot do it faster. but it's a part in it)

Tries to make an effort to keep track of important events via lists, reminder notes and planners, or frequently ends up asking his vice director Martina about certain things that happened beforehand (if they did at all) or are about to happen, since he's for sure not gonna remember that himself. Usually, at least. Sometimes he does have his memory down to every detail but only concerning certain things his shit brain cares about more, such as "during that exact time that evening Seth blinked at you rather disrespectfully" or "here's that masked freak's speech to you that morning, perfectly recalled, down to the last detail, for you to dissect and get mad about for the remainder of the week"

All of these annoy, stress out and infuriate him greatly

[gornackeaterofworlds]

💔🎈❗️🥀🍓💋🐞 for my beloved caiji pretty please 🙏

Reblogging ask games when I know I barely developed the characters or plot yet is gonna end me..

💔 (broken heart) - Who has your character hurt most? Physically or emotionally? How did it feel? Do they regret it?

Initially I wanted to say her sister, but I actually think that's untrue depending on your scale of how bad something is. So, my true answer? Her parents. It...well it's hard to place how it felt. Y'know the song from Epic, Monster? Does she regret it? Not in the tiniest little bit. She BRAGS about it. Eventually..

🎈 (balloon) - What does your character do at parties? Are they a wallflower or a party animal? Do they go with friends or alone?

Parties are never to have fun, not for Caiji. They're networking, plotting, scheming events. You find out information and make your next move, you gather things to hang over others. She does drink, though due to her... incredible size a few glasses of wine is the same as water to her. Though she does drag her sister everywhere

❗️(exclamation point) - What was the scariest moment of your character’s life? Does it still affect them?

This is so far in the plot I can't even hint at it. But it's me, ofc I'll hint at it. So I'll take this moment to remind people, for completely unrelated reasons, to glance at the worst content warnings..

🥀 (wilted flower) - How does your character deal with stressful situations? Is their fear response fight, flight, freeze or fawn?

None? Where's the "throw all your values to the wind and strategize the easiest possible way for you to live" response? Taps the Monster from Epic sign

🍓 (strawberry) - Does your oc believe in anything? Are they superstitious? Religious? Atheistic? Has anything in their past made them this way?

Hmm. I actually never thought of this in depth. Yokai understand that magic is its own science, it operates outside of reality and changes it as it pleases. There's no gods, if that's what's implied. But they do worship strong historical figures. Caiji, specifically, has a very complicated relationship with this kind of ideology. She's the daughter of two of the physically strongest and most resourceful and cunning, but has an incredibly strained relationship with the most mystic-inclined individuals. So her views are definitely warped in terms of who she looks up to. And it will be explored, but she also has very little mystic abilities. Her lack of communication with that side of society is part of what got her in this position in the first place.

💋 (kiss) - Is your oc a good kisser? Have they kissed anyone before? Do they even enjoy kissing? What was their first kiss like in comparison to their most recent?

At first, for the longest time, I had the urge to make Caiji very sexually experienced. She's rich, she's hot, she's powerful. But...she's also alone. She doesn't have the time nor vulnerability for that kind of thing, and she's only like 21? She's likely not kissed anyone, no, and her anxiety to do things perfectly and be knowledgeable ahead of time probably makes her a very nervous and awkward kisser. She would enjoy kissing. I won't be showing explicit sex in Butterfly Effect, I'll barely be showing kissing, but multiple characters do smash. And she's one of them

🐞 (ladybug) - What does a perfect day look like for your oc? What do they do? Who do they see?

This is the hardest question. Because it depends on where she's at in her development. Where the comic is now? Being able to sleep and have her family take care of everything for her, as they mostly do now. Having her..rivals dead or obedient. Being given a prophecy of prosperity and peace instead of what's to come

[444lpblue]

The Witch and the Beast #1 - The Witch and the City of Blazing Red

Screenplay: Yuuichirou Momose Storyboard/Episode Direction: Takayuki Hamana Chief Animation Direction: Hiroya Iijima Animation Direction: Kei Tsushima, Yuri Hashimoto, Guonian Wang, Kazuharu Tada, Miyoko Shikibu, Asuna Imahashi, Shinya Segawa (Monster AD: Shouya Gotou) Key Animation: Mana Azumaya, Noa Kawamura, Shigenori Taniguchi, Yoshihito Narimatsu, Yuki Uejou, Hiroyuki Kamura, Mitsuyo Tsuno, Kouichi Hayamizu, Kazunori Ozawa, Shouya Gotou, Yoshiko Nakamura, Studio Maf, Yuka Hayashi, Takuya Nemoto, Maru Animation, Yeong-Nam Ko, Su-Jin Oh

A bit late on this, aren't I? But no matter what, I was going to write about this, and I will write about every episode too – don't worry about it!

If you were in the know how of Yokohama Animation Lab's recent animes, much like me, you were probably very nervous about The Witch and the Beast adaptation. I mean, I made a whole write-up on the outlook, which mostly hinges on director Hamana's consistency in terms of quality and his tendency to bring in specific animators. Well, now that the episode is out, how do I actually feel?

It's… surprisingly very well done. Of course, I'm not saying it's perfect; the biggest issues are likely the limited animation and a bit of off-modelness. But I'm not going to lie, guys. Maybe I am biased because The Witch and the Beast is one of my favorite mangas, but I genuinely had a lot of fun with this debut, and I kind of loved it. It felt like it had the soul of the manga I love despite some production hiccups.

First, let's talk about what you probably felt but haven't been able to confirm. The episode was indeed better than the PV. I got a sense of this as I was watching, and I was really kind of confused about why I didn't feel like the PV looked this good. When I looked back, it was very interesting to see how many differences there were and the improvements that made the shots so much better.

The obvious improvement in the shading of Guideau and Ashaf is apparent, but I also love the addition of the impact gust that they added to Guideau's stomp. Personally, it was something I noticed in the PV as feeling a bit too still. The only effects in the PV were just simple camera shakes, which didn't really sell the impact of her stomp that much at all. Seeing improvements like these from the trailer to the actual episode fills me with a lot of hope for the production. I feel like it shows that, unlike more recent Yokohama productions, they are trying a significant amount more.

If you couldn't already tell from some of the close-ups I've provided in this post, while the on-modelness of some farther away shots can be questioned, the close-ups in this show are absolutely gorgeous. I wasn't super sold on Iijima's character designs initially, but after seeing the improved shading and the various shots they kind of hid from us in the PV, the designs are freaking gorgeous up close. The Witch and the Beast, the manga, has always been a visual spectacle that relied a lot on its art direction, aesthetics, and of course, character designs. While it's nearly impossible for the anime to match it, I think they came very close. The characters' eyes are so pretty; I love the compositing effects they applied to them. It feels like it gives them a lot of depth and kind of like an otherworldly blur, which I think looks great. The features are sharp; they're so pretty. Everyone has their premium eyelash extensions on, and it's just about as aesthetically pleasing to me as the manga. To be honest, it might be my favorite character design for the season.

And since I also briefly mentioned the compositing, I have to apologize to Natsumi Uchida. I specifically pointed her out in my social media rambles as someone who was making me worry a bit. And that mostly stems from her recent effort in The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World, which, to be frank, I thought was terrible. The effects looked cheap, just due to how bright and almost neon at times they are. They don't fit in with their environments; it just wasn't pleasant to look at. However, her work in The Witch and the Beast is so much better. While some effects are somewhat questionable, like the smoke and Ashaf's crow appearing when he was saving Guideau, I would definitely say the compositing was a highlight in this episode. It really puts a stamp on the character designs with the beautiful compositing over them. It makes every scene paired with the art direction feel so dense, like everything is just so in-depth.

The art direction in this show is probably its best visual element. It absolutely shines. I mean, if you had to pick something out from this production as a major highlight, it has to be one of the undeniable biggest pros of the show so far. The series is a dark fantasy, but it's not a dull one. A lot of adaptations, I feel, confuse this with each other a bit. A dark fantasy doesn't have to mean dull colors or a realistic design; after all, The Witch and the Beast is all about its aesthetically gothic yet fantasy appearance that is quite grandiose and beautiful in nature, and the art direction covers that perfectly. So huge credit to the art director, Hirotsugu Kakoi and his crew at Kagoshima Ramecahirim.

One of my biggest worries for the anime adaptation, when I first saw the trailer, was actually, believe it or not, kind of its color palette. I genuinely thought they didn't get a full sense of Satake's style. It felt a bit too plain to me when I always imagined the colors in the world in this series to be very solid and strong, while not bright. I think the series functions on its boldness, and the backgrounds are a perfect example of it. The opening, I think, is a great example of this too, just them surrounded by those buildings in the midst of the night feels almost overwhelmingly dense. It really serves as the main appeal in many of the show's shots and ties everything (the compositing, the character designs, and the aesthetic) all together. The buildings and architectures, a mix of 2D and 3D, blend in so perfectly. You can take so many of those shots and make them your wallpaper; honestly, it's so pretty. It's also not just the buildings; the flowers in the room where Guideau and Ione fight were stunning. I also love the visual of the flowers always fluttering up due to impact; it just created such a magical experience for me. It's such a simple addition, but it was great. That, paired with the great soundtrack which goes from almost Persona-like music to soft notes of somberness that build up to the release of a monster, just all goes together so well.

At the beginning of this write-up, I already noted its production issues in terms of sometimes limited animation and a good bit of off-modelness in farther away shots (which I hope they'll fix in the Blu-Ray). There are many instances of very solid animation, which you can just look up on Sakugabooru if you want an example. I'm very impressed by Hamana's ability to manage this level of quality and a very strong self-identity of the show's visuals.

His direction in this episode, while some people might not like it due to its reminiscent of older styles, is noteworthy. Many of his shots rely on simple zoom-ins and zoom-outs, which I would say was a more common technique around 2008 or so. His way of transitioning is also a lot less focused on smooth transitions than most styles nowadays. For example, in Ghost Hunt, Gungrave, or Library of Bantorra, the flow of the storyboard is much less smooth and flowing than modern ones. Hamana's boards feel much more jumpy, I suppose? There's a larger gap that isn't covered by anything, which seems to have given many reviewers the impression of a slideshow. Personally, I don't mind it too much, as I think he still has some pretty interesting ideas. The transitions to Guideau getting stabbed and then grabbing Ione, I thought were really well done and mesmerizing. All the choices for the fluttering flowers were probably directly from him.

And hey, normally I don't like his openings, but the opening for The Witch and the Beast is badass, and I might write an individual write-up for it this week. However, I would also love to see other storyboarders and episode directors on some episodes to compare, especially for future episodes like for Johan and Phanora. I would love to see somebody like Shinj Itadaki give it a try, who I really hope to see in this series at some point. I think it's very possible due to the fact he's worked with Hamana before, and he's worked with Yokohama Animation Lab before. Much like a lot of the key animators here, he was also on Ancient Magus Bride S2, which, if you guys didn't know for some reason, contains an oddly large amount of staff that Hamana worked with before across the years, and they're also appearing in The Witch and the Beast now.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed the debut, despite its issues. I could ramble about it all day; there are so many things I want to talk about. However, I think it would be best to save that for when we get to future episodes. In this write-up, I've already spent a lot of time discussing more of what I like about the general direction and visual appeal of the series. Hopefully, in future episodes, I will be able to go more in-depth on specific storyboards, direction, and visuals that the upcoming episodes will showcase. I'll see you guys next week for the next episode of The Witch and the Beast.

[swallowerofdharma]

What Guts is for Griffith

a dispassionate analysis written for a better understanding of both characters and of Berserk

Part 5: If you have something to protect, take up that sword

A while ago, after rereading volume 22 and the two chapters about Serpico and Farnese’s backstory, I had to go back to look at the chapters in the Golden Age arc dedicated to Casca. There are many similarities in how those stories are told. And I had to reassess my understanding of the general role of Casca in the story. She is fundamentally a secondary character, regardless of her being on focus in very significant - and unforgettable - moments of Berserk. When she tells her story to Guts - in the cave where they found refuge during the battle against the Blue Whale Knights - she is mostly explaining how she joined the band of the Hawk and how her relationship with Griffith developed from hero worship to genuine care. In the same way, Serpico remembers his story in connection with Farnese. Both Casca and Serpico come to understand some fundamental characteristics, hidden for most other people, about their counterparts, and by telling Guts / the readers they are attracting our attention to Griffith and Farnese’s very complex and contradictory personalities, rather than themselves. Even if Serpico is a good character and has his moments where he takes action, he mostly supports Farnese’s character. In the same way, Casca has almost always been a support in Griffith’s story and she will continue to be so in Guts’s one. Her secondary role is more a choice of effective storytelling than something related to gender, but I understand that the scarcity of female characters, especially in the first part of Berserk, makes her a focal point regardless.

While discussing Charlotte, I was saying how there is a habit of criticizing female characters more harshly. We separate them especially, to look and analyze how they are treated, but in doing so there is the risk of losing sight of the story itself, of its economy. Even as a form of criticism, paying attention to how characters are presented solely or especially based on gender can be deceiving and can weigh more on female or non-binary characters. Casca is very interesting for a lot of reasons. I don’t see her only as an example of the various - often flat - representations of the strong woman, the warrior whose competence, strength and ability are equal or better of those of men. Casca was a twelve year old girl that found herself joining a mercenary band in a situation quite extreme: she says she can’t go back to her village because she killed the nobleman who took her. Her words alone won’t be heard in the face of the death of a higher member of society. And she doesn’t want to be a burden on her family, or go back after her father agreed to sell her to a stranger. Casca’s choice is also tied to the first mesmerizing impression she has of Griffith: “So strange… it was as if the image of some saint adorning the wall of my village church had just come to life. (…) I thought god had taken pity on this miserable, powerless girl and sent an angel”. At the start of Casca Chapter 2, before being woken up by Guts, she is dreaming about that first encounter - the dream is in the chapter title page. In it Griffith is on his horse saying: “Whether you come along or not is your decision. You know how to fight already, don’t you?” And in Casca’s mind the word “But…” is repeated three times. The objection comes from a place inside Casca where she is acknowledging that it wasn’t much of a choice, rather than circumstances. Casca isn’t a soldier because that was her aspiration all along, she takes on the sword and all that comes with it, the threats of violence and certain attitudes of the enemy, the patronizing and the hostility. What should be an empowering choice also exposes her more likely to dangers and humiliation. In Casca’s character too there are complexities and depth, duplicity and contradictions. Meeting Griffith was an opportunity to change not only her circumstances but also the way she looked at the world: “The land was barren, and we couldn’t really grow much besides oats. Even so, we were bled dry by taxes for the war effort. (…) Because the village was near the border, it was often involved in skirmishes. When that happened, all we could do was hide in the mountains and watch silently as our houses and fields were ravaged. It was just like with any other village… We were used to being robbed and walked over. I too thought that such a way of life was just natural”. When she is assaulted by the nobleman, she tries to run, but after being caught and being overpowered, she stops fighting, giving up: “I can’t help it. It’s natural… Those two ideas were always in my heart to help me stay connected to reality”. A reality that she can’t change until being confronted with an alternative to the passive acceptance of a natural way of things: “If you have something to protect take up that sword”.

Fighting to try and oppose this natural order because it is unjust, because there are things worth protecting and fighting for: Griffith is the embodiment of this idea in the Golden Age, before being confronted with the death of a child soldier. There isn’t something intrinsically evil in the decision to fight, but it is a choice that comes with hard consequences: “Everything changed that day. How I thought, how I lived. Everything… From a life I continually endured to a life of fighting to succeed. The paltry dining table by the fire, with my family around became a glorious battlefield adjoined by death and blood. Since that day… the day I met Griffith, I… even now, I feel it’s been one long dream”. There are multiple other instances in Berserk of people referring to the events that surround Griffith as being inside a dream but any dream can shift to become a nightmare. Casca finds herself living the violent life of a man at war while being a woman - “I somehow carved out a life as a soldier” - and she can’t really reconcile that inner-outer duality or the life she lives and the nature of her feelings. That “But…” that repeated in her mind when Griffith asked: “You know how to fight already, don’t you?” - “But… you were the one… who gave me the sword and the blanket”. Casca’s entry to a world of fighting is tied to her feelings for Griffith. Even after she abandons the idolized version of the beginning, she finds even more reasons to tie herself to him: “It’s not that he is strong. Griffith… has to make himself strong. I want to be by his side. If he is going to sacrifice everything for his dream… if his dream is to fight and cut away his own path then I want to be his sword”.

Casca finds some fulfillment not in the opportunity to behave like a man and fight and carve out her own life, but in her feelings and in supporting and caring for another: “Having Griffith trust me deeply made me realize my own worth. I want to be something he can’t do without in achieving his dream”. And that can be seen as a way to live a life less authentic, or dependent on another, but as the story of Berserk evolved, deeper value is given to the love and care for others, to compassion and supporting other people. It doesn’t really matter who takes the role of caring for others, men, women, all people are called to answer for those shared human needs. And, in this particular moment of the story, Casca is acknowledging something that Guts doesn’t fully understand: “Griffith relies on you, you know? And yet you are selfish, you just run off, not thinking of consequences…” The emotional outburst, the other things that Casca is saying and not saying, the mixed accusations and her jealousy and resentment are meddling with the urgency of those words. They impact on Guts like on a wall, what was important to take away gets lost: from now on Guts will rather try to get Casca closer to Griffith, to make Griffith notice her instead of understanding the importance of his own place beside Griffith. Guts’s mind is already occupied by what he took away from overhearing Griffith’s speech to Charlotte about friends and equals. His perception of being unworthy, or having to achieve a dream of his own are already taking him further away from the role of being the person who Griffith can rely on. On one hand, Guts is thinking in those traditional terms of being men, of accomplishing something to be seen as valuable rather than offering emotional support and affection, but, on the other hand, he is affected by a sense of inadequacy and inferiority, having understood that Casca too has found her own dream and bigger purpose: “Compared to what you’re doing… me fighting with a hundred men doesn’t really matter”.

Even when Casca shares with Guts details about Griffith’s personal struggles and his most private and vulnerable side, he chooses to believe that after all Casca is the one more suited to stay at Griffith’s side and starts to care for her, reinforcing her motivations for surviving the fight against the Blue Whale Knights that tracked them down. He will defend her, covering for her and convincing her to flee: “…This right by you? Dying in a place like this? Here, this worthless place. Is this where it ends for you? Is what you want that cheap? A sword returns to the sheath, right? Go back. Go to your sword master… Go to Griffith”.

More about Guts, Casca and Griffith on a later date. There is so much to say, these posts are going to be long and I am trying to be brief…