#did you know that sometimes super flawed characters with bad ideals can be good food too?

[one-winged-dreams]

Every time someone criticizes Angeal saying "What, so we're supposed to think he's a good person?" it takes 5 minutes off my life from rage alone.

[stargazer-balladeer]

Comforting S/O [Pokémon Sword & Shield]

Characters Included: Bede, Hop, Leon & Raihan

Notes: I know I should be doing requests but I’ve been wanting to do a Pokemon hc for awhile now (im also waiting for someone to request something for pokemon but sadly, no one did 😔🥺 please send requests for pokemon). Hope you’ll enjoy it! (Sorry if some of them are OOC)

Reader’s Gender: Neutral

Warnings: none (minor spoilers if you don’t know of the storyline of the game)

Bede

— When you start to cry, Bede would panic. Regardless if he knows the reason or not, he’ll still panic. Even though you two are together for a long time now, he still panics whenever he sees you starting to sob.

— His heart will shatter when he hears you hiccuping in your cries as he awkwardly pulls you into a (awkward) hug. He tries his best, but he isn’t good at comforting. So he’ll just hold you until you calm down.

— He doesn’t mind you staining his jacket (or gym shirt), all he cares about is whether you’re okay or not. Bede would definitely ask what’s wrong, but if you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine for him. Just expect Bede to be more cautious and observant of you.

— If your reason is someone bullying you— “what’s their name? where do they live? where are they now?—“ yeah, he’ll make sure that person will pay for making you cry. It’s bad enough that he was rude to you back then. If your reason is because of him, he’ll be surprised and hurt. He knows he isn’t the best and perfect guy, but now he felt like the most cruel guy in the world for making you cry. Bede would definitely try to remember what he did to make you cry.

— However, if your reason is stress about Pokémon battles, gym, etc. Bede would understand since being a Champion is hard and stressful, being in the media’s eyes constantly. Bede couldn’t do much since he’s only a Gym Leader in training.

— Bede would drag you to either your homes (but preferably his), and force you to sit down on the couch and rest. He’ll go to the kitchen to prepare some food as he instructs you to put on a movie. Once he’s finished, he’ll go back to the living room with food at hand. From there, you two will have a unplanned movie night.

— Bede might not be the most preferred guy to go to for comfort, but he tries his best. It isn’t his fault that his parents abandoned him, making him an orphan, and raised without love and warmth. He only experienced it with you, and continue experiencing it for the rest of his life. So please don’t hold it against him for being this way ;-;

Hop

— When you start to cry, Hop’s first instinct is to pull you close and “shh” you in a comforting way. He rubs his hands on your shoulders as he lets you cry on either his shoulder or chest. For some reason, he knows how to comfort other people, unlike Bede. Probably seen it with how their mother comfort Leon when he lost for the first time.

— Hop’s heart will break when tears started cascading down your cheeks. He hates seeing you cry. He wants you to always be happy, but he knew that seeing you cry is actually important. Since he knew that crying is normal and seeing his s/o cry means you trust him.

— Hop wouldn’t immediately ask what’s wrong. He’ll let a couple of minutes or an hour to pass before asking, making sure you’re already calmed down. He just wants to find out what’s wrong so that he can see that smile of yours that he loves so much.

— If the reason why you’re crying is someone making fun of you, he’ll not say anything at first. But he’ll definitely ask for their name, he wants to know why they decided to pick on his girlfriend and the Champion of Galar. If the reason is him, he’ll be confused and might panic. Did he do something that must’ve upset you?! Oh Arceus, did he?! (The second reason doesn’t come up too often, mostly comes up during fights, though they are rare).

— However, if the reason is stress, Hop definitely understands the stress. He’s already stressed trying to become the next Professor in the lab, if being a Professor is hard, what of being the Champion of the WHOLE Galar Region? That must’ve been so stressful. Hop has mutual respect for you for being so strong under so much peer pressure.

— Hop would probably drag you to his room, where you two can cuddle while laying down. He’ll be the big spoon as he hugs you close to his chest. Hop would remain quiet if you don’t want to talk. The thing with Hop, he knows when to be energetic and when to unwind.

— Hop is much more of an ideal guy to go to for comforting than Bede, but he also has flaws. He sometimes can’t see that you’re already crying due to him being busy studying to become a Professor. He might start to neglect you. Hop is super apologetic if ever this happens. Having raised by a Champion brother and a loving mother, he has love to spare to you. He loves to spoil you very much and constantly showers you with affection.

Leon

— When you start to cry, Leon panic but he manage to regain his composure by bringing you to a hug. If he has his cloak, he might cover you by using it as a shield so that no one can see you crying.

— Leon can feel his heart throbbing in pain as you sob in his chest. He immediately wants to know what happened and why are you crying, but he knew better than to ask you right now. Not when you’re still crying your eyes out.

— After crying in his chest for an hour, you finally calmed down. Leon made sure you’ve calmed down. He made you sit on a nearby bench, or lean on a tree, and made you drink water from the bottle he carries always (his mother always made him bring it. in this exact moments, leon is grateful for his mother’s persistence). After all that, Leon will ask all the questions in his head. He doesn’t expect an answer right away but he wants to have an idea on what happened.

— If your reason is someone saying bad things about you, Leon’s face turned into furious then to solemn. As much as Leon wants to beat the crap out of that person, he can’t. Because it’ll affect the reputation that the League has. He’ll just say, “don’t mind them, okay? their opinions don’t matter.” If your reason is because of him, he’ll be so confused like “huh?” “did i do something wrong?” He’s just a confused, lost puppy right then and there.

— If your reason is because of stress, ohhh, Leon can relate to you. He’s been there before, being the previous Unbeatable Champion of Galar Region. He knew the stress of your peers, the challenges, the paperworks and all sorts. He can actually help you! He can help organize your chaotic schedule and stuff like that.

— Leon’s way of comforting is dragging you to your shared house and just pamper you. He’ll cook you a decently-cooked meal (that was, miraculously, not burned). Massage your body, because I can see him being good at massages. And just basically pamper you like royalty.

— Leon is an ideal guy to go to for comfort. He’s basically a huge living teddy bear that you can rely on and cry on. His arms always feels the safest, no matter what.

Raihan

— When you start to cry, Raihan blinks, his mind not processing before panicking. He’ll quickly rush to you and holds your face in his hands and make you look into his eyes while asking “baby! are you okay?! what happened?!” Which results in you crying much more.

— Raihan had the “oh shit” face on when he realized his mistake and immediately engulf you into a hug. Since his tall as hell, he can pick you up easily by grabbing your thighs and wrapping it around his waist. His heart is already cracking by your cries alone.

— Even though Raihan wants to know immediately why you’re crying, he’ll remain silent. He might not be the best at comforting people, like Bede, but he knows when to speak and not to speak. He’ll let you cry into his chest or shoulder until you can’t anymore.

— After that, he’ll coo at you. Saying things like, “alright, who made my baby cry?” And “tell me their name and i’ll beat them up for you.” This was honestly meant to be a joke but Raihan can make it literally happen..

— If your reason is someone telling you to break up with the Dragon-type Gym Leader, then he’ll be furious. He told his fans that you were his mate and he will not allow them to pick on you. The one thing he asked for his fans, and they broke it. You’ve never seen him so furious before.. If your reason is him though, he’ll have a mixed reaction. Surprised, guilt and confuse. Like “huh?? wut? me??”

— If your reason is stress, Raihan nods in agreement. He already faced through stress when he became a Gym Leader. He might not know what kind of stress the Champion Title brings but he knows its a lot of work. He’ll tell you that stress is normal, just come to him and you’ll be alright.

— Raihan would drag you to a field and lay there. If its night time, then you two can go stargazing. If its day time or noon, you two can go cloud gazing. Anything’s fine with Raihan as long as you’re having fun, then he’s having fun as well. He wishes that your sadness will falter whenever you are with him. Because that’s how he feels for you, he can feel like the thousands of weighs being gone when he sees you. He’s forever grateful for you.

— Raihan likes adventures so much, but he can also use a break. So when you came to the picture, he can finally unwind. He wants you to do the same. You shouldn’t be focused solely on your work and ambition, you should take some time for yourself and your love ones. Raihan might not also be the ideal guy of comforting but his presence alone can calm you down :)

[x] Main Page || [x] Pokemon Sw&Sh Page

[hopethedork]

Hey remember me? The one who asks you to do all of the asks in an ask me? Can you do thay for emoji asks?😂

How could I forget you?! 💛💛 And oh my gosh, there were so many so sorry it took awhile- but I did it!

🐰 what is one secret that you’ve never told anyone?

 I don’t think I have a secret I haven’t told anyone? I have webbed toes though so I guess that’s pretty weird lol 

💗 if you could hug anyone, who would it be?

My dog ;-; 

🐹 what are some of your favourite Pokémon and why?

Charmander and Aerodactyl! Charmander is a cutie and Aerodactyl is just super cool, I also really like Eevees.

👀 what was the most recent vivid dream that you had?

I think I was eating yogurt? with strawberries?? I have no explanation  

☀️ what do you like the most about your best friend?

We go months without seeing or talking to each other (long distance) but once we’re together nothing at all has changed~

💁 if someone was rude to you, would you be rude back?

nahhhh

🌟 what do you like about yourself? (must choose at least 3 things!)

I… am good with dogs? I like that I can set my mind to something and that I enjoy making things as well.

🐾 what are you scared of most? how will you overcome it?

regretting the choices I make= overthinking  E V E R Y T H I N G

🎁 what never fails to make you happy?

mint chip ice cream

💙 what annoys you about some people?

the inability to empathize with others

😤 do you get angry easily?

under the right circumstances

🐇 what do you always daydream about?

stories I want to write! 

🌻 if you could change 3 things about the world what would you change? 

I honestly wouldn’t know where to start ._. 

✈️ what is your dream city and why?

I really love Tokyo. My favorite thing about it is that there are still large trees and shrines everywhere despite the fact it’s one of the world’s major cities. NYC is a close runner up though- I think I mostly enjoy places where you can still see some of the history through the city itself.

☕️ talk about your ideal day

I’d like to eat breakfast and go on a walk with my doggo, then I’d work/run any errands, then spend time with people I care about ^,^

🌸 are you an introvert, ambivert or extrovert?

oh boy I’m definitely ambiverted

💧 when was the last time you cried?

like an hour ago rip .-. 

🎵 name 5 songs you love at the moment

1. “Even For You” from Infinity War, oh man…

2. “Beautiful World” from Evangelion 2.0

3. “Breaking of the Fellowship” from FOTR

4. “He Mele No Lilo” from Lilo and Stitch

5. “Alive” by Phil Lober

⚡️ if you had any superpower, what would it be and why?

I’d either want to be a shapeshifter because that’s amazing or be something like the Avatar and control air and fire C:

💛 if you could talk to your younger self, what would you say?

keep movin’ forward

💚 who are you jealous of and why?

I’m not sure that jealousy is the right word… but I had a lot of trouble recently with people who went to the same school that I did and could without having to work or take out any loans to do so. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it was really frustrating for me because I wasn’t able to focus on school alone as they could.

💎 which one would you rather have more of: intelligence, beauty, kindness, wealth or bravery? why?

Each I feel has a major flaw- but I’d choose intelligence because with it you can achieve the others.

🙊 what are you ashamed of?

I mean… a lot 🙃

🌺 which languages do you know? which do you want to learn?

I only know English which is SO frustrating to me ToT I’ve tried now to learn both Spanish and Japanese, but I have a loooooot of trouble and didn’t even pass my last language class ;^;

🍀 if you could be any fictional character’s best friend/lover, which fictional character would you be?

I’m actually shocked that I’ve never put any real thought into this before??? I’m torn between A BUNCH tbh but if I really had to pick I love Peter Quill in MCU.

💜 which acts of kindness are you going to do today? 

I SHALL SMILE AT STRANGERS IN A NON-CREEPY FASHION

🐬 if you could transform into any animal/magical creature, what would you be and why?

DRAGONNN

dragons are cool

🍄 talk about someone/something you really dislike

AHA no 

😣 talk about some things that have been making you depressed/angry/anxious lately

WHERE AM I GONNA LIVE

🍪 what did you want to be as a kid, and what do you want to be now?

I wanted to be a dog 😂 

I still wouldn’t mind being a dog

🍰 what are some of your favourite sugary foods?

ALL OF THEM

🍑 what are you obsessed with?

I don’t really think… anything?

💘 what happens to you when you’re stressed?

I usually go into this weird survival mode where I won’t stop until everything I need to do is done. On rarer occasions I’ll do nothing at all and stress myself out more 😂 

I wouldn’t recommend either

🙀 are you an adrenaline seeker?

I don’t usually seek it out, but I definitely have a blast once I’m in that kind of a situation!

💥 what are some unpopular opinions that you have?

I hate avocados

☔️ would you consider yourself a good person?

I try to be

😊 what do you like to do as hobbies?

Aside from cosplay I also love drawing, writing, and hiking/exploring. I also used to be superrr active and played volleyball and water polo and did rock bouldering until I got injured and couldn’t anymore.

🎤 what’s the last song you hummed or sang by yourself?

“The Calendar” by P!atd

🐝 what’s your worst trait? how are you planning to improve it?

I get very very anxious, and most of the time it’s for no reason 

🎨 what do you always doodle when you’re bored?

usually eyes!

🐻 what’s stopping you from chasing your dreams?

I think I’m just trying to figure out what they are still 😅

👑 who are your favourite celebrities and why? 

A majority of the Marvel/Avengers cast. I admire a lot of them for different charity work that they do and I think it’s amazing whenever they visit children’s hospitals costumed and in character. It really hits home aha. 

🍋 do you consider yourself an emotional person?

yes lol

📚 share 3 books that you love and your favourite quote from them.

Lord of the Rings (Tolkien)- “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” & “There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.”

Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)- “Stuff your eyes with wonder. Live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world, it’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.”

My third book is “Petey” by Ben Mikaelson but I can’t remember any quotes because it’s been years since I’ve read it ToT 

😔 what do you always do when you feel sad? does it help?

I try to relax or reach out to friends to spend time with, it usually helps just depending on the situation~

😌 what thoughts keep you going when you’re sad?

It’s weird, but a special I watched on Animal Planet yearssss ago said that if sharks don’t keep swimming that they can’t breathe and will actually drown .-. So I tell myself to move forward and keep doing things because that’s the way to get through tough spots!

🌍 which country do you live in?

le U.S.

🐧 describe yourself in 3 words

 Tall, Weird, & Clumsy

🐵 which quotes changed you?

“It is what you do with failure that ultimately determines your future” 

💭 do you keep a diary?

not a diary in the traditional sense, but I try to write sometimes to keep track of my thoughts.

💫 who inspires you?

Stephen Hawking, Tolkien, Dwayne Johnson 

👻 do you believe in ghosts and why?

Weird experiences definitely lead you to believe in something of the sort!

🎀 what’s your fashion sense like?

shorts in winter and pants in summer AKA bad choices

🎬 what are some of your favourite films?

Big Fish, Fellowship of the Ring, The Winter Soldier

🍦 what is one treasured childhood memory?

My mom and sister took me to a really cool coffee shop for like my 11th birthday, it was one of those nice occasions where a bad day becomes good ^,^

🐼 if you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?

J.R.R. Tolkien for very, very obvious reasons~

[judasbeast]

ALL OF THEM FOR DANDY

I GOTCHU

1. Does your character have siblings orfamily members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

For Newsies 1992 (and even Broadway), Mush is supposedto be her fraternal twin. They’re super close even before they find out, he adores his sister.

2. What is/was your character’srelationship with their mother like?

Dandy doesn’t really remember hermom. She has only seen the pictures that her dad carried.

3. What is/was your character’srelationship with their father like?

She adored her dad before he died.He raised her to be tough and caring for others.

4.Has your character ever witnessedsomething that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

I feel like the strike really wouldhave changed her. It would make her work a little harder to keep things runningwhere she is.

5.On an average day, what can be foundin your character’s pockets?

A few pennies, a small, wornhandkerchief her dad carried, and a pocket knife.

6. Does your character have recurringthemes in their dreams?

No, not really. She’s always tootired to dream.

7.Does your character have recurringthemes in their nightmares?

Usually if she ever has a nightmare,it’s about the people she takes care of dying or something bad happening tothem.

8.Has your character ever fired a gun?If so, what was their first target?

Dandy stays away from guns, theymake her nervous.

9.  Is your character’s currentsocioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

It’s honestly a little worse. Newsiesdon’t make that much, when her dad was alive he made a bit more at factories.

10. Does your character feel morecomfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

More comfortable with more clothes,her jacket is one of her most prized possessions.

11. In what situation was your characterthe most afraid they’ve ever been?

When the strike was falling apartliterally before her eyes.It made her feel angry and sick.

12. In what situation was your characterthe most calm they’ve ever been?

When she knows her people are takencare of.

13.  Is your character bothered by thesight of blood? If so, in what way?

No not really. She’s seen worse

14.Does your character remember namesor faces easier?

Dandy’s very good at remembering faces.

15. Is your character preoccupied withmoney or material possession? Why or why not?

Yes and no, preoccupied because it’sher responsibility to help her borough have enough money and food, so she doesn’treally have a choice but to be preoccupied.

16. Which does your character idealizemost: happiness or success?

Happiness, it’s important for her tobe content before she can be successful.

17. What was your character’s favoritetoy as a child?

She had a toy drum her dad made whenshe was little.

18. Is your character more likely toadmire wisdom, or ambition in others?

She probably admire both equally,probably wisdom a bit more so.

19. What is your character’s biggestrelationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

She can sometimes loose her temperand it’s…. not cute. Prior to the strike, she’s never had a steady, realrelationship (@starchaser-the-prophet *nudge nudge*)

20. In what ways does your charactercompare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation,or self-criticism?

Dandy is quick to put herself down,she compares herself in that other places have lodging houses and all theBowery has is an alley. She hates that she can’t do more like other boroughleaders can.

21.If something tragic or negativehappens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it,or are they quick to blame others?

Depends on the situation.

22. What does your character like inother people?

She likes honest people. It’s thetrait she values most, even if the truth is awful.

23. What does your character dislike inother people?

Anyone who lies, and anyone wholooks down on poor people.

24. How quick is your character to trustsomeone else?

It takes her a while to warm up topeople. She’s often skeptical of intentions.

25. How quick is your character tosuspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

If she’s close to someone, she mightturn a blind eye because she doesn’t want to believe bad things of people shecares about. Strangers are a different story.

26. How does your character behavearound children?

She’s very responsible aroundchildren, a bit of a mother bear.

27. How does your character normallydeal with confrontation?

Dandy isn’t scared of confrontation atall, she will gladly speak her mind.

28.How quick or slow is your characterto resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

It’s not her most admirable quality but she’s always ready to use fists to solve her problems.

29.What did your character dream ofbeing or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

She wanted to be a part of the growing movie industry when she was little; and no. It’s still kind of a fleeting dream to her.

30.What does your character findrepulsive or disgusting?

It’s very hard to disgust her. She’sused to smells and sights that would disgust most.

31. Describe a scenario in which yourcharacter feels most comfortable.

Sitting around with her friends after a long day.

32. Describe a scenario in which yourcharacter feels most uncomfortable.

Someone flirting with her, it’s avery foreign thing to her.

33. In the face of criticism, is yourcharacter defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

She can get very defensive until shecan calm down and be in a better state of mind to listen.

34. Is your character more likely tokeep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediatelymove on to a different solution/method?

She’s usually willing to try newsolutions if one doesn’t work, she will exhaust every option before she givesup.

35. How does your character behavearound people they like?

She smiles and jokes around a lot,she’ll roughhouse with her friends. Dandy is protective and warm to people shelikes.

36. How does your character behavearound people they dislike?

She won’t speak to you if she doesn’tlike you. If she REALLY doesn’t like you, you don’t exist to her.

37. Is your character more concernedwith defending their honor, or protecting their status?

Defending her honor. It’s one of thefew things she owns.

38. Is your character more likely toremove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

Remove a problem/threat. Dandy is atake action kind of person.

39. Has your character ever been bittenby an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

No, she hasn’t.

40. How does your character treat peoplein service jobs?

Considering she has a service jobherself, she always treats fellow workers with every bit of respect she can.

41. Does your character feel that theydeserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do theyfeel they must earn it first?

·She works hard for what she has, soshe definitely feels like she deserves it.

42. Has your character ever had aparental figure who was not related to them?

You could probably put Medda in thatcategory.

43.Has your character ever had adependent figure who was not related to them?

Definitely, the Bowery newsiesdepend on her in order to function.

44.How easy or difficult is it for yourcharacter to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

Dandy doesn’t say “I love you” whenshe doesn’t mean it. It’s definitely hard for her, a lot of people don’t get into hersmall inner circle; so if she tells you she loves you, she means it.

45.What does your character believewill happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

She wants to believe that heaven or a place like itexists, but it’s hard for her to keep up that belief. So she doesn’t reallyknow what happens, and it makes her a little scared.

[druidcandy]

I’m taking a break from drawing to type, because I guess I hate my hands???

Whatever I’m done with the bullshit time for other bullshit

Here’s a bunch of worldbuilding questions that I’m answering for Clark Monroe, private detective and accidental blood mage

Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with? Clark has his older brother Brandon, and his younger siblings Julie and Charlie. Clark is closest with Charlie because A) He still lives in Leviathan so they get to hang out a lot and B) Brandon’s over-competitiveness and Julie’s brattiness (which she’s grown out of) kept Charlie from hanging out with his siblings except his very chill second oldest sibling.

What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like? A little bit of that new england bostonian kind of “oh, ma” kind of thing. He’s a little exasperated at her a lot because she still tends to treat her kids like they’re kids, but he knows she means her best and is looking out for them still.

What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like? Kind of respectful, but lightly distant. Clark definitely gained his love of noir movies from his dad, but neither of them are particularly great communicators. That said, when Clark suddenly quit his job on the force (due to a very messy divorce), he was ready and able to quickly secure him a job as a landlord (that kind of fell off with time) and he helped get a private detective office.

Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know? One time he shot a man in self defense and gained magic powers Less of a sudden change in self and more a massive realization of something that’s been happening his entire life, but yes. It takes place a fair amount of the way within his story so I don’t want to out and out say it, but Charlie is the first to know and keeps it secret until Clark tells the rest of his friends/family.

On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets? Phone, wallet, several kinds of keys and keyrings, and a small notepad + pen.

Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams? Sometimes he dreams about the lives of the people who were sacrificed in the ritual he accidentally finished. Usually once he realizes it, it turns into a mishmash of their lives, his, and various experiences and memories mixing themselves together.

Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares? Sometimes he also dreams about their deaths too.

Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target? He was a cop, so yes. His mom kept him from even getting near a gun until high school, where he started practicing on a shooting range with nothing larger than a pistol.

Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up? He’s a little more broke than he was before, but considering he’s still got a hell of a lot of job and financial security he’s still pretty well off. Not suburban castle rich like Brandon, but doing pretty well.

Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing? Clark will go to a beach in a tshirt, maybe a very conservative chopped tshirt bro tank if he’s gonna be somewhere really hot. He’s really uncomfortable with his shirt off in front of other people and he doesn’t really know why.

In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been? I said it earlier as a joke, but literally singlehandedly stumbling your way into an occult ritual and having to shoot a crazy dude in self defense while lights swarm around him, leading said lights to swarm around you and lift you into the air before turning your gun into gold and sending out a shockwave that breaks windows before it all goes into your body is super terrifying when you have 0 context for the supernatrual and suddenly it’s all happening to you.

In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been? The week after his honeymoon. No more upcoming events, no deadlines, no nothing but a break from work and relaxing with his wife.

Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way? It makes him nervous about where the blood came from and he thinks it’s gross to touch, but otherwise he’s completely fine.

Does your character remember names or faces easier? Faces, but he has a fantastic memory either way.

Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not? No, because he’s managed to get himself into positions where he doesn’t really need a lot of capital or physical items for his job. He likes jewelry and jewelry making, and starts to take that interest from “quiet shame” to “thing I enjoy” when he learns he’s good at enchantment spells, but it’s more for utility than aesthetics and he’ll gladly enchant something ugly/cheap if it has a strong enough emotional connection to the person (because that usually makes the spell way stronger).

Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success? In his mind they’re interchangable. He likes doing a good job at things. At the end of the day though he’s more into happiness.

What was your character’s favorite toy as a child? He was really into batman and had some cool action figures. Brandon calls him “boy wonder” sometimes still.

Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others? Wisdom. He’s seen too many movies where the ambition of man leads to hubris and a downfall.

What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before? He’s a doormat who will take a lot of nonsense from people he’s seeing until it all boils over at once, and tends to not start arguments but definitely continue them. He’s also overly negative/critical at times. This lead to an incredibly messy divorce that lead him to resign from the force (since his ex worked with him) and kind of distance himself from most of his friends.

In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism? He mostly compares himself on a professional level to criticize himself, although there are moments where he mentally goes “I’m a tall sack of crap in a crappy trenchcoat and this person looks astounding”.

If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others? He usually thinks “this is just a thing that happens”, but most of the time if he’s blaming things he’s blaming himself.

What does your character like in other people? He likes honesty and straightforwardness, along with the ability to have fun with themselves.

What does your character dislike in other people? Coldness and callousness. He likes people who are honest, but you can only take it too far before being an asshole at heart.

How quick is your character to trust someone else? Depends on what they need to be trusted in and what they do. Clark believes actions are louder than words, and some of his actions are 

How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person? If there’s reason to investigate, there’s reason to investigate. That said, if he knows the person, he often goes to them first to try and get the story of what’s happening before getting them in real trouble.

How does your character behave around children? Cool uncle. But like, a chill cool uncle. Benji, one of his nephews, has literally ran away to end up at his house after getting in a fight with his parents before.

How does your character normally deal with confrontation? He tries to be a calming and defusing presence, but is quick to action if he thinks someone could get hurt.

How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation? Quick if they’re hurting something or doing something that could hurt others, slow otherwise.

What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true? Clark basically always thought detectives were cool. He got real interested in cooking in high school, but by then it was too little too late.

What does your character find repulsive or disgusting? Gross food, unclean kitchens, and slutwear in public. Satur, an incubus who’s bonded to his freeloading roommate, typically is responsible for two of these at all times.

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable. Watching Casablanca for the millionth time and eating good food.

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable. Having to introduce his real life friends to magical elements, especially if they have a fear of what he’s introducing.

In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve? Defensive, but he won’t say anything about it out loud. He’ll usually get mad quietly, and rant about it later. He takes criticism better if someone means well by it.

Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method? If it’s meant to work in that situation (whether or not it still does), he’ll try over and over before finally moving on. If it’s just a guess or an idea, he’ll just as quickly jump ship onto something that will possibly work.

How does your character behave around people they like? He is the unfortunate but necessary Dad Friend. But like, a cool dad. He tends to get worried for other’s safety easily and he’s always willing to lend a hand or an ear to people.

How does your character behave around people they dislike? He’s somewhat unsubtle in his contempt of people he dislikes, but tends to avoid rather than cause a scene if they share mutual friends or it’d be a bad time to get in a fight.

Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status? Honor. Clark doesn’t really care about his position in life, but likes to think of himself as a good person and secretly tries styling himself after a noir hero.

Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat? He is more likely to remove the threat than remove himself, if it’ll help other people.

Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)? Got bit by a class rabbit once. Ever since, he’s been nervous around animals (which is why he prefers living in a city).

How does your character treat people in service jobs? He’s polite, tips well, and is generally understanding about stuff, but he’s the kind of person who will pull out case notes and sit for hours looking over his work without actually ordering anything.

Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first? Clark usually feels like he needs to earn things, but he still gets frustrated when he doesn’t get them right away.

Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them? He’s had role models, but never a parental figure other than his own.

Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them? He’s had a freeloader (who became a capable adult with the help of an incubus), a “son” (not flesh and blood but made of magic), and someone else’s kid after they disappeared suddenly.

How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it? The other person has to say it first usually, and he usually doesn’t say it unless he’s in a setting where it’s just him and the other person. He’s not a big fan of vulnerability in front of more than one person. He can’t say it without meaning it, too.

What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them? The thing that scares him is most blood mages just get really good at not dying. He’s scared he won’t, anymore.

[agent-kentauris]

Did one of those character development ask things for Michael, and boy was that difficult. I think I have a lot more to do to make him a better character, but I’m working on it. Anyways, thought I would post this. Be warned: it’s long.

questions source

Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

No siblings!

What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

One of love and trust, though he often chaffed at his mother’s reluctance to set any sort of disciplined boundaries. More of a throw seven dozen activities at you and see which one sticks kind of approach. Which when things got tangly would just lead to him sitting around refusing to do anything, and her ramping up the activities. Mom does not sign the report cards. Very perceptive when it comes to her son, but more of an Intelligence skill check than a Wisdom one. Has lots of parenting books, and when she got really mad, those came out. Does have lines in the sand – no swearing, he’d better practice French, you don’t have to like family time but you will be there, extracurriculars, chores, college.

What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

Dad was the discipline parent, so even though he’s happier with structure, this one was slightly more turbulent. If people were verballing duking it out, it was them. Which, because his dad believed firmly in respect your parents, often got Mikey in trouble. Dad was less line in the sand, more quicksand patches you could get over if you were careful. Which Mikey quickly learned, like most kids, how to exploit. Dad’s order and discipline tempered by him actually being a softie, has to work hard behind the scenes to not overindulge Mikey. This occasionally led to him being a bit too hard on the poor kid. He would really get behind ron swanon’s don’t half ass two things, whole ass one thing mentality, but he tends to let Mom take the reigns on Michael’s school and extracurricular schedule. A good deal in part because he does not look forward to fights with her about that topic. He usually loses, even when he wins. Wisdom over intelligence. Michael comes to him before his mother with questions about friends and later on, coworkers, because he’s got good instincts about people. He was strongly, vocally, politically opposed to Michael’s career choices, and after the incident during mikey’s first internship, wanted to try and ban him from going for it again, but cooler heads – read: mom – prevailed. Still, he ended up proud of what Michael was (trying) to do. What of it he was told, at any rate.

Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

Walked in on his dad trying to hold his mother and stop her from shaking during the aftermath of 9/11. They’d done their best to focus on the positives happening and conceal from him just how unsettled and frightened they’d been by the actions of some of their neighbors. Start of what later developed into his interest in current career. They didn’t know he saw it, and he never told them.

Mina’s larger mission

Events in Alpha Protocol I can’t talk about because I haven’t written them yet, but I promise I know what they are.

On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

Well, if this was just an average day off work, usually only a wallet, phone, and keys. Sometimes loose change and receipts he didn’t bother to put back in his wallet.

Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

He’s not particularly good at remembering dreams

Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

Getting lost

Misremembered memories

Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

HHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAyes.

If you mean ever, a small squirrel. His dad tried to take him hunting, though he wasn’t particularly fond of it.

If you mean person, that would be Unnamed Dude Number 5 during the internship incident. He missed, though, so there’s that.

Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

Different, but not noticeably much one way or the other. His parents ran a business, and it did okay. Seemings as the CIA website will just flat out tell you any fact you might wish to know, the internet informs me that he’ll still be okay. The boy ain’t never been super broke, is the point, and I doubt he’s ever going to be super rich.

Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

That depends. If he’s talking to other people, he likes to be in something, not that he ever seems to care what it looks like (glares). But like a lot of people, home is a different matter.

In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

Dad calling him in the middle of class saying his mother was in the hospital, car crash and they didn’t know if she was going to make, and that he sent him a plane ticket and that he needed to get home right now

Parts of Alpha Protocol that haven’t happened

In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?

Parts of Alpha Protocol that haven’t happened

Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

Not really, no. Except that it signifies someone’s got an injury that needs to be taken care of.

Does your character remember names or faces easier?

Faces. Canonically.

Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?

Not really, though if I had to say one or the other it would be material possessions. His ambitions lie elsewhere and neither money nor material possessions have ever helped. Plus, his family and friends never did, and he never really absolutely needed either.

Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

Success

What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

As a child child, blocks and Spirograph

Magnets

Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

Wisdom, by several factors

What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

Interwoven manipulation and self-justification of said manipulativeness

Oh yes it has. A fairly serious romantic relationship, in fact

In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

Objectively, based on the results of other’s missions and stats and so on, for the purpose of (usually positive) self-criticism.

If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

That depends on when we are. At the start of Alpha Protocol, I’d say he’s more inclined to first think he was responsible, and then check if it’s true and if not, then, who? By the end, he probably internally believes he’s caused/deserved it, even if it isn’t true, while externally blaming others and trying hard to believe that. He’s a pretty fair person, though.

What does your character like in other people?

Empathy for those around them

Straightforwardness

Durability

What does your character dislike in other people?

Self-serving ambition

Indecisiveness

Inconsistency

How quick is your character to trust someone else?

Too damn fast. Especially for a spy.

How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

Naturally, too fucking slow. With training, tolerable fast. After Alpha Protocol, that’s going to depend on how bad things end up getting. Does this change if he is close with that person? Of course, he gets like five times slower. Stop trusting people. It’s annoying.

How does your character behave around children?

He likes them, but he tends to treat them like children, which, what kid has ever liked that? The depths of hell to which children will stoop constantly surprises him, no matter how many times he’s seen or remembers evidence of it.

How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

Resorts to training, and responses vary wildly depending on the situation and the desired outcome.

When not in the field, he tends to avoid unnecessary confrontations. If it’s inevitable, whichever way is the least likely to draw attention, be it the quickest or the get someone else in trouble-y-est or so on. If there’s already a spotlight, and there absolutely no way out has to has to be a confrontation, then whatever’s quickest or whatever’s going to get him back to one of the first two ifs as soon as possible.

How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

He’ll do it if it’s the fastest method to end the confrontation. If he’s really, really mad, then a hell of a lot quicker. In fact, if you seriously piss him off bad enough, which is pretty hard to do, its going to be a question of how serious the damage is, not how fast he decides to cause it.

What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

He wanted to be a travel writer

I suppose in a highly technical sense he both travels and writes, so…

What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

Henry Leland

I’m sorry. That was automatic

Queen ants, artichokes, bananas

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

Falling asleep in the back of a staff lounge with a container of crappy takeout food next to him on the table and a stack of finished paperwork that just needs to be read over one more time sometime in the next day before receiving a new assignment and people in the front talking quietly over the (positive) news report they’re watching

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

When he knows something is very wrong but he simply cannot figure out what or why

For example, if someone who never uses capital letters texts him and adds a capital I, maybe, or capitalizes the first word in a sentence. Is it a message? An accident? Is something wrong? Double worse if he’s by himself and can’t ask anyone.

Like with Surkov

In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

Willing to improve, provided its actual criticism

Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?

Apparently canonically I’m working with the first of these two, because no fewer than three no, actually, four of your plans involving walking right up to the Big Bad Place that contains the Big Bad Person, and multiple of those plans involves the actual idea that this is the best way to get to Big Bad Person. And, since this never turns out well for you, I can’t imagine you count at the later kind of problem solver.

How does your character behave around people they like?

Affectionate. Calls/messages them a lot, likes talking with them. If he likes you, more inclined to listen and let you vent/rant/bubble than talk himself. Marginally more honest, when he can be. Will bother you with book recommendations and if he thinks you’ll really like one, will just go buy it for you. Do not fall into this trap. He will buy you more. And interrogate you about them and your opinions with the full force of intelligence training.

How does your character behave around people they dislike?

On a scale from coldly professional (esp if he needs something from them) → openly verbally antagonistic → removing/having removed said people from his life

Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

What, you mean they aren’t the same things?

His status as an agent is forfeit, which he seems to accept in terms of status, but his honor as an agent he would be much more concerned over.

Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

In face-to-face confrontations outside of work, the later. But, generally, everywhere, the former.

Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

He got bit by a snake on a hike when he was younger. At the time, he – read:his best friend – thought it would be really cool to get a tattoo of a snake there, and he almost snuck out to do it, but didn’t

How does your character treat people in service jobs?

Good. If it’s a place he’s likely to be seen again, he doesn’t like talking and will avoid it, even if it makes him seem a little tiny bit hostile. But if not, he has fun inventing responses to small talk questions.

How are you? How did I come to be? Well, when the asteroid hit the field about twenty years back, I emerged from the center of the rock and took over the farm, gaining my intelligence and sense of self. And that’s how I came to be, how I am, so to speak.

Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

Earn it

Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

Yeah, his extended uncle. They don’t talk as much as they used to after Michael’s dad died, and then CIA happened, and a couple years later, Alpha Protocol, but this is more Michael’s fault. His uncle would love to hear from him, though he’s always suspected (for true or not) that Mikey’s more deeply involved in his career than his parents wanted to believe, and so he has vague assumptions that are even more vaguely correct about why Mikey’s been too busy to swing by home. He hasn’t actuallyy been told by any sources, official or naw, that Michael is officially considered dead. Which is good, because instead Michael’s only a rogue enemy of the state being tracked down by legit killers and power-hungry ceos. Much more reassuring.

Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

No

How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

Incredibly easy for him. Me, though, I’m allergic to love apparently so I have a hard time writing him into situations where he can say it. He’s that kind of person who even tells his superfriends that. He doesn’t like saying it without meaning it, but he can. And has. And not just on that one mission.

What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

Well, his mother was a practicing Muslin until a few years after marrying Michael’s dad, and his father was Christian raised as a child but left that real fast, which causes a lot of tension between him and his family. They together raised Michael with semi-agnostic beliefs. Michael himself prefers not to think about it, though if asked he will self-ID as atheistic. Internally, he’s more of a mix between agnostic and atheistic. If he’s thinking about it, he assumes when you die that’s just it, akin to closing a book. I think if he sat down and really, really thought about it, he’d be more afraid of things never ending than things ending.

[automaticthree-sixty]

The Movie

There’s been a lot of hate for the Maximum Ride movie lately, but as a lifelong fan, I realized I should watch it anyways and give my own two cents. Here’s the thing: it was flawed, but for different reasons than I see people mentioning. Buckle up, it’s long, unedited, and highly opinionated.

We’ll start with the casting of the movie. “Max isn’t supposed to be blonde! Ella is too old! Fang is supposed to be mysterious!” Welp, I agree to an extent, but I remember specifically looking up these things when I was a young fanfic author trying to figure out this stuff. Max’s hair color changes depending on what book you’re reading; to an extent you can’t fault them for letting Allie Marie Evans keep her hair as it is. If you’re upset because having blonde hair means that Max can’t be a strong female lead, as blonde hair automatically makes her a stupid girly-girl, then you’ve got to reexamine your ideals. Ella’s age was never mentioned in the books. I think it was implied that Ella was younger than Max, but Max is mature for her age, so it skews the scale a little.

As for the ages of the actors and actresses in the movie, it was decided early in the process they all would be aged up. For one, Max says that all of them can pass as a few years older than they actually are in the books. Second, do you really want a five-year-old playing Angel? Really? Third, there are, like, child labor laws they had to work with. Aging up the characters gave them some more freedom (unless you wanted to wait another two years for the film).

I can agree that there wasn’t a lot of romantic chemistry between the Max and Fang characters (and that maybe the script didn’t call for it in the first movie? There didn’t seem to be much dialogue pushing the relationship, which was true to the book!), but I will argue that everybody seemed to work together as a Flock pretty well. Apparently the cast still hangs out sometimes. Check out their instagrams. It’s super cute.

As for costuming, ugh. I can see what they were going for, giving them sleeveless shirts for wing mobility and each of them sort of have their own style, but giving them all designer-ripped-jeans and that cool “hipster-punk” look is, um, off. To be fair, the first books were written in the 2000s, so maybe the new design was supposed to appeal to today’s perceived audience. I don’t know. And I supposed if the new wing anatomy lets them completely disappear (which I’m going to respect because it would be so hard to give them wings 24/7 on their money and time budget (and also those wings were kinda ugly and I didn’t want to see them more than I had to)) they wouldn’t need bulky clothes to hide them. And they were relatively safe in ‘The Nest’ (which I think is a cool name and I wish I could use it because ‘E-shaped House’ is a mouthful) so they wouldn’t need to worry as much about protecting their vital organs or anything, at least.

AND NOW FOR THE PLOT.

Let’s be honest, the first book had a tendency to drag things out, getting distracted with side plots that didn’t lead anywhere and adding fight scenes for the heck of it. And we love those adrenaline-rush-inducing bits, but it wouldn’t be realistic to try to fit all of that into an hour-and-a-half movie on a low budget. It would seem rushed and disjointed. So, they cut corners with the plot to make it follow-able for people coming to it without having previously read the books.

I wish they had done more with what action/fighting scenes they had. Maybe choreographed more or actually taught the actors and actresses basic martial arts. The ability to survive and fight is a huge part of the winged-bird-kids’ personalities and backstory, and if they had done more showing where they fought together as a team it would really help fill the relationship gaps they left when they cut other parts of the story.

I think the decision to have just Max and Fang leave together was because they didn’t want to have to create six pairs of wings. To be fair, that would probably be a mess. (And maybe they should have left out a lot more of the awkward CGI flying in favor of actual plot). But to make the crucial plot detail change work (convince the fans it was good) they needed to develop the idea more. The argument should have been more difficult, first of all. You just showed me that Nudge was trying to escape and Iggy was in charge of keeping the pantry stocked as a vital part of the Flock’s survival; Max needs a better excuse to leave them behind, and they should have fought harder. (I understand avoiding the “Yes, Iggy, it’s because you’re blind,” part of that argument to avoid offending any viewers, but without it the argument falls flat).

So the Flock separates. They show Iggy, Gazzy, and Nudge interacting in ‘The Nest,’ proving to me they are siblings who have lived in this house for years, right? Nah, they skip straight to Ari stalking them and beating them up. The writers sort of tried some dialogue between Max and Fang, but their book interactions don’t translate well to screen (they speak with their eyes and through actions. Fang’s a man of few words, especially in the beginning).

The flashbacks. Apparently some people hate them? I actually smiled with that first scene. Don’t tell me, reading the books for the first time (and before discovering fanfiction), that you didn’t beg some invisible JP deity for some scenes of the Flock in the School pre-escape. And especially for the commonly-alluded-to-but-oddly-elusive escape.

And I may have gasped when little Ari ran out the doors after Jeb.

I think they did a pretty decent job of the Ella/Dr. Martinez story. In my opinion they nailed Dr. M.

The way the Erasers finally caught the rest of the Flock was kind of lame. It’s supposed to the one of the high points of the story. I’m supposed to be sitting on the edge of my seat, biting my nails. And we get two minutes of writhing on the ground in pain. (The idea of a “bird-whistle” is actually cool, but I wish it wasn’t relied on so heavily). This just goes back to getting somebody to choreograph some fighting. It would have been awesome.

To be honest, from there on I didn’t pay as much attention. I got bored. I can say the Big Escape was almost anti-climatic. Sure, I didn’t think they were actually going to CGI a hundred birds to dive-bomb dozens of Erasers and whitecoats, but I was hoping they would cook up something more clever than Generic Escape #402. There was not sense of danger. There weren’t any stakes. Because the Flocks’ lives weren’t threatened, and there didn’t seem to be that many people chasing them, the action fell flat and felt superfluous. (AND THERE SHOULD BE WARNINGS FOR ANYBODY WITH EPILEPSY).

EVERYTHING ELSE

Okay, I’ll start out with saying I am, in no ways, a film expert. I can’t tell you whether the directing was good or bad, whether the lighting was optimal, or whether the cameras used were a good choice (is that a thing people criticize?).

I can tell you the editing was, at times, poor. Things that kill momentum: awkward black screens. Drawn-out scenes of Fang and Max flying over wilderness. Long POV shots of whitecoats peering at their patient. And, despite effort, Max running down that plastic-sheet-lined hallway while lights flash and the music incessantly plods on for four years.

The music didn’t help the story, either. I’m a bit of a nerd, so I listen for the soundtrack while a movie is playing. The music sets the mood. And the music was disappointing. There was nothing wrong with the tune necessarily, but it sounded canned. Like somebody used the ‘violin’ feature on an electric keyboard to make it. And it was used in places that would have benefitted from quiet (like when Max woke up in Ella’s room) and didn’t play (that I can remember) under long dialogue scenes that could have used a little emotional stimulation. And at times it seemed the wrong track was used. Why did they decide to make Jeb and Max’s conversation as emotionally intense as the escape?

And the script. Ah, the script. The thing that drives the characters, sets the tone, tells the story. It wasn’t all bad, but there was so much unnecessary exposition. Halfway through the movie, Fang reminds Max that they were raised with wings and had to fight to survive. Duh. Rule of thumb: if the dialogue has exposition, you don’t need narration. This movie gave us both.

And the characterization, to every fan’s chagrin, was wrong. While I appreciate that almost every character got to speak, (not Angel though?), what they said did not align with their canon character. Sure, Max is an overly-protective mother, but she wouldn’t seriously threaten anybody in her family. A sarcastic ‘turn your tail feathers ‘round or I’ll kick you into next week,’ but not ‘try to leave again and I’ll break every bone in your body.’ They never balanced out the kick-butt side of her with the loving side of her. All around, she was too serious.

Fang talked too much. It’s interesting they decided to explore the “Max and Fang have differing ideals” route before establishing “they are bffs.”

I like that they showed Iggy as an integral part of the Flock’s functioning (being in charge of the food), but his personality disappeared. And his interactions with Gazzy were sadly minimal.

Maybe because they aged up Nudge they tried to make her seem more like a stereotypical teenager? Something was lost in translation. Yes, Nudge is stubborn and most likely of the Flock to try to lead a ‘normal’ life, but she also has a personality. She didn’t talk enough. Quick fix: take Fang’s lines, give ‘em to Nudge. Her character could get away with too much exposition before a story. She has such an attitude in the movie, but the huffy teen kind instead of the fun sassy kind. Nudge is supposed to look up to Max, not despise her.

Gazzy was pretty cool. He made bombs, at least. Unfortunately, his character was never really developed much past that in the books so it’s at least an accurate portrayal.

Angel jumped the gun. She’s not supposed to be creepy and mysterious until a few more books have passed.

Tl;dr: The movie based on the somewhat-vague but well-loved books took itself too seriously, focusing on action scenes it couldn’t live up to.