#greatest character introduction ever

[thelvadams]

BAYONETTA • dev. PlatinumGames

[chenfordsbee]

“Hey. Here’s an idea. How ‘bout we skip the party tonight and go do touristy things instead?”

[orlaite]

One aspect of Lean's filmmaking in particular I'm soo obessed with are how he has characters enter and leave the story; Ali's entrance into the movie through the mirage and his vanishing into the dark after his goodbye with Lawrence and quarrel with Auda, the panning shot to Colonel Brighton in the gorge, the panning shot that reveals Auda's back when Lawrence is running around in his sherif robes, Pasha's "death", the last shot of Lara's back, "yes, that's Strelnikov", Dr. Aziz rising out of the dust; even Ryan's Daughter which was mid had Major Doryan's introduction (his only good scene). His sense for conveying the most amount of emotion and character through photography and editing instead of relying on spoken word to alert the audience to the importance of what's happening ("people don't remember words, they remember pictures") just makes for the most insane introductions and goodbyes it's sickeninggggg.

[lovely-v]

Me before completing the forest temple: okay I get that ocarina of time is fun and nostalgic for people but it’s a bit of a stretch to call it one of the greatest video games of all time

Me after completing the forest temple: By revealing that Link is not a Kokiri, but a Hylian, the game effectively strips him of his humble origins amongst a group of people that already fail to recognize him in his adult form. Thus, kokiri village instantly becomes a location that is no longer Link’s home in any sense, exacerbated by the fact that the game now loads up in the temple of time instead of Link’s bedroom— he is a stranger in the only place that has ever been familiar to him and he is depressingly reduced to his destiny alone. However, the subsequent introduction of the time travel mechanic, which allows the player to travel from the horrific apocalyptic future back to the idyllic past of Link’s childhood, gives new meaning to the idea of this “destiny”. In effect, Link is not a stock “chosen one”, but a protagonist who consciously decides to fight onwards. Link’s dual existence as a child who knows the grim future and as an adult who was powerless to stop disaster gives a sort of desperation to his character, because while it brings the player relief to revisit the Castle Town that is populated by cheerful villagers instead of lurking zombies, the story can only be progressed through the acknowledgement of reality — the decision to make those seven years pass again. Therefore, both the player and Link as a character must be proactive in their heroism and make the conscious choice to struggle onwards despite the darkness that permeates—

[stevieschrodinger]

Baker Steve/Rock Star Eddie wrong number AU

Part One

Part Two

PART THREE

"It's like a TV show, but on YouTube."

"Right," Steve answers, half listening to Dustin's explanation, "so it, like what, has an air time, or whatever?"

"Yeah, like a series."

"And it's just, what, famous people playing dipshits and dickheads?"

"Steeeeeeeeeeeevvvvveeeeeeeeeeee why are you like this?"

"Dunno," Steve shrugs, trying to read a recipe online. Unfortunately that's resulted in his having to scroll past someones entire fucking life story and he's ready to give up and try and work out the dumb Oreo cake recipe himself, "just lucky, I guess."

Dustin drops his head on the kitchen counter like Steve is the greatest difficulty he's ever going to face.

"So why do you need to be here to watch this?"

"Because we all want to watch it together, the guests are Corroded Coffin, they all like, play, the whole band, it's so cool-"

"Corroded Coffin? Playing your nerd game?" Steve's interest leaks through before he can stop it, "I mean, like, I think I've heard of them?" The last thing he needs is the kids finding out he's been kind of friends kind of flirting kind of maybe wants to date the actual Eddie Munson.

Dustin looks at him skeptically, "yeah...so you-"

"You can all watch it here, it's fine...I'll make cookies."

Dustin's completely distracted by his own success, instantly whipping out his phone to inform the other kids. Steve's pretty sure their group chat is called 'No Steve's allowed' but he hasn't actually found out for sure yet.

Steve does bake cookies. All the kids are gathered around his smart TV, absolutely demolishing them while they wait for this thing to start. It's like, an actual channel, with intros and graphics and stuff, a logo that reads 'Final Roll.'

And there's Eddie and the band, sitting around a table with two dudes who must run the channel. They all have the bits of paper and dice and little figures that Steve's used to seeing when the kids commandeer his dining room table.

There's preemptive ramble, and Steve leans forward a little every time Eddie's in shot. He's relieved all the kids are all sitting in front of him and all glued to the TV, so he can ogle in peace. They do introductions, and then everyone introduces their characters.

"May I introduce Sir Steven, the half elf paladin," behind Eddie Gareth rolls his eyes so hard his whole fucking body moves. Steve can see him and Geoff mouthing something to each other. Steve can only assume it's because Eddie has named his character, presumably, after him, "he has a sworn oath to always protect those weaker than himself."

Steve's heart fucking melts.

Steve's phone is buzzing. He's prepared. He knows Eddie's back in the country, they've been talking for months. Steve's kind of done waiting, and he's ready to press his advantage. He's had this set up for a little while, just waiting for the right moment. He presses play, and then answers the phone.

"Hey Stevie how-...are you listening to Corroded Coffin?"

"Yeah, yeah," Steve turns it down, bomb dropped, trap sprung, advantage played, "the kids absolutely love them, they're trying to get me into them even though they're not exactly my thing."

"Right, ah, right, what do you, uhm, think?"

"Yeah. Still not my thing-"

"Oh."

"But I really like it when the lead guy sings."

"...yeah?"

"Yeah, not the like, shouty growly singing, I can't understand a fucking thing he's saying-" Eddie chuckles, "but like, the parts where he properly sings. I think he has a beautiful voice."

"I ah, well, I mean, I bet the, uhm, shouty bits are hard work, you know. I expect that takes a lot of, you know, practice. Hell on the throat. I imagine, I would guess anyway, I don't actually, like know-"

"No no, yeah, well, maybe he should just sing more then, save those vocal chords, or whatever. I'd like that a lot."

"Yeah?" Steve can practically hear Eddie blushing down the phone. Eddie's so cute when he goes shy.

"Yeah." There's a long beat of silence before Steve goes in for the kill, "the kids are trying to get me to go see them. They're in the states now, apparently. Will be playing a gig in Indie."

"Yeah they are- I mean, I assume they are, most bands, uhm, yeah-" And Steve is hardly holding it together, Eddie is such a bad liar, and he's trying so hard not to lie at all. Steve doesn't know how he;s keeping his tone normal and not letting the whole ass cat out of the bag.

"And the kids are absolutely itching to go, you know? But tickets man, they're all doing every chore they can find to get some extra cash, but tickets are pricey, and for eight of us? Because I'll need someone else to help me chaperone and, you know..."

"I. I might...know a guy. Maybe. Like, because of the band I might...know someone who can get you tickets."

"Seriously? Eddie that would be incredible, the kids will absolutely loose their shit."

"Yeah, ah, is your work email cool?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course of course, man, the kids are going to love you for like, forever."

And maybe I will too, Steve just about manages to keep the words inside.

@steves-yellow-cardigin @melodymeddler @pitrsattabhaadmeinjao

@superduckmilkshake @she-collects-smut @paintsplatteredandimperfect @resident-gay-bitch

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Sophia Loren (Marriage Italian Style, Houseboat)—Major Italian star, first actress to win an Oscar for a performance not in English (for Two Women (1960)) and later when Roberto Benigni won an Oscar in 1999 he jumped over the chairs towards the stage going "Sophia Sophia!!" because he was running towards Sophia Loren and said he cared more about her than the Oscar, that's the effect she had on people. She was big in the 60s already even though she gained a lot more notoriety after that. And I mean. Can we take a moment and just.

Pola Negri (The Wildcat, Men, A Woman Commands)—Legally obliged to submit her as she's from Poland, but also it is one of the greatest stars of silent film, both in Hollywood and Europe, so she has to be here. The og femme fatale and a fenomenal dramatic actress. And just so hot in this 1920s vamp style. Obviously her career slowed down in America with the introduction of sound movies, because of her accent and low voice. I'd say her voice is so much hotter thanks to that, but I'm just a simple simp. But then she made movies in Germany, and after the war she was even offered Gloria Swanson's role in "Sunset Boulevard'' but she declined. She was probably bisexual as after romances with Charlie Chaplin and Rudolf Valentino in the 20s, since the 1940s she lived with her 'female friend'.

This is round 4 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Sophia Loren:

She has maxed out all her stats: beauty, elegance, sensuality, she's got it all. her mesmerizing eyes, her sensual mouth, her sharp face shape, her everything is so striking and unlike any other beauty in films. she was also voted the world most beautiful woman when she was freaking 65

im submitting her in honor of my dad bc she was the first celebrity crush of his he ever admitted to me and my sister :) and he was right. shes so pretty

OSCAR WINNER. Worked with some of the hottest leading men in Hollywood but remained faithful to her husband whom she had a loving marriage with till he died (even though Cary Grant almost tempted her once, it's complicated)

One of the most well-known sex symbols of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and unlike some unfortunate others, she seems to have been pretty well at peace with occupying that status. She made assertiveness and a tempestuous temper seem glamorous, and although she's famous for side-eying Jayne Manisfield's cleavage, honestly? She's one to talk.

Absolutely, drop-dead sexy, also a hard working, extraordinarily talented actress who didn't shy away from the less glamorous roles to gift us some gritty, memorable performances

Submitting this on behalf of my dad, who knows nothing of tumblr or this blog, but I remember being a kid watching Houseboat while my mom thirsted after Cary Grant, dad thirsted after Sophia Loren, and I was excited that they lived on a boat. Anyway, she's extremely beautiful and was an international star, doing a ton of movies in Italy before being recognized in the US.

JUST LOOK AT HER Y'ALL

Very smart and beautiful, the characters that she played (I mean those in the movies that I put in the previous question) are as strong and determined as her which I think adds to her hotness.

Global superstar and my late grandfather's long time movie star crush and for a man as quiet as he was, and as hopelessly devoted to his wife as he was, the fact that I know that means she was EXCEPTIONAL.

Big in the chest, snatched in the waist, pretty in the face 😳

Sexy, beautiful, deep. A real star.

Her performance in "Man of La Mancha" is just so very captivating. Dubbed as "the Italian Marilyn Monroe", she looks beautiful in any movie and at any age.

Forget the exotic sexpot of her Hollywood films and go back to her Italian career: sparking with Marcello Mastroianni as the woman who drives him mad and outwits all his fumbling attempts at macho posturing in their early films, and showing a tender side in their 1970s films. Sophia isn’t self-conscious about who she is or her beautiful body: she enjoys being herself and she wants us all to enjoy ourselves too.

She starred in films as a sexually emancipated persona and was one of the best known sex symbols of the time. She is a great cook and her filmography is immense.

On the misattributed quote that Sophia owed everything to spaghetti: 'Did you actually say the quote frequently attributed to you, "Everything you see I owe to spaghetti"?' "Non è vero! It's not true! It's such a silly thing. I owe it to spaghetti, no, no. Completely made up."

Pola Negri:

A tempestuous green-eyed vamp of the silent screen, she tantalized with both her onscreen and offscreen romances. Rocked a Polish accent - well, once there was sound! A true proficient at promoting herself and using all possible tools to do so - from a dead Rudolf Valentino to a cheetah named Teddy, the latter of which she brought to a press conference.

First European actress to be contracted by Hollywood! She survived poverty and illness to become The Queen of Tragedy, she divorced a count to date stars like Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino, then spent the rest of her life living with Margaret West in what could have been a romantic relationship.

I don't have much to say about her actual career, personal life, etc. but I just need everyone to see how hauntingly beautiful her face is. I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since the first time I saw her LOL like its pretty clear why she was such a star

[virginiaoflykos]

What to read after Light Bringer? (Series similar to Red Rising)

August 2023 update!

Red Rising is my favorite series of all time, and since I first read it, I have sought series and books similar in both spirit and execution. Some of these recs are books I haven’t read personally, but have often come up in discussions with other users!

1. The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Status: ongoing, expected 10 books in total, 4/10 out at the moment

Book 1: The Way of Kings. The Way of Kings takes place on the world of Roshar, where war is constantly being waged on the Shattered Plains, and the Highprinces of Alethkar fight to avenge a king that died many moons ago.

2. The Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone

Status: finished, 6/6 books out.

Book 1 (in publication order): Three Parts Dead. Comprised of 6 standalone books set in the same universe, the Craft Sequence tells the tales of the city of Alt Coulumb. The city came out of the God Wars with one of its gods intact, Kos the Everburning. In return for the worship of his people, Kos provides heat and steam power to the citizens of Alt Coulumb; he is also the hub of a vast network of power relationships with other gods and god-like beings across the planet. Oh, and he has just died. If he isn’t revived in some form by the turn of the new moon, the city will descend into chaos and the finances of the globe will take a severe hit.

3. Hierarchy by James Islington

Status: ongoing, 1/3 planned books out

Book 1: The Will of the many. The Will of the Many tells the story of Vis, a young orphan who is adopted by one of the sociopolitical elites of the Hierarchy. Vis is tasked with entering a prestigious magical academy with one goal – ascend the ranks, figure out what the other major branches of the government are doing, and report back. However, that isn’t quite as easy as Vis or anyone else thought it was going to be…

4. Suneater by Christopher Ruocchio

Status: ongoing, 5/7 books out

Book 1: Empire of Silence. Hadrian is a man doomed to universal infamy after ordering the destruction of a sun to commit an unforgivable act of genocide. Told as a chronicle written by an older Hadrian, Empire of Silence details his earlier adventures and serves as an introduction to the characters and the setting.

5. Dune by Frank Herbert

Status: completed, 6/6 books out

Book 1: Dune. Set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which various noble houses control planetary fiefs. It tells the story of young Paul Atreides, whose family accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis. While the planet is an inhospitable and sparsely populated desert wasteland, it is the only source of melange, or "spice", a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities.

6. The Expanse by James S A Corey

Status: completed, 9/9 books out

Book 1: Leviathan wakes. Set hundreds of years in the future, after mankind has colonized the solar system. A hardened detective and a rogue ship's captain come together for what starts as a missing young woman and evolves into a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history.

7. The First Law by Joe Abercrombie

Status: completed. 3 books in the original trilogy + 3 standalone books + 3 books in the newest trilogy

Book 1: The Blade Itself. The story follows the fortunes and misfortunes of bad people who do the right thing, good people who do the wrong thing, stupid people who do the stupid thing and, well, pretty much any combination of the above. Survival is no mean feat, and at the end of the day, dumb luck might be more of an asset than any amount of planning, skill, or noble intention.

8. Cradle by Will Wight

Status: completed, 12/12 books out

Book 1: Unsouled. Lindon is Unsouled, forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his clan. When faced with a looming fate he cannot ignore, he must rise beyond anything he's ever known...and forge his own Path

9. Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons (one PB’s favorites)

Status: completed, 4/4 books out

Book 1: Hyperion. The story weaves the interlocking tales of a diverse group of travelers sent on a pilgrimage to the Time Tombs on Hyperion. The travelers have been sent by the Church of the Final Atonement, alternately known as the Shrike Church, and the Hegemony (the government of the human star systems) to make a request of the Shrike. As they progress in their journey, each of the pilgrims tells their tale.

[royboyfanpage]

Relationship Rant- Dinah Lance

I'm gonna talk about one of the most endearing relationships in DC: Roy Harper and Dinah Lance.

As I've mentioned in other posts, I dislike the idea of Dinah as the "Arrowmum", I think it's a disservice to her character and, generally speaking, when fandom applies the title of "mother" to a female character it tends to reduce them down to that (as I've seen a lot of posts doing with Selina Kyle). That being said, there's something undeniably mother/son coded about Dinah and Roy's relationship, in the sense of mutual care and respect.

As far as I can tell, the first instance in which Dinah and Roy were seem interacting at length is in Snowbirds Don't Fly part 2 (Green Lantern/Green Arrow #86), and Arsenal #1 further backs this up by saying Dinah didn't even know Roy's civilian name until that comic.

This sets the tone for their entire relationship, as Dinah's literal introduction to Roy is when he's at his lowest. A lot of other people in Roy's life, particularly Ollie, had already known him extensively pre-Snowbirds; they had memories who they could look back on as "before it all went wrong with Roy." Dinah, however, doesn't have that. There's no pre-addiction Roy she can look back on, no fabricated "better" version she can judge the later Roy based on those standards. Everything she's seen of Roy has been improvement- she's seen him at his lowest, and seen him fight to improve and better himself as the years progressed, even stating that she views him as the bravest person she's ever met.

But that isn't to say their dynamic is exclusively Dinah comforting him. Their relationship is built on mutual care and affection, supporting each other, such as after Ollie died.

At that point, they're really the only two people they can speak to about their grief. I believe Hal's dead at this point, or at the very least he's Parallax, and Connor had only been in Ollie's life briefly prior to Ollie's death. Dinah and Roy are the two people who truly knew Ollie, and are alive to talk about it, at this point in time, and as a result they are each others mutual source of comfort.

They also just have a good relationship in general. They're able to joke around together, and they can talk to each other easily-

-and it's so clear to see their chemistry with one another.

When Roy later joins the Justice League, Dinah's one of his biggest supporters, even before his official initiation-

-showing just how much she respects Roy and believes he can do well. (From Green Arrow (2001) #74) Dinah's seen Roy as the competent hero he is, and knows that with his skillset and sense of morality he is far better fit amongst the greatest heroes of Earth compared to the controversial, underdog team Outsiders (which, while I adore the 2003 Outsiders cast, is a good point. Roy was seen routinely unhappy in that team, and the Justice League was one of his biggest dreams). Upon his actual induction into the League, Dinah's the one Roy dedicates his success to-

-demonstrating just how much he appreciates her and her constant support (From Justice League of America (2006) #7), and she's the one who reassures him that he does deserve the title of Red Arrow upon him joining the League and feeling anxous about it.

And in Vixen: Return of the Lion, when Dinah is compromised, you can see Roy's panic and concern for her wellbeing-

-demonstrating just how much he cares for her. Dinah's arguably one of the only people who loves Roy the same way he loves everyone in his life- unconditionally, and without judgement or grudges- and so the concept of losing that person to which his type of love is reciprocated is understandably terrifying.

Overall, Roy and Dinah are one of DCs most endearing relationships that has so many layers- a mother/son dynamic, a mutual support system, and best friends.

[fairytale-poll]

ROUND 4A, MATCH 1 OUT OF 2!

*Includes the original 1950 animated film, the 2002 sequel Cinderella II: Dreams Come True, and the 2007 sequel Cinderella III: A Twist in Time.

Propaganda Under the Cut:

Disney's Cinderella:

she is very iconic, she is super kind and has a beautiful dress

Submitting specifically because Cinderella III: A Twist in Time has lived rent-free in my head ever since I was a small child.

This Cinderella is most young (western) peoples introduction to this very story. Cinderella is so hopeful and by getting one small magical adventure, her whole life changes for the better. She is skilled and inspires such loyalty with her kindness that it’s hard to dislike her for any reason she gives. I’ve always been jealous of her ball hairdo too.

Walt Disney put all he had into this movie. And his favorite animation was the dress transformation scene. There’s a reason she is often front and center on the Princess group promotions.

she is the original. to me. probably the first exposure to cinderella for a solid chunk of people alive & on tumblr today. she is just a perfect encapsulation of everything that cinderella is, even if she's become warped in the public consciousness. also i'm pretty sure she's the reason why the glass slippers are so predominant in more recent retellings bc she is simply so iconic. 100/10 no notes 💜

She's maybe not the OG OG but she was one of the first animated Disney princesses and strangely enough it doesn't stop her from having an amazing personality. She's literally a slave but keeps being a nice person, forgiving and always doing her best. And the sequels absolutely didn't ruin her character. She's a sweet girl who tries to fit in but who's loyal to the person she is and who tries to change things always in a cute and sweet way to show people it's not that hard. She literally forgave Anastasia and tried to help her after all she did to her (the scene where the step-sisters destroy her dress still is terrifying to me)... she's awesome and deserves more recognition honestly...

(Mod's note: the following submitted specifically for Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, but I condensed the animated movies into one entry.) No she is not the same as the original Cinderella of 1950. This girl’s biggest chance was unfairly snatched away from her. When the Prince was brainwashed she was enough to get him to double take. She was so Right that their connection over powered magic. And she had to be rescued from a ship. And was almost crushed within a pumpkin! And finally had to expose another imposter, who turned out to be just another victim of Lady Trameine. This Cinderella fought harder for her love because she knew what True Love was like and she still was able to forgive those who asked for it.

(Mod's note: the following submitted specifically for Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, but I condensed the animated movies into one entry.) Listen yes it's the same Cinderella from 1950 but she has an arc in this one! It's Disney's greatest film!!

Listen I love them both but the animated Cinderella definitly shine in every single movie she has. And she has 3.

Vote for Cinderella because she deserves it and is still underrated in the Disney Princesses Franchise when she survived so much (ab*se... Lady Tremaine still terrifies me and she doesn't even have magical powers except when she steals the magic wand in Cinderella 3) Also one vote for Cinderella is one jump outside the window Henri is ready to do. Yes it's real.

Disney animated the original fairytale but definitely made it more magical and less creepy (like the birds making the step sisters blind? It gave me nightmares for ages). If I think: which one will I want to rediscover multiple times? Disney's Cinderella. Plus Cinderella 3 is a masterpiece.

Mofurun as "Mofurella"

listen. they do an episode where they're all sucked into Cinderella and they make the trans teddy bear Cinderella. Incredible story writing, 10/10, no notes.

Mofurdella is even plot relevant, that episode is how they get the Rainbow Carriage for their group attack anyway MOFURDELLA FIRST CINDERELLA PRECURE EPISODE TO GET ONE MOFURILLION VOTES

[jhuzen]

attention [gn/m.reader]

quick sfw fic to cleanse all of your palate from all that filth :). sagauauauauauu because my time in genshin dropped by a mile. definitely not because i’m playing honkai and have been into star rail beta lately. definitely not that. :) also definitely not an introduction to the possibility of me writing for the hsr men once the game comes out :))

𖦹 crack fic, subtle dark themes in the end, sfw sfw :D, whore overseer reader sigh, mentions of characters from hsr and honkai impact, but nothing to concern yourself over. though i would recommend you see them for yourself hehe

Quiet. It had been all too quiet. Everyone looked up at the skies where often your softest gaze can be seen as you waited for the world to prepare for your arrival. You, their ever so benevolent overseer, isn’t around to spend some time with them like you usually would.

Such a mistake can’t exactly be unforgivable. They know you have a life other than being the great overseer of their world. You’ve talked to the many other otherworldly beings in your world, and they’ve lent their ears on days where you weren’t feeling the greatest, often do they have to suffer seeing you in such a mess as well. But there was nothing that they could do but keep up the support, letting you just sit back and diligently puppet them around, watching with satisfaction as they dealt bigger and heavier damage than the usual.

But these days, it had been relatively different. The way you were absent was in a rather poor taste, according to your devoted characters. It left something within them that they didn’t particularly want to entertain, sensing that there was something that changed with you.

Suddenly, your usual schedule of nightly visits with them turned erratic. You would either come earlier, or much later, barely making it through the commissions before the daily reset.

Worst of all, the new area that the Dendro Archon has offered to you, the one that you promised you would explore with your beloved team was suddenly left at thirty percent. You promised you would dedicate yourself into exploring the new area more, seeing that you were so excited to see Jeht and the new characters, even the NPCs that had to play the roles of the bad guys didn’t mind your berating.

Your promise was yet to be fulfilled and yet every time you would log in, you would only finish up the commissions quick and spend the resin on leylines, not bothering to farm for the artifacts and talent books like you promised to the others as well. And after that, you’re quick to leave them alone again in the wake of silence that only you can fill.

It was painful to see you leave, the care that you always showered with them slowly dwindling — your promises that seemed to hold all the water in Teyvat suddenly breaking, turning into an empty vessel of lies. You were breaking their hearts.

The hardworking ones slowly finding less meaning in foraging materials for you when you would send them on expeditions. They used to be so eager to come back with more than what you expected, finding your surprised face and the way you smiled so gratefully at them far more rewarding than any mora they’ve been paid with for the expedition. You were worth it in their eyes, and no matter how high the mountains they may climb, no matter how strong the thunderstorms are, they did not mind. It was for you after all.

The children that you’ve taken in your roster, ones that you’ve cared for, were slowly wilting and losing their childish glee. You no longer played with them. You always took them out, claiming that your daughters can cause better chaos than any other Archon combination out there. But all you’ve ever used these past few days is your main team, and even then, they were only there to serve your commissions to be done quickly.

The Archons that you’ve nurtured and built so well were lost without your gaze on them. Their lives becoming far more dull without the anticipation of being selected to lead or support your current team. You always experimented on their capabilities and tested just how far you can drive up the skills they’ve accumulated under your mercy. But now, there was barely any suspense as you came and went, barely even having the chance for them to feel you.

The abyss was lonely without you. Often it had fun at seeing your torment when you lost a single star, only to come back again with different contenders. And even when you won, frustration was not the response you would get if the abyss was sentient enough to show you its feelings.

The traveler… oh, your dearest traveler was lonely without you. More than anything, you’ve always taken the time to just explore with just them in the team, indulging the personal time you’ve made for them, foraging for specialties even when you can easily locate them with the nation specialty experts on your team. But no, you shared this time just for them and them.

But now there was coldness that you left. You were always so busy but there was nothing keeping you either. But how would they even know when you barely talk to them anymore. You became so unnervingly quiet that it was uncomfortable for everyone, only seeing your eyes focused into desecrating every enemy on your hit list of commissions. They barely had time to appreciate your company.

Not when the last time you spoke, it sounded like being with them was a chore.

“Ugh. It’s almost reset time. Gotta make this quick.”

And just when they thought you’d stay for a few more minutes to continue with the reset, you’d leave quick.

They all wanted to break through their code, change the texts of their voice lines should you happen upon their profile accidentally and see that they wanted to know why you’ve become so distant lately.

Fortunately, your beloved characters are bound to get their answers on the day that you were interrupted.

Aether watched from the sidelines — just because he wasn’t visible in the team, it didn’t mean that he was completely shoved in the back unlike the others. He will always be around to talk to the other residents of Teyvat for you. He’s your voice after all, and he wouldn’t let anyone take that away from him. It’s the one job he has always enjoyed doing in comparison to all the commissions he’s taken on as an adventurer.

The outlander traveler watched as your team stayed still in place, gazing off in your direction, admiring the way your eyebrows knitted as the blaring call interrupted your time with them. Perhaps you still had some care within you, then?

Curiosity swept everyone like a massive tidal wave as you answered your little communication device, turning in your swivel chair.

“Speak before I change my mind about answering you,,” you huffed, a tad playful, but stayed silent as you listened to your friend. Even from the muted volume that the great barrier that is your screen provided, they can hear your friend’s rather loud laughter, possibly on a mission to destroy your poor ears.

“Ah, that? Yeah. I got into the beta testing. It’s wild, dude.” You chortled, before swiveling back to face your computer, those eyes of yours digging into your team’s bodies and boy were they glad they can control a shiver that you sent down their spines. There was always something so hypnotic about your gaze. Perhaps it’s why you’ve truly earned the title as their grand overseer. The way you seemed to just catch onto every little detail in the clothing they’ve donned on. It was a good feeling — to have your approval.

Your eyes never once left them as you continued on with your conversation, “It’s kind of like TCG, but with people. Hah… no. It’s kinda complicated, I’m not even going to lie, I have a feeling that people will really struggle if they don’t have the patience for this.” You smiled a little, “Yeah, people like you. …Apologize? What for? I’m only telling the truth. Anyway, even if you don’t have the patience, I’m sure you’ll bend your back for the characters.”

Now that piqued their interests. Even those who were situated in the backseat of your team, waiting to be used. “You’re not really wrong. You’ll see characters from Honkai there too. Yeah. Welt looks so old, dude. He’s giving DILF. You’ll like him.” You cackled.

Poor Zhongli felt offended. Wasn’t he the one to hold the distinction as the father you’d like to… copulate… with? You always made such flustering remarks every time he was out on a mission with you, putting him in circumstances that could leave him gasping for air, coming undone just from your comments that could leave any prudes fainting.

“Oh yeah, there’s a twink here too. Yanqing — he’s so adorable. You know I’m going to be all over him.”

The plethora of short men that you’ve showered with love and attention soon found themselves under attack. The threat of this… Yanqing suddenly breaking out in the surface. They hated the idea of someone else having your attention. As if it wasn’t already a pain to compete over you with others! It was always a battle with the short men (all except Aether, he knew he had a special place in your heart).

You hummed a little, kicking your legs and winced as you accidentally hit the legs of your computer desk. And while they knew it was wrong to see delight in your mild pain, it felt nice to see the cruel you get a little bit of punishment for your cruelty.

“Yeah no, I’m okay. Totally fine.” You hissed a little, opting to ride out the dull throb in your poor shin. “Anyway, overall, really good. You know who I’m going after though? Jing Yuan and Blade. I have to. I need them in my life. I need them and I need to be inside them—” a loud laugh erupts from the back of your throat as you listened to your poor friend choke on air at your words, ignoring their scolding, completely oblivious to the tall men that found complete displeasure in your words.

It wasn’t all too savory to see their beloved overseer suddenly turn your back on them, as you continued to rant away about the characters. Even the women that you took care of, and the children you’ve coddled were dragged into the mess, whining about someone named Kafka? Someone that the Shogun suddenly found herself narrowing her eyes at. You dare speak of other women on the day you said you’d visit her in her plane of Euthymia? Especially after surviving your mumbles about someone named Raiden Mei? Absolutely preposterous.

Your poor daughters wilted as you uttered about Bailu, gushing about her adorable face and wanting to protect her. Does that mean you’re giving up on protecting them? You seemed so hellbent on this new kid… oh, how it breaks their heart to be replaced by someone they considered as a parental figure…

And the endeared traveler in your heart grew anxious. Fear gnawed into the back of Aether’s mind as you shifted your attention to another character.

“Then there’s the trailblazer. Much like the traveler, you can also pick a guy or a girl. Of course I picked the guy, you know I’m already so, so weak for these tropes.” You turned back into the monitor and Aether watched in bated breath, now wishing that he wasn’t in the sidelines like always. He wanted to face you directly so you can see his heartbroken expression and perhaps take pity.

But your poor traveler could only listen to your words, “Yeah, I won’t say much. But he’s definitely interesting. I like him. A nice change, actually.” You laughed while Aether’s heart dropped to his stomach.

A nice change? What does that even mean? Were you implying that you were finally getting sick of him? That you no longer wanted to indulge him in your alone times together? Poor, poor Aether — how he wished to just break through the screen and drag you in their world.

For days, they’ve wanted to know what kept you away from them. But somehow finding out the reason only brought regret and bitterness. You almost forgot to spend time with them recently because you’re acting as an overseer in another world? Just how cruel can you get? You promised yourself to them the moment you swore your devotion as their overseer and caretaker.

You were theirs! Why can’t you see that?! Going off to other worlds, hopping in to gaze at other undeserving people that are probably not even aware of your presence unlike them!

Suddenly, there was an air of stagnancy around Teyvat.

Surely there has to be a way to convince you, right? For you to keep your eyes to only them and them. To devote your time only for them. To spend most of your time just taking care of them. Surely there was a way to delete the other worlds, no?

They’ve waited on you long enough, dearest overseer.

They should hope that you wouldn’t protest in their acts of rebellion, right?

And besides, you love them with all your heart and soul! You said that! Declared it even and proved it with their decked out builds and weapons and maxed out friendships! If that was the case, then you wouldn’t mind finally meeting them, right?

Right?

You chatted to your friend away, suddenly oblivious to the way your screen glitched. To the way suddenly this beta testing game you’re overseeing also fighting back, surprisingly just as sentient as they are.

There was a war brewing between these beloved pixels of yours. And hopefully you can appreciate just how much they will fight for the top place in that heart of yours.

[museforblooms]

★⠀⠀ ⁄ ⠀⠀CURSE OF CAPULET is the fictional debut mini—album by the idol band BELLADONNA released on February 14, 2024. After their win on Superband, Belladonna would take five months to write and produce their first album with the help of Plastic Flowers SALEM and OLIVER and former Lush member DALLAS LINWOOD. Along with the songs written by the members, Salem had gifted them an old draft, RENEWAL, which was supposed to appear on Wind and Rain in 2019 but was replaced with another song. The album takes on themes of love, desperation, mortality, and the inevitability of fate with their concept changing from girlhood to medieval and renaissance imagery, often seeing the girls depicted as saints. The album had one title track, BURN ALIVE, but RENEWAL was also promoted as a b-side.

★⠀⠀ ⁄ ⠀⠀Curse of Capulet comes from the play Romeo and Juliet by Williams Shakespeare as it's themes closely resemble the overall meaning of their debut album. It is a reference to Mercutio's death in Act III, scene I in which he curses both the Capulets and Montagues with "a plague o' both your houses!", blaming both of them for his death. He wants Romeo to know that he blames the feuding families for his fate and remind Romeo that his love for Juliet was the reason for his death to Tybalt, Juliet's short tempered cousin. The album was released with TWO versions: ROMEO and JULIET, with the back cover featuring quotes from both characters alongside the tracklist.

★⠀⠀ ⁄ ⠀⠀TRACKLIST.

‘ # 001.⠀ ⠀OLIM ──── written by kwak yulli, produced by oliver song, and performed by belladonna. olim is an introduction track to belladonna's debut track and mimics catholic hymns, with the word olim itself representing the beginning of a fairytale. the translation goes as: "once, long ago God arrived in this age of brightness / He will come again" and is repeated twice. all members of belladonna referred to this as the hardest recording session that they've ever had. the idea was brought up by oliver as a joke, but yulli saw it as the perfect time to flex her old latin skills from attending catholic skills. it was almost cut completely, but the girls were able to save it at the last minute.

‘ # 002.⠀ ⠀TITLE TRACK: BURN ALIVE ──── written and produced by bae haena, performed by kwak yulli. in their debut single, belladonna comes out swinging as they depict themes of addiction, self-destruction, and the sacrifices made for love. the main imagery of the song is a toxic relationship where both parties are consumed by their vices and are unable to break the cycle of destructive patterns. because of this relationship, they are no longer who they aspired to be and desire to capitalize on their own pain, a reflection on modern society.

‘ # 003.⠀ ⠀THEATRE ──── written by ko sarang, produced by dallas linwood, performed by kwak yulli. theatre explores the desire for love and acceptance through the lens of a theatrical performance. it delves into the idea of yearning for a love that feels like it belongings in a grand gesture from a movie or performance. the narrator is willing to go through the motions by pretending and faking emotions just to fulfill this dream of being loved. they yearn to be loved and adored as a film star, swept up in a fantasy where all their desires are achieved.

‘ # 004.⠀ ⠀FORTUNATE ISLES ──── written by kim eulsun and kim wonhui, produced by dallas linwood, and performed by kwak yulli. this song is often the one that gets the most criticism as professionals and netizens alike believe it doesn't fit the sound of the album. however, the girls are always ready to double down on how much they love the song. taking it's name from the greek island where all their greatest heroes lived, fortunate isles conveys the story of a letter being delivered to an ex lover who isn't quiet over their relationship yet, asking to be reborn in spring so they can live together forever.

‘ # 005.⠀ ⠀RENEWAL ──── written and produced by salem kueakulsri, performed by kwak yulli. renewal was a gift to the members of belladonna from plastic flowers leader, salem kuekulsri. in an instagram live, she confirmed that it had intended to be a plastic flowers song, but it was cut and eventually left in her vault of music. she said that she gave it to belladonna to remind them that they always hold the power in their lives and as a way to keep them strong. it explores themes of personal growth and resilience in the face of adversity, wanting to start anew and find solace in oneself after experiencing setbacks and challenges. by "growing a new plant in your head", the narrator can reach a new sense of personal transformation and optimism, leaving anyone that doubted them behind.

‘ # 006.⠀ ⠀LOVERS ──── written by bae haena, produced by oliver song, performed by kwak yulli. haena is quickly establishing herself as the queen of heartbreaking ballads in the group and fans absolutely love it. in this slower track, yulli really shines vocally as she laments on a relationship that failed, but only just realizing how good she had it. with only two verses and a chorus, their message comes across very well as they repeat "i wish you were with me" and "me as yours, you as mine".

‘ # 007.⠀ ⠀PAGAN POETRY ──── written by kwak yulli, produced by oliver song and dallas linwood, performed by kwak yulli. this song explores the spiritual connection between two people as the singer s pedalling through the dark currents and finding an accurate copy of another's pleasure inside of her. this connection is described as a secret code carved into black lilies, something deeply romantic and spiritual. the concept of paganism is reflected in the individual's connection to the divine as deeply personal and the beauty and spiirtualiy is celebrated.

★⠀⠀ ⁄ ⠀⠀STYLING.

★⠀⠀ ⁄ ⠀⠀ERA SUMMARY.

‘ # 000.⠀ ⠀MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: 200,000 sales in the first week and a nomination on every major south korea music show. fans were unable to get them a win, but they would only place behind the actual winner by a few points, making it possible for the next era.

‘ # 000.⠀ ⠀belladonna's fandom name, DOVES, would be announced by the girls in a video on how to cheer for burn alive. it was chosen because doves are often seen as a symbol of peace, freedom, or love—all things their fans provided for belladonna.

‘ # 000.⠀ ⠀the budget was the talk of the town. everyone was supervised to see how lavish and beautiful their concept photos, music videos, and performance outfits were. it drove poppies mad and they demanded for equal treatment for the two.

‘ # 000.⠀ ⠀ fan wars started between DOVES and POPPIES as soon as it was confirmed salem and oliver were working on the album. many accused belladonna of not being able to write or produce their own music, which is objectively not true as seen by their superband run, and were just overall nasty towards the girls.

‘ # 000.⠀ ⠀ the OLIVER and YULLI DATING RUMORS. . . someone had posted a video of them looking a bit too close after plastic flowers' performance at cheeky's and twitter just ran with it. superbloom had to issue a statement saying they were just friends and had a close "senior—junior artist" relationship.

‘ # 000.⠀ ⠀ enough about plastic flowers! DALLAS LINWOOD was praised for his work on the album! after announcing his retirement from performing, most were excited to see him working on music again and he did not disappoint on these arrangements.

‘ # 000.⠀ ⠀ belladonna performed and WON their first time on immortal songs: singing the legends. they were on the PATTI KIM episode and sang MOTHER'S HEART IN SEOUL! it was praised by the older generation of domestic netizens and the girls will definitely be returning.

‘ # 000.⠀ ⠀all of the girls were supposed to have their natural hair colors for this promotional period, but haena had over plans. without telling superbloom, she bleached her own hair and it surprisingly came out well! when the company found out, she was forced to tone it and it remained a white color.

‘ # 000.⠀ ⠀many pre-debut fans were disappointed by their concept shift. though it was hinted at in the later rounds of superband, many wanted them to keep their "girl—rock" sound because they could relate to what they were singing about. there's a clear divide between these stans and those that enjoyed the curse of capulet.

‘ # 000.⠀ ⠀they were given a reality show called THE BELLA'S, which was filled with fun challenges and the girls getting to know each other! it's a loved series by fans and is still being uploaded even after promotions ended. they had a whole episode on haena's hair, which was an instant classic.

‘ # 000.⠀ ⠀despite knowing each other for less than a year, BELLADONNA seemed very close. they have amazing chemistry together and even showed how well they knew each other on BLOOM WITH US, with YULLI being the overall winner because she "loves her members".

‘ # 000.⠀ ⠀they also posted various covers including EDGE OF SEVENTEEN by stevie nicks, NIGHT SHIFT by lucy dacus, CHILL KILL by red velvet, THE CHAIN by plastic flowers, DITTO by newjeans, and many more.

[starryalpacasstuff]

The subversion of faen fatale in Last Twilight; and why I love it

Can I just talk for a moment how much I appreciate P'Aof dismantling faen fatale tropes, as well as the notion of 'guys and girls can't be close friends' that is so prevalent in Asian society? Because not only did he do a fabulous job with Ink in Bad Buddy, but he's going above and beyond with it in Last Twilight. We have Gee, who could have so easily been someone who was interested in Day, and come in between their relationship (I was praying for her to not turn out to be a faen fatale when she was introduced). But instead, she's a great friend to Day, and she helps him regain another piece of his life by pushing him to join her at the bar. And then we have Porjai. She's Mhok's ex girlfriend, and the narrative has presented chance after chance for her to regain feelings for Mhok, and present problem for Mhok and Day in so many different ways, but none of them were ever taken.

And part of this feels very intentional to me. Showing us two female characters that could have very easily become barriers to the relationship, they didn't. We see it in the preliminary interactions between Day and Gee, where there's some time where Gee's character could have easily gone one of two ways. And you will not believe how immensely relieved I was when the show made it abundantly clear that Gee is a friend to Day, and nothing more. Similarly, Porjai is introduced to us as Mhok's girlfriend, and later as his ex. It would have been so easy for her to 'catch feelings again', like when Mhok comes to her aid with her ex (forgot his name, won't bother reminding myself). I feel like the show is trying to put the point forward that guys and girls can be friends, and that the girl doesn't always have to be a homewrecker.

And let me tell you this, I absolutely adore that P'Aof is doing this. The trope of female homewreckers, (or faen fatale as we like to call them) is extremely prevalent not only in bls, but in asian media in general. I've seen it everywhere, from bollywood movies to add drama, to serials that have been running for half my lifetime, to keep the viewers watching. I've watched it enough times to have a genuine hatred of it. There's a number of issues with the trope that I'm not going to get into right now, but I'm sure you're all familiar with. But the greatest point is, that it often takes away from a good story. It's a tired trope that serves only to add drama and disinterest the viewers from the story. Last Twilight (and Bad Buddy too) has had a very concrete storyline from the start. The purpose and aim of this story have been clear from the beginning, and in the most recent episode, the show has started to dig a little deeper into Day and Mhok's stories, relationship, and shown us how they're growing together. A faen fatale would absolutely ruin the slow, delicate journey these two are on of growing together, which is where I come to August.

Honestly, I was a little afraid when I realized that Day liked August. Because Day and Mhok have been slowly, but surely growing closer, and they're slowly letting down walls built up due to grief, and loss. But August only serves to help us further understand Day. I'm struggling slightly to put this into words, but in the single episode we had with August, I've learned so much more about Day, and how he works. And, his introduction also highlighted Mhok's caregiving instinct once more, his tendency to always put Day first. There are rare instances when introducing a past crush does so much for a story (another being Bad Buddy, P'Aof the wonder that you are), and I'm absolutely eating this up.

The last scene absolutely crushed me in a way that only Ep 5 [4/4] bls by P'Aof can. Once again, the resubversion of the Faen Fatale trope. When I first saw August, my first reaction was expecting faen fatale, 'and now he's going to take away Day's attention and Mhok's going to leave the flower and we'll all be sad". Well, the last part happened but it was so much more heartbreaking the way it was done. Once again, proving how much better a story can be without the trope that with. I won't lie, I'm still scared about how the knowledge that Day likes August will impact Mhok's actions toward Day. But, it's more of a fear for the characters, and less of a fear for the narrative, as in I'm not afraid that it will take away from the story.

Bad Buddy holds a legacy for subverting an innumerable number of tropes, and I'm glad to see that Last Twilight is holding it's own in the department too. The purposeful subversion of faen fatale made my heart incredibly happy (have you noticed how much I hate this trope? You probably have. I'm sick of it. Most Indian kids are)

Side note- I've seen a number of posts ghostshipping Gee and Porjai, and while it may not be very plausible, we did get InkPa, so it's never impossible

[sunglassesmish]

sorry but september 18th is probably more important to me than november 5th. the introduction of castiel, the most important character ever??? the start of destiel, the greatest love story ever told??? you wouldn’t have november 5th without september 18th.

[ddarker-dreams]

Lock, what DO you love and like so much about Dostoevsky's work? I don't think you've ever talked about that. Please, I want to know !!!

^o^

(christianity mention jump scare below proceed with caution)

i thought this would be an easy to answer but figuring out how to put my feelings into words proved difficult .

the beginning is always a good place to start, so let's go with that. by chance, i happened upon this video on youtube and gave it a watch. about halfway in i decided i had to read notes from underground for myself. i struggled to understand what the narrator was trying to get across. the unique writing style, where the reader is addressed directly, as if in challenge, helped me preserve.

i think part of what makes his work special to me is his depiction of people. and they really do feel like people more than characters, even if some of their characteristics are unique to the era dostoevsky wrote in. everything else about them transcends time. i can see myself in some of them. whether it be the titular idiot, prince myshkin in his naivety; alyosha, who goes from devout to doubting; and ivan, whose bitterness toward religion masks his disappointment at the state of the world. 

that's why the brothers karamazov touched me in particular. for some context, i grew up in a christian household and was heavily involved in the church (american northeast white baptist strand of church). around when i was 11 or so, the introduction of left-wing politics through social media had me undergo a looooong identity crisis. these new ideas felt at odds with what i'd spent my entire life believing. what i grappled with the most relates to ivan's anecdote, the grand inquisitor, where the goodness of god is called into question. the bitterness, the disappointment from crushed expectations, all those sensations resonated strongly with me. reading it as an adult who (supposedly) 'healed' from that time period in my life was like opening pandora's box. i'd never seen my thoughts and struggles so accurately described, or treated with more than a 'his ways are higher than our ways' type platitude. i stuffed these concerns of mine away because they only ever served to make me feel worse.

i won't delve deep into the Depressing Lore. the only reason i mention it is to stress how profound an impact the work had on me. throughout the remainder of TBK (and in most of dostoevsky's discography), the best and worst of humanity is shown. our hypocritical nature, capacity for evil; nothing is shied away from or made more palatable. and yet, throughout it all, our potential for good is shown too. whether it be in the little acts or monumental self-sacrifice. sometimes those acts are honored, or ‘worth it,’ sometimes they aren’t. it’s cheesy but whatever i’ll say it — choosing to love and serve others is my greatest joy. i don’t really need a definitive answer to those problems i struggled with. that’s the takeaway i’ve had from his work. it might not seem like a big deal, but not feeling guilty for having certain doubts or anxious over those doubts never fully being resolved was. very significant for me. and healing (for real this time). 

so that’s the sentimental perspective GJSDLKFJS from my writer’s perspective, i can only describe him as brilliant. his grasp on the human psyche is incredible. he can accurately describe so many emotions, worldviews, and give the context necessary for each one to feel organic and real. it’s vivid, too, in a way i can’t properly get across. everyone’s unfiltered and messy. characters contradict themselves in the same sentence. they’ll murmur, go off on tangents, tell stories, misquote the bible (or many other significant works), and just be overall disasters. aka how people actually are. 

the man’s also funny as hell. the protagonist from crime and punishment has a mental breakdown spanning multiple pages over a sock. yes, there’s context, but that’s still the gist of things. then there’s the issue of the hedgehog in the idiot. hedgehog drama. 

ultimately, his work is so very human. there’s commentary on issues that are prevalent to this day, multiple centuries later. the topics he touches on tend to align with what i care about most. whether i agree or disagree with what i’m reading, there’s always something i glean from it. something meaningful that sits with me long after i close the book. i’ll mull over it and bother people in my vicinity until they mull over it too. no one is safe. whether it be a co-worker or my dad who drives noticeably faster to reach our destination and be free of my many questions.

i could keep going but this ended up being long enough GJSKDF i hope at least something here makes sense?>?? i apologize for the incoherent ramblings. it's what the dude does to me.

[caramelcleopatraa]

S&T: DETAILED CHARACTER INTRODUCTION

ROMAN REIGNS  ( a.k.a Tribal Chief ) 

Mafia boss (if you couldn’t tell)

Belongs to the Anoa’i family 

Known for their reign in the east coast

In charge of the biggest mafia to date (popularity and numbers wise)

Cocky, clever, humorous, charismatic, affectionate (around close family and significant other)

A rumored “ladies man”

Known for his ruthless aggression towards enemy groups

Will go great lengths to protect the Anoa’i and Semele’s

Y/N SEMELE  ( a.k.a Ms. Expert )

Belongs to the Semele family

Known for their tight alliance with the Anoa’i family

Sassy…. Saaassy gyal dat

The definition of dress to impress 

Uses her shop as a medium to learn intel on other mafia groups 

Has a passion for fashion design 

Sensual, focused, playful, resourceful, reliable

Always keeping herself busy

JEY USO ( a.k.a Jey Fatu )   

Consigliere 

Belongs to the Anoa’i family 

Twin to Jimmy Uso

Trustworthy, passionate and protective about his family 

A classic hothead

Roman’s advisor, and voice of reason (because he needs it)

Prides himself on maintaining family tradition

Thinks that La Mesa Alta is shady

SOLO SIKOA ( a.k.a The Enforcer ) 

Capo

Belongs to the Anoa’i family 

Fight first, ask questions later

Disciplined, fearless, enduring, tactful, respectful

Only appeals to his superiors, family members, and people he respects

Always on go

Keeps personal matters private

A trusted leader 

TALIA JOHNSON FATU  ( a.k.a Tallie ) 

Belongs to the Johnson & Anoa’i family

Wife of Jey Uso

Influencer

Nicknamed “Tallie” and “pretty girl”

Intuitive, loving, nurturing, honest, communicative

One of the only people who can calm Jey down

Used to stay out of mafia work, but will get her hands dirty if she has to

Has experience in undercover/mole work

JIMMY USO ( a.k.a Jimmy Fatu )

Underboss

Belongs to the Anoa’i family 

Twin to Jey Uso

Second in command

The “Calmer” twin

Energetic, flexible, persistent, sympathetic, trusting

Anything Roman’s too busy to do, Jimmy’s already on it

Another voice of reason

TRINITY FATU ( a.k.a Naomi )

Belongs to the Anoa’i family 

Wife of Jimmy Uso

Trained fighter

Sociable, witty, precise, charismatic, adaptable

Always styled In the latest fashion (with Y/N’s help)

Has experience in undercover/mole work

Didn’t know about anything mafia wise until she met Jimmy

Quickly gained the trust of Jimmy, Jey, and Roman

MADISON CLAIR ( a.k.a Mads )

Belongs to the Clair family

Kind, fair, creative, loyal, open

Invested in art

Trained gunwoman

Practices meditation

Been Y/N’s friend since high school 

Helps Y/N with her company security

Always has a gun on her

DE’ARRA WASHINGTON ( a.k.a Diamond )  

Belongs to the Washington family

Selfish, honest, perceptive, bold, determined 

Her father was a well known thief in the west coast.

Settled down in the east coast and started his own mafia

Known for their extensive wealth

Always taking trips to other countries and blowing money on expensive collectibles

Very much spoiled

Good at persuading people to get in bed with her

AAHKILAH HOKOVIC ( a.k.a Killah )

Belongs to the Hokovic family

Known for international trade

Likes to be the center of attention

A certified spoiled girl

Wants to own her own clothing line and be one of the greatest brands ever

Makes people adjust to her time

Deceptive, glamorous, arrogant, daring, dynamic

Will always speak her mind

GIOVANNA PARISI  ( a.k.a Gio ) 

Belongs to the Parisi family

Good at negotiating deals

Handles important business deals that involve La Mesa Alta

Persuasive, clever, persistent, curious, observant

Was a model for 7 years

Went to the same high school as Y/N

Sells tactical cars and guns (and weed on the side)

Helped Y/N get the location she wanted for her shop

MERCEDES HAYES ( a.k.a Cedes ) 

Belongs to the Hayes family

Known for their wealth, high status, and longevity 

Works wherever money is present

Has been characterized as shady, two-faced, and greedy

Has turned her back on La Mesa Alta several times due to payment issues

Was a stripper, but retired to get a job with more earnings

A pure instigator

Older sister to Carmelo

CARMELO HAYES ( a.k.a Melo ) 

belongs to the Hayes family

A complete 180 from his older sister

Known for their wealth, high status, and longevity 

Hard headed, confident, generous, playful, focused

Popular for his looks and athleticism 

Mercedes’ full time assistant

Tries his best not to get involved with shady business

Carries out dangerous missions and tasks for La Mesa Alta

JATAVIA PETERSON ( a.k.a JT ) 

Belongs to the Peterson family

Her family was removed from La Mesa Alta after committing several heinous incidents to each family

Decietful, humorous, charming, friendly, independent

Used to own her own fashion design shop before Y/N came into the mix (and also blames Y/N for her down fall)

Tried to take down the Semele family many times

Known for her looks and charisma

No stranger to using bribes

Good at pushing her opponent’s mental buttons

ALYSSA EDMOND ( a.k.a Latto )   

Rapper

Belongs to the Edmond family (worth $50 million)

World known gambler (and damn good at it)

Also gets fashion advice from y/n

Relatively new to the mafia business, but not new to rapping and gambling

Always down to fight

Funny, expressive, honest, openminded, flashy

Sometimes a materialistic girl

FAMILIES THAT ARE IN THE HIGH TABLE (LA MESA ALTA) 

ANOA’I

SEMELE

HAYES

WASHINGTON

EDMOND

PARISI

Wanted to give you guys a better introduction to the cast of S&T! Hope you guys enjoy how the story's going so far :) Stay tuned <3

🏷️ tags :) @reignsboy19 @2-muchsauce @theninthwonder @harmshake @alichesmi @thesamoanqueen @alyyaanna @empressdede @badbitchcentralinc @christinabae @fame-ass-ers @southerngirl41

Welcome to your new addiction

[choochooboss]

Introducing your station master & Magma event host!

Since there's already a lot of passengers visiting this station and I haven't spared much time to get to know my fellow submas fans over Tumbrl yet, an introduction would be in place!

I'm Jun, nice to meet you! *offers a hand for for a shake* I am a devoted submas artist & a monthly Magma event host! I go by ChooChooBoss everywhere (Twitter/Bsky/Twitch/Ko-Fi)!

This will be a long post! I will write a short intro as well which you can just skim through but here is a more in depth view how I got into submas, my other interests and life in general, in case you'd wish to know more about your conductor on this silly train!

How did I get into submas in the first place?

PLA. I met this certain mysterious & cool fellow time traveler and got curious! After the cave scene I went to read his Wiki, found out about Emmet, and... yeah. The emotional impact blasted me right out of a miserable cycle I was going through back then and set my soul on fire!! A month later I set up my first art account on Twitter, and the rest is history. They've become my greatest source of strength and inspiration and I enjoy drawing them every single day!

I love both twins very much! I tend to vibe with Ingo a little more than Emmet, but I draw Emmet more. People say I remind of butler Ingo the most, hehe. I certainly don't mind because I'm a big fan of butlermas!! In fact I got into submas & started playing Pokémon Masters EX in April 2022, a week before butler Ingo banner rolled in, so they truly got a special place in my heart ahah! (pssst draw more butlermas for me pls pls pls-)

However I don't draw warden Ingo as much as I would like to. I still get pretty emotional over his fate ahah, I can't draw him without a single tear! This sweet & kind man leading a good life and being an inspiration to others has been torn from literally everything he had for seemingly no reason apart from his name, clothes and the muscle memory and even those are barely intact. It seems like a miracle he's still standing and breathing after put through everything judging by the wear and tear on his uniform and body. Despite all that he carries a positive attitude, assists everyone in need, and does his best to help people and pokémon understand each other, unconditionally... Oh, my face is wet again...

My other interests besides submas?

Monster Hunter! Zelda! Genshin Impact! Super Mario! Trine! Crash Team Racing! And many many more! My favourite genres are platformers, kart racers, and action games, with a side of rhythm games. I'm a big fan of co-op games! I also watch my sis play JRPGs!

Monster Hunter is the dearest to me out of all. I've been hunting for well over a decade starting from MHFU. The games have charmed me with their incredibly satisfying combat system, world building, creature design, great attention to detail, character customisation and the games being nearly fully co-op!!

Other things I do:

Pokémon is practically the only turn-based game I enjoy, mainly because of the characters and collection aspect. However!! I adore Pokémon Colosseum (the first pkmn game I ever played!) and it's double battle focus, so The Indigo Disc has been a delight after the long starvation for double battles, coming up with different combinations makes the battles much more fun to me!!... I sound like Emmet here do I ahahah! We also share the fact we are both left-handed!

Shuffle dancing, daily pull-ups, and expanding my ever growing VGM collection! I also enjoy traveling and taking photos to keep as a diary! I've played piano in a music school for 9 years, and I can also play kalimba. I've done casual boxing, gymnastics, horse riding and medieval swordfighting. I used to read comics/manga and watch movies and anime but nowadays I barely do that, I just rather use that time for drawing instead of just sitting and watching, unless I have company!

I share the apartment with my anxious brother and our two sweet female cats, Laku (11, stubborn and cuddly) and Kalevi (21, demanding and full of love) in a city center. My parents are both entrepreneurs and run a farm in the countryside & I have 4 siblings with me as the middle kid!

Where can you meet me?

I am a game artist by profession, with 4 yrs of studies and roughly 7 years of EXP in the field doing game art, UI design, character/prop design, in mobile games as well as PC titles, 2D and 3D. At the moment I am looking for work; I keep up the motivation and learn new skills by running my art accounts while looking for new opportunities.

I hail from the land of darkness, snow, salmiakki, metalheads and renownly reserved people, Finland! (UTC+2)

Despite having my roots here I am pretty much the opposite of a typical Finn in almost every sense ahah! I'm a small guy who's not afraid talking to strangers and laughs a lot. And I dislike coffee for the contrary, it's very popular amongst finns.

With the inspiration from submas I've finally stepped into the world of cosplay so you can usually meet this small and excitable Ingo in the biggest local conventions, Desucon and Tracon! Come say hi!

About my social battery:

I'm both social and socially anxious ahah! I love making new friends and talking to all sorts of people and writing comments, and gathering together with my mutuals to do cool stuff together! However my social battery is very small... I often struggle with my AD(H)D and anxiety issues, so my replies can be extremely slow. I'm easily overwhelmed when life gets busy and I deal with it by withdrawing to minimise the the stimuli and then sorting my stuff out one by one. This is a frustrating shortcoming, but I'm working hard to find a balance I can maintain without getting exhausted. Please be patient with me! If you don't hear from me in a while, please don't take it personally! In fact, it makes me really happy if you contact me, for any purpose!

Which pronouns do I go with?

I go by they/them! I am also aroace, so if I appear to show any sort of romantic interest, it's definitely not that. I love meeting new people and am quite interested in people in general so I'm excited to get to know you better, but the thing is... I have been confusing people on several occassions for saying things that could be taken as flirting. I am terribly sorry for that, that's just the way I show how I care!

I don't really identify myself by any specific gender either, but rather by my roles or interests (Magma host, submas fan, game artist etc.). Submas encouraged me to enjoy dressing formally even if I'm just sitting at home, because I love formal clothing in general and wearing them makes me feel confident and stand taller! I usually wear collar shirts and black or white slacks.

More about my AD(H)D:

I don't have an official diagnosis but deal with the same problems as AD(H)D people do; poor work memory, dissociation, hyperfocus (drawing and people), sleep deprivation, impulsiveness (juggling too many things and going with the wind), getting sensory/information overloads, and feeling like I don't fit in. I figured it out after I finished school & lost my job for that I am unable to handle big tasks without anyone giving me directions. It has taken a while but I've figured out things that help me manage my daily life as well as have a medication that mainly boosts my capability to get things started which is another great struggle ahah.

How do I manage to keep myself on track?

I use a Pomodoro timer to keep up a good flow and remember to take breaks! This is what I use the most:

I should set it up on my tablet as well. I think it's really cool to see how many hours I have actually put into drawing! Last year I clocked in well over 3k hours, ahaha!

How to catch me?

Right now I have great difficulty managing replies, but usually you can reach me by DMs! I check Discord and Twitter the most often! However I must ask you to respect my current DNI status. It means I am really overwhelmed so I wish nobody comes asking for my attention until it has been lifted, unless it's really necessary. I really love talking to you all but I also have to accept and deal with my own limits strictly like this or it won't work out.

What am I working on at the moment?

Besides the holiday set I have several short comics under works as well as one big comic (100+ pages!). That one is my personal greatest goal! I started working on it in June 2022 and I have currently 40+ pages sketched and 60+ thumbnailed.

I was afraid of starting any comic projects before submas, but the sheer excitement over them carried me over that personal wall ahah!

The story's beginning and end are looking good and somewhat functional but there's still a lot to work to do and holes to fill in the middle before I dare to start fleshing out the pages. I have little experience in writing or comic making so I hope you forgive if some things don't make sense or the dialogue is a little on the nose so to say ahah!

The story will be packed with action with the overall tone being on the darker side, but it sure won't be lacking in humor! The project's main goal is to make it a celebration of all things submas & to prove to myself I can handle a big scale project despite my shortcomings!

This train has reached the terminal!

Thank you for riding my silly submas train!! I adore reading all your tags and comments! They brighten up my day & fuel my passion even more!! I hope to bring many more fun things for you to look forward to!! See you again soon!

ALL ABOARD!!