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malaierba · 2 months

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On the topic of complicated whatever, it fascinates be that Hien is apparently only slightly better than Laios at reading Toshiro. I mean, theres the comic where she says she FEELS like they were pretty close, but the actual memory?

But look at what she's saying. She's comforting him (headpat) and probably trying to reframe whatever happened as something he shouldn't let him affect him so much, but really she's disregarding his feelings, isn't she? Look at his body language. Grasping at his chest, folding onto himself... He wasn't in a place to hear something like that and she missed it.

Reminds me of someone else who FELT they were close to Toshiro:

Hien may be too pragmatic to pick up on things like vibes, and strong enough that things slide like water off a duck's back. Doesn't mean she doesn't care though, she pretty explicitly expresses that she dislikes the distance between them as adults.

All this to say, I see two ways in which they can fix their friendship. Toshiro could learn from what happened with Laios and try to be more assertive when he communicates (learning about boundaries will fix him. maybe), or, they will have an argument that will probably be cathartic but also likely even more hurtful than the fight with Laios.

I mean, this isn't just three years of history, this is based on assumptions that they both made about each other's character that have gone unchecked for years. (And perhaps a side of likely power dynamics in the household).

If it hurts to know your friend from three years ago didn't feel respected by you, now imagine learning that your childhood friend who you low-key thought would ask you to marry him decided it was best not to open up to you, even though you as far as you know have always wanted to be there for him. And HAVE been there for him to the best of your ability, it's just, you're not the type to sacrifice your authenticity for it right? (wow reminds me a bit of someone)

A fight with that kind of baggage... I can see it being worse than what happened with Laios. Perhaps not physical, but emotionally? Worse. Hien isn't good at pulling her punches after all, and Toshiro lets things build up.

Would they be able to come back from it though? Hmm I think they would. If nothing else out of a sense of duty to the household.

#btw. kind of funny how Falin is the exception and not the rule when it comes to characters Toshiro ends up having a most transparent >#bond with. Like. Hien and Laios ok there's friction but also history. Namari who is perhaps his best friendship. all extroverts lol.#he also had people like Beni and Chilchuck around yet they're just acquaintances. lol. he really is the type of introvert that doesn't form #friendships but rather more often than not gets adopted into them #anyway #dungeon meshi #DunMesh rambles #Toshiro Nakamoto #Hien #Hien Dungeon Meshi #had this one in the drafts lol. Hien. I'm thinking about you girl.#Nakamoto Toshiro #Shuro #shuro dungeon meshi #Laios Touden

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cuoredimuschio · 1 year

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okay, but where's my steddie AU where steve wants to learn to play guitar to impress a girl he's infatuated with and he remembers that munson kid was always hanging up posters for his weird band at school, so he hikes out to eddie's usual dealing spot behind the track and asks (with far less groveling than he really should have) if eddie will teach him how to play, and obviously eddie says no because why would he want to help king steve, but of course, steve offers to pay him, $20 a week, and well, that's the kind of get-the-hell-out-of-this-shithole-town cash eddie really can't afford to refuse, so fine, he'll teach steve to play and they'll spend inordinate amounts of time together tucked away in eddie's room and they'll start to see that they have more in common than they thought and that they kind of had each other all wrong, and eddie will put his hand over steve's to help him get the placement for a tricky chord and it totally won't awaken anything in either of them?? where is it??

edit: i started writing it

#steve x eddie #steddie #stranger things #someone tell me this has already been written because i need it. please.#bonus points if steve shows up to the first practice session empty-handed #and eddie nearly calls the whole thing off when he has the Audacity to grab at eddie's sweetheart as if eddie'd ever let him play her #and he doesn't even teach steve anything that day because rule number one get your own fucking guitar and keep your mitts off mine #but by the end when eddie is deep deep deep in love and it's time to send steve off to woo this lucky girl of his #he offers to let steve take his sweetheart because she's guaranteed to make him look ten times hotter and cooler #and he'll have no trouble sweeping his girl off her feet and maybe eddie's breaking his own heart but it's fine—as long as steve's happy #except steve doesn't seem nearly as happy as eddie thought he would be #he seems sad actually and eddie kind of hates that so he starts to make some lame joke about how steve should be honored #because eddie wouldn't lend his baby out to just anyone and that gets steve to crack half a smile #but then he puts the guitar down on eddie's bed (with all due gentle reverence) walks over takes eddie's face in his hands and kisses him #kisses him like he's been dying to do it for weeks. because he has #because somewhere along the line it stopped being about wanting to impress a girl and started being about wanting to be with eddie #it started being screwing up on purpose so that eddie would grab his hands and show him how it's supposed to be done #and forgetting about lessons entirely and just sitting around and listening to eddie talk or just watching him play #because somewhere along the line steve fell out of infatuation and into love with the last person he ever expected....#anyway idk where i'm going with this

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bitchthefuck1 · 6 months

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The thing that really kills me about Logan is that his kids are disappointing and ultimately unfit to be CEO, and it's not just that they're like that because he made them like that, but that they're like that because he wants them to be that way.

For all his talk about them being spoiled or coddled and his rant in the S3 finale that getting cut out of running Waystar is their chance to "be your own man" and build something themselves, he has spent the entire show actively undermining any attempt of theirs to do that. Shiv stays out and works in politics, but as soon as she joins a big campaign that could actually distinguish her from her family, he tells her he wants to make her CEO. He offers to buy Kendall out of his shares, but as soon as Kendall tries to take the offer and cut himself out, he refuses. He says he wants them out of the business and doing their own thing, and then as soon as they start actually doing that and buy Pierce, he tries to get Roman back.

The fact of the matter is that as much as he might claim to want a "real" heir, what he really wants is to never need one and for his children to stay children: incomplete, incapable, and under his thumb.

#something something the purpose of a system is what it does #i feel like the 'they are the way he made them' thing is pretty self evident and understood but it's important to distinguish that it's not #just a question of him being bad at raising kids or that he just can't produce the outcome that he wants: he is 100% producing the #outcome that he wants he's just lying about what that outcome is. he doesn't want them to be their own people or worthy of the position #because that would mean he wouldn't be able to control them and (more crucially for him) it would mean he'd have to give up control #of waystar. he doesn't want a legitimate successor because he doesn't want to be succeeded. he wants to deny his mortality and stay #in his spot forever. if his children grow up that means he has to grow old. if he can keep them trapped in childhood forever then he 'has #no choice' but to stay in power because he couldn't possibly leave it to them could he? they're not ready. it's a kindness to keep the #burden of the crown to himsef.#like imagine for a second if he did have a kid who was a perfect CEO candidate and exactly what he claimed to want. do you #really think he'd step aside and let them rule?#or would he see them as a threat and try to find some other way to cut them off at the knees and sabotage them the way he's been #doing with his other kids this whole time.#logan roy #kendall roy #connor roy #shiv roy #siobhan roy #roman roy #succession

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sciderman · 6 months

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Do you think Peter learned how to breakdance when he got his powers just to add flare to his movement?

i think peter parker had been trying and failing to breakdance long before the spider-bite, and is just happy to discover he finally has the upper body strength to actually pull it off now

#sci speaks #i don't think peter ever learns the genuine technique for anything. he freestyles.#he's an academic nerd. he is bad at sport and always will be. even if he's physically athletic he just doesn't learn the technique.#he'll always be bad at it. he doesn't get the rules #same as breakdancing he just freestyles. he will never know how to dance. and he'll never be able to floss either. he just can't.#wade can.#i also think peter could never master martial arts or anything because of that. he just relies on instinct.#i know he learns martial arts in the comics shuuut up i know i know he does but it's only because he loses his spider-sense.#i don't think he'd devote the time to learning a sport or dance or martial art.#i think he just doesn't see the benefit. he wings it. all the time.#“like yeah okay i could devote all the time to learning that. but i could also just. punch it.”#he's so funny he's so funny.#i love my apathetic loser guy who has SUPER STRENGTH but is also too lazy for sport.#he could become an olympic athlete. but he just doesn't wanna.#he could become a world-famous breakdancer. but he doesn't wanna.#he does all of those things but with no discipline whatsoever.#no discipline. that is why wade kind of hates him.#he picks up new skills so effortlessly but he has nOOO DISCIPLINE. he doesn't care about technique or rules.#but he pulls it off anyway. wade is fuming.

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mulders-too-large-shirt · 2 months

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my favorite scully moments from s2

after the x-files are shut down, she gets moved to teach at the academy, and in episode 1 she does a little monologue on how a person’s body is a physical manifestation of a lifetime, which one of the students describes as “spooky”

when mulder sneaks off to puerto rico in the same episode, she goes into his place to try and figure where tf he went, and prevents his sneaking about being caught by the investigators who broke into his home with the power of feeding his fish

lecturing about the dangers of eating raw steak in episode 2, then getting lost down a rabbit hole of worm science

when no one was answering the door in episode 3, she just walks in. this made me laugh hysterically, i cannot explain. both of these guys WILL enter your home.

every single time she is a bit of a medical nerd, like when she learns about the surgery that allowed people to survive without sleep in episode 4, which she describes as “incredible”

(and the freckles + flower earrings combo were also a fave)

when she scans the piece of metal that came from duane barry in a grocery store in episode 6, and the cash register goes crazy. and she denies involvement and just walks away LMAOOO <- honestly i'd do the same!!

she wakes up from her coma in episode 8 and wants to write a thank you note to the nurse that took such good care of her, only to learn no such nurse ever existed. scully got to witness the paranormal for once!!!!

in episode 9, someone brings up a volcano scientist in conversation, and she says she had heard he was brilliant, which means that somehow she is keeping up with volcano news. she is a woman of many layers.

being deeply worried about this scared looking grad student she just met, and once again not waiting for an answer to enter her room and figure out if she is okay

(and when said grad student is being consumed by a fungus, scully thinks quickly enough to get herself locked behind a door, keeping herself safe, despite being handcuffed and otherwise looking death by fungus in the face)

in episode 11, mulder walks into his office, only to learn she has been there and has been going through his stuff since 6 in the morning. queen of getting results!

in the same episode, an old man overdoses on mushroom pills, and she shifts into Doctor Mode, yelling about “ventricular fibrillation” and “milligrams of lidocaine” and it was, like every other time she goes Doctor Mode, so deeply satisfying to watch

when she meets the two cops in episode 12, and can immediately tell they are having an affair and that the detective is pregnant, and despite the detective pleading with her not to tell a soul, the absolute MILLISECOND she is reunited with mulder, she spills the tea. and he is SHOCKED! <- arguably my favorite moment in the entire series so far

(and, to make the woman feel more comfortable, she confesses to also having had feelings for coworkers before which. elaborate on that, please)

but she really does care; when the detective ends up in the hospital, scully brings her a change of clothing <3

when she is so shaken by what she sees in episode 13 that she goes to the FBI’s onsite therapist; she’s too scared to tell mulder how she feels because “i don’t want him to feel like he has to protect me”

(as if there was ever going to be a choice; he is the protector and he Will protect, it's just his nature)

((and then later sobbing into his arms, realizing she doesn’t have to always put on a front))

toads start falling from the sky in episode 14, so she rationalizes that they likely came from a nearby tornado. this is a scully-approved theory.

they’re investigating a murder in the same episode, and a teenager starts pouring her absolutely horrific trauma out to both of them, scully holds her while she sobs into her jacket

honestly any time either of them know weird information, i love it. she says that it would take hours for a snake to eat a man and then weeks for it to digest in episode 14, and mulder makes some funny remark but it’s sooo endearing to me. she knows her snake facts.

then in episode 15, she notes poison in someone’s blood, but specifically that the poison comes from pufferfish eaten in Japan… girl i’m crying, she just knows stuff!

during that same case, they get rooms near each other like always, and she knocks on a door thinking it’s mulder’s. he doesn’t answer. she walks in and hears water running, so she just talks to him through the door to the bathroom. and i love this so much. i love that they are close enough to just walk into each other’s rooms and talk from behind the door while the other showers. it’s such married behavior.

working on the case in episode 16, we see her at home wearing a flannel, checking her computer, still serving looks but now giving casual

(and seeing the art she keeps on her walls- little postcards of beach scenes <3)

in the same episode, she knows mulder left to go get himself in trouble, so she bursts into skinner’s office to ask for help. but she feels bad for barging in on skinner, so she apologizes to him. which was very sweet.

when mulder is gone, she goes to his apartment to look for clues, and falls asleep on his couch

(and when X knocks on the door, she knows he is hiding something, and screams at him to tell her where he is)

this whole monologue from episode 17, which i loved more than life itself:

“several aspects of this case remain unexplained, suggesting the possibility of paranormal phenomena. but i am convinced that to accept such conclusions is to abandon all hope of understanding the scientific events behind them. many of the things i have seen have challenged my faith and my belief in an ordered universe, but this uncertainty has only strengthened my need to know, to understand, and to apply reason, to those things which seem to defy it”

(and that is just Her, isn't it? the need to understand, to rationalize. the worldview shaped on science- if she doesn't understand something, it's because a key piece is missing, and she'll find it. because the world Has to work that way, has to be bound by a greater logic, even if it is yet to be understood. to imagine otherwise would be impossible, to imagine otherwise would be to abandon hope in everything, and she cannot abandon hope)

((and maybe the idea that the world being something she cannot perfectly comprehend is a failing of her own understanding makes me a little emotional. but still))

she says that the whole loaves and fishes deal was a parable in episode 21; she is not a biblical literalist

(she then makes some sassy remark about things generating spontaneously, and mulder laughs in the corner. good to know he thinks she is funny)

every single time she answers the phone, she says “mulder, it’s me”, and idk i just think it’s so endearing

she thinks she might have been infected with a killer disease in episode 22, but mulder calls, so she tells him she’s okay and to take care of himself out there.... those are the last words she chooses, just in case they never talk again </3

and every time she says unsettling things, like “could be the residue of burnt human flesh” or “darkness covers a multitude of sins”, both in episode 23, i eat that up

reassuring her student who has just become a detective that she is doing just fine!!!

and then going to said student's funeral when things do not turn out fine... she loves her students that she taught for like 3 months so much :(

getting pulled aside by skinner and her bosses after mulder just acted wild in episode 25, and denying that she had seen any top secret files even though they say they will fire her if she lies lmaooo <- she is a ride or die!!!

but also going to his place, demanding assurance that she is doing the right thing by assisting him, and i love that. i love a character who will break all of the rules as long as they believe they are doing the thing that is morally Right, and that definition is so deeply her own, but she is committed to it, and she'll do anything to stick by it. and he just says something about getting the code that he wants broken, and despite how awful he's being, she goes through with it anyway because it's the Right thing to do.

later, her being the one to realize that mulder should not leave the house after his father was killed because he will be the prime suspect (he does not listen to this sound advice)

he stumbles into her place with a million degree fever, and she carefully lays him down in her own bed, despite the fact that he is soaked in his dead father's blood. and she takes care of him.

this one honestly deserves its own post because it is so incredible, but: shooting mulder with enough precision to get him to knock off his wild behavior that was going to make him look like he killed his dad, but not actually HURT him, then finding out krychek was putting LSD in his water, knocking him out, and driving 2 days to New Mexico to get him where he needed to be. AFTER he had been acting wild because he was inadvertently drugged, and had accused her of spying on him and being a traitor. that level of love is deep. very very deep. she is a Lover.

#this is a reupload because i made a typo on the og post and i couldn't bear it so. v2. sorry to all who witnessed v1.#i'm trying to remember what i had said in the tags originally.#something about how she is just one of the characters of all time #she's smart... like when she figured out how to save mulder from alien poison or that he was going to make himself look guilty #and she's kind- when she let some random kid sob into her jacket and brought the detective clothes and tended to drugged out mulder #and she is brave- being willing to disobey her bosses to do the right thing and shoot mulder to save him and admit when she is scared #(even though she originally would not do such a thing- that is character development)#and she is funny but it's dry and understated so it doesn't get the appreciation it deserves #yes this whole post and tags are just a dana scully love post and that is okay. in many ways this is a love account.#hope to start s3 tomorrow because i'm not feeling well today but who knows... maybe i will suddenly perk up and feel better #and we can get started tn? can't rule it out i guess #dana scully #the x files #txf

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hhhhleb · 2 months

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based on this concept they got soul bond and sans can feel when smth wrong with papyrus

good thing that sans didn't see the actual injury.. grillby knew that would greatly upset sans, so that's why he pushed him away. it also could have trigger some really bad memories for Sans..so grillby did good job x2 (more thoughts in tags)

#grillby in dress because why not #my art my rules #undertale #underlust #utmv #underlust sans #underlust papyrus #underlust grillby #lust sans #comics #sans actually knows what kind of responsobility he has - papy was told to sit in the library and do some puzzles #but he's a kid so he ran away it's not really sans' fault there #because of the lust injection grillby has higher tolerance for snow and water(the Heat is stronger)#so sans didn't want to kill him by pushing a living fire into icy water #he just really doesn't like being pushed(it reminds him of something he doesn't remeber but still has very bad feelings about)#lust sans in this interpretaion gives me strong fiona gallagher vibes....#papy here is 5 and sans like 19 #and grillby's like 20 or 21 #so sans is pretty emotional(alone raising a child since you were 15 does it to person) all this stress of working on multiple jobs and #and having no one to share this burden with #in this comics they just collegs with grillby #they eventually will become friends(and khm husbands in future) but now lust's trust issues are pretty bad #but Grillby doesn't rush him #They build their connection at a slow pace #the bar they work in belongs to someone (possibly a relative of Grillby) who will give it to Grillby in the future #and he will make a strip club there or smth #Papy does his best to be brave and strong bro #so sans doesn’t have to worry too much..(papy knows about sans’ weak soul.. papy’s pretty mature for his age)

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capn-twitchery · 5 months

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been thinking about grace's Arctic Incident again--i wonder if things would've ended up different if he hadn't drawn the short straw,,

i don't know how much of his guilt is just dedicated to the fact that he broke the rules,,,grace drew the short straw, he's not supposed to be alive, he feels terrible about it. cue nemesis on the dead guy's behalf to ""make up"" for the mistake grace made

but what if he didn't!! what if he won the draw & was the one who was "supposed" to live? obviously he'd still feel guilty, killing the other guy. but would he still feel like he took a chance away from him? would that guilt drive him to still do nemesis or would it just be a "damn that's just how it goes i guess, sucks!"

maybe he would go through the first steps,just find out some information, honour the other guy's memory somehow, but not be so ridden with guilt that he goes through ALL of the stuff he does.

but i mean that's all assuming grace would even be able to kill him without the panic adrenaline anyway. maybe the other guy would have killed him first too, maybe grace would've backed down and sacrificed himself instead. i'm genuinely not sure. either way it wouldn't result in the absolute insane downward guilt spiral he actually has

all this to say it is fucking hilarious that his spiral was basically kickstarted by failing a 50% luck check. neath's #1 fucking unluckiest man for real

#londonmusings #grace #i don't know why the thought popped into my head but i was walking around thinking about it #like oh my god. oh my god wait that's so fucked up it's honestly hilarious #there's some kind of deep introspection here about how hard he sticks to rules & codes #that it breaks his entire sense of self when he doesn't follow them #but i don't have the brain for it tonight #his bad luck is funnier

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poorly-drawn-mdzs · 1 year

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Wardrobe Woes

[First] Prev <–-> Next

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #wei wuxian #lan wangji #Yes: there are people who read these comics who don't know much about mdzs. Several are my beloved and supportive friends B'*)#This comic in particular is one that I've been thinking about for a very long time and I'm so happy to finally be here!#I was trying to think about how to explain the social rules of the forehead ribbon and the reason lwj was so upset #and the metaphor of 'it's kind of like wwx accidently undoing lwj's bikini in front of a crowd.' came to mind.#of course there's a bit more to it than that but the point here is that - accident or not - it still embarrasses lwj #wwx doesn't get the entire context behind it (at the time. Now he *does* and it all makes a bit more sense)#But he knows he made lwj upset. He knows he doesn't want to put lwj in another embarrassing situation.#Not after all this. Not after everything. Not after realizing that his desire for friendship might be the kind of desire that ruins lan zha #Love the symbolism of the archery outfits being red during this moment of 'whoops only married couples can do that' moment.#What if we accidental proposed............accidental marriage....accidental kiss the bridegroom....accidental fall in love.#Guess we did inadvertently get the puffy sleeves and bikini outfits in the end.#wwx in an old timey bathing suit is so important to me. I'll die on this hill.#lwj's cute little box is inspired by @lazycranberrydoodles's cute fan art <3 I love it a lot

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caligvlasaqvarivm · 2 months

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wanna ask how you feel about the eridan bpd headcanon/theory(?? not sure what to call it!) you're so good at your character analysis and i'd love to see your outlook on it

Since I don't have a degree or any formal training in psychology, I feel deeply uncomfortable diagnosing characters. I've made an autism joke before but only because I'm on the spectrum. He's definitely traumatized and anxious, but I mean those as descriptors of his behavior rather than capital-D Diagnoses. I try to focus on those when I can - the cause and effect of cognition, self-image, and behavior - and those factors may very well match up with DSM criteria, but I try not to touch an actual diagnosis with a ten foot pole unless the author has explicitly stated that X character has Y condition.

#there's a variety of reasons for this #part of it is that im GROSSLY unqualified to be handing out diagnoses when it takes a full on PhD to do that in real life #part of it is that psychology is inchoate and we are still very much in murky waters #for example: complex ptsd isn't even IN the DSM yet #and iirc my therapist told me it was because theyre still figuring out how to classify it (attachment disorder? trauma disorder? etc.)#part of it is that (from my limited and undereducated understanding) there are diagnoses that you can assign by completing a checklist...#but some that require a hell of a lot more testing and ruling out other potential causes #and the cluster-b personalities are (IIRC) not even ones you're supposed to diagnose minors with #bc of fears of self fulfilling prophecy and because minors in general are still developing personalities In General #and like the fact that i can't say that with authority speaks to how unqualified i am to do any diagnosing right? hahaha #and part of it is just because like #unless the story is specifically About That and the author has stated so explicitly #i think diagnosing characters tends to put blinders on analysis #like if i were to seriously go 'eridan is autistic' then it would massively bias my reading and understanding of his character #and we have 0 indication that eridan was ever explicitly intended to be autistic or that the author was trying to do an autism specifically #that doesn't mean that the reading is invalid because like thats what death of the author means #all readings are technically valid including stuff the author didn't necessarily intend #but that's just not the way i like to engage with media and not the way i like to approach character analysis #because PERSONALLY it just feels kind of reductive - but also -#i'd wager MOST of us don't have degrees in psychology #so when i say 'X character has Y condition' it might mean something totally different to somebody reading my analysis #even people who have Y condition aren't exempt because a lot of mental illnesses differ from person to person #whereas if i explain “X character has Y thoughts and Z behaviors” there's no ambiguity in that #eridan struggles with noticing that people are suffering and with realizing that he should care #at least part of this is due to his horrific murder-filled upbringing which rendered empathy a detriment & so he learned to ignore it #it could be autism - but it could also be trauma -#or he might just be Like That without actually meeting the diagnostic criteria for autism #& you can't even technically be diagnosed with C-PTSD #or maybe he has a burgeoning personality disorder but you aren't supposed to DX those too early anyway #or maybe hes just 13. see what i mean hahaha. ive reached the 30 tag limit

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canisalbus · 1 year

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Sorry but we were speaking about history in a part of one of my classes and when the Vatican came on. I had to draw the sad dog man.

Machete is now immortalized in my class notes. It’s in spanish by the way, which is kind of funnily appropriate considering latin is very close to spanish.

#augh that's adorable!#“Vaticano” -> -> cue sad dog man #he doesn't seem very happy to be there #I've said this before and I don't really know why #but I keep finding the idea of people drawing little Machetes in post-it notes pieces of scrap paper and class notes #endlessly charming #it's so cute #it sparks joy #thank you!#Spanish and Italian are fairly closely related they're both descended from Latin and I think that's terribly nifty #I'd like to believe Machete speaks or understands Spanish at least passably #mostly due to continued exposure and for having a knack for languages #Spain was an influential superpower in the 16th century and also intensely Catholic so he ends up working with Spaniards on a regular basis #and he strikes me as a kind of person who would like to know what they're saying to each other even if he kept it to himself #not to mention that Spain has an extended history of ruling parts of Italy #the southern half of the country in particular #including the places where he grew up #gift art #nerium-aquifolium #own characters #Machete

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skitskatdacat63 · 7 months

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I don't know how I'd ever convey this in art but. Thinking very deeply about how in boy king au, a very crucial part of characterization is that Seb is a wolf in sheep(or lamb more specifically)'s clothing and Fernando is a sheep in wolf's clothing.

Seb is very unassuming, very delicate, seemingly very vulnerable and malleable. But, deep down, he can be very ruthless. It's in the the way he hesitantly declares war, with a spark in his eye and a suppressed smirk. In the way he challenges someone to a card game or a horse race, proclaiming that he's not great, but winning every round and prancing around the room and mentioning it ad infinitum. The way he's able to instantly turn the tide in a debate in one fell swoop. By showing all his cards constantly and letting himself be vulnerable, he's making himself invulnerable. No one would ever consider him to be able to make big moves, so he wins every single time, because no one even thinks to expect it from him.

Fernando on the other hand, is constantly committed to having a looming presence and harsh reputation, but deep down, he's soft. He knows what happens to people when they're vulnerable, and he's not going to let himself be taken advantage of. The way he keeps a brave face when being informed of the marriage proposal, but goes back to his room and cries. The way he proclaims that he was always going to be the rightful ruler of Spain, but confides to Flavio that he never thought there was any real chance of it ever happening. The way he takes himself so seriously in public, but inside feels so giddy whenever he can make someone laugh. Everything to him always feels unstable and ready to crumble at any moment, and he's not willing to contribute to that by letting himself relax.

I think thats why it's very difficult for them to get along at first, because they have completely different approaches to how they carry themselves and make their way through life. Seb is confused at Fernando because he feels that he's very bland and overly serious at first, but truthfully he's not really seeing the actual Fernando. And Fernando finds Seb to be naive and easily taken advantage of, but that's because he's never seen Seb at his most cruel. Seb really loves when he eventually gets to see Fernando being vulnerable, and Fernando really admires and respects Seb when he sees him being serious. I think it just takes a while for them to show the other their full and complete selves, even the parts they can sometimes be ashamed of. There's this very compelling dichotomy in Seb laying out all his cards, but still being very difficult to read, and Fernando keeping his cards to his chest, but his intentions often being easily seen through.

#meanwhile everyone else: what is this weird fucked up mating ritual they are participating in #though i think its very interesting how their motivations differ #seb wants to lull people into a false sense of security(and also really just likes to be his complete unadulterated self)#and fernando is guarding himself because he doesn't want to get hurt #and i think seb convinces Fernando that its okay to be openly soft and yourself :) not eveyrone is out to get you #and fernando teaches seb hey maybe dont invite this obvious assassin to your chambers?????#i think seb also has insecurites but Fernando's are just more easy to explain bcs hes in a much more difficult situation #at the end of the day both of them are putting on facades in some way #(i think seb likes to be himself but also does feel really hurt when people dont think he has the capacity or ability to rule effectively)#(he likes to be kind and playful and doesnt want to obscure that part of himself. but hes aware it can hurt his image unfortunately)#also lol the way i characterize fernando is very historically accurate btw #bcs the spanish court tradition was basically to be above it all and be a lofty unobtainable figure if that makes sense #yknow having just this insane level of confidence and infallible image of yourself as the ruler #the guy seb is based on really bought into that idea but i dont think it really suits seb so yeah #seb I think is very much a unique figure that others have a lot of trouble reading him and his intentions. which is great!#AAAAAHHH MAN FELT REALLY GOOD TO WRITE ALL THAT OUT !!!!!!!!!#i love writing their characterization so fucking much you dont understand #its nice to put it in words like this bcs yknow i dont rly enjoy actual writing. but this i enjoy greatly #hope this is compelling to more than just me hahaha #boy king au #catie.rambling.txt #vettonso

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autisticcassandracain · 1 year

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I dunno man I feel like most statements along the lines of ‘Batman isn’t REALLY x, he’s y’ don’t hold much water because usually, there’s a pretty good chance a number of writers over the years have written him as x, you just didn’t like it or think it doesn’t count for some reason.

For example ‘Batman isn’t REALLY a good parent, he’s actually a bad parent’, when Batman has been written as a good parent by a number of writers, and has, in addition, been written as realizing that he’s screwed up with his children and resolved to fix it by even more. At the same time, stating ‘Batman isn’t REALLY a bad parent, he’s actually a good parent’ is also incorrect, because Batman has been written as a bad parent by a number of writers, either intentionally or not; in addition, the pattern presented by the tug-of-war between writers who believe he should be a good parent and writers who don’t has, over the years, created an unintentional pattern that strongly resembles that of an abusive relationship. So, stating he is a good parent is inaccurate and dismisses a bunch of his canon writing, but stating he is a bad parent also dismisses a bunch of his canon writing and the intentions of the authors that wrote him.

The secret here is realizing that Batman has had so many writers over the years that it’s practically impossible to find a universal truth about him beyond the basic premise and maybe very, very basic characterization keystones. Writers with different beliefs about both the character and the world at large have written him in accordance to their worldview, and sometimes that worldview will align with yours, and sometimes it won’t.

Like, at this point, Batman is more an idea than he is a character. He is the bare-knuckled fight against injustice, but what ‘injustice’ is depends heavily on your worldview, as does what ‘bare-knuckled’ and ‘fight’ mean. Batman has been interpreted in dozens of different ways over the years, and singling out a few of those as the True Batman is largely arbitrary and dependent on your personal taste and belief in what the character should be. The only ‘objective’ measurement you could apply here are the old Golden Age comics, and I think most fans can agree that measuring modern Batman comics by how faithful they are to the Golden Age comics is, more often than not, a little ridiculous.

For the record, I do think that arguing about what Batman should be matters; if right-wing assholes use the character as a mouthpiece for their worldview we can and should critique that, but not because it’s ‘OOC’, but because the worldview espoused by those right-wing assholes is harmful and shitty. Batman should be a good parent, not because it’s ‘OOC’ for him to be a bad parent, but because having your paragon of justice be a child abuser is pretty shitty. Etc.

I don’t really have anywhere specific to go with this, I just think it’s a little strange when people try to view Batman as a character with a clear-cut characterization, rather than a concept that many people have approached in different ways over the years. Can that concept be mishandled? Sure. But it’s usually mishandled for reasons a bit more substantial than ‘a previous writer wrote it differently’.

#part of me feels like it's a cop-out to say #'batman isn't really a character so much as a concept and he can rarely ever be truly ooc'#'because he's been written by so many different people that practically any interpretation of him has canon back-up'#but at the same time. when you have a decades long history as one of the most well known pop culture icons of our time #i do think you kinda stop being a character and start being more of a concept #this post was inspired by a lot of stuff but the thing on my mind rn is conversations about why batman doesn't kill #and a lot of people being like 'saying batman doesn't kill because he thinks it'd turn him into an unstoppable killing monster is wrong!'#which. isn't true. that's a take many writers have on his character.#you may not like you or think it's stupid or whatever but. it's an interpretation of the no-kill rule with canon backing #and for that matter. even 'batman doesn't kill' is kind of up in the air with many writers taking a more relaxed stance on that #or even outright doing away with it. batman was also written before the concept of him not killing was added to his character #like. with a character with a history as long an profilic as batman. shit's complicated i feel #bruce wayne #my posts #infodumping

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