#i realize. now that i should have done some sort of a code for my f/os instead of using their main tag. sorry in advance

[tek-imagines]

I'm currently brainrotting over the idea of being poly with Jimmy and Tango during double life and continuing that relationship outside of the life series..

I want to plant so many crops with them. Irl, I've already planted onions (five, to be exact), and I'm going to plant potatoes today (hopefully!). Im excited to think about doing that with Tango and Jimmy. Getting into a playful dirt fight because Tango made a joke. Jimmy has to be the one to water the plants as Tango and I are too scared of the water hurting us. Tango is nervous as he's a blaze hybrid, and he has ZERO clue how water + plant food will react with him. and I'm nervous because of chronic pain, and water does not make me feel good. Jimmy doesn't mind, though! He'd do anything for his ranchers, even if that means making leather gloves for the two of us, just so water won't hurt.

Imaging Tango being a proud onion, dad fills my heart with so much joy! Imaging Jimmy is also so very proud of it. Sure, it's a death game but man! Onions guys? Can you believe that!

[queenothegeeks]

Awkward creator Drabble

Awkward creator drabbles part 2 

If you have any ideas for characters you want to see, put it in the comments, or send in an ask. (Warning, this was written before Arlecchinos release, so pls be nice.)

After arriving in Teyvat, you had gotten swarmed with letters asking you (the creator) to come to everything under the sun. Plays, meetings, weddings, requests from all sorts of nobel and rich people, but you always declined. Not only because you knew you would freak out and be awkward, but because you didn’t feel like you would fit into that high-end and stuffy air, where everyone is trying to outdo one another, whether it be with their outfits, their hair, their gold and gems, and their property. But what happens when you get a letter you can’t refuse? 

*Arlecchino edition*

When you got a letter that was sealed with the familiar mark of the Fatui, your heart skipped a beat. Up until now, everything had all been from people you didn’t know, and therefore, in your mind, were not powerful enough or important enough to care about going to meet with them. But Fatui, as you know, was not someone you should ignore. But, instead of a message requesting a fight from Childe or a meeting request from the Tsaritsa herself, it was a mere invitation to a tea party the Knave was holding. 

Deciding to respond, you picked up your quill (you still didnt know how to use it properly), you wrote a letter back to the knave, hoping it sounded professional enough, accepting her invite, and detailing how excited you were, while also asking if there would be any others attending that you should be aware of, and if there was a dress code (god forbid you show up in sweatpants to a formal event). 

A few days later, you got a letter back. It stated that you should “wear whatever felt comfortable” (whatever that means) and that it would be just the two of you, along with a few guards, though they were mostly going to be there for show. Obviously, you took “dress comfortably” as a “you must not have a hair out of place” and panicked slightly, worrying about what to wear. After tearing your closet apart, a mental breakdown or two, and a one way therapy session with a stuffed animal a random kid had given you, you set out.

 (Imagine whatever outfit you want, bc i want to remain gn and be comfortable for everyone) 

When you arrived, your jaw hit the floor. “A simple gathering” my foot! You suddenly felt very self conscious, picking at your outfit and nails, feeling out of place. You were led in by a masked guard, who brought you to a room with 2 massive couches, and more food than you could reasonably eat on a table in between them.

“The knave will be here shortly. She thanks you in advance for your patience, she is merely checking the perimeter of the building. Enjoy your tea party” 

They said, quickly leaving the room, presumably to return to their place guarding the building. 

“Thanks, you too!”

Realizing what you said, you were suddenly very glad they left as fast as they did. After waiting for a little while, Arlecchino walked in, not a hair out of place, walking with purpose.

“Thank you for waiting for your grace. I had some…issues that needed to be taken care of.”

“It's not a problem at all!” 

You quickly interjected.

“Pardon my question, but was there a specific reason you wished to meet with me?”

“Do I need a reason to speak with the creator, and thank them for all they have done for this world? Or a reason to hopefully make an alliance?” She said,

“Nononono- not at all. It was just because I know back where I’m from, you would use tea time as a way to get important information across. With the prophecy approaching and everything, I was wondering if that's why you called upon me.” 

“You would be correct. I’ll admit, I was a bit surprised you agreed to meet with me, considering you haven’t met with anyone else, no matter how important.”

You tensed a bit, not liking her tone. It wasn’t threatening, but it seemed like she knew more about you than the fact you hadn’t met with other people. Wait a minute…how did she know that?

“How did you know that?”

“Know what?”

“You said I haven't met anyone else. You aren’t wrong, I haven’t. But the public doesn’t know that. In fact, one glance at any newspaper, and it's boasting about how “the creator themself was there”.  

You started to ramble, your brain not worrying about being high end or fancy. The only thing on your mind was piecing together the information, just like how you would whenever a new genshin trailer or quest would come out. 

“The only way you would have the truth would be if you were hella good at catching someone in a lie or just calling bs, which I know you are, or that you assigned people to watch me, which, using the information I have about you based on stuff from my world, wouldn’t be that far off. The House of the Hearth is very versatile, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to say you could implant your children, and- you're smiling.” 

“I didn’t truly know if you hadn’t met with anyone else. I was mostly seeing if you would reveal any information about these nobel’s if you had, if you were any good at lying that you had or hadn't gone, or, seeing if you would reveal things you knew about me, thereby showing the extent of your knowledge about this world and its people. Now, back to the topic from before, now that I know you are aware of who I am, tell me, what's going to happen to Fontaine, and how do I save it?”

Oh sh*t. 

[mikaelsonstanaccount]

Klonnie Weekend 2025 Day 2: Fake Dating

I do apologize this is not fully finished but it's done enough (edit: forgot to post the damn story)

Klaus was truly shocked when he saw a letter sitting in the center of his couch. He was even more shocked when he read the handwritten invitation to some formal event for her sorority. “AKAs at Bennett College for Women…I didn’t know she was an AKA,” He mumbled to himself as he read over everything. The chapter at her university was hosting a gala to collect funding for the school as well as for the local chapter in her sorority. He saw her number written at the bottom, and he smirked. “Maybe I will call,” He hummed before dialing her number.

Bonnie saw a number flash across her screen. At first, she didn’t want to answer, but then she realized it may be one of her sorors or maybe even the event coordinator. She apprehensively answered the phone before hearing the familiar British accent over the phone. “Wow, an AKA love? Didn’t see you as a sorority type of woman. Let alone at a sorority so far from home. North Carolina? Awfully far from home.” He said as Bonnie could practically hear the smirk. “Listen, Klaus, are you going to agree to coming with me, or did you call to make fun of me?” Bonnie sighed as she crossed her arms. Klaus chuckled before letting out a small sigh. “When and where do you need me? Also, what is the dress code, beloved? I’ll make sure to look my best.” He hummed as Bonnie’s heart raced. “There’s actually one more thing…I need you for the whole weekend.” She started as she tried to think of a way to ask. “I uhm…I uh…fuck it I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.” She said quickly before hearing Klaus chuckle over the phone.

“I’m serious Klaus!”  Bonnie whined before throwing herself down on her bed. “Look okay so one of my sisters saw that stupid photo you snuck in my grimoire, which, thanks for warning me by the way that you slipped a nude polariod of you in my spell book. Anyways, she saw it and asked who it was, and I said no one special-” She started before Klaus cut her off. “No one special? Well, I beg to differ, love. I am very special.” Klaus said as Bonnie rolled her eyes again. “Shut up and listen. Anyway, she asked if you would be my date for this weekend's events, and at first I said no, but then this jackass from another school volunteered himself to be my date. I panicked and said my boyfriend would rip your hands off. So now everyone is expecting to see my boyfriend this weekend,” She sighed before hearing Klaus struggling to hold in his laughter. 

“If you are going to laugh, I will hang up and say you broke up with me. Then you’ll have a bunch of women who hate you.” She added before he calmed down. “So what’s our story? Also, is there any sort of lifestyle I should adopt?” He asked as Bonnie sat up excitedly. “I told them you ran a historical art curation company as well as painted on the side. You are 25, and we met at one of your art shows.” She smiled as she looked through her phone. “Okay, the first event is a block party that Friday evening. Saturday is a brunch and then the gala that evening. Sunday is family game day as well as a cookout.” She said, laying everything out for him. “My dress is pink, by the way, it would be really cute if you wore a green tie.” Bonnie smiled as Klaus let out a playful sigh. 

“This is a lot of requirements, I hope I am getting adequate pay for this.” Klaus said as Bonnie rolled her eyes. “You get to sleep in my condo for the weekend, that is payment enough.” Bonnie said as Klaus smiled. “Perfect. I will be at your place at noon on Friday.” He said before hanging up. Bonnie was worried about him being there at noon. Since the block party was at 4, more than likely, she and her sisters would be getting ready together.

Just as Klaus promised, he showed up at her door promptly at 12. Bonnie took a breath before getting ready to put on the act for them. Bonnie excitedly opened the door before practically jumping into Klaus' arms. He dropped everything he was holding to wrap his arms around her hips. He, of course, didn’t miss the opportunity to lay his hands on her ass. She pecked his lips before he set her down. “I brought you a gift, mon cherie.” Klaus smiled as he held up a huge square. Bonnie unwrapped it, confused, before looking at it. It was a painting of her surrounded by sunflowers. She blushed hard, shocked that he painted her. “Thank you, baby. This is beautiful.” She smiled before sitting it in front of her mantle. 

Klaus walked inside and introduced himself to everyone while holding his bags. He walked off to Bonnie’s bedroom to place his suit in her closet. He walked back out and sat with Bonnie, fawning over her. He planned to play the part of smitten boyfriend perfectly just for her. To him, it was the least she deserved. To him he wished it were real. Bonnie deserved the best of the best in the world. A man who was obsessed with her, someone who would set the world on fire to warm her in the winter. He would lie at her feet just for a chance to worship her. He was lost in his thoughts as he watched Bonnie do her makeup in the mirror. 

At the block party, Klaus watched as she ran around with her sisters,  squirting water guns at each other. He smiled, enjoying how happy she was. He remembered the first time they met. He remembered how exhausted she looked after performing just one spell. It was then that he realized just how often Bonnie was using her magic. While hiding out in the old Bennett house, he remembered hearing whispers anytime she used her magic. He couldn’t tell what everyone was saying, but he could hear phrases of concern. “She’s overexerting herself.” “She’s too stressed.” “She needs our help,” were phrases he could make out multiple times. They were practically calling out for her to relax while her friends used her constantly. 

He knew in his heart that her ancestors were probably elated when she moved out of Mystic Falls. She could finally relax and give herself time to heal herself and her magic. Klaus saw Bonnie sneakily approaching before he quickly stood up and ran off. He let out a laugh as Bonnie chased him, spraying him with water. He grabbed his water gun and began to chase her, spraying her back. 

[liquidpaperdraws]

@lawlightweek2024 day 7: AU

!! I do not support JKR, which is why I enjoy Harry Potter exclusively through fan content and other means that don't put any more money in her pockets !!

That being said, this idea has been kicking around in the back of my head for months.

I'm honestly surprised almost nobody has done this crossover. I looked it up and there's maybe 7 or 8 fanfics and 12 pieces of fanart on all of tumblr, deviantart, fanfiction.net, and ao3 in total that combine Death Note and Harry Potter. It seems like it should be a more popular AU considering the overlap in time period and target demographic.

Alright, now here are some headcanons:

Light:

5th year

Was supposed to go to Slytherin, but convinced the sorting hat to put him in Gryffindor instead (that's where his father went, after all)

Gryffindor's token Evil Friend™

Wants to eliminate the death eaters and all dark wizards by any means necessary (as well as anyone who looks at him funny)

Is against unforgivable curses except when he uses them, because he totally has good reasons you guys

Nearly was able to get all three deathly hallows for himself

Avada kedavra avada kedavra avada kedavra

Good at persuasion, memory charms, and making polyjuice potion

Keeps killing so many others who are also trying to fight Voldemort for not being willing to murder as much as he is

Created the Death Note himself so he wouldn't have to keep spamming avada kedavra

L:

7th year

The sorting hat had a hard time deciding, but eventually picked Ravenclaw

He was disappointed (he wanted to be in Hufflepuff for the snacks)

Master of mind-reading, invisibility, divination

Possible werewolf

kept breaking the dress code by "forgetting" his socks, sweater, and shoes so he mastered illusion spells solely for the purpose of cloaking it look like he was wearing the uniform correctly and not getting in trouble

frequently uses duplication charms on cake so he can eat more of it without eating more calories

Doesn't talk to anyone but somehow knows all their secrets (he was spying on them using an invisibility cloak, crystal ball, etc)

His parents are unknown and dead so nobody knows how to be blood-racist to him

Lawlight:

L and Light constantly try to one up each other at wizard chess supposedly to show their superiority but really it's to impress each other

L got his hands on an invisibility cloak so he could follow Light around and spy on him but Light used the marauders map to figure out that L was following him

they won't admit their feelings for each other

Light started dating Misa (Hufflepuff) to beat the gay allegations but she realized what he was doing and decided to slip him a love potion to force him to love her back. L was the only person who noticed and begrudgingly decided to help Light by reporting her. Light confessed his feelings for L after that.

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

my favorite scully moments from s4

in episode 1, she cracks encrypted messages, commenting that “you say ‘a twenty letter code’ to any scientist and they immediately think ‘protein amino acid sequence code’, which is what this turned out to be” <- and that is genius at work right there!!

skinner pulling her aside to ask “do you realize what you are promoting?” when she puts together there's a whole international smallpox conspiracy, and she cuts him off with a clear “i am a SCIENTIST, sir” <- that is right!! you tell him!!!

trying and failing to come up with a theory for how the photos in episode 4 became terrifying: “plus, the film is two years out of date” “oh” “the-the photographic chemistry could have changed” “uh-huh” “the-the dyes fade… they… alright, that’s your theory?” (had me absolutely giggling)

we also learn in episode 4 that she took german in college <3

in episode 6, she spends a great deal of time explaining the science behind sleeping pills and their controversial effects

(and i also loved her fury that such an advanced facility was being used for plastic surgery rather than life-saving care)

tearing into the culture of lawlessness while testifying in episode 9; talking about how she left the medical field to protect the innocent and punish the guilty- such an excellent moment, more of that good old fashioned scully righteous rage combined with inherent optimism- and her continuing to read her statement despite the council repeatedly cutting her off (as she should!)

choosing to be jailed rather than reveal where mulder was located, because she will do the right thing no matter the consequences (and is also just a really great friend)

((and bonus points for skinner checking up on her: “you holding up alright?” “i’ve got plenty to read”, she says, as she flips through medical texts))

“it is my natural inclination to believe they are acting in the best interest of the truth… but i am not inclined to follow my own judgment in this case” (casting aside her own optimism in the face of such corruption, understanding her personal bias and objectively putting it to the side… i admire her ability to do so)

((but still. after all she has been through, it is natural for her to believe that the government means well. it's incredible))

this exchange from episode 12: “where could he hide an adult body where it wouldn’t be found?” “i’ll show you” (cut to them sorting through the medical waste, mulder looking horrified as she casually says she needs his longer arms to sift through the body parts)

((but isn't it just great that she knew the answer to that question instantly?))

in episode 12, when she realizes that leonard betts trying to kill her means she has cancer, she responds to mulder saying she should be proud of stopping him with a quiet “i just want to go home”

(we get another "i'm going home" moment in episode 22, after their confrontation in the hallway about her fears, and the exhaustion contained in those few words could make me weep)

in episode 14, she writes letters saying goodbye to mulder, trying to convince him her inevitable death was not his fault: “and if the darkness should have swallowed me as you read this, you must never think there was the possibility of some secret intervention, something you might have done”, she wrote, knowing how he would blame himself, trying to spare his feelings of guilt even as she knew she had so little time left

later on, her nose starts bleeding while they're making an arrest; “quit staring at me, i’m fine!”, she says in the voice of someone who is deeply not fine, her helplessness inspiring a fury that thrashes about and digs its claws into everything inch of her

how she told mulder she was going to die, but insisted to her mother that she was fine- her mother is furious she didn’t tell her she was sick, shaking in fear, giving her a kiss and a hug, and saying that she is her only daughter now as they hold each other. while she can tell mulder the truth, she can't find the words to tell her mom how bad things really are

writing in her journal that she needs to draw strength from mulder, needs someone to lean on, even though she works so hard to be entirely self-sufficient; “i need to know you’re out there if i’m ever to see through this”

(contrast this with her earlier attempts to do absolutely every single thing by herself and bask in the character growth)

((but then she REJECTS what she wrote in the journal, saying that she isn’t giving up, and she has so much to prove to herself and her family- they have the conversation in the hallway that made me cry and cheer and yell and experience every emotion in between as she realizes that she is something worth fighting for))

in episode 18, she tries her best to save pendrell, telling him that “we still haven’t celebrated my birthday, pendrell; i’m not gonna let you off the hook like this” - it's the way she spent his last moments on earth trying to make him smile that gets me so emotional

later, she's having this very tense face off with skinner until he notices she was trying to hide her nosebleed; he grabs her hand and says “i have a responsibility for the safety of the agents under my supervision, agent scully. i’m not going to put another agent’s life in jeopardy just to keep her out in the field”, and she assures him she’s okay with tears in her eyes (the way he pierced through her best attempts at a stony exterior… i'm emotional)

they visit max fenig’s trailer again and she still HATED it lmao, she says “i remember being amazed at what some people will call a home”

(and then she disses the very bare hotel room they visit in the next episode, saying “i’m not sure if ‘living’ is the word i would use to describe this space” - give her all of the blankets and throw pillows, she wants a cozy house)

((this, combined with her saying "i want to go home" when she is experiencing moments of earth-shattering grief, made me realize how important to her it is that she have a nice, comfortable, safe space for herself))

smirking at her own stupid joke in episode 19; “what was he wearing, a long black robe and carrying a scythe?”

she knows the lowest temperature a human body has ever reached and survived (70 degrees) and also uses the phrase “nuclear magnetic resident spectra”, both of which made my heart skip a few beats

“okay, so this photo that was never taken, when was it never taken?” <- SEVERELY underappreciated line!!!!

in the opening of episode 20, she starts reciting facts about babies born with extra appendages in incredible detail, and i want to know so badly why she is educated on the subject. scully, please give us the story time video

she also mentions her plans to write an article on “diminished acetylcholine production in recidivist offenders” when she goes home from work. because that is how she spends her evenings, very casual. no big deal (said with great sarcasm)

her realization in episode 22 that the killer had been switching around the rings on each victim’s fingers, based on some blurry photos (it was a very good catch!)

talking to her therapist, admitting she struggles to talk about her fears, and that mulder’s passion has been a source of strength during her sickness

(we then, very briefly, see her praying in her nightgown in her apartment, before mulder knocks on the door to ask for her medical opinion. i find that shot so compelling, especially when you contrast it with her saying in the finale that she is not ready to return to the church- it must be too personal to talk about, god must be something she wants to experience on her own at this point in her life)

((and she grapples with the revelation that everyone else who had seen the spirits had been dying, knowing what it means for herself))

the way she shoots the evil nurse in the shoulder not to kill her, but to incapacitate her… scully, your aim is legendary

fun facts with scully, episode 23 edition: dostoyevsky had waxman-geschwind syndrome!

VERY FIRMLY telling mulder that he NEEDS to get to the hospital, and when he continually refuses, instead asking to go on a road trip, she agrees... ONLY on the condition that she drives!!!!

and when his terrible trauma ketamine trip culminates in him almost shooting her and himself, she manages to talk sense into him, before she rests her entire body on him, shielding him, not letting him move, weighing him down like an anchor back to reality

(her being the one taking charge in this episode even while she feels she is losing so much of her agency in her life makes me so emotional)

when mulder interrupts her family dinner in episode 24 to go on a quest for alien answers, she reminds him that this is his goal, and not hers. when he tries to convince her, she refuses to budge- it was frustrating to watch him put her in that situation, but amazing to watch her stand her ground

(and the fact that she wasn’t able to tell him her cancer was getting much worse is also so fascinating to me- why couldn't she bear to break it to him? would saying it aloud make it real?)

and of course, her tracking down the dude that shoved her down the stairs and nearly hitting him with her car (it was deeply satisfying)

[thornwashere]

catradora, catra, and azula is there too

this is sort of a multifandom post (bc both of these shows have a death grip on my brain juices) but it’s something ive been thinking about

awhile ago i saw this video about why catradora is abusive, and i realized it had some good points. catradora is objectively, even just disregarding the romance factor, an abusive relationship. (STAY WITH ME NOW FOLKS, i love catradora give me a second)

it’s not fair, however, to say catra and her relationship with adora are plainly horrible things. in fact, given the (criminally short) time the two characters are seen romantically involved on screen, i think the situation was handled quite well.

one character i never see catra compared to is azula, but i genuinely think it is an incredibly accurate comparison.

both were raised in non ideal circumstances, and both were incredibly skilled and of course have similar personalities. instead of breaking off and healing like the person in their similar circumstance does (zuko and adora respectively), they stay because they both want to prove themselves.

azula, by the end, isn’t there for the power trip. she wants to prove herself to her father.

and catra at first wants to prove herself to shadowweaver. then hordak. then horde prime. and then at the end? she wants to prove herself to adora.

they are parallels, both treated horribly by their mother figures, longing for companionship and attachment, but being far too brash and trained for violence to be able to function healthily anywhere. catra sees adora. azula sees her mom.

one thing i think we always forget is that both of these characters are CHILDREN. minors. young people. easily influenced KIDS who want to prove themselves. who were, quite frankly, raised in a purely abusive environment. but because they both show the hard, not sunshine and rainbows pretty side of trauma, they are therefore evil people.

what both of these characters do to people is abuse. i wont disregard that at all. but abuse most often comes from a place of trauma, violence, and rage.

when catra came over to good, things are still not easy for her.

remember when zuko got sick after helping aang and appa in s2? (a far too underspoken of an arc i must add) catra is ALSO sick after having such a drastic mental switch, but she shows it with her intense amount of mental problems. this wont be cured by falling in love with adora. this wont be cured by being with adora. she will still lash out and hurt people and be sick.

people don’t seem to recognize there is a gray area between “uncaring hatred and abuse” and “love cured me.” it’s not fair to say catra is evil. that’s disregarding what catra went through. but it’s also not fair to say catra is a fully good, amazing person. that’s disregarding everything she has done.

my favorite character IS catra because of how complex and imperfect and FULLY flawed she is. her trauma isn’t coded with sugared words and cured by romance. it’s raw, powerful, sad and angry. and it is also scary. that’s how trauma is.

mentally ill people are redeemable. azula is redeemable. catra isn’t exempt from this.

none of this is to say catra and adora shouldnt date (bc they should bc they are cutie patooties [and mentally ill people can be in perfectly healthy relationships]) but just that BOTH OF THEM need to heal before their relationship can be considered healthy. they need to take time and heal.

overall the point of this post was to show there is a gray area between irredeemable villainous acts and an entirely innocent person :)

i’ve discovered i love tumblr bc i can just yap and yap and people will see it?? and like?? acknowledge what im saying?? crazy fr

[riddle-me-fear]

Okay honest question here…who has the best henchmen and or henchwomen

Also, do you give costumes to them

Also also are ether if you hiring? I’m so close to dropping out of school because geometry suuuuucks

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

My, my, three questions. You're an eager one, aren't you? Let's go through them then, one by one, shall we? Right, so question number one, who has the best henchmen/henchwomen. Personally, I can say I am very satisfied with my two favourite henchwomen Query and Echo - they are both extremely reliable and loyal, with an error quota of 17%, which I aim to lower to an absolute zero. As for everyone else I've hired in the past - eeeeh, let's just say there's a reason why I am always on the lookout for new employees. Most of these brain-dead morons can't even get the simplest of jobs right, such as setting up one of my trophies in a specific location, and then I have to endure hearing that finding them was "too easy". UGH insolent slackers! So, in terms of mass, I think I lose this one, since, unfortunately, the broad population is filled with IDIOTS! And I'm better off doing everything myself. But if it comes to the individual, I definitely come out victorious, since I truly doubt that Jonathan can come up with someone better than my two incredibly skilled girls.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

... ... ... Oh, you're done. Aight, uuh... Don' really 'ave someone sp'cific, don't giva shit about their names, I just hire whoeva wants in. I pretty much neva run outta thugs, cuz I just take thems that tha otha rogues kicked out. I'd say they're pretty reliable, overall. Those that I find promisin', I expose to ma toxin just enough s' that they ain't afraid 'o dyin' no mo. Which I guess makes 'em better than Eddie's, since they don' pussy out. But yea, nuthin' beats the girls, you can 'ave this one, darlin'.

Ed jumps up in the air, balling his fists in excitement.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

YESS HAHAA! Ahem, hmm. Right, uhm--

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

I luv it when ya get that child-like happiness out o' nowhere about tha littlest things.

Jon responds, gazing over at Edward lovingly. Ed is locked in place for a moment, caught extremely off-guard by that sudden open honesty Jon nearly never displays, blushing ear to ear. Then realization kicks in.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

You're doing this on purpose.

Jonathan smirks cheekily.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

And what if I am?

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

We'll - AHEM - continue this conversation later, ANYWAY, onward to the next question! Do we give them costumes- Pff, do we give them costumes, they ask - Of course we're giving them costumes, haha! Or, well, we tell them a certain way. There's like, what, 10+ major Rogues in this city, obviously it needs to be clearly distinguishable who's who, so that we, as the Rogues know whose skull to bash in when someone's thugs ruin our business. As for my personal dress-code, it's usually green clothing, bowler hats, a touch of purple, oh, and of course, the very obvious question mark. It should look classy and yet be practical, since I still need my thugs to be capable of combat. My undercover agents quite obviously wear none of the sort. And also, I don't feel the need to settle for specific weaponry, use whatever you like, the more effective, the better.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Don' need nuthin' fancy to work under me. Put a sack o' potatoes over yer 'ead, cut sum scary-lookin' face into it - dun. The mo' frightenin' an' ragged, the better. Some like ta go a lil wild n' put on venetian bird masks, plague doctor masks or gas masks, now those be reaaal popular with ma boys. An' girls, an' non-binaries. Y'kno, anyone's welcome, don't care 'bout tha specifics. Color-wise I guess brown, can also be red 'r orange. Weapon-wise, couldn't give less ofa shit, 's long as ya get the job done. Gas n' smoke grenades 'r a hit with ma Ravens, in sum special occasions I arm 'em with daddy's finest fear gas. Tha's 'bout it.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

We truly are polar opposites, aren't we?

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Ya only realizin' that now?

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

Of course not! Obviously, I've come to that realization much earlier on. I merely felt the urge to vocalize it.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Guess there's sum truth in tha whole "opposites attract"-thing.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

Yes, right, moving on! Are we hiring - well, of course, we're always hiring. Buuuut I'm quite reluctant in taking you, since you're failing at geometry, I really don't need another dumbass employee, no offense.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Sure, I'll take ya. If ya turn out ta be useless, I can still use ya as a test subject.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

Ooof course you would.

[thewickedbohemian]

Thoughts on a magickal (in more ways than one) Brilliant Minds that got my brain a-whirring with symbolism and what things could all mean

ok where's your dad Wolf

nesting, so the thing they did on Extended Family (also NBC show, sadly cancelled last season) has a name

if we didn't know Wolf was gay I'd wonder if that was a play for him

relationship with the job I guess

so we're really trying for scientific proof of Van's issues

no kid?

guess she was too distracted to hear

god pregnancy pacts are creepy

nice handy-dandy slideshow

so Dana's got trauma

do they really all have to go

a little bit of weird gen Z writing

looks like there was a decidedly nonprofessional spark

ok Dana's panic attack looked full Carrie

dude, you're evaluating the patient not his attending

ok things just got real scary real fast

Van probably get out of there but don't let them baby you

creepy singing is creepy

so friendship is magic (but let's hope they don't have to go that far to bond)

And we have significator-y cards for all of them (Queen Of Swords for Ericka, Knight Of Cups for Jacob, Three Of Swords for Van, The Hanged Man for Dana and Death for Wolf), interested to see if those keep symbolic relevance down the line/what else could be drawn from their meanings beyond those challenges

did the death card have something to do with it

Dana's got a sister (even more lore)

bunch of teenage witches taking pregnancy pact up a notch

and the mystery girl's going into actual labor

Wolf's got a date and Carol's acting like a reverse GBF

identity revealed and could Wolf have been any more awkward

between Wolf, Van and this spell we've got a bit of an empathy-magic motif here

as some people predicted but not as bad Van's getting a little bit of labor-pain-by-proxy

but he still can take charge

Carol's got a potential date too but she needs to tame a wolf

and now panic attacks

everybody's healing

Wolf, follow your arcana, don't blow this

interns havin' a party and Van's entirely too proud of himself

anchor thing giving me Cassandra flashbacks and wondering if it's meant to be taken as a shiptease or not and wondering what Van's sexuality might even be (and hey if he were bi that'd be more Cass connection as he already has synesthesia)

so that's the tragedy of Dana's backstory and the principal should not have freaking done that

though now Dana's sister having a name that's the female version of Wolf's first name has got me thinking about connections between them with the loss and the substance-use-connections and the similar-outsider-y-ness and even with the tarot cards earlier if those end up meaning more Dana and Wolf were the only two who got Major Arcana cards (perhaps foreshadowing a sibling-esque connection forming) and now I'm wondering since it's unlikely it's a death-related thing what Dana's fear of stillness will turn out to be

not saying the fandom should force it if they don't want to but I wonder if "coven" could be the equivalent fandom term to what "ducklings" is for House but I've realized "wolf pack"/"cubs" (for just the interns) works better if the fandom doesn't use that to plunge into omegaverse hell

everybody's popping bottles

now I feel called out with my books and my music and stuff for similar sort of wanting to be alone

it's cute when guy and girl can just be friends and have what'd otherwise be couple-coded interaction

looks like we might be getting a pure-or-at-least-mainly mythology episode next week

[tobiasdrake]

Guess I'll wrap things up in town and head to the re-sleepover.

Okay, last time I was here, I weirded out this child. This time, I'm gonna TRY. HARDER.

Jackpot. Children love puns about their favorite thing. Now this small child of no clear importance thinks I'm cool.

That is very important to me.

I don't know why.

FROG SPELL

Nyeh heh heh heh heh! I have discovered the cheat code to being popular with kids. It's frogs. The cheat code is frogs.

Now if only I could extend that popularity to adults.

And my teammates.

And now. We have. THE FLOWER. Aggggggggh the flower. So much pressure. Hmm. Maybe I can bribe Bonbon into not hating me.

HEY HALF-PINT, PRESENT FOR YOU

Because I'm trying to improve our team's cohesion and the friction that exists between you and me is basically our only interpersonal conflict. Consider this an olive branch.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and call this one "Mission Failed" since I'm pretty sure I just made things awkward and weird. There might not be a way to bury the hatchet with this kid. They're under a lot of stress.

I just want to know who keeps breaking the bread. I was specifically watching for it and it still crept up on me. I blinked for one second - Well, okay, I had a brief chat with my Lemonfriend about ignoring all of you but that's beside the point - and then there was just this hideous CRACK and the bread was ripped in half.

How!? WHEN!? WHO!?

You could just tell me now and then I'll know it so when I die and you've un-told it to me I can spare you the embarrassment of telling me.

Then again maybe we should keep it on the down-low to avoid making my Lemonfriend jealous. I'm sure they're listening in on every word we say. They're clingy and stalkerish like that.

Wow. We're back here again already. In my defense, I DID check for traps. I very briefly skimmed each pillar so I'm pretty sure there has to be some sort of complex--

Well. Okay then.

I now realize that the cause of my death was, in fact, that I suck at my job. Cool.

I would make a remark here about "going to crawl under a rock and die" but the boulder has a sense for ironic timing so it's best not to chance it. Let's just flick this stupid switch and move on.

Done. Mistake unmade. No longer have I died a clown. DO YOU HEAR THAT, LEMONFRIEND!? I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY NOT DIED.

BOOM, nothing to worry about now. It should be smooth sailing from here. Let's go commit regicide with extreme prejudice.

Cutlery is an interesting subject matter, actually. There's a lot of differentiation in individual sizes, shapes, and compositions of individual cutlery that contribute to a variety of different meal experiences. Even chopsticks come in many different forms.

But this would fall under the category of etiquette. I'm not quite sure if Madame Odile's field of expertise falls into that wheelhouse. Though I could see it....

Hey, give me some credit. You know how hard it is to cheat gratuitously under four different sets of watchful eyes?

You call it cheating. I call it speed practice. That's the kind of manual dexterity that lets me throw signs so fast.

Well that's fucking dangerous. THANKS FOR JUST BRINGING IT UP NOW, BONNIE. What if I slipped on that?

<.<

>.>

What... if I slipped on that....

Zero hesitation. FOR SCIENCE!

YES

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Okay. We have proven that my lemon drop powers will still bring me back in time even if I'm frozen in time. This is a very useful piece of information to establish, so it's good to get that out of the way before we meet the King while the risk is still....

...

...while the risk is still....

...

Oh. Wait. That could have been really bad for me. If that didn't work then--

LET'S NOT THINK ABOUT THAT HAHAHA I'm sure my Lemonfriend wouldn't have left me strander there. It's fine. The important thing is that I now know my ability to loop is immutable even by time.

This is what PROGRESS looks like. >:D

[pangaeaseas]

curious about slytherin hermione cuz its something you see everywhereeee so whats your take on it

so this was meant to be written for a dramione fest (this whole thing is really bringing back my cringe era...) so the plot of it was heavily depending on coming up with a way to make that work. Of course I then realized this was basically a full series rewrite and I would not be able to finish it for the deadline (hence the title of the doc being longfic I may never finish lol) and so the fic I actually wrote for the fest just...skipped to near the end. I determined Dramione was best done by making Hermione a Slytherin. Which is an idea i'm pretty down with in general! Hermione totally has the personality to be a Slytherin and throwing her in the deep end might make her go Full Slytherin.....but this wasn't meant to be Dark Hermione. So she makes friends with Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis who I headcanon as the non-racist Slytherins--she also probably has a decent relationship with Theo Nott. But the main focus of this was her relationship with Draco Malfoy: he bullied her, she somehow saved his life from the troll which got her a life debt from him, and she later used the life debt to blackmail him into spying on the Death Eaters, creating a spy ring under the code name of Hogwarts Chess Club. Yeahhhhhh.

Here are some snippets (the second one is set much later than the first):

“I’m Tracey Davis,” says the girl with long dark hair in a ponytail.

“Daphne Greengrass,” says the poised blonde girl quietly.

“I’m Hermione Granger,” says Hermione Granger, and this is, though they don’t know it, yet, the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

They talk about books, first, because Hermione was reading and because books are always a fairly safe topic. They move on to what classes they’re excited for, and Hermione doesn’t notice yet that both Tracey and Daphne deftly steer the conversation away from their families. They play a game of chess, which Daphne wins. “You should join the Chess Club,” Hermione says.

They talk about houses, eventually. It is slowly dawning on Daphne that both of her new friends are of inferior blood status, and that she doesn’t care. “I have to be in Slytherin,” Daphne says, quietly. 

“Oh,” says Tracey, understanding. A bit wary, because she has grown up with her aunt taking her to Diagon Alley because her mother is too afraid after something that happened in the war, and she’d known Daphne’s last name because her mother and aunt both work for Greengrass Potions at low wages and with conditions so bad her aunt had lost an eye. She’d gone into the conversation with half a mind to help her mum and aunt, somehow, through this girl, and hadn’t expected to like her. “My mum was a Hufflepuff, and my aunt a Gryffindor, but my grandparents were both Ravenclaws. So I don’t know what house I want to be in.”

Daphne frowns. “You have family in different houses?”

“I don’t know what house I want to be in,” says Hermione. She can spot the subtext in Daphne and Tracey’s conversation, but can’t interpret it: an equation with too many variables. And it’s true.

They don’t talk about anything important, these girls. Not yet. They keep their secrets close to their chests. But it’s a start, a spark of something greater.

Hermione Granger wants to change the world. Hermione Granger has darkness in her, just ask Marietta Edgecombe or Rita Skeeter. This is true in any universe. In any universe, the Sorting Hat tells her but you would be great in Slytherin.

“Granger, Hermione!” calls Professor McGonagall, and Hermione leaves off frantically whispering Hogwarts: A History facts to a bemused Daphne to sit on the stool. It only takes four minutes, for her life to change. Four minutes and a book and a train compartment.

“Better be SLYTHERIN!”

There is not much applause, for a girl with an unknown name in the middle of the alphabet. Hermione tries not to be afraid. Later she will learn that fear is a weakness and a weapon both, but for now she is just a girl who could have been anything.

Hermione takes a seat by Tracey and moments later Daphne joins them, a quiet act of approval that will end up defining the next few years of their lives. But no one else talks to her. One girl even turns up her nose at Hermione and looks pointedly away.

“Malfoy, Draco,” is sorted with a brief brush of the hat against his head, Daphne explaining “His family is very rich and very influential, and we’re probably related somehow, but I’ve never met him because my mother hates his mother.”

“What’s a mudblood doing at the Slytherin table?” Malfoy says, sneering at Hermione, and her stomach twists hard. Now the averted gazes and pointed ignorance seems sinister.

“That’s an ugly word to use, Malfoy,” Tracey spits sarcastically. “Didn’t your parents teach you manners?”

“Who the fuck--” he says fuck like any other eleven-year-old boy who wants to seem cool and Hermione is bizarrely comforted--“are you?”

“Your worst nightmare,” says Tracey, squaring her shoulders. 

Malfoy stares at her blankly for a moment before flouncing off to sit as far away from Hermione as he can go.

Hermione feels the prick of tears at her eyes, but she’s already learning that snakes don’t let anyone see them cry. 

***

Halloween in Potions Malfoy threw something in her cauldron and it exploded, ruining the potion. “Maybe the Mudblood should leave the potioneering to the real wizards,” he hissed at her, quietly enough that Snape wouldn’t hear (as if that would matter).

And Hermione’s thin thread of everything’s-fine snapped. A fraying cord already, and it’s those words, juvenile as they are, that pushed her over the edge. She brushed off Daphne and Tracey’s concern, the stares of the Gryffindors, and ran to the nearest bathroom, one she knows the older girls don’t use, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. As soon as she could lock herself in a stall, she broke down.

It’s not like Malfoy hadn’t said or done worse- he’s hexed her in the common room even because she sat in his “spot” because apparently he had a magic-given right to that particular spot. But Hermione is tired of having to sit and take it, see Snape turn the other cheek, see most of the house ignore her at best and insult her ar worse. 

Later she will think this moment is when she becomes a warrior. In the moment, though, she is just exhausted. She cried so much her eyes ache with it, and it feels as if the tears are coming on their own, like she’s been hit with a Weeping Jinx again.

Then she heard a sound like an avalanche. A roaring of boulders. And a terrible smell, worse than the bathroom.

Her pulse sped up as if of its own accord. Every sense she had learned over the past two months was screaming, her head and heart pounding like drums. She peered out of the bathroom stall, and screamed.

“Hermione!” she heard. “Hermione? Are you in there?” And then, another scream.

Tracey and Daphne had come to save her. And now they would get themselves killed. Hermione thought blindly, panicking, and shot a Weeping Jinx at the troll. She’d made it angry, but it turned away from where Tracey and Daphne were standing. Tracey and Daphne and Malfoy.

Draco Malfoy is an arrogant little twit at eleven in any universe, but in every universe he is also not a killer. He heard Tracey and Daphne panic as they realize that Hermione went to the bathroom to cry and that’s where the troll is, and his stomach flipped over and over as he realized he’s the reason. 

He’ll be responsible for her death.

And suddenly just a mudblood flew out of his brain and his heart started to pound and in a quavering voice he told Greengrass “I’ll go with you.”

“How can I be sure you’re not trying to sabotage us?” Greengrass challenged him.

“I-I’ll make an Unbreakable Vow!”

“We’re first years,” said Greengrass contemptuously. 

“On the other hand, more cannon fodder is always helpful,” said Davis, considering.

Hermione thought she was hallucinating at first. That this was all just a dying dream. Until the troll roared loudly enough that if she was dreaming she’d have woken up. 

“Distract it!” Daphne yelled, and Tracey fired a Color Change Charm (...?) at the opposite side of the wall from Hermione. Malfoy fumbled with his wand until Daphne poked him, and he shot a weaker-looking charm to the same place as Tracey.

The troll turned away from Hermione, barrelling into the wall. It gave a scream of anger and grabbed the closest person--Malfoy.

Hermione didn’t think, just acted. She used the first spell she though of--a Levitation charm of all things-- and Malfoy was lifted out of the troll’s grip and into a heap on the floor. But she’d attracted its attention again. 

That was when a curse she didn’t recognize shot out of Malfoy’s wand and hit the troll, knocking it over like a tree in a bad storm.

And that was when the teachers arrived and packed all four of them off to the Slytherin Common Room.

“Where did you learn that spell,” Hermione said dully to Malfoy, still half in shock.

“My mother taught me. Look, Granger, I’m sorry.”

“Of course she did,” Daphne murmured.

“I don’t have to accept your apology,” said Hermione, Tracey nodding encouragingly.

“Fine,” said Malfoy. “But you have to accept the Life Debt.”

“What?” said Hermione.

“You saved me when I--” he swallowed.  “Drove you to that bathroom anyway. An act of mercy in place of justified revenge--that’s a Life Debt. When you save someone who doesn't deserve to be saved.”

“He’s right,” Daphne said, nodding.

[kozykricket]

havent been very active on tumblr, for no reason in particular. anyways, as a risk of rain fan, i must clarify my opinions on the SOTS release

i think we can all agree on "the dlc is great content"

but anyways, its clear to me that the devs are people who care and are passionate about ROR as a series and about keeping ror2 going as well. i mean, hopoo and ghor have said as much! and their community manager seems nice i really dont blame the actual DLC team, because like. its always rude to just point fingers at the people who are just doin' darn good work. point fingers at the executive decision makers i think uh, the unification of console and pc code is... well, ill miss the old codebase, but honestly? the fact they've rewritten the games code from the ground up basically... tells me that they're in it for the long-ish haul. that they dont want to just drop ror2. they want to make their own basis that they can cleanly work on and continue this game into its second life of sorts i guess its like a soft reset of development - everythings jank like early access now. but itll get better is the current ror team the best at making decisions for the game? maybe not, but i really dont think they're malicious

its funny though, because the 2 things i was worried about was "oh gearbox is totally gonna mess up the lore with weird inconsistencies and it wont feel right, and they'll add powercreep" but honestly. imma be real, knowing some stuff ghor has said about his intentions behind the lore (shoutouts to Ghor btw, hes done so much for both the lore and the... well, the creation and foundation of risk of rain 2s codebase as a whole. the more i look into ghor, the more i realize he truly is mr ror2) anyways knowing his intentions with certain things, i can say... the Anniversary Update and SOTV actually messed up lore more than SOTS has, lol. the lores well done in SOTV. the non-lore-important logs kinda suck though, they're clearly unfinished. but i think... what they lacked was Time. Time, to complete the clean unification of code ... and for general polish. so i say we give them what randy pitchfork didnt. lets give them time, aight? im not super happy with the idea of a ror2: bedrock edition future, but... i think if the right balancing tweaks are done, then things can look pretty bright. and they do seem to want to listen to the community (though i doubt randy pitchfork wants them to. heck CEOs)

and as for powercreep? lmao we got the opposite, the items are almost too underpowered.

AS for the dlc content, i think seeker is goated. really fun character to play. chef is... undercooked tbh, jank m1. still havent gotten the third survivor, though i know who it is, and seems pretty well done minus the lack of visual and audio feedback / game-feel i think the stages are fantastic, the music is as always banger, and honestly the items are like. really CLOSE to being interesting. like noxious thorn? a green item that plays with debuffs? very cool. but why is it "on taking damage" and. i dunno, instead of adding more stacks of debuffs, i'd make it spread those debuffs to more enemies! knockback fin should be turned into a void of stun grenade if you have both DLCs on, tbh. so yeah, im. cautiously optimistic for the future. dont fall for all of the doomerisms that the youtubers are trying to spread - they're doing that to apply pressure to gearbox, mostly. which is fair, but its also fearmongering kinda. and like actual devs dont seem too concerned for the games future im just hoping that everyone who has been involved with ror2... has a good future. i dont want gearbox to just cut off the ror2 team, and i hope ghor can find whatever he needs

[azure-firecracker]

Hello! For your TXF ask game (great idea btw!), please may I ask the following:

N - Now you’ve been given a pen and a chance to write your own episode. Describe it!

I - If you could change one thing about the show, what would it be? Why would you change it, how would you make it better?

Thank you :)

Ooh two fun ones! Thank you! It got long so I put my answers under the cut lol.

The ask game is here.

N: Because I am never done fixing the Season 2 kidnapping ratio.

This episode takes place sometime between One Breath and Irresistible. Throughout the episode, the viewers can see Mulder’s apparent fear for Scully whenever danger arises, and he throws himself in front of her to the point of recklessness whenever danger appears. The terror that her abduction has left in him is very raw. Scully, in this episode, is more reserved (à la beginning of Irresistible).

A cult is targeting victims who believe they’ve been abducted by aliens. They’re found alive - for all intents and purposes - but they’ve simply ceased to function. Scully determines some fancy medical condition as the cause of death, but Mulder is convinced that it’s abduction-related. The more the investigation goes on, the more he becomes convinced that Scully is the next target.

At one point, they follow some trail of evidence and they find one of the cult members who begins doing some sort of magic ritual. Mulder panics and tries to get Scully out of there, but he ends up getting her hurt (nothing major) and the cult member escapes. Scully and Mulder fight about her needing protection or not and Mulder’s paranoia - stuff they never talked about but should have.

Scully, at this point, discovers that one of the victims was actually delusional and had never been abducted at all. She begins reviewing some medical files again and notices that parts of the prefrontal cortex of every victim has been damaged (magically but damaged). She puts it together and realizes that the common thread between the victims isn’t the abduction but their belief. She rushes off to find Mulder - but he’s gone! Because he ditched her and went off to find the cult by himself! Without realizing he was a target!

Anyway Mulder is doing a voiceover as he drives off to the middle of nowhere to find the cult and it’s all about how sorry he is for everything and how he doesn’t want to leave Scully but he can’t lose her again (think End Game email coded). BUT the cult does this spell thing to make his car drive off the bridge and they drag him (unconscious) out of the river.

(Did we really think I was writing this without a damsel in distress Mulder moment?)

Anyway Scully puts together the cult’s location somehow and goes after him. She gets to do a high-stakes negotiation with the cult leader when Mulder is literally about to be ritual sacrificed and they’re going to drain his life force out of him (scary!). By the way he’s conscious but very out of it. She convinces the cult leader to let him go but the rest of the cult goes bananas and she has to fight them. Slay.

Anyway she wins and then she kneels down, face full of worry, as he opens his eyes, and they don’t say anything but they do hug.

We get a post-climax resolution to their fight where Scully is playing doctor and they’re talking about protection again and Mulder says he never thought she couldn’t handle herself but he was scared of losing her again, and Scully says don’t you think I feel that way too when you do stupid stuff like this? Anyway it’s not completely resolved but it’s a heart to heart. There’s probably a forehead kiss in here too.

But the last shot of the episode is Mulder leaving the office and Scully, who has been very calm and collected, if defensive, this whole episode, starts shaking and sinks to the floor as one single tear slides down her face.

Fade to black.

Would you watch this episode? Let me know in the comments!

I: TBH the Season 2 kidnapping ratio is my answer for this but I’ll talk about something else.

Disclaimer: I talk about racism and cultural insensitivity in this section. I am white, half Jewish, American, and I know a little bit about folk music. Please listen to fans of color on this subject when they speak on it, with more weight and attention than you give me.

The cultural episodes. The episodes that center a non-white or “other” culture in some way, and are usually done with good intent but poorly executed. First of all, get some goddamn writers of color in the room. And second of all, don’t bite off more than you can chew. These are nuanced issues, yes, but you have 45 minutes. Pick an argument and stick to it.

Kaddish was the only episode that did this well in my opinion. The episode had very strong themes of antisemitism, and its message on antisemitism was clear - it’s bad. Plus, the score actually used accurate Yiddish music instead of that goddamn flute.

Burn the flute.

Episodes like Teliko, Hell Money, and El Mundo Gira all tried to make similar points about marginalized groups, but the execution fell short because the marginalized groups in question were both villains and victims. There’s nothing wrong with having that nuance, but 45 minutes of a tv show that’s mostly about campy sci fi adventures is not the place for it. The result of this dilemma is that it’s unclear whether these episodes are trying to make a political point or if they’re just being lowkey racist.

So. If you MUST do these “cultural episodes.”

Pick a simple message and stick to it. Immigrants are being abused and it’s bad. Racism is bad. Antisemitism is bad. Etc. Etc. Your writers room has shown that you do not have the capacity for anything more complex.

Do not make up folktales for the purposes of your story. Use real ones or have the villain be something else.

If you’re going to have characters speak in a non-English language, cast actors who are fluent in that language (looking at you El Mundo Gira).

And for fuck’s sake, actually research the traditional music of the cultures you’re talking about and get rid of that fucking flute.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[scoobydoo-monster-archive]

SDWAY: Season 1 thoughts, opinions, and data

Now that i have done a review of each of the villains from season 1 i want to rank them, give my opinions, and generate some data.

First, the ranking:

This ranking is just based off personal biases. I can justify the placement of each of them. I do think that depending on your criteria, this would look very different. I also think that people are going to be very mad at my Space Kook placement, but meh.

The first season has some very iconic designed for the characters. In the future a lot of people complain that the color pallet for the villain gets washed out with a lot of greens, and purples. However, its nice to see that the first season plays with a wide range of colors. I think all of them have merit, even the ones i labeled as 'no potential' the art of the design is very good, and you can tell that thought went into this first seasons design. I think they mightve blown their load with the classics a bit too early, those villians will show up time and time again, so having them all in one episode kinda sets them up for failure.

For the first season of a show, which was released in 1969-1970, this marker is specifically American. 5 out of 17 episodes of the first season feature some sort of racism. I did not include A Night is Frieght is No Delight, even though this episode definitively indicated that racism and the American Civil war does in fact exist in the Scooby Doo universe, the episode itself does not partake in any racism. Unless you count the fact that Scooby saved a conservative.

The racial break down of the villains. Its odd to do this but considering the only other people in the series tend to be the villains, i figure what not dissect them as much as possible. Im not making a claim of how this pie chart should look, or what is and isnt racist. IM just simply collecting the data. This chart includes Red Beards 2 henchmen who are racially ambiguous, along with Zeke and Big Bob Oakley. The only two who we know are not white are Dr. Najib and Mr. Liche, and Mr. Liche doesnt even get a costume.

We get two instances of men in drag as costume: Zeb as the witch, and Big Bob Oakley as the fortune teller. I did not include Uncle Stewarts disguise as a fortune teller because we never see it on screen, and i can only assume its another instance of drag. There are no women villains this season. Im very curious as to who the first woman villain will be. After realizing my inconsistency I have updated the chart. If i am going to include Red Beards henchmen, and Mr. Liche in this, then i must include Mrs. Cutler. And actually upon typing this I completely forgot about Sarah Jenkins. (in my defense Charlie is male coded). So the actual data would look like:

These number include: Zeb, and Bob Oakley as the men in drag. I do not include Bob Oakleys other costumes as the Fortuneteller is his main one, and I'm trying to specifically count the villains. Then we have Mrs. Cutler, and Sarah Jenkins. I find a few things interesting about this. First, while Mrs. Cutler would be the first woman who we presume the gang arrests, I would argue that she is more of a hench-lady for her husband then a villain in her own right. I would give that title more so to Sarah Jenkins. Sarah is the mastermind behind her whole scene and actively takes steps towards her plan other then spreading the rumor. Next, I find it very fascinating that neither of them women are in the suit chasing/running from the gang. They are both very behind the scenes players. Which is even more interesting when we see two female costumes doing the ground work, only to be unmasked as men. I know that later in the franchise we get some women behind the mask, but again I wonder who the first is.

I want to take a second to appreciate some season 1 art work, backgrounds, and designs. So here is at least one from each episode:

[butterrdream]

Random Earthling OC Facts

Currently stuck in study hell but I can't stop thinking about my True Earthling OCs so I wanted to make a little post about facts on them! Which!! I know doesn’t make much sense since I haven’t formally introduced them but I will hopefully soon! Right now though my priority is making very rough refs of them so I can commission my amoeba earthling squad ksdjhsfj

Anyway! Have some fun facts about my earthlings under the cut!

So I have a 4th one technically and while his name isn’t a spoiler I realized I have to keep it hidden for now because I’m kinda dumb <3 So for now we will just call him [nameless] despite the fact he has a name (and since I don’t wanna have another ocs name as redacted haha..)

Flame types:  Celina: Mist Alder: Rain [Redacted]: [redacted] [Nameless]: Rain

Style:  So! In my headcanon Earthlings have their own distinct culture (and perhaps even language). They are their own species basically! 

[Redacted] dressed in an old fashioned way. Always a decade or a few behind. She’s stuck in the past. She quite likes 17th and 18th century European style clothes. (Personally I think medieval style clothes would suit her quite well!).Though I will admit my bias for historically inaccurate manhwas loves to shine through so I normally just put her in pretty dresses lol. Also she likes to wear pretty jewels when she can. She's a gold girly!

Celina is old fashioned in her own way. Never quite letting go of the traditional earthling way of dress, mostly sticking to simple dresses with few accessories. Simplistic but still elegant in her own way. She sorta ends up looking a little timeless thanks to it. 

The concept of cultural appropriation fears Alder /j /lh. The man loves dressing in different outfits from all sorts of cultures and all sorts of time periods. This will make a lot more sense once I reveal more info about him but his motto is “if I like it I’ll wear it!”. Doesn’t matter where he is currently or what’s considered appropriate at the time he’s going to be wearing whatever he wants when he wants. 

[Nameless] is a lot more restrained in his sense of style. He tends to wear whatever is on trend or appropriate for the time period he’s in and whatever country he is in currently. Similar to Celina his style tends to be simple but somehow elegant!

Colours:

Unfortunetly I am just as bad as the khr merch team and I like to colour code the heck out of my characters (I blame the fact I used to be a huge Dynas/ty Warr/iors fan. colour coding is in my blood now). I try not to be as heavy handed with it though and while these are the colours I like to associate with my character I will try to dress them in a variety of colours! Anyway! here are their colours!

Celina: Lilac and White [Redacted]: Gold Alder: Blue [Namless]: Purple and Green

And…! That’s honestly it lol. I guess I should save some stuff to talk about for when I formally introduce them lol

Thanks for reading if you have done so!

[duckapus]

If Mario Was in Sonic Heroes (...Sort Of)

We begin with what's left of the SMG4 Crew, Cubot, and Marcy already sneaking through the streets of Robotropolis, heading towards the overgrown Eggman Base that Metal Madness is attached to. Floating high above the metallic blue skyscrapers is the airship, shielded from view with an invisibility spell by Kamek and Sig.

Soon enough, they're in an alley only a street crossing away from the base, and Cubot starts looking for something on the wall, "Okay guys, there should be a side entrance just across from us, and with any luck Metal's been too out of his mind to bother changing the access codes. All we've gotta do is get past the guards."

At that, he points up at a nearby watchtower, where a mechanical Toad looks out over the dark streets. Another robot, this one a pink-and-white knight with a basketball-patterned faceplate, swoops down to address him for a moment before resuming his patrol.

4 winces, "good thing Toadsworth isn't here to see that."

Cubot manages to spot the entrance, and as soon as the group sees an opening they make a break for it. There's a brief scare when Mario accidentally kicks a can (why is there even litter when everyone is in a robot hivemind) and catches Mecha Franky's attention, but thankfully the side of the base has plenty of alcoves to hide in, and a few more "civilian" level robots happen to walk by at the same time.

As it turns out, Metal Sonic really didn't bother changing the access codes, so Cubot's current status as leader of the Eggman Empire gets them in without issue. When they get inside, 4 realizes something pretty important.

"Uh, do you have any idea where they'll be keeping the Seed? 'Cause this is a pretty big place and I really don't thing wandering aimlessly would be a good idea."

"Well, the base is pretty different from how it was the last time I was here, but based on the structure there's a few spots in particular that would make sense. Plus the scanner's still working," he waves the tablet a bit for emphasis.

With that out of the way, the group keeps going, doubling their efforts at stealth now that they're this deep into enemy territory...and also doing their best to keep the more chaotic members of the group from getting distracted by the various robot-related memes they encounter along the way.

As they're moving, Root notices Tari scratching at the elbow of her Meta Runner arm, "Are you okay Tari?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, my stump just started itching a bit. Haven't really had a chance to take my arm off in the past few days. I'll be fine."

"It comes off?"

"Yep! Just because I didn't get a prothesis the normal way doesn't mean I don't have to take care of it like everyone else."

"Oh, that makes sense. Just, make sure you tell somebody if it starts getting worse, alright?"

"Of course. Sorry if I made you worry."

As it turns out, she's not the only one having slight problems. Lil Coding's got a slight headache that's causing a bit of static on the edges of his hearing. Or...is the static causing the headache? Eh, either way it's probably not a big deal, so he doesn't bother to mention it.

Eventually they reach a dark room that seems as though it used to be a command center, with some sort of containment unit on the other side from the door.

"Well, according to the scanner this is the place. I'm betting the seed's in that thing."

"Mario's on it!" immediately he grabs Meggy by the legs (she's got a deadpan "oh not this shit again" expression but dutifully goes into a T-pose) runs at the container with intent to Smash, "Here we GOOOOO!!!!"

Unsurprisingly, this doesn't work, and he drops Meggy and shrugs, "Well, I've done all I can do."

The rest of the group just rolls their eyes, and Cubot floats over to the main console, "I'll handle it."

It takes a bit to find the right program, but soon enough he finds the controls for the containment unit and opens it, revealing a yellow Wonder Seed.

"Alright!" 4 walks over to grab it, "Just two more and-" Suddenly the room is bathed in red light, and the central monitor changes from Eggman's desktop to a mechanical-looking black-and-red eye.

"Did you really think it would be so easy to steal from me?"

The group quickly backs away from the monitor, 4 remembering to grab the still-accessible seed in the process.

"Fortunately for you, that trinket matters little to me. Still, you are intruders, and intruders must be either converted or destroyed."

While most of the group is shaking in fear, Marcy scoffs, "And how do you plan on doing that? There's no weapons in this room, and if your troops were close enough to catch us before we were ready and able to fight our way out they'd be here by now."

"You are correct...for a few more seconds, at least."

"What do you-" She's cut off by the rippling colors and chime of a wonder effect, and the group turns to a horrible sight, "no, not them..."

The mechanized Lil Coding points his claw at his stunned and horror-stricken father, "PRIORITY_1: ELIMINATE_INTRUDERS."

Mario pulls SMG4 out of the way just before Mecha Coding can hit him with a powerful energy blast, "RUN BITCH, RUUUUUN!"

And so the group books it back the way they came, their roboticized friends hot on their tail and Badniks and other conversion victims closing in around them, with Mario still having to drag 4 along.

Eventually they manage to get outside, where they see that the Airship, now in full view, is heading right towards them with pursuers of its own. They thankfully all manage to grab onto a hastily dropped ladder and climb up to help the crew fend off the robot army in their mad dash to the mercifully-nearby barrier between Robotropolis and the next Zone.

Unfortunately, their luck runs out, as Mecha Desmond appears high above them and uses his Galacta Knight powers to summon dozens of Heart Spears, which rain down and tear through the ship. It ends up crashing down just barely on the wrong side of the barrier, and the main group comes to in the flaming wreckage, robots closing in on all sides and the assorted minions and badniks all either unconscious, trashed, or beginning to convert themselves.

Desmond stands before them, eyes locked on Meggy's prone form because of course he'd be just cognizant enough to remember hating her, and in the blink of an eye lunges-

Only to be stopped short by Toadsworth's cane, the old toad shaking with the effort and half-metal already, but smirking up at his adopted grandson, "Come on my boy, I know you can move faster than that! This conversion nonsense really isn't doing your training any favors, is it?"

He looks back at what's left of the group, "Go on then, get out of here! We'll hold them off for as long as we're still ourselves!"

True to what he says, all the other half-converted characters jump into the fray, many fighting several full robots at once. Bomberto's among them, "Just like old times, eh?"

"If this is "just like old times," then you and I remember those times very differently, old friend."

Not wanting to squander this chance, the group follows Toadsworth's orders as soon as he gives them and runs for the barrier, which apparently when approached personally at ground level like this is opaque with a similar shifting rainbow color pattern to the unsprayed versions of the Super Mario Sunshine level portals.

They burst through with a bit of resistance, and then it's just SMG4, Mario, Meggy, Root, Marcy, Sig, Kamek and Cubot collapsing to the ground...and into deep snow, in the middle of the night, with a few errant bits of the ship half-buried nearby and the muffled sounds of the battle they just escaped behind them.

[thecleverqueer]

I’m getting on the bus way late, but I feel compelled to defend the Wolfwren ship.

To preface, if it was made to be canon, it would be hugely impactful for the LGBTQ community as a whole for so many reason. In the same breath, however, I don’t see it ever becoming canon. Maybe I’m just jaded by the sheer number of queer-coded people in media with literally zero payoff. Never mind the fact that Lucasfilm is owned by Disney, who despite ring-wing criticisms, are by far the most vanilla, lukewarm media creator who shows literally zero inclination or willingness to “rock the boat” in any capacity. Truly, I would be shocked and nothing they have ever done has shocked me. And, honestly, it doesn’t truly matter either way. People should be allowed to enjoy what they enjoy without people judging or constantly attacking people over it. It’s all fiction regardless. The Wolf and the Wren don’t even exist in reality, so…

Still, the actors involved have obviously embraced it, fed into it, appreciate it, and I think that’s adorable and commendable. I find it incredibly interesting, yet not shocking that Natasha Liu Bordizzo picked up on Sabine’s clear queer-coding (whether purposefully done or not) and ran with it. This isn’t wholly relevant in and of itself, but I’m building to my point.

My point is that I have seen some arguments against Wolfwren that come from very homophobic, comphet places. Gayness still makes many people uncomfortable, and I’ll be honest, that’s on the person that’s being made uncomfortable by it and not the gay in question. Particularly, and since it is now sort of socially unacceptable to outright bash the LGBTQ community, I see A LOT of red herring arguments being made to try and divert attention to the real reasons that they hate it. And, I’m going to discuss one of those arguments that feels like is being made in bad faith.

The argument in question is the comparison to Wolfwren and Reylo. Many anti-wolfwrenners argue that they hate the ship because it reminds them of Reylo, a problematic ship between two people with a borderline abusive power dynamic that weirdly fall in love after a series of very questionable interactions.

And first, let’s be honest, some of these people probably do, at some levels, like and appreciate Reylo and that’s fine. To each their own. But, Wolfwren isn’t anything like Reylo at all. And comparisons truly cannot be made like that here.

Is Wolfwren problematic on the surface based on the happenings of Ahsoka season one alone? Yes. Absolutely. It’s not a washed and folded LGBTQ pairing. It’s not supposed to be. Their relationship has started out in kind of an ugly place. They’ve been gritty and violent. They’ve attempted to kill each other multiple times. That’s madness.

Still, there is no lop-sided power dynamic here though. Kylo Ren was obviously more powerful than Rey, both in the force and by societal position. He was a right hand man to the leader of the First Order. Rey was just a scavenger, rummaging for parts on a backwater planet. He’d studied the force since he was a tot. Rey didn’t even realize she had it. They were not equals. Sabine and Shin are, in every aspect of the word, equals in the story. Shin ultimately gay panics and stabs Sabine in the torso, but Sabine struck first in that skirmish. In fact, Sabine struck first in every battle that she and Shin had. And while Shin did have force powers where Sabine had yet to unlock her own potential, Sabine’s a bad ass. She’s not tradwife material (despite a lot of preconceived notions). She’s a warrior, someone that likely had blasters in her hands before she could write. That is something in and of itself. Sabine is equally capable, if not more so than Shin. Sabine is not a helpless victim just because she got stabbed, she has been an equal participant in every interaction that she and Shin have had.

Another difference is that Shin and Sabine have not lobbed words of hate, disdain or abuse at one another. Shin tells Sabine, “you have no power” then Sabine straight up shoots her with an arm cannon as if to say, “bet”. Other than that, there has been no hateful banter between them. At no point have either of them uttered the words “you’re nothing” while the other stood by in tears. It’s basically been well-matched sword duels where neither has truly gotten the upper hand outside of one lucky strike at the beginning. Sabine was unbalanced.

What truly makes this a decent ship is the “enemies to lovers” dynamic, a plot device that has been used time and time again in media (albeit mostly in cishet connotation where it doesn’t seem to bother other cishets). Shin is not beyond redemption. She isn’t inherently evil. She hasn’t truly abused Sabine outside of fighting back after Sabine went after her. Shin has done nothing other than sword fight with an equal, and follow around a master with questionable values. She is still perfectly capable of a redemptive arc, something that I feel was teased in episode 7 when Ahsoka reached out calmly to Shin saying, “I can help you.” It will not shock me when Shin does turn to the Jedi in the story, where she could and likely will find belonging. With that, she and Sabine could find happiness in a more homo-friendly, less heteronormative society. And if either of them were male and the other female, it would totally be embraced by the larger viewing audience as totally normal and okay.

So yeah… there it is.