#literally took me an hour and 40min to complete this

[inkrabbit]

hi there, i hope you don’t mind my asking and feel free to disregard. i was just wondering if you have any tips on how to write the papas and/or ghouls? i’ve been wanting to write for some time now but am not entirely sure how to go about their characters. thank you, if you answer. no worries, if you don’t.

okay it is literally 4am rn. I only slept like 3hrs. originally I was gonna do a quick rundown of how I do it, but you know what fuck it. I'm gonna do the quick rundown and then below the cut, I'll go into my own more in-depth takes on them. spoilers: it's all literally just a vibe

so the quick version: there is no "right" or "wrong" way to write for Ghost. as someone once said: "there's like 5% of actual canon and 10% of what Tobias Forge has vaguely said during interviews. the other 85% is fanmade." everything you see? most likely people are looking at the stage performance, reading fics, following the nameless ghouls on social media, watched the Ghost chapters a few times, and then making up their own version. and it all works because nothing is really "set in stone" with any of these characters, aside from what we get from the videos they put out, the interviews and then how they act on stage. people have made complied posts for like... "get to know Ghost" which is just basic lore and basic info on both Papas and Ghouls. my personal favorite is this google slideshow and then "an unhelpful guide to ghost" on youtube by "just another sad zoomer".

so really, just say fuck it and go for it. you can look at everything I linked and you can also watch some of the concert videos online if you feel like you want more of a... "official" block to start from. you can also look at each Papa's albums to add a little bit to it.

now below the cut is the more in-depth version. it's literally gonna be just me rambling about my own takes so everyone, feel more than free to skip this. it's disgustingly long

starting off with the Papas because that's a lot easier.

not only did I look through everything I linked above, but I also looked through some fics. again, these are all basically hcs that people were like "aha sick, that'll work" and just ran with it, and then that idea was adopted by the reader and so on and so forth. really, without reading these fics, I wouldn't have known that Primo "has" a nature/plant obsession. and tbh I 100% fuck with it. so it's just little things like that that you can pick up and choose whether or not you wanna adopt that idea yourself. just like the band, all of these fics and artwork are for entertainment. there is absolutely no "wrong" way to do any of it.

for Primo's personality: to me, he's just an old, exhausted man that's done his time and is now riding out the rest of his years doing whatever the hell he wants. he cares greatly for his ghouls and the clergy, and while he's very warm and open, he can still be firm and hold that "authority" position. literally chapter 3 does not exist to me. like I know it's there but most of my fics don't acknowledge it

Secondo: to loosely quote Papaganda: "He's a miserable, old, wounded, bitter man." he's scary, he's firm, and he'll dropkick you if you've decided you don't want to show him respect. he's loud and explosive, especially when he's in a bad mood, but he's also more "free" and not as official. you might not want him to be your first choice at telling him all of your deepest, darkest secrets because he's very logical. he won't tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to hear. but he's still your Papa and he'll always be there for you. a very fine, upstanding gentleman that might scream at you and his ghouls while using Italian-American slang, but he would never turn you away

Terzo: go have fun. he'll genuinely listen to you and anyone else, and he'll hold you close and cry with you if you ever need to vent. he's the most in-tune with emotions and he's the one that'll really make you feel heard. it doesn't matter if it's been a long day. it doesn't matter if he's drop dead tired or he's recently injured himself. he'll welcome you with open arms and absolutely no judgement and he'll help you work towards a solution to whatever is bothering you. if you want him there, he's with you every step of the way and if you want to do it alone, he'll give you your freedom and wish you well. sure, he's a little bit of a flirt, but we're all entitled to make others feel good, yeah?

Copia: he's awkward, shy, and his social skills aren't the best. he'd rather listen to your problems, but when he goes to answer... give him a bit. there's a hamster running desperately on a wheel inside his mind and that mf just flew off. but he looks at the other Papas and he sees how they acted. how successful they were and he tries to take bits and pieces of them and make them into his own because, hey. the fans and clergy loved them. they'll love him just as much if he has their elements, right? don't get me wrong, he still gives off the vibe of "mama's boy" but he's got a heart of gold and he's trying his best.

Nihil: HAHA. mans is just here trying to vibe. he's done his time, he kinda regrets his past, but he had a blast. he's firm and a little cold to your face, but don't let that front fool you. if you genuinely have a problem and you go to him, he'll absolutely melt and take you into his arms. I've used this term a couple times with other characters, but I feel like he is the true embodiment of "everyone forgot me." he's proud of the project. he's proud of Sister Imperator and all she's done and continues to do. and he's secretly proud of how far his sons have come. but it hurts that no one remembers him and he keeps coming back for the rituals because it gives him a chance to be remembered.

as for the ghouls, my grasp on them is purely a fucking vibe. I take inspiration from people I've met in my life, take a hint of the people behind the mask and cram it together. I will admit, I only take a hint of their original personality for Aether, Rain, Swiss and Sodo. that's it. and for Rain, it's not that much. like maybe 1%. the rest comes from inspiration, concert content and then (again) just the vibe they give off. and it's why my content for Sodo is (imo) more out there than other fic writers. because my take on him is completely different, which is why I was so surprised when I saw a lot of people enjoy how I wrote him. and really, I'm going giving an in-depth look for the ghouls in this ask primarily because I don't have the ghoulettes as fleshed out as I do them.

Aether: he's the more "dad" of the group. he's always here for you and because of his element, you can't lie to him about how you're feeling. he won't push you, but he will give you that gentle nudge and remind you that he's here for you. he can become overwhelmed because of his powers, but he always apologizes for ever snapping at anyone. he just wants to have a good time and he wants to make sure that everyone else is having a good time, too. his happiness comes from the happiness of both the fans and the clergy.

Mountain: just here to vibe honestly. he's very laid-back and doesn't talk much. he'd rather observe than strike up conversation, but he also won't turn you down if you wanna chat. you can either find him lazing around or doing little things to occupy his time when he's not in practice. normally, like the others, he enjoys playing music, but he has a wide variety and will literally listen to anything.

Rain: he's trying his best. originally the shy little water ghoul, he's slowly opening up thanks to hanging around the other ghouls a lot. it's like watching a flower slowly bloom, and every praise and compliment he gets only furthers his bloom. he's still a little shy when you talk to him, especially if it's one-on-one, but he's gonna give it his all. he sees how open and playful the others are. he wants to be the same way and dammit, he's working towards it.

Sodo: there's a few ways I do Sodo. what I normally default to is the more playful, little sarcastic, tough front who says it like it is. he's got a possession problem when it comes to romance, and he'll normally show a more softer side. this soft side is pretty much a complete 180 from his stage performance and goes more off of the man behind the mask. this version is more soft spoken with a hint of awkward, but he's so genuine and his smiles are just as warm as the pits of hell. he knows how to have a good time, he wants you to have a good time with him, but he also occasionally likes to just be on his own and do his own thing.

Swiss: he's here to vibe too, but he's making sure you're vibing with him. honestly, Swiss takes a lot of inspiration from my mom's friend, Richard, who is so easy-going and chill, but also mixes in that playful and energetic vibe. it's hard to say I use the "man behind the mask" for him because, really, what you see on stage is just how he is. if someone asked me what I thought joy incarnate looked like, I would say Swiss from Ghost.

now, as for the other ghouls and all that jazz... look, I don't know. it's still a fucking vibe. you wanna hear a secret? I think from like 2010 to.... 2016??? the ghouls were literally the same musicians (except for the bassists, drummers and even Swiss). I won't put their names, that's up to you if you wanna look it up and ruin that "nameless" image. but even with this idea, I still have it that each Papa summoned their own ghouls, and those ghouls take after their energy. however, I also have it that Copia wasn't exactly the best when it came to summoning, so he uses some of Terzo's ghouls. I say some because... I think Aether and Sodo were around with Terzo, where Sodo (originally Dewdrop) was still playing bass and considered a "water" element. don't quote me on any of this either. it's shit I've seen on tumblr and was like "oh okay. I'll make a little mental note of that" and went on my merry way. still, I have a "general" pool of each Papa's ghouls and how they typically respond.

Nihil's: they're unpredictable and a little hostile. they serve Papa Nihil and Sister Imperator and that's it. the water ghoul is actually a little more friendly with the fire ghoul being the biggest asshole. this one will stalk and go through extra steps to make sure he stays undetected. in contrast, the water ghoul will actually invite you to swim with him if he's feeling particularly lonely. he won't ever attack anyone. just like Nihil, he wants to feel like he's not forgotten.

Primo's: quiet and cold, his ghouls know their job and they do it perfectly. they're not hostile, but they also don't want you near Primo as they're pretty protective of him. one of the ghouls actually doubles as his bodyguard and will always be with him, unless told to give him his space. they exactly want you near them, but they won't lash out unless provoked.

Secondo's: similar to their Papa, Secondo's ghouls are all uniform and do their jobs. however, unlike Primo's ghouls and similar to Secondo's personality, they all have a tendency to slip up and become lost in life's simple pleasures. they also have a tendency to be aggressive and, in rare cases, hostile and violent. don't be too scared of them, but don't get too close, either.

Terzo's: they're more open and laid-back, with the biggest possibility of slipping up. they're actually the least hostile, being even more friendly than the ghouls that Copia has. not only will they serve Terzo and protect him, but they'll also happily help the clergy members and, if they're around and think they can take on the older ghouls, they'll protect siblings when attacked.

and that's about it. if you've made it this far, thanks for looking through at my ranting!

[eg515]

mmmkay I have to talk about this episode because I can't process this, but I'm gonna put it under a cut bc I don't want to make y'all scroll through my angry rant. this is about Lucifer 5x12, Daniel Espinoza: Naked and Afraid

my sister and I are watching Lucifer 5B. she's a few episodes ahead of me. she warned me that 5x12, the ep centered on Dan, is very bad, but she didn't really like the previous 3 episodes either, so I thought she just doesn't like Dan and that made the ep boring for her. because hey, the episode itself was good. yeah, there were weird cuts that threw me off constantly, and it was all over the place, but it was about Dan, trying to process his crazy day, and I was hoping it was gonna lead to him processing the other crazy stuff too. and I would have been here for that.

but the last five minutes... I just can't. it wasn't just bad, it was downright cruel. poor guy has been through so fucking much, and he can't get five fucking minutes of break. the Netflix episodes have been so bad to him (and to Ella too, but that would be an even longer rant that we don't have the time for now).

the thing is, that big final gunfight? it was a plot twist for sure, but it had no emotional stake at all, because as soon as it started, it was obvious that it's either fake or it will be undone. no fucking way they would leave Dan in a club full of dead people. and then Maze took a bullet for Dan, which could have been a nice moment, except, again, no emotional stake, because they won't kill one of their main characters halfway through the season, and not like this.

so instead there was Dan, completely broken, mourning Maze, mourning his friends from improv class, feeling guilty over the mobsters and gangsters who died, just starting to realise that the antidote is gone and he will die too, his daughter will lose her father, and the few hours he has left to live will be spent either in police custody or among a room full of dead people. all this after finding out about the existence of celestials, after God literally exploded him and put him back together, after finding out the woman he loved and lost and still mourns was the Goddess of All Creation...

and Lucifer did all this out of petty revenge for a completely justifiable action on Dan's part.

I'm just. so fucking angry at this episode. Dan went through a lot, and he didn't deserve any of what happened in this episode. and the fact that they still ended it with Dan somehow thinking this was a good experience that helped him?? fuck that

also, I read a spoiler accidentally, which said that Dan dies in 5x15, and if that's true, I'm definitely gonna stop watching. in all honesty, if I didn't know Eve is coming back in the next ep, I would quit this show for good right here. because this crossed the line for me. but the whole reason I even made myself watch 5B is Eve, so I will hold on for her sake.

but if Dan does die in 5x15, then I don't think I'll be back for s6. I've been watching since s1, and I wanted to finish the show, but I'm drawing a line.

EDIT: okay it's been about 20mins since I posted this but there's one more thing: this episode would have been great, if you remove the last five minutes, the final scene in LUX goes as planned, Luis and co. are dealth with by the Russians, Dan gets the antidote, everything is fine. make that, maybe add a final scene of Dan taking the first step towards getting better, make it fit into 40mins, and it would have been a great filler ep for a 22-episode season. because it still involved most of the main characters, still moves the overarching season plot forward, gives more screentime to a main character who usually has less lines and storylines, it's unique, not the regular format. all in all, this episode, with a little tweak, would have been perfect for a regular season. but as a full 60-min episode of an 8-episode season?? no. it took up too much time, took away too much time from the overarching plot (I mean, 4 episodes in idk what that is, but I'm sure there is one), and didn't even move along Dan's personal story in a good way.

congratulations. all you've managed to do is further traumatise your character. great job.

[nachtangel]

Day 0

Travel day of hell. What a very very long day. Started off in Manchester, so my usual 30min drive to Heathrow was a 10 minute uber, 2hr10min train journey, 15 minute uber followed by a final 10 minute train journey. I had been dreading this journey for weeks, it was only once I was in London that I started to calm down. The train journey was on time and went pretty well, other than the fact I completely overheated. I got really hot and dizzy, but thankfully the train guard noticed and got me some ice which did actually help. Once I got to Heathrow getting through check in and security went pretty smoothly and I was sat in my usual food place of choice Eat. with my macbook passing the time on the phone to Izzy.

The plane journey started off not so great as we had a delay getting onto the plane (no idea why, police were involved?) so we actually took off 40mins late. I had no one next to me which was great and the food was pretty good. I broke the law and turned my phone on to take pictures.

I’m not sure if I’ll travel with Air China again, as much as I like the service and the food, they are a little behind the times with technology, i.e they fucking hate it and will send you to prison if you have anything turned on. So bringing my DS and macbook was a bit of a waste. (On the way back I did actually use my 3DS, its just phones they hate, I should have asked)

I had hoped to sleep for the majority of the flight and by some miracle I did actually fall asleep before the lights even went down to signal nap time. Alas that only lasted a couple hours at most as some dick walking up and down the aisle knocked my head and jerked me awake.

It took me 3 hours to get back to sleep. Dick.

Breakfast was okay, the tv choices were minimal compared to last time. I watched a few episodes of Community, and an episode of Project Runway and America’s next top model. That was basically it for TV I was interested in and the screen was so crap I didn’t really want my first time seeing Dr Strange being on it, so I opted for a film with Kris (previously in EXO) in it, it was so bad. I could barely read the subtitles but I didn’t need to to be able to understand what was going on and that it was really bad acting. I hope you were better in XXX with Vin Diesel Kris.

Finally time to land, woo, or not as the case may be. We started descending and everyone started looking out the window going ooo Beijing (it still looks really brown, the airport is surrounded by like wheat fields or something) and then suddenly the plane started going back up?? We then flew in a circle for about 15 minutes while I tried not to pee myself, I had prepared myself for a 10hr20 flight not a 10hr35min flight. Anyway we finally landed and only 5 minutes later than expected despite the late take off, which is pretty good.

Getting through Chinese security was scarily quiet. Last time I had to queue for a while and then join another really hectic ‘queue’ for security. This time I waltz past as there was literally no one there. No one going through international transfers and barely anyone going through security. It was really weird. Once I was through I grabbed a trolley for my hold all (Heathrow please take note, this is SO handy) had a quick look around some of the shops, failed at joining their free wifi and then got a Starbucks. Then I sat by the gate and played Civ beyond earth on my mac before we boarded the 2nd plane.

This journey was much better, I actually managed to sleep for most of it and the food was again pretty good for airplane food. We had quite a bit of turbulence (and my belt didn’t actually fit oops) but this just seemed to rock me to sleep. 3hrs later we were finally in Tokyo.

Our story does not end there though, oh no, after 2 ubers 2 trains and 2 planes I needed to get another train and ride the monorail. After getting through customs. The monorail was like a dream, I waited an extra 3 minutes to get the rapid train and grabbed a pocari sweat to try to vaguely revitalise myself. I was a dead man walking by this point. The aircon and sights of Tokyo managed to wake me a little and it wasn’t too much hassle getting to the final train (though if you’re going to have elevators please have them all the way, don’t add 8 steps for me to then fumble down with 2 suitcases).

Finally onto the Yamenote line what could go wrong? Oh yes I get on the only train to have a delay, with of course all the free wifis not actually working again. My hosts were waiting for me at Ootsuka station and didn’t seem to mind too much about me being a little late. They walked me and my suitcases back to their house, it was lovely seeing Ootsuka again, I do really like this part of Tokyo, and I remembered the way! Though it was lovely having a helping hand.

The only hiccup we had was when I slipped on the slope down to their house and later found I had grazed my knee. Nothing broken but even now when I’m writing this (Day 2) it still stings.

They left me to it saying we’d catch up tomorrow after they had gotten me a plaster to which I was very thankful. I could barely keep my eyes open but I forced myself to have a shower so I could be clean and did pop to the conbini for a snack. My final hiccup of the day where I managed to buy the one thing I really don’t like. A very fishy bento box and a cafe au lait instead of hot coco. After eating some rice I headed to bed at around midnight and promptly passed out. 30 hours (28 of that travelling) after I had set off the day before.