#mostly bc of the visually challenged part

[dreamlandcreations]

• chapter 1 • ñuha dāria • my queen •

Daemon Targaryen x Stark!Reader

Summary: Daemon is about to meet his match...

Warnings (and some ramblings): physical description vaguely (?) described and implied by relation, not gonna spoil the plot but there's gonna be targcest (come on, it's Daemon), other canon stuff (violence, death/murder, sex, misogyny, calling children bastards), Daemon is about 21 (according to canon, you'll see what I mean), reader is younger by at least two years; twisting up canon: Alyssa died within the year of Daemon's birth, Queen Alysanne is still alive and the Daemon-Rhea wedding has not happened yet, the fight is basically the Geralt vs Renfri fight (if you want visuals bc I suck at describing it 😅), bit of insta love, enemies to lovers (sort of), it's mostly from Daemon's POV, not proofread at all

Series masterlist • next chapter

• 102 AC • Winterfell • The tourney

Daemon was warned to behave before most of the House of the Dragon parted from King's Landing but he was called the Rouge Prince for a reason.

The tourney was held on the second day of their stay and he had not shown himself in public until then, content to spend his first day in the North reading under the heart tree.

Daemon always loved dramatic entrances, always seeking attention that he seemingly only gets when he is misbehaving. So he was ready to wreak havoc during the event that was supposed to be a friendly match between the great houses.

As a prince, he got to choose his first opponent, and who else would it be than a Hightower. He spared a smirk to that cunt of a Hand before he marched ahead to win with brutal precision, sending his opponent's horse and the knight himself to the ground.

The horrified gasps and then the loud cheering from the crowd only made his smirk wider. Daemon looked over the high seats from where the Targaryens, Velaryons and Starks watched the show. He immediately noted three empty seats, two besides Lord Stark - no doubt one of them was his brother's or cousin's whose helmeted figure Daemon had seen in the line of knights - and one by the King.

Since his grandmother, the Queen, was not present due to her illness, the only one who was sending him scolding glares was his brother, Viserys. The old king just sighed at the scene, while Corlys and Rhaenys sat there, amused, like parents watching a naughty child.

The next challenges were won just as easily as the first, although none of them was even remotely close to that savage end the Hightower boy had to suffer.

While the Prince usually didn't bother to watch the others, this time that Stark was drawing attention with his effortless wins. Prompting the people to make guesses and bets if a wolf could win against a dragon. Well, they were about to find out.

The first round shattered his opponent's shield but, to his astonishment, he stayed upright in the saddle. Daemon was smirking as usual but this time a tiny bit of admiration made his eyes glint in a softer light.

He could tell the little wolf would go down in the next round but he didn't expect to be taken with him too. The dragon prince's blood was singing at meeting a worthy opponent who was just as determined to win, no matter the cost.

The boy must have known he had no chance to stay on the horse, so instead of attacking Daemon as would be proper and expected, he somehow hooked his spear under his arm, yanking him back with the force of his own fall.

Both of you heavily landed on the ground, the impact crushing the air from your lungs and making it unable to move for a long moment. The spectating people were holding their breath, waiting to see if you were, well, alive or not.

The cheering was deafening as you got to your feet and proceeded to fight with swords.

Without wasting another second, you marched forward. Stabbing in his direction, aiming for his head and swinging at his neck with the same momentum once your initial blow missed its target.

The prince leaned away from each attack and his sword met yours at the third strike. He let you lead the fight for a few more clashes but he paused to assess you as he blocked a blow that meant to hit his legs.

Daemon straightened and stepped back, pushing your sword away with his and striking down with a high swing of Dark Sister. Your sword met his again, protesting under the finer steel.

To spare your weapon the worst of the hit, you focused on meeting the side of the blade while avoiding the edge and rolling the swords, trying to dislodge the weapon from his grip.

To unsuccessful stabbing attempts later you made a move at his head again. He ducked down, then didn't hesitate to use the opportunity of the few seconds you left yourself open.

You didn't expect a hit by his other hand and certainly not the following kick that sent you to the ground. Unfortunately, this resulted in losing your helmet.

Daemon paused at the sight.

It was no brother or cousin of their host, not even a boy as he suspected from the lighter build of the armour but a girl with the features of a Stark, the infamous wild beauty of the North, Lord Stark's niece by his late sister.

For the second time during this event, a unanimous scandalized gasp was heard from the crowd right before loud the protests of his brother and your uncle reached the two of you as they forbade you to continue the fight.

At that, your still bewildered expression turned into something Daemon was extremely familiar with. Blinding, all-consuming, untamed rage at being denied.

The Targaryen prince grinned wickedly at you but before you could turn your anger on him, he tore off his helmet, throwing it away and subtly nodding at you, giving you the approval to attack him and continue the fight. The answering spark in your eyes before you charged at him made his heart skip a beat.

It was similar to how you started the first time. He let you advance, then half-heartedly attacked back, ending the session with another backhanded slap before he pushed you backwards until your back met the edge of the fighting arena.

"You are holding back." You practically spat the accusation at him through gritted teeth while holding your sword to block his. Although with the way he took hold of your hand, making sure that your blade did not cut into your throat proved that you might as well let go altogether and would still be safe from any harm.

The world around you seized to exist as the prince pressed a little closer. Answering with an infuriatingly smug grin. "It would be unforgivable to hurt a little lady like you."

"You just hit me," you scoffed.

"You'll live."

"If you won't start fighting properly, you will not." The menacingly low threat made chills run down his spine, eliciting a low chuckle out of him that was definitely a mistake.

Then 'the little lady' pulled a knife on him.

Daemon grunted at the pain of being stabbed in his side. He looked at you with disbelief, the blade went through his armour like it wasn't even there. Valyrian steel.

It was enough distraction. You pushed him away, attacking with the dagger and the sword simultaneously and if you were a little less aggravated, you'd be impressed with the way he blocked your attacks with not just his sword but bare hand fight combined before he started to use his sword more like a shield.

Swords crossed, you paused.

Daemon could have swiped your legs, and you could have stabbed him with the dagger again but you were too busy trying to make it a show that you could overpower him and he was just too pissed to let you go easy.

In a blink of an eye, you were kneeling on the ground with your opponent's blade digging into your shoulder. Although he was careful not to cut too deep, he was not above the pettiness of giving you a scar in return for his.

A half groan, half gasp sound was the only indication of your pain and Daemon felt a moment of regret before he was consumed by flames from deep within that seemed to be seeded in the pull he felt towards you from the moment he laid his eyes on you. He found your rage and your inner fire, which was clearly visible in your determination and anger at the present, mesmerisingly beautiful.

He became distracted again. It was enough for you to be able to move and swipe at his leg, cutting him with the dagger before you stood and faced him with a challenging stance.

A few seconds of silent discussion followed, with him letting you know he will give you what you wished for if you continue, warning you that he will not hold back anymore.

You grinned, attacking him, again using both weapons, with some moves applying them like a single extended weapon.

Then he put you in a difficult position. Stopping the dagger by grabbing it, he was forcing you to stay still not by strength but by thrusting you that you would not want to permanently damage him.

If you pulled away now, he would lose at least a few fingers if not his hand altogether. Both of you gritted your teeth, mostly in pain but it showed more like anger, which made it seem like you were practically snarling at the other.

With barely clutching the handles, you pry his hand off enough to only graze him. And it leaves you vulnerable.

You almost lost your weapons when he immediately attempted to disarm you. Then he truly advanced, forcing you to defend yourself and back away. He was relentlessly stabbing and swinging with Dark Sister in your direction.

Then it was over, he took your sword. Holding you at the end of his blade, telling you to yield.

It was only then that you heard the crowd again. Cheering at the incredibly fast and hard-to-follow battle they just witnessed.

Despite the loud audience, Daemon still heard as you sighed with annoyance, keeping eye contact with him as you threw your dagger to the ground, refusing to do more or say the words.

He smiled, this time with pure amusement only. He stepped away, letting you breathe freely and to his further entertainment dropped to the ground to sit and rest or pout like a child. It was hard to guess and that made him enjoy the scene even more.

You were so busy with pealing away the suffocating armour where you could reach and the impending scolding that you knew was coming the moment you tied up your cousin and took his place, that you didn't pay attention when the prince received the flower crown or what he was planning to do with it.

Feeling the crown of winter roses placed on your head, you look up, wide eyes meeting with the Rogue Prince's mischievous gaze as he offers his hand and helps you stand. Without letting go, he bends a little, kissing the back of your hand as he murmurs, "My queen."

Series masterlist • next chapter

[planet4546b]

something that always fascinates me is how different stories can be told in different mediums and particularly how a story can utilize its medium to the fullest. like if someone were to adapt house of leaves into a podcast or movie, the story couldnt be the same, and it would have to change to utilize that medium in the same way the novel uses its own, etc. and how the podcast archive 81 uses its format so well and how it being a podcast is so central to its story that it likely couldnt be told as is in any other form (ignore that there was a netflix adaptation.)

this all to say: are there any mediums (other than its intended form) that S/N could be told through that would still be able to tell its story? are there any forms that absolutely would not work? and, in a less serious question: what genre would it be if it became a story album (or several albums)?

ohhhhh this is such a fun question. also thank you for reminding me i Really need to get on listening to archive 81.

in general, i think that the hardest thing to adapt it into would be something purely or largely visual (tv, movie, graphic novel) because samira is Such an obscure character that if you dont have any access at all to her interiority in some way she will be completely and utterly incomprehensible. while i think the challenge of how i would adapt something that in a lot of ways is an anthology to a tv show and how i would show things that sort of resist visualization like the mar in a visual format, i think in general the fact that the audience accepts What is shown to them as True in largely visual works makes signoise hard work. it would have to be something fight club-y where the whole point is its own unreliability. this is funny because for a while i was planning on it being a comic. ??

i could make it work Well enough in a linear novel (though i wouldnt be happy), but i think it would really shine as something like a magnus archives style podcast, with each ep mostly being about one of her histories and then samira chiming in to editorialize at the end (samira interiority through editorialization works the best for her as opposed to something like an internal monologue, because it lets you come at what shes thinking kind of sideways, and i like having that room for misinterpretation). id be interested in how it would work as a game, something like season a letter to the future that lets you have a direct hand in constructing samiras history as a mechanic is interesting to me, although i think if i gamified it i would add one more layer of remove and have the pc be someone trying to put together samira's story rather than being samira herself. weirdly enough it works REALLY well as a musical of all things, which i have extensive notes on because i said it as a joke + a bit of a writing exercise (the 'what parts would you make songs' type) and then i was like. Waaaaaait. the thing i like SO much about musicals is that that's the only format where i can convince myself to let samira say her motivations out loud to the audience, because of how musicals + song progression + emotions go. i have a post im typing up on the signoise musical bc its fun but like, the most fun part is that samira gets the villain songs for most of the show, and then RIGHT at the end she gets a huge i want song and then leaves the stage for the rest of the show. this i want song is the only version of signoise where samira says out loud 'what i want is to go home' and she can only do it because shes trapped in that genre and is a character not in control of her actions. YIPPEE!

signoise concept album would rule tbh. honestly 47 by the cosmonaut cassettes despite being in a different literary genre (sci fi) is a pretty big inspo for signoise in a lot of ways, and i think id likely choose something like that where songs are in a variety of genres. i want to be able to have my experimental ambient decade tracks, my pit orchestra playwright tracks, my fake folk songs and hymns for bell, my gracedarce nightvale weather.....i think in the same way that some of the central tracks in 47 are specifically inspired by tallahassee the mountain goats, i would want my central samira tracks to be inspired by another album and referential to that. im gonna be honest i would likely choose from the sea to the land beyond sea power. for vibes.

[just-jae]

Eyo- So this is why I love OG Naruto

CW: Cursing.

Random projectile vomiting what I love about the first part of Naruto. Mostly from memory (so like, a decade+ ago) I decided to play the the Chunin Exams Arc while writing this to refresh my memory bc honestly, even though I dipped after tasting Shippuden and don't even care to aknowledge Boruto (even if it's good, i don't care) the fact that Part 1 is still so enjoyable shows how it's virtues were in that it actually executed, not just in what it promised. I'll probably be editing this as I rewatch-- like, apparently Choji and Neji also have arm wraps :,V

The theme around hard work. It wasn't a "Work hard to earn a comfy life/ those at the top deserve it" theme it was a "Go after what you love, be passionate, be persistent, build upon yourself to overcome obstacles," kind of hard-work theme. It encouraged chasing your passions and applying yourself to challenges. There was value in just doing that, even if you failed. The meaning and value in your life was tied to your own efforts and decisions, not your status or position in a heirarchy or social conscience.

Positive Father Figures: Forget that Naruto punches his dad in Shippuden. In the first episode, Iruka emotionally adopts Naruto after opening up to him and allowing himself to relate to Naruto as a fellow human being who was suffering and responding to that suffering in similar ways to himself. Before, he pretended not to understand Naruto for the sake of "evil demon kid" narratives and ignoring his own grief. Iruka scraggling Naruto's hair like a big bro/dad wasn't just a bonding moment; it was a found family moment. When Naruto hugs Iruka in the Forest of death, you can tell he adores that kid and is ready to sign the adoption papers.

One of Naruto's icon characters is Ichiraku, the ramen guy who basically serves as Naruto's Grandad. He fills this kid with soup ramen near-every damn day. He's probably why Naruto loves ramen so much.

The spooky, nature-y understones and setting: Giant dark forests, thematic, nature-inspired ninja techniques, the spooky music, the semi-traditional japanese instruments in the sound track (flutes, drums, lutes, etc.) It's got electric guitar too but the traditional texture of the music made it earthy and cultrally touching in the same way that Avatar: The last Air Bender's natural and spiritual eastern inspiration colored it's visual and audial aesthetic. The "HUH"s and "HUAH"' in the background music added so much bomastic, earthy energy, I LOVED hearing them. I'm telling you there's a healthy reason why I like screaming/yelling/hollering. I haven't articulated it yet, but Naruto's soundtrack scratch that itch well.

Horror: Naruto is one of the few anime I've seen with undertones of horror, without being a horror genre show especially for an action-oriented shonen inspired by feudal-age folklore hybrid with modern aesthetics like military vests and tvs. The realistic visual tone that Naruto leans toward compared to modern anime only helps this and makes how dark it gets believable when you consider how culturally and morally grey the base populations are. Sometimes the cultural vices are the main drive in a character's backstory, like Gaara, who's village was crumbling after betrayal and unreliable leadership reinforced the trust and connection issues that left him alone on a raft in hostile waters with the boogie man as his raftmate to where he couldn't even fathom caring for someone else. Bc of this, him being fucking insane, while Naruto wasn't made sense. It felt like the worlds they were in naturally led to the horrors.

Smarts and thoughtfulness being used to win battles. Earlier in the show, things weren't so flashy, not even elite ninjas were shown doing anything nearly as wild as what happens in the second and following parts. The limits of these abilities left room for the characters to use their heads to not only work around their limits but use them to their advantage to bamboozle and have some kind of chance even against physically stronger opponents.

The significance of jutsu also felt more thematic and narrative in nature. The First Hokage's super power was growing giant trees with his chakra.

Which not only suggests he created the very forest Konoha resides in, but also pointed to his approach to leadership, which was giving himself and his clan to stegnthen and lift everyone else up, not just through mixing blood with other clans but through building stregnth and resikience through connections and mutual care.

Much better than the brightest, fastest, most destructive energy bomb or powerup.

Look at the reaper death seal justsu and tell me that wasn't more terrifying than the tentails. Imagine how scared someone is using that jutsu. A demon ghost lady is gonna use your soul as a glove to grab someone else's soul, eat it, and then take you with her... him? It/they-- qhost.

Which leads me to another thing- vulnerability coupled with power. The imagery of the reaper death seal, reainforced a sense of vulnerability that is necessary for the power the user gains.

Gaara's insomnia and dangerously narrow buffer between him and Shukaku lead to him spazzing out in pain whenever something triggers an episode of whatever-the-fuck. Leaving him in a a state of disarray and uselessness.

He was supposed to be the nuke that destroyed Konoha but was too busy chasing after anyone who had a chance of beating him up. And then freaking out over hugs. His invulnerable body came with a trade off of a vulnerable and volitile psyche.

Even Zabuza only survived Kakashi because Haku incapacitated him with needles to his neck and then took care of him afterward.

The conversation between the 1st 2nd and 4th Hokage's was like. "Yo it's my bros!" "Hey bro. Sorry bro." "Bro i don't wanna fight you. But this is so cool. I miss you bro." "me too bro."

Now more character-specific stuff:

Rock Lee is my all-time favorite character. Not only is he the embodiment of part 1's major theme, but I just loved his design and voice acting (the green bodysuit could be awkward at times, but everything else is just pure "That's my son look at him go" vibes).

It's a simplistic, agile, adorable character. Pure serotonin. The way his hair flipped around when he fought was great, the (OMO) face, the scrawly, lanky body that moved a little too sharp bc he was legit always ready to explode-- just great. Rock Lee is so pasionate and just loves living. I got the sense that he isn't training just to prove ppl wrong. He loves the ninja arts, and learns to love taijutsu for its own sake not just for the sake of other's approval or besting someone in combat.

Kakashi Hatake was like the reassuring character. His calm and focused approach to conflicts and danger were a nice balance to everyone else's bamboozlement and dramatic/passionate personalities. Kakashi also comes off as a reality check sort of character. He's the one who makes team seven realize the mortality of ninjas via a monument echoing real-life monuments dedicated to fallen soldiers and victims of war/terrorism. You can tell that he cares about ninja as people despite his laid-back demeanor, and expects his team to understand the importance of respect for fellow ninja. His experiance with the inner workings of Konoha also make him more realistic and aware of the world's greyness. He knows how politically corrupt things are and wants his students to hold on to their morality instead of tossing it away to follow orders.

Zabuza- was not just eye candy-- okay Zabuza was 99% eye candy for me (looked a bit starved but-- damn Kishimoto knew what he was doing with that one)

Zabuza's situation of being emotionally dishonest with himself ties back to the whole vulberability associated with power thing. His cold world veiw ablut using and being used made it more obvious that he and Haku genuinely cared for eachother bc they acted in ways that didn't fit that narrative. This big, sharktoothed "Demon of the mist" having a soft spot that also had a soft spot for him was like 🥺

Tenten's affinity for weapon-weilding was legitimately cool and gave me mechanic vibes. They could have been so creative with that. But for now it's just sitting on its hands. I also just love her character design. She got those BUNS.

The Sand Siblings were my favorite team. They were scary as hell. Gaara was just danger personified. He was bloodthisty with a power that enabled it. Carrying around a gourd that reeked of blood-- like-- Garra was one of the horrors of the forest of death and the way he act and the way his siblings talk about him suggested he was chaotic and couldn't nessecarily be trust to keep to the plan. And I loved that he was this tiny scrawny thing with no eyebrows and eyeliner panda/racoon eyes. Some of his expressions were like- EXPRESSIONS dude.

He used have more expressions than 😐 and 😑. He was unintentionally adorable-- you can tell he was meant to look creepy and otherly but came out a little critter. His hair wasn't even meant to be red, that was an animation error. Like, a character even calls him a runt, Kiba's like "Oh no he's too small to be picking fights, run little dude" so he's canonically a little guy. Littler than normal.

Let me tell you, when I was scrubbing through the episodes (bc they spend so much time wasting time on nothing) my eyes would hook on a thumbnail of Gaara, and it'd be 2 seconds of him not reacting to something, and it'd be worth it everytime. Instant serotonin.

Seeing the smallest, most baby-faced member of the group, who looks even tinier with a giant gourd go:

Is just wild. At least for Naruto. And the fear in the other characters is just- a lot. He's not animated in a cuetsey way either. Like, he's not a loli character. He's a little eldritch horror. And I love that he's not infantilized or cutyfied by the creator for being tiny.

Kankuro was also pretty spooky. Not only did his technique look painful as a papercut, but his main puppet (Crow?) somehow managed to give off body-horror vibes.

They really milked it's spookyness by emphasizing the mechanical side of it (the clicking and the way it jerked) and its use of poisoned everything to make even the tiniest nicks a big deal.

Temari was the power house, aesthetically. Like, it's not even a girl-power thing. She just has shoulder-snapper posture. Her eyes , are this dark blue that I've rarely seen in a character design. She's got big sis vibes (bc she IS the big sis). Like, she's gorgeous.

And her explosive hair went well with her chaotic wind specialty. She just fucks the entire landscape up with the goddamned air dude.

The GODDAMNED AIR.

AND THEN LATER WITH THE FERRET-- LIKE DUDE.

Anyways...

Orochimaru as himself is a creep, at least later on-- mostly bc so much of his character is spent obsessing over a little boy's body- obv. this was meant to be creepy, but it's like, pedo creepy, not spider on the wall/ posessed doll creepy. His introduction as the Grass lady, and this slippery immoral scientist who wanted to catalyze a war was a great time He felt like a force of nature.

I dont have Grass Lady photos yet but this is the next best thing lmao. As the mysterious grass village lady, he was HORRIFIC. I really wish she and her team had been real characters instead of just a skin for Orochimaru to hide in. The way she's introduced is exactly the reason why ninja are traditionally thought of as practicing dark, evil arts. Bc they did dark, evil, spooky shit like pulling at their eyelids and being gross with their tongues. The organs and spooky singing in the background, the predator/prey theme, knowing about Naruto's seal when (at this point) so few others did. On top of that, ya'll gotta know that I'm a sucker for those conical sedge/ coolie hats. The fact that Grass LAdy had a long face and droopy eyes made it all the better. Like, how many other feminine characters have those features? All the character designs of the Grass Village team and the relation of grass to snakes and big hats was pretty neat imo.

Kiba Inuzuka honestly seems like he was inspired by Princess Monoke, which is pretty neat on its own, but i honestly don't feel like Kiba really fits into a ninja village. He's loud and bombastic and rarely uses clever or sneaky tricks. It's just brute strength and prey drive. Which isn't to say he shouldn't be in Naruto, but that maybe he could have been from a different village? Or just not necesarily a ninja. Idk. I love that he's this wild-child who's entire theme is dog.

If a dog were a dude.

If only they were good at drawing dogs though.

Hinata was one of those characters I didn't realize I identified with. A LOT. If Rock Lee is who I aspired to be, Hinata was who I actually was. Not just in demeanor (I too skalked around in a jacket no matter the weather) but also in circumstance. Struggling with comparing yourself to others, or others resenting you for the way you're treated (I was the baby of the family) or constantly dealing with people who think they're better or scold you for poor performance, being pushed into something you didn't even really care for. It was all very relatable, and I didn't even realize it at the time.

The fact that they were willing to give her those "ugly" veins left an impression on me too. Bc, that was her kickass look. It wasn't cute, and she didn't have a delicate, pretty style of fighting. Even though she got beat up she really threw hands in a way that felt realistic. Homegirl was just tryna get by despite being surrounded by assholes, and the moment she stood up to Neji, who was in the middle of phsychologically manipulating her into an anxiety attack (not a literal attack but same energy) was like 🥳. I can respect that. Even though she lost, it really felt like Neji learned there'll at least be trouble if he tries that shit again.

Shino was another favorite (I'm gonna end up going through every character at this rate). Especially with his english dub actor. For much the same reasons as Kakashi. Shino was reliable and cool headed. He didn't strut power or look to intimidate anyone, he just paid attention and tended to his bugs-- which, the fact that he cares for and works with a bunch of bugs is oddly endearing. It's like meeting a cat person who's just really good with cats but doesn't gush over them. He comes off as sensitive, but not obsessive.

His angry-neutral design is pretty neat too. Big Soundwave vibes.

Sakura's wake-up call is honestly pretty iconic. She was a bratty character who realized her flaws on her own instead of being told "Hey, be better you goof", She reflected on how she's been up until the moment when it was all on her and she was eating dirt. Sakura getting serious and learning to be proactive, now that she didn't have anyone as a crutch or a scapegoat, was a pretty awesome moment. And even though The show could have done more with her in that regard, I still appreciate that they went there. Watching Sakura with empathy (especially now that we as a society aren't starving for strong female characters like we used to be) makes me notice how realistic her nievety and dependance is. And also how funny she is at times. Even Ino realizing having that wakeup call like "Bro I'm being stupid, I can't let this girl die over a crush". It even feels like their feud isn't just about a crush but just social insecurity. Sakura used to be shy until she met Ino. Ino enouraged her to be proud up until attention started to be drawn away from her toward Sakura. This also suggested that Ino actually did look down on Sakura and was using her to feel better about herself. Sakura outgrowing Ino put her in a position of facing her own flaws or reframing Sakura as an enemy who didn't deserve to be loved.

And when the reason they were enemies (Sasuke) no longer justified being a dickhead (letting Sakura fucking die) Ino not only had to face her own inadequacy but allow herself to care for Sakura again, from a more genuine place.

I wish they had done more with that, but the fact that they did that in the first place was iconic. There's nothing like having to learn that the world you were raised in is not reality. Breaking out of a sheltered and shallow worlveiw is its own struggle. Its a learning curve, and it leaves you emotionally and socially unprepared when you thought you finally had everything figured out. Sometimes people hold on to bratty behavior bc they think their only other option is getting bullied and hating themselves. Sakura's snootiness comes off just makeshift confidence she learned from assholes. She didn't look down on Naruto bc she interacted with Naruto, she looked down on him bc that's what she's been taught to do about people like Naruto. The whole village was like that. Which is realistic. We just aren't told nearly as much of her perspective as other characters, but her learning how her words impact people, and how dishonest she is about her own competence is worth exploring.

The themes in Naruto were pretty nuanced-- even if the character's dialogue was exposition hell (they spend so much time verbally explaining things that dont need to be explained in such a longwinded manner), they were human condition themes, not just a power fantasy or a romance, or a black and white, good and evil conflict. Ninjas are already pretty shady, with Naruto being the most overtly good character in the show. Everyone else's morality (beside's Lee) is questionable at one point or another-- in fact I think even Lee was introduced as an intimidating upperclassmen. It feels true to life that regular people are actually pretty mean and flawed, which makes Naruto's themes hit harder bc you know it's not just one special character going through a special time, making friends with other 100% good people. Its life. Its people dealing with life. Like, these assholes love and hate eachother at the same time all the time. Some of Naruto's friends did some morally questionable shit. Like Shikamaru pretending to be asleep during the attack on Konoha. We still love the guy, but, get the fuck up dude.

Looking back, this just makes me realize that I've always had an interest in thematic/psychological horror and character realism. I can't stand gore/torture, but spooky grass women that infect you with curses, cursed puppets that spazz and split their faces open, and tiny murderous gremlins who nearly give people heart attacks just bc they thought he was gonna do something, being my favorite characters of Naruto is pretty telling.

Add the inky, Hidden Rain water Clones to the list too.

Iruka needs to get a pen. Reaper needs more soul spagetti and Naruto needs to give back SOME of Garra's personality. Just a little. Let him be a little bit of a little bitch.

[mourreon]

Personal opinion - what I like and don't like about 'Mastermind' in order

Mostly visually since I am not caught up on the story and don't really care about doing so LOL. I'm not a Helluva guy but I watched and rewatched the Mastermind bit because there's many things I dislike...and love.

I don't like how Stolas says/sings 'imp' here LMAO

I love this shot accompanied by the high pitched. evil-ish sounding music!

I don't like this expression he makes and in general dislike when they add silly expressions like these during moments that are meant to be taken seriously.

Love this shot and how he's walking on floating rocks...this is not an original trope, many characters in media do this iirc but it's always cool.

Stolas reaching up as he sings 'world of men' is very AMV-like; me likey!

This is like the only verse I actually enjoy in this song, lmao. Most of it sounds like 'I'm evil and bad and mysterious' but these lyrics actually sound professionally written! Congrats!

I don't like the 'fuck it!', sorry. Doesn't sound badass at all to me </3

'The hand that holds the string' while gesturing at Satan feels like he's challenging him. Good.

I like the rotation happening here, whoever anymated it deserves a raise <3

The transition from 'I have no regrets' to 'I have regrets' sounds silly to me I'm so sorry </3 Even though visually it's very appealing and I like how it recalls to the Just Look My Way music video.

Why did they have to add in the word 'idiot'? It sounds kind of silly.

I love how you can see Blitz's physical struggle here as he wants to reach towards Stolas but can't.

Love the lighting, effects and how light is hitting him as he sings 'Sure as the stars have shined'.

This next part is what I dislike the most; I don't care for Satan nor his authority! I've watched up until half of S2 and you're telling me in the span of this few episodes they introduce a guy that's supposed to be very intimidating and hold so much power over every character? I honestly just skip over his part every time I listen to this, I don't like the design of the character, the lyrics, his voice, nothing, sorry.

This was badly put together because I have work soon and want to do something else before going, but I could talk more about how much I like the actual music and animation and how shallow the lyrics are. You are welcome to let me know your opinion as well, won't tag this a lot since it's a personal rant anyways and I'd rather avoid people eating me alive for having an opinion on something I don't have the full context of (which if you've noticed I left out some stuff that might be plot related bc I simply haven't watched or don't remember).

Thanks and bye xP

[darlingkirstein]

Any movie recommendations?

hi!! i see stella sent you my way!! i love movies and am happy to give some suggestions. i'll tell you some of my favorites and then list even more bc there are so many films i love!! i mostly watch horror and drama and sci-fi! truthfully i could give you a lot, i really love talking about film.

1. Dune (2021) / Dune: Part Two (2024)

— i am obsessed with these films, from a plot/character perspective as well as a filmmaking perspective. watch these on the biggest screen you have available with the best sound systems if possible! it's visually stunning :))))

2. Midsommar (2019)

definitely check tw's on this one!!! ik not everyone likes horror but it's such a favorite of mine.

— this film is so beautiful to me!!! fucked up yet it's my most rewatched film on letterboxd because somehow i cannot get enough. has one of my favorite opening sequences of any film.

3. Inception (2010)

— i love nolan movies a lot and this one is my favorite!!! such a fun rewatch and love the plot. great sci-fi and drama, emotional and sweet

4. Interstellar (2014)

— sci-fi BRILLIANCE. visually stunning (i care a lot about cinematography 🤓) like from a technical perspective i absolutely adore this and i just love nolan's plots and fixation on time

5. The Northman (2022)

— NOBODY TALKS ABOUT THIS MOVIE ENOUGH 😭😭 shakespearean and bloody and dramatic, it's such a wild fun ride and i cannot recommend it enough. especially as a hamlet lover, since it's based on the legend that inspired hamlet! really really gorgeous and great choreography on the fight scenes

6. La La Land (2016)

— shatters my heart every time i watch. this is their movie that made me fall in love with film. makes me so happy whenever i rewatch.

7. 1917 (2019)

— one of my favorite war movies :))) so neat the way it's sewn together to appear as one continuous shot. you'll never look at running the same way again after the famous scene.

8. Challengers (2024)

— i was absolutely blown away by this film (especially seeing it in imax). sooo fun and the editing and score and everything is sooo good.

9. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

— feel like a broken record but ugh. cinematography. i also really love the original blade runner so that's a factor too!!!

10. Past Lives (2023)

— had me bawling like a baby 😭😭 complicated love stories really rock me to my core.

Some other suggestions by genre:

Sci-Fi:

1. Alien (1979)

2. Annihilation (2018) — also horror

3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

4. Sunshine (2007)

5. Blade Runner (1982)

Horror:

1. Hereditary (2018)

2. Malignant (2021)

3. Ready or Not (2019)

4. The Descent (2005)

5. The Invisible Man (2020)

6. The Lighthouse (2019)

7. Inside (2007); French

8. The Witch (2015)

9. Evil Dead Rise (2023)

10. Pearl (2022)

11. The Menu (2022)

12. Silence of The Lambs (1991)

13. American Psycho (2000)

14. Saw (2004)

15. The Thing (1982)

Drama:

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

2. The Breakfast Club (1985)

3. Anatomy of a Fall (2023); French

4. Nightcrawler (2014)

5. The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

6. The Imitation Game (2014)

7. Whiplash (2014)

8. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

9. The Batman (2022)

10. Inglorious Basterds (2009)

11. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) — also comedy

12. Babylon (2022)

13. Big Fish (2003)

14. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

15. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

16. Minari (2020)

17. Swiss Army Man (2016)

18. What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

19. Se7en (1995)

20. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

so sorry if this is too many or overwhelming!!! ik everyone's tastes differ so wanted to offer a pretty wide variety of films across genres and such :)) i tried choosing films that are a littleee less mainstream (some of them are obviously extremely well-known but they're well-known and talked about for good reasons!!!) lmk if you have any specific questions or such :)

[daz4i]

IDK if you still want asks but here's a challenge for you: pick a fandom you see on your dash that you're not a part of and say what you know about it through osmosis (and maybe add in your own speculation if you're up to it)

oooooo challenge accepted >:)

one fandom i see on my dash a lot and I'm very interested in getting into (as soon as i muster up the energy to start a new show lmao) is trigun! i may be wrong abt a lot of things but here's what i know:

so there are a few characters i know exist?? vash ofc, wolfwood (bigolas dickolas?), knives, and i think meryl?? these are all the names i got

vash doesn't kill? and he has a special gun to avoid it that only just really hurts or maims but nothing more?

oh also it's a space western

knives is vash's brother and he's insane in the head and evil and but like ppl love him for that

wolfwood carries a giant cross on his back all the time

vash has angel imagery to him? esp during a scene that has to do with knives or smth? they can change the world with divine energy or smth like that

lots of christian metaphors basically.

more of a visual thing I've seen but bc they're in the desert vash constantly has mild sunburn on his face and it's adorable ngl

there's? stuff with technology? like in that knives scene i saw i think he hooked vash to some machine and then vash had all these marks on him like circuits?? don't know what's up with that but like it's a sci fi so it makes sense

people think vash meryl and wolfwood are a good polyship iirc. or generally ship vash with those two. i actually don't know much abt meryl I'm sorry :(

i mostly based this off stampede which is a remake of the 1998 show that's an adaptation of a manga and it's made in cgi and looks really cool. this is smth I've actually been told in asks so that might be cheating 😳

the original anime had a banger soundtrack i love the op

oh also smth abt how the original vash is more. angry? and has more grit to him. while the one in stampede is softer and more sad than angry (also he constantly looks like a kicked puppy, love that)

oh bonus smth i learned through a youtube video actually: the original anime flopped hard in japan but really succeeded in the west and esp in america (which. isn't surprising hehe) and this probably helped stampede come to fruition today

i think that's all i know! i did skip a lot of text posts abt it to avoid spoilers but like through gifs or shorter posts i read out of curiosity this is what i got 🤔

trigun fans what do you think did i get it right (if i didn't you can tell me but no spoilers pls 👀)

i don't have any speculations tbh. other than I'll probably love wolfwood. and maybe knives too

[coridallasmultipass]

Craft blogging and personal venting

I crocheted almost the entirety of a full size cylindrical market bag today (I have one more strap to do tomorrow and then just outline the straps with a quick row of single-crochets). My hands are fucking killing me. I did the base circle (entirely eyeballed bc I could not be bothered to find the formula for a crochet circle) and then turned the bag sideways and did a foundation chain to do the body of the bag (going off a photo of a bag in TWL3) and I had to stop and redo so much of that beginning bag body because I'm not using the same yarn so it was a challenge to get the same visual texture. The show bag is like extra bulky tshirt yarn. Mine is standard cheap worsted cotton yarn. Lmao. I wound up staying with my first instinct to do treble-crochets as my worsted-weight alternative stitch. It doesn't look amazing, but it looks pretty darn good for using-what-I-have-on-hand.

I WAS going to use a bulky regular yarn I have since it's pre-striped yarn in similar colours, but the bulky didn't have teal. As I was looking in my yarn bin for teal yarn to add, I found the plain white cotton yarn. I remembered that the show bag was actually dyed stripes, not colourwork stripes/not multiple yarns/not striped yarn. I checked my yarn supplies bin and found the tie-dye supplies I bought with the plain white cotton yarn. Guess what!! I can fucking tie dye the colours I need!! Fuck yeahhhh!!

It's gonna be fun, I hope. Stripes should be pretty easy to measure out/rubber-band-off. I did a more complicated design when we did tie-dye in high school, so I'm sure I can figure it out. Only problem is, what do I do with leftover dye solution? I can maybe loosely tie-dye (just dye) parts of the shirt I was going to paint by hand, but I'd rather not since I'm not so skilled with tie-dye lol. I don't want to tie-dye my regular white shirts since they-re only a year old. Maybe it can be refrigerated/frozen for later (they're already dry-measured into bottles when I bought 'em, so I can't just measure less).

Anyways, I'm gonna have a whole fucking TWL3 Chelsea look when I'm done. I didn't even notice her bag till I was looking at fashion articles trying to see reference pics for the shirt colours since I can't screenshot the show from my phone. (I mostly took drawing notes by hand, but I needed colour refs on hand when I paint).

So yeah. On a more personal note...

I had a rough past 2 days, including having to come out to a doctor and being scared about if it will affect the unrelated healthcare I need. Yesterday I got up early to do a full glitter eyeshadow look (like used makeup glue and everything) JUST so that I wouldn't cry in the appointment/events afterwards. I hadn't worn decorative makeup in like a year, before that.

So, I cried about yesterday a lot in therapy today. (Racial microaggression REALLY fucking got to me yesterday bc that happened at a really inopportune moment of vulnerability for me.) Basically, I was feeling constant adrenaline almost the whole day yesterday. Even with meds on board. I felt sick all day the rest of today after therapy (an anniversary, but literally only for me because I was in a different time zone when that happened) and I finally started bawling while crocheting this fucking bag, just trying to do anything to keep my mind off the day, keeping something on the TV constantly (even though it was lagging all day) since, of course, it was gloomy and cold for most of today! Hate that. I'm ready for summer. I hate winter and spring, they're too cold.

I'm still feeling pretty mentally sick about everything. Really, REALLY fucking alone and sad, and I'm gonna try and sleep it off, hopefully I can feel better tomorrow and spend some time working on painting that shirt I really want. Please. I need all the funky neon rave aes clothes lmao. Maybe I'll crochet some neon smiley bag tag or something for the market bag, since I obv don't want to replicate the branded bag tag. Idk. I'm tired.

As an aside, I've been typing for a bit as I'm getting ready for bed. When I went to wash my hands, hOLY SHIT my left hand is so beefy from crocheting for like 13 hours gay lol. Might not even be able to crochet tomorrow if my arthritis acts up because of this. Rn it's just sore. Ugh. Just one more strap. And one bag tag. That's all I ask. I can paint the shirt with my right hand. (Cross-dominant handedness.)

Anyways, I'm prob gonna pass out now. Everything hurts in more ways than one. My hand needs kissies, holy fuck, it really hurts. I'm tired. I need a fucking break. I need one million dollars. I need to be at the blood rave. I need a hug. I need 7k E M/M PWP read to me as I sleep. I need a full night's rest. Good night.

[notsocheezy]

Brain Curd #300

Brain Curds - Behind the Series

Brain Curds are lightly edited daily writing - usually flash fiction and sometimes terrible on purpose.

It’s a challenge to come up with something to befit a milestone like this. Some would say it’s silly to do a special post to commemorate one of hundreds of little nuggets of creation - these aren’t meant to be great efforts, they’re just to keep the cheese grating. But I’ve already set a precedent at this point: Brain Curd #100 let me look back at the first hundred days I spent writing these. Brain Curd #200 allowed me to offer a concise visual history of my creative output over the course of my entire life (though not too many of you took me up on it).

For Brain Curd #300, well… to tell the truth, I’ve been racking my you-know-what to come up with a satisfying answer. What could I possibly write that recognizes this accomplishment for what it is, satisfies myself and my audience, and doesn’t rehash my musings on the new year? I think I’ve found the perfect thing.

Today, I’m looking back at some of the most prominent recurring series of this 300-post run to share with you juicy behind-the-scenes information the likes of which you’ve probably seen before (like on DVDs and stuff) but never about Brain Curds - until now! Where did they come from? Where did they go? Are they coming back? All this and more today - that’s the Brain Curd #300 promise.

Government Man

Government Man was the first big break-out hit from this project. Though when I say ‘hit’ I’m mostly referring to my own feelings on the matter, this is still one of the more popular series of mine… based on how many notes each episode gets, anyway.

Initially, the concept was borne of my dry humor and general disillusionment with the USA (then again, what isn't?). More importantly, though, I allowed myself to explore the absurdity of it all without polishing my prose. There's a charming staccato quality to Government Man #1 that I've somewhat abandoned as the rust flaked off of my writing gears and the characters became better defined.

I wasn't always planning on having series as part of Brain Curds, but challenging myself to a time limit of ten minutes (I found this to be too restrictive and switched to Twenty-Minute Tuesdays the following week) got me immediately thinking of how I could avoid making a new concept entirely from scratch. Government Man #2 was a fun little bit of character building which by complete happenstance made Government Woman a keeper of exotic animals, a trait which became more and more important later on.

Episode 3 introduced the big bad, Counter Spy. This one started as an off-the-cuff bedtime story for my ex - and honestly, the breakup might have ruined the series for me if I weren't so attached. But this unlikely source set in motion the main plot of Season 1, which was completed by Episode 21, though not totally wrapped up.

My favorite entry? It’s hard to say for sure, but I’m proud of the foreshadowing and big reveal that I pulled off at the two-thirds point of the season - which never would have happened if I didn’t desperately need a break from Counter Spy.

Government Man will return as soon as I have some ideas for Season 2. The holiday special is only second-class canon, part of neither Season 1 nor Season 2… So don’t worry about it.

The Prom Consort

It all started with queerbaiting. I saw the new Ghostbusters and was immensely frustrated. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. If the ghost was a boy, they would have kissed. Fucking Hollywood. Anyway…

After I let out my annoyance with Clearly Bait (BC#7), a couple weeks later I started writing a diatribe about the concept of love triangles and realized halfway through that this was the same character from that, back for revenge. A triad was the logical next step, and the plot thickened.

As of right now, I'm not entirely sure where to go with this story. In the aftermath of a harsh breakup, it was kind of tough for me to access those romantic sensibilities that were with me when I started. But I do want to come back to this one. It's still got life left in it. I want to see where these characters end up. Do they succeed in their goal, or does the drama push them all apart?

The Frank Program

The Frank Program started its life long before the concept of Brain Curds ever existed, first as a vague creation of two men named Mike. Frank was initially a sort of wimpy, pathetic character used for prank calls to the local radio station. Which might have been less notable if the two Mikes didn't have a show themselves.

I myself was a former host of the same show, which came to be known as Audiophiles. So naturally, on the occasions that I'd appear as a guest, I was involved with their hijinks. I even made a prank call as Frank - take a listen if you like:

The two Mikes thought it was hilarious. The hosts of the other show didn't. I doubt anyone cares much about it by now, but it was part of the reason the show got canceled. The other reason was that one of the Mikes was sleeping under the desk.

Later on, I considered trying drag, and naturally I needed to come up with a character to play. Frank, for whatever reason, came to mind. I envisioned him as something of a southerner conspiracy theorist comedian, but I never got as far as his appearance. I did, however, record a proto-Frank Program episode. This one’s short, so check it out (maybe don’t listen to it in public, though):

One day last year, I needed to write a Brain Curd and he came to mind again, so I put him in a room with a guest to interview and his meek producer. Modern Frank - the loveable, loathsome idiot with more connections than sense, was born to great success. After that, well… It's 90% fiction, but there’s a true story if you know where to look.

Frank’s in rehab now, but I think Daryl is doing a fine job as host by himself. Better than I ever did, at least.

Veronica

Sometimes you just need to let those intrusive gory images out of your mind. It’s bloodletting.

The first three Veronica entries started with first lines I thought were clever and built off from there. Then they just got really, really violent. Honestly, I’m pretty squicked out by that sort of thing in real life. Drops of blood on the floor are enough to make me a touch light-headed. Not my blood, mind you, only other people’s blood. I’m very much used to seeing my own.

After that ‘trilogy’, I had a unique opportunity. Due to the format of Brain Curds, I was able to start a whole new ongoing story that was secretly (or obviously, depending on how close you pay attention) Veronica's unraveling - that being Apart at the Seams.

I finally put Veronica through what she deserved, including the pain she was never before able to feel, which was quite cathartic in the aftermath of a painful and gory surgery (See my #V-Day posts if you want to know).

Now that the detective seems to have figured her out, where is there to go? A court trial? Prison? Foster home? It's hard to come up with anything worth exploring. So for now, this series is over. But it was a cool cross of whodunnit and how-find-out while it lasted.

Passable.

I’ve wanted to make a trans sitcom for years and years. In 2019 or so, I decided I was going to write a pilot, and the four characters were loosely based on some people I knew at the time. The initial concept for this pilot, known as ‘Transpotting’, was what ended up as the A-plot for Episode 2. Here's an excerpt from the first first draft:

Yeah, that’s not an excerpt, I lied; that’s all I wrote. But it's for the best, honestly. I didn't have the greatest understanding of how sitcom plots were constructed back then… or how to write good comedy dialogue. It's fortuitous, then, that I finally took the plunge in Brain Curd #30 and jumped into a completely different, off-the-top-of-my-head and absolutely bonkers plot that could probably never be aired on television. At this point, I think I’ve poached most of what is worthwhile from this exchange for the show proper.

At this point, I may not be perfect at writing for Passable,, but I've gotten in a groove with these characters and the episodes will only continue to improve. It’s one of my favorites to write, and I think it’s worth noting that I conceived of and wrote the entire holiday special within the month of December. That says something. Not sure what, but it’s something.

The next step is to revise what I’ve got. After that, I’ll begin work on a pilot script I can actually get past the FCC. In the meantime, we’ll continue checking in on Lily, Alice, Sarah, and Brayden to see what they’re up to.

Clint & Reggie

These goofballs came about entirely by accident. Normally, I wouldn’t come back to characters without good reason - continuity, for example. But after Goldfish (BC#102), I realized how much I enjoyed their dynamic and (more importantly) how much I don’t enjoy coming up with new names. Since Reggie killed Clint (spoiler alert) I had no choice but to keep these episodic and disconnected, to the point that I don’t even link to their previous appearances like I do with other series.

Clint & Reggie may remain roommates until the end of time, no matter how many times (successfully or otherwise) Reggie murders Clint. They're good friends.

As far as the best entry goes, I'm pretty sure the original can't be topped: the line, “I realized I was smiling, and the snacks smiled back” is just too good. But hey, maybe something of that caliber could show up again. My brain does the wildest things.

Cole Nicole

I had this idea of a sunset and nothing else, so I started with just that sentence. All of a sudden, there was a living, breathing twink in a cute bikini laying on the beach. I can’t explain it other than maybe I was a little horny. Hence, Cole Nicole. As I stated in the tags for Episode 1, he's my new “imaginary boyfriend.”

Rikki Numbers, Cole's nemesis, existed in my mind as a vague concept long before Cole ever did. He was something of a femboy alter-ego for myself - a dominant nymphomaniac with a deeper voice than I use day-to-day, but otherwise not altogether a different personality from myself. The version of him in this series is way different - he's high femme, flamboyant, vaguely european, and a total bitch.

At least, you'd think he is. But maybe he's not so bad. Don't worry, you'll see more of Cole, Rikki, and the rest. I just have to come up with their outfits… Not my greatest talent. Hell or high water, though, you’ll see more femboy friday.

Quantum Fates

The freshest face of these ongoing series came to me in a dream. I dreamt of being back in high school, with vague knowledge of a future I worked to change for the better. What startled me was the unintended consequences - I saw a face I wasn’t expecting.

This isn’t exactly what Quantum Fates is or will be, but it brought me back to a concept I’ve wanted desperately to explore: what would I do if I could go back? Ultimately, despite my attempts to make something of it (see Memories Retained, both the original poem and the fizzled novella) I just couldn’t figure out how to make it interesting to anyone but myself. It’s reflexive fanfic, and I’m the only fan.

That’s why this realization was so integral. The fact of the memories being retained took all the life out of the story, took what little suspense there might be and made it, “oh, yeah, I remember that happening.” Maybe there’s something to be found within that setup, but the slow drip-feed of information is much more engaging, and the underrepresented status quo only adds to that.Reading Quantum Fates, you don’t just wonder why Trevor’s got that voice in his head, and bizarre premonitions, but you also ask why he lives with his grandparents, why his relationship with his father is strained, when he’s going to figure out… Oh, I shouldn’t tell you that. You know neither what happened nor what will happen - that is, you don’t know for sure. That’s my goal, at least. I hope by making it interesting to write, it’s interesting to read, too.

Anyway, folks, thank you for joining me on this journey over the past three-hundred days. Here’s to more one-offs, poems, comics, series, and anything else I can justify uploading to my blog. Long live Brain Curds! See you tomorrow.

[queensconquest]

liibertcs said:  Canon, a vertically challenged and visually challenged woman, driving a [STOLEN] car. Kalluto strapped in the back.

   This  seems  like a  really  BAD  idea.

[hahanoiwont]

is frisk male or female? are they intersex? or is their sex highly classified information?

Okay you jest but Frisk's health records will actually become highly classified information once they get to the Surface. Because of some timeline differences, UT!verse is behind all of the others, meaning Frisk (11 years old) just went missing, and Frisk (1X years old) will return with an entirely different medical history. There will already be some speculation that they may or may not be the same Frisk as the one who went missing, or a shapeshifting monster claiming to be that Frisk, or something else entirely. All Frisk can confidently say is that they're at least 14 years old and probably not more than 18, and they were born on the Surface. Never having met UT!Frisk, one of their first courses of action is to make sure as best they can that their personal information disappears, so that no one can accuse them of killing and replacing (haha whoops) or secretly being/not being Undertale!Frisk.

[drawnaghht]

Samurai Rabbit trivia refs (+ name reminder)

just short post to say: Usagi is meant as his given name.

We don't know the lore or backstory for why Yuichi was picked as a surname

update from 6.01.2024: Candie Langdale, one of the showrunners for SR, confirmed that it is indeed Yuichi Usagi [surname][given name] and that they asked about Yuichi as a surname from both their japanese consultant and Stan.

the backstory is that they wanted to name him Usagi, but wanted to differentiate him from Miyamoto Usagi as well. They also wanted to honor the guy working at the karaoke bar they had been frequenting the past 12 years. Yuichi was considered based on these as a surname.

(read the reply in this post post by Freakova here: https://www.tumblr.com/freakova/738803294989860864/the-writers-of-samurai-rabbit-have-confirmed-that)

the show follows the same naming conventions as the comic, so [surname][given name] as in real-world japan, Gen introduces himself as Murakami Gennosuke in ep 4.

However, it mostly drops honorifics in the EN language original (but the honorifics are back for some characters in the JP dub)

You can use/do whatever you want in your own fanfic/versions but it's just good to know where the show is coming from

You can also use them in the same way as Stan and the show's crew do - Usagi when it's just about him, Yuichi when they also bring Miyamoto Usagi into the convo, or "our Usagi"/Yuichi and "Stan's Usagi/Miyamoto when talking about them both.

Whether Yuichi is meant as a namesake, a title, or just a very rare surname, the show itself has all the younger/ally characters call each other by first name, while older/enemy characters get called by their title+surname (w/ the exception of Lady Fuwa and Chizu, bc of the story arc there)

his own aunt calls him Usagi

both names are probably meant to be used in general, but in-world, everyone who becomes friends with him starts calling him Usagi, which is the name he prefers to introduce himself (see episode 1)

(lol this next part is a lil debunked now after the news from 6.01.2024 haha)

I have a suspicion that maybe that's what the name was for, like a consideration for the old fans and new viewers. Maybe it was intentional because the showrunners were aware how naming is tricky for this franchise (re: that 1987 TMNT re-named Miyamoto Usagi "Usagi Yojimbo" and most 87 fans still know him as that? the showrunners are old enough to have been in that audience) so maybe they intentionally looked for something that would sound good as both surname and given name (just another thought)

Anyway, since there's still confusion by fans abt it, here's some good general sources also just for those interested in learning more random trivia abt the show. But these are the sources I've used to refute for myself what older posts/tags claim: that there was no research and no respect in the show for Stan's original work or for Japanese culture. From these it seems like the opposite is true.

"Samurai Rabbit Facts" - this is a "# facts" video but provides a lot of interesting trivia from both the show and crew, as well as about Stan's involvement in the show. Fun stuff in general, like how Usagi's sandal features Stan's signature as a fun easter egg to characters they wanted to include but didn't have time to.

The Comicbook Couples Councelling podcast with Stan and Samurai Rabbit crew (youtube vers) - This interview features Stan and art director Khang Le talking about the characters and the art, while showrunners Candie and Doug Langdale answer burning questions about the storylines and writing the show as well as learning new things during pre-production and research. Both sides talk a bit about the challenges of adapting something as prolific as Usagi Yojimbo for a younger audience.

The 2021 SDCC @Home panel with Stan, crew and cast - LOTS of fun visuals and very informative on how the crew worked on the show when the first COVID lockdown happened.

The POPverse interview with Stan Sakai - This is a great interview about many of these same things in the other interviews, if you prefer reading rather than listening to interviews.

I have my old post abt Usagi's names and the connection to Senso (one of the main inspirations for the series) and i'm writing a new one, but I thought this shorter post might be useful. Plus, while writing longer essay-like things can be fun for me personally, the ultimate goal there is to provide some food-for-thought for other fans while being informative abt the show itself. Hope this helps!

(update 16.01: both of these are now slightly disproven I suppose since we know the real reason from co-showrunner Candie Langdale now since january 6th haha xD but - still keeping these as the theory is still interesting).

[furballfaggot]

OKIE DOKIE. buckle up bestie this will be so many words. under the cut for mild f-zero spoilers and Holy Long. im also not acknowledging f-zero gp legend or its game continuity in this bc its so vastly different from the first 3 games in the series that its widely regarded as a completely different canon (and for good reason -- despite every previous piece of media in the series taking place in the 26th century/the 2600s falcon densetsu happens in 2201, a whole 400 years before the main canon)

take most of this with a grain of salt i start dissociating if i have to think of how to words things longer than 2 paragraphs and i havent even come close to knowing everything there is to know about even the story mode in f-zero gx yet so i will Probably get some things wrong here and long-time fans have full permission to hit me with hammers for it /lh

okay so in terms of obsession i got into f-zero For Real recently after only knowing him through smash bros and his overzealous fanon interps. I Will Get To The Fanon Interpretations. unfortunately i forgot that A i am completely predictable and B he was already like almost exactly my type of fictional guy visually before i even knew his personality

but in terms of What His Actual Deal Is, captain falcon is an f-zero racer and a bounty hunter, technically hes not really a good guy necessarily but hes pretty disapproving of injustice and has canonically turned down anywhere from thousands to millions of dollars of prize money on at least one occasion because he wanted to stop the designated big bad of the series. he seemingly joins the grand prix for mostly money and fame throughout the series but he obviously enjoys it and isnt just doing it for the cash since he "knows every inch of his machine" (kinda gay...........) and also could very easily just make a living off of bounty hunting since hes like One Of The Best Ones and that shit pays GOOD. also hes got tv screens/billboards/whatever they are displaying his face at all times in mute city so i think hes pretty good on the fame part at least

hes kinda distant though. doesnt seem to interact with people much if he doesnt have to, probably has at least a couple acquaintances by default but definitely has more than enough enemies and sworn rivals to match that hypothetical number, went to a club and kinda just didnt talk to anyone until he got dragged into entering the bet race happening at the time, didnt even Try to talk to samurai goroh until he was directly threatened by the guy, the like. despite this hes known to be a bit cocky (heha) and doesnt back down from a fight or a challenge. like he can obviously step out of it for more important things and if he doesnt want to He Will Not but for the most part hes got a bit of an ego. the confidence is more prominent as a character trait in the mini comic included within the manual for the original snes game but either way he doesnt exactly have all that much canon time to show off all that much of his personality since f-zero doesnt usually have dialogue. the most you get is cutscenes before and after story mode gameplay and maybe some interview questions if you finish first in a grand prix (which i am not good enough at doing to know all that much about u_u)

UNFORTUNATELY smash bros did not get time to take in his characterization and as less and less people knew about f-zero canon evidently nintendo did too. there has never been a time when hes been that loud or brash or flashy in canon and also he uses a Literal Actual Gun more times than he does the falcon punch in canon. literally it was not even a thing until smash. the moment brawl untucked his scarf from his outfit and let it blow around in the wind it was all downhill from there. i could talk more about this issue and what i think a canon explanation for how he acts in smash could be but ive got a fanfic brewing for that /hj

and whats worse fanon has a tendency to go overboard with character personalities already. when people got ahold of smash falcon they went NUTS. he went from "kind of overzealous, maybe a bit of a bitch, but knows what hes doing and still gives a shit" to The Designated Noisy Funnyman, to the point that nintendo started leaning into it for at least smash ultimate. not to say i Dislike people going off of what they have, im not trying to be condescending or mad or anything. im generally pretty supportive of other characterization ideas. but i am baffled as to how we got here to be honest

various other details:

has only taken off his helmet and shown his face like Once in the series. maybe twice. but if hes done it in gx nobody tell me im still on chapter 4

its not actually all that clear what the triangles on his helmet visor really are. some stuff seems to treat them as stylized version of his real eyes behind the visor, some of it treats them as sort of being digitally displayed or something, and some of it says its Just Actually His Eyes Through Little Holes And We Just Made Them Look As Visually Appealing As We Could. he didnt even have those in his design before the nigh-immediate jump to 3d -- the comic in the snes manual just has the visor as a normal solid thing

i really cannot stress enough that he never once had his scarf out before super smash bros brawl. not one time. it was always tucked into his outfit at all times. i know i KNOW brawl did it to make his design more appealing + add a bit more life to it but then that just became How His Outfit Looked

f-zero 99 has emotes/stickers you can use before races or for specific things happening (crossing the finish line, crashing, and getting a ko specifically) and one of them is him doing a thumbs up that im pretty sure is just repurposed manual comic art. you will never guess whats part of my switch profile icon ever since they started the 99 icon element event last week and probably will be until i die

^ they didnt try to modernize the manual art for the emotes btw. which i approve of. but more importantly means that the scarf thing is only an issue in the thing everyone knows him from im losing my mind

all the voice acting in the gx cutscenes is remarkably stilted but where do you think youre taking me is still my favorite so far. what was up with that. why did he say it like that. was he drunk. DID HE DRUNK DRIVE DURING THAT WHOLE RACE WAIT

why does he eat ramen so fucking aggressively in the min min reveal trailer

^ this has been haunting me for weeks i dont understand. did we need the action shot. hello

canonically from port town since the original f-zero. which could be part of why port town aero dive is in smash besides Looks Really Cool and Fun Name. then again hanenbow electroplankton is also in there when im not really sure any of the other electroplankton even have spirits in ultimate so who knows what the criteria was for stage selection in the end

yo what’s the deal with captain falcon. not even in a mean way i’m just fascinated with your obsession of the falcon punch guy from smash

[wri0thesley]

Saw ur ass/tits/thighs answer and it made me wonder...what the jjk men are drawn to with facial features and/or noteworthy physical quirks? I read ur rules tho and ik u don’t want more than 4 characters in an ask at a time! I’m mostly curious about toji, Nanami, and gojo? Like, are they drawn to unconventional beauty? Girl/boy next door features? Sad, old soul eyes? A prominent Cupid’s bow? Soft, innocent features? (Side note I just have this weird gut feeling that gojo has a thing for people with like...resting bitch faces. Someone who can silence with a single cutting glare). Ajdkfkfkfr sorry for rambling.

ah anon i don't usually like to ascribe character's a preference for Specific Visual/Physical Features beyond their favourite body parts (bc they like those on you no matter what they look like) and to keep the fantasies going for everyone, but just as a vague aside:

i love the idea that gojo likes resting bitch face because he wants to make them laugh! he probably likes people who look serious because he takes it a personal challenge; that being said, if somebody constantly has a smile on their face like they're keeping a secret and laughs easily, gojo is intrigued by that too; he wants to have fun, and it's a way of knowing that the two of them might get along!

nanami likes people who look . . . far away, is the best way to describe it. he gets very distracted by people who look like daydreamers and who smile a little vacantly as if they're living a far more interesting life in their head; he spends a lot of time just working and working until he can't think so people who have the ability to take themselves away from that are worthy of admiration in his eyes.

toji is definitely a sucker for that look of wide-eyed innocence and wonderment. it makes his corruption kink - and a latent instinct to protect that he doesn't want to admit he has - go brrrr. but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't equally as fascinated by someone with a smirk on their lips and a dry, sardonic wit who looks like they know too much. that's a challenge, and toji wants to know exactly what they know.

[nikomedes]

(i am sending you writing asks) can i get a uhhhhh... number #1, #13, #19, and a #23 please thank you

[drive thru speaker crackle] ask machine broke

jk thank u luke!!! i am sorry this is so fucking long

1. Tell us about your current project(s) – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

so adhd is a disorder where--

im joking but uh. off the top of my head:

fallout 3 mlw/charon fic that i just. have put way too much time into mostly as a challenge to myself to understand the ship (13k+ words)

disco elysium time loop fic which is so close to done. its short and sweet. CAN I CROSS THE FINISH LINE? no (4k words)

pokemon swsh trainer/hop fanfic about their friendship during the gym challenge as reflected on by hop as they prepare to part ways for college. another "haha im playing this game this might be a fun challenge" that got so goddamn out of hand (8k words)

murderbot fanfic ive posted about before where ART tries to hold hands. its also short, mostly written, and something i SHOULD finish. but will i? (i keep saying "no" but i mean "hopefully") (3k words)

original story closing the book on a character i played in a dark fantasy intrigue ttrpg. hey! this game ended 4 months ago! why is this still not done (12k+ words)

a visual novel? a whole goddamn visual novel about h3x, another ttrpg character? this game has officially been ended prematurely due to gm burnout so realistically i will prob never finish this. but also, i kind of want to just to teach myself how to make a visual novel? OOPS? (??? words bc figuring that out would require booting three different programs. but it's at least 15k+)

my locked tomb western au fanfic that i started for the 2021 tltbb and then basically dropped due to mixed reception and getting burned out on that fandom. another project i will probably never finished but with the new book coming out who tf knows (22k+ words)

an outlined lesbian southern horror novel about a woman being seduced by a haunted house. this project is so exciting but. please scroll up. when am i gonna start it. and DON'T say nanowrimo i'll cry (2300 words)

worldbuilding for a beam saber ttrpg game i want to run very badly but realistically won't run for 3 years. but yknow. its not like ive got anything else to write (2k words)

worldbuilding im behind on for a magical realism 1930s monster of the week ttrpg game im running this fall. i literally need to get this to the players by the end of this week ideally lmfao (??? words bc its spread out over 3 documents and a google slides presentation)

more. there's more. im just going to stop now but i need u to know there's more

13. Do you share your writing online? (Drop a link!) Do you have projects you’ve kept just for yourself?

much to the chagrin of anyone who wants me to, you know. make a living writing, publish again, "do something with my talent," i almost exclusively write WAY TOO LONG stories about the tabletop roleplaying games i'm in on my wordpress. i also write approximately one fanfiction every two years, mostly for wildly different fandoms, here on my ao3.

i would honestly say about 40% of the writing i do is just for me? (unless we want to talk about the nonexistent traffic to that wordpress blog or how often my fellow players have to go "alex i simply do not have the time to read 20k words about the blorbo you created for our game," in which case it could be argued that 90% of my writing is only consumed by me slkdjlfjg) i think it's super important to write for yourself and not attach your enjoyment of writing to engagement/web traffic. the internet will make u insane about that

19. Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)

oh man this character has a complex relationship w their mom

characters talking "flatly" or delivering something deadpan

"trudged" (insert paul bettany's monologue about trudging from a knight's tale here)

"the moral of the story is, it's not about building something that outlives you, it's about enjoying the life you're living with the people you love" character arc (i stole this arc from my life)

having characters do fucked up and evil things to coffee bc i can't stand the taste of it

23. What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?

i'm restraining myself only to what i've already listed above. the visual novel is the oldest, bc i love my terrible son and i do actually really want to learn how to write and program VNs

[questersrest]

I remember playing dqix. But I also remember playing dragon quest 4, and 5, and maybe 6 on the ds too. You play those?

i didn't play them on the ds. dq9 was my first dq game and i loved it so much i wanted to play the rest of the series too but this is from a time when i was a dumb kid with very limited money so i just sorta forgot about dq as i grew up.

in 2019 when they anounced hero for smash i saw nine in the final smash and the memories all came flooding back.

i have played every main series dq game since except 10 i've only played some of.

for 4-6 i played the mobile versions which are ports of the ds remakes, just adapted for touch controls and one long screen instead of 2 small screens.

i hear the party chat feature was not fully translated and thus absent from the localisations of the ds version of dq4 but is in 5 and 6 and is in the mobile version of 4 so there are some advantages.

i have some misgivings for any versions developed by artepiazza (ds and mobile versions of dq4-6, 3ds and mobile versions of dq7, 2d mode in dq11s), mostly bc the ui and and font used look jarring against the rest of the game (not so much an issue in the ds games bc the low res meant they kept the pixel art style). but for the most part, they are good versions and visuals aside, dq4-6 are great games.

i know people seem to not like dq6 so much but i think a lot of that is that each game made huge developments for the series or stood out in its own way for some features, but then dq6 didn't. it's still a very solid dq game, i rly enjoyed it. i think my favourite part was castle graceskull, where you relive the events of its downfall to discover the hiding place of the armour of orgo, then the demon that tore it apart returns as the postgame superboss who went on to become a recuring bonus challenge in later games.

as for the other games, dq5 is extremely iconic with its moster recruiting and choice of wife, it even got a movie based on it (please watch dragon quest: your story if you haven't already). and dq4 gave us alena and kiryl and sofia and eliza and mr. edgelord, psaro.

[mrfandomwars]

I tried to draw some tattoos for Tarre Vizla, hope y'all liked my attempt.

Also uh, how on earth do I make a image ID for this????

Meaning under the cut.

Symbols:

Check this website to have a visual pls

Jedi Order Symbol - not sure if there was a different symbol when Tarre was alive, so went with this. And yes, it symbolises that he is a Jedi

Clan Vizla Symbol - Loyalties to his clan and also symbolising that he is Mando and has loyalties to them

Placement: (check this link if you are interested on other stuff)

Symbols below the Vizla Clan symbol - it's a version of the Mandalorians crusaders but adapted to it forms a circle around the arm section. Why I chose this? Because it apparently "The points represent the weapons of warriors,while the ring symbolizes the cycles that govern life-birth and death,conquest and defeat,and the promise that new warriors will arise to carry on the traditions of the departed", except I adapted it and made it so that the symbol is divided in two, one part in one section, the other on the next section and so forth

Jaig Eyes - "The stylized eyes of the shriek-hawk are awarded to warriors showing conspicuous bravery in defense of their clan or unit,or of Mandalorians in general." - He deserves it, just saying that he probably defended Mandalore from some people, even maybe from the Republic.

The lines that you see that are smooth and straight are called Ahu ahu mataroa and "Shows talent and achievement in athleticism or sport and can also be representative of a new challenge." - he probably deserves it from being a good fighter and a new challenge can be trying to balance Mandalorian and Jedi culture and ideology

Unaunahi - The round symbols with things on top, not the circles in the belly (although they are filling in the middle between the outside circle and the inside circle), the ones in the chest next to the lines. Anyway, "Fish scales that represent abundance and health." He is a king and a healthy person, that's all I'm saying. Also idk if it counts but he probably survived a lot of stuff, bc let's be honest, not all Mando's (and maybe even some Jedi) would like him or him being in power of Mandalore.

Pakati - Dog skin cloak, representative of warriors/battles/courage and strength. He is strong and courageous and probably fought some battles and is a Mando warrior. It's the symbols under the Order Symbol

Upper Trunk -> "This area is from just above the navel to the chest and is related to themes such as generosity, sincerity, honour and reconciliation. Some may have noticed that this area is placed directly between Rangi and Papa, in order to have harmony between them balance must exist in this area."

"The shoulders and upper arms above the elbow are associated with strength and bravery and they relate to people such as warriors and chiefs. The Maori word kikopuku used to designate this part of the union of the words kiko (flesh, body) and puku (swollen). Puku as a prefix or suffix is also used as an intensifier of the word it qualifies, enforcing the idea of strong arms." - Warrior and Chief (Mand'alor)

"From below the elbow, the same word is used to refer both to arm and hand. This part of the body relates to creativity, creation and making things." - He made the darksaber, and also was able to be creative enough to be able to have both Mando and Jedi culture

Lower trunk - "This area goes from the thighs to the navel. (...)This part of the body directly relates to life’s energy, courage, procreation, independence and sexuality. The stomach or mid area, is where mana originates form and the navel represents independence due to the symbolic meaning associated to the cutting of the umbilical cord." He is independent and courageous.

Hopefully me explaining the reasoning behind the symbols and positions made sense, I mostly read what it symbolises and went like "Oh, that fits [the version I have of him (bc not a lot is known about him)]." and added it to the design.