#probably because the dude in the reference was shirtless and the vibe of it was so feral-link

[elliott-forgott]

Tfw when you specifically told that naked guy not to jump off the cliff and the second you turn around you see that not only has he jumped off the cliff, but he’s laughing at you too.

[omegawolverine]

Plesse tell me about queerness in the get down!!

okay okay queerness in the get down let's fuckn goooo

disclaimer: I havent watched this show in full for like 5 months at least, probably gonna get something wrong and/or forget some more important bits. also this wasnt proof read I just word vomited

tws: period typical homophobia, abuse mention, f slur use, bury your gays trope, overdose mention, mention of a creepy possible age gap (the age gap hasnt been confirmed so that's why its possible), cops

going from least to most prominent queer characters, let's start with mylene cruz!

so, from the beginning of this show she has an established romantic relationship with ezekiel (although the status of their actual relationship changes frequently throughout the show) and though this was a relationship she was hesitant to pursue, it is clear that she does have romantic feelings for him and if not for them both having growing careers in very different music genres (zeke specifically working in a genre that she repeatedly labels as bad because she thinks they're ruining records + that it isnt real music because they're using someone elses piece and rapping over it, that's not really important here tho lol) they probably wouldve had a much healthier, smooth sailing romance. that being said theres a few things that happen in the show that, while not explicitly clear, or even really good coding at that—to the point where you wont catch if you really arent looking for it (and trust me, I always look for coding, hers was just so little that it flew over my head until I saw someone else mention it)—are still cool to think about!

so, for starters, I wanna mention the toy box performance, which was performed by mylene and regina, who are best friends. that's all cool and shit, and you dont really think much about it...until you hear about the fact that the show runners purposely colored a lot of the scenes in that performance with the bi colors. like. the writers after the show ended basically said "oh yeah there was plans to make her coding more explicit, but our shit got cancelled soooo" and then dropped the fact that she was gonna be bi (or at least implies bi) in the series, which puts a new twist on a few things.

now, besides the bi coloring in the background of the toy box performance (which was mostly on scenes with her and regina, which involved a lot of uh,, lowkey lewd dancing. with each other. in very revealing outfits. wooooo), there's her music! I dont tend to read too much into this one bc, like I said before, her coding is fucking light and the writers themselves said they didnt really get to do much with it, but I think some stuff with her music is interesting. specifically how her, yolanda and regina's song set me free blew up because dizzee, resident (lowkey enby coded) bicon, got their song played in a queer club. also that the song was majorly important to dizzee and started playing literally right as he kissed a boy for the first time and realized "oh shit I like boys that's bonkers". also that the song can be taken in a gay way since literally the entire thing is about becoming your true self, fully and unapologetically, which is what both dizzee and mylene's entire character arcs are about. dizzee (and a lot of other queer people, apparently), heard this song about being set free and it resonated with them so much that they got that shit most of its popularity.

speaking of dizzee and mylene, they parallel each other a lot in the way that their arcs are about them realizing who they are, coming into themselves and no longer just letting people treat them like shit in a sense (dizzee starting to tell people essentially that they can call him weird all they want, they can make fun of how he acts, what he likes, how he dresses, etc. but he likes how he is and quite literally saying "it's okay to be an alien" as he has consistently compared himself to one throughout the show vs mylene learning that if she wants to be a disco singer she needs to put her foot down, not let anyone, not even the love of her life, not even her abusive father, stop her from achieving her dreams, etc. and continuing to pursue her career with or without their support). one more little parallel that I think is interesting is during I think s2 towards the end of the show is when dizzee and thor are shown together having fun with each other, painting all over the building and each other and are basically just being happy and in love together and then they have these clips of them being interspersed with clips of mylene at a party where she is starting to realize that if she wants to get anywhere she needs to be her own main priority and that she needs to put her career and her dream, which is what makes her the happiest, above all else if she wants to succeed. idk I just think how the show made these two into a weird parallel, accidental or not, is neat. maybe not an explicitly queer parallel, but I think at least how her music and whatnot helped dizzee, the main queer character in this show, blossom, is important.

moving on we got shaolin fantastic also known as "oh no your internalized homophobia is showing-"

so, heres a quick list of...interesting shao facts:

Consistently referred to as fag/faggot (shaolin fanfaggot is my personal favorite); he gets really defensive about this despite nobody actually thinking he's queer, it's just people being assholes to be assholes, and he is the only character consistently referred to using a slur, especially a homophobic one, especially for a "straight" character. dizzee, a canonically queer character, is called a fag less than shaolin is even though dizzee actively goes to gay clubs, has a not so secret dude he "hangs out with" and wont let anyone properly meet, paints his nails, wears less than straight clothes even by the 70s standards and is just all around the definition of fucking queer (and I mean like in the weird way, not the gay way). in fact theres only like once I can remember him being called a fag and it had nothing to do with him actually being gay it was literally just like thrown out there the same way you would call someone a bitch.

Has only shown sexual interest in women, yet refuses to have deeper relationships with women in general (possibly because of trauma but who knows) but takes his relationships with his "brothers", specifically zeke, very seriously

Tells zeke and zeke ONLY his real name when zeke was planning to stop being his friend bc shao more or less got boo boo, a like 14 year old black kid, arrested for selling hard drugs; he was clearly scared and trying to do anything to keep zeke around, literally chasing him down the street and hounding him until he got zeke to stop and argue with him

Kept threatening to beat up zeke in the end but couldn't actually bring himself to do so, instead saying that zeke is "fucking lucky" before walking away

Let's zeke get away with things that nobody else can, in general just has a weird soft spot for ezekiel that he shows with nobody else

when shao found dizzee with thor in a vaguely compromising situation (like they were just shirtless covered in paint sleeping next to each other but shao had also seen everything they painted on the walls ((which some of it was sus)), it was clear they had painted on each others bodies and dizzee had been routinely disappearing with this guy for weeks now yet not producing nearly as much art, at least, as far as we audience members know) he didnt judge him but instead, waited for him to get cleaned up and then told him something along the lines of "theres a reason why im so secretive blah blah blah [not everyone needs to know everything about me]", which, in context, kinda implies that he might be a lil. a lil homiesexual. jus a lil.

whenever even the possibility of zeke leaving him comes up he absolutely loses it. he has literally cost ezekiel life changing opportunities because he thought zeke would just up and leave him for them. this could be abandonment issues bc he's a severely traumatized character, and that probably does contribute to it, but it also is just not a reaction he has to any of their other friends just randomly dipping in and out of his life soooooo

generally speaking, this mfer has got either bisexual with a big hard on for zeke coding or homosexual with terrible internalized homophobia and still a hard on for zeke coding. either fucking way, that nigga gay. he gay as hell. gay as fuck man. there wasn't really much to analyze here tbh bc the coding is just so fucking obvious if you look for it or you are/have been a gay person who's dealt with at least a little bit of internalized homophobia.

also, just a sidenote, idk how fucking old shao, but I'm praying hes like at max 19 bc I'm pretty sure zeke is a minor in this show and shao definetly is not so the whole him being heavily implied to have a crush on ezekiel thing is kinda. oof. not oof if zeke is like 17 but any younger than that? OOF.

edit: apparently the characters are only supposed to be a year apart in age but i had no clue about that before writing this post and since shaos age was never actually stated in the show i naturally assumed he was an adult since his actor Looks Like An Adult. this is definetly on me to a certain extent, but i also never saw anything about this when trying to find our their ages so 🤷‍♀️ maybe i just didnt look deep enough, sorry!

now moving on to the main event...marcus dizzee kipling :]

so, first things first, let's talk enby coding bc him being bisexual was already confirmed!

um, to start off, I just wanna say I dont think this enby coding was intentional or even really coding, it's just moreso me being a dizzee kin on main and knowing as a transmasc enby he has very transmasc enby vibes. for example:

cool, gender neutral nickname that everyone calls him

paints nails various different colors

the whole wardrobe is just a transmasc enby heaven...fishnet shirts, jean overalls, jackets and cuffed pants galore, the big colorful pins, etc

gender neutral hairstyle (when I had my fro it was very sexy and made it easy to transition between hyper masc and vaguely fem, which is pog)

comparing himself to/representing himself consistently with an alien character (though this is meant to represent his sexuality, it could also double as a gender thing too, not neccesarily bc of the whole nonbinary alien trope but bc an enby who likes aliens might heavily identify or compare themselves to whatever their idea of an alien is, whether that just be a genderless entity or a motherfucker with fly style and no need to be perceived as anything other Wacky As Hell)

moving on from there, let's talk about how his queerness is presented to us and how, while it may be a really good piece of representation, especially coming from netflix, it still lacks in A Lot of places.

so, let's start with good things!

i personally really like the get down's queer rep with dizzee bc it's (for the most part) nonsexualized and very very soft, about dizzee figuring himself out and realizing there is a place where he fits in, and about two teenagers in the 70s falling in love over their shared passion for street art. it also features an interracial couple where both boys challenge stereotypes both about queer men and men of color, which is epic poggers and very sexy. this piece of rep specifically is very important to me bc I am a queer black person and even tho interracial relationships are mostly normalized now, I've still had people give me shit for primarily dating white people in a town that is...primarily white lol

mm anyways, I can also appreciate how in the get down, dizzee being represented by rumi the alien is not a thing specifically related to gender (as it often is) and instead is about his sexuality and just in general weirdness and how it has led to him being alienated amongst his peers, poc or otherwise. him seeing himself as an alien is not about just his queerness, which is important, it is about him being a queer black man who talks different, acts different, dresses different and is "soft"—he isnt a walking black male stereotype and he wouldnt have been seen as masculine back in the 70s by any stretch of the imagination. this can be relatable to a wide spectrum of queer poc, from queer black men currently who still have to deal with this shit or to people like myself who are afab neurodivergent mixed race enbies that have always been signaled out as weird and alienated for it. dizzee is god rep bc while he has a small part in this show, his parts are very impactful, hard hitting and show queer poc of all ages that they arent alone and that it's okay to "weird", you just need to embrace it because somebody will love you for you, as thor did for dizzee.

that being said theres um. some minor problemas here,,,

namely:

dizzee and thors first kiss

the lack of development this pairing got

the way dizzee was confirmed bisexual off screen, he never said the words himself, just showed interest in both genders

the way dizzee and thor were never even confirmed boyfriends or just fwb so most of the fandom just calls them boyfriends bc Why Not

dizzee was implied fucking DEAD??? AT THE END OF THE SERIES?????? AND THOR WAS IMPLIED ARRESTED?????????????

now, these might have been things that wouldve been fine had the show been given it's full run but it wasnt which is why we are now left with probelms.

so, from the top, let's go over these: dizzee and thor's first (and only "on screen") kiss was one that was shown in a montage of other queer people making over and doing other vaguely romantic/sexual things, one of those things being a whole ass naked titty being mouthed at, but the actual kiss...was just not shown? like they really did just say "yes they kissed <3 you know this from the context clues of it being in a montage with kissing, hickey giving and titty sucking <3 but no we will not show it <3" LIKE HELLO? I SAW A NAKED BOOBIE BUT NOT TWO MEN KISS??? HUH????????

also, dizzee and thor were both fucking high as hell during this bit like this isnt a terrible thing but it's also like sometimes you do shit when you're high that you wouldnt do sober and they just never kissed again on screen so like?? like idk that's not that bad but it does kinda irk me since they deadass got no other on screen intimacy after that unless you including painting on eacher other or sleeping next to each other on a shitty mattress but not touching at all during it bc they were both at opposite ends of the mattress like half way off it

so yeah, that was trash. then we got lack of development, which kinda goes with the "dizzee being a bisexual but he never says it in canon" thing cause like...okay dizzee was already sort of a side character from the get go like he wasnt the mc by any means, but he became way more of a background character as things continued until we basically only saw him for performances or when he was with thor, yet they got no fucking development as a pairing other than "dizzee realize he gay, he like thor, he and thor spend time together and ig probably do some gay stuff but we dont really know bc we only ever see them do graffiti together now" like?? tf am I supposed to do with that shit. answer. quickly. and then theres dizzee not being confirmed bisexual, which is just a running problem with shows literally doing everything to say a character is bi except for having the character just...say they're bi? which would be so easy? like a good way dizzee and thor couldve had some development is by thor teaching dizzee things about the queer community that he didnt even know existed, thor couldve helped him understand what being bi meant and helped him label himself and whatnot but instead we got an off screen confirmation that the writers had bisexual in mind when writing him. which is garbagé.

the whole thor and dizzee never having a confirmed relationship status is also a development problem cause like literally nobody knows if they were just friends who made out, maybe fucked, who knows, or if they were dating bc dizzee does give a love confession but a love confession doesn't mean there is a relationship, especially since thor didn't say he was in love either (as far as I remember, I could be wrong, plus whether or not that really happened or was apart of dizzee literally overdosing during a performance is unclear so 🤪)

and now for the biggest issue...bury your gays trope.

during the season 2 finale, dizzee and thor are chased by cops after they are found doing graffiti, one of the cops is able to catch thor while the other chases dizzee into a train tunnel and there is a train seen headed straight for him before the show cuts to black on a train horn. the show writers claim that if they had gotten another season, dizzee wouldve been alive but since they didnt and since that's essentially super fan trivia knowledge, most people dont fucking know that and instead had to watch a black queer teenager chose death over being fucking arrested by a white cop. on top of that, thor didnt see any of that shit because he was caught and the cop started hauling him off while dizzee was still being chased so thor literally has no clue where his friend/possible boyfriend fucking is or that he's likely dead in a goddamn tunnel all alone, unless you count the fucking pig that chased him in there who wouldve died too. this shows rep was so fucking good as far as most shows go on not having major fucking problems, on not being toxic and over sexualized, etc, etc. and then they just. killed a black queer teenager for no fucking reason. like it was literally the last episode ever, it would add nothing to the plot, it would just devastate fans and devastate it fucking did. I dont cry easy but seeing a character I identified with, who I had hyperfixated on, die because he'd rather that than be arrested is terrible. it fucking sucked.

so yeah. that's my all too extensive thoughts/analysis on the get down's queerness. theres definitely stuff I missed, or misinterpreted, or looked too much into, etc, etc., but this was a fun thing to spend time writing sooo yeah!! thanks for the ask anon, sorry this was just a big rambley info dump, but hopefully you get some enjoyment out of it since it took like 3 hours at least 😭😭 feel free to ask clarifying questions lol

[queer-and-dear-books]

Title: Be Dazzled

Author: Ryan La Sala

Genre: YA Fiction | Romance | Friendship | Comedy | LGBTQ+

Content Warnings: Homophobia

Overall Rating: 4.9/10

Personal Opinion: The perfect book for an anime lover who enjoys a happy ending. If you’ve ever been to a convention then you know that Ryan La Sala captures that atmosphere perfectly. The only reason why I give this book such a low score is because a lot of the characters (Luca, Inaya, Evie) make choices that are more than questionable to me. They’re almost unforgivable. I get that characters are allowed to make mistakes but man, some of these mistakes just did not make sense to me.

Couple Classification: Raffy X Luca = Nerd X Jock/Nerd

Do I Own This Book? No.

Spoilers Below For My Likes & Dislikes:

Likes:

- The references are exquisite. Everything from Sailor Moon to Spirited Away to My Hero Academia, and so much more was included. The music too. Even if it is kind of unrealistic for most weebs to actually sing a Japanese song unless you know some of the language. Maybe Luca does, who knows. Either way, all these references were so much fun for me to read as a weeb.

- An adorably happy ending! Raffy and Luca have amazing chemistry and are really cute together. I can also picture just how hot Luca is and that is a dream for gay weebs. I know that this is fiction but come on. 

- The cosplay portions are just beautiful. Well written and it is so easy to imagine the con’s atmosphere. Of course, I have actually been to Boston’s big anime convention, so it’s probably easier for me than for a person who has never been. But I do think La Sala captures it very well. The vibe, the colors, the joy, the bad con food, it’s just a totally immersive experience.

- The friendship between Raffy and May is one of my favorite things because it’s real, it is so cute, and it involves one of my favorite things, communication. Does May get annoyed at him in the middle? Yes. But Raffy deserved it. And I’m glad he’s self-aware enough to admit it. I love their friendship as a whole because they are so supportive of one another and their ambitions. With May coming in clutch to be Raffy’s partner and Raffy doing all he can to honor his promise to his friend. I also love May’s parents. They just casually invite Raffy in for tater tots and also take photos of their cosplays like they’re for prom.

- The hilarity of Rocky’s scenes (though brief) are immaculate. She is trying so hard to be supportive and I love her for it. She’s also not pompous which is a plus. But the way she thought that fursuit culture (her nephew is a furry) and cosplay were the same! I really almost screamed, it was so painful but so funny. Then the really high dude going “I saw a fox in a movie once, I’m sure of it” was the cherry on top.

- Raffy’s slight obsession with shirtless muscular bodies is so funny too and also relatable as a gay dude. The secondhand gay was strong in this one.

Dislikes:

- I truly do not understand their breakup. It is honestly infuriating to me. Okay, so the reason they broke up from how I understand it is that Luca’s parents are very homophobic. They are portrayed as such. Then he left in the middle of Blitz Con with no explanation other than a note that read “Breakfast.” Then he called and said he’s leaving? He tells Raffy that it was all a mistake. All. Of. It. How else is an anxiety-ridden teenager going to take that? Horribly. Then, Luca comes back. He enjoys his stay at Blitz Con while Raffy is crying. He’s free to have fun but what the fuck. Raffy was so excited to spend the con with his boyfriend and Luca went and enjoyed it with Inaya (who we will get to in a second). Then for five god damn months, he made no effort to try and fix things with Raffy. Even though it was Raffy that got him into cons in the first place. The excuse was that Raffy blocked him on everything but they go to the same school! He could have gone to Raffy in person if he wanted to explain himself! Raffy even addressed that in the start! But he made no effort to close their gap and instead just enjoyed five months with Inaya while his ex was miserable. I’m sure it wasn’t all fun from just how cutthroat Inaya is but what the fuck. He still loved Raffy and just didn’t make an effort. Not only that, but his parents, who were the source of the problem and even shouted at Luca multiple times were just like “yeah, we’re cool with you dating a boy” just because Luca said “he [and all this] makes me happy”? Is that all it took? Seriously? All of that drama could’ve been avoided by those simple words? Fuck off.

- Speaking of shitty parents, Evie sucks. Which is the point, clearly. I don’t expect her to change her tune so easily. But my god, what a bitch. That whole debacle in front of the Craft Club makes me want to claw my eyes out. What kind of parent says that kind of shit to their own kid? Fuck her too.

- Inaya. Fuck you. Let’s forget the betrayal and the knife you stuck in Raffy’s back by you essentially stealing Luca. You stole zombie Bambi. Where the fuck is your goddamn artistic integrity? Luca, who still loved Raffy, still stayed with her despite the fact that she stole his idea and lied to Luca about it. She played mind games with Raffy in the final round and basically shit on Luca the entire time. What the fuck. And you’re telling me they’re all supposed to be friends after all this? No. Fuck off with that Disney bullshit. There’s literally a whole scene where Raffy talks about how much he respects Inaya as an artist but she STOLE his idea without his permission! 

- Irma Worthy is an enigma. She is described as a fairy godmother so I sorta get it. But she pisses me off too. She manipulated all of this shit behind the scenes to get views and clout for Craft Club. It makes me livid. She messed with the lives of a bunch of teenagers, shit on May for not actually being a crafter, and honestly, I just don’t like her. I get it, things worked out. She still overstepped every personal boundary of these people and did not care. She only cared about herself and her precious Craft Club and I don’t like that. So to me, she’s less of a fairy godmother and more of a “I’m going use these attractive teenage boys to sell products” exploiter.

[mysmorgasbordoffantabulosa]

I’ve been slowly going back over several VLives and YouTube LiveStreams, and I’m noticing lots of hints regarding Taekook. 

This one really gets interesting regarding Taekook from about 25mins, where RM JHope and V discuss the album cover/concept, video and photoshoots. They talk about GCF and JK being involved (or not lol) but for me the real kicker is the reference to Ryan McGinley and a secret project.

Here’s the dialogue which start from around 29mins:

V: When it comes to our album jacket, I think some prefer photo shoots I think that's because... [No Audio] We won't shoot one after another One, then another, and some more.

RM: We trust you

V: I'll make the shoots easy for everyone If we shoot back to back the first day might go well but not really on the second Because we're the key players and so... To give a different vibe each day I'm going to spread out the dates. What do you think?

RM: Yeah, we can try that

V: I was going to say that with the others

RM: I'm cool with it, you got a text message

JH: Yeah

V: I think having the shoots spread out can get us better quality work

RM: Spread out the shoots? What about our hair conditions? (Probably about changing hair colour due to Dynamite Promos)

V: Well...

JH: I don't know

RM: I guess that's all about detail

V: Yeah, details!

JH: The schedule's all about details

JH: What do you have so far? What kind of conceptual shoots? Yes, what are they?

V: What kind of concept?

RM: What concept for the photo shoot? You mentioned staged ones

V: Yeah

RML What are you referring to?

JH: Uh...

RM: Like Ryan McGinley?

V: That's still under wraps (smiles at RM)

RM: That's a secret? (Nervous smile? rubs eyes)

V: Yeah

RM: Okay, I get that... (nervous pause?) Okay (Changes subject) When I first heard this idea I simply thought of indoors and outdoors doing whatever in that context.

V: The overall picture is inside and outside

JH: In that inside and outside context...

RM: Inside and outside

V: Maybe like, "Home on the street"

So what’s this secret? I know Ryan McGinley is a gay photographer that, sometimes dude nudes but a lot of the time shows a lot of skin in his content, which is very LGBT heavy. But he has also done several celeb shoots as well as a recent big Calvin Klein campaign for pride. 

Could this project be related to Taekook? I think so. But why keep it a secret? I think for one of two reasons, the risque nature of the photography that shows men shirtless (often showing tattoos), as well as a possible (but less likely) lgbtq angle.

I don’t think we’ll see it until after the comeback, though. I think this could tie in with Tae’s and JK’s mixtapes, which I personally think are coming in December and January/February respectively. I also think if this does happen there might be a strong possibility that we see more of JK’s tattoos.

Here are some of Ryan’s work:

[mysterylover123]

Mysterylover watches Bleach Episodes 110-111

 mysterylover 123

1. As far as I can tell based on the Filler List guide and Wikipedia, this is where Bleach picks up with the Manga canon after about 50 episodes of filler. So let’s hope I’m not totally lost!

2. New OP. Has some kinda edgy imagery and a nice song, but not much else to say about it. 

3. WOW what a set of opening shots though. Mummy in a dungeon. Shadows around rocks. Spooky! (I’m pretty sure this is a hollow) 

4. We catch up with Ichi at school and Orihime, Chad and Ishida are now a cute squad of friends alongside him (where’s Tatsuki?) And weird dude confirms that the Soul Society arc happened over Summer Break. 

5. THERE’S TATSUKI! and Orihime’s admirer. Who she defends her from. Tatsuki needs to be let in on this pack, dammit! She’s Ichigo’s friend too. And Ichigo’s dad and sisters are back too! The whole gang’s here 

6. Huh, you know, there is some Ichigo/Tatsuki vibes going on in this scene, since they be Childhood Friends and all that. This double date thing between Ichi/Ishi and Hime/Tatsuki just gets stronger by the episode.

7. Since Tatsuki can see through the Mist or whatever is obscuring humans from seeing Soul Reaper things, does that mean she’s going to join the squad? (Pretty please? one can dream). 

8. Hime and Chad come with Ichigo but sadly they just stand on the sidelines. Ichigo points out that they didn’t need to and Hime is like “LOLS I just wanted to.” She and Ichi worry a bit about Uryu apparently being out of commission now (uh-oh). Damn. Also there’s a guy with the stereotypical German haircut hanging from the sky and spying on them. 

9. Karakura high school is apparently the name of the school the squad attends. And German Bowl Cut is here now. I guess this guy is gonna be important? (also Ichigo is sitting and brooding about Uryu, because ShonenRivals). 

10. German Bowl Cut Instantly sits next to Ichigo and smirks at him, right after he seemed to say “I want to sit next to a cute girl”. Guess you’ll have to settle for cute guy, dude. 

11. HAHA Ichi’s pocket thing goes off like an alarm when Hollows are near. Ichigo has a Bat Signal. And crap, Teddy Bear Mineta is in his body again. Dammit Teddy Bear Mineta don’t you go ruining Ichi’s rep. (he’s only 16, he don’t have a rep yet.)

12. CRAP bowlcut tries to kill Ichi while his back is turned. He has a grin a lot like Grinning Guy (Gin Ichimaru, I should probably start calling him by his real name since he is important.) And uh-oh bad hollows are targeting Ichigo’s boyfriend too. Clearly they’ve been paying attention.

13. HAHA GORILLA HOLLOW MISTAKES TEDDY BEAR MINETA IN ICHIGO’S BODY FOR THE REAL DEAL. HAHA JOKE’S ON YOU TEDDY BEAR MINETA.

14. Ooh it looks like we’re finally gonna get an explanation for Crazy SkullFace ichigo from the climax of last arc! BOUT TIME.  Also Ishida needs to fight shirtless now apparently. Not that I’m complaining. 

15. URYUDAD is here! I’m fully prepared to see you join the holy pantheon of BAD SHONEN DADS (trademark) dude. I seem to recall that you’re a massive prick. And also Uryu’s shirt is still unbuttoned. Because Fanservice. 

16. OK UryuDad is offering to restore his son’s Powers. So what’s the catch dude? I’m sure you’re planning something. (Also Uryu Dad is drawn so he looks about 18 years old. He looks like UryuBro instead). And he’s about to turn IchiUryu into a Forbidden Love Ship by telling Uryu to ‘stay away from Soul Reapers’.)

17. Ichigo is now fighting GorillaHollow (the real Ichigo) which doesn’t seem like a really whacky fight in particular. 

18. ICHIDAD IS ALSO A REAPER WHOA SINCE WHEN HOW LONG OMG YAS GO SHOW URYUDAD HOW TO BE A SHONEN ACTION DAD ICHIDAD IT’S YOUR TIME TO SHINE. 

19. Also Ichigo Re-jects German Bowl Cut. (He’s taken, dude.) Who is probably not going to take rejection well. OK Bowl cut’s name is Hirako, but I think I will still refer to him as German Bowl Cut until he reveals more about himself. 

20. ISHIDAD KNOWS ALL. HE’S JUST THE COOLEST. (did he already know about this, or did I miss it, or was it something that happened in the filler drought? either way, WOWSA) “ARRANCAR” is namedropped. I’ve heard that term. This must be the “arrancar” arc. Cool cool. That one seems to be popular. Seems I’m in for a good ride. (and IchiDad shows Gorilla hollow who’s boss and that Size Don’t Matter. Good show.)

[musicempath]

ZOEY CLARKE LOVES MAX RICHMAN: a masterpost

As the finale draws nearer day by day, I decided now was the perfect time to do an idea I’ve had kicking around in my head for a while: an in depth look at every moment, subtext or text, that shows Zoey Clarke is in love with Max Richman. I’ll be going episode by episode documenting every lingering look, every moment of jealousy, every line of dialogue that shows that Zoey’s feelings for her adorable best friend go beyond being simply platonic. Because they do, and I can.

Onwards and upwards for some rambling!

1x01

Her soft smile at Max when he has his pure of heart, dumb of ass moment, asking if 50/20 is low for a blood pressure reading. Zoey loves one (1) adorable idiot.

Right before Max starts singing I Think I Love You, there’s a little smile and squint she has as Max struggles to put what’s going on in his head into words. Nothing special. Just a little moment of fondness worth noting.

During I Think I Love You, as shocked and a little bit terrified of Max’s sudden confession as she is, you can see her soften up when she gives him her hands to spin her around in the chair. Out of the blue confessions of undying love are scary, but they’re made slightly less scary when you’re also. Y’know. In love with that person too.

1x02

Sucker! This is gonna have a lot of different points, but to start out with there’s the fact that she can’t hold back her smile when Max sings the opening line to her. Even as she’s trying to stop the heart song from stealing her big, introductory speech thunder, she can’t stop smiling.

And then there’s the thirst. By the end of his heart song, Zoey is quite literally fanning herself with her notecards. She may not have admitted it at this point, but she’s absolutely attracted to Max on some level, and watching him seductively sing Sucker to her made her confront it at least a little bit.

It’s also worth noting that once the song is over, Zoey is flustered. Extremely so. When she refers to her memo and its section How Not To Be Distracted In The Workplace, she glances at Max. At the Golden Gate Grind with Mo, Zoey even says “Max is becoming a major distraction at work.” Zoey hasn’t referred to any of her other workplace heartsongs as major distractions, though, so what makes Max different? The fact that the feelings are mutual and she isn’t ready to admit it.

Moment one of Zoey not saying she doesn’t feel the same way for Max comes at the Golden Gate Grind with Mo. It would be so easy for her to say that she just doesn’t like Max in that way. But she doesn’t. She just says that with everything going on in her life, she wants things between them to stay the same and that she doesn’t want to live in the awkwardness.

At her parents’ house! When Max brings the butterscotch pudding over from Hand-Picked. There are so many individual moments in that one scene, but especially when Max is crouched down, talking to Mitch one-on-one, you can really see just how much Zoey cares for him. There’s a lot of love as she watches her best friend with her dad.

“Is it too early to say friend for life?” no it is NOT and don’t even get me started on how much that journal entry reeks of an early crush that went nowhere back when Zoey first started out at SPRQ Point that maybe she thought faded into friendship but really just got stronger over the years and she just ignored it.

Longing and wistful look at Max and Autumn on a date at the Golden Gate Grind through the window. This was the start of Jealous Zoey™. To be further documented in later episodes.

1x03

Cute side-eye at Max when he says “Dude, Joan is crushing us,” as they’re leaving from a late night at work. Actually the whole time he’s complaining about wanting to crash and she bursts his bubble that they already have plans she’s giving massive hearteyes. Or getting a bit tight-lipped once Autumn is mentioned.

“C’mon, whiskey sour, this body has got to move!” “Oh, sorry guys, her body is very bossy, apparently.” “Okay.” Zoey’s face during this whole exchange is just so telling like you can already tell that Max and Autumn’s relationship is grating on her, and it’s NOT just because new couples are annoying either. And then the air spanks. She definitely had that jealousy nausea watching that.

“Max is in... a very handsy relationship,” and also “Not jealous. Just aware,” are also really great examples of how Max and Autumn’s relationship is getting to Zoey. However much she’s insisting she’s not bothered, even Mo can tell that it’s killing Zoey to see Max with someone else. Even if she’s also totally hung up on Simon at the same time.

1x04

"You can take the fifth and stop telling me about it!” More Jealous Zoey™. You can tell by Max’s reaction to this that it’s definitely not how Zoey would typically react.

Honestly, I know Zoey’s trying so hard to give off this I’m so supportive! air while talking with Max about his plans for a couples trip in Napa with Autumn, but you can really tell that she’s gritting her teeth through it the whole time. “You could stand to tone it down a little bit,” more like “Please stop feeling so strongly about Autumn instead of me it makes me wanna barf.”

Zoey’s little headshake when Max says he got to second base at several bar mitzvahs. He’s an idiot, but he’s her idiot. It has those vibes.

1x05

Have I said we’ve reached peak Jealous Zoey™ yet? Because if I have, I was lying. This is where we start to find out that there’s trouble in paradise for Max and Autumn post!Napa, and Zoey? She is living. She’s grinning the whole time Max complains about Autumn and her face when Autumn goes in for a very unreciprocated smooch from Max is just. So damn pleased with herself. Basically, Max is miserable with Autumn, Zoey can see it, and she could NOT be happier about it.

Also let’s talk about how completely at ease she is with Max that she lets him see her with a sheet mask on for a minute. It’s such like... a married couple moment and I adore it.

1x06

Vindication for Jealous Zoey™ as she gets the deets on Max and Autumn’s breakup. Smiling at Max being an absolute dork insisting that he nailed it and would at least get a nomination if awards were given out for Best Breakup. Again, he’s a dumbass, but he’s her dumbass. 

“And I’m...staring at your nipples!” AKA the moment that collectively made all of us lose our shit because of shirtless Skylar Astin. This entire scene is pretty much the epitome of banging a book titled Zoey Clarke Is Attracted To Max Richman against our heads. She can’t stop staring at his chest. We know it. Max knows it. He even jokes about it. This is pretty much the level of flustered during the Sucker scene dialed up to an 11. When Zoey leaves Mo’s apartment we even see her throw one last look at shirtless Max for the road.

I’m! Gonna! Be! But part one because the slower reprise is a whole different ballgame. This is Zoey at her weakest moment, I think, overwhelmed with everything that happened at the engagement party and crying because she just got a call about her dad falling and being rushed to the hospital, and Max doesn’t even hesitate to jump in and help Zoey. And this is the first time we don’t see any resistance from Zoey whatsoever about hearing a love song from Max. Even though she’s crying, she’s also constantly shooting Max these loving little looks as he’s singing and trying to lead her through the crowds on the streets and get her to her dad.

Which of course leads into the scooter scene where Max literally threatens to throw down with a stranger if he doesn’t give up the scooter. And then proceeds to ride the scooter with Zoey since she doesn’t feel comfortable riding it by herself. Even though she’s an absolute mess when she gets on, you see her visibly calm the longer she rides the scooter with Max. Max is her rock and he makes her feel safe.

The hug! At “I’m here if you need me. Always.”! When Zoey pulls away she looks down at Max’s lips and then back up into his eyes and you cannot tell me that she didn’t fully expect and even want Max to go in for the kiss. The disappointment when he leaves without kissing her is so palpable on her face.

I’m! Gonna! Be! Part two! The first moment that it actually hit Zoey like a freight train that she might like Max in a romantic styles kinda way. This is probably the most romantic song Max has heart sung to her at this point, and instead of being confused and a little terrified or annoyed and very flustered, she’s smitten. The way we see Zoey look at Max in this moment is very akin to how she’s looked at her family, particularly her dad or her dad and mom at times, and if that doesn’t tell you the absolute depth of love she’s feeling for him at that moment I don’t know what will. Zoey could literally have run out onto that street corner to plant a big ol’ smooch on Max because of his little reprise, and it would’ve been wholly believable based on her reaction to him singing.

1x07

There’s a definite Moment™ between Zoey and Max as the credits are rolling and she’s teasing him about crying at the ending that gets interrupted when Mo flicks on the light. This is our first glimpse at what Zoey and Max’s friendship dynamic was like before her powers revealed his feelings for her since the pilot, and the tension between them has definitely ramped up even MORE since that moment Max sang to her from the street corner.

“I need more Max in my life,” honestly this plus the way she looked at him as she touched his shoulder just made me scream because this is classic flirting. I mean this is textbook flirting. Flirting 101 would cover this on the very first day. And even Mo notices it and points it out.

“After I got the power... You sang to me. Love songs. Lots of love songs.” “I did?” “Yeah.” There’s so much that could be said about Zoey’s body language in this scene, but the little smiles she gets as she says “Lots of love songs,” and then “Yeah,” probably are the most telling. We’ve seen Zoey show a wide array of emotions to Max’s heart songs in the moment, but to smile about them in hindsight is a huge sign that she thinks of them fondly.

Zoey’s conversation with Max on the balcony. Just the entire thing. Again, it would be so easy for Zoey to say that she just doesn’t feel the same way about Max. But she doesn’t. Her answer for Max isn’t that she isn’t interested, it’s that she doesn’t know how she feels. And that she hasn’t let herself figure out how she feels out of fear of losing him. And though Zoey says she hasn’t considered going down a romantic road with Max, this conversation makes it pretty clear that she’s at the very least thought about it in passing and isn’t against the idea of them being more than friends. She’s just scared of what happens if Max becomes the latest casualty in a series of disastrous relationships. “It is not a rejection.” (I mean it kind of is but not in the sense that’s easiest to handle) “It’s all coming from a place of love.” 

1x08

Zoey’s in her own little world in that scene in the elevator with Max walking into work, not really looking at Max much besides quick little glances for his reaction, but once he starts talking the hearteyes are turned up to an 11. 

Pressure! The entire scene after Zoey finishes making a fool of herself in front of the big boss with Zoey giving meaningful looks to Max and talking about the Chirp but also absolutely talking about Max at the same time. “It’s there to help you and back you up in any situation,” and yes by it she does mean Max and that look in her eyes is absolutely mortification mixed with love.

I’m Yours as a scene and song also have to get mentioned. Not to break down every little piece of body language on Zoey’s end (because that in itself would take up a whole meta) but to point out the fact that the music starts well before Zoey actually starts singing. She knows the song is coming on. She can feel it. But she doesn’t fight it. It’s the ONLY song she doesn’t fight besides Crazy which took her by surprise and How Do I Live which was for her dad. Also, anyone who insists that this song is purely platonic is deluding themselves. This song being meant in a romantic way is obvious both from the lyrics and the choreography.

Which of course Zoey tries to deny immediately afterwards in the most transparent and obvious way. The fact that Max picks up on this is less a testament of him being pushy and more that he’s been friends with Zoey for five years and knows what a Zoey who is bullshitting looks like. That was bullshitting at its finest worst. 

The confrontation with Max after her song to Simon. “I’m not sure I knew I had those feelings until I sang them,” is a pretty accurate (and also inaccurate) way to describe Zoey’s complicated relationship with her feelings for Max. They’ve been there. There’s been so many clues along the way that they’ve been there. But Zoey has very pointedly ignored them until she couldn’t anymore, and you can see in her face as Max confronts her with his own interpretation of the situation that she knows he’s right about a few things, however much as she doesn’t want to admit it.

When she opens up to Max. This is probably the first time we’ve seen Zoey be this honest with Max about her dad’s condition and how it’s affecting her, and it produced a scene that’s so sweet even after their mess of a confrontation. The effect that Max has on a thoroughly dejected Zoey is incredible, especially as he jokes about hating her “just a little” and makes her smile.

1x09

She holds back when she’s telling Max what the I’m Yours Zoey would say to him about the promotion, but the way she looks at him is full of love but just... tentative about it. Hesitant. Like she isn’t ready for the full emotions dump but there is absolutely a full emotions dump waiting in the wings for when she is ready.

1x10

I could say something about the fact that the reason she “forgot” about it being the day that Max moves to the six floor is because she’s been avoiding it, but let’s instead talk about the rest of that conversation because there’s definitely a lingering sort of longing that hangs in the air before Zoey brushes it off with the “it’s only two floors we’re being ridiculous” attitude. She’s also giving him massive sad hearteyes as he walks away and Here I Go Again starts to play.

“Max is probably miserable on the sixth floor” not really a Moment™ per se but it comes into play later when Zoey takes it very personally that Max is happier on the sixth floor than he ever was on the fourth floor. Troubles with Max are not the source of her anger this episode, but this is definitely a moment of petty jealousy that adds to her grief anger.

Zoey after The Boy Is Mine, when Max is describing his reasoning for staying on the sixth floor and keeping the code there. Obviously, there’s a personal element to his reasoning in saying that nobody wanted him there and nobody fought to keep him re: Zoey, but you can absolutely see how personally she takes it that he’s upset with her. And she also assumes that it’s because of her romantic “rejection” and not the fact that, as he said, the only time they wanted him back was because they needed something from him. Not because they actually WANTED him back. The assumption is telling.

“I’m sorry to break it to you but your lumbar support is actually 4th floor property,” this line could be played off as playful, but it isn’t. It’s bitter. And biting. Jealous Zoey™ has risen from the dead and is back in a big way, conveniently fueled to bigger heights by her grief related anger. The rest of this scene is just filled with tension in a way that her other outbursts (barring the one with Simon who she also has feelings for) aren’t. Also, when she turns around as Max stomps back toward her post “You’re calling me selfish?” she’s clearly mad horny.

1x11

Comes into work the next day. Tries to talk to Max like she didn’t totally just tell him that he didn’t deserve the promotion and that he basically sucks. Is very visibly bothered when he proceeds to ignore her because she hasn’t even tried to apologize to him. Then proceeds to take Leif’s recruitment as a personal affront because in true Zoey fashion, she’s sometimes definitely more than a little self-absorbed. Also everything Max does with regards to the 6th floor is about her because she’s Jealous Zoey™ now.

Cue the bar scene. Zoey is only slightly less awkward than poor Leif is at the karaoke bar with Max. We then see more bitterness from Jealous Zoey™ as she “warns” Max that Leif is ultimately going to betray him and stab him in the back. Just because she ultimately was correct doesn’t mean she deserves a pat on the back for it. 

Bye Bye Bye and all of Zoey’s progressive reactions to it. From confusion mixed with a little bit of hurt to offended and internally screaming to full blown HORROR. In reality, all Max is doing is ignoring her, but in Zoality, he’s ready to be completely done with her. Full stop. And Zoey hates it and is not prepared for that at all.

The longing and wistful look she gives to Max’s empty desk after her mom’s text. She misses him.

Pining Zoey™ during Get Together. It’s the looks she gave to Max’s empty desk turned up to an 11 now that she’s staring across at Max who, like her, isn’t joining in with the big group song between the 4th and 6th floors.

“And if I had to die tomorrow, I couldn’t stomach being this far apart from you.” Honestly everything about this scene is peak Pining Zoey™ hanging up the jealousy and admitting that she both wants and needs Max in her life. And! “I’m not saying I expect us to go back to the way things were, but maybe with time...” “Somehow we get back to...” “Whatever we are?” First of all that look that she’s giving him second of all she could’ve said friends. I repeat. ZOEY COULD HAVE SAID FRIENDS. Zoey has a habit of choosing her words around Max very carefully, particularly when it comes to the state of their relationship. It’s extremely significant that she didn’t just say friends. Not to mention she’s also showing a lot of growth saying that she doesn’t expect them to go bak to the way things were compared to previous times where she insisted on returning to the status quo from before feelings were out in the open. Zoey, after all that pining and jealousy, is ready for some kind of step forward in that moment.

[mystech-master]

Ragna in the other BBTAG worlds

I asked a while ago for ideas as to where Ragna could end up post-CF as his “retirement” world, I’ve gotten like 3 suggestions; Bleach (mainly to pair him with Kukaku Shiba, but given everything else happening in that world he’ll have no chill there), Animal Crossing, and Mario Galaxy (on the Comet Observatory with Rosalina and the Lumas)

but today, I want to take a look at how he’d fare living in the worlds presented to us in BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle. Just for the hell of it:

Long post bellow

Persona: if Ragna were to end up living in the Persona world thing might be difficult at first, he grew up in the middle of nowhere and the woods and lived in a post-apocalyptic dystopian future, so there will be a bit of a culture shock. But if Akihiko can run around shirtless then this world will be fine with someone like Ragna. I think he might end up working with the Shadow Operatives, hey he was raised to fight so may as well put his supernatural power and fighting ability to use against the Shadows right? I mean the Kirijo group managed to make an identity for Aigis when she attended Gekkoukan High in P3, so they could make Ragna have an identity. Since the dude has Son Goku levels of education I ‘d find it funny if Mitsuru put his ass through some kind of education program or something. I mean it is never too late to get an education and I’m sure there are many real-life examples of people who couldn’t go to school for some reason or another. Also, I’ve said this before, Ragna might give of serious “Shinjiro” vibes to the Shadow Operatives, so they might be able to navigate his personality a bit better. Mitsuru can be the cool-headed one w/o being a bitch like Rachel, Akihiko would make a good sparring partner, he’ll treat Aigis and Labrys right since he treats the Murakumos like people, Yukari is pretty normal compared to most of them and can also get annoyed by their antics so Ragna might like her (he enjoys the company of average/normal people since they aren’t too zany for his tastes), Ken is pretty mature for his age, but Junpei might get on his nerves. But also, if Ragna enters around P4 Arena time, then if he stays there a few years he could be present for the Persona 5 story, and THAT would be a fun setting to play in with Ragna.

Under Night In-Birth: it being a modern world won’t be too much of an issue, like with Persona there’ll be some culture shock but lots of the people there are also kind of weirdoes. If he ends up with the main good guys (Hyde, Linne, Waldstein, and Vatista) we can just add another guy bumming around Hyde’s house.  Helping train Hyde, spar with Wald, cook for Linne (give her actual good food and she’ll be worshiping you I bet), and Vatista May remind him of Lambda so he’d be chill around her. But another idea could be him being a mercenary like Gordeau, like maybe the two becoming friendly rivals or something (I just liked how chill he was with Ragna in BBTAG’s story oka, sue me). Also, I could totally see Hilda trying to recruit Ragna into Amnesia because she hears about him being the SS-Class criminal trying to take down the keepers of the order of his world, much like how she is trying to do to Licht Kreis, she tries to get a little flirty with him, but Ragna declines b/c 1. When he was taking on the N.O.L. he was doing it for revenge, Hilda is just doing it for shits and giggles (10 points to whoever gets that reference), 2. Ragna can totally sense danger coming to from this chick, and 3. the dude is at least smart enough not to stick his dick in crazy. He and Merkava would have an interesting conversation, Merkava being a beast with a man within, and Ragna being a man with a beast within.

RWBY: Okay this might depend on where in the timeline he’s put (Pre-Volume 3 like in BBTAG, or Pre-Volume 6 like what I’ve been thinking of), but let’s stick with the Beacon arc-like in BBTAG. The current state of the world is: Cinder and her team are in disguise as Haven students, Roman is arrested, everyone thinks the threat is gone and that the Breach was the big plan, but the Ozluminati know better and are just trying to keep the peace. Ragna is a very aggressive person and easily angered, not a good thing when dealing with Grimm, which are attracted to negative emotions. Also, may I remind you that the Grimm have no souls, and thus are immune to Ragna's Soul Eater power drive which is partially what has allowed him to be such a dangerous threat in his world. In fact, his power is WAY more suitable for fighting people, considering the Huntsmen and Huntresses powers come from their Aura which comes from their soul. Like, he just grabs them and watches that Aura meter just drop FAST. Also, I’m not sure if he’d even be able to gain Aura and a Semblance himself with the Azure Grimoire also fucking his soul up. Ironwood might just say to kill/imprison this guy before he becomes a threat while Ozpin might try and be a bit more diplomatic if he at least hears about his nicer exploits (maybe from Ruby). And no, I do not know how his Soul Eater power could be used on the Maiden Powers or Ozpin’s reincarnating soul. MAYBE it could be used to kill Salem by consuming HER immortal soul instead of just physically killing her, but I do not know if it could be used to rip the Maiden Powers out of their hosts. He and Qrow might talk about their shitty lives but when Qrow offers him a drink Ragna declines b.c Ragna’s Azure Grimoire healing factor also works on toxins (seen in the Variable Heart manga where he shrugs of Shiori’s poison), also I think Ragna views Alchohol as a bitch’s way of dealing with problems. A fight between him and Raven would be interesting also, like them giving each other lectures about family: Ragna giving Raven shit for abandoning Yang (who I assume he might bond with), while Raven says that he has no right to talk about family considering the state of HIS.

There’s probably a lot more that could happen but I can’t think of anything else atm.

I’ll be skipping Arcana Heart since A. I barely know jack fuck about that series (the second game isn't even localized), B. the main powerset in that game seems to only go to girls, which leads to C. there are NO male characters, not even side NPCs, so Ragna would stick out WAY too much.

Senran Kagura: Much like Arcana Heart I don’t know much but I looked through character descriptions and some basic plot summaries here and there (mostly from TVTropes so please forgive me if I fuck something up, which I will) , so I at least get the BASIC gist of things going on. The only place I could think of Ragna going is him looking after or palling around with the Homura Crimson Squad. He isn’t one to join some big organization (the Good Ninja side won’t accept him after his MASSIVE body count in his world, and the Hebijo guys are way too intense), and depending on the timeline he could either help protect the Crimson Squad from the Hebijo team out to kill them for deserting, or he also likes to be independent and train/fight his own way. He could help Homura train for her next fight with her rival Asuka (plus she’ll be a fan of his meat cooking). He might try to get Yomi to add some more variety to her food instead of bean sprouts (cue fight). Hikage might freak him out since she looks like almost a female Hazama/Terumi, but she also struggles with socializing and likes to cook for her friends so after the initial awkwardness they might get along. Mirai hates being ignored so this might cause some annoyance to Ragna, but she’s also a bully victim. I could see him being annoyed by her but then later sees her getting picked on and his big-brother instinct kicks in and he helps, then they gain a sort of understanding. Haruka is the real beast here, the dominatrix sadist scientist who wants to make people her dolls, so Ragna might need to step up a bit to keep her under control (like I said I only know the bare minimum, she might not actually be that bad post-character development but I don’t know). Finally, just for the sake of it, I’m not too sure where on the power scale Ragna would fall in the SK universe. The most powerful person there is Sayuri/Jasmine, with I think Rin and Daidōji both sharing the second strongest spot. I’ll say Ragna is around Daidōji and Rin’s level because Sayuri/Jasmine would most likely be like Jubei level. Also because the power scaling in Blazblue is absurd so comparing the Shinobi (of whom only a few have unique powers) to the Blazblue cast (who have magical weapons and reality-fucking powers) is kind of unfair, plus it gives Ragna a sort of cap so he won’t be too unstoppable in this world. Finally, not too keen on shipping. I’ve been using the “half your age plus seven” rule of dating so to not make things weird, Ragna is 22 in my HC and the minimum age is 18 (lots of people say once your over 18 you can date whoever you want that’s older, but........no), but while a few girls in SK are 18 they are still in high school (the birthdays and ages don’t match up with their school years, and that angers me) so.....no, he just has a big brother instinct for the Crimson Squad.

I’ll also skip Akatsuki Blitzkampf b/c A. Like Arcana Heart above I barely know the story, and B. What little I have seen of the story isn’t.......much. Story Isn’t exactly a big factor in this series.

Lemme know what you guys think Ragna would get up to in these other worlds. I might add to this if another series is added to BBTAG.

[mikkock]

HELLO I ADORE YOUR OCS SO MUCH WILL YOU TELL ME ABOUT KAI HE LOOKS LIKE A TOTAL "YOUR DAUGHTER CALLS ME DADDY TOO" DOUCHEBAG AND I FUCKING LOVE HIM AND WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT HIM

LBLMVBGK THANK U OMG love it when ppl like my kids, im a proud dad rn

ALSO wrow congrats on ur on point analysis, cause, that’s the Essence Of His Being (fun fact since i got two characters who go by the name of kai -cause fuck that basic writing tip that says ‘dont have two characters named the same thing- i usually refer to him as The Bad Kai cuz he a bad bitch)

so lets unwrap that dude shall we uwu 

SO this dude was created when i realised my story didnt have antagonists so i made a bunch of Bad People and then they all became good people after i started giving them more personnality somehow eXCEPt him for some reason, the only survivor of the “everyone will be baby” plague, the only rude bitch in this house, the only guy who’s still on the dark grey side of morally grey...but tbh im in love with him cause he’s an asshole and im an idiot so like.

His base concept was basically something along the lines of “fuckboy but make it Couture”, like douchebag indeed But Gotta Be Fancy at being one, gotta add a pinch of Sneaky Bitch in the pot. His aesthetic is Chillin, gettin in ur pants, then moving on for some more chillin and more pants. So if you’re into some funky sexy time with no pressure and no ties, ya gon get along, your goals meet, time to have fun.

All that is supported by his charisma, cause unless ya got some nasty history, he’ll just look like that charming bad-boy “oho hot dude with a dangerous but not agressive” vibed person, and he’s quite a sweet-talker. He’s probs not only the ‘your daughter calls me daddy’ kind but also ‘and so will YOU, i’m scoring with the whole family and you wont stop me (and you wont WANT to stop me)’ 

He got that handsome ppl priviledge ya feel

but also, he wouldnt be a rude guy if he was just the ‘i enjoy chill frick-fracking and im just so sexy that no one can say no to that booty’ guy

Dude got quiiite some spite-fueled ego and Does Not Take losing well, and will not, in fact, let himself lose on any objective he has, and when that objective is A Person, he gets ugly. Being good at sweet talking also means being good at small stuff like “not saying exactly the truth always when it would be more beneficial not to”, “deliberately using euphemistic, ambiguous or obscure language so to mask wrong doings and technically saying the truth but in such a way that it becomes completely masked by a thick fog of bullshit”, and “use words and behaviour in general to influence others unscrupulously so to get something in return”. Even a little “playing with their perception in order to make them doubt in their thoughts and selves”. In short dude got no qualms about using all the tools of manipulation available if it means that he comes on top (or on bottom if the goal was getting an assful eeeeeey we’re masters of comedy here) It tends to be all for short term results tho, so not much your ‘boyfriend who convinces you you’re nothing without him” and more of a “you thought you were dating but only you were thinking that as he always kept it just vague enough to have you not official yet convinced of his and now you’re blaming yourself for believing you were together”

master of getting ass, also master of Ugly Ass Breakups, and master of suddenly dissapearing from your life so hard that you wonder if it was just your imagination all along (he got ugly past with a bunch of other ocs especially he’s ex boyfriend with two that are now together cause i dig that sort of drama the sAME dUDe gave u the trust issues that held u from going full lovey dovey ? i fucking lIVE off that kinda shit wait until he pops back like ‘oho hello fancy seeing YOU TWO here my two fave exes together incredible what a small world”)

Though I have to rework on all that cause that backstory is oLD AS SHIT (like prolly i built it in what, 2016? ew ugly) I had that stem from some sort of neglect-fueled inferiority complex. I had given him a kinda cold family with a bunch of siblings who got Way More Nurtured due to their respective talents and achievements, having him left behind and feeling like he got nothing. SO that’s basically the explanation as of today but i dont like iiiiit anymooooore so I’ll have to work on it to make it something i dig, cause idk, bitch feels flat so far.

BUT i do intend on keeping the whole concept of ~Loneliness~, and of him working alone and quite hard for anything he gets. And the general need of proving himself that had come from the WIP backstory. I don’t exactly see him as an overachiever at all, but definitly as an obstinate and persevering hardworking guy, because “Look YALL I WAS aBLE TO DO THIS YALL THOUGHT I COULDNT HUH YALL LOOK DOWN ON ME well fuck u cause idc im better than u now also ur mum’s into bondage i kno from experience bye”. So tbh pair up with him for group projects, you’ll be sure his share of the work will be done (but also if you dont do yours then he’s probably going to be a bITCh about it, no remorse in leaving blank slides in the middle of the powerpoint and then loudly proclaiming ‘OH RIGHT This was supposed to be Kevin’s part but I suppose he never sent it to me, despite the numerous reminders i sent him, no big deal, no hard feelings, its ok sweetie we all sometimes feel too lazy i forgive u :)” )

Also he’d be Chill to hang out with for like, parties, nights out at the bar, that kinda shit. He definetly has some beans to spill about quite some people, he gathers the goss as he gathers lovers (i was gonna end that in “as he spreads legs” but it sounded too PG-18 for this good Well Behaved family friendly blog) and Will Not stay tight lipped, and Will be a bitch when trashtalking people, and It Will Be Entertaining as it always is when you’re hearing about crazy exes and you’ve had some beers. 

Now trivia that idk where else to write cause idk i stupid or more like disorganised :

- he digs red ale beer like if ya wanna win him over with the appropriate alcohol offer there u go

- he’s a fake blonde (cause my hobby is painting regrowth roots on hair)

- his design is a mixture of those 3dgy denim boys u see on pinterest and the specific brand of fuckboys that are french-L-section-chic-grunge-hipster-fuckboys (L section is like a branch of highschool)(that word combo is a so specific kinda guy)(its kinda like a softboi but more arrogant but in a lowkey way)(also they rich)(but he’s not rich so guess that should make him Less Arrogant)

-im constantly dead afraid of giving him more characteristics and story or whatveer cause he’s the only meanie i got left and i do Not want him to stop being an asshole but everytime i develop a character they end up nice or redeemed or whatever and i wanna keep him a bitch so i neglect him (just like his parents in his 2016 version wow)

he smokes (prolly started quite early to Be Kool and now relies on it for stress relief)

he’s outspoken and extraverted and prolly the guy who had a lot to say when you were doing debates in class (there’s always that person who has a Lot to argument about)(its him) but outside of a Set and Defined debate structure he probably doesnt give his mind voraciously 

he’s a law student and despite saying he’s the one bad guy left he probably wont be a corrupt lawyer or judge or whatever like come on he will do his job properly he worked hARD FOR THIS justice may be served

he’s not the kind to openly hate or even dislike anyone cause what’s the point of wasting your energy on that? its much funnier to him to be obnoxiously Neutral with someone and basically ignore them but still strike them with some Spikes of passive-agressive comments, let them be Mad at your calmness

he’s 177cm tall (that’s like 5.8 according to google)

honestly if you’re bros with him he’s fun to be with the being a jerk is completly coincidental 

he probably ranks high in the list of “those criminals who steal big lighters from their friends” 

i think at a point his design had tattoos but i forgot the designs of those so now he doesnt anymore

a dog person

i think ive run out of facts (or my brain dead) so im leavin with a shirtless pic cause my hobby is drawing tits

in short, charming asshole who can get ugly, secretly feels lonely and small, works hard for himself, better have him as a friend than as a foe though probably not the most frontally agressive enemy, and also, your booty, hand it over.

[tookalittlejourneytotheunknown]

so my friend says he's seen criticism of ME:A to the tune of "the women aren't sexually objectified but the men are", you think there's anything to that?

Huh. That’s...interesting...

Definitely can’t say I agree based on what I’ve seen + stuff I’ve heard from a BioWare employee I’ve been conversing with. I’m guessing it’s mainly referring to this scene which is almost entirely played for laughs, and is the only example in the game where I feel like someone could get a “men are being objectified” vibe.

The sex scenes are pretty skewed toward the male gaze. It’s pretty obvious that a LOT of their efforts went into the heterosexual lady’s cutscene and her perfectly sculpted ass. M!Ryder bangs her on his desk and it’s pretty explicit with lots of thrusting and moaning. And it’s probably one of the most well animated scenes in the game.

Peebee’s sex scene is less impressive looking but still features plenty of T&A and shows her bouncing on his dick. Apparently they recycled the exact same animations for F!Ryder’s romance with her but I haven’t seen that version of the scene.

Gil, the only gay squadmate, gets a fade to black, followed by them falling on the bed together shirtless after finishing.

Liam also gets a weakass fade to black with a F!Ryder. Not even a post-coitus conversation cutscene like Gil has.

Reyes gets nothing, sex with him is only implied.

I think Vetra also gets a fade to black too but that might be because they’re scared or confused about sexualizing a turian.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

There’s also the fact that while playing as M!Ryder I  met a number of random women I could flirt with throughout the game but not a single man. Maybe that’s different as a F!Ryder though and simply more of a “fuck you” to gay men.

It’s very much a game made primarily for straight dudes though. Unfortunately. Cause it’s so good aside from the pandering to them.

[bookreadalongs]

November 9

17:16 5/9/2017 I should've waited until 11/9 to read this. It did not escape me that those numbers were 9/11 in a different order. This is not that kind of book at all though. Was. It a huge fan of the first part. It was not relatable , unbelievable, and just full of instalove. It was interesting that Fallon pointed out a lot of the shit. They both pointed out a lot of it, actually. It just felt weak...yet here I am, unable to put it down. Second November 9 Also, I did appreciate that he could not articulate his thought spectacularly. I appreciated that as a writer (and a person in general) he knew the importance of digging beneath the surface, finding motivation and truth that cannot immediately be seen. 87. A manic episode? So...he's bipolar? - also, doubtful now...but I thought he could possibly be a prostitute when his room mate was like yoooo where ya been 99. He seems to be the only one (okay, only Fallon and her dad are the other people I took into consideration) emphasizing her life in the whole...ordeal. 104. haha that's Kyle's girlfriend, right? Who's living with them now? I went to go back and check, but then I stopped myself. I should just read on. - Ah...so Fallon is what he wished his mom was...weird phrasing. I meant, alive. Hey, Fallon also compared Ben to her mom. 111. Yeah, as soon as Kyle came in and acted like that I was 10% more intrigued. Now, it's been amped up to 25% more 112. I don't get it. Is Kyle...it can't be Fallon in particular that he had a past with. CHoover has already done that shizz. 127. He's so loaded... 133. She so isn't going to be able to do all that with him. It's too perfect...too planned. This book is about things- reality- stopping plans from coming to fruition 138. You got a last minute plane ticket for her. Her dads not rich, but she seems well enough off to see you. And this book will be weird if one of the only times you see each other in five years is a phone call. 152. All of her nakedness and he hadn't even been shirtless yet. I've a feeling his jealousy is no match for what hers should be comparing his romantic endeavors with hers. I'd like her to keep the shirt 168. This is good. I like this. It's just not as compelling as LJ...maybe I'm just not grown up enough...but this is just... wry clearly a romance novel 171. Did he cause his mom's death? I have noticed (obviously) CHoover's method of having a character have some deep dark secret. Blaming himself for something that is not his fault is...not it. I don't know. 176. I appreciate CHoover's consciousness of people (okay, admittedly frequently females read her books) are quick to blame the female character. I'm kind of glad I didn't. I used to be that way. Such double standards... 180. Oh my gosh. HOW DID SHE DO IT? I TOTALLY FELT THAT WOULD HAPPEN? WHAT FORESHADOWING DID SHE DO? Like how it was obvious that one guy was deaf. She just gives out these subtle vibes. That's what really impresses me. I was thinking how it would be weird if brother thing...THEN IT HAPPENED. But it's also like...they were at their weakest ever...surely it couldn't have continued...yet her we are. Talk about bad timing, huh? Always. @LJandJohnAmbroseMcClaren 182. Wow. That's what he thinks? That's really what he thinks...that's what t alluded to I suppose. 183. I realized why it seemed like he was with Jordyn. He was being a dad. I mean...that had to been all there was...but, hm. I don't know. Those vibes, man. 184. I'm dying. This is it. This is why. I can feel so enamores and captured by the book even if I feel kind of a tinge apathetic and a little not connected to the characters...yet also tear up at these moments. 185. Obviously you can't leave like this...on the off chance you both decide to come back next year. "Off chance"...but for them it could be the last time they see each other. I guess she just makes weirdly real characters even though they also feel so fake...I really do admire her as an author. I feel like that admiration isn't coming through enough. I do love her work. 186. WOOO LOVER BOY NOTICES. This just makes for such a fucked up family. Like, the future? After they've had se x? Like...no. What the heck. Uncle...uh...Ben? And mommy? Ewwww! 188. Ohhhhhhh! Ben was with Jordyn first? Maybe? Interesting! I just read about Fallon not wanting to take him away from a woman who has been through so much. How did that cause me to think that? How does she write like this? 189. AH THAT WAS GOOD. That was SO GOOD. Fifth September nine 193. I bet this is the first one that started...not about one of them thinking about the other. The fire. I want to read Slammed. She says that...because she's afraid she'd lose the race of love. 198. "I'm studying the probability of soulmates" I love it. I hands down love it so much. That is my favorite sentence in this whole book. Because, of course he's studying that. That's just...him. I love it so much. Especially after Fallon began this chapter not believing in fate. It's great. 199. Okay, maybe I'm completely being ignorant here, but I feel like vibes were to be given off that Theodore was being a like...I need to find another word...rapey. 200. He never loved her though...did he? See, if I as the reader don't know, it's completely fair for her not to know. Did amber tell him? 202. They. Not we. Home? Surely he lives somewhere else then? But...that house is too big for only the two. 206. STOP SHE IS KIND OF A LITTLE DRUNK INSTEAD OF ROOTING FOR HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE NOVEL I WAS LIKE WHAT THE HECK 207. So, Amber did not tell Ben.... 208. Haha cue the scene where you're meant to love Amber 209. Ahhh! So it was Glenn! Obviously. Good job, dude! 210. I want her to say no. But that tomorrow-yes, that would be good. She needs to feel bad for how he felt too. 211. HOW DARE YOU!! Awww her friends....plus Ben 213. Agreed. Very agreed. A million times agreed. I hope the epilogue is like November ten -year six A year needs to pass OF them being a couple for an epilogue 214. He never told her he loved her. Not in those words, sure that he was falling in love with her, but not actually there. 215. See? That's what I knew would be really weird and bad and icky for a long time. 219. Okay, when is his bombshell going to drop though? It's always in these last few pages. 221. AHHHH HOW DID HE DEPICT HER? Maybe that's it. I feel like it'll have to play a role. Maybe after she broke his heart? I don't know! I'm so excited! 224. Honestly, better restraint than me. 227. Wow. I imagined he was the cause of his mother's fire. This is...not what I really thought. Awkward. Weird. Very secretive. Not poetic. 228. He did evade that one question early on. It was before I started taking notes. Mental notes though...Amber, I think asked when they met-no. That was how long they were dating. Fallon said something? I don't know, oh wait! About the first time he saw her, I think? Then he was like "well when I first saw you in that booth an hour ago..." and I was like that's so not what she said. But he didn't know the accident or...I guess just the situation she was referring to...oh. Welp. 228. Why would he incriminate himself by telling everyone? I'm confused by that. 230. I thought he commit arson for so long. How does she do this? 232. I like it. Like, that's what he dad instilled in her for so long. She had so many walls built up. For the one to help her take them down to hide this...and do it. Woah there. 234. I came into this book thinking it would be the fact that she didn't know he was writing about her would be the breaking point. Then, she knew the whole time, so I stopped thinking that...well...assumptions will be the death of me. 236. Wow. I like it. Ah, yes. Another year. 241. Okay, we all know it wasn't Amber. 243. Okay, even though she won't read it obviously her mom would. Or else, how else would their love story progress? We see his perspective to understand it's true. It weed out the fabrications imagined by a girl who has only seen him 5 days over the course of her life. 249. What? Was Fallon's father the cause of it? 250. Apparently...she went through with it. So, no foul play. Her tattoo, how does t relate to his? I guess just the fact that she was a poetry major. What about the fact that it was on a staff? 251. I see now. Something to do with his father, maybe? Uhg. Please don't let them be siblings...unless Fallon's mother was also unfaithful, but that would just screw up HER character. 252. I guess he did say music was important. Well, he only said that because of his mother. I need to go to that first time he went home. I need to reread that. 53-54. Where was he last night? 254. No page numbers is making this difficult. This is...obvious, right? 258. Oh, was he outside of their house that night? I want to go back to when Fallon talked about the girl who married for the money Donovan didn't have. I want to see Ben's response. Again. Not now though. Not right before the arson. 265. Panic attack? What does he have? Anything? Definitely something. Counting down? Ah, DEFINITELY something. 273. So, when Kyle died...he lost. He lost everything. 276. Wowza. This is long. I feel like my suicide letter- woah. Like, hypothetically. Completely hypothetically, would be super long too. Because I ramble. This note is very inappropriate. Did not realize that when I began it. Welp. What can ya do? WOAH WOAH WOAH PLOT TWIST. I saw the others coming, this? Not so much. 278. Had Kyle read the letter? He tossed the money on the table like he knew what he was doing. If Ian had to go to the station, and only just picked up a copy...Kyle couldn't have read t yet. WOW LOOKY THERE! BEN DID KNOW! That date was important for Ben too. That's why he was at their house the night before. That's why he was so unkempt. That's why neither of them slept much. 280. What do you mean half the manuscript? That was three chapters, none of which had you. Oh, she must have read more. Must have, right? 281. Oh. So, he wasn't visiting their house. He was with someone. Just as I thought earlier. Who the heck is it? How did Jordyn know? 382. He said once he met and talked with and did everything that day with Fallon, actually, it was in the middle. Because that's when he saw Kyle. But he said to himself, in his inner monologue, that he would change now...because of her. 283. Uhhhhhhhgggg fuck. That's exactly what I thought. Kyle. Kyle knew...that's fucking kid. Oh my gosh. I'm so blown away right now. Kyle was such a fricken trooper. Oh fuck. Goodness gracious that was such a trip. Good. I'm so glad. 287. Ahhh! Then you follow him to wherever he goes because you want to talk? 296. Ahhh! After all those spin offs of the story from the guy's side, this is the best. Well, she always alternates. She tries to make them more...masculine with boobs and whatnot, but they're always sensitive. Not just her, a bunch of writers. That's okay though. Because they're so dang lovable. Wait wait wait. Half way through the manuscript? That isn't that long. Certainly not enough for a novel...hmmm... 298. Ah, yes. Fate was in that little poemy bit hat has been before each action. HEY MY EPILOGUE IDEA OF NOV 10 IS LIKELY...or they'll just finish things up on the ninth like usual. I'd actually, again, prefer a flash forward...so Year 7. Like Harry Potter! But...why did they always wait so long so solve any bit of their problems? Interesting. "Last". Wasn't the fifth the last? Is it one in the same? It must be. Obviously they must make up...now. 305. Throwback to before when I started writing notes and she was like and there's this awesome guy who's practically a fictional boyfriend in front of me and I was like hah eye roll. 306. Aww that's actually quite cute. Could've gone straight to him though...and just gotten it together. You really scared him. But, it's fine. 307. Haha spoilers. I love it though. It's just as cutesy as one would only expect. Also, it's good that it didn't end on the twelve thing. I like that. It's cause of the whole author thing and her love of reading. Can we take a second to adore that she opened up a whole new genere to him? That's huge! A whole new world of possibilities were introduced. That's so sweet. I mean...also that they saved each other, but details, you know? 20.57 read straight through for the first time in a while 4 stars