#realizing how goddamn similar your ships are/can be

[danhjngs]

( x )

y'all remember that blurb about dan feng holding onto a deceased yingxing? yeah, me too, i am unwell... oh the parallels and when they are my FAVORITE shows/characters/ships.

[iwasbored777]

I know I already posted something like this but I wanted to be more clear and I gotta say it again: the writers completely effed up Peter and Gwen in ATSV and it wasn't Peter and Gwen to blame at all.

(Sorry if I made any grammar mistakes, I write English for years but some mistakes still happen)

Ok, with Gwen, I know she didn't have a choice and blah blah blah but it's heartbreaking to see how much people loved her and now I see such horrible posts about her (some are so unhinged) that it makes me wonder what the writers were thinking when they did what they did with her character. After so much time has passed since the movie was released all I hear is "Gwen is a traitor". I rarely see a person clever enough to explain the situation and many people don't care enough to explain or understand. They love what happened because they hate the idea of her ending up with Miles anyway so this is perfect for them. I swear I had no idea what they're gonna do, I thought she's going to be with Miles and on his side the whole time. And while I know that she's so much more than a love interest and she deserves to be more, in the first movie she was only the love interest and that's exactly how people see her now and will always see her like this. According to the audience she exists only to please Miles, she has no room to have a story of her own, which is why her storyline in this movie was kinda disappointing even to me who really loves her.

But Peter also... At least Gwen has a reason and he just doesn't. You can't tell me that a guy with a character development so great from the first movie, the guy who loves this kid and who started his own family because of Miles, who was depressed and desperate when he lost someone he loves, would tell the same kid he apparently loves "you know it's ok if your father dies bad things happen lol". It's crazy. And him receiving the hate that Gwen receives too, people going from loving him so much to hating him because the writers forgot how much they tried to develop him and Gwen, how amazing their team was in the first movie, and then destroying their dynamic for the sake of drama because they needed a conflict but the first movie was so perfect the only way to create it was to mess it up.

Yeah sure they'll be friends later, yeah Miles and Gwen will end up together, I don't have a problem with it because I love Peter and Gwen and I still ship Gwen and Miles and I don't want anyone who hates them with passion to show up here and tell me about how much they hate them. But they already ruined the relationships and the angst will always be remembered. Fandom is so goddamn toxic that they will keep hating on them, using any racist and misogynistic expression they can think of, and to be honest the movies aren't as enjoyable to me as they were at first because the reaction of majority of the audience made me realize how bad you gotta ruin your characters for fans to go from loving them to hating them so so much. Now every time I see news about BTSV I'm not looking forward to it that much because the story is already effed up. You can fix it but you can't erase what happened. The ending can be satisfying but the journey is not, at least to me.

And it's a shame that no one is talking about this, all haters (and there's so many of them) act like Peter and Gwen are characters capable of making decisions for themselves when they're just products of their writers. But, no. The writers are praised everywhere while Peter and Gwen apparently suck because their characters are ruined by someone who's controlling them against their will. The kinda got the similar treatment to Wanda in MCU, whom I also adore, she had character development and learned how to move on in WandaVision only to go through the exact same thing all over again in Multiverse of Madness because they didn't know what to do with her now.

I don't hate these movies, especially ITSV cuz it's a masterpiece, but I'm just so sad with how the story turned out. I will watch BTSV and I will make tons of posts about it just the same, and I won't make hate posts about this movie, that's for sure. I just wanted to say this. I look forward to hearing your opinions in the comments, as long as they're respectful to the characters. Basically I already said all I had to say here.

[bluestarjay]

After being on Tumblr for I think nearly a year, and making a fuck ton of posts and gaining mild popularity on certain posts and gaining a whopping 21 followers, I've never made a Hinata Harem post. So yall are finally lucky enough to hear my takes on it ❤️❤️❤️

So first of all, I kinda love the hinata harem thing bc it's actually so funny, but strangely, in a way, it's realistic. Not very well written most of the time, but realistic as a concept.

Bc like he gets along with basically the entire cast, and he sometimes compliments characters who are not used to being complimented, and that character may blush of embarrassment, and then the fandom takes that as shipping material, like with Goshihina. And it makes sense! Imagine you're rarely complimented, and you strive for validation from your peers, especially upperclassmen, and then suddenly, the cutest boy you've ever seen compliments you like you're the only person on the planet. And so then you purposely try as hard as you possibly can to make said boy continue to compliment you. Take this, then multiply it by 100, because I think that's how the harem trope, in Hinata's case, works.

This isn't meant to be in the way that he can be shipped with every single character because truly, he can't. Shipping Hinata with 3rd years, in a typical high school setting, is, at least imo (and not bc of the age gap itself), weird bc of the maturity difference. You shouldn't date a senior as a freshman bc you're on two separate maturity levels. And regarding all of the many 3rd years (tendou, daichi, suga, bokuto, etc), it's really the same exact thing just platonically. Bokuto is literally Hinata's older brother!! He adopted him as a student *and* sibling, bc he felt the same things everybody does, just in a *different* way.

The hinata harem, to me, is the display of hinata's character in reference to every other character, yk? To me, these select few people are actually in love with him, and these people have a "crush," which is more so a platonic feeling, and these people find a true, deep *friendship* with him, one that they've probably never experienced before, and therefore may look like a crush or love to an outside viewer. And, in these different relationships between hinata and other characters, they all love him. They all feel a loving connection with him, like how people would think in a harem, but it's not quite so because all of the people who love hinata love him in different ways.

Now, with how this harem is portrayed in fanfiction actually scares me bc half the people there are much older and mature than him (gen question why do ppl ship him with 3rd years /in high school/, like, I love Brazil Oihina sooooo much but hs Oihina is 😧😧😧) , and tbh it just gets out of control.

And alot of times I see Hinata reciprocate?? With multiple people?? Which is fine to an extent, imo like I love poly ships, I've seen a lot of really cute ones and some more interesting ones, and it's totally normal to have a crush on a few people at once but istg some people make him a goddamn player,,,

I recently read a harem-ish fic, which was much more similar to how I personally find it to be like, it was essentially people having a crush on hinata, or realizing it, and it was cute, but at the same time, Hinata asked one of them on a date, cuddled with like two other guys (which, normalize cuddling platonically but in the context of the fic it wasn't suuuuper platonic but wasn't suuuuuper romantic either iykwim), and the part of that that kinda icked me was just that he was getting on with so many people at once (the fic took place in the span of like a week, and there were like 5 people i think??). And a lot of other fics that are post time skip are just Hinata hooking up with the entire cast at some point???

Idk tbh but I do really like fics where everybody LOVES hinata, but only a few people are IN love with him. Just the balance of like ~5 people having a crush on him, half of the rest of them have adopted him in one way or another, and the other half have just found their new bff.

Btw I think that second to last paragraph is worded a bit poorly I just don't really know else to describe the fic so sorry if it offends anyone I'm free to edit it n if anyone wants more ship related stuff I got you (ALSO GIVE ME GOOD "HAREM" FIC RECS AS LONG AS THEYRE SFW AND COMPLETED!!) 💪💪💪

[bengiyo]

I hit post limit so I can write this in the tags or comments of the post. But I just wanted to say as someone who was feeling very salty about the cut scenes your ask about TV background info and audience feedback helped a lot. I didn't realize that kind of audience feedback and editing was so common. That said do you think the story would have been better with no brainded pairs? Despite the fact that I believe that Sand and Ray would have not been this well acted by anyone else do you think having no brainded pairs would have allowed to stay true to their original vision? And do you think that would have made the story better.

Feeding the audience is just good business sense. Charles on Brooklyn Nine-Nine is way different from how he was in Season 1 because his creepy vibe didn't test well with audiences. Most NBC shows are actually super fucking mean in their first season before softening because it's too much.

Do you think the story would have been better with no brainded pairs?

Emphatically YES. I like First and Khaotung. I think they're both very talented. I enjoy their friendship. I think they're both extremely detailed actors who communicate well and can build emotions off of each other easily.

That being said... They are not the only good actors that exist.

There are lots of talented people at GMMTV who I think could have done this storyline better. I was talking with @lurkingshan and we both think that the rehab plotline was added to shelter the image of FK for viewers. Ray calls Sand a whore constantly whenever he gets mad. Their dynamic is truly flawed in a way I don't think can work. I would rather Sand have stayed an embarrassing simp and we call him on it than this grand romance that it's turning into about how Sand's love pushed through the haze over Ray.

It's similar with Top and Mew. Force and Book are best friends. WE all know this. I actually think the longevity of their friendship is working against Top and Mew here because I don't think audiences are enjoying the games being played between the two, and I unfortunately think they leaned hard on Force's harshness early in a way that audiences bought into because of Mew's gamified responses that has made it impossible to take him seriously.

Neo and Mark are really goddamn good. Mark is probably the best supporting actor we've ever seen at GMMTV, and it's not a surprise that he was first with Nadao Bangkok. We can engage with their performances directly. We're less concerned about Neo and Mark and can focus on Boston and Nick.

...do you think having no branded pairs would have allowed to stay true to their original vision? And do you think that would have made the story better.

YES. We recently learned that Ninew led the workshops on Love in the Air and Wedding Plan. Ninew and Jojo are good at helping actors get into the zone for the work. I think this show would have been way better if we were caught up in the BL-of-it-all and focused on this as a group of queer people independent of whether or not we're worrying over whether a ship will be intact by the end of the story.

This team is really good. I like the work we've gotten from everyone, but I stand by my belief that this show would be better with all supporting actors who didn't need to perform ship once the show was over.

[cellarspider]

28/30 Katamari Damacy

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We return to NA NAAA NANANA NA NANA NA KATAMARI DAMACYYYY

[Video description: It's the We Love Katamari soundtrack, specifically Katamari On The Swing.]

You wanna see the dumbest thing you’ve seen all movie? Of course you do. I’ll try to figure out a way it could have worked. Content warning for character death, and a monster attack that I’m mostly not showing because I’m squeamish and y’all are going to have to deal with that. Yes, I, a person who used Pink Flamingos as a cinematic comparison earlier in this series, am squeamish about a scene in Prometheus. Sometimes stuff just hits you different for no discernible reason. 

Vickers and her lifeboat quarters ejected separately from the Prometheus, so she's wandering around on the surface not that far from Shaw. Both of them are therefore in The Danger Zone when the Engineer ship crashes, intact and rolling along its circumference. Spare a thought for how seasick the Engineer is probably feeling right now, and for David's still-conscious head, rattling around like a coin in a washing machine.

But we only see Shaw and Vickers, as they realize what's coming, and start up run away. …Down the path of the gigantic ship.

I want to emphasize, both of them do this. Do panicked people make dumb decisions? Yes. Are movie audiences predisposed to being charitable about that? No they are not, the audience expects rationality. The audience needs to be brought down to the perspective of the characters, so that irrational decisions make emotional sense. 

You need to make people feel the disorientation of encountering something so much larger than you that your sense of space is completely thrown off. It can be done. There's an animal fear in there, where self preservation kicks in and can steer you right or wrong. Something’s too large, or moving too fast to grapple with, or both. Jacob Geller has an excellent video essay covering this topic in video games, for instance.

For movies that do that? The one that comes to mind first is Edge of Tomorrow (2014). The beach landing scene in particular gets you into the perspective of a guy who is not supposed to be there and is completely disoriented, while remaining visually readable. It sticks close to him and his panic. The danger around him is all-encompassing, and he cannot keep track of it all. This overwhelming speed returns at points throughout the movie, leading to points in the theater where I physically leaned away from the screen, like I was in the original audience for The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat. (1895)

And somehow this manages to be tense despite the fact that the man we’re following is Tom Cruise.

[Video description: A clip of the aforementioned scene. I highly recommend Edge of Tomorrow to anyone for whom Tom Cruise isn’t a dealbreaker. In fact, you get to watch Tom Cruise die! In this very clip! It’s a tense, engaging science fiction action movie, with good bits of humor, Bill Paxton as the most unhinged Master Sergeant you’ve ever seen, and Emily Blunt plays a goddamn space marine, power armor and all. As that description may imply, I especially recommend the movie to any 40k enjoyers–it hits a similar tone. You may also find the movie listed under the title Live Die Repeat.]

But no. In Prometheus, we the audience are shown the whole thing. The entire context. And what we see is a couple of morons that seem to believe they can outrun a wheel the size of a small town.

Neither of them actually think to run left or right. Shaw just trips, and then rolls to the side. The average human does not roll that fast, so it really drives home how unbelievably bad they are at this. Vickers also trips, and gets squished.

[A clip from The Naked Gun (1988), in which a stand-off between police Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) and Vincent Ludwig (Khan Noonien Singh himself, Ricardo Montalbán) ends with Ludwig falling off the side of a stadium before being run over by a bus, a steam roller, and the USC marching band.]

This scene, obviously, does not work. I am, however, stubborn enough to try and workshop how it could have worked.

Vickers needs to be broken beneath the wheel, and to do so in a way that the audience won’t jeer at. We’ve already discussed the issues of having too wide a view of the action, so let’s table that. How could you keep that perspective, while flattening Vickers?

You do have options. Maybe have Vickers do the smart thing and run off at an angle toward the sun, so she wouldn’t get any looming shadow to tell her when the ship begins falling over until it’s too late. Have her injured in the crash and unable to process what’s going on. Have her escape pod door fail to open, trapping her in the path of the ship. She was part of the corporate machinery, having petty power over others but ultimately trapped by circumstance. Make that all literal. 

And for fuck’s sake, don’t have the entire ship fall over on Shaw a few seconds later, letting her come out okay because she was huddled near the world’s strongest rock.

When the narrative blatantly plays favorites, my instinctive reaction is to resent the recipient of the movie’s favor. It feels like they're cheating.

Y'know what would’ve helped here, weirdly? Shaw thanking God for this. It would’ve theoretically been in character! The whole movie runs on christian logic anyway, so why not leave people wondering if there’s a supernatural power at work in the unbelievably fucked up universe of Alien. You’d swing back around to making people wonder what kind of loving god would allow chestbursters to happen.

But no. There is no god. Only the rock. You’re welcome.

Shaw has a hole in her suit or somesuch, and thus is propelled onward toward the lifeboat, which we know contains her newly-birthed squiddo, trapped in the med-pod room.

It’s not dead. Of course it isn’t. But what makes no goddamn sense is that it’s gotten massive. Yes, I know, Alien didn’t give an explanation for the embiggening of the chestburster either, but I am willing to give Alien the benefit of the doubt, and Prometheus just showed me a woman get killed by a donut.

David, possibly cognizant that Shaw is his only chance to not have to drag himself around by the lips, calls her to warn that the Engineer’s on their way to finish her off.

I waffle on whether this is dumb behavior from the Engineer. I know the movie’s reason for doing this is just to have one last action beat, and an unsatisfying payoff at the end of the film. 

The Engineer spared Shaw before. Maybe that was a tiny amount of sympathy for how she was getting kicked around. She’d die alone on this alien moon, sure, but it wouldn’t be their doing. But the humans got their act together enough to crash the ship. Maybe sparing her was a mistake. Even one of them might be too dangerous to let live, especially when we find out soon that there’s more ships quite close by.

There was a cut bit here–I’d previously avoided showing these, but why not. The Engineer stopped and looked at the books strewn on the floor. Watched a little of Vickers’ weird screensaver wall, as it played one of the videos included in the transmission David had sent toward the moon during the journey, while everyone slept.

Ironically, most of the human material culture the Engineer gets to see is due to Vicker's disinterest in the mission, which completely failed to consider the fact that it's polite to bring gifts when you visit somebody. Her material comforts becoming the single point of cultural contact. A strange little coincidence, and a little more silent characterization for the Engineer, until David’s voice over Shaw’s radio sets everyone to murderin’.

But because this movie is allergic to characterization, so we can’t have that. Instead, we are only using their reappearance to hit another horror movie cliché: the bad thing that's gotten back up again. Here, have a clip from Scream (1996), which deliberately did a send-up of the trope.

Originally there was going to be a whole fight scene here, which they took out because they felt it lessened the Engineer. But as it is, they’re still reduced to a big ol’ monster with a scary face that lumbers in and tries to kill the heroine.

Want to know what’s weird? Both Alien and Aliens solve their final alien problem by opening a door. This is literally the same thing. This is their one weird trick.

And frankly, I can’t look at it, because what happens squicks me out. So good job I guess, the non-consentacles got me squirming in my seat. When I’ve subjected other people to this movie, I’ve shamelessly muted and walked away for a minute. Maybe at some point I’ll figure out what limit it’s hitting there for me and Litany Against Fear it to pieces, but not right now! Facehuggers are a manageable sort of unsettling, but I do not like the bodyhugger.

The screenshot hunt for this was not fun, lemme tell you.

So, yes, the last of the Engineers on this planet laid low by their own creation(s), they’re mortal after all, ironic circle of rebirth, yadda yadda, moving on.

You know what, I’m actually with Shaw right now. Lying face-down and having a cry is a very understandable, human reaction to all this. Good job, movie, you got me vibing with her for about thirty seconds.

Want to see how they screw it up?

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Citations for alt-text rambles:

https://youtu.be/y-pE9j98jP0 da baaa, da ba da ba da ba da doodoodoo dabada daba da–

https://www.deviantart.com/pretty--kittie/art/Prometheus-Engineer-407316141 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ6JK1mPT-A&list=PLZbXA4lyCtqpMbPbUtqdnpx72tgxjSjo8&t=82 

https://www.deviantart.com/pretty--kittie/art/Prometheus-Engineer-407316059 

https://avp.fandom.com/wiki/MU/TH/UR_6000 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicranurus

[kings-highway]

How do you feel about AtsuKageHina?

m 🤔

i don't like it, to be honest. And that's mostly because I've got some kind of vendetta against AtsuHina in all of it's forms. I don't like it. I think it's slightly more tolerable with Kageyama in the mix, though. BUT. The point of these asks is to seriously consider it and treat it well so I will see what I can find.

my first instinct is to dwell more on Atsumu/Kageyama, because while I do think AtsuKageHina can really only exist as Atsumu joining an established KageHina, I think their dynamic could really make or break the polyship.

I think, obviously, they'd have a lot of intense rivalry over volleyball and then also Hinata, especially since Kageyama is on the opposite side of the net so to speak. Atsumu being more of an ass than usual complaining about Hinata "telling the Adlers all their secrets" and Bokuto/Sakusa being like "dude it's not that serious" but it IS it IS that serious (to him) (he hasn't realized he has a crush on Hinata)

I think there's also some really interesting possibilities in, like, AtsuHina coming first, bonding on the Adlers and falling in love, and Atsumu just realizing that Hinata has always had this fixation with Kageyama and even if he trusts that Hinata loves him, he knows that Kageyama exists on a kind of different spectrum? Like it's not about romantic love, necessarily, for KageHina.

BUT Ignore the more plot-heavy descriptions I do really, really like the idea of AtsuHina being a thing and then both being aggressively in love with Kageyama who's just Autistic and On Another Team and so they're barking and growling from the other side of the net and Kageyama is just like "yeah this is totally about volleyball :)" and so oblivious to the fact that he's being pursued so heavily (and in Hinata's case, as been being pursued for a WHILE.)

I also think this ship could work as AtsuHina and KageHina as a love angle, rather than a completed polycule, even though I think Atsumu and Kageyama would have the most interesting dynamic as a trio.

Hinata would absolutely call them "his boys" whenever they're going anywhere. "Got my keys, got the volleyball, got my boys, let's hit the beach!" vibes

Hinata going to Brazil would fracture the group for a bit, Kageyama and Atsumu not really knowing how to be in a relationship without his energy, and I think they would break up for a bit and then be absolutely tormented by it, like... they don't even tell Hinata really (who they're maintaining as long distance) but they "mutually agree" to step back from each other because it just doesn't feel right and then like cue some kind of "standing outside your window with a sign" scene or a confession in the rain where they realize that they really did like each other.

Atsumu can absolutely fill a similar rival role as Hinata for Kageyama, in terms of passion in the relationship, but I think Kageyama is like... weird territory for Atsumu. Because Atsumu is mr "best setter in Japan" but Kageyama as we know is a proper prodigy. And Atsumu probably finds him beautiful in a really abstract way, why like's obsessed with the way he holds his pencils and mugs of tea and the way he stretches and just can't get enough of him because Atsumu has never in his life had a setter he thought he could look up to (he's arrogant! he's always thought he was the best) but now there's this gorgeous, passionate, and LOUDLY talented setter who just sweeps him off his feet and goddamn it feels good to be able to idolize (worship?) someone. Its just an entirely different kind of Love I dont think he's had the opportunity to do. Make him breakfast in bed and let him be the passenger princess.

Side note: Osamu would hate this ship. RIP to the second twin could you imagine him putting up with this shit?

Overall Rating:

Me, Personal Interest: -4/10

Concept/Potential: 8/10

(as much as I don't like AtsuHina or this ship I'm not gonna pretend like I don't get it I know where you people are coming from)

[spectacular-supernova]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRESIDENT OF TONARI CLUB!

I, uh, m-made something f-for you.

Know that I'm totally embarrassing my ass over here, so... Don't laugh loud enough that I can hear you from over here!

Aaaaaand now, per Lyndis tradition, I'm gonna overexplain shits and turn a simple Ask into a whole ass Ramble!

-----------------------------(why is there no "Read More" partition in an Ask? I'm so embarrassed right now goddamn it)-------------------------

If you're short-sighted, try removing your glasses or contact lenses and look at this picture. I just did and it's suddenly even prettier!

I actually planned to draw your Sonicsona at first. And then I realized I deadass couldn't even draw Base Sonic. Then I thought I should draw a mole. I realized I also couldn't draw a mole. I thought I should just go for the easiest shit and draw ToFu. I realized I could not draw either one of them, too.

Because I cannot draw, I cheat! I mean I turn things into shapes (chiefly triangles, though not all of them) and then color them and hope that something shows up. This is me using this scientific /+ philosophical concept called Emergence.

No, I didn't just say THAT to sound like I have a technique of any kind, trust. It's so totally a technique—my very productive ass told me.

I remember you saying your favorite color is something like pink, blue, and stuff? It was from that tag game from last year. Hence, I decided I should create a context so I could draw an obscene amount of pink and blue.

If I'm being honest, it took me less than a millisecond to come up with the exact context—Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom is abundantly blue.

And since I always wanted to sneak ToFu in, I thought I would make a purplish-pink dusk. And then I will sneak those stargazing two in.

Come on. Everyone knows those ToFu panels. Even someone like me, who had not seen that part of the manga yet, knows.

Bless Tonari for being so relaxing to color.

HOWEVER! Fushi's limited-ass color presented a big problem for my cheat-drawing. How many combinations of "white" can you even make before you zoom out and see... nothing?! So I basically sabotaged them. That's what you get for being difficult, you mopey, neck-crick-possessing, fragile-enough-to-be-blown-by-the-wind cutie doofus.

I made up the color of their pants. I didn't even refer to their Nameless Boy drip when I decided on the color. I assed that part.

Yes. I admit I put a shit ton of effort into coloring Zelda. This version of Zelda is my kin, you know. Anyway, I like the way her, uh, shirt turned out.

I also like how the Master Sword turned out, but there was so much blue I ended up requiring outlines to distinguish it from Link's shirt and the sky. Told ya I have no technique or skill. I cheat through and through

I was too lazy to draw those sky islands. Besides, the ToTK side is already saturated with details.

What the fuck issa "proportion?" Everyone's head is an orange. The difference, Nova, is whether it's a Mandarin Orange or an Orange.

I don't know if I overdid Dinraal's draconic mane. It looks like she's wearing a wig. At least she is different from how she initially looked—a red tapeworm outfitted with chicken legs.

I admit I put more effort than any Past Me would have into Dinraal because a certain mutual is very, ah, particular about dragons.

Drawing two of your favorite ships for their show of devotion was a completely deliberative choice on my end. Did you also realize that both Link and Fushi had a short, small, low ponytail and that both Zelda and Tonari had similar hair? I believe it's due to me hitting my drawing skill limitation.

There is actually an Easter Egg of some sort in this picture. It's not the ugly doodle thing, no. That thing is me. I'm not an Easter Egg; I'm a ghost.

I'm not telling you what that Easter Egg is. I'm fine with it never being discovered; it'd be like those secret levels in old video games.

But if you DID discover it, come tell me what you think it is!

---------------

I hope you like it enough! Instead of it giving you a migraine, that is. Surely my """art"""... doesn't require a trigger warning... right?

Have a good one, mai bruzha!

---Lyn

A RAMBLE FROM YOU LYN IS THE BEST POSSIBLE BRITHDAY PRESENT I COULD HAVE EVER RECEIVED!!!! COUPLED WITH ART BY YOU????? AND OF MY FAVORITE FELLAS????? What did I deserve to be so blessed ;A; 💕💕💕

I’ll spare us all a little extra scrolling on my part by adding that read more you were fretting about, I have my own ramble upcoming!

I KNOW YOURE ON YOURSELF ABOUT NOT BEING ARTISTIC OR WHATEVER BUT THIS IS ART!!! AND DAMN GOOD ART TOO!!!!!!! This is!!!!!!!!!!! I want this made into stained glass I want to make this the permanent window to me bed roOM LYN THIS IS AMAZING THIS IS ALMOST CERTAINLY GOING DOWN AS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ART STYLES!!!! There’s no such thing as cheating in art, it’s all art!!! “Cheating” is a style, no technique is a style!!! I should know I have none either, hehe -w-‘ your art may be some type of cubism? Hehe idk I’m not an art student :3 Either way this is absolutely gorgeous I’m in LOVE!!!

It’s so creative and well done and I LOVE your eye for detail, the lighting is inspired!!!! Like the way the sun hits the space behind Zelda is so pretty, AND ZELDA IS SO PRETTY!!!!!! EVERYRHING IS SO PRETTY, I CANT FOCUS ON ONE THING BECAUSE I KEEP JUMPING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN ALL THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT IT (every thing, every last detail!!! Is that a little you in the middle? Is that the Easter egg???? I could just pick you up and pat your little head!!! 😭 I know you don’t love hugs but that’s how I’ll be standing if you’re ever ready for one!!!)

I should slow down maybe and pick a few things to focus on BUT I JUST CANT I LOVE IT ALL!!!! The two scenes just blend so well into one another that my eyes are just naturally being drawn back and forth between both of the scenery! Dinraal, who turned out AMAZIING BY THE WAY, ABSOLUTELY NOT OVERDONE, if anything I’m so glad you had fun working on her!!! She’s so gorgeous!!!! I bet your friend is so so proud of how well she looks!!! Oh but anyway, Dinraal naturally leads my eyes over to the sun/moon (and the 24, hehe, thank you!!! /)//(\ Your memory is astounding!!), which have their own beautiful rays of light leading down onto the adorable couples 😭 I love love LOVE the moonlight leading down onto Tonari and Fushi, and the fact that she’s pointing at it too like she can almost reach it? Beautiful! Gorgeous!!! And it just leads my eyes down to them too, there’s just such a natural circular flow here, no wonder I keep getting caught in a loop of admiration! 😁

The blues and the pinks, and the stars on the ToFu side!!! I just noticed them and they’re everything to me!!!! Hahaha I’m so glad Tonari was relaxing to color hehe, same for me, something about her is just so lovely and calming when she’s relaxed 🥰 As for Fushi’s colors, I didn’t notice! Even after you pointed it out it looks good to me! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ this is from someone who never references colors though, I’m so loosey goosey about everything -w- BUT YOUR SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM WAS GREAT, THEIR SHAPE IS VERY VISIBLE AND EASY TO MAKE OUT hehe :3 I love their crossed little legs 🥰

Zelda being your kin is so good to know hehe, I’ve always been drawn to all versions of Link myself! I think we’ve been perfectly set up to “play dolls” with these characters in the future, so to speak! Aaaahh they can’t have been easy to draw, there’s a reason I almost never dabble in drawing those two and their intricate outfits, but you make it look effortless!!! Zelda’s shirt turned out amazing, and I’m stuck looking at her little triangle braids!!!! I don’t know why I’m so fixated on that it’s just adorable!!! 😭💕 What a lovely technique, man, I’m so enchanted! AND THE MASTER SWORD, I know you called it cheating BUT I LOVE THE LINE WORK, it makes the sword stand out, almost like you lined that specific part with some sort of melted gold??? Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!

This is gorgeous and beautiful in every which way and thank you!!!! For everything!!! For this beautiful drawing and for giving me a chance to ramble and giving me something gorgeous to look at for the rest of my day, and for indulging in both of my silly little ships /)//(\ I’m so glad I don’t need glasses because I love every inch of your art, thank you thank you THANK YOU!!!!! Gosh it’s so so so lovely 😭💕 you’re so lovely!!!!

I don’t know how to say goodbye so I guess I’ll just say good night for now! Thank you for thinking of me… I’ll have a wonderful day, so long as you promise me you’ll have a wonderful night along side me 🥰

Goodnight, Mai Bruzha!

- Nova

[thedragonchilde]

Ship meme spam continued

1. Who most initiates PDA?

If the moment is otherwise right, Domon is likely to go for it with little notice or regard for things like being in public! (Don't get me wrong, he can get flustered, especially in the beginning, but "is this a socially appropriate time and place" does not factor into it for him.)

2. Any sleep habits either had to get used to?

Aside from Domon waking up at the crack of dawn out of habit?

3. Hot and Steamy or Soft and Tender?

You might assume exclusively the former, and you'd be surprised

4. How did they first meet?

With a goddamn sucker punch, that's how

5. What is their love language?

They're both pretty heavy on physical touch, as one might guess. Chibodee also responds shockingly well to words of affirmation

6. When did they realize they loved each other?

In retrospect, Chibodee will cop to having had a crush since Guyana, though the gals will tell you he was fixated from the first match. But in love? That came with a heartsick sort of gut punch as he found himself hoping that Domon and Rain worked things out even though it hurt to watch, because seeing Domon so upset over her hurt so much worse. Very bittersweet "I want my beloved to be happy".

Domon realizes much later, and more or less all at once. It's a small moment that sets it off, but one that gives him the fleeting thought "I'd be happy to have someone like this by my side", which turns into "...I already do, right here" → "not in that way" → "maybe in that way??" From there the epiphany hits like lightning and he almost can't process it.

7. Who is more sentimental?

Might have to give this to Domon "Manly Tears" Kasshu

8. What’s one way their personalities complement one another?

Okay so "complement" implies not similar traits, but rather different traits that fit together. In that case, I'd say the way their attitudes are sort of the inverse of each other: Domon is serious and melancholy, but deep down is trusting and wants to believe the best of people, where Chibodee keeps things light and devil-may-care, but he's a little more world-weary, a little more easily discouraged. In that way they work as a grounding balance for each other.

9. How are their personalities different?

I mean, Domon's kind of an introvert, isn't he? Or at least easily overstimulated by the pressures of socializing. Whereas in the other corner we've got Chibodee "Social Butterfly" Crockett who almost seems uneasy when alone for very long. There's also an understated city mouse/country mouse thing going on.

10. What are some non-sexual activities they do together?

The obvious would be sparring and other sports, but also like… sometimes they just chat. Chibodee's a talker anyway, Domon is still relearning how to socialize with peers, and there are some cool experiences to share between them.

On that note, hiking. If Domon hadn't already been into nature, he sure is now.

11. Which member is more physically affectionate?

Chibodee moreso at first, and even then not a whole lot because Domon starts out awkward and tsundere. Once he's more comfortable, they're pretty evenly matched! (Mind you, this does depend on the type of physical affection. Hugs and hand-holding come more naturally, where kisses are more loaded even when they're less physical contact.)

12. Which member is more verbally affectionate?

Chibodee's a talker, and this is no exception, but dare I say Domon goes for quality over quantity ;)

13. Which member steals borrows the other one's clothing?

Not sure about actually wearing each other's stuff, but I can see a potentially mutual "our stuff got mixed up and I have your x so I'm just gonna,,, hang onto it while we're apart"

14. Are they an introverted couple or an extroverted one—AKA would they prefer to go out to a party or event together or would they rather stay in?

Oh my god Domon would ninja-disappear from a party so fast

15. Who is more likely to make an impulsive decision and who is the voice of reason?

They both have their moments, and "voice of reason" is overstating things, but goddamn if Chibodee doesn't go off half-cocked sometimes

16. Who stays up way too late and who tries to drag them to bed?

No dragging here; Domon just shrugs and goes "You're gonna regret it"

17. Who fell in love first?

…bruh.

18. What song fits them perfectly?

Song? I've got a whole playlist!

19. How do they deal with being away from each other for a long time?

There's plenty to keep them busy, but they can certainly go harder (maybe too hard) on the training to blow off stress. Of course they do what they can to keep in contact, and uhhhh they do attempt video/cybersex. It's a hot mess. Honestly, someone should capitalize on the precepts of the Mobile Trace system to enable long-distance physical contact, it would be revolutionary.

20. Who holds a grudge the longest?

Domon is never living down the way they met, just saying.

21. Which of the two is quick to speak and which one is quick to listen?

They both have to work on listening, or specifically when to listen. Given that they both have a bad habit of shutting themselves down when they should be reaching out, the opening is not always obvious.

22. Who gets more easily embarrassed?

Tricky, but probably Chibodee, being a little more conscious of his image. He's certainly the one who reacts more strongly to embarrassment, anyway.

23. Who overthinks the most?

They both vacillate between "overthink/don't think at all" at times, but this one goes to broody Domon by a long shot

24. Which of the two is the most competitive?

Not only are they both competitive, they actively bring that side out in each other!

25. Who’s the most stubborn?

Oh, now this one's hard!

26. How do they comfort each other?

This is one of those instances where physical touch is very important, just tangibly knowing they're not alone. Letting the other vent (whether physically or verbally) too. Encouraging words are usually called for, even if they're clumsy.

27. What random everyday object/activity makes them think of each other?

Sunrise is definitely associated with Domon. Hearts too. Chibodee is stars and neon lights and bourbon.

28. Do they get along with each other’s friends and family?

Well, I mean, they share a friend group! As far as family, Chibodee is trying his damnedest to get Dr Kasshu to like him, and Domon… well, the gals already know him, but that doesn't mean they won't give him the shovel talk all the same.

29. What is their sex life like?

As I've said before, very intense and a little spiritual, thanks in part to Shuffle Alliance empathy, and “communicating with your fists” translating to other physicality. Their sessions tend to be loud and long (not to say that there are never wham-bam rounds), and you'd be forgiven for finding them half-dressed and out of breath and not knowing whether they'd just banged or sparred.

30. What is their favorite place to kiss the other? (Cheek, hand, closed eyelid, neck, nose, etc.)

Chibodee absolutely kisses Domon's scars, just putting that out there right now. On the other side, don't think Domon hasn't realized the reaction he gets when he goes for the jaw

31. What’s the relationship like? Smooth? Rocky?

You're not gonna get the smoothest sailing with such a high-energy dynamic, but even when it's hard they're ride or die

32. How do they resolve their arguments?

By separating and cooling off, for starters. It really depends on how serious the argument.

33. Who has the most nightmares and how do they deal with them?

They're both prone, I think, though as Chibodee's been getting them most of his life he's more or less prepared when Domon wakes up screaming - hands off until the fight-or-flight wears off, then grounding touch, low voice, cold water, and let him cry it out.

34. Do they give each other nicknames?

Well, 'King of Hearts' could certainly take on a flirty tone–

35. What movies do they enjoy watching most?

Here's where I make the joke about how their son gets his name from the Rocky movies

36. How’d they meet each other’s families?

I mean, that's basically in canon

[clericofshadows]

take me back to eden

Description: Post-ME2 prologue.  Hannah Shepard asks for a meeting with Kaidan.  They end up having a conversation far more productive than either of them imagined, and Kaidan contacts an old flame.

Paring: Male Shepard/Kaidan Alenko, Kaidan Alenko/Zaeed Massani, Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard/Zaeed Massani (past)

Notes: I wanted to write a conversation between Regis and his mother, but this happened instead.  I’ve only written in Regis’s POV so far, but this was a fun dive into Kaidan.

Kaidan stared at the glass, swirling it slightly to stir the ice and drink together before taking a sip.  Freshly brewed lemonade.  A surprising choice to have in an Alliance brass's office, but one he'd take over alcohol.

Because even though this conversation would be better with something stronger, he figured it would likely make things worse.

"How are you doing, Lieutenant?" Hannah asked, clasping her hands together on her desk.

"Been better, Admiral," he admitted.  The memory was still fresh on his mind.  Regis's last words continued to haunt him a month later.

He’s still on leave but getting closer to returning to duty.  It’s been long enough, even if he has more time to spend healing.  

Maybe getting back into the thick of things will help.

“Please don’t let it end this way, tell them I died on Alchera.  Please, not like this… not like… this.  Kaid–”

He closed his eyes for a brief moment.  "But I am healing.  Day by day."

"And sometimes that's all we can do," she said, taking a sip of her own lemonade.  "I never thought I would lose both my son and my husband while I still lived.  I know it's a lot coming from me, but even I'm here if you need it.  As the mother of your lover, and not a superior officer."

Surprised at how forthcoming she was, Kaidan tilted his head to the side.  "I appreciate that, ma'am.  I'm sorry for your loss."

She waved it off.  "We've all heard that bullshit phrase a thousand times.  Tell me how you really feel."

"Really?" Kaidan questioned, voice flat.

"This is an unofficial-official meeting, if you catch my drift." 

He figured it was since he still wasn’t officially back on the roster.

"Then, call me Kaidan."

"Do me the same courtesy and call me Hannah."

Kaidan took another sip of the lemonade.  Regis always liked lemonade.  Guess this is where he got it from.  "I'm angry at the Alliance.  I'm angry at all the events that led to us doing bullshit survey missions and strike teams on geth squadrons.  I'm angry that Regis left me with a request that I can't fulfill.  But all of it means nothing because I can't do a damn thing about any of it."

She nodded.  "I've tried everything to get them to do a survey to get his body, but nothing has happened.  Hell, Hackett has tried.  They're afraid of a similar attack or some bullshit." She took another drink, finishing off her glass.  "I was able to officially change how he died.  Explosion from the ship.  Still not what he would've wanted, but it's better nonetheless."

"You knew about that?"

She chuckled. "I deserve that.  Yeah, I knew.  It's something he confided in me during our weekly emails, not long after he enlisted.  Wanting me to pull my own weight to ensure he never died in space officially.  The one abuse of power he wanted me to do for him."

Kaidan knew that Regis had written conversations with his mother often, citing that it was the only way they could ever be civil.  He never really knew the contents, but he should not have been surprised to hear how cordial they were.  Maybe Regis's anger about his mother's overbearingness in his childhood influenced him more than he realized.

Regis influenced him in a lot of ways.

"Thank you.  I'm sure you've listened to the recordings."

"Yes." Her tone was clipped.  "Fuck, Kaidan,” she breathed out.  “How the hell did we lose someone like Regis goddamn Shepard."

He hadn't had many conversations with Hannah until now, meeting her in short bursts and over vid comms that were sparse.  This was clearly where he got his swearing habit from.

Regis goddamn Shepard indeed.

"I don't know." His voice broke a bit on the last word.  "I ask myself that question every day.  He managed to save both Williams and I in a blaze of biotic glory.  A fucking miracle.  But I wasn't able to convince him to get off the damn ship with me."

"For someone who embraced the Butcher title, he always had a heart of gold.  Always cared for those he trusted with a strong passion.  He would’ve stayed back to save every goddamn soul on that ship no matter what."

And that action killed him.  That golden heart he kept locked up tight for few to see got him killed.

Kaidan still can’t bring himself to answer Joker’s request to talk.

Because right now, there’s no way in hell he can be civil, as unwarranted that anger might be.

Still too fresh on his mind.  Still too painful to really think about.

He powers on, nevertheless.  

"You know he never wanted it."

"I know.  I was always so frustrated with him for not fighting back.  For accepting the burden.  I never hated him for making that decision; hell, I was proud of him for it.  It took balls to take that upon decision himself and ensure no one else got the fall from it.  No, I was angry that he let it wash over him, that he took the title and made it part of his Alliance career," she ranted, her hands balling into fists.  "And I never told him that.  And maybe that's because he never let me.  Fuck, I couldn't even push back against my own son."

Kaidan was there for some of the sleepless nights, the anguish in Regis's screams about the mission.  His nightmares that plagued him, the ghosts of his squad that died on his mission blaming him for their deaths.  

He was there when Regis got his squad’s old symbol tattooed on the back of his neck, and he was there when Regis painted the symbol on his armor, nearly breaking regs in the process.

He was there when Regis cried about his mother hating him for the decision.

"You should've," Kaidan said, voice hardened by old memories.  "I was there for the fallout.  You weren't.  And that had a larger impact on him than he'd ever wanted to admit."

She pressed her lips together in a hard line and glanced away from him.  He followed her gaze to a bookshelf where two frames stood at the top.  Two official Alliance portraits.  One of Regis, and one of Atlas.

"He got his stubbornness from Atlas, and he got his dislike of space from Atlas.  Regis got so many things from him, and I always mourned the fact that they never got to know each other.  I did many things wrong during his childhood, but I was too afraid to let him go.  I let Atlas go." She took a deep breath.  "He was always a pilot at heart but hated anything larger than a frigate."

Keeping Regis close because she couldn’t do the same for her husband… it explained a lot.

"Did Regis know that about you?" He asked, not changing his tone.

"He did, but knowing doesn't change anything."

Kaidan finished off his lemonade, pushing the glass away from him.  "No, I suppose it doesn't.  I know I have a skewed view of you thanks to him."

Hannah shrugged.  "And part of that is also on me.  But I know for a fact that you loved him with a fierceness that Regis respected the hell out of.  He never wanted to let you go the moment you two got together, and I'm happy he had someone like you fighting by his side."

Kaidan blinked a few times to try and drive off the tears that were trying to form.  "I was going to propose to him after the mission, but we never had the time to make a trip to my family's property.  I was going to call you and everything.  Had my dad's ring waiting for him in my bedroom.  Dad wanted me to give Regis the ring he got from Mom when she proposed to him."

"I would've tried my hardest to get there.  And I'm sure you knew the story behind the ring on his dog tags.  And now it's fucking lost.  The last thing Atlas wanted to happen to his ring and of course it happened.  Feels like I'm burying him twice now." She shook her head, her eyes shining with tears.  "Wish I got out the hard stuff for this conversation."

A sudden wave of nausea washed over him.  Not only did Regis not want to die in space, but also Atlas had similar concerns about that ring.  

A terrible fucking fate.  

For a moment, Kaidan wished he were back at Eden Prime.  Where things all began.  Where things could still be different.

“What do you think about hypotheticals?  Or going back and changing things?  Would you ever do it?”

“No need for that kind of bullshit imagining.  I live in the moment.  What happens, happens.”

Damn you, Regis.

"There's still time," Kaidan replied, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

She reached under her desk and pulled out two bottles of hard lemonade.  Again, one of the few things Regis actually enjoyed drinking.  "Not the strongest shit out there, but it's damn near the only thing I actually like."

Kaidan couldn't help but laugh.  "Regis would always say the same thing."

"No shit."

"It's true.  I always teased him about his taste in alcohol.  He bemoaned my expensive taste in whiskey. One of those things we could never agree on."

"Atlas loved whiskey as well." She smiled, twisting the cap off the bottle, taking a swig.  "I enjoyed hearing how Regis 'abused' his Spectre authority to protect your relationship onboard the Normandy."

"I joked to him about it not thinking he would actually follow through with it.  I haven't heard anything about repercussions."

"There won't be.  Alliance sees a major asset in you, and they will be scouting you and Williams as another 'Shepard,'" she said.

Kaidan opened his bottle and took a drink.  "So, this is what this meeting was really about."

"Partially," She admitted, "but also to talk.  Because you and I both needed it.  So, what are you going to do about it?"

"Do the one thing he's wanted me to do for years.  Become an N."

“Good, I was hoping you would say that.” Despite her reddened eyes and flushed cheeks, Kaidan saw how quickly she shifted back into Alliance mode. “How much did you know about Regis’s teaching program?”

“Lots, because I indirectly contributed to it,” Kaidan admitted. “Regis and I were unique in the sense that we learned our biotics together, so we picked up tricks that were no way standardized by the Alliance, but better than anything they’ll ever come up with.”

“So, you knew he was implementing new training programs for recruits and accelerated N programs for biotics?”

Regis always said Hannah was a better superior officer.  

“The new training programs, yes.  The accelerated N programs? No, tell me more.”  He leaned forward.  “Were there already accelerated N programs, but not tuned to biotics?”

“More or less.  You could do the typical training at the villa and the off-planet work.  It’s what Regis did, even though it was clearly not rated for biotics, not taking into account the differences in biology, metabolism, and general stability.  On the other hand, there’s a far less advertised route that’s all about mission work.  You’ll still do the first N training and become an N1, but after that, you’ll be scouted for specialized spec ops assignments.  Damn near suicide missions at times, but equivalent to the tests for N2-6.  N6 to N7 is gained the same way.  Basic gear, low oxygen, stranded on an asteroid.  Survive.”  Hannah explained.  

“Regis’s ideas gave different objectives to biotics in existing challenges, allowing them a better chance at not bottoming out too early and too soon.  He also advocated for a pure mission-based plan interspersed with other tasks.  Putting the recruit under short, but intense bursts of training, while also preparing the recruit to teach classes and squads of their own.  He also wanted full biotic spec ops teams.  Overall, less intense than N training, but in no way easier.  Difficult in a different way.”

Kaidan nodded, taking all the information in.  “And you want me to do what, exactly?” He asked.  “Am I going to be one of the first recruits?”

“Yes, but we also want you to finish what he started.  That in of itself will get you rising the ranks quickly.  I’ve seen your scores.  Regis won on the combat side.  You win on the biotic side.  Despite Regis’s aptitude with technology, I’d argue the two of you were damn near equal.  The numbers can go either way.”

“Don’t do yourself a disservice, Alenko.  You know damn well you spike higher than me, and you have better control.”

“Fair enough, but your programs have always stressed the limits of the Logic Arrest.  It’ll have to be a best two out of three to really figure out who’d win between us.  Results may vary.”

“It’s a date.”

Again, damn you Regis.

Too many fucking reminders.  They never did get that chance to test their mettle against each other in the combat sims…

Kaidan crossed his arms against his chest, furrowing his eyebrows.  “I see.  And Williams?”

“Normal N training, but I imagine she’ll speed through it,” she replied.  “What do you say, Kaidan?  Up for the challenge?”

“Yes.  But I’m not doing it just for him.  I’m not going to be another Shepard, and I’ll never be a Butcher in the same way he was.  If they want me, they’re getting Kaidan Alenko,” Kaidan said.

She smirked the same damn way Regis always would.  “I was hoping you would say that.  Good.  But never say never.  There will always be a mission that will define the type of soldier the Alliance will see you as.  I hope it’s not another Torfan.”  Her expression grew grim.  “The Alliance is going to do its best to mold you into a pseudo-Shepard and it’s sickening, but he did impossible things.  Of course they want another.” She shook her head.  “Stay true to yourself.  That’s all I ask.”

“I will.” It was an impossible promise, knowing what the future held, what Regis’s visions predicted.

He always admired Regis’s ability to take upon the hard choices without a second thought.  He could be ruthless, yes, but that never meant he didn’t care.

He had a goal in mind, and there were times he was going to do anything and everything to make it happen.

Hannah stood up and held out her hand.  Kaidan joined her and took it.  They shook hands before both falling into parade rest.  “I hope everything will work out, but we all know damn well that will never happen.  Good luck, Kaidan.  I wish you the best in your training.  Hackett will approach you later with more details.”

He knew a dismissal when he saw one.  “Thank you.  I’m glad we had this talk.  It… helped.”

And shed a lot of light on his newfound position.

Maybe he will be able to keep that other request Regis gave him.

“...Show the Alliance what you can do, and remember, make sure they know the Reapers are coming.”

“It did.  My door is always open to you, Kaidan.  Have a good rest of your evening.”

“Same to you.” He saluted, and she mirrored his action.

He walked out of her office and headed straight for the nearest rapid transit station.  

Back to his empty accommodations.  

Back to a bed without Regis.

Kaidan shook his head and adjusted his dress uniform as he stepped off the transit.  

A thought occurred to him.

It’s been some time since he messaged him.  Not since he informed him about Regis’s death and some honest truths about the matter.

Maybe it’s time he takes a moment for himself before he gets back in the game.

He activated his omnitool as he entered the apartment, closing the door with his foot, sending a quick message.  A moment later, a call request came up.  Despite everything, Kaidan smiled.

“I have a couple of days free.  Is it too selfish to ask for a moment of your time?  I’m on Arcturus, so it won’t be difficult to secure some transport.”

“Not during these days.  I was hoping you would ask. No point in being alone when you have someone who understands.”

“Where are you?”

“Not far from Vancouver, believe it or not.  Visiting an old friend.  Join me.  I have an apartment, a warm bed, and some expensive whiskey that Regis would’ve fucking hated.”

“Sounds like a date.”

“You’re goddamn right.  See you soon?”

“See you soon, Zaeed.”

Regis was the glue that brought them together back on Omega a few years ago.  

Kaidan wondered if they could forge something on their own, just for a moment.

Alliance soldier and a decorated merc.  

It could never work full time.

But for a few nights?

Kaidan yearned for it and yearned for more.

[70eeznutz]

i’m gonna make a better intro/pinned post bc fuck it

i interact from @evervirescent, i also run a dragonvale blog @the-obsidian-equinox

about me

pronoun page

you can call me Virescent or Hades

neither are my legal name, Hades is a nickname someone gave me a long time ago bc it sounds similar to my legal name and i realized it works well online

genderfluid she/he/they

(i often get confused if someone switches between different pronouns really fast when referring to the same person if multiple people are being mentioned. also i’m afab so i’m most used to she/her but i really have no preference. i don’t mind if you only use one pronoun for me, especially if that makes it easier for you)

adult (born in 2004)

pacific time zone (california)

white & grew up upper middle class with good parents, so please educate me if there’s something i wouldn’t understand!

autistic

mentally ill, but no personality or psychotic disorders

i do have a few triggers but they’re very specific

as an attempt survivor, i have no tolerance for telling someone to take their own life. it doesn’t matter how universally hated that person might be. if i see someone do this, i will block and report them, unless i can clearly tell it’s a joke. i would also prefer if people don’t make those jokes around me unless i’ve given the okay.

blog content

in theory i can write and draw but i almost never make fan content for anxiety reasons IM DOING IT GUYS!! IM GODDAMN DOING IT!!

i usually just post memes or talk about xfohv and algebralians a normal amount

i might talk or reblog about other object shows too. occasionally.

i try to tag things that may be uncomfortable or triggering but i do not do a perfect job. if you need me to tag something please leave a reply to the post in question

sometimes I misspell words or use slang and abbreviations that likely won’t work in a translator, so if you would like me to write something in a way that’s easier to translate, just let me know!

i don’t kin or simp for any characters but i can project onto them really really hard

my favorite posts will be tagged with #pinned to the fridge

my favorite ships are sevensix, 4X, nineflop, and three x five

i also love queerplatonic eight x ten

if you want to know the exact details of everything i ship and in what ways you can go to #xfohv ship chart but be warned as i use homestuck concepts

you can repost my memes just don’t claim they’re yours (i actually get excited when i see smth i made somewhere else)

on the topic of discourse/etc (don’t worry!)

i try my best to keep an open mind and see from the perspective of all sides of various topics

i will not disclose my stance on any topics because i want to keep my blog discourse free, and i also want to interact with people of different opinions so i can privately learn and understand everyone better. this does still mean i have sides i agree and disagree with, but these aren’t set in stone and aren’t relevant right now.

i believe no one actually wants to be the bad guy and most people are only trying to help, so we should all work together to find out how to help as many people as we can. we should discuss instead of argue, and mutually work toward fully understanding these topics

i will still block people who go out of their way to harass or attack others ESPECIALLY if they encourage harm on anyone

needless to say, i have no DNI, but you still might not want to follow me if you’re not comfortable with the above information. i don’t want anyone to be uncomfortable here.

this post may be updated in the future if i think of something i want to add but for now that’s it

[fasterthanmydemons]

[ Speedster of the Galaxy ]

Mantis indeed believed that Wanda Maximoff possessed powers that were similar to hers, but it was nice to get confirmation from Pietro. It was reassuring. She knew there had to be others with abilities like hers out there. The galaxy was too big to believe otherwise. In any case, Mantis had not even realized she was reading Pietro until she had done it. Using her powers came naturally; she had to act with no hesitation during missions. If someone was struggling, she had to calm their mind. And Pietro was struggling. He wasn’t in danger, but he was hurting. She had used her powers instinctively.

Mantis frowned. “Your mind does not have cobwebs and dust,” she replied, not knowing why he would say that. “But your thoughts race unusually fast. I’m not sure if it’s a result of your powers or your anxiety since you are starting a new life, but they are so fast. On one hand, that is good; it means you should be able to keep up with us. But on the other… you are probably restless and have difficulty concentrating. That won’t be a problem when we’re on the ship, but it may be a problem during missions. But problems can be solved. We just need to figure out how,” she said, as if she couldn’t slow down his thoughts with a touch.

Then he explained why some people would get defensive around someone with her abilities. Her antennae became droopy and her eyes, sad. ��I know. Some are sweet to me, but some others don’t want to be near me or touched by me. It’s not a reaction I love, but I understand.” Mantis blinked when he seemed to worry about her safety. “You are so kind. You just joined the team and you’re already looking out for your teammates.” She clasped her hands together; she forgot to tell him that she could do more than read others. Mantis shrugged one shoulder. “Most cannot hurt me easily. For now, they can only do so from a distance, it seems. People touch me at their own risk.” Strange words from someone who was just complaining about others not wanting to touch her. But it was true; anyone who tried to hurt her was giving her the upper hand simply by touching her. Her abilities were both empowering and isolating.

“Oh, thank you!” Mantis beamed when Pietro said she told good jokes. However, her head tilted to the side when he called her adorable. “Adorable?” she echoed. She didn’t understand. Rocket was adorable. His grumpy personality only made him more adorable in Mantis’ eyes. Groot was also adorable, and tiny. Mantis turned to look outside, wondering if Pietro was just kidding, but smiled when he agreed that music was wonderful. When he asked if she had favorites, she brought her hands to her cheeks. “Oh, so many! It is nearly impossible for me to choose. We have something called a Zune, with hundreds of songs by talented humans. You should be very proud of your species for being able to create such beauty.” When he mentioned knowing a god, Mantis’ eyes widened. If Pietro worked with him, he was probably nice. As long as he wasn’t like Ego, he was good. “Thor, god of thunder?” she repeated. “Well, lightning is very pretty. I would like to meet him someday.”

Then he called her cute again, and she blinked, looking behind her; perhaps Rocket was up and Pietro was actually talking to him. But there was no one. “Um… me?” A hint of mistrust flashed in her eyes. Opinions were subjective, of course, but it still bugged her - no pun intended - to think that he was just lying to get a reaction out of her. “May I touch you?” The words seemed to come out on their own, but her voice was eerily quiet. “I want to make sure you’re not lying.” Mantis slowly reached for his right hand, hesitation clear in her movements, holding her breath as her fingers stretched out…

“Oh my God!” Rocket’s voice announced his presence before anything else. “Turn that goddamn thing down, you fuckheads!”

Mantis blinked. She had been so distracted talking to Pietro, she forgot that the Zune was still going, just like it was when she initiated the conversation. Quill had probably fallen asleep before turning it off, and so, a few songs had played one after another. Now, the song echoing through the ship was Venus by Shocking Blue. A very pretty planet, although one they were leaving behind as well as Earth. Mantis drew her hand to herself. She had not touched Pietro due to Rocket’s sudden interruption, and she turned her head, hardly seeing her friend in the dimly lit ship.

“Hi, Rocket,” she greeted him. “The volume is low.”

“No, no, I know what happened. Quill’s dumb ass fell asleep.”

“I thought so, too,” the empath said with a nod. “Well… not… not like that, but that’s what I thought.”

“Shit woke me up!” Rocket complained, voice harsher than usual.

Mantis looked away. A lie. She had seen Rocket sleep in louder situations. Loud parties, loud songs. Right now, he was likely unable to sleep and using the music as scapegoat. Mantis did not blame him. She occasionally looked inside his head, when it was apparent he was restless in his sleep, and she couldn’t keep her eyes dry for too long. To say that his dreams were horrifying would be an understatement. Mantis never learned the details. She didn’t want to. But she knew they were horrifying because she knew what Rocket felt in his sleep. Fear. Rage. Loss. Pain. Hopes that would collapse, then angrily explode and fade away, like a dying star. She just wanted to hug him every time she saw him.

“I need a drink,” Rocket added, strolling by, but stopped and looked at Pietro. “How’s it going, new guy?”

Mantis beamed, leaning a bit closer to the speedster. “He’s showing interest in you,” she whispered, happiness in her voice and expression.

“Makin’ small talk, hm?” Rocket couldn’t hold back a yawn. He didn’t sound as tired as he was. Mantis knew that.

“He is not afraid of my powers,” she told Rocket gleefully. “And I told him we’re all bad seeds to make him feel welcome.”

“Yeah, bet that makes anyone feel welcome,” he responded, scratching one of his ears. Upon noticing the proud look on Mantis’ face, he clarified: “I was being sarcastic.”

“I do believe it made him feel welcome. He said he likes it.”

“He was probably being sarcastic too. Who feels welcome among bad seeds?”

“Other bad seeds… or good seeds who feel like bad seeds.”

“Bug, you spend way too much time around your plants,” Rocket remarked, patting Mantis’ shin.

Mantis saw an opportunity to pick Rocket up and she took it. She held him in a tight hug, her chin resting on top of his head. “You are so adorable!”

“Oh, fuck’s sake. Put me down.”

He didn’t have to ask twice. The first few times Mantis had done it, Rocket would yell threats, insults and profanities, punch, kick and bite, before being subdued by her powers. With time, he had stopped fighting it. He didn’t fully accept her hugs yet - he hated being seen as cute - but at least he would no longer resist her affection like he used to.

“As I was sayin’… I need a drink,” Rocket repeated, walking away. “Sorry for interrupting your small talk, it’ll happen again.”

Mantis waved her hand at him and waited until he was gone. “He is the cutest,” she grinned. “I would hug him all day, every day, but… you know. Stuff to do.” She giggled, her gaze returning to space. With Ego, Mantis was valued not for the person she was, but for what she could do for her father. All while Ego kept the most immaculate illusion of perfection for visitors. Being around someone like Rocket or any of the Guardians, who were so openly flawed, who were not formal or even polite, who would lay their imperfections out so they could be seen from galaxies away… It all brought something new to Mantis’ life.

__________

Pietro chuckled as she took what he said literally. He really had to watch what he said around her. “No, is… is just figure of speech. Asking if you found something good or if there are cobwebs in my head, is like, asking if you found anything of value in there or if is only junk. It was just to be funny.” Did his explanation help or just make her more confused? Well, at lest he tried. He didn’t have a problem explaining himself to Mantis, he was learning. With other people, he sometimes got defensive because he felt like he was being mocked or patronized, but with Mantis, he understood that she was just genuinely curious and innocent.

“Is probably because of what I can do,” Pietro said when she brought up his racing thoughts. “Is so that when I am all over the place-” He suddenly zipped around the room a few times, leaving a trail of blue slipstreamstuffs all around Mantis, before coming to stand in the same place he was and casually continuing his sentence like he never left, “-I don’t run into anything or trip over anything. Is so I can think on the spot. Have to be able to process everything super fast or I run into things.” He then smiled rather sheepishly. “Not... that sometimes I still do not run into things... because I do...”

When she brought up having trouble concentrating, though, he sighed. “Yeah, I do have trouble focusing and stuff.” He didn’t want to say that he thought that was just because he wasn’t very bright. It was too embarrassing and shameful. “I don’t think you can solve this problem, but thanks for thinking about it. Is just that... usually is fixed with medication, I’ve heard, but medication doesn’t work on me. My body processes it too fast and it just...” He made a wooshing sound. “...goes right through and does not have any time to work.”

“Oh? Do you have poisonous skin or something?” he asked when she said others touched her at their own risk. His eyebrow rose a bit. “Well is okay, don’t worry, I won’t touch without permission anyway. She seemed to be confused about her being adorable. “Yeah. I think so,” he said. “I hope is not insulting to you, if is bad in your culture to say. In mine, it is nice to hear. But if I offend, please let me know.” He was beginning to think that maybe it was offensive, because when he called her cute, she seemed to react even worse. “Sorry, I... I didn’t mean anything bad...” he said, but when she wanted to touch him, he knew why. “Sure, go ahead. You touch me, though, not me touching you. Since you said that was bad to do.” As if there was really a difference. Nevertheless, if she had been able to touch him, she would feel that, indeed, he thought she was cute, and adorable, and very sweet and personable. And he was very much enjoying talking with her. She made him feel welcome.

Instead, Rocket interrupted. Usually guys like this annoyed the shit out of Pietro, but Rocket he thought was okay. He seemed to be offensive in general to everyone, and therefore, in Pietro’s book, he was offensive to no one. There was a difference between having an abrasive, boisterous, and edgy personality, and just being a flat out dick, and so far he felt like Rocket was the former. Pietro chuckled as Rocket’s voice entered the room before he did. “Oh, is good music, you know you want to dance. Don’t fight it,” he teased him. He nodded at the greeting. “Is going okay. Talking to Mantis, looking at space, you know how it is. Listen, have you tried ear plugs? My sister uses these soft ones at night so I don’t wake her up when I can’t sleep and start listening to music. Maybe that would work for you too?”

As Rocket teased Mantis about making Pietro feel welcome, Pietro actually nodded enthusiastically. “She is making me feel welcome. More than your complaining furry ass has,” he said, but the playful smirk on his face said he was only joking. He then laughed as Mantis forcibly hugged Rocket. Despite his protests, the creature seemed to not hate it... too much. Pietro could tell. “I want a drink too. Unfortunately alcohol wears off too fast on me. I cannot get drunk,” Pietro said, shrugging. “Is no fun if there’s no buzz. Maybe if I drank several gallons...” he wondered. Okay, but now he was actually seriously wondering if that would work. He rubbed his chin in thought.

He waved as Rocket left again. “Cute... wouldn’t be the word I’d choose, but he is amusing. He keeps the energy up, is for sure,” was Pietro’s assessment. “Maybe you should hug him every day. I think he needs it. For the record... I also give great hugs, so... just saying. Or at least my sister says I do. She’s really the only one who lets me hug her.” And now he had no one to hug. That... was a thought he didn’t need right about now. “Hugs are nice,” he said rather quietly. “Um...” he said awkwardly, trying to get back to happy energy. “You wanted to touch to verify your cuteness...” he reminded her, holding out his arm to her.

[mariproducer]

You know, for a show that insists on the LS being endgame, it sure has shown Luka to be the better option for Marinette.

In Silencer, the two are able to wordlessly communicate with each other easily to infiltrate the TV station, and the two even share a knowing glance when Marinette is LB. In this same episode, CN struggles to understand a mute LB until the final moments of the episode.

In Desperada, LB verbally confirms that Luka was the right choice for the Snake Miraculous, after we, the audience, witness Adrien fuck up with it in his attempts to get brownie points with LB as his civilian self, but Luka does his job in a measly few tries.

In the s3 finale, Luka offers his shoulder for Marinette to cry on and vent, no questions asked. When CN does something similar later on in the 2 parter, it doesn't have the same tender energy, as the two are in a dire situation that forces LB to suck it up and do her job despite her increasing emotional turmoil.

Throughout s4, we're shown a rift starting between LB and CN. Rather than attempting to portray CN's portions of the rift as valid worries (e.g hes worried that LB slowly distancing herself is due to her newfound duties and he wishes he could help her but she's not letting him), instead it's him basically throwing a tantrum about how he's not the most important person in LB's life and how she isn't catering to him. Due to this, we see a plethora of miscommunication (read: REFUSAL to communicate as seen by the ending of Rocketear), passive aggressiveness (the argument in Strike Back), and deception (in Kuro Neko with Cat Walker).

On the other hand, in this same season, while Luka and Marinette break up, Luka holds no ill will towards her (vastly contrasting Adrien and Kagami's break up, which ruined not only their romantic relationship but their platonic one too). And while he misses Marinette, he doesn't want to impose himself on her until the two of them are forced to interact by the hands of everyone around them in Crocoduel. And even THIS episode has them resolve their (made-up) issue and remain friends and cordial with each other.

The only time Luka fails at any point in time is when he lies to Marinette about knowing both of their identities. And you can argue that Luka really did fuck up here by not telling the truth but then people should realize that had he told the truth Adrien likely wouldn't have the ring anymore now would he 😳

But even with this knowledge on hand, he still only uses it to support Marinette, as seen in Ephemeral. He doesn't try to date her again, now that he knows the secret that kept them apart. This severely contrasts the actions of Adrien in Chat Blanc, where upon discovering (read: by using insane leaps of logic) Ladybug is Marinette, immediately goes to date her civilian self without telling her that she's compromised.

So I really need to ask the writing team why they're so hellbent on the LS, yet unwittingly continue to prop up the 2nd male love interest as the better option. You wonder why people are jumping ship from the LS, well how about you take a look at your own goddamn writing?!

[tomatograter]

What are your thoughts on JuneVris?

I like the ship, but sometimes I wonder if the romance is really There or if I just want to complete the Junevrisrezi Triad or w/e. I loved how their friendship developed over the course of homestuck, I just keep getting stuck on the pesterlog where June tells Vriska that she "kind of hates her". Ultimately they're still friendly after that, with June joking with Vriska by saying "if you ever need someone to punch you in the face again, I'll be there" and all that, but I wonder if June would ever really want a commited relationship with Vriska after that

June says a lot of negative things she doesn't fully mean or, if she means it, she has not taken into account how it will affect others; if jake is on the high end of the constantly-performing-for-acceptance spectrum, june is somewhere at the bottom.

The ease with which she can detach herself from her entire friendgroup and go into extended periods of complete isolation— marked by her friends worrying about her but that worry not being reciprocated, since she's mostly stewing on her own fog of bitter NEET malaise— is something that marks june's biggest flaw but also cements her story-role; she's the Protagonist. Things are secondary to her, not the other way around. She can tune the whole world out of her sight and focus only on whatever she deems worthy.

When she seeks affirmation and justification or even comfort, its not from her Fellow Friends, it's from the general cosmic ideal of... her doing something. The importance/meaning of her existence. The fact that She Needs To Do Something to fulfill her own abstract expectations, and keep busy. Of course our biggest point of comparison for this is when she's still not out to anyone, not even herself, so I'm partial to saying the self-actualization she desperately craves but can't even name has something to do with how she's transgender, and realizing that can be a great step 1 to getting out of that headspace, and moving on.

But related to the above statements and more closely tied with the purpose of your ask: June can and does designate certain people as stand-ins for why "things are going wrong" - and with nobody else to turn to safe for a big boss, these people are mostly her friends. This doesn't mean june is justified or right, and this also doesn't mean she doesn't truly love her friends, just that her feelings are easily overtaken by frustration, and from that frustration surges anger and spitefulness, a trait she closely shares with Jane.

They toe the flimsy line of meanness and arrogance, and sometimes blow up spectacularly. Their sense of inflated self-importance makes them transform everyone else in a liability, under the absolute lens of "I am justified, you are not."

June will holler to the skies that davesprite has somehow driven her out of her mind with his idiosyncrasies, and that her once favorite movies are truly fucking stupid shit for stupid fucking babies, and that roxy is a subhuman robot entirely out of her goddamn mind, and that vriska is a freak phony psycho she wants nothing to do with and is embarrassed to ever have liked; and she feels righteous in her fury. The excuses work, it doesn't matter if they're real. Make up a guy and get fucking mad at him! He's ruining your life! Doesn't that make you feel better? Doesn't that instantly give your life a clearer objective, and the assurance you are better than them? It's so easy. Here's a big red game target; catch it. kill it. scream at it.

It doesn't last, though. And in the aftermath the only thing it reveals is more of that same familiar emptiness.

The frustrations she has personified in her friends are still there, and they remain unaddressed, because the root often laid in june herself. She's mad her friends aren't exactly as she pictured them to be, or else she's mad at herself for ever making something out to be what it wasn't— or she's mad because she believed they could hold all the answers to make life better for her, but they don't.

The june-vriska example is particularly relevant because 'vriska' is part of june's dream of utter escapism; from seemingly nowhere, here comes a cool girl that knows exactly what june has to do always, and shes quirky, snippy, not like the other girls, and she has aaaaaaaall the answers. Except that personality shield has a complex and bloody backstory to all its 'epic' antics, and just as soon as vriska reveals her fragility the dream breaks a little. June has to cope with the fact vriska has flaws she cannot understand or justify, and after having looked up to her for so long she defaults to the emotion "maybe you always sucked after all." - it simplifies the situation. It makes her feel better about projection. That's where "I kind of hate you." comes from. She could have said 'i envy you/want to be you/am frustrated by you/disappointed in you' but the former is quicker.

The words 'June' and 'committed relationship' aren't really some i'd easily associate (She has a bit of a permanence=stagnation problem), but I do think her Protagonitis can only be put in check by the story's own favorite. Vriska can dish it out, and she has a backlog to argue she's important - if not MORE important than june, providing some perspective. Similarly, they can just sort of hang out sometimes and not feel utterly bored by each others presence, as they're picky in similar ways.

When I picture junevrisrezi, it is with june coming and going after vrisrezi have figured it out. They will always be a bit more partial to each other than they are to june, and june's drive to be constantly moving isn't exactly the same as two women who basically spent their childhoods in a murder-happy hellscape and could use a little slowing down, actually. It's not bad, they just have different priorities.

[missbrunettebarbie]

All the Barbie protagonists I know -from best to worst

I feel like starting with a disclaimer that this is just my opinion, which should be implied. Anyway, this list took forever because I kept switching them. Look I am bad at picking favourites. The top 3 is actually pretty interchangable.

1. Eden Starling (Barbie in a Christmas Carol) - I love her with all my heart and then some. I love her design, her backstory, her personality, how unique she is from every other Barbie on the list. (Whoever came up with Barbie as Scrroge is a genius that deserves an Oscar) The fact that I relate to her in some aspects makes her even more loveable in my eyes. Also I think she deserves #1 spot because out of all the characters on this list she's the one I sorted before even rewatching her movie -and the rewatch confirmed the sorting. She's that memorable!

2. Princess Annika (Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus) - I love her too: her determination,her cleverness, her bravery, her justified anger. The "Destroy Wenlock!" speech alone guaranteed her a place in top 3. The fact that she doesn't back down even in the face of impossible odds - or maybe especially because the odds are impossible, her relationship with Aiden and with Brietta and her passion for ice-skating make her a very interesting character. Annika is a powerhouse and her entire journey is *chef's kiss*.

3. Merliah Summers (Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 1&2) - I think what I love about Merliah is that she put herself first, in both movies. Her first priority was her career as a surfer and only later did she come to accept her role as a mermaid princess. Her relationship with her mother is also great, I love them when they get along and I also love them when they don't - probably my favourite mother-daughter relationship from all the Barbie movies. Merliah's initial skepticism, her putside the box thinking and her competitive streak are delightful. Also her and Kylie might my favourite ship in the Barbieverse.

4. Blair Willows (Barbie Princess Charm School) - A Barbie with actual money problems?! Of course I was soft for Blair from the very begining. Her dedication and love to her adoptive family made her an instant fave. I loved that once Dean Privet helped her with her lessons she did her damn best to graduate from the school. She had her clothes torn, was accused of theft and looked in a safe, yet nothing stopped her.

5. Mariposa (Barbie: Mariposa) - I always had a soft spot for her as a kid. Her desire for adventure -for escape- the way she felt like she didn't quite fit in, her love for books, the somehow-anti-social attitude made her a perfectly relatable character in little!me's eyes. The way she refused to believe the rumors and the stereotypes in the second movie makes her even better. I loved her friendship with Catania and her romance with Carlos was cute too. Also her design might be my second favourite after Eden's.

6. Ro/Princess Rosella (Barbie as The Island Princess) - This movie is a goddamn masterpiece and Ro is a huge part of why. First I cannot help but be impressed by how adaptable she is: not only did she survive on a deserted island for ten years, she thrived. And then she had the courage to leave the only home she knew to go with Antonio and find answers about who she is. My heart ')). Then there is the fact that she risled her own freedom to help save the animals or how she was ready to step back and let Antonio do his duty and marry Luciana despite the fact that she loved him. And the ending wjere she finds her mother and starts singing the lullaby? It is what had cemented my love for this film and this character.

7. Corrine (Barbie in the three Musketeers) - In a lot of ways I find her and Merliah very similar -they both have goals they want to achieve and are somehow selfish because of it in the begining- but I think Corrine is a much kinder person: remember when she got that violin bow for one of the girls as a way to apologize? It felt like such a character establishing moment. I love that she took no shit for anyone, even the prince, and never faltered for one second in her desire to be a musketeer.

8. Princess Genevieve (Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses) - In a lot of ways she reminds me of Blair as she's a quieter personality but forceful in her own way. The way she always stood up for her younger sisters, her love for dancing, her relationship with her father and the fact that she was so heart-eyes when it came to Derek -seriously I don't think any other Babrie was so smitten with her LI from the very first moment- made sure she'll have a place in top 10. The only reason why she's not higher is because I love the others more.

9. Princess Annelisse (Barbie as Princess and the Pauper) - I think my favourite thing about Annelisse is that she completely understood her duties as a princess and was ready to sacrifice her personal happiness for her people. I also really like how she never shied from using her royal status- even if it didn't really work- or how she still tried to help the other taylor with the work when she was thought to be Erica, pity she had zero skill. Her relationship with her mom is my second favourite after Merliah-Calissa. Also collecting rocks is such an unique hobby AND she's a cat girl. Of course I love her.

10. Erika (Barbie as Princess and the Pauper) - Another cat girl! And so snippy and unafraid to be herself. Her dynamic with Annelisse is gold: Erika had all the reasons to despise Annelisse but instead clearly ~bonded with her from the very first moment and went along with an insane plan just to help her. Not to mention, she's the first Barbie who explicitly said "I am gonna fulfill my dreams and have the guy I love; what's this nonsense about choosing only one?" and I have to appreciate her for it.

11. Rapunzel (Barbie as Rapunzel) - The fact alone that she is best friends with a dragon gives her major points in my books. Her love of painting and the way she used it as a literal way of escape? Go, girl! The fact that she refused to let Stefan tell her his name just to make sure Gothel won't find out? Impressive and so spiteful! And the disgust in her voice when she realized Gothel had kept her prisoner for years because her father hadn't married her? Perfect.

12. Kristyn Farraday (Barbie in the Pink Shoes) - I really liked her enthusiasm for getting to actually be the characters she didn't even get to dance in the real world, the way her mind immediately internalized the rules of the fairytale-esque world despite how insane it was and how she refused to conform to the rules. I see the movie as an exploration of Kristyn's creepling fear of failure and the pressure she felt as a proffesional ballet dancer and seeing her come out triumphant on her own terms felt really good.

13. Actress!Barbie (Fashion Fairytale and Fairy Secret) - Probably the most three-dimensional of the "real" Barbies. I think what I like most at her is her determination to save Ken in the second movie. What can I say, I love a Barbie-in-shining-armour. I also like that she knew when to step back and let others do their jobs - in fact she doesn't so much in the first movie, just motivates people. If I had to pick a Barbie to have as a friend, I think she'll be my first choice. She seems like a good listener and someone who knows how to solve problems.

14. Elina (Barbie: Fairytopia 1&2&3) - She is an interesting character and one whose stories I do like, but something never clicked for me when it comes to Elina. Buut, this doesn't mean I don't appreciate her desire to save everyone or how she never drowned in self-pity when she was the only fairy without wings.

15. Clara (Barbie in the Nutcracker)- Clara doesn't get the chance to do much, but I love the glimpses of her intelligence we see (how she figured out the Nutcracker is Eric) or how she longs for adventure and excitment.

16. Thumbelina (Barbie present Thumbelina) - I like that she's an inventor and that she is ready to use Mackena to save her home, but overall I found her unimpressive.

17. Liana (Barbie and the Diamond Castle) - I always had a grudge on her as a child on Alexa's behalf. I always felt like Liana dragged her down. This being said, Liana is still a super smart cookie and very devoted to her friends so she avoids being even lower on the list.

18. Princess Lumina (Barbie: Pearl Princess) - The most memorable things about her are how she loooved having a job and how she refused to condemn the woman that may have raised her but had also kidnapped her from her family. Now both these traits should make her an intriguing character, unfortunately the movie is pretty boring and it never taps into Lumina's potential.

19. Princess Alexa (Barbie and the Secret Door) - Look I relate to her: Lover of books? Check. Desire to escape your life full of rules? Check. Not good with people? Check. But Alexa's development was so weird, the movie was very boring and felt like it had no trajectory and it affected the protagonist a lot.

20. Odette (Barbie in Swan Lake) - She just...doesn't do much. I wish we have seen her more involved in her own story. Not to mention I really didn't understand why she was so afraid of being in the spotlight or how being turned into a swan helped her get over it.

21. Starlight!Barbie (Barbie: Star Light Adventures) - I think my opinion of her -and the whole movie- can be summed up in the world "meh". There is simply no spark of life here.

22. Teen!Barbie (Barbie Diaries) - I have such an overwhelming repulsion towards "unpopular" girls wanting the be popular. Especially since I cannot see what exactly is holding Babrie back from being happy? She seems to have everything (great friends, nice life, good grades and music talent!), but doesn't care about any of it. Not to mention, she's the only Barbie who has to settle for a guy that was pining for her while she only saw him as a friend and I resent that.

[princesssarcastia]

2021 Harry Potter Fanfic Primer

im here to point fingers at the incredible authors that have enabled my new interest in HP content.  im still conflicted and upset about it, tbh, but for now we’re leaning into the curve.  we’re getting out our shovel and finding out just how deep we can make the hole we’re in.  hand in unlovable hand my beloved <3.  anyway, these fics are wonderful, their authors are wonderful, and you should go read their stuff. if there’s a star next to it that means im losing my mind over it and always will be.

Creatively Maladjusted, by elumish on AO3, 101k  (they also have a wonderful writing advice blog on tumblr, @elumish, which I recommend following if you are a writer) 

A very excellent re-telling of harry’s first year at hogwarts if he were sorted into Slytherin, plus some more not!fic or piecemeal re-tellings of his second and part of his third year.  Harry, in this, has a slightly different trauma response to growing up with the Dursley’s.  He’s a bit quieter, and the signs are a bit more obvious to the people around him, and I enjoyed that immensely. 

Honestly, if you’re going to get sucked into something you have absolutely no business getting sucked into, elumish is the way to go, their fic is incredible. their teen wolf fic is also immaculate, if you’re so inclined. 

Dissonance, by ImpishTubist on AO3, 2.5k (@impishtubist on tumblr)

Set during fifth year.  Oblivious!Harry has always been a delightful trope when well executed, and this is well executed.  Plus, some angst between Remus and Harry over what Umbridge has been doing to him.

I would certainly recommend a lot of ImpishTubist’s other hp work on AO3, like Lacuna.

blow us all away, by rexcorvidae on AO3, 23k (@rexcorvidae on tumblr)

In progress (like, updated last week in progress).  Currently in the beginning of Harry’s first year.  Fem!Harry, Indian!Harry.  Hagrid puts Harry in touch with Remus when she has questions about her parents, and they become reluctant, traumatized, angst-ridden pen pals who keep missing each other’s true intentions like ships in the night.  hot DAMN do I love this fic.  there’s hints of the way the dursley’s treat Harry peaking through in her letters, and I appreciated the attention to “hmm, her experience as a girl of indian descent in britain under the thumb of a bunch of white people who like being Normal may not have been gucci”

Definitely comb through the rest of their HP fic, too, I may or may not have gone feral over it.

Where the Heart is, by silver_fish on AO3, 15k (@kohakhearts on tumblr)

Woof.  This one said, “hey, harry was probably SUPER depressed in the summer after fifth year.  like, clinically.  maybe someone should do something about that.”  Fuck yeah.  Then this one said, “that someone was Snape.”  You all know my opinions on Snape; generally, Bad.  But damn if this fic didn’t wholly convince me by the end of it.  I thought it was a very realistic way for Snape to start seeing Harry as a person all on his own, and not a proxy for Snape’s angst over James and Lily, respectively.  The angst is wonderful, the ending is even more so.

*bernie sanders voice* I am once again asking you to read through the rest of the author’s HP fic.  a lot of them have similar themes; there’s actually a great one with Molly that i’m not reccing here, Wonder.

☆Bindings, Bindings, by Quietlemonhush on AO3, 60k (@quietlemonhush on tumblr)

WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS TO YOU HOW MUCH I ENJOYED/AM ENJOYING THIS.  If I had to pick a single fic and say “you, it’s your fault I’m stuck here,” it would be this one.  Anyway Lily in the afterlife is So Very Angry about how Petunia is treating Harry, and how Sirius is rotting in Azkaban, and how Remus is alone, that she literally brings herself back to life and drags James and Regulus with her.  All three of them are there to chew bubblegum and fix everything that went wrong after they died—and would you look at that, they’re all out of bubblegum!  There’s only Fury left.  That inciting premise is very crack, but every moment after that is very much not crack.  Lily and James love harry more than anything, the way a child should be loved; James and Sirius have the epic friendship of a lifetime; Sirius and Remus have staggering amounts of resolved sexual tension and take turns keeping each other in check; Regulus, though he realized that Voldemort and his family were shit before he died, is still unlearning all his racist bullshit and, also, years of trauma.  Actually, they’re all traumatized, but hey: now they have one another again and not a damn one of them seems inclined to let go anytime soon.  Quietlemonhush went, “hey, HP has a lot of Awful people in it, and a lot of Righteous people in it, and many of them are Very, Very Powerful; also, love is the most powerful force in the universe” and i said “hell yes tell me more right now.”  And then they did!

Quietlemonhush writes Sirius/Remus in a way that makes it sooo much fun to devour, so the rest of their HP fic is most certainly worth a look, if that’s your thing.

Rebuilding, by Colubrina on AO3, 113k (@colubrina on tumblr)

Hermione/Draco (*shrug emojis into the abyss* yeah, yeah, like none of us have ever been there before).  Takes place during Hogwarts 8th year, and while the beginning is, IMO, a little unfair to Ron, it gets much better.  Tells the story of Hermione and Draco clearing the air, learning to like each other, having some hormones over each other, and then falling in love.  Also tells the story of Hermione and Theo Nott becoming friends; the story of how every single 7th and 8th year student is fucked to hell by the war and the Carrows; the story of how they start an emotional support group about it and all become friends; and the story of, what the hell do you do with yourself after that kind of trauma?

I’ve been dipping in and out of Colubrina’s HP since before I was even on tumblr; I actually found them in those dark yesteryears when the only fandom interactions I had were on fanfiction.net.  Of such fame as Green Girl, which is an HP fic staple, and has also written a lot of wackier, crackier, and darker things than that.  If you don’t take yourself too seriously, I highly recommend many of their big HP works, though I imagine it’ll press some people’s buttons.  Colubrina’s work really does take up a corner of my mind whenever I’m in an HP mood, and will take up yours if you let it.

☆ all waiting is long, by shuofthewind on AO3, 149k ( @shu-of-the-wind on tumblr)

This is so well written that I can’t stop thinking about it.  It is occupying my mind when I lie awake at night, you know?  It’s one of those.  Hermione messes with something she probably shouldn’t have in Grimmauld Place, so when Sirius is sent through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries, she gets thrust into an alternate universe...in 1975.  Instead of handwaving it away, shuofthewind actually gets into the mechanics of it in a way that makes sense, to emphasize that hermione is never going home.  ever. The world she finds herself is shifted slightly to the left, quite a bit darker, but in a “the author is treating the idea of a society-wide conflict over blood purity much more seriously than JKR ever did” way, not a sensationalist way.  Now, Hermione has to grapple with all her grief at losing everyone she’s ever loved or known, the moral/ethical/magical implications of sharing what she knows about her future in an alternate world, and, you know, a goddamn war with people who want to murder her for being who she is.  This Hermione is smart, and she’s kind, and she’s powerful, and she’s making real friends.  If you hate JKR’s guts I’d go read this right now, because it delivers in all the ways she failed us.  It’s plotty, its got great world-building, and it pulls back the white curtain on the wizarding world to show you that, like real life, it’s multicultural and full of queer people...and the discrimination that comes with both.

shuofthewind write epics, mainly for the MCU, and I’ve read some of them a looooong time ago, so this fic kinda seemed out of left field for me but im SOOOO GLAD it exists.  If you want MCU fic you can sink your teeth into, go for it, but alas, they do not have any more HP fic (.......yet?)

Speak Now [+] Listen Now, by mrsfrizzle on AO3, 33k altogether

Harry reaches out to Remus for support because Umbridge is getting to him with her literal torture.  Remus, being a former professor, former mandatory reporter, person who loves Harry and has since he was born, and all around good man, tells Harry he has to tell someone, or Remus will.  It’s everything any adult looking back on that time in HP canon ever wanted, which is for an actual adult to say “what the fuck, those are literal chidlren” and then do something about it.  Then, a far more dangerous task: Harry trusts Remus enough to go to him about the Dursleys.  Harry and Remus’ relationship develops SO WELL, and there’s a bit of exploration about how Sirius may not exactly be guardian material, because he did in fact spend 12 years of his life getting tortured instead of growing up.  I think I’m actually going to go reread this right now, because it speaks to my id.

they do have some other HP fic which did not appeal to my hyperspecific wants, but may appeal to some of yours.  I think they’re also a published author, there should be a link on their profile page.

chase the stars, by Duskglass on AO3, 101k (@felix-duskglass on tumblr)

When Harry is five years old, a picture of him ends up in the Daily Prophet, and Sirius Black, Terror of Ministry Officials Touring Azkaban everywhere, gets a hold of that issue.  He then, in order: breaks out of Azkaban; crosses the countryside to Surrey; Finds Harry: Kidnaps Harry; Breaks Into Remus’ Apartment; starts processing (or maybe just acknowledging) his trauma from Azkaban, the war, and his childhood; and pines after Remus.  It’s a little plotty, and deals a lot (sometimes through flashbacks) with the specific awful things that happened to Sirius—largely because, after years in the constant presence of Dementors, those are nearly literally the only memories he has left.  It’s a wonder he’s got the strength to love Harry and Remus at all.  But then, maybe it isn’t.

This is a Very Serious Fic, but the rest of Duskglass’s HP work is actually just cracky enough to tickle your funny-bone, while still making you think “okay but why couldn’t we have done that in the first place.”

So!  That’s it for recs, for now.  These are all things I’ve found and read in the last month; if any of y’all are interested in my old HP recs, let me know and I can make a post for that, too.  While I’m still very conflicted about my choice of current fandom, I am not in ANY way conflicted about my taste in fic and authors.  Send these guys some love, read their fic if you’re so inclined, and leave some nice comments at the end of it.

[breitweisergallery]

Episode four notes, let's go

Yohan is so goddamn fond of Jinjoo

Kyunghee’s white to Yohan’s black. Crack ship I wanna write so badly

The way she tells him not to say justice, and then immediately assumes it’s power he wants

He has been setting her up to believe he wants power, playing her against the others in a way that makes it seem like he either wants her job or the candidacy

Kyunghee also sees him the clearest out of the entire group, I think. She just has a terrible understanding of his motivations.

19 years before, Kyunghee looked into the politican for accepting bribes. She had him declared guilty. He was a “trademark of ethics, ended up committing suicide and leaving behind a middle school aged son.

Yohan really does love K. He’s willing to let Kyunghee go for the sake of justice for K. Even after what she did to Elijah.

Why does he just drive off and leave K places, bring your damn boyfriend with you Yohan

They also draw parallels between Elijah and K

Yohan can cook. The butler offers up ingredients before meals. Yohan can cook he just doesn’t.

“Is her taste like mine?” as if he didn’t basically raise her

Idk why watching Yohan waiting for a microwave is so funny

He sits in the middle seat, not quite at the head of the table, not quite directly to the side

“The most dangerous and toxic thing in this world is a human being.”

I’m obsessed with his eyebrows

But Elijah assumes Nanny made toast, meaning Yohan doesn’t cook often, or he doesn’t cook her for specifically

Korea is on the verge of riots again. Only two places have over 90% credibility—SRF, at 92%, and the Live Court at 90%.

Other percentages include Prosecution (12%), National Revolutionary Party (55%), Democratic Union Party (20%)

Her pen with the lil feather thing is so cute

Yohan “keeps bringing home strays, which is unlike him.”

Yohan not knocking is still hilarious

Gaon “oh no I’m still soooo injured” obviously not injured

I also find it really interesting that he finally decides to use Gaon’s similarities to Isaac in this episode after asking Kyunghee if she even remembers what she did to K’s father. As if Yohan is starting to realize that they might not even remember that they are the reason Isaac is dead.

Yohan is so proud of himself for that timezone line, i HATE him

Gaon’s audacity kicking Yohan out of his own closet is also so funny

They keep pairing Isaac with the color white- the coat Yohan gives Gaon for the night

Gaon pulling the age jokes out of NOWHERE

Elijah and Gaon team up for the first time when he’s dressed as Isaac. That’s gotta hurt Yohan just a little bit.

Yohan glancing back at Gaon, something he likely did with Isaac at least once.

I’m just in Isaac feels today

There’s at least four cars in that garage

car’s license plate: 408min 3452

I wonder if Yohan let Gaon drive because he was used to being a passenger to Isaac’s driving. Just another nod to how he dressed Gaon in Isaac’s clothes. And the way Yohan watches him after they get into the car

Yohan has no need to guide Gaon with a hand on his back, that’s his sugar baby right there

Sunah approaches Gaon after he’s dressed as Isaac. She’s the only one who recognizes that Yohan played it up

Yohan watching Gaon get walked over by a group of women and clocking him as a homosexual is still hilarious

Yohan holding onto him

The fact that they invite Gaon to join the group is also really interesting, in the same way they try to recruit Jinjoo later. Yohan seems to be equally testing to see if they recognize him as similar to Isaac and whether or not Gaon is aware he’s supposed to be there to irritate Yohan

Gaon seated next to Yohan, it really should bring Isaac to mind for them

Notice that Sunah isn’t wearing a necklace in this scene. She’s not collared.

They all talk about the tragedy itself but they clearly don’t remember Isaac, or the fact that Yohan lost his family

Notice how Kyunghee wasn’t invited to this dinner.

President’s wife mentions that President has a son the same age as Youngmin, and that they were friends when they were little.

Yohan, my little politician.

Setting himself up fully to take her candidacy now

Joongse seems to miss that the difference between him and Yohan is that he’s a puppet. They would have no control over Yohan, and he’s completely derailed the conversation from Park Duman pointing that out.

Translation has Min calling Yohan a “surviving bastard” which. oof

Yohan really does play this group so well. He’s just sitting back until he’s addressed and he barely plays yes man, but they all assume he’s with them. He’s so clever. And he endured ten years of this

Yohan also wasn’t invited to this until Sunah wrote the invite.

The celebration was for Isaac donating literally everything to the SRF. He didn’t want the dirty money.

Yohan submitted a medical report/evaluation stating Isaac wasn’t in his right mind donating the money.

In some ways, I think Gaon’s disappointment in Yohan is something Yohan wanted. If only to see someone who resembled Isaac disappointed in the choices he made.

Every time I watch this scene, I think about how he was supposed to push on Gaon’s leg to make him go faster and I get sad about how we didn’t get Yohan groping Gaon

Temptation vs possibility

Implied that Youngmin attempted suicide at least once

Yohan’s desk got moved to face the door after the explosion? The room got moved around, his desk was in a different place before

The fuckin wall socket

You can see the split second Yohan chooses his punishment. Good god that was attractive

Nah please Jinjoo and Yohan are so in sync it’s physically painful

Verena Church was the church Kang Jisang attended

The cathedral had been converted from an old school building

Yohan claimed at the hospital that he didn’t remember anything

The attempt to defend Youngmin literally just drives a knife into Kyunghee’s political career and Yohan just lets them lmfao

Emotional populism

“Do you know how many people live to watch Judge Kang in this hell of a world?”

Yohan’s jaw trembles before he snaps at Gaon, he’s gotta be trying so hard not to cry, right down to the laugh and the breaths to clearly try not to cry

Isaac and Cecelia both let Elijah run off, they know Yohan’s hiding over there

Joongse yawns. They all talk during it. It really is Isaac doing his best to do good and everyone else not caring.

Yohan shakes his head at Isaac. I had never noticed how desperate he is to stay with Isaac

He brought Elijah’s stuffed animal with.

The second he realizes Isaac didn’t make it hurts, but the second he realizes Isaac could have made it hurts worse, and the second he realizes it’s just him and Elijah hurts the worst

And the second that sadness turns to hatred

Yohan is crying. He’s hiding it from Gaon but he is crying.

I don’t think he’s ever properly realized how well he can use the victim story. But I’m sure he’d be able to do that without changing his own personal opinion of himself.