#so naturally I don't remember much either. But I tried and that's what's important!

[cerise-on-top]

Hugging, Kissing and Cuddling HCs for König

I'm trying to see him in another light again after everything I've seen about him, so I decided I'd write something fluffy and nice for him. And then came the realization I never wrote some HCs like these for him in my original posts, so I decided I'd change that! He's Austrian, so naturally I have to love him!

When it comes to hugging someone, König is a bit hesitant. Considering he’s not the most physically affectionate person out there, it’s almost an honor to be receiving an unprompted hug from him. Whether his hugs are long or short depends on the occasion: If he’s proud of you for accomplishing something, then the hug will be rather short lived. Though, he might pick you up and spin you around until you’re dizzy. If you’re sad and need some comfort then his hugs could last a while. He’s not the best with words, he prefers to listen to other people, but if he knows a hug is what usually helps you then he’s willing to do so. Despite being a big and strong lad his hugs are surprisingly gentle, he’s worried about crushing you. He could put his all into them, but then you’d likely end up with a few broken ribs and he doesn’t want that to happen. König is also surprisingly warm, so receiving a hug from him is a rare, but nice experience. Although he does go rigid at the beginning, not knowing what to do, but relaxes into the hug eventually.

Again, he’s not a very physically affectionate person, but isn’t opposed to the occasional peck on the cheek or on your lips either. There is some anxiety whether you’d actually want a kiss from him or not, so he doesn’t kiss you very often, even if you do reassure him that it’s quite alright. He’s a bit tense at first when he presses a kiss to your lips, but calms down eventually. It’s especially bad during the beginning of your relationship, but he’s since gotten better at being calm about it. Since there’s a good chance he’s taller than you he loves giving you a kiss on the forehead. It’s a small but sweet gesture. He doesn’t need to bend down entirely to reach you but he still gets to be affectionate with you. However, if you’re on the taller side, or just as tall as he is, then he’d love to receive kisses to his temple from you. It makes him smile every time you do it. If he’s in the mood for receiving a kiss then he’ll lay his head on your shoulder and nudge you a bit. Or try to get his head in your closer vicinity. Kind of like that one bunny video where the bunny stretches to receive some kisses.

Cuddles with him are a bit more common than hugs actually. However, he refuses to lay down on top of you. If you’re shorter and weaker than him then there’s no chance he’ll put his weight on you, he’s just that afraid of hurting you. If you’re taller or just more muscular, then he might, but he’s still a rather heavy lad. Most he’ll do is put his head on your shoulder while you’re cuddling in bed and are both lying down. Although it’d be a lie to say he doesn’t want to be held. König is alright with being the one to hold you, but sometimes he would prefer to be the little spoon as well. That urge gets especially bad if you’re roughly the same size as him. Sometimes just nuzzling into your chest does the trick for him as well, though. Loves it when you run your fingers through his hair as he does so. Another thing he adores is you sleeping on his chest as he holds you. He gets to hold you close, he gets to protect you and he gets to doze off a bit himself, it’s bliss to him. Sometimes he leans down to press a kiss to your head and accidentally wakes you up like that. He feels bad about it and apologizes profusely, but does chuckle a bit when he sees your disheveled hair and your tired expression that shows you just woke up.

[authorred]

Astarion headcanons because it's been too long and I love this man | Astarion x GN!Reader

Preface: Astarion, as complex as he tries to make himself out to be, is really a simple vampire. There are many ways to make him yours, and all of them don't require rocket science.

THIS MAN DESERVES THE WORLD--also it has been like 8 months since I last posted but shhhh

Warning(s): None

Don't talk about his bite mark scars much, if at all. It doesn't necessarily bother him, but he'd rather not talk about it

If you're an artist of some kind and you draw him, he'll try to brush it off by acting grandeur and arrogant, but internally he'll be twirling his hair and blushing

If you draw what you believe he looked like before being turned he won't react the same way, but he'll stare at it (maybe to try to remember?)

It's no secret that Astarion has sexual trauma. I don't think he'd do well with hypersexuality or someone who wants sex a lot

I don't think he'd mind you being sexually attracted to him--he wouldn't blame you smh--it's not a deal breaker for him

Personally, I think he'd do better if any sexual attraction came second

Like he's said, he needs time to do anything intimate. Not that he'd never do it again, but every time he did it in the past it was for an ulterior motive (or against his will)

He needs a friend first, partner second

Show him he's worth more than his seduction and body

Moonlit night dates

Massage his ears when he sleeps on you

Kiss his wrinkles and laugh lines--softly, chastely

Handle him gently

Do not even think about adding a third to your friendship/relationship. Astarion has most likely never had someone to himself, that would definitely make him feel unworthy/not good enough

Making him slightly jealous might be okay but tell him you find it cute when he's slightly jealous, and you appreciate it. Assure him that it's okay.

After having his guard up for so long it's natural he'll feel uncomfortable being vulnerable--assure him

Assure him a lot. Tell him his feelings are valid and that he's not wrong for feeling x

When he loves you, he loves you wholly. Any sexual feelings he has will come way down the line

When they do, go so slowly. You cannot be impatient, otherwise he'll shirk away, and the relationship will change

I think Astarion would flourish better in a majority nonsexual relationship (sorry x, he's sexy af but his lore and boundaries are more important than his rail-ability)

Compliment him a lot--not anything superficial--compliment him. Compliment him like how you'd want to be complimented by someone you love

If you can, write him poems

If you're going to inevitably die before Astarion; when you start to age he won't love you less--he'll love you more

Your health will always come before his

If you're sick he'll take care of you for the most part

If you're in danger, even if you can handle yourself, your survival is always number 1 to him

Will sacrifice himself for you

Won't accept the opposite, but knows he can't stop you if you did

Would be devastated if you died for him

Genuinely would never get over it

I don't think he'd want to get married in the traditional sense but he would 100% want to do something to prove his commitment

FLOWER CROWN MAKE THIS MAN A FLOWER CROWN

Please just be so patient with him

Don't treat him like fragile glass, but don't be rough with him either

PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS

Hug him a lot. He needs it

[snowblack-charcoalwhite]

'Do no [emotional] harm': Wylan Van Eck

I believe this to be one of the main provisions in an unofficial 'Wylan Van Eck`s code: Rules to live by'. It has been made apparent, in particular, in his relationship with Jesper.

As soon as Wylan sees that Jesper is not exactly offended but clearly upset about the assumption that he`d have left Wylan the morning after their night together, his immediate response is 'No!' (after stuttering for a moment - probably because this reaction is kind of a surprise to him as Wylan hasn`t realized yet that Jesper does care about their relationship). This 'No' doesn`t mean that Wylan renounces his previous statement, as he goes on to clarify it. It is more of an instinctual response to him understanding that he`s hurt another person with his words - almost as if 'No' is a counterspell to undo the damage done.

And we also have this -

Once again, Wylan involuntarily makes Jesper uncomfortable - this time by mistaking the key Jesper made for him in a pure surge of care and affection for a coat hook. And once again - a moment of confusion is followed by an attempt to take back the words that somehow have become hurtful.

Also, there`s a nice distinction between these two scenes. In the first one Wylan understands why exactly Jesper is upset almost in a heartbeat - and remains in his place. But in the deleted scene, even while it hasn`t yet clicked for him what`s wrong, he understands that something is wrong - and that`s enough for him to put away his drink and make a move as if to follow Jesper. He doesn`t actually go after him in the second scene either; Wylan, ever respectful and considerate, doesn`t want to push and risk causing even more distress for a person he`s communicating with. Yet the body language has changed a lot - because now he knows how Jesper feels about him, and he allows himself to let go and openly show his concern.

And here`s one more tiny bit that I personally like quite a lot -

Jesper is butchering the name of the plant - and how does Wylan react? He nods a few times, almost as if he`s telling Jesper 'Right, right, you`re doing fine', and only after Jesper finishes the sentence Wylan goes on to correct him (not entirely successfully😉).

Off topic: I absolutely adore the way Wylan outwardly reacts to what Jesper is saying while inwardly processing what he means ('Oh, he messed it up!' - 'My interests matter to him, he wants to be with me!')

And this trait - not even reluctance to hurt someone`s feelings but outright fear to do so, the rejection of the idea itself - is only natural for Wylan given the way he was treated, or rather mistreated, for years. And by a person who was supposed to be the closest and dearest to him no less! He knows the hurt the words can bring all too well - and doesn`t want to inflict it on anyone (remember him praising Alby`s playing), much less on Jesper who he cares for a lot.

As an addition - the situation in reverse:

Jesper also understands that he`s hurt Wylan and tries to rectify his mistake - but the damage is done. Unfortunately, Jesper has hit the bull`s eye yet again - he has unknowingly stabbed Wylan where it hurts the most. Kit portrayed Jesper's reaction beautifully - the way it dawns on him that something is really wrong when he hasn`t even finished his sentence yet so he doesn`t take his eyes off of Wylan`s face; the way he`s scanning it with the quickest upward-downward movements of his eyes and then keeps looking back at Wylan even as he begins to fiddle with the paper, clearly confused and lost but also trying to assess the damage. Jesper is clearly out of his element - apologizing for verbal jabs (quite harmless at that, or ones that at least seem harmless to him) is not something he does often. Yet he tries his best - for the novice who somehow has become important to him, for his not-exactly-one-night-stand, for Wylan.

Don't worry, Jesper, it`ll be fine! Daturma Ox is on its way🥰

[creatingnikki]

Dear twenty-seven year old me,

You have your work cut out for you, let me just say that right away. I am sorry but this is all I could do. I, the twenty-six-year-old, who had to abandon the home she was happy and struggling to build. And the ones before me, the twenty-five, twenty-four, twenty-three, twenty-two, twenty-one, and twenty-year-old selves too — I won't say we did the best we could but I will say that we tried.

Of course, now, with five days left before I turn 27, I finally know that sometimes trying is not enough. For things that absolutely matter to you, for things you absolutely want, trying is not enough. And so you, you have to do better than try.

Too much pressure? But you only have to try for yourself. You don't have to try for the world or anybody in it. You don't have to try to be kinder, sweeter, politer, or more useful. Friends, lovers, corporations, ideologies will always demand more and more and more from you. And for them I tried and tried and tried. All of your twenty-something selves until now did. Your teen selves too.

Also, just because you are a good person, it does not mean that the world will treat you better. One of the hardest truths to accept and understand. Of course, you were never good because you thought there would be such a reward but you always just assumed that it would only be natural for life to be just and fair in these ways. Now I know it's not.

Please, remember, you do not have to be quiet and take it all lying down. You can still speak your mind and respectfully put people back in their place instead of letting them walk all over you. You are no Gandhi. You should only show your other cheek to someone when they have kissed one cheek and now you want them to kiss the other. Not to slap you again.

When you are tired, when you are upset and demotivated, please, take rest. Pause but do not quit or abandon. You know, our abandonment issues may just have something to do with the fact that we have quite easily abandoned our values, goals, and dreams at different stages of life.

Either because we wanted to accommodate another person or because of the hurdles that showed up. Or because it was us who did not believe that our goals and values and dreams were worthy of being faithful to, worthy of being met, worthy of being celebrated.

But dear twenty-seven-year-old me, listen to me. You are worthy. And I know you like proof and reason and not empty flattery or words of affirmation. And I could list a thousand reasons and this isn't even a hyperbole — I really could. However, all you need to know to believe that is that you have lived a life that is gracious and graceful. God loving, not god fearing. Fear has never motivated you in any walk of life. You are someone that if you were to come across you would not only really like but gosh you would be in utter awe and really respect.

Above any reason I could give you, however, is this — you have to support yourself, no matter who you are and how you decide to live your life, you have to support yourself.

Okay, now that all of this important stuff is out of the way I just want to say, while you work hard at what is important, have fun (as much as is possible and in ways that is safe) and keep writing. For dreams that do not seem possible right now, put them on hold but do not abandon them or shoot them in the head. For dreams that are possible now, don't overthink.

Balance, breathe, and go back to basics. That is all you have to remember when it all gets too much. I love you, your mother loves you, and there are a handful more on that list. If all else pales in face of pain, go to them. In joy and abundance too, go to them. In the mundanity of life too, be by them whenever possible.

All my love, now and forever, 26-year-old you.

[genericpuff]

I wanna add to the whole “hades keeping persephone’s things in a drawer” controversy. I watched all her videos the she uploaded patreon and I specifically remember Rachel herself saying that she was VERY aware it was creepy and she would not be okay with this behavior irl. She laughed it off saying that lots of romantic tropes like this would not be okay in real life—but in movies and media they get a pass because they frame it as something endearing. So she IS self aware about the whole thing at least🤷🏻‍♀️

Ugh, that just makes it kinda worse tho tbh LOL Like being self-aware of something being toxic doesn't make that toxic behavior 'okay', especially if you're intentionally romanticizing it or never making the FL in your comic aware of what her now-husband has been doing since day 1, especially in a comic that's trying to be "feminist".

Like I know it's something sold to teenage girls a LOT that it's "romantic" if the guy they "finally" ended up with was holding onto "keepsakes" from them before they dated ("omg, they were in love with me the whole time!") But a lot of people in their 20's and upwards can tell you that it's not so "romantic" when you realize that much of your relationship may have been manufactured or that the guy you're with was essentially stalking you prior to getting with you. It can make the relationship feel far more disingenuous and targeted rather than something that grew organically. Especially when it's really intimate shit that the other party should not have access to like personal letters you wrote in confidence to a friend.

Shit, I know it's not something that's "real life" because it's fantasy, but even Hades going so far as to ask the Fates for a tape of his memories that involved Persephone is a HUGE red flag - they make it VERY clear that you can't just do that, you need consent from the other parties who are involved in that memory, WHICH MAKES TOTAL SENSE, but they give it to him anyways because "aww he's in love and it's his future qween :>"

The irony that LO tries to be progressive with the notion of consent but then stomps on it every time it involves anything that isn't blatant assault. Consent applies to more than just sex. Persephone did not give consent to Hades taking the letter she had sent Hecate, she did not give consent to Hades taking the tape of memories that involved her, and she was never made aware of Hades keeping intimate objects that either belonged to her or were affiliated with her (ex. the mug with her lipstick print).

Like... is this romantic? Really? Because it seems more manipulative than anything else. I know being above the gods and even their own destinies is the nature of the Fates but that's why they typically don't directly involve themselves in the lives of mortals and gods (and in a lot of media that references them, they typically speak in riddles or don't fork over the information plainly) otherwise what would be the point of "fate" to begin with if anyone could walk up to the Fates and be like "hey, tell me something I'm not supposed to know so I can change the path I'm on."

God of War does this better than LO with the Norse equivalent of the Fates, the Norns:

Being self-aware of Hades shitty behavior does not make it okay to romanticize, it doesn't absolve Rachel of writing a toxic romance and selling it as "couple goals". Especially in a comic that claims to be feminist and aware of the importance of consent. If that's the case, Persephone needs to learn the meaning of the word 'no' and Hades needs to learn that he can't have whatever he wants just because he's a King.

[doverstar]

Even 1991's Hook showed that Jack and Peter fell for the allure of Neverland while Maggie never forgot and just wanted to go home. Implying, the way 2003's Peter Pan outright said, girls are much too clever. Disney is stomping all over this story.

Listen to me, Hook is a genius Peter Pan adaptation/reimagining. In so many ways. I know as a film, it apparently had its disappointments, but just speaking as a Peter Pan fan (of the book and the play), whatever Jim Hart/Nick Castle were doing when they were making story decisions for that movie, it worked. I could gush.

I'm going to gush. This is going to be long. If you like Peter Pan, keep reading.

Disney is stomping all over the story with their new movie in so many ways. And Peter Pan 2003 is an almost one-to-one, 108% accurate adaptation of the original book/play, so I'm gonna talk about that in regards to Hook- First of all, yes, the whole Maggie thing is SO smart and SO accurate to how Barrie chose to portray women in general in the original story. All the major female characters have their silly, petty, foolish moments like real women of all ages do, yes, but when Barrie portrays what's naturally good about good women, he knocks it out of the park. Wendy is selfless and compassionate, Tink dies for someone she loves, Mrs. Darling is a graceful nurturer and her husband's rock. Like, when Barrie uses Peter to say "girls are too clever to fall out of their prams", that's not just Peter being manipulative, that's the kind of thing Barrie really thought about females. It's in all of his plays and all of his books. He doesn't ignore women's general faults, but he does love to showcase why it's not good for man to be alone. In the original story, when you're in the Neverland, the longer you stay there, the less you remember of your life on the mainland. John and Michael just totally forget they ever had real parents and start acting like Wendy, who is playing pretend, is their only mother figure. Wendy is realizing she's forgetting real life too, and makes it a nightly thing to tell all the boys the same story - of how they got to Neverland and how they're eventually gonna go back, and why, and how their real mother specifically will always be waiting for them and she has no doubt about that because that's real love. And that's what Hook is about, second of all. Peter forgets who he used to be as a child, and it's actually normal for Peter to forget important things - finite memory in an infinite existence - but this is him forgetting who he is. And that's a big deal because he forgets not only what it was like to be young and what he personally was missing (parents, a family, the gaping hole in his magical life that created a lack of consistent real love), but he forgets what made him as a character the hero of the story. As sword-fighting leader of the Lost Boys, Peter Pan was confident, honorable, and unafraid.

This is who Peter Pan is. He's selfish and arrogant and kind of a butt sometimes (like little boys often are) but the thing that makes him special isn't that he can fly or never age (though those things are cool). The other Lost Boys can fly and don't age, either, in the original story. Peter is a born leader. Peter protects the Lost Boys. Peter doesn't kill a pirate while he's sleeping; he waits for the guy to wake up. Peter won't strike Hook while he's unarmed and tries to help him up onto solid ground in the middle of a fight before continuing the duel because that's the right thing. Peter won't keep a girl in Neverland against her will. Peter lets the kite take Wendy to safety and sits wounded on a rock alone, waiting to die without being scared. Peter Pan is a hero. Peter Banning forgot all of that. Peter Banning doesn't remember what it's like to be young, or to want parents, or to crave real love. He doesn't remember that to die will be an awfully big adventure. He's terrified of death. He's terrified of heights. He's scared of everything. He doesn't protect his kids or care about their interests or watch when they're putting on a play or attend a single baseball game or spend any time with them at all. The one thing Peter Pan had to be forever barred from, Peter Banning got to have - a family - and he forgets what it feels like not to have that and neglects them. So Jack gets to Neverland and is scared (and manipulated by pirates, the thing his great-grandmother before him went through and never fell for), and he's spent his young life craving the attention and affection of his workaholic Peter Banning dad and never gets it, literally watches Peter give up on saving him and Maggie because he's too scared (Peter Pan never gave up) and that hurts, so of course he starts forgetting who he is and where he came from because that's easier and he's his father's son. But Maggie!! is Wendy's great-granddaughter!!! and like the other women in the Peter Pan canon, she doesn't forget for one second who she is or where they came from or what's important, and she knows the pirates are bad and Peter is good, and she knows her family loves her, and she knows her dad loves her, and even though she watched Peter give up too, she begs Jack not to forget and tries actively to remind him of the truth. She rejects the pirate life. She never loses faith. She's just a little kid but she's polite and she's a good girl and she won't do what mommy said not to even in Neverland. Wendy wrote "dirty pig" on the greasy windows of the Jolly Roger because she wasn't scared of pirates and she was disgusted that grown men never took care of business on that ship and it was filthy. Maggie is cut of the same cloth, just much younger on her first trip to Neverland.

LisTEN. There are no girls in the Lost Boys because GIRLS in the Peter Pan canon have something that little boys don't right away, because girls are different from boys. Girls are naturally more in touch with emotions. Girls are often (not always) more mature. They understand things little boys sometimes (not always) don't understand. Girls are sometimes (not always) smarter than boys in certain areas. Girls are much too clever to fall out of their prams, and girls don't forget what's important and that they must grow up someday, and girls - mothers - will always keep the window open for their children. There are no girls in the Lost Boys! DEAL WITH IT. It's OKAY.

Hook is amazing. It takes little details in the margins and paragraphs of Barrie's story and incorporates them in this one zany film. It takes some of the clearest messages and themes in the book and yells it through a megaphone. "Don't forget the great things about being a child! Don't forget what true love is! Don't forget why it's necessary to grow up! Don't forget what's bad about staying a kid forever! Grow up, but keep the childlike faith and the childlike confidence and remember what kids need, and give those things to your own children!"

Hook says this stuff with Tootles. It says it with Rufio. It says it with Jack and with Maggie in two different outcomes. It says it most of all with Peter. 

I LOVE HOOK. I watch it all the time, especially on rainy days. I will die on this hill. Go watch it. It's on HBO Max and you can watch it free right here with no ads you're welcome, and I myself own two copies of it on DVD just in case. 

Thank you for listening and drop me a line with your own thoughts if you have any; I don't want to be rambling in a vacuum XD

[booktomoviebrawl]

We are not judging how bad the movie is, we are judging which adapted the book the worst. There are good movies that are bad adaptions.

Propaganda below the cut (spoilers may apply)

Persuasion:

They massacred my girl!! That is not Anne Elliot!! The whole point is that she's beaten down and thinks she's missed her chance at happiness and is bullied by her family, not making mean and snarky nods to the camera :( They completely missed the whole point of the dynamic and it's SICKENING! They also cut Mrs Smith who is arguably one of the most important characters as she highlights Anne's lack of focus on title and rank and her family's comparative obsession with it + it's only through her that Anne learns about Mr Elliot's true nasty nature. Also they cut the 'I am half agony, half hope' line from Wentworth's letter at the end so what's even the POINT of adapting it if you don't have that!! Oh my god!! My poor favourite Austen novel :( (I do want to make it very very clear that my issues with the movie come from the writing and adaptation and not in any way from the race blind casting. The casting is superb and I'm genuinely so disappointed that they got such a bad adaptation bc so many of the cast are literally perfect)

Where do I even start? They tried to 'modernize' both the protagonist and the love story and managed to take out everything that made it good in the first place. Anne Elliot in the novel is quiet and good and helpful, full of regret. In the movie, she constantly turns to the audience to mock everyone around her, feeling so much better than everyone, to the point where nobody understands why Captain Wentworth would still be in love with her, or have fallen in love with her in the first place. Eight years before the plot starts, she broker her engagement to him because she was persuaded by a family friend that it was a bad idea. No way would movie!Anne have let herself be persuaded. They just tried to do a Fleabag/Emma type of thing without understanding what made either the novel or those two things work and thereby ruined it completely

Whoever made this didn't understand the point of the novel at all. They completely screwed up the character of Anne Elliot (the protagonist), which in turn screws the rest of the movie, as the original story only works because Anne is the way she is. Also, it's a period piece but the characters are talking in modern slang the entire time. And not in a clever way but in a very cringey one. If Jane Austen knew, she'd probably turn in her grave, and rightfully so.

Maximum Ride:

The storyline makes absolutely no sense, and the movie is nothing like the book. You could've given the movie an entirely different name and and keep the plot I wouldn't bat an eye

the movie's just bad mate

Horrendous low budget netflix movie with effects so bad they make me feel physically ill and acting so wooden the cast is in danger of being attacked by lumberjacks. The story already wasn't the best and the film somehow made it worst. I came in with nostalgia for my dear kids with bird wings and left never to be the same again.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children:

While Miss Peregrine was one of my favorite books as a kid and incredibly unique in the way the story is written (The author basically took a box of weird antique photographs and created an underlying story behind a handful of them) the movie is incredibly boring. Like seriously I can't remember a single goddamn thing about the movie besides my extreme disappointment with it after leaving the theatres. It's probably because the original is a trilogy but they didn't want to make it a trilogy for the movie so they just scrapped the ending of the first book and rewrote a shitty climax where they threw snowballs at the nightmare child eating creatures or something. I remember THAT scene perfectly because it was so, so dumb. It was so stupid oh my God- ALSO, thank God I have a copy of the book from before the film came out because new copies don't have one of the photographs that the actual book uses as a base anymore and instead have the shitty movie poster! We truly do live in a society.

Changed way too much so it doesn't feel like the same thing. The main characters are these kids with different abilities (called peculiarities) and the movie switches around their powers and changes almost everyone's age. Emma and Olive switch powers so that Emma now floats (they also added that she can kind of control air to some extent) when she's supposed to have fire powers to match her fiery personality. Olive can make fire now and she's also aged up from an eight year old to a teenager and put her in this weird romance with Enoch. Enoch is also aged up from a grumpy thirteen year old to around the same age as Olive. Bronwyn, one of the older kids in the book and sort of a motherly figure to the younger kids, is now one of the youngest kids. Hugh and Fiona are aged down and basically have no interaction at all in the movie, even when their book counterparts had such a good relationship. The only one they didn't really change was Horace and Jacob. They also added these gorgon twins that do like two things. The antagonist in the movie is Mr. Barron who honestly isn't super memorable and isn't in the books whatsoever. The ending of the movie is weird too because they manage to turn back time somehow so Jacob's grandfather isn't dead and then he hops through loops so he can be with Emma and the other peculiars. I guess the problem of wights and hollowgasts is magically eliminated and we do not have to deal with the consequences. It took six books to fix everything. I appreciate that the movie engaged me enough to read the series but once I did, I could not believe they did my kids that dirty.

Yikes where to start. The 3 girl characters are all mixed up. There are 2 teens, one who's super strong and has a brother (I'll get back to him) and one who controls fire and is the love interest named Emma. The third girl is a child called Olive who floats. She's lighter than air.

In the movie, strong girl is the child, olive is now the fire girl and is for some reason super introverted, and Emma the love interest floats and gets given a super breath??? Power?? Like she rises a sunken ship by blowing in and keeps a man blown against a wall by blowing air at him. He makes a remark that she'll run out of breath eventually, which happens here because plot convenience, but not when she's blowing in the sunken ship.

The enemies in the book are terrifying Hollows. Creatures who have lost themselves and devour souls of those with powers... The movie decides they eat eyes now. And turn human again. And get busted up in a fair for the final act of the movie. Ugh.

The movie also decides randomly that time travelling through the loops is a thing; a loop being a pocket of time that replays the same day over and over. But apparently this means Main Character can travel back in time and stop his grandfather dying??? What?? His grandfathers death is the whole start of the movie and motivation for the character.

The movie undermines many of things that made the book amazing and even decides it's not a trilogy anymore!! Fuck the other 2 books, right?!

Tldr; it is terribly hollywood-ised and t tim Burton ruined a franchise by trying too hard to make it quirky and fun when the books already had a brilliant sombre and interesting tone to them.

[faecaptainofdreams]

---TRIGGER WARNING---

Animal death, brief violence against an animal

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

"Fifteen was a tough age for me.

That was my angriest year, but also really important in terms of learnin'.

I unlocked a painful repressed memory, learned through trial and error that violence wasn't for me, but also, that neither was eatin' meat.

Growin' up, I was never a hunter; just a gatherin' type.

The only time I ate meat was if someone handed it to me or I could afford to buy it.

And truth be told I don't regret that, seein' as how I was always starvin'.

Those tidbits of protein no doubt pulled me through some serious drought!

But when I was fifteen, I remember walkin' a street somewhere and I saw this guy handing out samples of these little fish treats he'd made.

So I ate one, and bein' stuck up like I used to be, I asked him why he only ever handed out fish or seemed to cook fish.

No joke, he was out almost every day!

An' he told me that he only ever passed out fish, 'cos that was all he ate, meat-wise!

I was like...why?

An' he said it was because he had a policy; only eat what you could stand to kill.

Somehow, that resonated with me.

I'd never thought before about how I got the meat -- I just ate it, and appreciated it.

But it seemed, maybe I hadn't appreciated it enough.

Bein' on my own, I figured I needed to either put up or shut up, so I went out and...well...

A few nights later I was in some woods somewhere else, and decided to catch me a fish for the first time.

Because I thought about other animals, but anything more than a fish just made me feel sick.

I chiseled me a little stone carving tool, scraped a stick into a little wooden spear and waited by a river one evening.

Had mah fire ready and everything.

I remember my little heart was just poundin', I really didn't wanna do it but I had to know if I could.

I promised myself that no matter what, whether I could handle it or not, I would eat whatever poor animal I caught.

I was probably at that stream for half an hour or more, strikin' at fish and missin' em.

Until finally...

I got one.

A BIG one.

Had a rock with me because I figured it wouldn't just die instantly, and I was right.

My adrenaline was pumpin', heart was pounding, the fish was really strong so I had to really fight to pull it outta the water.

I hooked my fingers into its gills so I could drag it out faster, and once I had it on the ground I took the rock I'd brought with me and just started beatin' the devil out of it, square in the eye.

I did everything I could to kill it as quickly as possible, and from start to finish the whole ordeal couldn't've taken more than thirty seconds.

But it was enough...

Once I was sure it was dead I just sat there, looked at it, and what I'd done suddenly washed over me...

And I cried.

Just like fightin' folks with my fists to solve issues, I learned that huntin' wasn't for me, either.

I just sat there bawlin' my poor eyes out, and felt like the scum'a the universe.

It was dreadful.

Now worst of all, I had to eat the darn thing!

And I didn't know how to prepare meat or what to do -- it hadn't occurred to me beforehand that I'd have to gut it or anything like that.

So, still cryin', I dragged it over to my little campfire and struggled to try and cook it.

No, I did not open it up.

No guts, no nothin', just cooked it as was.

Then dragged it back over so I could sit and eat.

And I just...bit into it...spit out scales, tried to just...eat it.

God help me, I really, really tried to eat that fish, but I just couldn't stomach it.

When I bit in and hit bone or tendon or SOMETHIN' i gagged straight away, and realized I couldn't do it.

So I got up again and dragged it far out into the woods, and just left it there.

At the very least, I knew nature wouldn't waste it.

I felt like such a fool, and a terrible person.

Didn't sleep well that night, i can tell ya that much.

A few days later, I found a fish trapped in a shrinkin', drying-out pond and quickly ran it over to a stream and let it go.

That helped me feel like I had made up for the horrible thing I'd done.

Now don't get me mistaken, I'm not sayin' this is how everyone should operate.

All groups of people have different tasks for different folks.

Some are hunters, some are gatherers, some are laborers, etc.

It's okay to enjoy meat when you yourself are not capable of huntin', killin' and preparing it.

Just make sure you appreciate it, understand how it gets on your plate, say thanks to Someone out there for lettin' ya have it.

Thank the animal, too.

Meat is part of most people's DNA, most of us are omnivores.

But for me as an individual, that "eat what you can kill" motto has stuck ever since, and I just can't do it.

That was the last time I willingly ate meat, and after that I got more serious about how I found food in the wild and how to be more resourceful.

Oh as for the fish, I made peace with that a long time ago, don't you worry!

I was just tryin'a survive.

Regardless of how it went down and my inability to eat it, I thanked the fish anyhow."

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Someone on Tumblr posed the question of how they figured Wander came to be a vegetarian.

Thought i'd take a crack at it with my own story ;)

[zellk]

My question is about Qalaa! She’s got an amazing design in every iteration so I wanted to ask what were your main inspirations for her? Also could you tell us a bit more about her story?

Hi there ! Thank you so much for your kind words about my babygirl ;A; !!! Everything started circa 2014 when I started to play Wakfu again with @shuuzaar and decided to make a red-skinned osamodas. She also now exists in multiple universes (a minotaur or tiefling in DnD, a demon/oni, a dragon, etc etc).

It wasn't a very conscious & willed thing but since I put a lot of 'myself' into her (more than all my other OCs, who have more... handpicked bits) so her build started to grow towards the larger / bigger side naturally. I'm definitely not as big, nor tall as her though (I am short and she's like, 209cm tall or sth).

Her general themes / traits are : A kind, soft & gentle soul in a body that is 'made' for killing / hurting easily because of it's size and strength. Feeling inadequate / dysphoria / struggling to accept her body because it doesn't fit what she likes (petite and feminine girls). Struggle to control flares of emotions & physical strength. And being very, oh so very gay about girls and feminine people (this is a very important part ok).

In time I've been slowly collecting pictures of athletes and people that make me think of her and trying to refine how she looks in my head ! Though, like many of my characters, the specifics tends to change depending on how I feel on the moment... sometimes I want her nose a bit more like this or like that... don't be surprised if her gallery isn't the most consistent in terms of facial features :,^)

One thing that definitely DID inspire me for her though are the marks on her body ! They are inspired from scarifications of the Chambri tribe in Papua New Guinea https://bodyartforms.com/blog/sepik-river-scarification.asp)

As for her story, well, my current DnD group where I play her has given me a lot of opportunities to flesh it out a little more >:^D I'll try to keep it short.

Qalaari was born from an unplanned pregnancy. Her mother, Aamira Molandine, was someone with a very weak health due to a blood curse running in her family (more on that later) ; but despite her health she decided to keep the child and see the pregnancy through. Her father, Temhos Croquelune, is a member of a tribe of "beast folk" (this is tweaked and adapted to fit in various universes when I can) and, while enamoured with Aamira, was really not ready to have a child, and to potentially have to raise it alone should Aamira die while giving birth. After yet another argument with her about getting an abortion for her sake and the sake of them both, Temhos ran away during the night and never came back.

~6 month pregnant Aamira found refuge in the Croquelune tribe under Temhos' sister roof, Olgha (who also had a crush on Aamira & both her and her brother tried to court her). The travel took a heavy toll on Aamira's already weak health and yet she somehow miraculously survived the delivery of her (very) big and healthy baby girl Qalaari. Qalaari was raised in a very loving home by Aamira and Olgha, but developped a big resentment towards her blood father, especially since after giving birth, Aamira remained a very sickly person with a broken heart. Aamira died when Qalaari was 13, which kind of forever scared her and worsened her struggles to control her emotions.

Remember the Cursed Blood thing ? Well basically, it's a curse that either 1) eats you alive if your body is too weak to handle it (Aamira's case, which is why she had a weak health from the beginning) OR 2) enhances the physical potential of your body, but tends to make you lose control and become little more than a beast (Qalaari's case). So yeah... she's trying to get better but she has a lot of healing to do with her inner child and that's not easy... especially with the layers of self hatred the cycles of her life are bringing in :^) !

EDIT : I FORGOT TO ADD that Qalaari is currently exiled from the Croquelune tribe. The circle scar on her clavicle is the mark of the exiled, who are sent away from the tribe for 3 years before they can come back. The practice exists to try and get people to grow 'outside of the community' before coming back in it as a slightly different person. The once-exiled people are reintegrated in the tribe when they return if possible. Olgha, Qalaari's aunt-in-law and adoptive parent, has a mark like this! This exile is definitely not the best solution ever but it's been done for so long in the tribe that it's hard to yknow... challenge the system of it.

Anyway if you've read to this point, thank you for listening to me fail miserably to keep this short... Qalaari is one of my dearest OC, so it's really hard not to gush about her in a 3 hours TED Talk everytime...

Thank you for this kind ask ! Hope you'll have a good day :> !

[cerise-on-top]

Hello love! Hope you are well!

So I’ve had this cute idea for a while with AleRudy poly! Where Alejandro and their s/o spoil Rudy for a day, like make him dinner,, whatever you think lolz and then end it by both Ale and s/o spooning him?? I think it would be adorable!!

Hey there! I don't think I made this as fluffy as I could have, and for that I am truly sorry! But I tried!

Spoiling Rodolfo

I feel like he’d be surprised at first. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t doubt the love you and Alejandro have for him one bit, but he never would have thought you’d go out of your way to spoil him this much. First you bring him breakfast in bed, essentially waking him with a kiss to each side. It was all there, French toast, eggs, orange juice. He didn’t have to lift a finger. Naturally, as he got out of bed, he’d try to make it up to you by cleaning up after himself, only for you and Alejandro to stop him from doing so, forcing him back onto the bed once again. Rodolfo would grow suspicious. Did he miss an important date? Did the both of you miss an important date? It wasn’t like it was his birthday either, but he couldn’t for the life of him remember something that you did where you had to make it up to him either. For the time being, he’d simply accept his fate. Eventually, he would get up to check up on you. And then there was the barrage of gifts. They were lovely, naturally, but what did he do to deserve them? Again, he would grow even more suspicious. From the beautiful flowers to the small stickers you stuck on him, he wouldn’t know what to do. However, he wouldn’t say something immediately. Maybe he can think of why you’re being especially nice to him himself. Were you about to get into a lot of trouble? Were you just trying to get on his good side?

Of course, Alejandro made the suggestion of going out together, spending the time outside to do whatever it is he wanted. And then came the idea of having a picnic, since it was nice and warm outside. As you went to pay for all the items, with Rodolfo already taking out his wallet, you almost tackled him to get him to put it away. Alejandro paid, even though he shouldn’t have. You were three people, and with the amount of snacks you bought it didn’t come cheap either. From a massage to a heartfelt poem from you, it all started to seem like a little too much. Again, Rodolfo doesn’t doubt the love you feel for him, but it seems a bit off. However, you wouldn’t give him a satisfying answer either when asked about it. Were you going to break up with him after all this time? Making your last day together as beautiful as possible so he had something to cry over? He hoped not, but it didn’t seem impossible with how nice you were being towards him. A kiss to the cheek, you even gave him a plushie of a small cat, claiming its silliness reminded you of him. Why on Earth would you do all of this? Why go to these lengths?

Even around dinnertime, when you wouldn’t let him help out, he almost felt a bit sad. Sure, it was nice to not have to lift a single finger for a day, but why? He loved helping out, you both knew that. He was very much an active man at home, doing what he could to keep everything clean and in order. He didn’t mind cooking for you either, pouring his heart and soul into every meal for you. Rodolfo adored doing something for you, so he wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of it all. The meal was delicious, but he felt almost sad as he was unable to help you out at least even a little bit. You watched his favorite movie with him, you took pictures of him with his silly cat plushie, hell, you would have likely spoon fed him as well on that day. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. What have the both of you been up to? He would ask you again regarding it all when you were spooning him, trapping him on either side. It would take the most embarrassing nicknames that you only use on him to calm his nerves. Something along the lines of “Hush, Rudy-Poody, can’t we show our love and appreciation for you for once? You always make us feel good, so it was time to return the favor.” and “Mi esposo, you need to have more trust in us. Sometimes we just wanna see you smile as well. Cheer up, we just wanted to spoil just once in this life.”

He’d sort of cringe at the nickname you gave him, but it was the reassurance he needed since you only ever used it when you were being especially sappy. You didn’t get in trouble again, you were simply a bunch of lovesick fools. He’d give you a kiss on the nose and a smile. However, he would also try to turn around as Alejandro was spooning him, only for the colonel to not budge in the slightest, saying that Rodolfo shouldn’t be tossing and turning like this. No kissy for Alejandro it seemed. Rodolfo was this close to just wrestling him down for that kissy. Although he can’t really get used to the feeling of being spoiled, he will accept it for just that day. He will pay the both of you back in his style, though. You will also be spoiled. He couldn’t wait to team up with one of you to spoil the third one. All three of you will have had a day like this at some point.

[casasupernovas]

"you had to go and fall in love with a human and it wasn't me."

versus:

"but he is everything. he's just everything to me and he doesn't even look at me, but i don't care, because i love him to bits. and i hope to God he won't remember me saying this."

rtd said he extensively rewrote 'human nature' (without credit which he wasn't fussed over) and you can tell.

the first line is too on the nose. you didn't even need that tardis scene. you already know what martha is thinking the moment she catches john and joan.

this scene is so important too. it's the first time martha ever says she's in love with him. we know martha *likes* him but we don't get a confirmation of the extent until these episodes. and it should have been either the former or the latter, not both. and the latter is better, more intense, more emotionally devastasting and more importantly, truer to her character. it's so brutally honest and if we know anything about martha jones, is that she is so transparent that it even unnerves the doctor. it's half the reason he treats her like *that*, because she hits too close to home every single time.

imagine if the 'family of blood' mini monologue was the first time we heard her confession. imagine how much harder that would have hit. especially considering the scene where she reunites with the doctor later where she tries to laugh it off, because the doctor immediately goes along with it, which is the nicest thing he's done for her all series because he's actually sparing her feeling for once, and because she's so vulnerable, right there and then, he chooses to thank her and give her a great big hug.

because this whole debacle has done more than just require martha to look after the doctor. it pretty much stripped her bare of, well everything. her dignity. her achievements (as a medical student), her social standing (race and gender) her peace of mind. her safety. her doctor. her desire. and freema plays it beautifully - she's back in her leather jacket and jeans but the her expression, the way she holds her shoulders, she's still all exposed.

it's too much so at the very least, give martha the gravity she deserves - which is the second confession, not the first.

[nofomogirl]

Before the Beginning (part 1.2.)

This series of posts is about the opening scene of S2. Obviously. In every X.1. post I will propose one theory of what I believe the scene tells us about the universe and the characters, and then in the following X posts (X.2. and on) I will interpret scenes from both seasons applying and further examining thet theory.

My first theory, which I presented in the opening post, is that the Fall was a far more transformative event than both we, the audience, and the characters in the show, especially Aziraphale, have ever realized. I believe it's communicated to us by showing us pre-Fall Crowley who has no serpentine traits, from which we can infer that he had no serpentine nature either. It had only appeared after the Fall.

Now I'd like to examine the scenes where Crowley's past angelic identity is ever brought up.

In this post, we'll be looking at the (in)famous Bandstand Breakup from S1E3. The beginning of that scene is one of the earliest instances Crowley's past angelic identity is ever brought up properly.

Here's the original dialogue:

A: It's the Great Plan Crowley. C: Yeah. For the record, great pustulent mangled bollocks to the Great blasted Plan! A: May you be forgiven. C: I won't be forgiven. Not ever. That's part of the demon's job description. Unforgivable. That's what I am. A: You were an angel once. C: That was a long time ago.

I'm not going to lie, I didn't notice anything unusual about it after S1. It's a brief exchange and the Bandstand Breakup is a heavily emotional scene, so even after multiple rewatches it got lost for me among all the other things that were going on.

If anything, my interpretation was that Aziraphale meant Crowley might not be as unforgivable as he claims. But I really wasn't thinking too much about it.

But now that I have a reason to look specifically at those two lines, they are very unusual.

Just compare them to the dialogue from the very same episode, from the 1862 St. James Park scene:

C: Look, I've been thinking. What if it all goes wrong? We have a lot in common, you and me. A: I don't know. We may have both started off as angels but you are fallen.

And, OK, this was somewhat unusual too, but only in how extreme it was, not in the sentiment either of them was expressing. It was perfectly on-brand for Crowley to try and bring Aziraphale's attention to how the differences between them weren't really all that big or significant. It was just as perfectly on brand for Aziraphale to insist they were on opposite sides.

In fact, they both express the very same sentiments during the bandstand scene.

Except in those early lines I quoted where their roles are practically reversed for a brief moment. By pointing out that Crowley was an angel once, it's Aziraphale who tries to convince Crowley they are more similar than it may appear. And by brushing Aziraphale off it's Crowley who shuts down that line of reasoning and underlines the divide between them.

You must admit it is unusual.

So why would they?

When it comes to Aziraphale, it's important to remember that at the time this scene was happening, he was in an exceptional and very difficult position. I've already addressed it in one of my older posts, so I'm just going to quote myself:

"At the end of episode 2, Aziraphale learned who and where the Antichrist was and it was the first piece of real information he got that could actually make a difference. He needed to make a choice about what to do with it and it pretty much paralysed him.

First, immediately after finding out, he got a call from Crowley asking for updates and lied claiming he didn't know anything. Then he arranged the meeting with the Archangels but withheld most of the information and when asked directly where the Antichrist might be he lied again that he wasn't sure. Then he met Crowley face to face (this is where the scene we're discussing takes place), once more lied (by omission) about the Antichrist, insisted he wouldn't tell him anyway, and eventually broke up with him. The next day he approached Gabriel and tried to reason with him by mentioning "human prophecies" but not the Antichrist. Then Crowley approached him again and was rejected again. And finally, he got cornered and assaulted by Michael, Uriel, and Sandalphon.

Frankly, I haven't even noticed it before, with all the other scenes in between, and all the emotions involved, but it's a very clear pattern, isn't it? Crowley - Heaven - Crowley - Heaven - Crowley - Heaven. Nothing could illustrate better how Aziraphale was swinging between the two."

Aziraphale is trying to figure out what to do. He's currently in a swing away from Heaven - which put him off the idea of telling them during their meeting - and towards Crowley. He's searching for reasons and arguments why he might choose siding with Crowley. And it's all very high stakes and emotionally intense.

And under all this immense pressure Aziraphale brings up, in a rather small and pleading voice, something that seems uncharacteristic at the time.

"You used to be an angel once".

You used to be like me. You still are.

This was a perfect opening for Crowley. He should have picked that thread and pulled and he would very likely get where he wanted. Starting from there would make it so much easier to back all his arguments and prove all his points. But he didn't.

Crowley straight-up refused to discuss it.

He pretty much shut the door Aziraphale opened for him and then not even a minute later proceeded to try and break through the wall...

Why?

That is a much simpler question. Just like Aziraphale, Crowley was heavily distressed. He didn't know about the Antichrist. He believed he was running out of options and out of time. The world was about to end and he was powerless to do anything about it. He didn't have the mental capacity to reexamine and discuss this very sensitive and problematic topic right then.

We are not done with the scene yet, but for now, let's leave it. In the next post, we'll look at ones when Crowley is a bit more open about the subject - the Job minisode.

[madarasgirl]

Madara Romance HC Ramble

While I sometimes read (and enjoy) a MUCH more intense version of Madara than I would write for my own work, I strongly believe he would NOT BE DEGRADING or abusive to his S/O. He's all about love. Accuse me of wearing rose-tinted glasses, but here's my take.

Madara is difficult to write since he's so complex. He isn't some static character who's always optimistic, gloomy, violent, or whatever. He changes with time, growing more cynical and bitter as he lived through his tragic life and came to conclusions about the truths of the world. I will try to consolidate what we know about him and extrapolate that into what romance with Madara might generally be like.

Respects the S/O

It’s really easy to make him out to be arrogant and demeaning, or controlling. He's allowed to be arrogant when he's stronger than 99.99% of the world. Go re-watch his fight vs the Shinobi Alliance or the 5 Kage if you don’t think he has grounds for arrogance. He is simultaneously the hardest on himself. He's extremely self-deprecating when reminiscing on his past failures and transgressions, both as a child and an adult in interactions with Hashirama. Part of him likely believes he doesn't deserve you or to be loved. Of course he would naturally cherish you when you finally become a part of his life. How could he constantly insult or degrade you?

He is 'controlling' in the sense that he likes knowing where you will be/your schedule. It helps him plan when he can spend time with you. It also better helps him keep you safe. Remember Madara is so strong because he wanted to protect what's important to him, but he didn’t even force his clan to follow him when they abandoned him. Madara wants people to CHOOSE him. He wouldn’t force you into things. He wouldn't beat or coerce you either, especially not when that was what was painfully done to him.

By the way, he'll remember those special dates better than you will.

Observant and Sensitive to S/O

During kid Madara’s 2nd meeting with Hashirama, he was able to tell Hashi was feeling down from behind before even talking. And then Mads repeatedly tried to get him to spill what was bothering him in an attempt to console a potential enemy shinobi! Deep down, Madara is a kind sweetheart. He'll be there for you when you need him and there in the background when you don't realize it. He will support you in your endeavors through thick and thin.

He absolutely teases you though, in good faith. Whatever he’s mocking you about is one of your quirks that endears you to him, not something he actually judges you negatively for. The same cheekiness from his younger days is still alive in him somewhere. Don’t worry, he won't roast you as hard as he can where he knows it hurts. Hmm unless you're in a bad fight and he's feeling REALLY petty, then I can maybe see him doing that. His words could cut more than his fists.

Almost a Different Person with His Loved Ones

This is another reason he’s hard to write. While there’s no doubt he can be terrifying (which was how almost everyone in the world saw him), he can be kind of silly with those he’s closer to. He is indifferent or aloof with strangers. He was likely at least civil with others he had to deal with in public and condescending and/or hostile with those who gave him a reason to be. This man’s presence is felt wherever he goes, so of course the average person would have reason to find him intimidating.

In fact, you might occasionally find Madara intimidating too when he's in one of his moods or contemplative. It's how he is, even when not trying to be hostile or domineering. He's still softer with his loved ones than anyone outside his small inner circle. It would break his heart if you were truly afraid of him.

On the other hand, he may be awkward at times. His inability to effectively express his strong emotions to you frustrates him. He wishes he had a better grasp at social interactions, in particular when it comes to you. This guy is just too intense and doesn't know how to chill. 

Cherishes the S/O

He doesn't have much preference when it comes to appearances (body type, skin, hair colour, etc). He wants someone who's easy enough on the eyes? But beyond that, looks are superficial to him. Some people think he is vain because of how he mocked Hashi and his bowl cut/fashion sense. But really? We all know Mads held Hashirama in higher regards than he did anyone else. Madara connects through more intangible traits like values, the mind, strength, and such. He’d enjoy whatever fell out of your clothes if he loves you and doesn’t understand stuff like body insecurities. His "type" would be someone who is family-oriented, placing their children and kin above other priorities, someone who likewise supports him and wants to build a life with him. And someone who can challenge him a little.

Madara is loyal. He values his bonds and was honest until the end. Once you're his, he's also yours. You'd be super precious to him, the light of his life kind of thing. Your presence in his life inspires him to be better than he is.

[mooncalfe-art]

Weird question, please bear with me.

So I was in the turtle group chat talking about different methods of turtle shell repair, as one does, and then I remembered Donnie's Terrible, Rotten, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and his metal shell.

Seeing as a turtle's shell IS their spine and a significant portion of their ribcage, does Donnie now also have a prosthetic metal spine and ribs? and all the Important Stuff that's in the spinal column - the nerves and the fluids and the like... I'm not really asking for you to explain the Deep Biology of mutant turtle skeletal structures, but I AM asking what is up with their spines - are the fused, separate, some secret third thing? inquiring minds want to know.

I think about this same thing every so often, haha. Most artists (even Peter and Kevin back in the day) draw the Turtles with a flexible plastron unlike real turtles, which you can either chalk up to artistic license and cartooning, or you can take it more literally to mean that the Turtles have a more human-type skeleton and their plastron and shell are more spongy sort of armor plating rather than bone like real-life turtles. If I was the only one working on TMNT I'd probably delve more into the biology of it and have it at the outset that the carapace is part of their skeleton and is rigid like real turtles, but it's impossible to set that kind of thing up in a series with a ton of people working on it and expect it to remain the same across the board, so I usually just don't worry about it. I'm also kind of boxed in a bit by Donatello losing his shell and, thanks to the ooze, somehow receiving a new one that Fugitoid I guess just sticks onto Don's back and he's good to go. There's a panel in that particular issue (I forget which one it was) where Don is about to be operated on and he's lying on his back on the medical bed, but I always wondered what's under his shell, then? If he has no shell I'm guessing it was a huge exposed wound, and if so why is he lying ON the giant gaping wound?! Haha. And then it's like if the Turtles' carapace is flexible in IDW TMNT, that must mean it's NOT part of their skeletal system and in that case why would Don even need a new shell? Clearly thinking too deeply about it, haha.

In any case, since I took over as writer, I've tried to go by those rules that Tom set up as much as I can, like when I had Don's old broken shell (which Tom never accounted for, where did it go after Fugitoid removed it??? So I decided to draw the old shell having been tossed into a dumpster, lol) be attached to Venus, like if the surgeon has a healing agent like ooze or the Dragon scales the way Fugitoid and Dr. Barlow did, it seems like they can just graft components (whether organic or inorganic) onto anyone however they like regardless of what the internal mutant biology is. In Venus's flashback in my Alliance #4 issue, I did draw her spinal column visible when the shell is being grafted on though, sort of as a nod to the skeletal system thing but not explicitly solidifying the biology of it.

Another way I think about it is that mutants haven't undergone any sort of evolution as a species, their biology doesn't have to "make sense" or be useful in a natural selection evolutionary way. The mutagen kinda removes all the specialized traits from an animal, so the Turtles' carapaces have lost whatever traits gave rise to regular turtles' shells over millions of years. Mutants are outside the evolutionary process, so the Turtles' shells don't have to be biologically useful or advantageous or even really have anything in common with normal turtles. The mutagen reconfigures an animal into humanoid form and it'll recode their DNA to any extent to acheive that end result, so maybe it built the Turtles' a new skeletal system and their shells are purely vestigial.

I feel like I'm getting way too deep here and it only makes it more confusing, lol. So to answer your question, if I had to pick one of the options you listed, I would pick "secret third thing." ;)

[nuctoria]

Luigi can redeem almost any villain... maybe?

He may be Mario's counterpart, but in the eyes of the bad guys he is much more than that.

I agree with that but doing so can get him into real trouble because it can easily lead to a trap, Luigi has the patience and kindness to help redeem but some villains also have the same patience, the manipulation skills and the actually clever and detailed plan to take down Luigi. This is even more dangerous if the villain is actively but secretly after Luigi alone instead of trying to use him to get to Mario, Peach or someone else.

This also depends on the type of villain. If it's a villain who's been broken down, never really had affection or positive reinforcement and so on, Luigi's genuine kindness can shock them into a pause and slowly rub off on them to the point they actually get redeemed and open up to him so he can help them heal. And it's small. normal kindness from Luigi, nothing else. He follows their boundaries, working with them to take care of them, remember the little details that they thought wouldn't be important at all yet let them start to see that Luigi actually cares and shocks them even more when he reveals that this is what's normal. They don't focus so much more on evil schemes and hatred or other negative emotions, they get used to this quiet, comfortable and peaceful life. They don't want to risk loosing it all by going back to their ways. Mission Complete.

Then we have the villains that aren't broken and are naturally assholes, worse if they actually did get affection in the past yet still chose to be evil due to genuinely liking it better. Those are the most dangerous, because those have the least amount of morals and not that many weaknesses. In fact, they can be the type that do the most damage, both physically, mentally and emotionally. Luigi becomes the perfect target for that. He is very much vulnerable in their eyes and will attract them due to this. You may think showing his resilience and actually strength and many other surprises he has will make them think twice but no, it makes things worse. They get excited and want to increase their attacks on him just to see how much more he can take, how much torture he can endure before he breaks.

If he tried to rehabilitate those villains then he'll need to be surrounded by his friends more, as it will force the villain to be even more careful and crafty to not get caught by people who actually don't trust them and their mission is to protect Luigi. However, because they are familiar with positive interactions, they can use those skills to seem none-threatening and get closer to Luigi then to his friends to calm them down and not be so wary. The plan can go in different ways after that. It can be a surprise kidnap, a more elaborate plan of isolation and manipulation so Luigi starts to depend on them, magic being used if needed to make their influence on him more solid. Another important factor that must be done, reveal nothing solid about themselves, nothing that can give his friends or even him hints of where they are from, who they really are or what they have done. They can't lie either as it will be dangerous to get caught lying, instead they reshape the truth or don't make it as clear, using false shame and guilt to cover for it and not be asked for more details, which will work immediately with Luigi due to his kind heart and relating to not wanting to be pressured into revealing the darker part of ones self.

Is it possible to redeem these villains though? Yes, but very rarely and it's often too dangerous to try.

You know what, I think I now know how to make my villain OC i talked about. I just need to decide what to base them on still.

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Hi, if you don't answer questions of this nature that's completely fine but I really like your slide shows and feel like they represent how I think and feel and was wondering if you can offer some advice. I had a small meltdown over a cooking mishap and when I verbalized that for the first time as im trying to really advocate for my needs more, my sister (who means well but doesn't really get it) tried comparing it to spirals she gets when her anxiety spikes in an attempt to help me out of it. I have depression so I know what spiraling feels like and I know my meltdowns are nothing like that but I was too upset to explain the difference to her and her trying to tell me that I'll eventually find a way to just get better at pushing through it when I told her I need to let it come and pass just frustrated me more and made me unable to speak for the rest of the night even when I felt better. In short, do you have any tips for explaining autistic meltdowns to allistic people? I know it'll happen again so I know I'll need to explain myself and would appreciate any advice you can provide or resources of yours you could point me to. Thank you.

Hi there,

I found a few articles that might help. According to the first article:

In autistic adults, meltdowns are also a complete loss of control of behavior but that looks very different. In adults, it can look like crying, yelling, lashing out, suicidal ideation, self-harm, inability to talk, lack of ability to think, or rage.

According to research by Phung et al. (2022), autistic adults describe feeling out of control and they feel this with their entire body. They describe having blurry vision, muscles getting hot, cheeks getting warm, and shoulders bunched up. They have a diminished ability to think and sometimes difficulty finding words or remembering basic things. Autistic adults describe feeling completely out of control like everything is fuzzy.

Phung et al. (2022) also describes a stage called burnout, which can proceed meltdown in which the autistic person begins to feel fatigued, overwhelmed, slowed down, and has difficulty with cognition. This is a period where continued pressure and overwhelming sensory and emotional stress begin to erode the autistic person’s ability to function and perform daily tasks. Encouraging autistic people to decrease emotional and sensory pressure at this point can prevent meltdowns.

The Autism Research Institute reports that meltdown is caused by central nervous system overload in autistic people. Recent research shows that autistic people have neurons that are more hyperconnected than neurotypicals. This explains why it is so much easier to overwhelm autistic people. Autistic people’s sensory systems are very different and when things are overwhelming, this can result in complete meltdown.

The article will be below:

According to this article:

Meltdowns are often the result of situations which are highly stimulating or create high levels of anxiety which feel like they can't be escaped. When someone is in this situation their reaction is either flight, fight or freeze. If the person cannot escape that leaves two options: either fight or freeze. 

Meltdowns are similar to the fight response. 

When an autistic person is having a meltdown they often have increased levels of anxiety and distress which are often interpreted as frustration, a 'tantrum' or an aggressive panic attack. 

It's important to understand that meltdowns are not 'temper tantrums'. They are a reaction to a highly distressing situation or environment. 

While in a meltdown a person can be injurious to others or themselves because of the extreme state of anxiety their body is in. That's why it's really important to minimise the risk of this happening - both for the person and those around them. 

Meltdowns are very physically tiring and emotionally draining for the individual. This is because the person has been in a distressing situation and has had a highly adrenalised and emotionalised response. 

The article will be below:

I hope this helps. Thank you for the inbox. I hope you have a wonderful day/night. ♥️