#the pool is the main character of this episode

[greensaplinggrace]

one of the things that bothers me most about late seasons btvs is the lack of continuity in relationships. like main events seem to carry over for the core crew, and the general emotion is there, but sometimes it feels like there should be stronger foundations where there is just sand, and it's incredibly disorienting. this seems to especially happen with spike, where he will have consistently positive and impactful interactions with the main characters in ways that should by all means be changing their impressions of him, and then in the next episode it's like none of that ever happened. that's enemy #1 soulless evil unthinking spike again, even though one scene ago you were playing pool with him and clearly realizing he experienced emotions and would die for you. like ??? where's the emotional follow-through.

[hazbin-but-good]

another hazbin hotel rewrite/redesign?

yup! and i'm so serious about it that i made a whole blog for it. i'm a white queer ex-cath tran doing this as an art and writing exercise, so feedback from other creatives + jewish and/or racialized folks is especially welcome.

i'm putting this post and only this post in the main tags for visibility. also, not gonna link my main, but i do make my own original stuff, and i encourage fans and haters alike to do the same.

anyway, here's a mostly good-faith 1.7k-word essay on the original. i think it's pretty funny and brings up some less talked-about points. correct me on the facts, disagree with my opinions, and ask clarifying questions, but don't come at me with any piss-poor reading comprehension.

the hellaverse is garbage, and here's why

cw: strong language, stronger opinions, intersectional feminist critical discourse analysis

1. vivienne medrano, the person

medrano was born as a well-off white-passing latina (salvadoran-american) in bougieass frederick, maryland. while attending new york's top art school, she got popular on deviantart-tumblr-twitter by being a prolific multifandom fujoshi furry who's more into ornamental character design than storytelling. upon graduation, she leveraged her fanbase and industry connections to make the hazbin and helluva boss pilots, get helluva made for youtube, and get hazbin made for amazon prime.

like every woman online, she gets harassed for no good reason, and as a certified autist, i will defend her right to be dumb, weird, annoying, and bad with words. however, there are legit reasons to criticize her:

racism, misogyny, homophobia, fatphobia, some antisemitism, past transphobia, past ableism

shitty boss, bad friend

cowardly, vindictive, manipulative, thoughtless behavior

skeevy friends

sucks at taking criticism

in short, i think she desperately needs a PR person and someone to clean up her digital footprint.

2. medrano's art

incurious

inauthentic

noncommittal

creatively stagnant

overindulgent, and the indulgence isn't even fun

shallow and childish framed as complex and mature

bland and boring framed as shocking and subversive

to be clear, i'm at peace with the existence of suckass art like this; i just think the money, attention, and praise it gets are unearned and should go to more interesting works, of which there are infinite.

medrano's had the time, money, and social cache to grow as an artist, learn from the best, and take creative risks, but she hasn't. if she truly has nothing more to offer, she should let her collaborators take the wheel, but she doesn't do that either. instead, she keeps getting more and more resources to make the same baby bullshit, and that pisses me off. she could be the nicest person ever, and this fundamental arrogance would still make her art blow.

stop with the pointless guilt: liking medrano's work does not make you stupid or evil. however, if you stay in the kiddie pool of culture, if you refuse to engage with a diversity of art, if the hellaverse is your point of reference for anything media-related, you can't expect to have your opinions on art, media, or culture taken seriously. you have not earned a seat at the table. you gotta hit the books first.

i cannot emphasize enough how much incredible stuff is out there if you're willing to look further than what social media and streaming services put right in front of you. if you come away from this blog having learned about just one new artist or piece of art, i'll be a happy camper.

3. the hellaverse

a. empty and confused

hazbin and helluva's content and marketing has no clear target audience. the subjects are inappropiate for teens, but the execution is too childish for adults, and lemme tell you what i don't mean by that, first.

not inherently inappropriate for teens:

sex and sexuality

violence, including when it intersects with the above

politics and religion

not inherently childish:

animation (any style)

comedy

episodic writing and/or loose continuity

young characters

fun, happiness, optimism, the power of friendship, cuteness, tenderness, sincerity, etc.

what i mean is that these shows are literally about adult characters who fuck, smoke, drink, do drugs, go clubbing, work full-time, manage their own finances, and deal with stuff like bureaucracy, sexual violence, domestic abuse, marriage, divorce, late adoption, and family estrangement.

however, none of these "adult" things are given enough specificity to create drama or comedy. it's all too stock, vague, flat, weirdly sanitized, and thus utterly banal—pure aesthetics on top of bad saturday morning cartoons. it's exactly what i'd expect from a sheltered disney kid who needs to log off and get into their local gay scene ASAP so their only contact with things like poverty, policing, addiction, and sex work stops being facile movies and TV.

if the shows were aware of this and played with it, that could be amazing, but they're not. they give you the mickey mouse version of the world with a straight face and then play looney tunes sound effects to try to make you laugh and sad_violin.mp3 to try to make you cry. now that's funny.

b. old and tired

let's make like americans and pretend that the rest of the world doesn't exist. even within the confines of the USA, home of the hays code, the red scare, and reaganite propaganda, this neopuritan fascist state ruled by 1000 megachurches in a trenchcoat, the indie/underground animation scene has been doing crazier shit for decades. anti-war films in the 60's, bakshi movies in the 70's, the simpsons shorts and r-rated movies in the 80's, adult swim and MTV in the 90's, flash/newgrounds/youtube in the 00's, streaming in the 2010's—so what are we doing in the 2020's with this wet white rice drowned in expired ketchup? i feel crazy making this point because it's obvious if you've watched these things, but if you haven't, you're gonna be like "well, there's gotta be something new here". no! there isn't! in the words of jimmy "the scot" jordan, nothing, nothing, NOTHING!

c. ideological purgatory

actually, there is one thing in these shows i've never seen before: the presbysterianism. shout out some interesting or at least intentional presbysterian art in the comments, because the way these ideas are presented here is not compelling. it just makes the rainbow neoliberalism even more confusing and contradictory.

i guess the big presbysterian things are protestanism, calvinism, and, uh, big church government? presbysterians, get your shit together. get your brand down. catholics have BDSM and vampires, evangelicals have TV and corporatism; what do you have? celtic crosses? no wonder medrano has such uninspired ideas on divinity.

d. queer deficiency

when i look at a piece of art, i ask myself: "what does this give me that i can't get from the hunchback of notre dame (1996)?" if the answer is as limp as "uhh, gay people, i guess", i can probably look for my gay shit elsewhere and rewatch the hunchback of notre dame (1996) in the meantime.

but let's say that you have no standards. you've been waiting for ages for a show about gays by the gays for the gays, and by god you're gonna get it. this is it! here we go! time for some

generic twink obliteration

male sexuality as aggression and dominance displays

WLW (sex and chemistry not included)

a couple straight femdoms

and the stalest sex jokes known to man

...yeah, it's not very queer. and by "queer", i mean "questioning or subverting gender norms (including sexual roles) within a given cultural context regardless of creator identity and intent". i'm not a queer studies scholar so LMK if there's a more specific term for this, but whatever you call it, it's not in the hellaverse much.

there's not even any transness, literal or metaphorical, just ancient drag jokes. i guess the writers thought we would've been too controversial. so much for an indie animation studio that prides itself in the diversity of its staff both above and below the line, bakshi-style. i wonder how medrano, a bisexual woman, would've felt if told that a lesbian main couple in hazbin would be "too controversial".

4. spindlehorse and the vivziepop brand

spindlehorse toons underpays its overworked staff and keeps outsourcing more and more labor to even more overworked freelancers overseas to cut costs. a rainbow sweatshop is still a sweatshop, and just because these practices may be "industry standard" doesn't make them any more ethical.

the studio has also been repeatedly accused by current and former employees and contractors of creating a hostile and abusive workplace. AFAIK, it still has no dedicated HR person, and victims are too afraid of retaliation like blacklisting and online harassment to speak out.

this is exactly the stuff that unions exist to prevent. as i'm writing this, the IATSE (the parent union of TAG, which is the parent union of all US animation unions) is negotiating with entertainment industry executives for better working conditions, and if the execs fuck around like last year, it's strike time again. so watch this space, voice your support, and don't cross any picket lines.

i hope spindlehorse unionizes, but until then and for these reasons, i don't think you should give money to the company.

first of all, all content on amazon-owned platforms is ok to pirate, and all youtube ads are ok to block. everyone involved in making the episodes has (or should have) been paid upfront, so you're not taking the bread out of anyone's mouth.

next, let's look at the succulent offerings of the official vivziepop merch shop:

$10 pins and keychains

$15 sticker packs

$20 mugs and acrylic cutouts

$25 shirts

$30 metal cards (not even tarot)

$40 lounge pants

$50 mini backpacks

random $80 skateboard deck

forgive my latin americanness, but this is all stuff you can get made by a local metalsmith, print/sublimation shop, or just crafty people in your life. it's cheaper, customizable, and better for the environment to skip all the shipping and packaging. also, not painting your own skateboard is poser shit.

the hazbin website also has $15 pins, one $20 keychain, and $6 trading card packs. people are weird about trading cards, so if for some reason you wanna gamble for a mass-produced bit of cardboard, plastic, and tinfoil, at least bulk-order for all the vivziepoppers in your area so it's less of a huge waste. better yet, trace the designs and make infinite bootlegs.

at the end of the day, buying merch is not activism. your bulk order of trading cards will not save any wage slaves from getting evicted from their overpriced studio apartments. however, the shop links you to all the credited artists/designers, and more of your bucks will actually reach them if you buy their designs directly, then turn them into body pillows or life-sized bronze statues or whatever the fuck.

go through the credits of any episode of helluva or hazbin, and you'll find even more creatives you might wanna support. get jinkx monsoon's albums on CD. subscribe to actually good artist, animator, and composer gooseworx. lots of voice actors now have patreon, cameo, or self-hosted pages where you can write better lines for their characters and have them read it. these things may not look as shiny as Official Merch™, but we all need less plastic shit and more culture anyway.

[genericpuff]

Lore Olympus Episode 265 Betrays the Series' Own Messages of Consent

I've been keeping it on the down low lately with new episodes of LO, both for the sake of my mental health and because LO itself has just become so... pointless and boring. There's only so much to say when nothing is happening, and in that regard, I will preface this with a "congratulations" towards Rachel, because she's finally found a way to best the "haters" - make the comic so boring that there's nothing worth talking about to begin with.

At first glance I thought this was going to be another one of those episodes. Good job, Rachel, you managed to pad out another episode with pointless fluff to get you closer to that looming end date. Just keep dragging, just keep dragging, just keep dragging-

But the longer I sat on it, and read the comments and posts about it in discussion circles, the more I've realized that this episode in particular has a load of issues that I don't feel good just sitting on and not talking about. Primarily because, over the course of about 90% of this episode's length, we see Lore Olympus - and Rachel - slyly undo everything that ever mattered in its subtext about consent, healthy relationships, and strong communication.

Granted, Lore Olympus has never exactly been the poster child for those things, but it's trying to be, so we're going to dissect it with an equal amount of scrutiny. It wants to be taken seriously, so I'm going to take it seriously and criticize it seriously.

CONTENT WARNING: EPISODE 265 SPOILERS AHEAD, AS WELL AS DISCUSSION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, MENTAL HEALTH, GROOMING, AND SYMPTOMS OF MANIA, PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Episode 265 opens with an attempt at plot progression, returning to Morpheus who, last we checked, had been targeted by Kronos as the cliffhanger for Episode 259 before being shoved aside entirely for multiple episodes worth of Demophoon, pool-fucking, and a vision from Hera.

Honestly, I won't waste my 30 image limit on the episode's opening sequence because it accomplishes absolutely nothing. And by the time it starts to try and state what that goal is, it transitions away, because Rachel has the attention span of a squirrel on meth and having Morpheus state what her plan is would just be too much dedicated writing for her at this point, she needs another week at least to figure it out.

So instead we get exactly what was promised in the FastPass previews - the entire episode is spent, yet again, on Hades and Persephone, with the exact same topics, conclusions, and terrible sex as the pool scene.

Seriously, this might be a nitpick, but I'm so tired of Persephone not being allowed to swear. We've seen other characters swear. We've even had Kronos call her a "dumb fucking bitch". But this "girlboss" character who we're supposed to believe has "agency" can't be allowed to swear even when they're in an ACTUALLY STRESSFUL SITUATION? You know purity culture isn't exclusive to sex, right, Rachel? If you're gonna deconstruct it, maybe don't have the poster child of that deconstruction be relegated to a church girl? She's literally the Queen of the Underworld - adjacent to the ruler of Hell - let her fucking swear LMAO

Anyways, we see very quickly that Persephone is still feeling the ill effects of her anxiety that she was feeling in the last episode. Anxiety that, by the way, caused her to pass out. Please keep that in mind, don't let it escape.

And what is she stressing over? The genocide? The fact that they still don't have an actual solution to the ongoing "plague"?

Nah. The sleep dive. She's stressing over her husband doing the sleep dive again and - like last time - turning into a dad-possessed monster.

As always, the fear and anxiety is in no way linked to the actual devastation happening outside - it's just concern for the main male lead, because that's all Persephone's character and thoughts and opinions and "agency" can revolve around.

But uh. Remember that scene where Hades got possessed by Kronos and literally strangled her? Remember that scene I just asked you to keep in your brain about her panic attacks getting so bad she's been passing out?

Hello? No? Okay. Next.

I hate, I loathe, I detest this dialogue. Not because it's cliche as fuck - it is - but because the whole "I trust you, it's just xyz I don't trust" shit has been overplayed and debunked as a plausible response in relationship communication for years now.

We talked about this back during our discussion of Leuce - how it shouldn't matter if Persephone doesn't trust Leuce because ultimately Leuce can't do anything to her or Hades' relationship if it's built on as much "trust" as she claims it is, trusting Hades is all that should matter full stop - and it repeats itself here, albeit with Hades' dad instead of his canon first wife. This is a copout. Relationships actually built on trust can definitely still be worried about the issues posed by other people, but if you trust your partner, if you truly trust your partner, that's it. That's where the sentence ends. No shit you don't trust Kronos, we've been over this song and dance multiple times before and while he's definitely a bigger real threat than Leuce, your distrust for Kronos has nothing to do with how you're communicating with your partner who knows there's likely no other way and a solution has to be found. Nothing's being accomplished at this point from Persephone moping around and having sex with her husband, and he's showing 10x more initiative in actually finding a solution - even if it means putting his own safety at risk - than Persephone.

I didn't edit any of that, those are the legit real panels. Literally what the fuck is this dialogue, my tinfoil hat theory about LO being written by ChatGPT is becoming more and more plausible and I hate that, my crackpot theories shouldn't actually become reality.

Is there an owl in here?

LO is just spinning its wheels over the exact same conversation and points that have already been made. Nothing is being accomplished here, it's just more moping and going over the same problems - the centre of which being "what about H x P's relationship?? :(((("

All of that repetitive meandering and moping for "okay fine but if anything feels weird, get out" "okay". It, again, accomplishes nothing that couldn't have been accomplished during the pool scene.

And now we get this line. "I experienced greed in that way, and you do not possess it." Don't be alarmed if you were confused, I was confused too, as were many people in the discussion circles. Thanks to the ULO Discord, I realized she was talking about Apollo. She's literally comparing him to Apollo.

"After all this time, I can't comprehend you causing me harm. I've been at the receiving end of harm so I would know" is literally all she's trying to say. And even with it translated... I don't really like the implications of it at all. This has been a problem since S1, but there's always been this subtext in LO that because Hades didn't rape her, that somehow makes him less abusive or a better partner for Persephone than Apollo, that's all the SA has really been trying to achieve.

But Hades is abusive. He's intentionally pursued women who are in a crisis. He's trapped women in financial dependency. He's sabotaged women from having power and status on the same level as him.

And now, we're about to see actual abuse from Hades - the subtle kind that demands co-dependency, but is still abuse, full stop - but it's being framed as "romantic".

"Being an Originals creator was my big chance to prove myself, and I flopped"- wait sorry I misread. We're talking about Persephone failing at being Queen. Yeah, she definitely flopped. And it goes to show her true intentions in wanting to be Queen, now that she's hit rock bottom and isn't putting on a brave PR face - she wanted to become Queen not to make the Underworld a better place, not to be an example of being a better ruler among a gallery of scumbags, but to "prove" that she could belong and be one of the big guys, that she could be more than just a cereal box mascot.

Don't get me wrong, I can absolutely get wanting to rise above the odds and "prove" to everyone that you can be more than people's perceptions of you, but becoming the literal ruler of a realm that you then go on to destroy due to your own hubris, just to whine and cry about it and have your husband and your colleagues and your friends carry the burden of that destruction on your behalf... therapy would have been a better first step to overcoming those insecurities, not taking control over the lives of innocent people.

Especially when Persephone DID have status and power before becoming Queen, it just wasn't the specific kind of status and power she wanted. She was only a trust fund child with a huge net worth, a full-ride scholarship, and everything she could ever need provided to her with little struggle to get it - but she didn't have control over other people so it just wasn't good enough.

This is the perspective and attitude of a 19 year old who never matured. Who never could mature because she transitioned from her mother's control into Hades'. There were far better ways to prove herself, ways that we had seen her try to do, only to drop so she could pursue her co-dependent relationship with Hades - she gave up her schooling, gave up her apartment (which we only see her use maybe 2-3 times), gave up so many of her connections and support so she could be with Hades.

This is the result of 5 years of real-time grooming that we're seeing play out.

No, you are just saying them because she's your wife. You'd be saying it to Minthe, or Leuce, or Hera, or any other woman in Persephone's position because it's not about taking accountability, it's about keeping these women in a position of submissiveness and co-dependency, by giving them reassurance that nothing they ever do is wrong and that he's the only one that can give them that freedom from consequences.

And then we get the reinforcement.

I'm gonna spare you all the cringe of the actual sex scene (and yes, they do straight up go into having onscreen sex and it's... not hot at all), but here's some of the dialogue spoken by Hades during the entire sequence:

Again, let's remember the actual situation that led up to this and the position Persephone is currently in. For the third time Persephone has "accidentally" killed thousands of people. Over the past few episodes we've seen her try to realize how so many of these problems have been her fault and she clearly doesn't know how to make things right (and Rachel has made it obvious how much she doesn't want you to agree with this kind of self-awareness because much of it is being said through the mouthpiece of a rapist). And now we have Hades, reinforcing the thought patterns that would prevent her from growing and learning and changing. In this, a comic that's supposed to be "feminist", a comic that's trying to preach the importance of consent, a comic that's trying to make us believe this is a healthy, consenting relationship with strong communication skills.

These are literally grooming tactics. Hades is reinforcing the same thought patterns that will prevent Persephone from acknowledging her errors and mistakes. People are dying and Hades is telling her that if anyone has anything to say about it, they deserve to die anyways. The same man who literally rewarded her with sex for vandalizing a nymph's home is now telling her that she's not cruel, but kind:

Hades might not be Apollo, but he literally choked her out less than a week ago while possessed by his dad, and for the last SEVERAL episodes he's had the starry skin making him resemble who? Oh yeah, his dad.

Hades is literally holding Persephone in the same position Kronos did, while she's experiencing a literal meltdown that she's trying to stuff deep down - in fact, exhibiting a LOT of symptoms of mania - and initiating sex.

Doesn't this feel a little familiar?

Oh right, but he asks her if she's "still okay" mid sex only AFTER initiating chokehold sex with her without her consent and love-bombing her, so it's fine, clearly.

I remember being 17 years old and reading Fifty Shades of Grey for the first time, and even then understanding fully how toxic their relationship was. I can only hope the teenagers in Rachel's comment section can realize that as well, but judging by the comment section, I'm not holding out hope. This is literally "fifty shades of fucked up" material, and what's worse is that I can't tell if Rachel genuinely thinks this is healthy, or just doesn't realize how unhealthy it's coming across as. Even beyond how "cringe" this sequence is, it enters into the realm of being deeply uncomfortable and unsettling, and it needs to be talked about, Rachel can't be let off the hook for this especially when this is supposed to be, again, a comic that's intending to "deconstruct purity culture" and teach young girls about consent and boundaries.

And that's it, that's the end of the episode. It reads like the manifesto of a villain in the making at the hands of a predator, like Anakin being manipulated by Palpatine - "so long as you're with me, you'll have all the power, all the glory, and everyone else will be crushed underneath your heel."

Is that really the message we really want to come away from LO from? That it's fine for husbands to initiate sex with their wives through trauma-bonding and reinforcement of toxic thought patterns rooted in grooming because... they're married? That being a "girlboss" means sabotaging and abusing anyone who you perceive as a threat?

Is Hades really that much different from Apollo? Because so far, the line between his actions and Apollo's are seriously starting to blur. The parallels between Persephone and his past partners - Minthe and Hera - have always been clear, but they've never been quite so loud as last night's episode.

This is Hades' play, the play of a groomer and an abuser who depends on making their victims dependent on them - taking advantage of women while they're in a crisis.

For Minthe, it was financial - she had lost her job, blamed it on him, and he found a way to "solve her problem" that strategically put her into a position where she had to continue to financially depend on him for what's assumed to at least be a year or longer, through her apartment, her bills, and her job.

For Hera, it was emotional - she had chosen Zeus over him, and instead of addressing her marital concerns within the marriage, she participated in an affair with Hades in an attempt to have what she could have had if she had chosen Hades instead, a man who resembles her own abuser. Not only did this put her into a much more vulnerable position than him - if the affair was found out, Hera would have suffered the consequences far more than Hades - but it's also manifested itself into Persephone, who Hera has been using as a stand-in for herself, even going so far as to manipulate Persephone's image and how she goes about her decision-making, from intentionally pulling the strings to get Persephone a job with Hades so she could get closer to him as a "test" for Hades, to forcing Persephone to wear a wedding dress she wanted her to wear over the one Persephone had actually picked out herself.

And now there's Persephone, the newest addition to the cycle of abuse and untreated trauma, the true culmination of Hades' years trapping and manipulating women - financially dependent on him, emotionally dependent on him, and only where she is because she's made her entire identity revolve around him.

I'm not going to psychoanalyze Rachel in any way, I don't want anyone to think that this is permission to do so because Rachel's personal life is her own and I want to examine the material rather than the person. But so much of LO gives me such a gross impression that Rachel herself never matured past middle school, that she never grew beyond the mindset of being a 13 year old girl who felt like the entire world was against her and that no one could understand her, that she never gained the perspective most adults do by the time they're 25 at minimum after they've entered the "real world" and had the lived experiences that make you realize "wow, that girl I hated in high school for stealing my crush from me probably wasn't as bad as I thought she was and we were all just teenagers trying to navigate the hellscape that is adolescence."

And instead of actually analyzing those thought patterns and mindsets, Rachel is instead reinforcing it in her own audience of 13 year old girls and teenagers who will only hopefully maybe outgrow it and not just repeat the cycle themselves.

And this isn't entirely on Rachel's shoulders. It's on the shoulders of E.L. James, of Stephanie Meyer, of Colleen Hoover, of every "young adult" romance author who's peddled this strictly heteronormative "submission culture but not like the 1950's kind I swear" crap, that women should only aspire to find the richest man they can bag in their pursuit for power and after that everything in the world is owed to them and any problem they have can be solved by riding dick. Trauma? Solved. Genocide? Solved. The very real consequences of your own actions that affect others to such a degree that it will be felt for decades? Solved. Just ride that dick and get that money, girlboss.

Just like 50 Shades of Grey, if Lore Olympus was any other story, it would be a tragedy. It would be a masterclass in understanding and showcasing the signs of emotional abuse, financial abuse, grooming, trauma-bonding, love-bombing, and enforcing co-dependent habits for the sake of trapping people. It would be a precautionary tale to young girls to stay alert and be wary of older men, that men like Hades are depending on girls to fall for their tricks, their praise, their affirmations that they're so mature for their age, that they're not like other girls, that they would just be so set for life if they spent all their time and attention with them, so that they can "have it all".

I can only hope that even a third of the young girls who read LO naturally grow up, gain perspective, and learn that LO isn't the pillar of healthy relationships and consent that it tries to be. It's certainly a common thing to see these days, for people to join the UnpopularLoreOlympus / #antiloreolympus community with sentiments that they started reading it at age 14 and then (thankfully) learned that what LO was preaching wasn't healthy.

But for every other girl who doesn't realize this, it's reinforcement of the same cycles - the cycle of women being only objects for sex, pitting themselves against one another, confusing gender empowerment with abuse towards others, and making their entire identity revolve around a man and justifying it as healthy so long as it makes them rich and powerful.

Even if Rachel some day gets her own head out of her ass and realizes what damage she's causing in her audience, like Persephone committing genocide, no amount of self-awareness will undo the consequences. She'll still have the awards, the money, the accolades, everything she's gained off the backs of Greek myth, feminism, and good faith from an immature audience who doesn't know any better and isn't being given the tools to understand.

Even if she realizes that, that's something she's going to have to live with for the rest of her career.

And it's a fucking tragedy.

[lastoneout]

Okay, honest question, who is Yotsuba?

OH HO HO ANON I AM ALL TOO HAPPY TO EXPLAIN :3

Yotsuba is a character from the greatest manga ever made, Yotsuba&!(or Yotsuba to! it translates weird, most fans just call it Yotsuba) which is a comedy slice-of-life manga about Yotsuba Koiwai, a five year old girl, and her very strange yet wholesome family and friends!

It's from the same mangaka who gave us Azumanga Daioh, though while that manga is told in a four-panel comic style and doesn't really have much of an overarching plot, Youtsuba is done in a traditional manga style and despite also being very episodic there is a bit of a throughline surrounding Youtsuba getting settled into the neighborhood she just moved to, growing up, and eventually, in the later chapters, getting ready to go to school for the first time. Also, there are storylines that take place over multiple chapters as well! Despite the fact that the manga has been releasing since 2003, the chapters are pretty sporadic and the comic has only really covered about one year of the character's lives, but it never really feels slow or aimless. It feels almost...timeless? I guess. It's really nice.

Anyway, the manga is legit one of the most wholesome, funny, heartwarming things I have ever read. Kiyohiko Azuma is a fucking MASTER of comedy(you may have seen screencaps from a Sailor Moon fan comic he made going around on tumblr in which Jupiter accidentally sends Venus shooting across a pool that made me laugh so hard I cried) and he balances it well with lots of slow moments with GORGEOUS artwork where you can really take in the scenery and all of it is seeped in a wonderful nostalgia for childhood that legit makes me super emotional.

I don't think the manga has ever really taken off in terms of popularity, at least not to the degree that it deserves imo, which is likely in part due to the creator being firm about it never getting an anime adaptation and the sporadic release schedule, but it's far from unknown. There's been an official(I think??) score released and plenty of figurines and merch. It's also birthed a lot of memes, and it def has the same issue as One Piece where if you read it and love it you will turn into a walking billboard and try to drag your friends and family in with you. It's just THAT good!

You may have seen art of or people cosplaying Danbo, a "robot" made of old cardboard boxes that Yotsuba adores (Totally a real robot btw, def doesn't have a middle schooler shoved inside there, that would be silly wdym /s)

And this pose from the back of one of the manga volumes featuring Yotsuba, her father, and their extremely tall friend Jumbo has been redrawn with other characters like 500000 billion times

And you've also probably seen this going around tumblr before (that's Fūka she's my favorite cringe fail daughter I would literally die for her).

Also, I would be doing a disservice if I didn't mention Yanda, who is a friend of Yotsuba's dad and also Yotsuba's nemesis. He's a loser who constantly gets dunked on by a toddler it's fucking hilarious.

But yeah it really is just like, a manga that feels like a hug, or a warm blanket or something, it's so comforting and funny and fantastic, I find myself re-reading it any time life gets to be too hard just bcs it's that good at distracting me and reminding me that live is worth living.

And also given that it's literally my favorite manga, I saved up a bunch of screencaps to use as reaction images after a read one time, and thus now it's my own little joke that if you send me anon hate I'm just gonna send you back a picture of this cutie

Bcs come on how can you be angry when you're looking at this???

Anyway here's some screencaps of the main supporting cast bcs I love all of them so much <3

YOU WILL READ YOTSUBA I AM NO LONGER ASKING

[milkyboybluewriter]

The Disappointing Case of Wendy Corduroy

Wendy Corduroy has a lot of potential, but too often is pushed to the side by a lot of fans, and even by her creator.  But not for lack of trying, or an interest in the character.  In fact, Alex’s idealised view of Wendy may have been her greatest obstacle in receiving a story of her own.  Dipper isn’t the only one who seems to consider her ‘the coolest person he knows.’

Wendy was inspired by the first girl who ever spoke to Alex Hirsch, as well as several people the creative team thought were cooler than them. These were likely special memories or people in order to base a fictional character on them.  But that puts her on a pedestal.  And when someone puts you up there, it’s hard for them to take you back down.  Either for fear of ruining you or concern that, when others look closer, they’ll be disappointed in what they see.

He wanted her to be a main character (in the same way Soos is, if not Stan, Dipper, or Mabel) but in many ways Wendy feels like a side character.  She never receives her own episode, and lacks the character arc that even some side characters like Pacifica and Robbie received.

Her family, her friends inside the Shack and out, her physical abilities and survival skills, the drama of being a teenager, not to mention being a resident of the weirdest place on Earth.  All of these can lead to a hundred stories across the spectrum.  So why do people not write more stories about her?

Maybe it’s because she wasn’t given the opportunity that others had.  

As a cool, older redhead, Wendy’s main role in the show was being Dipper’s crush.  Which already puts her at a disadvantage because it means they designed her purpose first, character second. In fact, this is probably why she changed so drastically from her vegan-hippie prototype seen in the Gravity Falls bible.  Everything from her boots to her hat has changed since then, save the way she makes Dipper’s heart go faster.  

Most of her appearances in season one featured this one-sided romance and Dipper’s attempts to impress her, which usually resulted in a morality lesson about being yourself and not doing dumb stuff to impress others.  Pretty standard cartoon crush territory.  But between the episodes, a real friendship bloomed. 

In The Time Traveller's Pig, she gives an indifferent shrug as she casually agrees to go to the fair with Dipper, yet before her injury - and in the timeline where she avoids it altogether - she’s shown to genuinely enjoy his company.  A couple of episodes later and she’s outright excited at the prospect of working alongside Dipper at the pool.  They have regular movie nights.  They crack jokes and tease the Shack’s customers.  Climb trees and play at the arcade.  Wendy spends more time with Dipper than any other character.  Which means she must care about him more than she does the rest.

The crush might be one-sided but the affection is not.

But in the DVD commentary of Into The Bunker, Alex Hirsch, Matt Chapman, and Rob Renzetti mention that fan feedback convinced them to end Dipper’s crush sooner rather than later, even supposedly having ‘KILL THE CRUSH’ as one of their main story goals for season 2.  Understandable.  The crush episodes weren’t always the best, and if it was always intended as an unrequited attraction then better to get it over with rather than draw it out.  And it’s a good lesson to have a young boy learn, especially around twelve.  Love and puberty are relatable, but no less frustrating for it.

Into the Bunker is my favourite episode for multiple reasons, not least for Wendy’s presence in it.  She shows off her friendship with Dipper in the cold open, reveals her lumberjack and fighting skills later, and shows she would be an excellent adventurer.  I see it as a prime example of What Could Have Been.  I especially adore the ending, where she lets Dipper down so gently, it’s a beautiful scene.  As sad as Dipper feels, he’s also been told by someone very special to him that he’s very special to her too.  Maybe not in the way he wants, but perhaps in an even more important way.  

I had high hopes after that episode.  I remember thinking this meant she would develop beyond just being his crush, especially now we’d seen her hold her own against the weirdness and danger.  I really wanted to see more of this adventurous, sensitive Wendy we’d missed in season one, and wanted her to be a regular companion and friend to the twins.

Wendy appears in 16 episodes in the first season, and 15 episodes in the second if you don’t split Weirdmageddon 3 into two.  In season one she appeared in but didn’t participate in the adventure of key episodes like Dreamscaperers or Gideon rises.  In season two, she joins the adventure in Society of the Blind Eye, The Last Mabelcorn, and the Weirdmageddon trilogy, but has limited interaction or story impact in most episodes, save Love God.   She only has what amounts to cameo appearances in Not What He Seems and Tale of Two Stans, two of if not the most important episodes of the series.  

Including each of the Weirdmageddon trilogy, she’s referenced via Dipper’s lingering crush six times, including episodes she doesn’t even appear in.  So, after Into The Bunker, Wendy goes from being Dipper’s crush to…his crush that appears less.  

Wow, they really failed that Kill the Crush mission, didn’t they?

Perhaps the biggest issue is that she is so keenly tied to Dipper.  I love the Dipper and Wendy relationship, I could write a massive essay on that alone.  But it is such an incredible waste that she didn’t get a chance to interact with the others nearly so often. Every other main character has relationships with others.  Soos has a father-son bond with Stan as well as a friendship with the twins.  Ford was introduced later in season 2 and still interacts with Soos and Fiddleford as well as his family.  It’s a hindrance to her character that most of her interactions were for Dipper’s arc, yet she received nothing of her own.  

Wendy spends some time with Mabel, trying to help her with boy trouble (not the best person to get dating advice from, Mabel) in Hand That Rocks the Mabel and Society of the Blind Eye, then goes along with the girls to keep them safe in Last Mabelcorn.  This lets us see her affection and big sister vibes don’t end with Dipper, and should have been explored far more.  Her interactions with Soos and Stan are also limited, mainly to the workplace.  Her only dialogue with Ford is one line in Journal 3.  

Yet we also never see her be by herself.  We never see her home life, or how she entertains herself away from her friends or work. She's always interacting with a main character or her group of friends.  No alone time or personal interests are seen beyond pranks and reading magazines to avoid work.

We even get to see Robbie Valentino’s home life and musical hobbies, but not hers.

This lack of independent material has even continued in the Book of Bill where two of her very limited mentions is in regards to Dipper being stuck on a tree and another is his search history.  Even her own dream is made into a joke at Dipper's expense.  Ten years later, and so much of her is tied to Dipper, specifically to mock his feelings for her.  I don’t know if that’s more insulting to Dipper or Wendy at this point.

Speaking of dreams, let’s get to another issue: her mother.  Who we know nothing about.  In a show so heavily focussed on mysteries, the fate of Mrs Corduroy is a question that’s been left hanging since season one and we have come no closer to an answer of any kind.  Even a direct question from fans on both the Alex Hirsch and Bill Cipher AMAs were answered so vaguely they told us nothing.  She’s no longer with her?  A Fountains of Wayne reference?  Even the Book of Bill’s reveal that Wendy dreams about her most nights says nothing.  Are these good dreams?  Nightmares?  Memories?  The implication is that she’s dead, yet not even that has been confirmed.  For all we know, Mrs Corduroy could be dead, missing, abandoned her family, or could be working on an oil rig for the summer.  Your guess is as good as anyone’s by this point. 

We know she’s Manly Dan’s oldest and his only daughter, but we didn’t even learn her brother’s names until a paste up sheet was released in 2017.  She barely shares a scene with any of them, and when it happens it’s in the background.  The only exception I can think of is their group hug in the Fearamid.  A tender moment which would have been so much better if we’d actually seen her engage with them beforehand.  Her lack of interaction is especially jarring considering her confession in Society of the Blind Eye:  "Okay, I'm not actually laid back. I'm stressed, like, 24/7. Have you met my family?"

Not really, no.  And for a show that’s about family as much as it is about mystery, it’s a shame that Wendy is let down in both areas.  

Even side characters like Robbie, Pacifica, and Grenda receive more character development, despite their limited importance or screen time.  In fact, it was recently pointed out to me that Archibald Corduroy, Wendy’s ancestor, is more integral to Pacifica than his own descendant.  Once again, Wendy’s interactions come up short, including from her own family.  

With the release of the Book of Bill, some people were hopeful that she might finally get some attention.  I wasn’t.  Personally, I think Bill simply has a low opinion of Wendy anyway since he called her a pushover in his AMA, so it can be fitting he doesn’t mention her often.  But it’s also the context of these mentions, and those on the website.  On Thisisnotawebsite.com she’s referred to twice - Her one contribution is a simple note where she pranks the reader.  Then she’s mentioned in Stan’s list of embarrassing moments.  

Ten years later and not only are her contributions incredibly minor, but they’re as much to do with other people as herself, if not more so.  She’s supposed to be a main character but she might as well be a cameo.

Her lack of representation is so bad, that I realised my friends were celebrating her being mentioned in The Book of Bill.  That’s how desperate we’ve become for Wendy material.  And I’m sick of it.   At this point, I’m anticipating a Wendy story as much as I am Winds of Winter.

Last month I was discussing some of my writing ideas with my father.  And he gave me a very hard truth: it doesn’t matter how good your ideas are, if you don’t act on them, they’re only ideas.  And he was absolutely right.  It doesn’t matter how great these ideas are in my head, if they’re only in my head then what good are they? 

Hirsch has been saying for years he’s wanted to do more with Wendy, but he hasn’t. Not in the show, the comics, or the other material.  Intentions, like ideas, are useless if you don’t do something about them.

I honestly hate how harsh this sounds.  I love Gravity Falls.  And I love Wendy.  And I believe Alex Hirsch does too, he just…doesn’t know what to do with her.  As he says in the Inconveniencing commentary: “We wanted to honour her so much that we couldn’t figure out the right episode with her because we didn’t want to mess her up.”  He’s put her on a pedestal just like Dipper did.  And I think she needs to come down so we can see how awesome she really is.

So, what can be done to fix this?  Well, when creators don’t have the time, interest, or ability to do something for a series, that leaves the fans to fill in the gap.  

I urge other Gravity Falls enthusiasts to try and give her the attention and character development she sorely deserves, especially now there’s a resurgence of activity and interest.  Draw or write her if you can, have her interact with other characters, not just be a crush, explore her depths.  And if you can’t, seek out those who have or can and ask their advice, or thank them for their work, offer encouragement.  For Wendy if not for them.

I want to leave this on a happier note and say that I’m going to follow this up soon with another essay, this time offering advice on writing Wendy.  Even talented writers I admire have surprised me by saying they struggle to write her, yet I’ve found it pretty easy.  So hopefully I can encourage other people to write her too.   

But if I could summarise what I want to see and what I think will help people write Wendy, it would be this: She’s not just Dipper’s crush, and she’s not just the cool girl.  She’s bigger than that.

She’s Wendy Flippin’ Corduroy and she deserves so much more.

Cheers, Milky Boy Blue

[prodbymaui]

Breaking The Norm

just come into my arms, destroy me if you want

PAIRING: jeong jaehyun x reader

GENRE: the bad boy's good girl

WORD COUNT: 1.9k+ words

WARNINGS: brief deep throat, brief overstimulation, dirty talks, pet names, mentioned illegal racing

SYNOPSIS: Who would've thought a man so tough like Jaehyun has a thing for girls who's fond of cringy and cliché dramas?

A/N: Cross is mentioned but this one's more of domestic than Cross' fic, no gores and can be a stand-alone fic. With that being said, please enjoy Uno's fic!

A scowl leaves a print on your face. ''What the– she's walking out just like that?! They haven't even talked about it yet! She should've waited for his reason!''

Yoojin, the main character, refuses to listen as to why Haeso left her in the midst of her early pregnancy and only coming back 5 years later. Believing that he abandoned her, the pent up anger and grudge will probably cause them another 3-4 more episodes before straightening the curve and reconciling. What'll happen to their daughter along the way, that you're curious about.

Frustrated by how things ended in this episode, you turn off the tv and stomps your way out of the room, heading towards the kitchen where your boyfriend's in the middle of cooking a dish, probably your dinner.

''Learn to clean up your own mess.'' Jaehyun shakes his head before clicking his tongue and placing his phone on the counter beside the stove in a decent gap. It seems like he was on a call prior to your arrival. Wrapping your arms around him, you plant a kiss on his cheek, eliciting a chuckle.

''So you're out of your den, huh? Got sick of watching that cliché drama?'' He earns a smack. His arm is so full of muscles that it didn't do much than make him laugh again. Those tattoos covering the vastness of his skin are hard to ignore.

Jaehyun's right though, it is cliché. That doesn't change the fact that he watches it with you in spite of hating the plot and the actors' acting. You love that about him.

 ''Who was that earlier?''

''Hmm?'' Jaehyun glances where you're looking. ''Ah, Cross. He wanted me to help Jungwon.''

Cross, a friend of his that you're familiar with yet haven't gotten the chance to actually meet him properly. Jaehyun says he's a busy man.

''About what?''

''Just a mess he made.'' You remember his last line when you arrived at the kitchen. ''That fucker won't stop bothering the youngsters, really.''

Giggling, you pepper his shoulder with kisses. ''Why are you so mad? I'm sure Jungwon can do it with just a few instructions from you.''

Finding nothing right to respond to you, Jaehyun smiles and focuses on cooking. The food looks and smells delicious, but you crave for something else. Something that involves a certain tattooed man who has his hair tied in a man bun.

Jaehyun sighs. ''You know I can ruin our food if you're distracting me, right?''

''Don't care. I'll just eat you instead.''

Jaehyun smirks, lowering the heat before facing you. ''You've got a dirt mouth on you, sweetheart.''

''Uh-huh, wonder where I got it from.'' Your arms circle his neck.

''Right, I wonder..''

Lips curving upwards, you are filled with a giddy feeling as Jaehyun connects with yours, caressing your waist while his other hand settles on the back of your neck to press into you deeper.

Sooner than later, it escalates to more, courtesy of Jaehyun's failed resistance over your body covered merely by his wrinkled dress shirt. A squeak escapes you, tightening your hold on him as he carries you without struggles and transfers you to the countertop usually used for eating breakfast. Your legs welcome him in between like an old friend.

Palm coming in contact with your inner thighs, Jaehyun hums. ''Of course, prancing around this apartment with no panties. What else can be expected from you? Always so eager to have my cock inside that tight little pussy of yours.''

You mewls. God, that deep fucking voice and the lack of filters on Jaehyun's words are enough to cause a pool on your core. ''T-touch me, please.''

And touch, he did. Two fingers plunge inside you, indifferent if you're unprepared for the sudden stretch. Jaehyun curls them, mouth sucking the area where your collarbone lies, groaning as his clothed crotch brushes against your knees. His arm that is on your waist grips you, closer to him and keeps you still.

''Ah, ah.'' Your head lolls to the back, hands placed behind you to support your weight. ''Your fingers feels so good– fuck– more. I want more please. Haah, so good!''

Two becomes three, pads prodding at your spot. The electrifying feeling is too much, you lose control of your own body. Your hips start to buck, meeting the vigorous thrusts of Jaehyun's hands as your own flies to hold onto Jaehyun's arm, gripping and moaning as you feel the muscle flex underneath your palm.

With the signs of your climax showing themselves to Jaehyun, he immediately pulls out his fingers, leaving you feeling empty and whining at the loss of pleasure. Grinding your pussy against the cold marble countertop to make up for the digits that left you unattended, you watch through your hazy vision how Jaehyun licks and sucks the said digits as if it's some sweet candy.

When your slick on his fingers runs out, Jaehyun nudges your legs wider, feet planted on the same marble top. Your eyes lowered to his boxers, his tip peeking out of the hem.

''Fuck.. you're too big a boxer couldn't even accomodate your size?''

Jaehyun kisses your throat, licking your nipples through the shirt. ''That's why you're here, darling. None of these clothes can keep my cock warm. My pretty cocksleeve.. you'll do that instead, don't you?''

Nodding, you press your body against him, hands feeling Jaehyun's abs and chest. Your eyes shoot wide and a gasp resonates around the kitchen when Jaehyun's tip breaches past your pussy lips, invading your hole as his veins rub the velvet and warm walls. When he's buried deep inside, Jaehyun starts thrusting with an unforgiving pace. There's not even a build up.

''Oooh– yes, yes, yes! Fuck my pussy! You reach so deep– oh, God– you reach so deep inside me, I can feel you in my belly. Jaehyun, you're so big! Too big!''

You feel so full. The impressive girth of your boyfriend might be monstrous but somehow your walls willingly stretches to its limit to accommodate it. As if your pussy was made exclusively for Jaehyun's dick.

''Motherfu–... You're fucking chocking me, sweetheart. I feel like I might come soon,'' Jaehyun chuckles. ''You're the only one who can make me cum in a span of minutes. You're the only one who can take my fucking cock like a fucking champ.''

''Yes! I'll make you feel– ah!-- feel good. You should fuck me everyday– haah– every morning and every night– Oh so good! Don't go to work just– fuuuck!-- just fuck me the whole day. Don't care if I tear apart.''

Even though his bar can function without physically being there, Jaehyun knows he won't do that. He won't get rich. But Jaehyun gets harder nonetheless.

''Or– or if not, you can bring me there and fuck me on the counter too while mixing and making drinks for your customers. I'm sure– ah shit– I'm sure they'll like the show. It's like hitting two birds with– oooh– one stone, right?''

Jaehyun growls at your ear. ''Fucking..''

You yelp as you get manhandled, your back now facing Jaehyun's chest as you stand before Jaehyun. A high-pitched moan rings across the apartment when Jaehyun thrusts into you faster, deeper, and harder. Your legs buckle and your arms fly out everywhere, desperate for something to hold on. 

Tears streaming down your face, Jaehyun decides to help his poor girlfriend by grabbing each of your arms on the area of your elbow, steadying you so he could plow and jab at your prostate without you moving much.

''You fucking slut. And here I thought I house an innocent one. Although maybe you were once like that– I made you like this. God, I made a monster, didn't I? A fucking vixen.''

Your knees face each other, folding a bit. They would've given up on you if not for Jaehyun. Head bowing down, you meet the view of your belly and the bump appearing with every snap of Jaehyun's hips. You are reduced to a whimpering mess.

Jaehyun laughs when he notices where you are looking at. ''See that? If you're not on pills, your belly would be round and plump. You will be carrying my child, showing everyone who fucking owns you.''

The words seem to be stuck on your throat, clogging the passage where you can get air as breathing through your nose isn't enough. Eyelids flickering, you could barely get the words out.

''What was that, darling?'' Jaehyun presses his cheek against yours, sucking the skin of your shoulder.

''Come– come..''

''Come?'' Jaehyun smiles, an arm caging you in his embrace as the other encloses on your throat again. ''Go on. You're my good girl, right? Come for Jaehyun, darling.''

You thrashes, legs shaking violently, tears rolling down your cheeks. Finally finding your voice, you scream as your release takes over your body, sending you into a bliss of pleasure.

''Beautiful.'' Jaehyun groans.

It's too much– the overstimulation, the drag of his thick cock along your walls. Instead of slowing down, Jaehyun quickens his pace, pinching your nipple between his middle and forefinger.

''Too much– I can't! Jaehyun, it's too much, please! Slow– fuck– slow down please!''

''No. You're gonna fucking take all of me. Isn't this what you want, sweetheart?''

''Just–...''

As his cock starts to twitch inside you, Jaehyun pulls out, pushing you down to your knees and as soon as your mouth is open for him, Jaehyun wastes no time in burying his cock deep in your throat. All it takes him is a few thrusts and he's coming, hot cum spilling past your tongue and straight to your throat, forcing you to gulp everything and not miss even a drop.

''Yeah, that's right.'' He rubs his tip on your tongue before pulling out.

''Uno, are you not really coming? I heard the prize is big tonight.''

Jaehyun casts a brief glance at your sleeping figure beside him, your arm hugging his waist. He ponders a bit. Aside from handling his own bar, Jaehyun also does illegal racing. Earning him the name of Uno as he always placed first in every rave he participates in.

Jaehyun doesn't want to miss the opportunity of earning a large amount of money in an easy way. But as you snuggle up on his side, scooting closer to him as you mumble incoherently about something– Jaehyun sighs.

''Nah, boyfriend duties.''

Red's– or by his real name, Eunwoo's– sound of disgust penetrates his ears. ''You're so fucking whipped it's disgusting.''

Just then, a rustle is heard and Cross' voice replaces Red's. ''Get your ass over here, I don't fucking want to see TY winning that race.''

''Guess what?'' Jaehyun says.

''What?''

''I don't care about what you want.''

Jaehyun chuckles as he ends the call, interrupting Cross' rants abruptly. He tosses the phone to the bedside and wraps his arms around you as well.

TY and his gang can fucking win that game for all they want. Jaehyun doesn't give a flying fuck. He can win that money back in a single raise, the prizes get higher whenever he races anyway. For now, Jaehyun will uncharacteristically enjoy the domestic atmosphere surrounding your shared bedroom and vask in the warmth of your love.

How cringy. But just like how he watched that drama with you– Jaehyun couldn't care less as long as it's with you.

Read Cross' fic here! Share your thoughts?

[volleypearlfan]

Canadian Cartoons Are Great

Today, the popular cartoon YouTuber Saberspark uploaded a video talking about the infamous “fart episode” of the 2023 Total Drama series. The comments were filled with hatred and generalizations towards Canadian animation. These terrible comments are not the fault of Saberspark, but it is true that the “big users” in the cartoon community are (mostly) Americans who spread myths and stereotypes about Canadian cartoons. This has bothered me and a few others for quite a while, so here, I’m going to prove why Canadian animation is great, actually, and dispel common misconceptions

All Canadian cartoons are about fart jokes - if you say stuff like this, you clearly have never seen a Canadian cartoon outside of Total Drama and Johnny Test. That’s like if I said “all anime is naughty tentacles” or “all American cartoons are about anvils falling on your head.” And don’t act like your precious USA cartoons and anime are exempt from toilet humor. One example of an anime with toilet humor is Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt - their first episode was about a monster made out of shit. And we all know about the gross out cartoons such as Ren and Stimpy.

Canadian cartoons are cheaply mass-produced because of CanCon - No. What CanCon ACTUALLY states is that a certain percentage of content on a Canadian channel has to be Canadian-made. The policy is about supporting Canadian art, not “mass-producing” cartoons, since this applies to ALL Canadian TV and radio content, animated or otherwise.

Now, let me tell you some reasons why Canadian animation is actually great

Some of your childhood shows, such as Arthur, Franklin, and Little Bear are Canadian in origin.

Some of the most acclaimed cartoons within the cartoon community, such as Ed Edd n Eddy and MLP:FIM, were both animated in Canada and had voice actors from there (same talent pool, in fact - Vancouver)

Inspector Gadget and the Beetlejuice animated series helped keep good animation afloat during the 80s. In a decade full of uninspired and insipid cartoons, these were two of the highlights.

Canada is still a great place to outsource animation, as proven with the works of Nelvana, Mercury Filmworks, Jam Filled, and countless others.

If you grew up without cable, you probably watched PBS Kids and/or Qubo a lot. Guess what - lots of the shows on both of those channels were Canadian. For example: the PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch: Timothy Goes to School, Seven Little Monsters, Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse - these shows are all Canadian! Qubo was also home to Jane and the Dragon, Jacob Two Two, Babar, Spliced, etc - they’re all Canadian too.

Because Canada’s censors are far more lax compared to American ones, Canada has made huge strides in teen and adult animation. Such shows include Total Drama, 6teen, Detentionaire, Undergrads, Producing Parker, etc as well as the movie Heavy Metal.

Also because of the lax censors, Canadian cartoons had positive LGBTQ representation far before the United States did. One episode of 6teen has a character stating “I’m gay,” and in Braceface, the main character assists her gay friend in finding a boyfriend. Unsurprisingly, these episodes never aired in the US.

6teen also dealt with periods before Turning Red, Baymax, and Molly McGee did it (again, the episode was banned in the US).

Finally, here are a few Canadian cartoons I recommend, and where to watch them:

Cybersix (it was a Canadian and Japanese co-production). The whole thing is on TMS’ YouTube channel.

Redwall is on Pluto, and there are episodes of it on YouTube courtesy of Treehouse Direct

Toad Patrol (unfortunately you’re gonna have to resort to low quality YouTube uploads)

Silverwing - again, the complete series is on YouTube

Detentionaire- On Tubi and Pluto!

Ruby Gloom is a great show if you like cute gothic stuff; it too is on Tubi and Pluto

The Adventures of Sam and Max: Freelance Police - on Tubi

One of my favorites, The Raccoons. Basically the Canadian equivalent to The Simpsons, and with a banger ending song. The show’s production company has uploaded episodes of it for free on YouTube.

The original Clone High was animated by the legendary Nelvana (if you’re wondering, the new season is not outsourced to Canada 😔) It is on Paramount Plus and HBO Max

Undergrads - yet again on YouTube, in low quality unfortunately. Like Clone High, it was on MTV.

I also recommend watching some short films from the National Film Board of Canada. My personal favorite is the Log Driver’s Waltz.

Tl;dr - American cartoons are not bad because of Allen Gregory, anime is not bad because of Pupa, and Canadian cartoons are not bad because of Johnny Test or fart jokes.

[curio-queries]

I agree, I think the main character was always meant to be their relationship. I think when they were planning the show that must have been a discussion, because it would be self-evident once they were traveling together, same as it came out so strongly when they were in BV3 and walking around together. Obviously the jeju episodes were hijacked so to speak (but imo mostly served to show us the incredibly intimate bond Jikook share), but yes, the main character is that, it is meant to show us them, as they are. They said this too in their first intro.

I also think it was a way for JM to make up to JK for his busy period, and spend quality time being free to travel together. They obviously say that to open the show, so it is not a reach. But, it is more than that, I think he truly does care about JK and his happiness. He also says that a few times in jeju and in Sapporo so far, as long as JK is happy, that is what mattered, and I am like that in my relationship. It truly shows how much they both care for each other.

I love that in episode 6, all they really do is check into their hotel, eat snacks, go to a 7/11, eat more, talk, go to bed. Then JM is there calling JK into the bathroom to take a selfie because 'they made memories here'. it is so sweet, because really all I think he is referring to is them being together, enjoying the normal/mundane things. Then they go on to do more of that, walking the snowy streets to go find food, coffee and ride a train. Things a lot of us will take for granted, often complain about probably. I know they had a lot of staff to protect them/look out for their wellbeing, but we have. to remember they are used to that, and so for them, it is just being out and about on a normal day, doing normal things, together.

Hi anon,

I'd definitely be interested to learn a little more about the scope of AYS and how it developed. I've still been thinking about the idea of the relationships as the main character and how that could have developed throughout the production. It's been a while since I've watched Bon Voyage but I don't think the same could be said there. BV is absolutely modeled after typical travel shows where the journey/destination becomes the chief focus.

I do think there was space for the Jeju eps to open the focus to all three members' relationships and I do believe it was mostly successful. It's one of the reasons why all of the pool segments didn't feel repetitive, there was a different mixture of members each time: taekook, jikook, vminkook. Even though they recreated some of the same bits in each subsequent scene, they weren't cut our of the edit because it didn't feel like repeat moments due to the changing dynamics and thus fulfilling the goal of exploring the differing relationships.

On a complete sidenote, while we're sharing lovely bursts of joy from ep 6, let me share mine about the memories moments as well. I have a family history of memory loss-related illnesses so I've always been hyperaware of my own shortcomings with my memory and made my peace with the likelihood that I will have my own journey on that path as well. There was a phrase I heard years ago that has given me a lot of comfort: our character has still been influenced by those we love even if we lose the memories associated with them.

This episode spending so much time talking about making memories in such a sweet way just reminds me how much Jimin and Jungkook want to have eachother influence their character. They have so many extraordinary events in their lives and while they may not remember the exact day-to-day detail, they have absolutely helped shape the other's character. I just think it's especially lovely.

[scorpioriesling]

Too Hot to Handle - Episode 7

･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Characters featured: Reader, Feyre, Morrigan, Nesta, Gwyn, Elain, Emerie, Amren, Cassian, Lucien, Eris, Tarquin, Rhysand, Helion, Azriel, & Tamlin

Warning(s): light suggestion if you squint

SR’s Note: I feel like so much happens this episode… hopefully, it’s your cup of tea. Maybe, maybe not. xoxo Tags: @velarisdusk @lilah-asteria @starlightazriel @cynthiesjmxazrielslover @paintedbyshadows @book-obsessed124

･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

"I missed you so much!"

Morrigan's arms are wrapped so tight around your neck, she is threatening to cut off the air supply to your lungs. You manage a grin, watching as Feyre approaches from over her shoulder.

"Morrigan, I was only gone for one night-"

"Uh, yeah," she releases you, stepping back to look at you wide-eyed. "But that one night was the night from Hell, let me tell you." She says, shaking her head.

Yeah, you thought to yourself, your mind racing to those red walls and endless pleasure instruments you weren't allowed to touch all night long. Wouldn't she like to know.

"Was the new arrival really that bad?" You ask, looking to Feyre instead. Her eyebrows lifted as she sighed, shaking her head slowly.

"She... she definitely left the entire group a bit shocked-"

"Shocked? Yeah, that's to put it lightly." Morrigan tutted, crossing her arms. The golden bangles rattled on her wrists, and a few of the guys looked over as her volume rose. "She walked in looking like a fucking moon goddess, right? All silvery and elegant, and, well, I don't know, goddess-like," her cheeks flushed at her lack of finding the right words. A splash behind you reminded you that there were in fact other people hanging out by the pool, and you moved in closer toward your friend, hoping she would talk quieter.

"Then, Lana -- that damned cone," she scoffed. "She kept edging us all, acting like this bitch was going to take one of our men on her date -- I swear to the Gods, had she picked Helion, I-"

"Mor, could you lower your voice? I think people are looking-"

"Oh, and I hope they do! Look all they want, for all I care. Every one of them was looking wayyyyy longer than they should have last night, as soon as the newest shiny thing walked in -- and MOST OF THEM, BY THE WAY, ARE IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE!" She says the last part rather loudly, and Feyre looks at the pavement in embarassment. Your eyes widen in horror. Maybe it was a good thing you and Lucien weren't here last night -- not that he was untrustworthy, after all, you'd all but gotten past the "Elain thing" for the most part -- but if it truly was as bad as Mor was making it out to be, all the more reason to not get involved.

"Well," you say quietly, hoping to de-escalate the already awkward situation. "I haven't met this new girl yet, so I can't really say anything about her until I have a chat with her. Do you guys know where-"

"Pfft, she's over there," Mor unashamedly points a polished red fingernail toward the other side of the pool, directly over your shoulder. You wait for Feyre to chastize her for pointing, swat her hand, anything... but she doesn't. Gods... the situation must really be controversial.

"Looks like she had a good enough time on her date. Maybe she's turned Eris around for the better." Mor shrugs, and glances toward the villa's kitchenette. "I'm done talking about Nesta for now, and I need a damn drink -- you ladies want me to grab you a margarita on my way?"

Nesta. Oh boy. You glance over your shoulder, watching as the new blonde in the silver bikini ties her hair up into a bun, the red-headed male beside her taking in the view in all its glory.

You take a deep breath. "A margarita sounds great."

:* ✧･ﾟ: *

The tile is cool against the heated soles of your feet, warm from your walk outside to the villa's main bedroom. The day had been frenzied, people chattering about this and that, the boys working out (per usual), many of the girls lounging by the pool or walking along the beach -- but by sundown, it was time to ready for dinner. You'd stayed out a bit longer tonight by the pool, enjoying a few more chapters of your book before coming in as the rest of the group began primping and prepping for the evening meal.

You were alone in the main bedchambers, digging through your open suitcase on you and Lucien's shared bed. His side was quite a mess -- unfolded clothes, dirty socks strewn about. You'd be sure to remind him to pick up his things later.

You sighed, turning toward the floor-length mirror beside your nightstand. You first held up an orange sundress -- it was cute, and you hadn't worn it yet. But, it was a halter-neck... and that wasn't exactly your favorite. You tossed it back in the bag, pulling out a brown mini dress and held it up. Gods, you loved this one, but you disliked that it was tight, and sometimes you felt insecure, especially at dinner.

However, it would go perfect with your strappy cork sandals you brought.

Ugh... what to do, what to do. You felt anxious, and held it up again. Lucien would be there of course, and you were so hungry... God forbid you ate enough food and the dress fit how it was supposed to, but your silly anxiety coupled with your new relationship-

"Wear it. That color would look beautiful against your skin tone."

You turned, your gaze meeting a pair of silvery grey, kohl-lined eyes behind you. Your mouth opened to say something, and then shut when you didn't know how to respond.

You turned back around, facing yourself again. "I... it's... I wasn't really sure about this one." You say quietly, hearing Nesta zipping up her own bag behind you. "It's cute for sure, I mean, I really like it, I just-"

"So, what's the problem?" You watch as she approaches behind you in the mirror, her eyes meeting yours in question. You stare back, and can only shrug.

"Um... I suppose it's just, a bit fitted, maybe." You settle on. She nods slightly, then shrugs.

"Well, I think it would look great on you. You never know until you at least try it on." She shrugs. "Too tight, take it off. Looks good? Show it the Hell off." She turns, her hair swaying behind her with the movement. Her head turns to the side, a tiny, feline smile on her lips.

"Or, you can always put on the halter-neck option."

In minutes, you have the dress on and of course, it looks great.

"I knew I'd be right." Nesta smirks, bringing your cork heels over to where you stand near the entrance of the bathroom. "I'm really hoping you were going to wear these with it?"

Indeed you were. You slip them on, and she offers you a hand as you slide your feet into the wedges one by one.

You stand at full height, and she offers you a gentle smile. "I don't remember seeing you last night," she says.

"Oh! No, uh, my boyf... uh," your cheeks flush. Did you really almost just say boyfriend? "Lucien and I, we had to stay the night in the private villa..." You fumble. Nesta chuckles, her gaze searching your face.

"Ahh, I see. Lucien, he's got longer hair, right?" She asks. You nod, but before you can say another word, a loud voice calls out from behind you.

"Y/N! Come on, walk with us over to dinner!" Mor's voice rings out from the bathroom. You sigh in embarassment, looking to Nesta again apologetically.

"I'm so sorry -- would you like to walk over with us? Usually the guys end up there first, and I go with Feyre and -"

"Yeah, I'm not sure your blonde friend is very fond of me." Nesta stares at you pointedly, and you can only awkwardly chuckle. She only shrugs.

"It's alright though Y/N -- I'm not here so everyone can like me. I am glad, however, that you do."

:* ✧･ﾟ: *

The chatter went on as usual around the large fire, everyone having conversations and sitting with one another. You'd had a filling meal, and had to admit the roasted chicken and Ceasar salad had been delicious. You'd worked to keep your insecurities at bay, only occasionally picking at the giving fabric of your dress and crossing your arms over your stomach. It was after the plates had been cleared that Lucien's familiar touch had made itself known across your lower back, snaking around your waist and pulling you to sit between his legs.

"I haven't seen this one before," his breath fanned against your ear, so warm it tickled. You recoiled a bit, crinkling your nose and smiling as he grinned beside you. His hands rested on your folded arms, stroking up and down.

"I haven't worn it yet," you admitted, looking down at where his fingers made contact with your forearms, hiding the part of you that Nesta had tried to made you forget you were insecure about earlier in the evening. His warm lips pressed a gentle kiss against the base of your neck and you smiled.

"And, why is that, pretty girl?" He asked. You sighed, trying to think of an explaination but not finding one quite good enough.

"Maybe... I was holding one out on you," you offered. He raised an eyebrow, a smirk creeping onto his lips as your eyes met his again. He chuckled, shaking his head at you.

"Whatever you say, city girl," his fingers traced lazily over your skin, and you glanced to your left, watching just in time as Rhysand pressed a kiss to Feyre's cheek. She laughed, her teeth shining in the firelight and you couldn't help but smile for your friend.

To their right, the sweet red-headed girl Gwyn was gazing doe-eyed as Azriel gestured wildly with his hands -- much, to your surprise, unlike how reserved he was on your date with him a while ago. Gone was the dark, mysterious male from that night on the beach; now, you watched as this adventurous storyteller seemed to capture Gwyn's attention in full, like she just couldn't look away.

You, however, continued to observe; you watched how Mor and Helion continued their banter, how Tamlin sat in his usual unassuming presence, and how many of the girls chattered away in their cliques.

Your gaze snagged though on the usually hardened, tough-guy, brutish exterior that Cassian put out in front of others, noticing the lack thereof. His fist sat against his lips, elbow propped up against the arm of the chair he sat in as he anxiously bounced his knee up and down. Your brows rose in suspicion; for someone so usually observant of others, his gaze seemed to only focus on one target.

"Good evening, guests."

The cone in the center of the table lit up, and the group quieted.

"Good evening, Lana!"

"I have some rather exciting news to share with everyone this evening," she continues, and your gaze shifts to Nesta. She sits next to Eris, who's hand is rather low around her waist, but she keeps her gaze focused forward, seeming unbothered.

"Last night, I am happy to announce that there were no rule breaks on Lucien and Y/N's villa stay, which earns the group $5000 back into the prize fund." Lana announces. The group cheers, and Mor whistles, earning a grin from you. Lucien hugs you tight, kissing your cheek in congradulations.

"In addition to all of the dates going well, I have gifts for everyone," everyone looks to eachother in confusion as small, black boxes are brought out by the staff and passed out to each person. Lucien hands one to you, pressing his cheek against yours as he snuggles you close.

"What do you think it is?" He asks quietly.

"I'm not sure... honestly, I have no idea what they'd give us at this point," you admit.

"I hope you enjoy them. Please, everyone, unwrap your boxes." The group does as she says, chatter comencing as realization dawns on the group. Small bracelets with digital circles in the middle of each lay inside the boxes. You take yours out, and Lucien sets his box aside, his fingers gliding over yours as he quietly says, "Allow me to help you?"

You oblige, holding out your wrist as he fastens the technology onto you. He nods in approval, and you blush at the simple act, cherishing the simple kindness and wishing for so much more of it to come. You help him with his too, snapping it into place around his wrist.

"These bands are a means of communication," Lana explains. "The screen in the center will light up green when you effectively open up in the way this retreat is aiming for you to do -- by opening up, you get a green light. A green light means you are free of rule breaking until it turns off."

"Nice!" Eris says, and a few group members chuckle. Nesta rolls her eyes, and you watch as the shade of Cassian's knuckles whitens.

"Along with these bands, I'd like to invite everyone to a beach party tomorrow evening," Lana continues. Murmurs of excitement mumble through the group, a few claps and cheers breaking through the crowd.

"The theme will be Candyland -- you'll be provided costumes accordingly. Good luck guests, and continue to follow my rules in order to recieve green lights."

The group bids Lana goodnight, excited for the chance at a rule-break free opportunity and for the party to come. Conversations ensue once more, everyone talking about costumes, bracelets, tomorrow night -- but you notice, again, Nesta. She talks with Eris, or so it seems, her mouth is moving as she inspects her bracelet, but he seems to only inspect the neckline of her dress.

You glance to your right, she creaking of the chair unmistakable as Cassian stands, silently walking toward the villa.

"We should get a green light in no time," Lucien says, his upbeat tone filling your heart with more hope than it should. "We're good at talking to eachother, don't you think?"

You nod, looking deep into those heterochrome eyes and thinking of every word you're not ready to say out loud yet.

"Absolutely," you say with a smile. "We absolutely are."

:* ✧･ﾟ: *

"I hope I get a sucker, I love suckers," Mor giggles, some of her Moscow Mule sloshing into the pool with an grimace and an oops.

"You would want to be a sucker," Feyre rolls her eyes playfully, and Rhysand sneaks up behind her, taking her straw between his teeth for a sip.

"Hey!" She playfully swats him, and he swallows before glancing at her.

"Damn, Fey, its-" he checks his watch. "... 11 AM and you're already drinking?" She giggles, and you shrug, taking another sip of your hard cider.

"Is there something else we're supposed to be doing?" She asks, and he holds his hands up in surrender.

"No no, do as you please," he chuckles, sipping once more before glancing behind him. "Just wondering if you all planned to try talking to the newbie today."

Mor groans, and your stomach sinks a little. "Ughhhh," she says. "Can we please move on from that? She's here like everyone else, isn't she? What's the big deal?" Mor rolls her eyes, and Feyre looks hurtfully at Rhys.

"Yeah, what is the big deal, Rhys?" She asks quietly. Rhys wraps his arms around her slender waist, pulling her close to him as she continues to frown at her drink.

"You know I'm not incinuating anything doll," he half-whispers. "I was just wondering if anyone talked to her yet, or if she had been included at all. I just don't like anyone being left out, no matter who it is." He says. Feyre's expression softened, and he kissed her cheek.

You loosed a breath, hoping not to start World War III. "I, actually, talked to her a little bit." Mor's wild eyes meet yours, and Feyre's face masks an expression of pure shock.

"Huh?" Mor says.

"When did you talk with her?" Feyre asks.

You shrug, hoping to keep things light-hearted. "Ehh, I mean it wasn't a huge deal or anything. She just talked to me last night before dinner about my dress." Mor shakes her head, her eyebrows raising.

"Just, be careful, I guess," Mor says, shrugging like it was no big deal. "You're a nice person Y/N -- I would just hate to see you hurt by someone like that." She throws back the rest of her drink, and you bite your lip in embarassment. You look to Feyre, who only stares down into her cup.

"Well, I, for one, am glad to see someone is making an effort to be kind to a newcomer." Rhys says with a genuine smile. You nod, grateful for his words, but you find yourself feeling... out of place, over the interaction.

"I need another drink. Anyone else?" Mor asks. Feyre shakes her head, and you don't move to answer as Mor wades from the pool to exit and make her way back to the villa bar.

"I think I may go inside for a bit," Feyre says quietly. "I think I might be burning a little." You look to her, and her timid gaze meets yours. Rhys' hands gently take her shoulders, guiding behind her.

"Catch you later, Y/N," Rhys says. You wave, sighing as you set your empty glass on the pool's edge. How did this happen? Why was everyone so intimidated by a single person, someone who didn't even do anything but just simply exist?

You wished your friends would at least try with Nesta. Then, maybe they'd understand better. They may understand in the way you did. Or, maybe they just wouldn't.

:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Lucien and a few of the guys came back from the gym for lunch, and when he'd invited you to the beach after, you agreed. Though you knew this was his favorite time of day to surf, you went anyway -- it was some nice time away from the crowd at the villa, the peace of the crashing waves a nice bliss while you got lost in your favorite book.

"Haunting Adeline -- that one gets pretty dark, does it not?"

You look up, your hand shielding the sun from your vision as a figure in a familiar silver bikini strides over to you, her voice like smooth silk. You close your book, noting the page number and placing it on the opposite side of your body -- out of her sight range.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, it does." You say. She sits a few feet from you on the sand, leaning back on one of her hands as she sips from a pink-filled glass with the other. Her gaze is fixed on the waves beyond, and you try not to stare. Mor was right about one thing; she is goddess-like.

"It's my favorite." She says. Your lips twitch, forming a half-smile on your face as you follow her line of sight to the water. Lucien is paddling out, Tarquin and Tamlin sitting this one out on the shore and giving you an open view.

"Mine too," you admit. Now, she smiles. "I figured as much," she responds, turning to look at you over the rims of her black sunglasses. "No one brings Haunting Adeline with them on vacation if it isn't their favorite."

You chuckle, and she looks back out at the crashing waves where Lucien has just surfed, and is now lazily sitting on his board in the water. The next wave comes, and as Cassian stands on his board, he cuts a clean line across the water, smiling broadly as Lucien shouts and cheers with the other boys from the shore like fools. You can't help but shake your head at their sillyness, but notice Nesta's intrigue.

"So," you begin. "How have things been going with Eris?"

She glances sidelong at you, then looks out again. "I don't think Eris is really the type of guy that ever has "things" to have "going on" with." She lifts her drink, sipping from the rim this time. Sugar.

"What's that supposed to mean?" You ask, chuckling a little. She hiccups, setting down her glass in the sand and wiping off her mouth with the back of her hand. She sighs heavily.

"He doesn't really seem like he cares about anything beyond what meets the eye," she says slowly, choosing her words with precision.

"Ahh," you nod, watching as Lucien gorgeously tips his chin back in laughter from afar. "I see."

"Not to say what meets the eye isn't worth caring about -- he's quite handsome," she reasons. You grin, watching as Lucien and Cassian wade in toward the shore. "But, again. Not why I came here."

You shrug, glancing from her toward Cassian and watching as he clocks her in his peripheral.

"I don't know you well enough yet to know your type, or what attracts you -- but, there are a lot of options for you here Nesta. I really hope you find one that came here for the same thing as you."

:* ✧･ﾟ: *

"Thank the fucking Gods -- I got the sucker!" Mor squeals, holding the giant lollipop headpiece over her head and twirling around with it. You can't help but chuckle as she smiles broadly at you, all the awkward feelings from earlier erased as though nothing happened at all. She dances over to you, tapping you atop the head with it like it is a magic wand.

"Andddddd what candy did you get?" She asks. You stare at the clothing rack wheeled into the middle of the bedroom -- the crowd bustling around it, searching for hangers with their names on them. Feyre prods her way out from the middle, wobbling over to the two of you with a peppermint-striped number in her hands.

"Ooooh! Feyy-ruhhhh!" You whoop. Feyre breathlessly puts her hands on her knees, breathing deep and looking up at the two of you.

"I... guess it... makes sense... my birthday is.... in Dec.... ember...." she says between breaths. You laugh, watching as the crowd dissipates one by one. Lucien has held back, talking with many of the other guys not wanting to get involved in the costume frenzy. You find his eye across the room, pointing at the rack and he nods, making his way toward it.

"We shall see what I get!" You say excitedly, moving closer. Many of the costumes left are huge, clearly left for the guys. You let out a tiny shriek of excitement when you find the hanger with your name on it, a little outfit scattered with hearts across the top and bottom of the skirt. Lucien's eyes widen as he looks at you.

"Is this a party? Or another punishment like that night in the villa?"

:* ✧･ﾟ: *

The neon lights shining upon the sand start to blur together as you jump around, bare feet kicking up the loose sediment in their wake. Feyre's peppermint headpiece flails wildly in front of you as she dances around, the music blasting from the tiki bar.

"I have gifts!" Mor shouts, balancing four shots between her two hands. You and Feyre both take one, and Mor grins at you. You raise your brows at her.

"Damn girl, you're taking two at once?" You say. Mor laughs over the music, and Feyre leans close.

"Not something she hasn't done before!" You stare at her, jaw on the floor.

"Feyre!" More says, her mouth wide. "Oh my Gods!" She chuckles, nearly spilling the two shots she holds. You'd had quite a few drinks tonight, and the night was indeed young. However, that was not stopping you from having fun with your friends and enjoying your time on the beach.

"No, this one isn't for me -- I got an extra!" Mor shouts, then hands it to you. You take it confused, and watch as she turns, waving over her shoulder.

"Hey!" She calls. "Hey! Come here!"

Nesta makes her way over cautiously, eyeing the two and giving you a quizzical look. You look pleadingly to Mor, who only looks at you with finality.

"Here; take a shot with us," she says, handing the extra glass in your hand to Nesta. She reluctantly takes it, staring down at its contents.

"What is it?" She asks.

"Tito's," Feyre says, and Nesta shrugs in acceptance.

"Too Hot to Handle! Woooo!" Mor shouts, and you all exchange looks before clinking and chugging the burning liquid. More cheers come from behind you, and you feel a pair of strong hands on your waist as your head comes back down to reality.

You turn, the familiar scent and warmth of Lucien a welcome one any time or day.

"Well," you drawl, your head already a bit fuzzy from the drinks you had prior. "Don't you look cute in your candy hearts outfit," you giggle. He chuckles, pulling you close by your hips as his fingers toy with the band of your skirt.

"You look sweet enough to eat," he says lowly, and you smile, leaning up onto your tip toes to press a kiss to his lips. He pulls back an inch, his thumb pressing against your chin.

"Ah ah, pretty girl, we didn't get a green light yet," he says, and you groan in annoyance. Your hands find his biceps, running up and down as you stare up at him sweetly.

"Luciennnn," you plead. "I just want a kissss,"

He smiles down at you, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. "And you'll get your kiss, Princess -- when we get our green light, okay?"

Gods, all these cute names, how good he looks... you could practically feel your slick running down your thighs. A wicked idea flashes through your mind, and you step closer, the mesh of the bralette piece of your costume pressing against his chest. He sucks in a breath, his eyes failing to maintain in contact with yours.

"We've been so good..." you say, your fingers slowly training down his chest toward his V line. You run your index finger inside the waistband of his shorts, barely touching his skin and that's when you feel it. Against your stomach, his cock twitches once. Twice.

You press up onto your tippy toes, your hands guiding his to cup under your exposed bum to help hold you steady in your state (and, help your case a little). "This, feels like a green light to me." You whisper, and he groans, the apple of his throat bobbing as his fingers squeeze the flesh of your ass with the effort to not violate any rules.

"Y/N... we need... let's just... go dance for now... I don't think there's any way I would be able to sit and talk to you right now anyway," he says, panting with each word. You lean back, feigning innocence as you gaze into his eyes.

"Aww, what happened to our good communication skills?" His palm lightly comes down on your exposed butt cheek, and you squeak as he pulls you impossibly close.

"I won't be able to just talk to you. While you look. Like that."

:* ✧･ﾟ: *

"So... you're saying the date was not good?"

Nesta shook her head, trying for the umpteenth time to explain her feelings in a way that would penetrate through Eris' thick skull.

"Oh my Gods -- noooo. I already said that." She huffed, folding her arms. He chuckled hurmorlessly, throwing his arms wide.

"Then, I don't get it, Nes! What has happened, in these short few days, that has made you so unattracted to this?" He gestured to himself, and Nesta almost, almost burst out laughing.

"Well," she tried to keep her composure, the alcohol definately not helping the giggles welling inside her chest at the male before her. "Eris, I think our personalities aren't alike. I think maybe you appreciate beauty for what it is at face value; I just like to look a little deeper. I tend to think deeply about things, and analyze every little thing; I feel like you aren't like that, in many ways." Nesta finishes, her lips a tight line. "And... I don't even like to be called that. "Nes", I mean." Eris plants his hands on his hips, scoffing and shaking his head.

"Honestly, I don't even know half of what you're talking about, so." He surrenders his hands, brushing past Nesta and continuing toward the beach. Only then does Nesta allow herself a small smile.

"The candy corn costume probably didn't help either, I guess?" Her smile faded, and she quickly turned to face the handsome male from the beach earlier. She looked him up and down -- his fluffy, white costume a little confusing, but, he was still handsome, nonetheless. She realized her mistake the second she set foot inside the villa.

"No... uh, it definately. Did not." She grinned, realizing what he had said and had probably heard beforehand. He was right -- that pompous ass making a fool of himself while dressed as a candy corn was not something even someone as serious as Nesta could handle.

"I'm sorry he talked to you like that, anyway," he said, and Nesta looked up at him confused. The beat of silence was deafening before Nesta narrowed her brows, squaring her shoulders in defiance against the male who stood a whole foot and a half taller than her.

"Do not apologize for someone else's actions, ever. It's not in good practice, and what he said and did was not your fault." She said confidently. Cassian raised his brows in surprise, before a small smile tugged the corner of his lips upward.

"Yes ma'am."

:* ✧･ﾟ: *

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - I'm finding rankings difficult, there's a lot of middle of the pack action and some serious top contenders

Organized, in each category, by ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Dec 2023 Wk 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

Last Twilight (Fri YT) ep 5 of 12 -  I love how they’re slowly revealing bits of their past to each other. It parallels the slow burn of them falling in love with each other. Knowledge + understanding = affection. I cried during the part with his doubles partner, of course I did. As has been mentioned many times in this blog, I am a sap. Also I’m realizing that there is something particularly clever about this show: Because Day is blind, there must be a ton of physical touch. And physical touch is something that Thai BL does really well. 

(I gotta say, while I ADORE JimmySea in these roles, a small part of me wonders how JoongDunk would have handled these parts.)

The Sign (Sat YT) ep 3 of 10 - Phaya is SO DAMN SMITTEN. It’s great. Have I mentioned recently how glad I am Billy got this role? This was the: “it’s not a date” date ep. 

I gotta say these 2 BLs are neck and neck favorites right now.

Cherry Magic (Sat YouTube) ep 1 of 12 - Uh oh. I like it a lot. I think I was always going to because I have a soft spot for TayNew on screen. It is such funny to watch Tay play such a stiff character. I like it. This is very fast paced for a Thai BL I wonder where they’ll take it with this speed, are they’ll following the manga more closely? 

My Dear Gangster Oppa (Thurs iQIYI) ep 7 of 8 - Wait, no. Wahl you’re such a problem. The pacing of this is very KBL. I’m not mad about it but it feels odd in Thai. Still enjoying this one the most as my "early in the week" offering.

For Him (Thurs iQIYI) ep 2 of 10 - The booty call flirting is next level with these two. Like Bed Friends but with less pain. I love that Nail is such needy evil wild child - the story gets all its tension from that.

Baby boy gives off so many danger signals I wouldn't tap that with a 10 ft… pole. Him is a braver queer than I. I do like how the high heat is being used to drive the story. It stands in stark contrast to Playboyy. Which is using high heat to drive, well... piles apparently.

Twins the series (Fri GaGa) ep 6 of 10 - I'm enjoying it again, the main couple is getting more BLish. 

Bake Me Please (Mon Gaga) ep 3 of 6 - Shin and Peach flirting is very cute. Although they got into that sack swiftly. Guy leaving was contrived and reactions overwrought but okay babies. 

Absolute Zero (Weds iQIYI) ep 11 of 12 - Now I'm mostly just confused.

Which timeline are we in?

Do they know each other in this one's past or not?

Have they met yet?

Who has which memories of what?

I feel like I’ve been through a lot for the show.

I’m not saying the reunion scene in the theater was worth it, but it was a really spectacular reunion scene. I’m terrified that there’s one more episode. I wish it had ended here.

Cooking Crush (Sun YT) 2 of 12 - I’m just not that into it. 

Pit Babe (Fri iQIYI) ep 4 of 14 - A new ship has been set afloat, we are now Team #WayKim / #KimWay and if you're not with us, you're against us. Trash watch happening here.

Middleman’s Love (Fri YT & iQIYI ep 5 of 8 - oh look, it’s everybody’s favorite big brother!

That was a kind (and kind of lovely) coming out sequence. KingUea being the worst best Gay Advice Dads is awesome. Mai is SO SWEET. And we end on some good old miscommunication / misinterpretation, so that Jade can behave in an even more unhinged manner next ep. Our brief respite from absurdity has ended. 

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) Fake Love ep 16 of 24 - They cute fake bf but it’s oddly unappealing. I mean most us queers have slept with each others exes, that’s swimming in a small pool, for ya. In my experience, only hets get butt hurt about it. (Hets never use enoug lube, they butt hurt about everything.) So the whole drama just felt confusing to me. Or maybe that's just my experience with swimming in lube? 4/10 whatever... not recommended

Playboyy (Thurs Gaga) 4 of 14 eps - I’m seriously considering dropping this. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

VIP Only (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 4 of 10 - They cute. Are aquariums now gay? That’s not the definition of fish that I grew up with. 

Sahara-sensei to Toki-kun (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 2 of 8 - I'm suffering from terrible second lead syndrome. Glasses guy is new Best Boy. Also, Rise is trying to earn the Namgoong Award for Best Wingman. 

It Finished But...

SHADOW (Thai Gaga) 14 eps - completed it's run. Reports are:

It's pretty good horror but not BL. Ending is unresolved.

Given that info and this review here, it's not for me. DNF

It's Airing But...

Behind the Shadows (Korea movie) - a historical I'm interested in (if it's BL) but have no idea how to find.

The Whisperer (Sun ????) 10 eps - Thai horror BL that ALSO involves cheating (what joy is mine). I don't think even the perfect single dimple can motivate me to watch. Word is... it's terrible.

7 Days Before Valentine (Weds WeTV) 10 eps - Giving me Luminous Solution vibes. I'm waiting to binge if it's safe.

Beyond The Star (Weds iQIYI) 8 eps - House of Stars meets Boyband. I was NOT impressed with ep 1. Been told I shouldn't bother.

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - I find this series more fun to binge, so I'm waiting until after it completes its run next week.

Next Week Looks Like This

12/14 Dear Kitakyushu (Thai/Japan movie) in theaters in country only, I know nothing about distribution.

Still coming:

12/23 Dead Friend Forever (Thai horror) iQIYI

Original 2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED). With the end of the year upon us I'll do an "announced for 2023 but never happened list" soon.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Of course I loved all the little language moments. I am here for the kinkification of phi.

That request for a shirt was v sexy phi+na. Thank you Jimmy.

Last Twilight bringing the pronoun and particle game to play hard.

It was a nice kiss. (Absolute Zero)

This as a perfunctory flirting kiss, I anticipate we still have The Kiss to come.

I love that Phaya's personality seems to be spin doctor, just accuse the boy of doing that you are already doing to him (or want him to do to you).

Boyfriend shirts!

And a meta reference.

The Sign is basically made for me.

(Last week)

[katherinearandez]

I don’t think Tessa is one of the good guys

I have a lot of questions about Tessa. What are her goals? Is she really on copper 9 for the reasons she told us in episode 6? Does she have hidden motives, and if so, what are they???

The lines of “morality” in this show are super squiggly, so by “good guy”, I mean an individual with positive or helpful intent toward the main characters - in this case, drones. The concept of Tessa bearing ill-intent for drones as a ‘species’ seemed contradictory at first: after all, she’s so nice to N, V and J, right? We’re talking about someone who, as a kid, saved zombie drones from the dump(cough, mass grave, cough) where their human owners left them to rot after creating them by means of improper disposal. Why would she want to kill drones? Especially in the same callous, procedurally improper ways that created the threat of Cyn to start out with?

Well…

Let’s not forget about the evil AI that massacred her family and the guests of their gala. AFTER Tessa took her in as an act of kindness, against her parents wishes. Parents who did seem to look down on her pretty severely, regularly chained her up in her room as punishment(you don’t install heavy duty, floor anchored chains for the occasional time out) and possibly kept her socially isolated???

That last point is pretty speculative, since a lot about the earth of N’s flashbacks screams post-apocalyptic vibes. Maybe there just aren’t a lot of humans left for Tessa to socialize with. Tessa’s dad reinforces this idea in his speech by listing “currently being alive” as an attribute the Elliots are known for. It could just as well be a meta joke(since they are killed in the next few seconds), so lacking more context, I hesitate to extrapolate from this point alone.

Anywho, back to Tessa’s callous drone murder. Even if her parents were crappy by the usual standards, she clearly didn’t want them/the other gala guests to die. She tried to save them by “murdering her a robo-child”. Idk, does this blacked out redacted image of Tessa in the aftermath of the massacre seem upset??

Reasonable assumption. So adult/older teen Tessa has changed the way she feels about drones after these traumatic events. Maybe she doesn’t outright hate them, but she views them from a colder, more pragmatic angle than she did in her younger years. Does she still feel empathy for them and the horrible mistreatment they suffer at the hands of humans? Probably. But she’s now aware of the danger they truly pose and has good reason to eliminate them to ensure the absolute solver mutation no longer has a pool of hosts in which to spread and evolve.

So why the callous drone murder at the end of episode 3? We know you’re supposed to follow a 2 step procedure for decommissioning drones. Software death via lethal injection of a kill program(sounds fun!), followed by hardware death via “core removal” to ensure the decommissioned drone doesn’t reboot with corrupted software and an “increased chance for future errors”.

Did she hastily kill this random drone to keep her arrival on copper 9 secret, foregoing procedure for the sake of urgency? If so, who is she keeping her presence secret from? Is it the remaining drone population of copper 9, who Cyn used to collapse the planet core and kill all humans there? Possibly, Uzi is a prime example of anti-human sentiment, and during Mr Doorman’s parent-teacher conference he mentioned being on a “kill all humans kick when he was her age”. Perhaps Tessa assumes all the c9 worker drones are hostile to humans.

When you start making assumptions about what characters are assuming, it’s generally a good time to stop and just accept you don’t have the answers 🫠 so that’s where I will cut that line of questioning short. That being said, I’m not quite done yet…

What’s with this shelf of small human skulls in Tessa’s room? Why are the trash robots she “rescues” her only friends? Do her parents chain her up in her room because they suck? Or… do they have reasons not yet revealed to us, the audience?

Tessa’s perception among most of the fan base is fairly positive and on the surface there’s good reason for this. She’s presented as peppy, compassionate(except toward that one worker drone, lmao), ~tenacious~ and resilient. Actions like salvaging drones from the dump and perceived displays of affection and warmth for the disassembly drones leave viewers with the impression that she’s a good, kind person.

There is, however, another light in which to view her actions, and it casts a shadow on the motives we may have assumed were pure up to this point.

While it’s easy to parse Tessa saving drones from the dump as an act of altruism, it can also be interpreted as sinister. It could be an example of a character with a savior complex; a power dynamic wherein the “savior” exerts control over those they “rescue” by taking advantage of their gratitude and using it in manipulative ways. If this is the case, Tessa’s motives take a sharp left turn, flipping from selfless and kind to egotistical and controlling.

The show actually gives us direct evidence of Tessa using manipulation to get her drones to do her bidding.

“It wants paid time off…”

This instance of her using corporate buzzwords to drive J into a rage strong enough for her to bite through metal chains. Or how about her outright lying to the drones at the start of episode 6? Asserting that her intention was to “burn to the ground” labs Cyn was interested in, while later that same episode revealing to N that her “true” purpose was to obtain a list of drones infected with the absolute solver?

Preeetty manipulative. She manipulated and/or coerced Doll as well, in order to obtain the keybug. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if come episode 7, she switches it up yet again, revealing a new manipulation or perhaps, finally, her real mission.

Tessa’s manipulation of the drones she supposedly cares about isn’t the only hint that she might have a savior complex or similar egocentric tendencies. She’s also shown that she’s not very respectful of the drones autonomy, another red flag that can signal a propensity for narcissism and the controlling behaviors associated with it.

N is the example this time.

Tessa’s signature greeting for N, which is to grab his face and swing him around with excitement that borders on aggression. Maybe it’s just me, but his expression doesn’t suggest it’s mutually enjoyed. Looks more to me like he’s uncomfortable and only humoring her pep because he feels like he has no choice… after all, none of Tessa’s “dumpster pets” want to let down their saving grace.

We see this same kind of contact again throughout episode 6, with Tessa grabbing N’s face as a greeting again, and also playing with his hair on the way down to cabin fever labs. The way Tessa interacts with the drones(J and V as well as N) shows that she sees them as objects in her possession, rather than friends, peers or their own individuals with unique thoughts, wants and feelings.

Uzi even calls her out on this very mindset at the end of episode 6 after Tessa asks her sardonically to “don’t date my robot, please.”

Granted, I’ve got no solid backing, just observation, speculation and a suspicious mind. Tessa could be a great person… “good” or “bad” though, she’ll definitely try to kill our main character sometime soon, so… yup. Killing even an anti-hero typically slots you into the bad guy category, even in a show where the moral lines between good and evil are so artfully blurred.

TLDR; I think there’s more to Tessa than meets the eye, and even though Cyn is still probably Murder Drones “big bad”, I feel like Tessa has an element of villainy to her that I hope will be further explored in canon.

[katareyoudrilling]

The Sweepstakes: Marcus Pike Epilogue (Porn Star AU)

Series: The Sweepstakes

Pairing: Porn Star Marcus Pike x Female Reader

Summary: Marcus invited you out for pancakes after you did your scene together, but where are you now?

Word count: 676

Rating: Explicit (18+ only. NO MINORS)

Content Warnings: pornography, allusions to sex acts, clit play

A/N: This takes place after the events of The Sweepstakes: Marcus Pike so read that first!  I hope you enjoy what I’ve imagined here.  Thank you for all your support of this horny series. I am having too much fun (there’s no such thing) with it!

Reblogs and comments are always appreciated!

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Taglist – link in bio or ask me to add you!

You squirm on the couch as you watch Marcus on screen.  His beautiful back is to the camera, a view you didn’t get to see that night, all firm muscle and golden skin.  You admire, as you do every time, how his broad shoulders taper to his trim waste.  Below is still covered by his jeans.

He’s eating you out, pulling wanton noises from your mouth as he thoroughly takes you apart.  Heat pools low in your belly as you vividly remember how it felt to have him between your legs.  You watch, breathing heavily, as you come apart under Marcus’s legendary ministrations.

The urge to relieve some of the pressure building in your center is almost too much to bear, but you know it will be so much better if you can just hold off a little longer.

You hear the door to the apartment open and close, followed by the thud of a bag of groceries landing on the kitchen table.

Your eyes never leave the screen.

“Again?” Marcus asks with a chuckle, walking into the room, completely unfazed by the sight of himself, now naked and having his cock sucked, on screen.

“You were gone all day!” you whine, writhing on the couch with the effort of not touching yourself.

Marcus shrugs off his jacket and steps out of his shoes.  “Can I help?”

You nod and scootch forward on the couch, leaving just enough space for him to snuggle in behind you.  It takes a bit of effort with how broad he is, but it’s so worth it when you sink back into his warm chest, and he wraps his arms around you.

“Hi, baby,” he whispers in your ear before placing a sweet kiss on your cheek.  You chase his mouth, but he pulls away.  “No, no.  Keep watching.”

You turn back to the recording.  Video Marcus is lining up his beautiful cock to fuck you senseless.

Couch Marcus slips his hand down your pants.

Your hips buck into his hand with the first contact, you’re so worked up already.

“So wet, baby, just from watching.  We do look good together,” Marcus rasps.

You moan in response, unable to form words as his talented fingers circle your aching clit.  On screen you climax again and Marcus dives into your pussy to eat you out while you come.  It’s your favorite moment of the video and you can’t help falling over the edge with Marcus whispering how good you feel in your ear.

As you come down from your high, you turn to snuggle face first into Marcus’s chest, pressing pause on the remote.  “You don’t want another?” he teases you.

“I do, but not right now.”  You kiss his soft lips and smile.  “How was your audition?”

“It went well, I think I got it,” he smiles bashfully, pink tinging the tips of his ears.

“Marcus!  That’s great!”

Marcus has a thriving porn career, but the reality is that it has a time limit.  So, he decided to diversify and has been trying to get more acting roles.

“Remind me what this one was again?”

“Well, it’s a 6-episode arc on a crime procedural.  I would play an FBI agent in the art crimes division—”

“Just like in your videos!” you interrupt excitedly.  Marcus often plays an FBI agent in his softcore movies.

He laughs.  “Kind of.  I would be the love interest of one of the main characters, but in the end, she chooses the other guy.”

“No one is going to believe that,” you laugh.  “You’re too handsome and charming.  Is your character a weirdo or something?”

Marcus laughs, “Not in what I’ve seen so far.  A little intense maybe.”

“Good luck to the writers explaining that away then.  I’m so proud of you!”  You kiss him deeply, melting into his plush lips and warm chest.

“Do you want to watch the rest of the video?”  He asks between kisses.

“Nah, I’d rather have the live show.  Let’s go to bed, Marcus.  I need to congratulate you properly.”

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

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Taglist – in reblog

[zecroswe]

Theory on Terapagos and the true natrue of Tera crystals

So I played the Teal mask a while ago and I really enjoyed It. There is a lot to talk about regarding the characters and the story. I cannot wait until the Indigo Disc comes out! Now, the theory. So after playing the DLC and thinking about the lore within It, I had a realization and a lot of pieces would fit together if It is true. I am gonna put this post into sections to detail the evidence before I write down the conclusion. Spolier warning for Scarlet and Violet, the Teal mask DLC and The Pokemon Horizons anime. None of the game play images are my own.

Section 1: The Crystal Pool.

The crystal pool is such a tease for things to come and I would be surprised If It didn't have any importance in the Indigo Disc. The intresting points about the Crystal pool is that the crystals grew in the pool after being "brought" there. It sounds to me that someone (likely Ogerpons old trainer/gaurdian) brought the crystals and some of It got into the pool and grew from there. The crystal seems almost alive in a sense, like It's just a extension of Terapagos. But the real intresting thing is what the sign next to the pool says and by extension, Carmine in the story. (Couldn't find any footage of It specifically)

When you interact with the sign, It says that there is a rumor that one can see the spirits of the departed within the pool. That is interesting and I doubt It's just flavor text, considering Carmine mentions It too.

But what significance does this have? Well within the games It's unclear, but I think the Horizons anime might be hinting at something important to do with this.

Section 2: Pokemon Horizons, Terapagos.

Terapagos plays an important role in the Horizions anime series. Now I haven't seen the series myself, so I might get facts wrong.

From what I understand is that there is a story arc about these Ancient poke balls.

Now the only way to open them as I understand is by using terapagos powers, but that's not what interested me. No what got me curious is this.

So in episode 23, the main group find a Galarian Molters within one of the ancient pokeballs. After they battle It, Terapagos shows the group a vision of what seems to be Moltres old trainer. Now I admit, I don't have a full context on how It works and what connection terapagos actually have to this trainer. But I find Terapagos ability to show visions from people who seems to have passed away interesting. Either terapagos met this person in the past or It made the vision in some other way.

So here is my theory:

Terapagos has power over memory and so do the tera crystals!

Think about It, If terapagos had power over memory and create visions based on peoples memories, then a lot of things would make sense.

AI Sada and Turo explain that they have the original professors memories, and that no person could make a advanced AI without the tera crystals. A important question is this, How? How do you transfer/convert your own memories into code? Well, if the tera crystals can store memories within them, then It would be possible. The risk could be the fact that the persons memories gets blurry, fragmented, warped or at worst erased.

This could possibly explain why Sada and Turos mental state became one of obsession. It could be that being around high concentrations of tera energy for a long time causes parts of the mind to deteriorate: so instead of terapagos manipulating Sada or Turo, It's just a unfortunate side effect of the Tera energy It creates.

Terapagos having memory powers could also explain the Crystal Pool. The crystals are reacting to the people around It and is showing them visions based on their own memories: the result being what seems to be ghosts of the departed.

Now with that in mind: What does this mean for the Lousy three? What about Ogerpon

Section 3: The Loyal/Lousy three and Ogerpon

Now the Loyal three is a bit of a curve ball in this, considering the fact that they just got brought back to life; Full on necromancy. Or is It?

Now Kieran punched the monument while holding the teal mask and shortly after, the loyal three were resurrected. Now this could be because of a pokemon we haven't seen yet, seeing as It's very much hinted at that the loyal three have a boss. So this boss and their power could be behind this. But I believe the Teal mask is a important piece in this.

The Teal mask was made with Tera crystals and Ogerpon had that mask on her when she killed the loyal three. So If my idea of the Tera crystals storing memories is correct, then the crystals within the mask might have reacted to the monument and manifested the memories of the loyal three. In that case, they weren't traditionally brought back to life, but instead got recreated based on the what was stored in the crystal. In other words: The loyal 3 were recreated based on Ogerpons memory of them! (Or at least the information stored in the crystal).

The reason the crystal reacted in this case could be because the mask was were the loyal 3's graves were, so the crystals reacted to the location and activated (with the help of Kierans punch and/or the loyal 3s boss).

Another point considering Ogerpons mask is her Boss fight.

Ogerpon in the fight switches mask with each phase of the fight and the text for each highlights that she is getting strength from her memories.

It makes me think that It what Tera energy really is, It's memories from either the past, present of maybe even future (If terapagos exists outside of regular time normally) in crystal form.

Crystals that can then either manifest those memories into strength or into full fledged beings. This theory could work both with the Time Travel and the Dream theory

The true time travel idea would be that the paradox pokemon did exist in the past and future, and that Sada and Turos time machine just made the crystals recreate the pokemon based on the stored information.

If the dream theory is true, then the pokemon could be created from memories, just incorrect ones. The human mind isn't infallible and If Heath saw paradox pokemon, It could either be that the crystals activated for unkown reasons; or that the crystals created paradox pokemon based on what Heath and his team thought they saw. Example: The two paradox Dophans within the book could have been a different looking Donphan or machinery and they thought they saw what we understand as a Great Tusk or Iron Threads.

So Sada and Turos paradox pokemon would be based on their memories of the scarlet and violet book. Creating the paradox of these Pokemon existing.

I am so excited for part 2 of the DLC and I really wanna see how the story will continue!

TL:DR: Terapagos might be a timeless being that has the power to make memories physical. Memories can be stored in Tera crystals and then show visions of those memories. Tera crystals might activate under certain conditions to give Pokemon strength or recreate beings based on the information stored inside them. Long periods time around high concentrations for Tera crystals might cause damage to the mind.

[georgescitadel]

George R.R. Martin on the breaking of the television "likable hero" mold

I credit HBO with smashing the damn trope that everybody had to be likable on television. The Sopranos turned it around. When you meet Tony Soprano, he’s in the psychiatrist office, he’s talking about the ducks, his depression and that stuff, and you like this guy. Then he gets in his car and he’s driving away and he sees someone who owes him money, and he jumps out and he starts stomping him. Now how likable was he? Well you didn’t care, because they already had you. A character like Walter White on Breaking Bad could never have existed before HBO.

- George R.R. Martin, Rolling Stone (2014)

Before The Sopranos there was this unwritten rule, that I encountered myself, that the hero of a television show, the main protagonist, had to be a really sympathetic good person that you liked. People like me, doing pilots in the mid 90’s, trying to present a somewhat more nuanced character ran head first into that. The networks’ suits would say “This character is not likable enough. Look, they do this bad thing here, you have to get rid of that and make them more likable.”. The Sopranos shattered that. In the very first episode, we meet Tony Soprano and he’s worried about the ducks that sleep in his swimming pool… He’s talking to his psychiatrist and you kinda like him although he’s funny looking: fat guy, balding, not the usual television hero… And then he’s driving home. sees a guy who owes him money and runs him over with the car, jumps out and starts kicking him in the head… That’s not “likable behaviour”. What that show established was: 1) you can have a fat bald guy as the hero of your show; 2) it didn’t matter if the hero was likable as long as he was interesting. Interesting trumps likable! HBO has proven that time and time again and you certainly see it in our show (Game Of Thrones)… Interesting characters, fascinating characters, not necessarily likable characters…

- George R.R. Martin, Feria Internacional del Libro en Guadalajara (2016)

[sidewalk-cracks]

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood breaks so many shounen stereotypes and I'm shook tbh. There're little to no flashbacks. There's no filler episodes. Almost none of the female characters are sexualized. All of the main characters, male and female, dress practically. The male mc doesn't have a six-pack. There isn't a beach/pool episode. The mc, Ed, breaks an entire plethora of mc-specific tropes all on his own. The relationship with the most primary focus isn't romantic, but familial. And there's probably a bunch more I haven't recognized yet.

[crimewizards]

if you know the answer, don't vote, just reblog! i want everyone to know how absolutely nuts this series was