#then someone bullied me into not making “long” comics about kay :)

[elistilldoodles]

look @vaultgirl2077 our boy hit the ball T^T so proud of him

[whenlilyfallsinlove]

i know you

eli moskowitz x reader... (y/n) is basically jess in gilmore girls.. ive been obsessed with cobra kai lately

"what the fuck are you doing?"

"excuse me?"

you don't think you have ever felt as angry as you have done today. finding out that one of your best friends, that you just so happened to be in love with, had changed completely as a person was one thing. finding out he tried to beat up the third member of your little trio was another.

so you did what you had to, you always felt the need to go out the way to protect eli and demetri. you didn't think it would end up being from each other.

approximately half an hour earlier:

"(y/n)." demetri's face flooded your screen, as you were sprawled across your bed. calls were usually a common thing between the two of you now eli was distant.

"demetri.. hey! you okay?" you respond, taking note of his face.

"no." he says, in a deadpan tone.

"umm why? what happened?"

"eli happened."

of course. ever since your best friend since age 6 joined cobra kai, he had felt like a whole new person. he even gave himself a new name for goodness sake! you and demetri both knew it wasn't the real him. you'd known him for too long. that being said - this new persona didn't stop him avoiding you both.

"what did.. what did he do?" you look into your phone camera, worry evident on your face.

"he tried to beat me up! i was at the mall with sam and robby.. and i went to the comic book store.. and he was there. wasn't happy with my yelp review and tried to fight me."

"what the hell." your eyes widen slightly. rage soaring through your veins. what was he playing at? putting on a front to show off to his friends. why didn't he remember who his real friends were?

"i know.. i just can't believe he would do it. we were friends with him!"

"i know.. are you sure you're okay?" you ask, concerned.

"i'm fine.. robby and sam helped fight them off it just.. caught me by surprise."

"i bet it did.. look i'll ring you later, okay? i just need to take care of something."

demetri knew you all too well.

"don't do something you'll regret." he says.

"i won't."

now here you were, shouting at someone that was supposed to be your best friend. the boy you have had a crush on for so many years.

"don't 'excuse me'. you know what you did." you scoff, walking closer to him. you had decided to wait until he had finished karate to talk, it seemed appropriate.

"oh yeah? and what's that?" eli looked at you, his tone cocky.

"you tried to beat up demetri! what are you doing?" you question, looking at him in disgust.

"he shouldn't have put up that yelp review." he scowls.

"oh who cares about a stupid review! he's supposed to be one of your best friends." you say, angrily.

"not anymore. i'm not friends with pussies."

"what the hell is your problem? what.. you gonna ditch us just because we don't want to beat people up like you do?" your voice raises slightly, causing eli's scowl to falter.

"I told you, i'm not friends with weak people." he says.

"are you kidding? seriously! who was the one that used to fight your bullies in elementary? me! who was your first friend? demetri!"

"we're not kids anymore. people change. friendships change. it's not my fault you guys aren't strong enough for this." eli says, looking away from you, his demeanour crumbling.

"you're not like that either. you're putting on an act!" you exclaim.

"an act? the fuck? this is me now, accept it." he shouts.

"what's going on with you?!"

"nothing.. im fine." he says, his eyes searching your face.

"i know you. i know you better than anyone! this isn't you."

"what do you mean?"

"you know what i mean! starting fights with demetri.. ditching us for those idiots.. being so violent. why are you being so violent?" you ask, looking him in the eye.

the pleading in your voice makes his face soften slightly. you always had a way of getting to him. i mean, of course you did, he'd always had a massive crush on you.

"just tell me what's up with you! i care about you. why are you being like this?" you beg.

eli struggles to get his words out. he wanted to reach out, he wanted to hug you. he wanted to go back to yours and watch doctor who with you and demetri. but he coudln't.

"you don't.. you don't know me anymore." he forces out.

your face falls and eli swears he could feel his heart break.

"fine. don't expect me to wait for you anymore." and with that you turn and walk away, a small part of you hoping he stops you.

he doesn't.

he wants to, he really does. but that's not him anymore.

he watches you walking off with a pained expression, knowing hes fucked up. he just can't bring himself to stop you.

[playfulandplatonictickles]

Since I’m still rather new around here, I’ll give you guys a bio about me so y’all can get to know me better! My blog is sfw, and I post both tickling and non-tickling stuff here. They shall be tagged accordingly! Also, feel free to send fic requests, headcanon ideas, and questions about the fandoms I like and its characters, media, etc! I also take tickle asks/roleplays, of course~.

I am quite busy in real life though, so please be patient with me! I work in retail part-time but I also have responsibilities at home that often make me distracted/slow.

Also, I do not take headcanons or requests for Ozzy/Thrax. I hate that ship with a passion because, in my opinion (which you don’t have to agree with.), it’s driven by lust/yaoi shippers who have mysogynistic views, and also because I had bad experiences with users who had shipped them. If you do, they will be deleted. This mama’s done with that trauma.

Name: Sissy.

Nicknames for me: Sis, dork, anything else you guys wanna come up with for me. Just don’t call me late for dinner lol. ;3

Age: 25.

Pronouns: She/Her!

Sexual alignment: Aromantic/Asexual! 🖤🤍💚💜

I’m also Autistic, and have ADHD/Generalized anxiety and slight depression. Which means I’m socially challenged at times. I implore you to communicate if you feel like I misinterpreted ANYTHING or you wish to talk about something that upsets you. I want everyone to feel safe and welcome here. I promise I won’t bite!

Personality: Quirky, energetic, out-going, nerdy, passionate, but pretty friendly and chill. I try to be kind to all I meet!

Likes: TV, video games, cartoons, reading, art/animation, comic books, music, (Specially rock, country, hip-hop, and of course Disney lol. If it’s good/got a beat, I’ll love it.) singing and voice impressions, movies, hot dogs, chimichangas, going on walks, exercising, art/animation, playful sarcasm, jokes and puns, comedy, smiles and laughter (Especially for others!) aaaand reading fanfics (I like fluff, sometimes angst, comfort fics, action, etc. Tickle ones too, lol. Mostly platonic ones but romance is nice too! Long as it ain’t nsfw. 🙏❤️), my dogs, hugs, and havin’ fun.

Dislikes: Bugs, seeing someone cry or upset, people who say cartoons are just for kids (It’s for adults too, bub. :p), loneliness (Sometimes. Gotta love anxiety and depression, hahaha...xD), politics, transphobes and racists and pedos (Oh my! XP), homophobes, and just overall people who are mean to others.

Acceptance and love is what I strive for here. I won’t judge anyone by anything except their character. If you’re a meanie, ya get blocked, ‘kay?

Fandoms: Osmosis Jones (Movie AND show. Both are gems and I shall die on that hill), Sonic the Hedgehog, The Owl House, Marvel, TMNT, The Mask (Cartoon mostly but I love the movie too!), Beetlejuice (I love both the show and movie buuut I’ll be doing the cartoon for fics and such. Beetlejuice/Lydia broship forever!!! Romantic shippers for them in the cartoon, please stay off this blog.), Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends, etc! I got too many, lol.

Tickle info: 70% Lee. 30% Ler! Mostly Lee, but can Switch every blue moon or if I’m tempted enough. ;3

Bullies, sexists, people who are phobic/hateful of ANY gender or race, and all around mean folks are not welcome here. Politics suck. Pedos, go burn. Autism Speaks is awful and those who support their methods need to be in jail.

Not a fetish/kink blog. Focused on the fluffy, safe, and silly side of tickles. If you send/try to do NSFW rps you will be blocked immediately.

Enjoy your stay here! 💖✌️

[fabrowrites]

Oh, can I be your Bibilly Hills?

For Lloyd’s very late birthday! also on ao3 and ffn.net.

----------

Kai stands at the entrance to the cafeteria.  The bustle in the room is loud with kids meeting up with their friends, the snapping open of lunchboxes, and chairs and tables being squeaked across the floor.

Kai exhales.  He hikes his backpack higher onto his back.  Then he squares his shoulders and walks over to the table in the far corner of the room where only one person sits, despite the overcrowding at all the rest of the tables.

Lloyd Garmadon’s eyes lift as Kai drops into the seat across from him, only to return to his plate again just as quickly.  One by one, the rest of their secret ninja crew arrive.  They send glances at each other, and at Lloyd, who has started to eat his food with laser-like focus.  

It’s only been a week since Master Wu gathered them all together for a “very important meeting”.  It’s only been a week since he told them they were ready to take the next step in their team-building.  It’s only been a week since their eternally-masked leader took off his hood, only to reveal the son of Ninjago City’s very own warlord hiding beneath it.

Needless to say, conversation is stilted.  

A hand comes down on the table with a resounding smack.  Chen, captain of the cheer team, leans over their table.  “Hey, look, everyone,” he says mockingly.  “Garmadork has a dork squad now.”  He gives their table an obvious once-over, grin widening.  “Aw, why are you sitting with him?  Are your daddies super-villains too?”

“Hi, Chen,” Lloyd says.  “Nice insult.  Much more original than your last one- what was it?  The Bad Dad Lad?”

Chen’s face twists up in a sneer.  His hand snakes out and smacks Lloyd’s water bottle over, instantly flooding his lunch.  “Oops,” he says, sounding not at all sorry.  “I didn’t see that there!  Hope that wasn’t all you had.”

He saunters off, looking inordinately pleased with himself.  Lloyd, on the other hand, stares for several long seconds at his ruined lunch.  Kai expects him to look furious, or at the very least, upset, but there’s only this sad sort of look on his face.  Like he’d been expecting it to happen.  It’s so awful to look at that something in Kai snaps.  

“Here, have some of mine,” he says, shoving his bento forward.  “I always take too much rice anyways.”

Nya gives him a near-imperceptible nod from across the table; she’s thinking the same thing.  God, Kai loves his sister so much.  “This is true,” she says.  “The day Kai doesn’t bring home leftovers is the day he’s been replaced by his evil clone.”

Kai opens his mouth, intending to say just what he thought of that, when a quiet noise brings him back to the situation at hand.  Lloyd looks at them both, mouth parting slightly.  “Are you sure?” he asks, but he can’t disguise the way he’s already eying the bento up.

“Take it,” Kai insists. “It’s not doing me any good sitting here.”

Kai can see Lloyd’s hesitation wavering.  A moment later, the other boy accepts it with a quiet, “thank you”.  

The other ninja are watching.  Kai catches their eyes and mouths ‘later’ above Lloyd’s head.  After lunch wraps up, and Lloyd excuses himself to use the restroom, they all gather near the window.

“What happened at lunch-” Kai says without preamble- “it can’t happen again.”  It’s not like he was expecting them to protest, but something warms in his chest at how intensely they immediately nod.  They must look like a pack of bobbleheads to anyone passing by.

“He was just so sad,” Nya says.  “It makes me want to punch something.  Preferably Chen’s face.”

Jay backs a step away from her, laughing that nervous laugh of his.  Cole hums.  His ever-present headphones are hanging around his neck, which is how Kai knows just how seriously he’s taking it.  Headphone removal: truly the highest form of respect in the modern age.  “We should do something for him,” he says.

“Normal human teenager things?” asks Zane.

“Exactly!” says Kai.  “He’s an only child!  I bet he’s never had a blanket fort before!”

“We can make it at his house so he can keep it up longer,” Cole says.  “I’ve dropped off homework for him before.  I still have his address in my phone.”

“I’ll take him out after school to the comic book shop so you guys have more time,” Jay offers.  He twists his hands in his ever-present orange scarf.  

“And we’ll get the snacks,” Nya finishes.  She sticks her hand out.  The rest of them do too, and then there’s a period of silence where they look at each other awkwardly.  Wow, they really are lost without Lloyd.

Cole sighs.  “Ninja go,” he says.

“Ninja go!” Kai says.  The game is afoot.  

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

The walk to the comic books shop is literally the definition of awkward silence.  

Jay and Lloyd walk three feet apart on the sidewalk.  Their eyes meet fleetingly across the way before skittering away.  People who pass them stare, and Jay ducks his head and meeps at each hateful glare sent his way.

“You don’t have to do this,” Lloyd mumbles.

Jay jumps.  “Huh?”  

Lloyd shoves his hands into his hoodie pocket.  “I said,” he says a bit louder, “you don’t have to do this.”

“Do what?” Jay says nervously.  He wrings his hands in his scarf.  “I’m not doing anything?”

Lloyd looks pointedly at his hands.  He huffs, dipping his head so his bangs cover his eyes,  “Make yourself be nice to me, or whatever it is that you and the rest of them are trying to do.  I have eyes, Jay,” he says, when Jay opens his mouth to protest.  He glances up at him through his curtain of hair, and something in his face softens.  “It’s okay.  I’m used to it.”

Jay doesn’t know what to say to that.  But something comes over him, and before he can talk himself out of it he’s bridging the gap to walk right beside Lloyd.  Lloyd looks up sharply.  

“We want to be nice to you,” he says softly.  “You’re part of our team, aren’t you?”

Lloyd snorts.  “Some might go as far to call me the leader,” he says, but there’s this quiet, sort of pleased look on his face.  It’s enough for Jay to stick by his side, even as they move towards the busier part of the city and the glares and angry whispers increase.  

It takes them about fifteen minutes to get to the comic book shop.  Jay swings the door open, inhaling that paper-ink-and-smelly-teenager scent he’s become intimately familiar with.  Lloyd follows more hesitantly, blinking at the racks upon racks of books, merch, and everything in between.  His eyes widen when they land on the display case right in front of them.  

“No way!” he says, springing forward.  “I didn’t know this came out!”

“What?” asks Jay, jumping sideways to see.  “Is that the new edition of Starfarer?  Wait, you like Starfarer too?”

Lloyd is already flipping through the chapter, eyes scanning the pages.  “It was my favorite as a kid!” he says excitedly.  ‘I didn’t know they were still making it.  The library only has through chapter sixteen.”

“I think there’s forty-two now,” Jay offers.  Lloyd gives him a look that’s halfway between horrified and delighted.  Jay can’t help but grin back.  He goes to say something else, but a sharp exhale nearby interrupts their moment.  

Two men are standing across the room, muttering and glaring alternatively at them.  No, at Lloyd.  One scowls at them and leaves, heading towards the front desk.

“We should go,” Lloyd says.  With great reluctance, he sets the comic back down and pats it into place.  “I don’t want you getting in trouble for me.”

It’s like that one tumblr post- and Jay will deny to the end that he has a tumblr- that’s like: ‘if somebody is more uncomfortable than me I am suddenly able to Do The Thing’.  “No, we just got here,” he says.  “We can’t leave yet.”

Lloyd looks obviously torn.  Jay sees the manager heading their way and makes the decision for him. Seizing his hand, he pulls Lloyd deeper into the store.  They speed-walk through the isles, ending up near the back.  

“They shouldn’t do that to you,” he says.  

Lloyd shrugs, eyes cast off to one side.  “It’s not like it’s anything new.”  

“Still,” Jay says, feeling his ears heat up.  The adrenaline of the moment has worn off, and now he’s feeling the embarrassment from his spontaneity.  “It’s not cool.”

Lloyd stares at him for several long seconds.  Jay squirms.  Lloyd looks like he wants to say something, but then his eyes slide past Jay and land on something behind him.

Lloyd’s entire face lights up.  “I thought they discontinued this years ago!”  He starts pawing through the container, making little mumbling comments and noises underneath his breath.  

Jay takes out his phone and surreptitiously sends a text to the group.  

bluejay: okay we are keeping him!!!

kaiguy: was that ever even an option?

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

The woman who opens the door for Cole and Zane looks… tired, for lack of a better way to put it.  Her hair is done up in a messy bun and there are dark circles under her eyes as she regards the pair of them warily.  

“Mrs. Garmadon?” asks Zane.

“Ms. Ito,” says the woman.  Her expression flattens the longer they stay silent.  “Look, if you’re looking to hassle me or Lloyd, it’s been a long day and-”

We’re some of Lloyd’s friends from school,” Cole blurts out.  He freezes the moment the words leave his mouth- interrupting someone?   Idiot, Mom taught you better than this - but the words themselves don’t feel false in his mouth.  They feel right, an unshakable truth like the laws of gravitation and motion, steady as the earth beneath his feet. He spares a look at Zane and finds the other nodding his agreement.

Lloyd’s mom, however, looks like she’s been slapped in the face.  ‘Friends?” she echoes, almost like she doesn’t believe them.  Which, as Cole reflects, shouldn’t be that surprising.  He’s seen the bullying at school firsthand.  A wave of regret knocks into him for all the times he’s stayed silent and watched- not participating, just not stepping in.  Never again, he swears to himself.  

While Cole’s been having this epiphany, Zane’s been barreling on ahead without him.  “Lloyd was harassed this morning in school,” he says primly.  “We want to build a structure of blankets for him in your apartment.”

Zane, Cole thinks, internally slapping his palm against his forehead.  

But Lloyd’s mom looks so grateful that Cole feels suddenly sick.  This woman has two complete strangers standing on her doorstep, practically demanding to be let in so they can destroy her house with pillows and blankets and loud teenagers.  She shouldn’t look like they’ve just saved her dog from a house fire.

“It’s really nothing,” he grits out.  “We just wanted to do something for him.”

He’s staring at the load of blankets in his arms, so he doesn’t see Lloyd’s mom move.  Suddenly, there are hands taking the pile from him.  Her face appears in front of his.  “It’s not nothing,” she says softly.  She doesn’t elaborate, but neither of them need her to.  “Come on in.  I’ll show you where everything is.”

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

“Vegetable or Sriracha?’

“Does he like spicy things?”

Kai looks down at the two bags of chips in his hands.  “Both,” he decides.  “Both is good.”

Both their phones go off at the same time: Kai’s the default BorgPhone ringtone he’s never figured out how to change, Nya’s the Wilhelm Scream.  Nya digs hers out first.  “It’s Jay.”

Kai juggles the chips with the rest of the snacks in his arms.

jaybird: were almost done here

jaybird: well be at his house in like 20

jaybird: r u guys done yet?

do it for the vinyl: 👌

frozane: 😁 🥰 😚 😋 🤗 😇 🙃 😆 🤣 😘 🤪 🤩

Kai pockets his phone.  “Guess that’s our cue to go.”

They pay quickly and rush over to Lloyd’s house, using the address Cole had texted them all earlier.  

Kai hands off his bags to Zane, switching his shoes.  “Let’s see what you’ve done!”  He catches sight of the fort from the corner of his eye and his jaw drops.  “Woah.”

“Right?” Cole smirks.  

Kai’s too focused on the mass of colors and fabric swallowing up the living room, otherwise he would pick a fight.  He crawls through the entrance, a sheet hanging loose between two cushions.  

The fort is nearly tall enough to stand up in.  Cole and Zane have slung sheets from the lamp to the couch to a coat rack, using tape, clips and pillows to secure the blankets down.  A music stand supports the entire thing in the center.  Kai didn’t know that Lloyd took music, though maybe he should have expected it because, hello, Asian?  It seems like not knowing is a depressingly common thread running through all that they’ve been learning.

Kai squares his shoulders.  Nope.  Now’s not the time for beating himself up.  He’s just gonna do better, be better, from here on out.  

“Bring the snacks in already!” he hollers, sticking his head out the hole.  “Lloyd’s gonna be here any minute!”

Cole raises his eyebrow judgmentally, even as he passes him the bags of chips.  Nya has no such restraint and throws dried squid at his face.  

“Lloyd just texted to say he’s on his way,” Lloyd’s mom tells them from the kitchen entrance.  Kai thinks her expression is a mix of fear and awe, which is always a good reaction to one of Kai’s ideas.  

Kai can hear them now, feet thudding softly on the wood of the hallway through the thin walls.  They’re laughing at something- presumably a meme on Jay’s phone.  The dork has thousands of them.  Someone bangs against the door and then it swings open.  

“Hey, Mom,” Lloyd says, and Kai doesn’t think he’s ever heard him this happy.  The blond is switching his shoes, completely unaware of the spectacle behind him.  “Sorry that I’m late, we lost track of-”

He turns around and freezes.

“Surprise!” Kai shouts.  Behind Lloyd, Jay starts cheering.  Nya salutes him from her position sprawled on the couch and Cole and Zane wave at him from beside the fort.  

Lloyd’s mouth drops open.  “What?” he splutters.  “Wait, what’s going on?  What is all this?”

“Can’t we do something nice for our bro just ‘cause we feel like it?”  Kai crawls out and goes to him, slinging his arm across his shoulders.  

“Guys,” Lloyd says.  

To Kai’s horror, his eyes are wet around the corners.  Shoot, did they mess up?  “Don’t cry!” he yelps, voice cracking embarrassingly at the end.  “We’ll pick it all up, don’t worry!”

“No, no,” Lloyd says hurriedly.  “You did this for me?” he asks, awe in his voice. He glances around the room.  “All of you?”

“Of course,” Zane says.  “You are our friend.”

“We realized we’ve been a little lacking in that department,” Nya chimes in.  “So here’s us, making up for it!  We’re nowhere near done yet either,” she warns.  “Constant vigilance!”

Lloyd discreetly wipes his eyes.  “Thanks,” he says.  “I love a good threatening in my own living room.”

And for a moment, they all stay put in their places, grinning widely from Lloyd to each other.  Lloyd’s mom smiles softly, unseen, from where she stands in the kitchen.  

Kai grins.  The moment breaks.  “Well, don’t just stand there.  C’mon!  You’ve got to see what Cole and Zane did inside.”

[dragonswithjetpacks]

I’m going to say this one time about Cullen and that’s it. And my opinion will be out there and done. This is not a negative post. But this is a long post so buckle up babes.

*warning for use of language because I swear like a sailor*

*also brief mention of rape*

Anyway, Cullen is a perfect example of poor planning in the gaming industry.

He is also a perfect example of fans thirsting so hard and wanting something so bad that the writers and developers change a character and even game elements to suite their needs. They didn’t even give him a book or a comic for redemption. You know what they did instead? They switched writers. Cullen has three writers. All of them with a different character in mind.

Cullen was a fucked up mess in Origins. He was meant to be creepy and sociopathic. I get that. The writer who basically created him had no idea he was even going to be not only a reoccurring character, but one that was going to be romance able in future games. She even apologized. Which wasn’t necessary. And so many people who played the game missed a big point about Cullen. He was never supposed to recover from Origins.

“The young templar Cullen never quite recovered from his ordeal. After months of attempting to convince his superiors that the tower was still a danger, he finally snapped and killed three apprentices before being stopped by his fellow templars. Eventually, Cullen escaped from prison, a madman and a threat to any mage he encountered.”

“Once the tower was rebuilt, Knight-Commander Greagoir stepped down from his post and retired to a life of private contemplation as a brother in the Chantry. His health failed over time, and after refusing treatment, he perished in his sleep. Knight-Commander Cullen was said to be more strict and less trusting of the mages even than Greagoir was. He ruled the Circle with fear.”

I’m sorry. But yeah. That’s the epilogue on two different choices involving the Circle’s fate in Origins. And it was ignored. I agree with that, too. But it wasn’t just Cullen that was ignored. It was the entire Circle at Kinloch Hold. If the mage warden sacrifices their own life, the Circle is supposedly free. Which... is not mentioned... ever again. And not to mention is impossible? Like okay thanks Anora or whoever but I don’t think you can just do that.

Poor writing.

I’d also like to mention for the record I did not like Cullen in Origins. I still don’t.

Now, I don’t know why exactly Cullen was brought back in DA2? I know his writer got bullied out of Bioware. I do not have an opinion on that. I mean the woman co-wrote my favorite part of Origins (Anvil of the Void). She also wrote Anders. Which I don’t think is a coincidence. People, men and women, often have this idea of fixing a broken person. It’s heavily romanticized. It’s called codependency. And you see it a lot in romance novels. But that’s another topic. It seems this writer implemented that in the game (along with some of her own personal things she had) without fully knowing Cullen would even be a romantic interest in Inquisition, but also still wanting to give him some sort reason to be desired. And all the while knowing Anders was fully romanceable. Even... a little forcefully... romanceable... if I may add... (I am uncomfortable) I also dislike some of Anders’ writing but that’s another post and I don’t want to compare the two. But Anders was the opposite side of Cullen that was done better because they had time to write it.

Regardless, Cullen seemed to hold some resemblance to his former character. But we do see a lot hesitance with him. He’s basically that “good” cop that doesn’t do anything when the bad cop is beating the shit out of everyone. Still not good, hence the quotes. Not a good guy. He has his meh he’s alright moments. And seems to generally disregard Hawke in every single way. But he’s still an ass hole for letting things happen the way that they did when he could very much so have put a stop to it. Maybe it was the writers’ intention to make it that way to show he was still suffering from trauma in Origins.

Again. Poor writing. BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW. DIDN’T HE KILL THREE PEOPLE, BIOWARE? ISN’T HE SUPPOSED TO BE KNIGHT COMMANDER IN FERELDEN, B I O W A R E??? WHAT. HAPPENED. BIOWARE.

So here’s the next thing. They decided to slip him into Inquisition for whatever reason. His writing was fair enough in DA2. Could have been better. But these people are still thirsty. They want some Curly. At the last minute, they throw romance on him. Not a bad idea. But are we supposed to forget the man was basically raped by desire demons? Is he even ok to have a relationship? OH WAIT THAT’S RIGHT. We didn’t closure on that because they ignored it.

Anyway, Cullen in Inquisition seems to be different. But because they couldn’t just, oh I don’t know, write a different character with the same traits but better, they had to somehow put the events of the previous games and how it affected him into this new current game where he supposed to be... better? Ish? Which is where we get the stereo type soldier with PTSD and a substance abuse problem. Now, if you’re any good with imagining and writing fanfic, then you probably know or already have figured out a way to connect everything better than Bioware could. But hey. Last minute romance written in on a character who was already all over the charts? Count me in. I like a good writing challenge. Poor girl who took the job of writing Inquisition Cullen likes a challenge too, apparently. Because it was her first big project. And she didn’t do a bad job. But imagine working hard on trying to write a character half the fandom hates into someone somewhat likeable just for everyone to shit all over it.

The way I look at it.... we have three different characters. And he is not really a good example to look at analyze wise. He is inconsistent. And was molded for Inquisition for thirsty fan girls. And some boys (I see you). A good example for study would be Morrigan. Or even Alistair. And Alistair is in several of the comics and still remains pretty consistent. Leliana is a prime example of character development over a course of three games. And I highly recommend you fall in love with her good and bad side because she is written beautifully. Don’t @ me.

Cullen, and I mean Inquisition Cullen, has a lot to like. And a lot to dislike. Every character is flawed. I think a lot of hate that gets tagged onto Cullen is really from poor writing. They really got lazy with him. And it is a shame. I feel like he could have been redeemed way better. He could have had one hell of a redemption. Or possibly just skipped over all together. I see a lot of posts about putting Samson in his place and I often agree. It was never quite the character that made him appealing to me. It was the personality. And they could have easily done with anyone. They could have made Samson sexy, too. It didn’t have to be sexy Cullen. And let’s face it. With Cullen’s writing in Origins and even some of the writing in DA2, Cullen siding with Coryphedouche is way more fitting than Samson.

Basically, it is up to us to fill in the gaps. So I love seeing fanfic with Cullen backstory. Because it gives better insight than what the writers could accomplish. And I applaud you if you’ve done that. BUT the over sexualization of this character is a bit... wrong. It feels wrong. And that’s all I’ll say to that. Personally, I’ve been working on some Cullen romance fic for awhile and it’s been challenging trying to find a way to make him less douchey. One minute, he’s yelling at you about mages. And the next, he’s got this soft tone and nervous look. Like, yeah... you can tell it’s rushed. And awful. And even the dialogue is just... painful. It doesn’t fit. (you can check my Cullen tag in blog to see how I feel about that). I will say that even speaking to him on a personal note, asking him questions about life as a templar, he even says he does not agree with the Order. And he wants to change his thinking. But he still gets angry when you go to side with the mages. It feels like they wanted redeem him but they also needed someone to side with the templars to provide conflict at the war table.

So in my opinion, calling him controlling and abusive is a bit of a stretch. He was clearly used by the writers. It just seems ridiculous to put so much effort in bashing the character when clearly... he was not planned out... or put together... I just... I don’t get...

I know what you’re thinking at this point: Kay.... why do you like him then?

Beacause. I am weak for a man who gets nervous around girls he likes. His awkward mannerisms despite being a man of power makes me weak. The need to protect also makes me weak. But also the ability to admit vulnerability makes me suuuuuper weak. So like I said. There was a lot there. It just was not delivered correctly. You know what I would have done? If I had to put him in the Commander shoes, I would have made the whole Kirkwall thing a life changer for him. Maybe even give him a soul searching type situation before joining the Inquisition. And definitely tell him to keep his mouth shut about siding with the templars.

Long story short: Ya’ll thirsted over a weird dude in Origins and Bioware went hmmmm okay. But by the time they gave him to you on a silver plate, it was last minute. Like you just found out your crush Jared is going to Becky’s party but you’re already at Jessica’s house and have like nothing to wear so you have to just wing it. And your shoes look tacky, but Jessica’s shoes don’t fit. So you either have to wear shoes that don’t fit or just look like omg total garbage. And Bioware went with the shoes that don’t fit. And Jared totally likes them.

I’m also going to say the most controversial thing on this entire post by just... saying... by calling Cullen out as trash without realizing the writing, the directive, the lack of development, the rush on this character, and the complete absolute bullying this community does to it’s FANS AND WRITERS kind of feels like you didn’t really put any effort into understanding why and just jumped on a band wagon. And the fact that some of you make other people feel bad for liking this character is awful. Some of the most toxic shit I’ve seen. Like maybe they like this character from Inquisition because, I don’t know, maaaaaaybe he was written out almost like a new character with a last minute fantasy romance.. because he kind of was...

Now for my opinion on Greg Ellis.

FUCK THAT GUY.

And that’s it. Thanks for stopping by. If you agree cool, if not cool. I’m not here to argue with anyone or say your opinion is invalid. We all have reasons why we hate or love the color blue. So we can all disagree or agree and live in peace and still love a game.

You can always message me, too, guys. I have a lot of opinions. And reasons for my opinions. And theories. And just things in general. But I will not hate characters written in Dragon Age. Someone wrote them. Someone is out there working their ass off to deliver a character. And I refuse to hate someone fictional.

[ladynorbert]

So about the con...

A proper retrospective, now that I’m home and my post-con letdown has (mostly) dissipated and I’m reasonably sure I didn’t catch the crud. I’ll put it under a break, but my apologies to those of you on mobile for whom the break doesn’t always work.

To put it succinctly, it was damn near everything I hoped it would be. I tried so, so hard not to get my hopes up, but I did, and I was remarkably not disappointed. Incredible cosplays! Crowd songs! New friends! (Hi, @destinysdesigns!) Three panels that went better than I dared expect!

Also a bit of exploration. Mini-me had never seen the Lancaster visitor center or the Lancaster Central Market (the oldest continuously running farmer’s market in the country), so we had to visit both of those things. We walked around a little bit. I really adore the city of Lancaster, it’s so beautiful and historical, and the natives have so warmly embraced the weirdness we bring every year. Heck, a lot of the local businesses give discounts if you come in wearing your con badge, and this year the con was there for both May the Fourth and Free Comic Book Day, so there was a lot to do.

We were genuinely curious as to the size our panel audiences would be. “Bullying in Fandom” was first, and in the past two years that has always averaged roughly thirty people; it was around that again this year. (My darling @kay-barton was front row for all three panels - my thanks to you and Beka as always. I’m so sorry but I’m blanking on her Tumblr name because my brains are a bit scrambled.) There was a lot of interest in the mission and even a specific request for us to set up a presence on Instagram, which I will look into doing after I get back from Bermuda.

“Asexuality in Modern Media” was a tremendous hit, for which I’m very grateful. I was so, so proud of @auroraborealia - I know she was very nervous but she really did a stellar job; she was poised and articulate and the crowd responded to her very well. The turnout was somewhere between 30 and 40, I think. It probably helped, as someone pointed out, that we were scheduled at the same time as the cosplay burlesque, which meant that the ace people who had no interest in that had someplace relevant to go. We made the panel 18+, not realizing just how very stringent that rule was, so a couple of 17-year-olds weren’t able to be there; it was suggested that maybe next year we could do a daytime panel on the subject. (We had a wonderful laugh about that, because as I said, it’s not like it was a graphic panel. We just meant it in a ‘parental guidance suggested’ kind of way, and sex does of course get discussed.) Also, I got to make a joke that was actually funny, for probably the only time all weekend.

Those were both on Friday, and then “A History of Thedas” was Saturday afternoon. We were a lot more relaxed about this one, because it was just a couple of nerds talking about something they love. There ended up being some unintended hilarity due to my overuse of the “curtain” dissolve in the PowerPoint (caused by my duplicating slides), and pretty much the whole room was ultimately on ‘team curtain.’ We laughed about Anders, we laughed about Sebastian, we laughed about Shale, we just... we laughed. We laughed a lot. It was wonderful.

All three times we were asked to please present our panels again next year, which is an amazing feeling.

I always do cry a little bit when I come home from Zenkai. It’s taken me a while to understand why that is. Put simply, the place is so overflowing with positive energy - kindness and creativity and excitement and joy are in abundance. It truly is a happy place. It’s hard to leave that, even though I missed Lord Norbert and he was doing his usual mild pining for me back here at home. I get such a strange ache in my chest when I think about all of it; it’s a different sort of homesickness, I guess. (Plus factor in the whole Mini-Me aspect of it - I only see her maybe twice a year, three times if I’m lucky, since she moved to Florida; and in her own words, we have a relationship that’s less like a friendship and more like the bond between a particularly wacky aunt and her favorite niece.)

But there’s always next year. And although there’s a part of me that knows this can’t go on forever, because of reasons, it’ll go on for as long as I can let it.

[tigerlover16-uk]

One thing I like to think about is how kids that are growing up watching Dragon Ball Super are going to look back on the rest of the franchise and Dragon Ball stories made going forward, and how their experience watching Super is going to inform a lot of their views and opinions on the series.

Really think about it though, there’s going to be an entire generation of Dragon Ball fans for whom Beerus and Whis have seemingly always been mainstays for the series, and it’ll probably feel like Dragon Ball just wouldn’t be the same without them.

There are kids that are going to grow up with Caulifla or Hit or Toppo as some of their favourite characters. Kids for whom Goku Black and Zamasu feel like just as iconic villains for the franchise as the likes of Cell and Majin Buu. Future Mai being Future Trunks’ love interest is just going to feel like the way things are meant to be, same for the Pilaf Gang being kids in fact.

I’m eager to see what this generation of fans are going to have to say about Super when they’re older, and the previous series when they inevitably get around to them (Not that all of them will. There are still plenty of casuals out there that have only watched DBZ and not Dragon Ball), and whether they’ll like them as much as Super or they won’t appeal to them as much simply because Super is what they grew up on and it’s what Dragon Ball really is to them.

I’m a person that grew up on the Star Wars Prequels, and it’s Star Wars content from that era that I’m most interested in. Episode III is my favourite movie, I love the Clone Wars tv series (Mostly the CGI one though), and Star Wars just doesn’t feel like Star Wars to me without lots of Jedi running around, probably one of the biggest gripes I had with the Force Awakens when that came out being that after the end of the original trilogy where it looked like Luke was going to rebuild the Jedi Order, we suddenly went right back to the premise of “One force wielding hero and old guy on the heroes side, two dark sith users running the big evil empire” Because that just felt stale and limiting to me.

I prefer Anakin to Luke, Ewan Mcgregor IS Obi-Wan Kenobi to me. I prefer the Battle Droids to the Stormtroopers as the standard fodder enemies. 

Heck, if I’m being honest I also don’t care much for the Original Trilogy. I watched it several years after Revenge of the Sith came out when I got the movies on DVD and, yeah, they were fine, but they’d aged poorly in places and the stories and characters just didn’t interest me as much. I’d still prefer to re-watch The Phantom Menace over any of them, though I do enjoy all the original trilogy movies and appreciate them for what they are and their place in cinematic history.

But they’re still not really Star Wars to me.

For all the flak the Prequels got, and still get from some people, they were an important part of many people’s childhood’s in the same way the original trilogy was to older Star Wars fans, and as time has gone on more and more of us have come out of the woodworks to declare our support for the Prequels and make arguments in their favour, and even many people who hated the movies at first have either grown to appreciate them over time, or at least admit that they weren’t all that bad like they once made them out to be. At the very least, most of the “THESE MOVIES MURDERED MY CHILDHOOD!!! WAAAAAHHH!!” Nonsense has died down.

We’ll undoubtedly see a whole generation of Star Wars fans for whom Rey and Finn and Poe are more iconic heroes to them than Luke, Han and Leia are.

I think a similar thing is likely to happen with Dragon Ball Super going forward. It’s a very divisive series now, and it’ll continue to be so for years to come, but I think down the line we’ll see a lot more fans coming out saying how they grew up with the series and how much it means to them, and fans that are critical now being at least a bit more forgiving in retrospect.

Super is inevitably going to have a dramatic effect on Dragon Ball media going forward. FighterZ has already been made to take place at some point during Super, and we’ve seen it’s characters appear in various side media, like Fusions, Heroes and the big twist of the Reborn as Yamcha manga being that Beerus and Champa were behind everything as some sort of game. The upcoming movie will be a follow up to the current saga of Super, and it’s pretty much inevitable that there’s going to be a sequel series to Super down the line.

Like it or not, and it’s fine if you don’t I understand where you’re coming from and I can relate to some of the complaints, Super is going to be an influential part of the franchise that informs a lot of things going forward much like the Prequels did for Star Wars. There’s going to be more Dragon Ball series and other media made long after it, and it’s going to be a big part of many fans formative experience with Dragon ball as a whole.

I’m sure there are going to be some high and mighty fans resenting and lamenting that, going all “Oh those poor children, having to settle for trash instead of getting the quality experiences that we were blessed with. Oh, what a shame!” but as someone who had to see a lot of people put down or outright bullied and ostracized for liking the Prequels growing up (Not to mention harassing the actors, you ever heard what happened to the poor kid who played Anakin in Phantom Menace?), I just want to say... respect them. Disagree with them if you feel differently, that’s fine, but don’t try to dismiss or diminish their experiences and what it means to them.

Call Super bad all you want, but you can’t say it doesn’t matter.

In a way, all of this is one reason why I’m glad Super exists, even with all the ups and downs. Between it and Kai, a lot of people who otherwise might not have gotten into Dragon Ball have gotten to become fans of the franchise, they’ve been a gateway for many people, especially kids. Not to mention a way for older fans with children of their own now to connect with each other.

Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, and the manga they were adapted from, are classic works of fiction, and the single most important landmark for Shonen anime and manga. They defined anime for many people, and they earned their place in history. And we should always appreciate them and try to share the experience of those stories with more people, I know I do.

But lets be honest, if the franchise had ended with them, how many then modern anime fans would pay them any mind come 2050 and beyond? I mean... the original Star Trek series is a classic and important work of science fiction that’s beloved by millions throughout the world... ... but would HALF as many people today be Star Trek fans if it wasn’t for Star Trek The Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space 9 or the Abrams films? Heck, I’m pretty sure even Enterprise has it’s fans.

The original King Kong is a beloved classic, but a large amount of people today haven’t actually watched it, and mainly know it through Pop Culture osmosis. But many of those same people HAVE watched the 2005 remake and Kong: Skull Island, and have those as some of their favourite movies. Same goes for Godzilla, would the character be nearly as beloved or as ingrained in pop culture if not for the many sequels and remakes made for his franchise.

How many people today have seen the 60′s Spider-man cartoon or read the early comics, but did watch Spider-Man The Animated series from the 90′s or any of the various Spider-man movie series or Spectacular and even Ultimate Spider-man and became fans through those? Not a lot of kids today have watched the original Transformers or Ninja Turtles or My Little Pony cartoons or movies, but a lot of them (Many of which might even be in their teens now) sure have watched Transformers Prime, the Nickelodeon TMNT and Friendship is Magic.

For all the problems and missteps it has, one thing I do appreciate about DBS is that’s it and various media surrounding it like the Xenoverse Games and FighterZ, are helping to keep Dragon Ball alive for many people, not just old fans who grew up with the franchise but new people as well.

I’ll always love Dragon Ball Z and the original Dragon Ball to death, and I’ll be sharing them with my kids if I ever have any. But while I do see the missteps that have been made and hope things can be improved in various areas for Dragon Ball series going forward, and while it’s tempting to say we should just leave a masterpiece alone, I’m grateful Super exists and I hope many more new Dragon Ball series will be made down the line for generations of children to enjoy for many, many years to come.

Wow, this got longwinded and preachy. Didn’t mean for it to be this long, this whole post just sort of... happened. I dunno, I just wanted to get these thoughts out of my head and stuff just kept coming. Ignore me if I sound like a babbling idiot XD

[flameontheotherside]

Erik's Regret

Between '07 and '10 my life was turbulent. Multiple breakups with pieces of shit. I attracted fucked up dudes and I had this idea that they needed love too so I thought by loving them I'm also helping myself because I was fucked up too. Many long-distance because I felt it was "safer". I didn't have to be available 24/7, there was more freedom, I was never one to be affectionate, and it was just overall easier....WRONG!

Most meaningful relationships to me were just 2.

Brendan was from California and had a slew of mental health issues. We bonded from the issues we both had. They were different but how we felt was the same. I would stay up late just to talk. Most of the time it was me listening to him and consoling him. We would end up crying together when we shared our war stories and feelings. I didn't feel so alone and it was hard being with him the most because I really saw a future with him but he was kind of avoidant. When things were good I wouldn't see him online and I couldn't call him because his parents would take away his cell and it was just a mess. Also, he had a female fanbase on DeviantArt so when it was public, I had a few hate mails from random chicks who threatened to kill themselves if I didn't stop talking to him. It put a strain. We were friends on and off and we stopped talking in '12. Since then it was just a few emails. Until he basically told me to go fuck myself out of nowhere last year. It still hurts because I still love him and worry about him. My biggest fear since '12 is he kills himself and I was never able to help him but I guess he's okay without me. That really hurts.

David was more of a physical handicap *sigh* and he was from.....Texas. 😑 We met online while I was still in high-school. Of course at the time I had no idea he was just using me (like John) for the fact I was this gullible geeky high-school girl who watched anime and read comic books. 🙄 I just never fucking learn. Of course not. I'm just asking for trouble. So this asshole had me fooled and got me good. At least he had the decency to apologize for what he did. He visited me right before 12th grade and stopped returning my calls shortly after. No one had the decency (Not even my mother!) to tell me... Ummm, somethin' ain't right here. I find out new years eve at a party via AIM on a friend's computer he said he just got married and adopted a kid.... 😭 For some reason I remained "friends" with him and even to this day occasionally chat. He also plays World Of Warcraft so I've done a few raids/dungeons. He's really let himself go these days. 😂👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Erik says we would have met if he hadn't killed himself.

I like to think if we did, just like in our previous lives, he would be like everyone else. I can see him being avoidant kind of like Brendan. Yeah something like that. He would be freaked out by someone like me who is accepting and shit 🙄. Then kind of poof on me. I just have that effect on people. If only I can poof on myself. 🙋‍♀️By bitch, see you next fall... Something like that. That's what helps me sleep at night.

Avoided the whole topic because I hate getting emotional and I hate crying. Nothing is worse. Feeling volnerable. I don't really get my feeling hurt but when I do it's 99.9 WTFM (percent) of the time because of a douchebag. Bullying is at tough one because it depends on a lot. Guys who bully me hurt a lot more than a female. Well let's face it females hate each other so... I assume most of the time the bitch is either on the rag, broke a nail or some guy finally wised up and dumped thier raggety ass (like me, welcome to the club). I had gone through it so much that since high school I don't cry or feel too butt hurt. I just have a smart comeback or roll my eyes. 😂 👌🏼 I developed a smart ass atitude since then that even gets me in trouble with "superiors". A manager harassed me (micromanagement and he was trying to show off how much a douche he is) one day and I told him off. Said something like he needed to back the off me and his little tactic wasn't working. I was sent home for sticking up for myself. Which was a blessing because the swat team came through to shutdown the company and everyone was "interviewed." long story....

Then confronting the turbulence in my life surrounding his death.

That's the worst part. I found a bunch of videos I posted on my first YouTube account. They were hard to watch. Especially the two about my wanting to die. In one of them I described how to "effectively" kill yourself and one dude said I should put a bullet in my head. That was awesome. Then the other I was kind of crying over a guy who messed with me (David and John) and he hurt my feelings by spreading rumors. I actually don't remember what exactly happened. If it was one or two people harassing me, I can deal with it, but it was so bad I had nowhere to go. School and the mall where absolute hell. For what? Over a little misunderstanding. Not getting emotional wasn't going to happen. That whole incident was the worst. Bad breakups, my mom having cancer and bullying happened all at once. I was falling apart. Since then nothings hit me as hard. If I could live through that, pretty everything else is 🍬 candy. What doesnt kill you make you stronger. Very true. 😒 Meh...

Yes I was (at times still am) pissed the fuck off that he killed himself. I had this goal since I was 11...well actually I was 7 but I needed to find "him" and was very specific in knowing he had a lot of issues like me. It wasn't the usual 💞😍💞. oh I'm looking for my soulmate bullshit. It was that I knew he wasn't local although a few times thought so I guess hoping I was wrong. Majority of the time I knew I had to start looking online. I was 11 when I was allowed to use the internet. Intuition was working fulltime or trying to. My psychic abilities were there and it was scary to know what was going to happen. If only I knew about this. Well I kinda did.

That Alanis Morrisette song Ironic has a new meaning.

.... And I hate it. 😑 In fall '09 I moved out of Josh's apartment. We broke up and my best friend drove 4 hours both ways to get me home. I knew it was "over". Shortly after settling back in, Erik found me bawling over this Game Over feeling. I asked a psychic about the outcome of our relationship and he said something like, sorry for your loss. I was like, ummm... Okay?

Josh gave me a fake 🌸 flower that was squishy and if you squeeze it, it lit-up. It sat on my windowsill. It flew across to the door and it freaked me out. Like, okay my house is finally haunted and I'm going to pretend it didn't happen and keep crying. I just knew it was over. I didn't want to have serious relationships after that and I didn't for a few years. I put everything aside to "look" for Erik. I passed up opportunities to travel the world and study music. That's what I really wanted to do. I just took whatever local college that accepted me just to please my mom. My heart was never in it because well I'm not working in hospitality and hardly did. My heart had always been set on Erik. Only I didn't know it at the time.

The most chilling thing about the whole thing is that feeling I had in '09 that it was over.

I just threw in the towel. Like what now? 21 years wasted. Then because of my depression over the worst break up at the time I threw away more time to play the field, drinking and abusing drugs; partying for 5 years and here I am now. Hating the fact that I kind of wasted my life. Having accomplished nothing of what I wanted to do. 🙄 Don't tell me some cheesy shit about how it's never too late and age is nothing but a number garbage. Uhhhh yeah... It's too late for me 😑. I don't have the luxury at my age to do what I should have done 12 or so years ago.

I won't make this longer than it needs to be. This is what makes this whole experience hurtful. It's not that I get retarded emails sent to me. 😕 The most agonizing and painful thing is he threw his life away and if it's true that we would have met if he waited well... You get the idea. Yet at the same time, say if he committed suicide while we are "together" I'm pretty fucking sure I'd be a permanent psych hospital resident or have killed myself too. If he died of natural causes or accident, I'd still be a mess but not as much. So how you look at it, outcome isn't so great. Even now. I rather talk to the living.

😘 💞 💕 ❤️ Good morning and good luck!

I forgot... I'm still intuitive and a medium. No matter how he died if we were ever together, I'm 99.9 WTFM (percent) certain I'd be dead either mentally or physically in some shape or form. 🤷🏼‍♀️

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧Don’t forget to take a look at Erik’s blog ran by his amazing mom Dr Elisa Medhus. Lots of stuff about his afterlife and shit. channelingerik.com.

Submit a Twin Flame reading for free at TwinFlameMedium.Com and I provide detailed and lengthy readings starting at $5 per question at Store.TwinFlameMedium.Com

(◕‿◕)♡ Social: Twitter Tumblr Instagram  YouTube

[theliterateape]

I Like to Watch | Cobra Kai Season 2

By Don Hall

“I don't know the story and I don't need to but I will say that the question should never be ‘can a fascist change?’ but ‘should a fascist be allowed to change?’ and the answer is ‘no.’” —Sara Bess (@achenesense) April 12, 2019

I’ve encountered this attitude before. When working with wrongfully accused death row inmates in Chicago (peripherally, as I was the boyfriend of a woman who was professionally invested in this work) I ran into plenty of people who saw no benefit to the idea of rehabilitation. For them, prison was about punishment and punishment was their concept of justice. These were the folks who would respond to a black man, tortured into a confession and imprisoned, by pointing out that if he had not been in a gang or had committed petty crimes before being picked up by the police, he wouldn’t be there to be tortured. That somehow, mistakes before meant that he deserved to be wrongfully accused, convicted, and sent away.

“I don’t know the story and I don’t need to but I will say that the question should never be ‘can a career criminal change?’ but ‘should a career criminal be allowed to change?’ and the answer is ‘no.’”

It seems that those most committed to the ideals of social justice and restorative justice aren’t looking for justice but revenge. No apology made for past mistakes is ever enough, no change of perspective is accepted or encouraged. Joe Biden’s apology to Anita Hill was a waste of his time because, of course, it could never be enough. Louis C.K.’s admission of guilt could never be accepted unless he was severely punished and not allowed to continue to perform. Jussie Smollett wisely withheld any admission of guilt or contrition because, in this paradigm, admission of guilt simply allows those strident Rage Profiteers another foot in the callout shame door.

To deny someone the permission to change is the utmost in hypocritical cruelty.

✶

Mentally traveling back in time to 1984, The Karate Kid was one of those stereotypical stories of unrepentant bullies, an outcast looking to find his place, and a mentor who provides a series of lessons that transforms the outcast into a hero of sorts (if confronting and ultimately beating your bullies makes one heroic). The outcast of the tale is Daniel LaRusso, the mentor is Mr. Miyagi, the unrepentant bully is Johnny Lawrence as guided by the 1980s avatar of venomous masculinity, John Kreese.

In the cesspool that is nostalgia, it’s fine to lounge right there. Good Guy. Bad Guy. Good Mentor. Bad Mentor. A tournament and the Light side of the Force wins.

Translating that story into the world of real humans is more complicated. People grow up and out of their indoctrination. Others die along the way. Some lose so much in their life that the venom and hate festers indefinitely. And others try to reclaim their faded glory, like wearing an ill-fitting T-shirt or buying a car that was popular in his youth only to discover that the glory he had was based on the worst impulses of humanity and has to make choices to change.

YouTube Red’s Cobra Kai Season 1 is fun. We are reintroduced to middle-aged versions of Daniel and Johnny and how that one crazy kick in the face changed their lives. Daniel is a successful owner of a car dealership with a beautiful wife, two children, and all the trappings of modern success. Johnny, on the other hand, has a broken marriage, an estranged son who hates him, and a chip on his shoulder that has developed into a resentment from thirty years ago that has taken over his soul. Both rely on the past to define their present (Daniel still uses that kick to market his car dealership, Johnny still wears Motley True T-shirts and refuses to buy into any technology created after 1990) but the perspective has changed for us. This is no longer Daniel’s story but Johnny’s.

The first season indulged in the Gen X joy of revisiting those nostalgic moments and was so successful, they decided to do a second and, in extending the story for ten more episodes, dive into some truly profound territory.

William Zabka is never going to be any list of great actors but he rises to the occasion in this season. Johnny is chock full of conflict. His views on what makes someone tough is rooted in the strident Cobra Kai mantra: Strike First • Strike Hard • No Mercy and seeing the consequences of that mantra in his students is making him seriously doubt its wisdom. The final shot of Season 1 is the reintroduction of his former sensei, John Kreese (Martin Kove), and his presence underscores the epitome of that mantra and likewise provides Johnny with a real life example of the kind of person he used to be but doesn’t want to be anymore.

On top of that, Johnny is in almost every sense a throwback to the eighties. So enamored of that decade is he that he has adopted almost none of the trappings of life post-1985 — he doesn’t have a clue about the internet, he barely understands smartphones, he buys a Dodge Challenger because it’s badass. At one point, his prize student sets him up on Tinder:

Miguel:

OK. The app is downloaded. What kind of women are you looking for?

Super hot babes. Dumb question. Okay, what are your likes?

Johnny:

My likes? What am I supposed to say? Long walks on the beach? I like muscle cars, martial arts, and Iron Eagle. And Iron Eagle II.

Why aren’t you texting this down? Computer dating was your idea.

Miguel:

Look, you have to take this seriously.

Johnny:

It used to be simple. Find a chick in a bar. Bump into her hard, but not too hard. Pretty hard. Then you buy her a beer.

Miguel:

No.

Johnny:

Tried and true, Diaz. That’s how the cavemen did it. Cavemen. That’s another like. Like the ones in those insurance commercials.

Miguel:

[sighs] I think I can fill the rest out on my own. What about clothes? What are you wearing?

Johnny:

You gonna teach me about fashion now?

Miguel:

Might have to.

Later, he goes on a series of dates:

While the series has its funny moments, the themes presented are of a middle-aged man struggling with the embedded concepts of masculine strength, the grey areas between notions of good and bad behavior, the questions of intent versus impact, and ultimately the effort it takes to change. It’s a difficult road for Johnny Lawrence and in many ways he is asking himself the same Sara Bess query: Is Johnny Lawrence even allowed to change?

Daniel has his struggles as well. His desire to put his high school nemesis back down, to not allow him to change, puts his business and his marriage in peril. He is so focused on making sure Cobra Kai doesn’t resurge, he loses sight of everything Mr. Miyagi taught him in the first place: Karate is about defense not offense. In his quest to keep Johnny punished for what he was thirty years prior, no apology offered matters as his agenda is a continued banishment for someone who abused him.

Perhaps I enjoyed this season so much because it is about two men my age dealing with their past and trying to make sense of it all and carve out a place for themselves in an ever-changing culture. Like Johnny, I still listen to the music of my youth, still think most of the films of my day are funny, and value the presence of strength and resolve over weakness and complaint. Like Daniel, I sometimes lose sight of the things that are actually important in the wake of my sense of personal justice.

I don’t know if anyone but someone my age would dig this show but if you want a little insight to the Gen Xers around you, take a few hours and soak it in. If you are a Gen Xer? Watch this shit, it’s badass. Like a Dodge Challenger.

✶

“I don't know the story and I don't need to but I will say that the question should never be ‘can a fascist change?’ but ‘should a fascist be allowed to change?’ and the answer is ‘no.’" —Sara Bess (@achenesense) April 12, 2019

I don't know the story and I don't need to but I will say that the question should never be "can a bigot change?" but "should a bigot be allowed to change?" and the answer is "no."

I don't know the story and I don't need to but I will say that the question should never be "can a masturbating comic change?" but "should a masturbating comic be allowed to change?" and the answer is "no."

I don't know the story and I don't need to but I will say that the question should never be "can a homophobe change?" but "should a homophobe be allowed to change?" and the answer is "no."

Sara? You’re dead wrong. Not only can people change but it isn’t up to you and the nattering class of self-appointed Keepers of the Wokeness to decide who is allowed to change. Trust me. In thirty years, you might find your Johnny Lawrence moment and struggle with new mores imposed by your children’s children and maybe you’ll entrench and maybe you’ll change but it isn’t up to anyone but you if you do.

Strike First • Strike Hard • No Mercy is a shitty way to live.

[1nkweaver]

DnD Question Masterpost: Pick

Here we go again 

If your character wasn’t an adventurer, what livelihood would they lead?

Pick really enjoys playing the drums so he would have actually enjoyed being a performer like a bard or part of a band or something. Being a goblin probably makes that kind of hard though.

Who in the party would your character trust the most with their life?

I would say mostly Kai because Kai wouldn’t want anyone in the party to die he’s quite sure, but knows deep down someone like Ida would save him and that pisses him off. He wants to be responsible for himself and not a burden on someone else.

What are your character’s core moral beliefs?

I should help the people that help me, and I want to make sure that what happened to me never happens to anyone else ever again. He’s Chaotic Good I believe, so he’s more inclined to helping people but he’s very ‘do to others as what is done to you.’

What relationship does your character have with their parents and siblings?

Pick had a lot of siblings in his clan and probably didn’t know who his parents were? I always imagine that Goblins just kinda...breed a whole lot. In a way your whole clan is basically your family, but it’s very competitive, so he probably didn’t care for them really. There was however another goblin he ended up meeting named Sprout who was like a sister to him.

Does your character have any biases for or against certain races?

He has a particular bone to pick with half orcs and elves, and a very complicated view on humanity as they have been both the best and worst to him. Honestly a lot of the more normal races he is inherently...jealous of, I suppose? He likes the freaks, weirdos, or small folk, which thankfully covers most of the party.

What is your character’s opinion on nobility? On authority?

Fuuuuuuck that shit dude. The little people are gunna rise up and tear that shit down.

Describe your character’s current appearance: clothes, armor, scars they’ve picked up along the journey, etc.

Standing at about 3′6′’ Pick has a sort of cloak/jacket with short sleeves and a hood that’s kind of a grayish blue, and then down his arms is various bandage wrappings, then his iconic bright red gloves. Under everything he has his leather armor which is dark blue, almost black, with a few little vials slipped into sleeves.A tunic under the armor which is what he mostly wears when not wearing armor. Handaxes strapped onto the back of his armor in his belt hidden away, a belt, simple tight trousers and little boots with buckles and a dagger in it. 

He has red tinted goggles and a scarf that he uses to hide his face when in town, and a strange big bundled up thing on his back at all times. He has yellowsh green skin, messy dark blue almost black hair, dagger like ears, snarled teeth, and a bat like nose with yellow eyes and red slit pupils. He has four fingers and toes, and a cow-like tail. His face is covered in dark green freckles and his whole body is covered with various scars, mostly on his palms and under arms, but also has a split lip and a large scar on his torso.

What location encountered in the campaign has your character felt the most “at home” in, or just generally liked the most?

I believe he and Anders may have spent some time in the town of Daggerford, or at least a small town near it, which Pick really enjoyed. The environment was nice and being close to the ocean was cool.

What deity, if any, does your character worship? What’s their opinion on other people’s worship?

Pick doesn’t care too much about the worship of gods by other people, but has a specific disdain for clerics and people who use healing magic, refusing to let it be used on him entirely. For himself, he takes a tip from game of thrones, “There is only one god and they are death, and what do we say to death? Not today.” That’s the majority of his faith, but he is at least a little spiritual.

If your character had time to pick up any artisan’s tools, game set, instrument, etc., what would it be?

He really likes his drums so I could see him maybe wanting to learn a new instrument, but he also would really like to take up sketching- not painters tools per se, but like little charcoal drawings perhaps. I think he’s mostly just unaware of what things you can learn otherwise I think he’d want to learn a lot! Music, tinkers tools, thieves tools, smithing? Sewing? He’d find it all interesting in the end.

What is your character’s current goal, summed up in one sentence?

Find him, and find him.

Does your character ever want to “settle down” with a spouse, children, house, etc.?

I think if Pick spent enough time thinking about it he’d realize that he does, but he needs to learn a few things first, he doesn’t know what it’s like to have a spouse and children really, he’d need someone to teach him what that’s like.

Has your character ever been in love?

I think he has but he doesn’t have a frame of reference for what love is.

What battle in the campaign has been most memorable to your character?

His introduction! Being introduced to the campaign as a pit fighter is great because you get to really play up the crowd, which includes your future party- and then I got chased by guards! haha, I’m in danger!

If your character wasn’t whatever class they are, what would they be instead?

Before Pick became a bloodhunter he was a different class! He would have been a Champion Fighter.

What is your character’s favorite season?

He likes the summer, the warmth is nice and it’s just the best choice in his mind out of the four. Spring has too much irritating pollen, winter is too cold, fall feels depressing. I suppose Pick is a sweet summer child.

What would your character’s Zodiac sign be, following stereotypical astrology?

Pick is a cancer

Where in the world does your character most want to visit?

He doesn’t know many places, he’s heard of cities like Waterdeep and Neverwinter which are interesting, and Baldur’s Gate has seemed kind of cool. But where he wants to visit he doesn’t know where it is, he’s looking for it.

What is the biggest mistake your character has ever made?

He wasn’t strong enough.

Does your character have any noticeable scars? If so, what are their stories?

Covered in scars all over his body, like a split lip and various other wounds (probably has torn up ears, etc) but the worthwhile story ones are:

-Cuts on his palms and arms from using his blood rites, and also emotional issues

-Scars on the back of his hands that he wont show anyone

-A wound on his torso from his time with Anders, either a bite mark or puncture wound

What animal best represents your character?

A big cat like a lion or tiger that you would see in the zoo.

If your character could go back in time and change one thing about their life, what would it be?

Not have gotten fucking caught.

Which other player character does your character find themselves having the most in common with?

He see’s a lot of himself in Jin’s personality, and in Ida for other reasons.

Does your character regret any particular choice the party has made?

Haven’t spent much time with the party but he fears staying in Baldur’s Gate for a few extra days might bite them in the ass.

What would your character say their best trait would be?

His tenacity probably. The boy doesn’t know when to quit, in a fight or in other areas, he’ll keep pushing and pushing. If someone is asking him to back off though that’s a different story and he will.

What is your character’s greatest fear? Deep, irrational?

Pick cannot stand silence for too long, especially for sleeping, there needs to be noise, and so he normally absentmindedly is playing his drums in like a stimming way or even like an OCD tendency. He also doesn’t like closed off spaces.

What is currently motivating your character to stay with the party?

He was told to find them, basically, by someone he trusts.

What are your character’s hobbies and interests outside of their class?

He really does enjoy playing his drum, it makes him happy in a way that fighting doesn’t. Even if he’s not an artist he also likes to draw. He also personally loves to collect things like badges and medals, signs of authority. He finds it funny.

What would most people think when they first see your character?

What the fuck is this little angry man (if disguised) or maybe “Oh fuck a goblin?”

What stereotypical group role does your character play in the party? (The Mom, the Mess, the Comic Relief, etc. Optionally: What role would your character play in the “Five Man Band” structure?)

I guess right now he’s the guy that’s...forcing everyone to get their shit out, but he’s also kinda the loose cannon spitfire to accompany Jin.

What is your character the most insecure about?

He knows he’s inherently aggressive and thereby normally unlikable. He’s aware that he like talks to much and is kinda brazen and out there and sometimes he wishes he could like...cool it for a hot second.

What person does your character admire most?

Anders. It’s no question.

Why is your character’s lowest stat their lowest (the in-character reason, not “because there’s no reason for a wizard to have 16 strength, duh”)?

I made Pick’s lowest stat charisma because while I think he has a charismatic way of speaking he’s also meant to come off as kind of graty and annoying because he’s so IN YOUR FACE about things, that and the fact that as a goblin I dont see him as being particularly attractive, and so puts people off just based on his race alone.

What would be your character’s theme song/favorite band/favorite genre of music?

Hard rock or punk music, and anything with some really sick drum riffs. I think he could like anyone from Muse to AC/DC

What stereotypical role would your character play in a high school AU/if they attended a normal high school? (Nerd, jock, bully, goth, etc.)

He’s kind of jocky, like I can see him being sporty but almost...picked on by the other jocks because of his size? He might also be like the “bad boy”

What treasure/item/artifact that your character has collected during the adventure is the most important to them?

The thing on his back for sure, that he keeps all bundled up.

Is there any particular weapon, item, etc. that your character longs to find?

He’d love to find something that could change how he looks like a hat of disguise ( that he doesn’t know the party has) or just something that allows him to...be different visually I guess. In terms of weapons I mean I think he’d love any kind of badass sounding weapon, like a sword that catches on fire. Or a sentient weapon, he’d think that’s SUPER COOL.

Where does your character feel the most at home?

In a tent in the middle of the woods by the campfire with Anders.

Does your character care about how they’re perceived by others? How do they change themselves to fit in with other people?

He both really cares about it and really doesn’t. He used to have some resentment issues of like “I wish I wasn’t a goblin” but Anders tried to squash that feeling in him and it mostly worked. He is trying to love himself but also I think feels he’s incapable of like...getting actual love from someone bc he’s a goblin.

What does your character think is the true meaning of life?

He was asked that a while ago and he’s still trying to figure it out before he meets that person again.

What is your character’s scent? (Bonus points for a description that sounds like it could be from a bad [or awesome] fanfic.)

God he probably smells disgusting. He doesn’t really bathe much and he’s all dirty and covered in dried blood and other shit...he probably smells really bad and smells a lot like gore or blood.

Does your character think more with their heart or their brain?

He would say he thinks with his gut, but with that not an option I’d default to heart.

What is your character’s most recent or frequent nightmare?

Being back in that place again.

What opinion does your character have on [CERTAIN ESTABLISHED GROUPS/AUTHORITIES IN THE GAME WORLD]? (Dragonmarked Houses, royal crown, etc.)

Pick has learned that there are certain power structures that are enjoyed by the elites of society that he really, really hates. They dont stand for good things and only seek to exploit, and he wants that to end, mostly through him committing a lot of violence on some people.

How did your character spend their childhood? Where did they grow up/who were their childhood friends?

Pick grew up in the north with his goblin clan, though most of his memories from that time aren’t super well known. A lot of them were his siblings, cousins etc, and he was regarded with a little respect as he was a bit smarter than the average goblin, so he was good at trapping and hunting. The rest is a blur.

What aspect of your character’s future are they most curious about? (If they could know one thing about the future, what would it be?)

Where the fuck is he.

What colors are associated with your character?

Red red red, and like faded steel grays and blues.

Who in the party would your character prioritize rescuing, in dire circumstances?

Probably Kai or Siril, but more in a stand in between them and an enemy rather than like, pulling them out of a burning building.

Is your character the most swayed by ethos, pathos, or logos?

Somewhere between pathos and ethos but mostly ethos, he wouldn’t really speak on things that weren’t in his knowledge base.

If your character was granted a single use of Wish, what would they use it for?

God I dont know if one use of wish is enough. I suppose he’d get started by using it to finish the task that was given to him.

What is your character’s favorite spell? If they don’t use spells: what is their favorite personal weapon/combat maneuver/skill/etc.?

He only uses it as a last resort, and it hasn’t come to that yet.

How does your character feel about keeping secrets from the rest of the party?

Pick fucking hates secrets. He wants everyone’s shit out and in the open including his own as soon as possible because  he needs to know if they can help him or not.

What type of creature in the world is your character the most intrigued by?

Since his becoming a blood hunter, which he doesn’t really know that’s what he is, he’s found himself drawn to their specific quarries, and he’s curious about why that is. Things like fey, fiends, etc.

When they were a child, what did your character want to be, or think they were going to be, when they grew up?

Pick dreamed of being the “leader” but figured he’d die way before that happened.

The player character to your left admits that they’re passionately in love with your character. How would your character respond?

Doesn’t matter who it is because clearly you’re just making a joke at him.

If somebody (an NPC, someone from their backstory, etc.) your character trusts/loves asked your character to do something against the party’s best interest, who would they side with?

Oh he’d 100% go with the person from his past because he’s only with the party to get back to them. He’s just not been with the party long enough to care.

Does your character value their own best interest more than the party’s?

Most definitely, he just met them and I think unless things get real serious real fast it will be that way for a while.

What decision would the party have to make in order for your character to consider splitting off from the group?

Not respecting the boundaries he set, or doing to someone what was done to him.

How does your character imagine the way they will die?

Right now he’s holding on to the fact that he can’t, and wont, and will go kicking and screaming against a God if he has to to not.

What is your character’s greatest achievement?

Surviving, through everything. Being a champion when he was supposed to be the fodder.

Is your character willing to risk the well-being of others in order to achieve their goal?

Yeah I think he’d consider it the greater good.

What is your character’s opinion on killing others?

There’s some people that really need to die like right now, no issue with killing whatsoever.

What is your character’s favorite food? Beverage?

I think he’d like something savory over something sweet, definitely something nice and buttery like a really good corn on the cob.

How generous is your character? Especially to those they don’t know?

His twitch instinct is to be an asshole, and then immediately feel bad and try to do something nice and be giving. He was told that the thing you do second is who you really are, and your gut reaction is what you were taught. He’s trying to reteach himself.

What is your character the most envious about, regarding anyone in the party?

How someone can have so much more than him and not even understand how good they had it, and then still seem so upset.

The player character to your left and the player character to your right are both telling your character two different versions of the truth. Who does your character believe?

Whatever version of the story is more exciting or funny.

What is your character’s sexuality/relationship with sex?

I think sex to him is a very like...animalistic instinctual thing? Kinda just by nature of being a goblin I think he really feels the need to have sex in that sake. But also I think sex might have been messed up in his brain, and so now he’s just all confused about it. He needs someone to teach him what healthy sexual experiences are. If he explored that he would discover he is probably homosexual. 

What is your character’s biggest pet peeve?

Someone who always thinks they know the best thing to do, a self appointed leader. Someone who writes off others.

Describe how your character feels about the party’s current situation/objective/etc.

What exactly are you all doing?? Do you actually want me here?? Why are you all so dang secretive even with each other, how the fuck is this going to work.

Who in the party would your character trust the most to keep an important secret?

Siril, I think of the percy quote “Your secret is safe with my indifference” and I think that’s just how Siril would treat a secret.

If your character knew that they were going to die in a month, how would they spend the rest of their life?

He’d be doubling down on what he has to do because now theres a time limit put on it. Or he’d have to find someone he trusted real fast to get them to do it. He’d also probably be crying a lot.

What makes your character feel safe?

An open space, being able to choose where he can go at any given moment. 

If your character had the chance to rename the party/give the party a name, no questions asked, what would it be?

The Breakfast Club

What memory does your character want to forget the most?

I think it was too long to be able to forget all of it, but lets go with the first night.

If your character had to multiclass into a class they currently aren’t the next time they level up, what would it be and what reason would they have for doing so?

Fighter, it’s the closest to what he is and it would basically just be a case of “going back to basics” with what he used to know.

What television/book/video game/etc. character would your character be best friends with? (Or: what media character is your character the most influenced by/similar to?

Deadpool

What unusual talents does your character possess?

I always thought his skill with alchemy and the drums would impress people, and I like to think maybe he can do like weird body things like pop a joint out or contort his body in a weird way to freak people out.

How does your character feel about receiving/giving orders? Are they more of a leader, or a follower?

It’s the most complicated thing for him because he’s gone back and forth being in charge and being a follower, and he’s followed good people and bad people. He understands orders are needed but also sometimes someone tells him what to do and it just makes him absolutely snap.

What does your character’s name represent to them? (Or: why as a player did you choose your character’s name?)

“He’s small, green, crunchy and sweet (or sour), he’s Pickle!” sung like a jingle to a commercial.

Is your character more of an introvert, or an extrovert?

I think he’s pretty damn extroverted.

How far is your character willing to go to pursue the “greater good”? Do they believe in a greater good at all?

He’s prepared to go pretty damn far, and that’s also what I think Anders saw in him, because Anders was also just as willing.

What does your character want to be remembered by?

That that stupid little goblin that everyone overlooked fucking won.

What would be your character’s major in college?

Chemistry? Or maybe music, because he likes music a lot. I think he’d honestly maybe just drop out tho lol.

Does your character consider themselves a hero, villain, or something else?

I’d say maybe he’s an Antihero? Or like a vigilante kind of deal? He likes seeing people he hates consider him their own personal villain tho.

What major arcana tarot card best represents your character?

I’ll go with....judgement

Where does your character see themselves in 20 years?

Hopefully with all of this long behind him, everything is solved and he’s got a ton of gold and anything else he wants.

What is your character’s relationship with magic? Are they scared of it, wish to know more about it, indifferent to it?

All magic was made to hurt people.

Who is your character’s biggest rival?

Sebastian.

What is your character’s guiltiest pleasure?

That he enjoys hurting people for money in fighting rings. Like he’s got this weird pleasure with gore and crushing bones and things like that, but then also really hates that he likes it, he thinks he’s fucked up.

What does your character hope for the afterlife?

I think it scares him so he ignores it. I guess he hopes he’s seen as doing what was right.

Who in the party does your character trust the least?

Siril, just because he’s unpredictable.

What is your character’s biggest flaw?

He’s someone that needs help and knows he needs help but he’s both too aggressive and too prideful to ask for it.

How did your character learn the languages that they speak?

Raised knowing goblin and he just knows common otherwise babey.

What is your character’s favorite school of magic/type of weaponry?

He really does take a liking to using his axes, but I think he’s still trying to find the perfect weapon, they’re all interesting. He wishes he could just punch things but he’s not that strong.

What is most important to your character: health, wealth, or happiness?

Happiness, wealth, health. Fuck health it’s always shit.

What advice would your character give to a younger version of themselves?

You are way way stronger than you think you are, fight.

Are there any social or political issues your character feels strongly about?

I think if he learned that theres certain power structures in place in the world that are pseudo-legal he’d get very very upset.

What, currently, is your character the most curious about?

How the fuck do I talk to Ida

[drfritz]

11 Questions

I got tagged by @doktorgirlfriend​, and since talking about myself is one of my guilty pleasures I don’t know how I could REFUSE.

Favorite prehistoric creature

Dunkleosteus, hands down. Not the sort that you see in a lot of pictures with about ten thousand extra spiny bits, or the ones that have weirdly evil, murderous scowls you see on carnivore paleoart a lot (cause it’s so coooool I guess). My favorites are the ones that just stupidly gape with their mouth full of axe blades and look like particularly fat epaulette sharks. 

Which has the scarier intro sequence and theme: The X-Files or Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Are You Afraid Of The Dark? certainly has that spooky feel to it but the music and the blue overlay on everything kind of make it feel more like an ADVENTURE to me. Like something that’s spooky-themed, but not REALLY scary. X-Files theme on the other hand has several white silhouettes of human shaped things in the sequence, which AUTOMATICALLY makes it creepy to me. I don’t know what it is, but that sends it straight into Run Away Now Do Not Look Back Nightmare territory. 

What cartoon, movie, tv show, book (series), video game, etc. from your childhood fills you with the most nostalgic fondness?

I can’t watch it too much now without getting kind of upset, but I absolutely adored Steve Irwin. Every time I hear a voiceclip or see his face I’m just hit with a wave of nostalgic longing. The same thing happens when I see or hear Jeff Corwin, but not to such a degree as good ol’ Steve.

Were you a glow-in-the-dark ceiling stars kid, a revolving plastic disco ball kid, or a lava lamp kid? Or did you just have a nightlight like a sensible child? Or slept in the actual dark like someone who wasn’t a wuss?

I vaguely remember having some sort of clear plastic box of fabric flowers that lit up rainbow when you flipped a switch. I STRONGLY remember having a nightmare about it catching fire and burning down the house with my family in it that I unplugged it and never used it again, at which point I just covered up my face and slept in the dark. Now I have trouble sleeping when I’m not entirely in the dark (I should probably get a sleep mask.)

Music boxes or snowglobes?

Snowglobes are quiet and don’t make me feel embarrassed for listening to them for whatever reason. They also don’t stop three bars before a song is SUPPOSED to end and leave you wanting to wind it up again to hear it finish proper. 

If you could have the fictional character of your choice whisk you away on an adventure, make you their sidekick/friend, or defend you from your childhood bullies, who would it be?

I know from several comics that being Scarecrow’s sidekick (or most batrogues for that matter) is not a very good idea if you fancy not getting backstabbed, but what I wouldn’t give to see Jon Crane absolutely lay into the kids from high school that made me afraid to make friends or even speak to others for years afterwards. Ultimate catharsis. 

What’s something from your childhood that still frightens you? It can be something you saw in a movie or on TV, something you thought you saw in your backyard, some benign occurrence that your kid brain misinterpreted as terrifying. Just some odd, weirdly specific detail that you remember as uniquely frightening and that can still unnerve you today.

It’s pretty innocuous, but vents with tiny-slatted metal grates. I had a weird dream (not really a nightmare per se) at about 7 years old in which the vent in my old house’s computer room sucked my hair through it, demanded a password in a HAL 9000 voice, and I was unable to speak. It didn’t even do anything bad beyond that, but every time I see that style of grate, the 7 year old me in the very far reaches of my brain cringes a bit. 

Top Three Favorite Trivia Facts.

Okay I don’t know if I can answer this because I have an obscene amount of Trivia Facts compiled in my brain, but something I think is really neat right now this second is cladistically speaking, humans are fish.

What’s a skill you’d love to learn if you had the money, time, and means?

I wanna learn how to play the banjo. And I FULLY INTEND ON DOING IT, NO MATTER WHAT. 

When home, do you walk around in your regular socks, slippers and/or fuzzy socks, flip-flops, or barefoot?

I usually walk around barefoot, until I remember that i have human feet - the most disgustingly fucking shaped mass on the planet so wretched i feel like receding into myself when they are mentioned - and I immediately put my socks on. Then it’s socks until I mindlessly take them off at 3am. 

Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, or Wolverine?

Batman. Aaand save for my sweet @autogabe3000 I will not be singling anybody out in specific for tags. If you see this and want to do it though, consider yourself tagged.