#this is entertaining though yes we like this yes <- I'm such an influencer

[elytrafemme]

tumblr dot com is a really cool site bc it’s a good place to engage with your interest and offload how you’re feeling and talk with your friends etc bla bla bla ETC but there’s also The Horrors (this platform is a psychological horror experience. 2 me) 

[bigfatbimbo]

Hello, my dear! Love that you/others enjoyed my thought and rambles! Speaking of emojis, because I'm a bastard, can I be 🍆 anon??? If that's taken, I could also go for 💦 anon?? Also, forgive me for any spelling errors, wrote this at 2 am

* ----------- * ----------- *

Vee's Dom 2: Even More Rambling (because these idiots won't leave me alone)

- If their dom ever become famous, which is likely, and the fans create edits of them, the Vees would absolutely save those vids and watch them over and over again (Imagine walking in on them watching edits of you LMAO, or even you coming over to where they're sitting cause the sound keeps looping and it's obvious that they're watching the same video straight)

- Let's talk about the clothing situation here

* With Vox's freaky ass wanting to keep you close always, it's probably led him to steal your underwear, and might even wear it, but you'll never know. I can also see Val doing the same thing but being hella more shameless, enough to even show YOU that he's wearing them and if you want them back, you better take it off of him

* Velvette probably has taken more comfier clothes, things you would wear for staying in, like old shirts, band tees, or shirts that are well loved

* Valentino has tried, and failed, to return some of the clothes he took. It's kinda hard to take those clothes back considering they look more like rags with how many holes and substances covering it.

- With a built dom

* Velvette will "off-handedly" mention about creating clothes that cater to more muscle-y/bigger builds, and will insist that she needs you to model/do photoshoots for her (she's definitely not using this opportunity just to have more photos of you flexing in HD)

* Vox will 100% build you a personal gym in the tower, but said gym will be covered in cameras/cctvs, all pointed in different directions

* Val would ask you to train his actors, and he will watch supervise said sessions, just to make sure the actors do right (which is totally not a reason for him to watch you flex on his workers)

* Obsessed with pinning Vox to the bed, I bet he'd find it so fucking hot that everytime he tries to close his legs, we just pry them open.

- i know I've talked about punishments, but what about rewards??

* Letting Vox cum as much as he wants (though by the end of it, Vox might start to wonder if it's more of a punishment instead of a reward)

* Willingly let Velvette mess around with some of your clothes/putting you in different fashion designs/putting makeup on your face

* Dare I say even let Valentino call SOME shots during sex, again, SOME shots (do remind him that even if he tops you, he's still your bitch)

- Also rotting in my brain regarding these whores:

* what if you were more powerful in terms of magic/connections/influence/money? (I just know my problems would simply ✨ disappear ✨ if I had a muscle mommy/daddy)

* what if they met you via social media and they immediately hivemind that "yes, this is my dom, right here" ? Like let's say you're an entertainer/dancer right, and one of your viral vids had been a dance to don't go insane (it's the belt dance, boo if you're curious)

* Being in the limelight also means being in the subjective eyes of everyone, and I know for a fact that the Vees have a lot of haters/threats, but what if you protect them from it (bodyguard scenario????)

* ----------- * ----------- *

I forgot to say this during my last ramble, but, If I may, I would love to absolutely read one of your takes regarding my sub!val ideas, but only if you want to/feel for it.

Btw, on a totally unrelated sidenote, I know the blog is primarily hazbin hotel, but I gotta ask, how we feeling about Arcane Sevika?? Cause I am feeling a lot (missing my muscle mommy as fuck bro)

Anywaaays, have a good day!

xoxoxoxo ❤️

This has been in my drafts for almost ALL WEEK and i’m finally coherent enough to give my thoughts!

Can I just say how much I love the Vees with a well built reader. Like I have no real character study-ish explanation for why in my brain i’m like “they’d be obsessed with that.” But I know for a fact it’s absolutely true.

I’m going to focus on your little side notes at the bottom though. So if they met you through social media I feel like you would definitely start off knowing Velvette first. But even before they start talking to you they would absolutely stalk your page and send fucking edits or something back and forth.

But the Vees with a very powerful reader is very interesting to me. Because like while yes, they’d love to be totally on top of hell, but it’s very convenient for them, and hot and hot and hot, to have your support. Because like super powerful big scary respected dom privilege mixed with their constant self entitlement and attitude? And if anyone says anything about it you fucking destroy their status, business, or hell, even them simply because you can. “Do you think you’ll kill for me one day?” “Yes, of course I will, my love” TYPE BEAT AHHH.

And that leads us to the bodyguard idea because jesus christ. Like this is literally such a mix of the well built buff reader and powerful one I just talked about. Also they would argue for your attention 1000% worse in this case.

ALSO CAN I JUST SAY, YOUR SUCH A BASTARD FOR LITERALLY BEING 🍆 ANON. you’re literally DICK ANON. are you proud 🤨🤨

[genericpuff]

zoo wee mama, the new Hbomberguy video is a RIDE and it's absolutely relevant to everything going on in webcomics. let's talk about it.

I'm sure a lot of you have heard about this video going around already (it's gotten 2+ million views in just a little over 24 hours) but if you haven't, I highly recommend you set aside time to watch it yourself, I was surprised to see how much he had dug up especially regarding Youtubers that I never suspected were plagiarizing. He also says some very on-point stuff about how we view content creators and plagiarizing in this "do it yourself" industry that really resonated with me because it's stuff I've been saying for years in the webcomic sphere.

I won't spoil the video much because I think it's best experienced watching it for yourself (especially because he's putting all the money he earns off this video towards compensating the people who had their work plagiarized by one Youtuber in particular who's especially guilty... I'm not even gonna mince words, it's James Somerton) but this passage in particular just felt so validating to hear from someone who clearly holds themselves to the standards that more Youtubers - and creators in general - should be holding themselves to:

"I think a lot of people are inclined to protect creators they like on the grounds that plagiarism is a very academic-sounding problem, like something that happens in research papers or journalism, not something that you can do in a silly video made for entertainment purposes. Why are we holding Youtubers to standards? That would be like expecting accurate history from someone whose name has 'historian' in it! Because Youtubers often project a sense of being scrappy, do-it-yourself amateurs, it feels almost wrong to expect them to be professional... but a lot of them are professionals, regardless how authentic their persona may be. Youtubers are now among the most recognizable faces on the planet, and have become immensely wealthy doing this. Some are so influential we literally call them influencers. Maybe it's a good idea to have some standards for not stealing. Maybe." - Hbomberguy, "Plagiarism and You(tube)" timestamp: 3:35:32

Obviously this has nothing to directly do with webcomics but I do think it's something that reflects very similar behavior within the webcomic community that's, frankly, worth discussing. Many people justifiably want to make a living off their work, want webcomics as a whole to be taken more seriously in the mainstream next to traditional publishing, and for webcomic creators to be taken more seriously as professionals.

But at the same time, I still see a lot of infantilizing of the people in this industry, done by both their fans and the people within it, the idea that being a professional (noun) isn't mutually inclusive of being professional (adjective). It's how we've gotten creators in the past like Snailords, mongie, and yes, Rachel Smythe, who are often shielded by their fanbase on the basis of, "they're just indie comic creators doing what they love, leave them alone!" when they're very much not that, at least not anymore. At least two of those three creators have TV deals (though whether or not they'll make it to the screen is debatable), and all three of them have or have had Webtoons seemingly wrapped around their finger more so than any other creator (though mongie has argued she left Webtoons over unfair treatment, it really doesn't seem like that to the people who know how much mongie was intentionally pushing the rules of what she was allowed to post on the platform, particularly with her Sam x Charles smut).

They are not 'indie creators' anymore and they are not exempt from criticism just because their younger fanbase mistakenly assumes them to be the same age as them. Rachel, mongie, and Snailords are all in their mid-to-late 30's. They all have merchandising deals and either have TV deals or want to have TV deals. They've all been given priority advertising by Webtoons even at the cost of undercutting all the other creators and series on the platform that need it more. They are not "scrappy" creators, they're contractual professionals now and they all do not act like it. Whether it's reacting poorly to criticism or using their characters as a mouthpiece for their own egos or even just using their comics as a poorly disguised fetish, they're all contractual professionals who do not act professional. And they're not the only webcomic creators who do this.

And again, I've talked about this before on here and in the discussions on reddit concerning LO and other webtoons, so it's incredibly validating and refreshing to see Hbomberguy put those feelings into words (albeit about Youtubers, but let's be real, Webtoons is definitely trying to be the "Youtube of webcomics", as is Tapas and other competing webtoon platforms) because that sentiment rings true for a lot of the webtoon creators who have practically failed upwards and only forgo their advertised "professional status" when they're under fire for their actions and writing. Rachel is an "award winning creator" and "self-proclaimed folklorist" until her comic is criticized for its blatant misrepresentation and disrespect towards an entire culture, then all of a sudden "it's just fanfiction". Mongie is the creator of the bestselling series Let's Play until she's called out for racist depictions of Asians and Hispanic people in her work, then all of a sudden she's "just trying to make a fun comic" that's not meant to be taken that seriously. And of course, their audience of teens and young adults who don't know any better keep forgiving them and vehemently defending them because they wrongfully assume that these creators are scrappy teens just like themselves who just started making webcomics for fun and then achieved fame and glory overnight (which they're not!)

We should be having bigger discussions about what awaits the webcomic and "content creator" industry as a whole in the future and what standards we should be holding creators and their work to. We can't possibly expect these mediums to be taken seriously as a professional industry if we don't set better expectations for the quality of the work that's being created and the creators who are building these platforms for themselves.

"In current discourse, Youtubers simultaneously present as the forefront of a new medium, creative voices that need to be taken seriously as part of the 'next generation of media'... and also 'uwu smol beans little babies who shouldn't be taken seriously when they rip someone off and make tens of thousands of dollars doing it." - Hbomberguy, "Plagiarism and You(tube)" timestamp: 3:36:18

[stupid-sloot-headcanons]

Amai Mask/F!Darling: Lucky (1/)

If you were anyone else, you'd be wondering how you were fortunate enough to spend most of your life in Amai Mask's penthouse. I mean, he's at the top of every "Top 10" list for Heroes, pop stars, models, and singers. Bad lighting doesn't exist for him. And his body looks like it was carved from marble. He had so many fans that would kill to live with him.

And yet, the "lucky" one was you, and all because you had the gall to criticize him. To refuse him.

You were dragged to a dumb concert by a friend who'd won two tickets, and you had the nerve to open your fat mouth while waiting in the backstage line. That was the crime that warranted you being kidnapped, imprisoned, and hurt in ways you never imagined.

"Look, I have celebrities I crush on that you don't think are attractive, and this guy is yours," you'd said diplomatically. "I just don't get the appeal of a guy who's so dedicated to a facade that he named himself after it."

"Oh, come on," your friend groaned. "His name is about his appearance! Like, he looks so sweet, but it's a mask to hide how badass he is and how violent he gets with monsters."

"Yeah, I'm sure he can punch monsters real good," you replied sarcastically. "Plenty of Heroes punch monsters without turning their job as a civil servant into an entertainment career. Doesn't that make you feel...weird? It's like if a K-Pop idol was also in the milit--"

"Compulsory service is a thing in South Korea," your friend quipped.

You crossed your arms. "Okay, bad example. Imagine if a K-Pop idol was a firefighter, or a cop, or a fed. Which he is, technically."

"Gawd, I'd kill to see him in a uniform," she sighed. "Can you imagine? Holding those cuffs..."

"I'm sure the guy who beats criminal Monsters to death would show restraint and use nonlethal force like handcuffs. Well, if you're a human, he probably would. Though if you're not hot by typical standards I could see him being rough, just because you're not quite as human as the Pretty People."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. Getting roughed up by him after he cuffs me? The crime rate would go wayyy up just for people dying to get that chance~"

You rolled your eyes. "Can anyone in this line explain to me how this guy is hot in a way that's totally distinct from every other idol? Apart from the fact that he has a different serial number from the others that came from the same entertainment industry factory?"

"Okay, Daria," your friend said with a smirk. "Just because you're too good to be into idols doesn't mean we aren't."

"I'm fine with idols, just not ones like...him," you retorted. "Either be an entertainer or be an enforcer of the government. I'm not a conspiracy theorist but with his influence, he could get away with all sorts of dirty shit. And he's probably done way worse than the typical police brutality against Monsters." You crinkled your nose at the countless posters, CDs, t-shirts, figures, all bearing his aesthetically perfect and boringly pretty face. "He just seems so hollow, you know? I almost feel bad for him."

Your friend snorted. "You sure sound like it."

"Look, let's say for the sake of argument that he is using a persona all the time. He's an agent of the federal government AND an idol, both being industries that exploit the shit out of everyone inside. And he's so stuck inside that he can never express any genuine emotion that doesn't look good. Imagine not being able to feel or express shit that everyone else on the planet gets to: you can't feel anything without immediately wondering what you look like and adjusting so you don't look ugly while you feel it."

"So you're saying he self-monitors as much as your average woman?"

"In a Naomi Wolf sort of way, yes," you replied with a smirk. "Even if the guy is annoying, I also feel bad for him if that's how he lives. Imagine having such a complex that you think being ugly is the worst thing in the world. I'm not a prize, but your average ugly person probably hates themselves way less than he does when he's alone." You felt a smile creep up on your face. "Wouldn't it be the dumbest and most delicious bit of irony if he hated Monsters so much because they don't hide their ugliness as well as he does? Like a Japanese Gaston."

Your friend pouted. "Aww...you're just making me love him even more. Maybe he just needs someone to see the real him and help him love the real him. Someone who's an armchair psychologist like you!

"And now, the Armchair Psychologist is noting that we've moved to the classic I Can Fix Him route. My non-professional advice is to just ogle him with detachment and not think too much, lest you get too depressed and ruin the relationship between fan and idol-cop on a pedestal. No guy is worth it, especially him." You suddenly hear a chorus of screaming around you that makes you wince. "Goddammit! He isn't worth this tinnitus either!"

Your friend giddily jumped up and down to get a better look at Amai Mask waving as the line started to move again. "I beg to differ," she sang. "Ooh, he put his hair up in a little man-bun!"

Amai Mask took the mint-infused water bottle that an assistant had given him with a smile; once they'd turned around to scurry to the next task, he dropped it immediately and sipped it. Just two more hours and he could go home and rest for a bit before meeting with his management crew to plan everything for next month: tours, photoshoots, a briefing with the other Top-Ranked Heroes at the Association...

He sighed and dabbed at the bit of sweat forming on his brow with his neck towel. He loved pleasing his fans with an appearance, but even he needed to rest sometimes.

"Five minutes," his manager warned. "You need anything before you head back out there? I can push it back if you want hair and makeup to pop in."

Amai shook his head and set down the water bottle to put his hair up into a loose bun, carefully letting a few pieces fall to frame his cheekbones. "No, just this," he replied, frowning at his manager. "You should know by now that I don't like that level of prep for autograph signings. They want something intimate and personal, something casual." He applied a bit of tinted lip balm to complete the look. "This should be perfect."

"When are you not?" His manager smirked and checked his watch. "See you out there."

Amai heard him walk off and leaned against the barrier separating the queue from the behind-the-scenes area, closing his eyes. For a man as busy as him, these brief little moments during the day were the closest he got to relax when he had a tight schedule. Plus, the chatter of people made for a nice background noise.

"I've streamed his new album, like, a zillion times--"

"Did you see the pics of him from that charity gala? His suit was so--"

"Is it too much if I ask him to sign my dakimakura?"

He covered his mouth to hide how his face crinkled as he snorted. That wasn't even the weirdest thing he'd signed this month from a fan.

"I just don't get the appeal of a guy who's so dedicated to a facade that he named himself after it."

He raised an eyebrow. Someone like that was at one of his events? Normally he heard these things from random drama videos or read them online. The more vitriolic, the funnier it was to see how much they seethed over his success and talent. Hearing it in person wasn't that rare, but it was a small surprise; normally they didn't pay for his concert tickets.

He heard a woman next to them speak up in his defense, obviously a fan. Ah, he understood it now--the first voice was someone dragged here by a friend. He tried to imagine what the two of them looked like: the fan dressed in a concert t-shirt, maybe some merch as accessories, and the cynic in drab shapeless clothing, maybe a shirt depicting a musician they thought was sooo much deeper than his music. A wardrobe that came out of thrift stores and secondhand shops, complete with an imaginary pat on the back for being oh-so ethical in their nonexistent fashion.

The more they talked though, the more he was dragged out of his little 5-minute meditation. The background noise of the others melted away as he found himself focusing on what these two were saying. It was annoying, but nothing he hadn't heard before from his critics.

"He just seems so hollow, you know? I almost feel bad for him."

His eyes shot open. Suddenly he found himself staring at the mirror he'd just used to put his hair up. Every other jab stung, but just barely. Why was he even listening to this nobody? They were pretending to feel bad for him, just as hypocritical as they said he was. He took another sip of water and massaged his temples when he noticed he was narrowing his eyes into near-slits in the mirror. Shit, he didn't want to look wrinkled and stressed during the signing. He had some eye cream in his bag; he just needs to ignore them, dab this on, and relax for the rest of his--

"He's so stuck inside that he can never express any genuine emotion that doesn't look good."

The hand that was reaching for his bag's zipper froze. He bit his tongue and felt a pulsing in his temples. Shit. SHIT. If he felt that, then that meant--

He willed himself to look into the mirror and fought the urge to vomit as he saw a small vein starting to rise next to his left eyebrow. This stupid, ignorant bitch was actually getting to him. Why? Why? He can just ignore them.

"I also feel bad for him if that's how he lives. Imagine having such a complex that you think being ugly is the worst thing in the world. I'm not a prize, but your average ugly person probably hates themselves way less than he does when he's alone."

He had to clench his fists to keep from punching through the barrier and crushing their skull to shut them up. Someone like this had NO right to feel pity for HIM. No shit, they weren't a prize. Being ugly on the outside and inside, and that smugness, that audacity to pretend they feel bad for him--HIM, their better in every possible way?

"Wouldn't it be the dumbest and most delicious bit of irony if he hated Monsters so much because they don't hide their ugliness as well as he does?"

His hands tightened to the point that he felt like his bones were about to pop through his skin. The pulsing in his temples was unbearable, but he couldn't bear to look in the mirror to see how bad the vein had gotten. He had to get away from them. He had to shut them out, to be better and ignore them. He took another swig of his drink and headed back to where he'd left the signing table, massaging his temples with a bit of medicated cold-pressed cream. Soon he felt the pulsing subside, and after a few minutes of breathing, he was back to normal.

He came out again and felt a wave of comfort as he heard his fans screaming for him. This was his comfort zone, exactly where he was supposed to be. He was in his element. That little worm was in his world, and while he had to fight the urge to scan the crowd for them, he suppressed a chuckle at the thought of them feeling so out of place and uncomfortable among the throngs of screeching fans surrounding them.

"Thank you for waiting," he said with a warm smile. "Sorry for the long break, but I can't wait to meet the rest of you all!"

Another round of screams rang out as he settled into his chair and chatted mindless pleasantries and feigned intimacy with the fans at the front of the line, signing things so quickly and expertly as if his hand had a mind of its own. As the line progressed, he tried to listen for the voices of that particular duo to see if his image of that nobody were accurate.

When he spied a woman in a t-shirt from last year's concert standing next to a more subdued one in a flavorless top and jacket, he knew he'd found them. Once they finally reached the front of the line, he made sure to give the fan a sweet smile and take their hand as they handed him a film poster with shaking fingers. "Thank you so much for coming," he said kindly. "Ooh, this poster takes me back. I had a lot of fun filming this one. What's your name?"

"You touched my wrist," the fan whispered. She shook her head. "I mean, uh, that's not my name. Not Wrist. It's, um...oh God, uh--"

"Shizuka," the Cynic interjected. "Her name is Shizuka."

The fan nodded eagerly. "Yep! That's it."

Amai Mask smiled and signed the poster. "So, did you enjoy the concert, Shizuka?"

"Ohmygod-you-said-my-name--I, um, yes! I went to one last year but this set had all my favorite songs, and it was just so...Wow! You're a natural onstage, like...a real showman, you know?"

"People say that a lot," he replied with a hint of feigned humility. "I'm just grateful that what I'm good at coincides with my job. I love performing for everyone, especially fans like you that tell me how you enjoyed it."

The Cynic struggled to roll her eyes as her friend fawned over him. He turned his gaze to them and smiled, holding his pen up. "Did you have something for me too, Miss...?"

"____. And no thanks," she replied awkwardly. "I just came with her since she won an extra ticket. But like she said, you're a uh...real showman." She tried to sound somewhat enthused, but she wasn't as good an actor as he was. "You must have down a couple litres of water in between songs with everything you do up there. I was exhausted just watching you do your thing up there!"

More false concern and acting like she's so cool and detached. He let out a small chuckle. "I like to think I get energy from my fans, but the water and electrolyte drinks in between sets help too." His golden eyes shone strangely for a moment. "I do feel bad that you came all this way and waited in line just to walk away with nothing special, though."

He stood up and to the delighted and surprised screams of the crowd (and Shizuka), he took out his phone and handed it to his assistant before putting an arm over each of the duo while he posed in the middle with a dazzling smile. The assistant snapped several pictures and immediately chose the best looking ones to post to Amai Mask's promotional account for his concert tour. "Once you see this online, could you comment on the post and let me know you saw it? That way I'll know your usernames!"

Shizuka nodded furiously, trying not to cry too hard from joy as she felt Amai Mask's hand on her shoulder and imagined how perfect they would look in a picture together side-by-side. ____ felt Amai Mask tilt his head and whisper something into her ear that made her blood run cold.

"Thanks for coming, Armchair Psychologist."

[gilded-garnet]

Beastly Behaviour

Sebastian Sallow x F!MC

WC: ~1.5K / Themes: (Fluff 💚 Light Violence 👊)

Summary: If there's one thing MC can't stand, it's a bully. During a Beasts Class, she takes defending Sebastian's honour into her own hands - literally.

(Yep, someone is getting punched and Sebastian is smitten.)

---

"Why did you decide to take Beasts Class again? I never got the sense you were that interested," MC asked on the way to their first class of the year.

Sebastian shrugged non-committally. "I got a good enough grade and I'm keeping my options open.  The extra studying's not an issue."

"Riiiight. And it wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that I happen to be taking it, would it?" She asked, shooting him a sly smirk.

She expected him to deny it; she was only teasing, after all, but he returned her gaze seriously, wearing a fond expression.

"It may have had a small influence on my decision," he admitted, and she scoffed to hide her blush.

They arrived at the class and MC gave Poppy a quick hug in greeting before Professor Howin rounded them up.

"Everyone, follow me! I have a special lesson planned to welcome you all back." She led the trail of students out beyond the paddocks and through the tree line of the forest, finally coming to a stop at a grassy clearing. MC smiled when she saw what awaited them there.

"Here we are!" Their professor declared, holding her arms out in rather dramatic fashion.

There was a heavy pause before someone spoke. It was that haughty Slytherin boy who had harassed that Kneazle and Poppy back in fifth year. MC had never bothered to learn his name. "Um, professor, not to be rude, but there doesn't actually appear to be anything here," he sneered, and a Ravenclaw girl by his side snickered loudly. What in Merlin's name were those two doing in this class, anyway? Seeking to torture harmless creatures for sport, no doubt.

"Perhaps not to you, Mr. Parkinson, but I'll wager there's at least one person here who can identify the magnificent creatures before us," Professor Howin replied, looking at the rest of the class expectantly.

"Thestrals," MC answered, instantly.

Professor Howin smiled at her, nodding her approval, though there was was a tinge of sympathy in her eyes to accompany it.

"Indeed! As many of you will be aware, Thestrals can only be seen by those who have witnessed death. Of course, that has earnt them a rather negative reputation..." Professor Howin went on to speak of how Thestrals had unfairly cemented their place in wizard folklore as harbringers of misfortune. Sebastian listened with his arms folded, a small frown on his face.

"You really don't like Thestrals, do you?" MC stated more than asked, leaning her head towards his ear.

"I don't dislike them. They just...remind me of what I've lost, that's all. The very concept of them is macabre," he replied.

"But they're such gentle creatures," she insisted, though she soon realised that her timing was rather questionable when Professor Howin began tossing raw steaks into the clearing. The Thestrals descended upon them with gusto, and the 'unsighted' in their class let out gasps of fear and amazement as the the meat seemingly began to levitate and then vanish before their eyes.

Sebastian's lip twitched, and he looked at her with dry amusement. "Ah, yes. Look at them ever so gently ripping apart those steaks."

She rolled her eyes and swatted him on the shoulder, causing him to chuckle.

"What is even the point of this? Most of us can't even see the damn things anyway," Parkinson muttered irritably under his breath. He looked around the clearing before his eyes alighted on another, much more visible form of entertainment.

He sauntered over to MC and Sebastian, a gleam in his eyes that she very much did not like the look of.

"Sallow, you can see them, right?" Parkinson asked in an exagerated whisper, practically pushing her aside in the process.

Sebastian frowned. He had no patience for his housemate at the best of times. "Just what exactly are you getting at, Parksinson?"

"Is it true that your parents got themselves killed playing around with a muggle contraption?" Parkinson probed, lowering his voice even further. She saw Sebastian tense and felt a wave of apprehension overcome her.

"Did your uncle go in an equally tragic way? Perhaps he tripped and fell on his garden shears outside that quaint cottage of yours?" Parkinson continued with a cruel smile, his words sickly. MC was equal parts shocked and outraged by his brazenness.

Sebastian hadn't reacted yet, but she could sense the warning signs: the darkening in his expression and the twitch of his fingers towards his wand. She, however, acted first. Without a word, she marched over to Parkinson, wand forgotten, and punched him square in the face.

She heard (and felt) a rather satisfying crack before he stumbled backwards onto the floor, clutching his nose. The Thestrals bellowed, spooked, and fled from the clearing in a rush of hoofbeats and leathery wings.

"Wh - what the hell?!" He spluttered with outrage, but the heat of his accusation was largely undone by his nasally voice, now thick with blood.

"Muggle enough for you?" She spat, glaring down at him. She was acutely aware of Sebastian's eyes on her back and looked over her shoulder to see him staring at her with eyes wide and mouth agape.

Professor Howin pushed her way through the circle of students that had formed around them. "And what, exactly, is going on here?" She demanded, glaring daggers at them both.

Parkinson jabbed an accusatory finger up at MC, his other hand still clutching his streaming nose. "This lunatic attacked me!"

"Only because he was saying some truly vile things," she retorted, her temper rising again. She obviously hadnt hit him hard enough.

"Enough!" Professor Howin shouted, her voice firm. "Both of you will serve detention with me for a week. I will not tolerate such beastly behaviour in my class."

"What? Why me?!" Parkinson spluttered.

Professor Howin looked down at him with a withering look. "Because I have no doubt, Mr Parkinson, that you did in fact say some rather vile things to earn that broken nose."

Sebastian snorted with laughter, and a few other students couldn't stifle their giggles. Behind his hand, Parksinson's face turned even redder. The Ravenclaw girl dutifuly arrived at his side, attempting to hook her hand under his elbow, but he shook her off impatiently. He staggered to his feet and glared at MC and Sebastian before he marched away, muttering a stream of curses.

With the subject of their lesson now notably absent, Professor Howin promptly called an end to the class and they began to trapse back to the castle. Sebastian and MC walked together, shoulders brushing.

"It was very good of you to defend my honour like that," Sebastian remarked. "That punch was much better than anything I could have come up with."

"Yes, well, I've never been able to stand that prat. Been itching to do that since last year," she replied, flexing her now aching hand. She'd apparently managed to injure herself in the process.

She sucked in a surprised breath when Sebastian gently cradled her injured hand in his own, running his thumb soothingly over her stinging knuckles. She looked up, her eyes meeting his.

"I'll be sure to find a way to express my gratitude,"  he commented, eyes twinkling with mischief in a way that made her heart flip. An abundance of scenarios came immediately to mind as to just how he could thank her, but she buried those thoughts deep.

"You really are amazing, you know that?" He continued, looking at her with such sincerity that her mind struggled to form words. He was so close, and his lips looked incredibly soft.

But then Sebastian's eyes became unfocussed as he clocked something over her shoulder and he smirked, releasing her hand and taking a step back.  "Watch out, I think your number one fan is on their way."

"Wha - ?" She didn't get to finish before something small and solid collided full speed with her waist, forcing the air from her lungs.

"Oh, MC, that was simply marvelous! I wish I had your courage; I would have done that a thousand times over by now," Poppy enthused, hugging her tightly.

"It was my pleasure, Poppy," MC replied, still catching her breath, for more reasons than one.

---

Sebastian wasted no time filling his best friend in on the day's events whilst in their dorm room.

"...and then, Ominis, she punched him, square in the face!" Sebastian enthused, unable to contain his euphoria.

"She what?!" Ominis spluttered, pausing as he rummaged through his bag.

"I know!" Sebastian answered, laughing. He threw himself back onto his bed with a blissful sigh. "Honestly, I couldn't believe it, but I think it might just be the best thing I have ever seen. She's incredible."

Ominis scoffed, but smiled all the same. "You're both utterly mad. You deserve each other, honestly."

[z0mbiefrank]

Transcript for Marina Toybina on the Designing Hollywood podcast

I've seen a couple people searching for a transcript of her discussing Gerard Way's stage costumes, so I have made one! Feel free to share/link as a resource. Popular quotes are bolded.

Link to source video. MCR's section starts around 22 minutes in.

The transcript is beneath the cut.

Interviewer: Well now you’ve just finished working with My Chemical Romance, which is a band that I dig. Gerard Way is also a comic book writer and artist, created the Umbrella Academy. So, first of all, how did you get that job? Because there’s a design, I mean the look of that band and what they like to do, what they’re influenced by, they’re not just your typical rock band. So what was it like? How did you get that job? You designed the whole tour right?

Marina: I Collaborated with the lead singer, yes, with Gerard. Uhm, okay everything kinda has it’s place in time. About 15 years ago, 15 to 20 years ago, I was a huge fan. I’m a rock girl at heart, and back then a lot of their music was like music to my soul. It got me through some of the harder times. A lot of my friends were musicians. I never saw them live, never could afford to get to their shows, but knew one day in my heart there probably will be an opportunity, they were in like my top 5 favorite bands. He was an artist I’ve always wanted to work with. This past summer, while I was designing So You Think You Can Dance, I just happened to turn on their music - nope- let me rewind I'm so sorry. So a year ago I was reading a release that they're coming back together on tour and they're playing LA on my birthday. I looked at my team and I was like "I'm gonna be at that show. We're gonna go to the show, we're all gonna go together." And I just jokingly said “I'll probably dress them!” A lot of things in my career have happened to manifestation, I'm a huge believer in that. I think my intentions were so clear into the universe. I believed in it so much. That happened a year ago. Then this past summer, I was driving to work, I was listening to their music and I just happened to text my agent. I'm like “You know I really want to get back into music. It's what I used to do. I used to do a lot of live performances. I used to do a lot of music videos. I need to feel that again, even though I'm surrounded with music all the time and I'm doing all these shows. But there was a disconnect in my career, to where it's like I love live entertainment.” And she’s like “Who do you want? Like are we going after pop stars?” And I'm like “No I've done all that. I want to go back to my roots. I want like Incubus or My Chemical Romance or Red Hot Chili Peppers. Get me back to rock and roll.” And she was like “Well, you know, they're touring, but it's probably… I don’t know, let's put it out there.” Then within two weeks I get an email from her like “Hey their managers want to meet with you, he wants to meet with you.” One of the biggest things about their aesthetic is one of my probably top three costume designers, Colleen Atwood, did their black parade album and it was so incredible. Back then, I was always a step behind. It's like they did The Black Parade and then I met the photographer later. Then I worked on a project with him. So it was always like some better-late-than-never I guess. And I'm like “I'm gonna work with her someday, I love her work. I've been told by many people we're a lot alike.” You know? And I'm like “Why not?” And so we get this email “He would like to take a meeting, see what we can do.” I never expected to do a tour, I just wanted to open this door of opportunity, to just collaborate, maybe do one thing together. And he just showed up in my studio and it was just an amazing artistic energy.

Interviewer: Were you starstruck?

Marina: I was trying to hold it together. I mean before they came in, I can't tell you how much I paced. Usually, there's like 15 - 20 people at my studio. This was the time and day that I was alone. I didn't know what to do. Of course, my expectations were just to present myself and see if I would be a good asset to them because I love their music and I love what he's about. Also, it’s not just the frontman for me, I think he's a brilliant artist. So there's a lot of things. I just wanted our worlds to merge somehow. Within the first five minutes of our conversation, I'm like “Oh I get his brain.” I told them my story. I told him that this is like 20 years in the making. You know, I probably sound like a crazy-fan costume designer. But we share ideas, he walked me through the concepts of things he wants to do on this particular tour and they haven't started doing the US leg of the tour. I didn't know if they had a designer. Then he did mention Colleen was doing something for him and I was like “Okay, how - can this be a triangle? You know? Can I come in in the picture?” It was just a beautiful collaboration. It was a genuine artist to artist conversation. Like “Let's do something interesting.” He walked me through his concepts, his ideas and I'm like “Alright well, let me come up with some creatives, see if we're on the same page.” Again, as much as I wanted to be like “Hey we're doing this tomorrow!” I also felt like it's important now in my career and possibly in his, to make sure the relationship is good, that this is the right artistic match to one another and… it worked! From there it was just amazing fittings, amazing collaboration and some iconic things that went viral!

Interviewer: I love hearing this from you because this is like the joyous experience of 'oh my god I dreamt of working with somebody and you finally get to do it'. But I want to take you back to that because I'm curious. How would that process even begin? You're working with somebody that you already know their music, you already know his vibe. And Colleen Atwood, who I've interviewed by the way, on the show, she's incredible. Our interview had to - she was in the middle of a work day, so it was only it was a short interview. But how does a collaboration like that work with somebody like Gerard Way? How do you guys start working together? How is that process?

Marina: For us, it was just like an initial conversation. I introduced myself, my work. They already did some background checking up to see where I stand, what my aesthetic was like. And I felt I was in a place in my life, in my career, where I was able to bring something new. That's where my confidence I think came from. At the same time I didn't want to change the artist that's in front of me. I think that's always so important for me when working with music. You're dealing with a fan base, and a reputation, an aesthetic approach that's far beyond any artistic reach of anybody new coming in. So for me it was having a conversation, understanding what characters he wanted to bring forward. This was a very playful tour. This wasn't about dressing up the whole band. This was about him being in this world of iconic characters. And how can we bring this to life? What can we do that's still very recognizable to his fans but at the same time a little bit of a shock value? But at the same time, I wanted him to be him, you know? He was in this beautiful place in his life and career where he felt great and felt confident and I just wanted to uplift that. We did our creative decks, went through the conversations of which characters we wanted to go with, these are the shows that he had. I knew which city, we kind of wanted to play off where was the right time. Halloween was right around the corner, what do we do? So it was like very strategic conversations but at the same time so much room to play and be creative. So I just gathered the top 10 characters that we had discussed and kind of started doing my own thing, and keeping him and the music in mind. Had an amazing fitting. I've never worked with an artist that's so clear. It was not just directional and very precise and very distinct on his own style, but it was clear for me when we were doing fittings, this is somebody that knows his body. This is somebody who knows his aesthetic on stage. This is somebody that knows how they're going to perform. So it just made it so much easier for me to be able to fall into his world and do the fittings like “Is this going to come off? Is this piece staying on? Are we going to do options? Is the character going to evolve on stage? Is the character going to come down on stage?” So all those conversations happen in our fittings and then I just packed it all up, with distinct notes, send them off, and then kept checking in, making sure everything was okay.

Interviewer: So when you had a direction for the characters, were you doing sketches first?

Marina: No, not at all. This was something that I felt like needed to have the research. It wasn't just about designing something on paper. When he mentioned to me “I wanted to be a vintage cheerleader” I'm like “Okay, what era are we in? 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 40’s?” and then he was like “Find me something that's within possibly this color scheme.” The image that went viral when he did wear the cheer uniform, it was probably like 10 different vintage stores that we went to. And I'm like “Okay everything's size zero.” or like “What am I gonna do? This stuff doesn't exist anymore. If I get it from Etsy it's not going to come in time.” There's like so much and it happened to be as we were leaving one of the stores I looked on a sale rack and I saw this damaged, weird, vintage cheer dress that had no zipper, that had no hem. And I was like “I love this! I love this because I can reconstruct it. I can go and get the fabrics that we need to still keep it original and authentic. And that's how we start working. I build out a mannequin his size at my studio, put it on, we reshaped it, took the whole thing apart, reconstructed it to be his measurements, and still kept it authentic. After he wore it, the pattern for the actual thing was sold out. Fans loved it so much that we were getting notifications that people actually found the original pattern of this 1940s uniform and were buying it out.

Interviewer: That's crazy, okay!

Marina: Oh it's amazing! I think, to me, that's when things are just meant to be. When not only did my work translate into something beautiful on stage, but then he becomes this incredible persona on stage that then delivers the character and plays it off. We did that throughout every single look. Every single look when it became a fan favorite or craze.

Interviewer: In terms of time, what was the process when you first got the gig and then to the first show that was performing using your work? What was the time frame?

Marina: I think I had about a month to get it all together.

Interviewer: Wow! That’s not much!

Marina: Yeh and at the same time, I had another huge project in the works so it was going back and forth. But I could not tell you, I've had difficult projects in the past, I've had difficult times with artists, or finding our own language, or how to execute some things. This was so easy that time didn't matter to me. It was such a great collaboration, it flowed, like Bruce Lee would say, like water. It just made sense and no matter how difficult my other project was or what was going on at the same time, it was like oh this is the universe showing me this is how it's supposed to be. This is what's inspiring me. And at the end of the day, the one thing I told Gerard was “You made me fall in love with music again. You came into my life as an artist that I've admired and wanted to work with for almost 20 years. There was a big part of my beginning that made me look back at this now and be like “Oh that's what. That was that feeling that I had when I was 16 or 20.”

[charmedreincarnation]

hi i’m sorry for this small rant. i really hope you reply to it because i’m spiralling so bad. i have been listening to v powerful luckiest girl and get all your desires instantly forced subs and i had two really bad days and overall my life feels so shit and i feel like nobody gives a shit about me feel left out with my friends and am really regretting some past choices i have made as in subjects i chose to study. why do subs not work on me ever? i detach but subs just don’t work for me idk what should i do i want to enter the void and live my better/dream life but i keep failing and i’m so spiraling so hard rn. i am not even seeing small success i can’t even manifest my acne away or to grow a few inches how will i enter the void and magically change my life entirely. please help me out. how do i manifest or enter the void as soon as i can. i am being delululu living in 4d but yes ik if i am truly living in the end i shouldn’t have doubts but it’s been so many months when will i see results in my 3d. manifestion should be instant right. i’m sorry for my negativity i hope you have a great day

Hi love! I feel like any of this could be answered in another ask, but you seem really worried, so I'm going to answer it anyway!

First and foremost, you are allowed to have doubts. Just because you have doubts doesn't mean you're producing those thoughts. From a psychological perspective (which aligns with LOA), our thoughts are not entirely our own. This is a scientific truth, whether you believe in LOA or not. Scientists say that our thoughts are influenced by external factors such as our environment, upbringing, and the thoughts of others. Sound familiar? They also claim that we have the power to change our thoughts and create our own reality by consciously choosing the thoughts we entertain. So, just know that you're going to have doubts until the end, but as long as you categorize them as random thoughts and not your own beliefs, they don't matter! For example, if someone dressed as Chucky the doll jump-scared you and you started having "scary" thoughts about it, that doesn't mean you actually believe Chucky is real and coming to get you. You have psychological responses to certain things that have been ingrained and coded in you for a while now. What LOA does is help us intercept these false messages and reframe them as "useless" instead of messages we encode in our mind and assumption.

I've always been interested in psychology and neurology, and even though it doesn't directly relate to your question, it's important to mention that you do have a brain, and your brain is wired to act in certain ways. Once you're aware of why you're acting and believing certain things, it becomes way easier to understand that the 3D world is malleable. I really suggest reading books by authors like Joe Dispenza so you can understand yourself better. Also, watching YouTubers who explain anxiety and reading self-help books can provide helpful ways to manage your own anxiety.

The second thing is, if you don't believe in subliminals, I don't know why people do this, but if you don't have faith in something or assume it doesn't work for you, just use something you have a little faith in. For example, maybe you're more logical. You can read about brain waves and then listen to binaural beats for anxiety,manifesting, and faith. Have faith in it, because you'll understand and know that those waves genuinely change your brain's alignment. That's just one example, but subliminals are not the only type of audios out there. There are many other methods to explore.

Also, meditation is very helpful. Not just to reach the void, but do you know how many conscious thoughts we have in a day? On average, it is estimated that a person has around 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts per day. These thoughts can range from conscious, deliberate thoughts to automatic, repetitive thoughts. That doesn't even include the number of unconscious thoughts we have, which is probably 100k+. You constantly have these little things running around in your head, trying to keep you alive, keeping you repeating the same thought patterns, beliefs, and assumptions. You can't consciously control them most of the time, but your brain and mind are working overtime 24/7. It's not your fault, so that's why meditation can help you. Not just to reach the void, though you can tap into that using some form of meditation as well, but to clear your mind and then it’s there it will be better to affirm and believe you can do whatever you desire. If you're not truly embodying the desired state, which you're not because you sent this ask, do you think a few measly affirmations can counteract the hundreds of thousands of thoughts you've been having every day since birth, most of which you don't even know exist? Affirmations do work, but trust me, I've been where you're at and worse. This is not the state to solely rely on "miracle affirmations" because you won't believe them, and when something doesn't happen, you'll just want to give up and confirmation bias will make you subconsciously think, "Well, see? I knew it. It isn’t real" But in reality, your mind is just looking for proof to align with your negative beliefs.

I know you say you haven't manifested anything, but can you really think back to something you thought was a "coincidence" or something you didn't really ask for but it just appeared? We usually brush those off as just the world at play or a small world, but nope, that was you. Maybe you don't have clear skin or whatever your desire may be, but as you probably know, that's because you've put it on a pedestal compared to all the other "small" but great things you've manifested

I know you probably wanted me to tell you exactly what to do, but I genuinely don't know you the way you know yourself - your own self, mind, and behaviors. You know best, fr! I could have said anything I've said before, like imagination is the real reality, the 3D being malleable, if you can see and feel it you can manifest it, try SATs or lucid dreaming lalala. But I've learned that you know what you have to do. Sit and meditate to learn about yourself and your mind, and why you think what you think. What past experiences do you still hold onto, reliving them in your mind and creating assumptions that no longer serve you? They can still affect you, we are humans and emotions cling to us like bees to honey, and that's okay. But we need to start moving those experiences into the past and start creating with what we are now, which is the present. Any given moment is a time to say, 'Okay, this doesn't serve me anymore, and this does. I don't want this life anymore, I want this type of life,' and consciously start creating with those desires instead.

Acknowledge your doubts, they're just doubts, and they're really just an extension of life factors that have been slowly consuming your mind. You may have them, but as a god, do you have them? No. But as a human, you are influenced by them, and who cares? You know who you are and your power now, so if you disregard them, work around them. But I can't tell you what to do because I'm not you! I wholeheartedly believe that you will get through this because I have as well and the lows are just apart of your journey as the success as corny as it sounds. But when you do succeed I promise you’ll back to this movement and just be very happy you didn’t give up despite how hard it was 💝

[mauesartetc]

Have you seen vivzi's tweet regarding the mille situation?

Oh yeah. Though to be clear, it's not just one tweet; it's a motherfuckin' thread (with screenshots below for posterity).

I won't go over this whole thing point by point, but one aspect that jumps out at me is how Viv deflects responsibility from herself onto the viewers. If your audience doesn't fully "understand" your characters, that's a problem. It's your job as a writer to make them understand, and do it in the story you're telling, not on social media. Can't help but see shades of how gobsmacked Fennah was that his audience didn't get how one of his characters represented toxic relationships, despite that character amounting to a harmless, childlike pet.

While Viv's response doesn't demean the audience like Fennah's, it does come off as a tad arrogant, as if Millie being perceived as flat is the viewers' fault, not hers.

The second thing that stood out is the list of Millie's qualities: "She is resourceful, she has strong family ties and memories, she has sibling rivalry, she's excitable and hyper focused." Only three of those are actual personality traits, and I can't even remember her being "hyper focused" at any time. To me, that would suggest working long hours on some kind of project, too engrossed to notice hunger, thirst, or how much time had passed. I guess you could make the argument that she worked tirelessly to become the skilled fighter she is, but we never see that in the show. I'm not even sure how "strong" those family ties are considering Millie didn't even hug her mom when she saw her. Basically, this smacks of telling rather than showing, trying to convince us this is the case rather than letting us see for ourselves.

[Edit 6/10/23 Forgot to mention this tidbit: "we are literally on 3", meaning the third episode. Girl, no. You were literally on ten episodes total, and eleven/twelve (depending on whether or not the pilot counts) with the release of Western Energy. That's way too long to go without properly developing one of the main characters.]

Also, "we found more storylines that influenced Blitz"? You mean you created more storylines with him as the focus. You chose to follow those paths in Season 1. It didn't just happen to you. "Whoops! Tripped over this random plot! Guess I have to use it in an episode!" Obviously Blitzo is the main character so it makes sense that he'd have the most plots centered around him, but it's extremely telling that y'all gave absolutely none of the focus to Millie.

Let's look at the seven episodes of Season 1. Blitzo could be the focus of three, Moxxie could get one, Millie could get one, Loona could get one, and Stolas could get one, and you could save extra story ideas for Season 2. There ya go. Yes, seven episodes is a pretty short season with not much wiggle room to fit all the juiciest stories in, but there's definitely space to tease what's coming. Imply that there's more to these characters and this world than meets the eye. Make the audience hungry for more. This is a fan-funded Youtube series, after all; it's not like any networks or streaming services are threatening to pull the plug if the metrics aren't up to snuff.

Finally, the "this is a male-led show" excuse for female characters being underdeveloped is so weak, especially for an adult show that prides itself on social progressivism. You've got a handful of queer main characters and a trans side character, but fleshing out the women was a step too far-? Y'all are all about spotlighting LGBT stories, but anything resembling feminism that goes deeper than '90s-style "hey, this chick can fight!" girl power? Whoa, that's a bit too much, buddy.

Call me crazy, but shouldn't viewers get the impression that all of a story's principal characters have inner lives, regardless of gender? What is Millie like when she's alone, isolated from her relationships? What does she think about? How does she entertain herself without anyone to brawl with, or anything to hack into with an axe? The show hasn't given us any hints.

Honestly, if you're not good at writing female characters, you're allowed to say that. Yes, it's embarrassing to admit when you're a woman yourself, but if you grew up in a culture that promotes internalized misogyny and prioritizes masculine wants over feminine needs (which many of us did, let's be real), it's understandable. That shit's hard to unlearn. What might make it easier when it comes to characters, though, is what I like to call the Ellen Ripley method.

Challenge, Viv: Write a nuanced male character. Give him strengths and flaws, likes and dislikes, quirks and hobbies, strained relationships and happy ones.

Now make him female.

It really is that simple.

We'll have to wait and see how much that defense regarding Hazbin Hotel truly reflects reality, though if I were a gambler, I'd bet Alastor and Angel Dust will dominate the story and leave Charlie and Vaggie on the sidelines.

[marina41trench]

Izumi Iori - RabbiTube Mini

Isumi Haruka I've watched all the videos about penguins you told me! It was really cute! 😂

Izumi Iori They sent it to us to use as reference the other day.

Isumi Haruka Is the baby penguin that sticks to the caretaker alright?

Izumi Iori I heard that penguin just debuted. Its popularity stems from being spoiled and doing its own thing. The video uploaded a day before already have 110,000 views. Its influence is amazing.

Isumi Haruka I didn't know they uploaded again. Time to sub to the channel.

Yotsuba Tamaki Are you guys talking about the penguin video we watched during the shooting?

Isumi Haruka Yeah! When he told me that there's more stuff than what we saw, I asked about the channel

Izumi Iori Well, while it's fine to watch solely as reference for the shooting, it is important to observe the penguin's way of life. Have you seen their channel, Yotsuba-san? I will send you the URL.

Yotsuba Tamaki Hmm, I'll go to your room later You know that there's a part we keep repeating, right? Tell me which scenes

Izumi Iori I I have thoroughly checked it for the purpose of our project. Like penguins playing in the water and their sleeping state, etc. It seems it's valuable as reference.

Isumi Haruka I get you! The way they huddle up together like a river(1) is cute!! When I watched it in the greenroom with Touma, we went "whooaaaaa"

Yotsuba Tamaki Marucchi watches a lot of videos about dogs too He sure likes that kind of thing

Isumi Haruka He suddenly sends me just a URL of a dog playing in the water lol He also watched our mini video multiple times.

Yotsuba Tamaki Really? We did great

Isumi Haruka Well, kinda! It's not like I'm not happy Isn't it weird to ask the person himself, "Isn't Haru's movements here great? What do you think?" directly? I'm glad but how should I respond to him? lol

Izumi Iori Isn't that great? It's heartwarming. It's truly envying. For us dancing in front of our fellow members was a mess (angry) (angry) (angry)

Isumi Haruka Really?! Wait, I need an explanation lolololol

Yotsuba Tamaki Rikkun and Nagicchi begged to us, "I want to see a live penguin dance!" they said

Isumi Haruka Ahh lol

Yotsuba Tamaki But seriously, Iorin you said that you're angry but weren't you really into it?

Izumi Iori You're wrong! I had no other choice and want to end it as soon as possible! Because you're willing to do it!

Isumi Haruka

Yotsuba Tamaki

Izumi Iori Stop using that sticker!

Yotsuba Tamaki Don't get embarrassed lolol

Izumi Iori I am not embarrassed, though???

Yotsuba Tamaki Fufufu. I saw through you, Iorin. When Mikki took that picture your ears were red

Isumi Haruka Show me!!!!!!

Yotsuba Tamaki Sorry, Isumin I just heard 100 very angry knocking on my door

Isumi Haruka Lololololol

Yotsuba Tamaki Iorin… Your fingers will get red…

Izumi Iori Yotsuba-san

Yotsuba Tamaki Yes…

Izumi Iori I will expose your scores on the test we had the other day.

Yotsuba Tamaki I'm very sorry.

Izumi Iori I'm glad you understand.

Isumi Haruka When we got our exams Yotsuba instantly shoved his paper in his bag lololol What's really your score?

Yotsuba Tamaki

Isumi Haruka (guessing)

Yotsuba Tamaki Teacher So-chan's supplementary classes is so hard. Harder than our Math teacher's.

Isumi Haruka Ehh! That Osaka? He seems really nice

Yotsuba Tamaki Nice people don't break doors It seems like it's going to be broken by Iorin next

Isumi Haruka What's happening there lol

Izumi Iori Osaka-san is a gentle person. He accompanies you whenever you get sleepy while studying and when you rush to play a game.

Isumi Haruka Stop fighting lol Haah, that was entertaining. I'm glad that you're members

Yotsuba Tamaki Ooh That's because Iorin and Isumin are both shy

Isumi Haruka Eh

Izumi Iori Wha

Isumi Haruka I'm very, very sociable! Did you know I studied abroad?

Izumi Iori I just do not make physical contact with people for no reason.

Yotsuba Tamaki I'm glad we're friends. The shooting was fun!

Isumi Haruka Well.

Izumi Iori Yes.

Yotsuba Tamaki Yeah! It was fun because it felt like we're in school(pudding emoji)

Isumi Haruka Seeing Izumi laugh is pretty rare though 😳

Izumi Iori Anyone would laugh hearing the two of you suddenly say "pen pen" at close proximity.

Yotsuba Tamaki We had a battle on who's the fastest at walking like a penguin!

Isumi Haruka

Yotsuba Tamaki Well, I'm the fastest

Isumi Haruka What are you saying? I'm way faster!

Yotsuba Tamaki No, no matter how you look at it it's me! Iorin who do you think it is?!

Isumi Haruka

Izumi Iori Both.

Yotsuba Tamaki That ain't good!

Isumi Haruka That won't do!

Yotsuba Tamaki Isumin, let's have a battle again at school tomorrow!

Isumi Haruka Sure, I won't ever lose

Yotsuba Tamaki Iorin, you'll be the judge!

Izumi Iori Please do not nominate someone arbitrarilly

Isumi Haruka Don't be bias to him just because you're on the same group!

Izumi Iori Hah… I understand I'm strict in my judgement.

Isumi Haruka

Yotsuba Tamaki

Izumi Iori

---

(1) - In the Japanese text, Haruka was saying that the penguins looked like the "river character" while sleeping. The character/kanji for river is 川.

[twinsoftriumph]

Do you have any hc for the twins ? Regular or angst ones ?

oh man yes ABSOLUTELY. before i go on though a few Disclaimers. some of these have been alluded to in asks before so there might be a bit of repetition in that regard. and also some will be theory related and moreso going off the assumption that certain extra material is not necessarily Canon in game. also i go into more Individual headcanons later in the post. i won't go into EVERYTHING but this gets long regardless. headcanons below the cut!

concept art related stuff

i've probably brought this up at least 3 other times but it drives me a little crazy that in the concept art timeline, the TWINS are the ones present at the king's coronation ceremony. this pic sucks but it's the only one

this is the first thing that made me believe the twins would have sided with the king in the whole dark stone/light creature conflict

concept art says "The Twins used to lead ceremonial spectacle that honored the King's victories in the Dark Stone Era" which is self explanatory

it ALSO says "Amphitheater was original site of King's coronation" as well as stuff about being free from fire worship and using dark stone for defense.

another reason is valley itself being a city of entertainment even before we got dreams and performance. i'm not saying this was All there was to valley as it seems genuinely culturally rich, but it gives a very Bread And Circuses vibe (superficial distractions from serious problems)

not to mention valley having darkstone contraptions Everywhere.

and who better to lead this than two energetic entertaining athletes?

since they were labeled the "priestess" ancestor in concept art, i think that could very much relate back to the king coronation ceremony. i can see them holding religious ceremonies in the fire era or very important kingdom-wide events (and i'd go as far as to say the king's coronation is religious in its own way due to the godlike powers granted by darkstone)

but on a less dramatic note, i also like to imagine it meant they were in touch with the emotions of their people in valley, offering advice and listening to their troubles Like a priestess would

more personal hc stuff

of course i think there is a genuine significant degree of sibling rivalry, but i ALSO think they play it up for the entertainment aspect. everything in the public eye is a big performance to them

the Sibling Rivalry is a little more complicated than that though due to my belief that they split into two upon falling to the sky kingdom and at times have such insane synergy that you'd think they're the same person because in a way. they Are (i talked about this in an in-character ask once)

but anyway i think they are very smart and aware of how they present themselves to other people and of their influence

they know how to get people energized/riled up regardless of whether they're the ones competing or not. GREAT commentators who can project their voice and capture everyone's attention with incredible persuasion and dynamism

do i think they flirt with the crowd? yes.

due to them representing young adulthood, i think they have a lot of internal contradictions and conflicts that they have a hard time working through

they can absolutely be arrogant and Not in a fun way. they want to feel justified in their convictions especially when it comes to siding with the king so strongly. so basically they doubt themselves but if you doubt them you'll probably just piss them off

they feel their emotions strongly but also have an incredibly logical aspect to their emotions and will get irritated at themselves for "irrational" emotions

they care A Lot to the point of trying to distance and distract themselves from caring, especially when shit is going down in the dark stone era

they love the attention but very much value their time out of the spotlight and even away from each other.

i like imagining that valley has Fights For Entertainment (not like any sort of gladiator to-the-death thing). they'll fight each other once in a while for a crowd but their sparring in private is very different

i think they have petty squabbles over small things but private sparring is letting off steam and being open to genuine criticism. by which i mean they are there to stay sharp and help each other by pointing out weaknesses

there's no aspect of entertaining an audience but it still flows like a dance. it is, however, more... ruthless? no intentionally slipping up for drama or dragging things out or interacting with the crowd

the nicks/cracks in their masks are from each other. i also did an in-character ask for this (i hate how it turned out lmao) but i think the idea i prefer now is that they had an Incredibly rocky time orienting themselves as a split star and dealing with their identity. i dunno maybe they tried to kill each other at one point. just sibling things

at the end of the day they are ride or die

they have adhd. To Me. (<- has adhd)

individual headcanons

they have similarly androgynous voices but there are some distinctions which i am Not sure how to describe. i imagine sah to have a clearer voice that sounds more playful/teasing with a bit of an Edge. for mekh i imagine a more theatrical, regal quality with maybe a sort of... smoothness to it? (this part is especially influenced by how they carry themselves in their cutscene)

sah tends to skirt around what they mean, mekh is more blunt

mekh is slightly taller. don't bring this fact up around the twins

when it comes to theatrical productions, i think it's funny to imagine sah being invested in like. the romance and comedy like Oh my god they were roommates and for mekh to be like YEAHH RIP EACH OTHER'S HEADS OFF and very into the drama

sah roasts a mean dark crab

mekh goes to the counter and says They asked for no pickles (yes i already drew this yes im saying it again)

with other elders

i will quickly reiterate and elaborate on some stuff i've stated before

daleth: noble and gentle, always seems to understand the bigger picture. the twins clashed a lot with them in the dark stone era and treated them rather flippantly, which they regret later on as daleth gave them very important guidance when they were trying to figure out their identity. daleth eventually reached a point where they felt the twins were too out of reach amidst their glory, and interactions were resigned on daleth's part and curt on the twins'

ayin: always hopeful and kind towards the twins, but ultimately they could not truly understand each other. ayin wished to be closer to them and also helped them in designing the valley's architecture. again, with how close ayin was to the light creatures, the twins became rather standoffish and especially defensive in believing dark stone was absolutely necessary to the livelihood of their realm

teth: someone they could connect with emotionally. they had a quiet understanding of each other's feelings of self-contradiction, and teth was not one to demand conversation or vulnerability. teth was, however, someone who would not back down from an argument, so they were more prone to Heated Verbal Disagreements even if they were relatively friendlier. neither are sure they can trust the other's impulses

tsadi: trained with the twins and became protective over them at some point, maintaining a friendly and mutual relationship a decent way into the dark stone era. both feel a great deal of loyalty towards the king, believing themselves to be standing for the good of the ancestors. things eventually sour between them as conditions in now-wasteland degrade, but tsadi blames themself far more for everything that happened than literally any of the elders

lamed: very mixed feelings. lamed recognizes their sheer influence and skill but still finds them to be too impulsive. the twins really are not that shallow or oblivious to lamed's opinions, but lamed is the Genius of geniuses and can come off as condescending or above-it-all even without intending to. stiff in the face of lamed's occasional sentimentality

ok im just gonna. stop myself here because i think my brain is melting from Samekh Thoughts but um. if you made it this far congrats! i hope this was enjoyable to read!

[daystarvoyage]

Hair representation matters in entertainment industry (including black people) Don’t ignore this.

Time to discuss People of color (POC)representation,

Why we need more Hairstyles, inspiration in media for culture.

It's time to debunk HERE I GO!!!

Hello To all the Lovely Stars & Space Voyagers, This is the Brown Sugar Queen Kyoko Cane Aka The Black Crystal Jem Of The Daystar Voyage, I am a Cosplayer, A Fabulous Blerd if you will who does Drag/perform, Making Creative content on platforms involving Family Entertainment Mostly with some variety in it.

I come to talk about something that's been buzzing in my mind about a topic needing to get debunked & spoken about, IS POC REPRESENTATION & HAIRSTYLES IN MEDIA.

GOD POC REP MATTERS IN MEDIA MATTERS ( STOP ACTING LIKE IT DOESNT)

As a black Person Growing Up Myself, It has been a beautiful journey road being a proud African American man coming out as genderqueer, I always Found Comfort & love In My own Skin & even my Hair of all textures, first time I saw the ever Strong lightning goddess storm in the xmen series on fox kids made a great impact in my life in the early days of the 80s & 90s along other favorite shows back then however,

POC representation in the Future of Anime & western animation even in today's media has been distorted Or even limited on how we as black people are drawn. from caricatures To Stereotypes, or to follow a certain trend to make a profit from viewers & fans be it from influencers & popular media or just to be made Fun Of & Mocked, do to make a profit out of our black origins & History.

Example black character such as Usopp One piece.

however there have been great anime that have made our features positive one is Sol Bianca and others

Pokemon, Michiko Hatchin, Naruto & Carole And Tuesday.

Just like In Real Life, We As black people come in so many textures and beautiful complexions as you see in all of animation, & black-owned magazines, such as essence and this one Called Jet in the 1920s through Now celebrating our great culture.

We As Blerds, Black Fans & Cosplayers should have good content in which we can express, & be uplifted by our skin Personality & meaning itself, No matter what background or environment to which we dress, or cosplay a character that's out of our skin tone.

we come so far to the point where we have great indie creators, cosplayers even compays from hair products blogs Manga & comic books.

I'm glad that we are coming into our own and doing better but there's still work to be done, on how Hollywood treats us, and until we see the next all-black piece of media that's when we make it

(Carole & Tuesday, afro samurai & Yusuke on netflix prime example)

NEXT SEGMENT

We need more Black Hairstyles in animation & we need it more than ever.

The Hair Style Topic, oh yes its no big surprise that hair controversy within media has sparked in outrage,or made in impact throughout, be it in and out of workplaces or in the entertainment industry, I do feel at times things could've been handled with care.

From what I've seen we have gotten 2 steps forward, 4 steps back situation of all the controversies coming from the killmonger haircut that's been sported, which is a limited stifled hairdo on how we are only presented and how our hair can be made into cause it's a following trend, Because this is not the only distinct hairsyle to have Iin animated media, A Half Cut Mop will Not do So Put some Soul Glo & Let It Grow.

NOW you may wonder why i decided to put this post of a Disney main character of afro Latina background, well Luz Noceda I feel has great growth coming out to her friends and chosen family, however doesn't change the fact they didn't do anything for her to show ethnic representation other than speak Spanish, Having to show that aggressive Spicy latina Archetype to a Degree, & have a black father mention in season 2, having given no origin story or closure.

throughout the show this showed has shown great lgbt representation even though at times flawed, in the relationship area. ( another topic for a video COmING SOON) however the owl house has fall flat on ethnic & hair representation, Gus is a great example of a character being sidelined a lot too.

for instance luz noceda has been stifled into nothing but that pokemon goh knockoff haircut,

even though there may have been open-minded viewers,who agree on luz hair being styled effectively, making many statements that hair shows so many emotions in animation, Down below

That all hair on poc characters is a good is how you pull it off, in the picture below there tons of great characters in many hairdos complementing them.

sometimes i wish luz character could have handled by poc staff, and have her own break out like the rest of the female characters, cause I kid you not, I met a lot of non-gender-conforming characters or people, who sport many hair designs. It infuriates me such a beautiful person Luz Batista find out the pilot that her character was somewhat sidelined due to the writing Problems & Shipping and I'm baffled how of course white staff members didn't do their research on Afro Latina her cause Luz is beautiful

Knowing other shows such as Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur Do an incredible job of Discussing on how black hair is powerful, magical & comes in many shapes and intricate designs if you know what your doing and I for one have a graceful mother who a beautician coming from her,

We are in an era where black people shouldn't exist or we arent amount to anything and I too had my fair share of my hair being talked about in a nasty way,

This concludes the story post of how black representation should matter support shows out of mainstream like indie projects, cause there paving the way also a video post of my channel and The owl house debunk series thanks.

Now this is has been another topic post , right now getting ready for my epic momocon outing meeting Disney creators, and everything animation, hope everyone has a good one and all the links on good hair and my video post is here below, Have a Have a Nice Cruise & Stay Shining.

[blogger360ncislarules]

The season 2 finale of The Gilded Age brought many of the show's central conflicts to a head, including whether or not The Academy or the Met would win the opera war, who the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb) would choose, whether Armstrong (Debra Monk) would ever stop being a pill — and most importantly, if Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) and Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) would ever get together.

The moment finally arrived in the season's final scenes, and it wasn't a mere chaste brush of a gloved hand either. Standing on the doorstep of the Van Rhijn household, Larry walked Marian home from a night at the opera in the early light of dawn. She promised that even with a move on the horizon, she would keep in touch with Larry. Larry's response was to kiss her, drawing a shy, pleased smile from Marian.

Executive producer and writer Sonja Warfield tells EW that the romantic moment came after she directly solicited creator Julian Fellowes. "Julian had long game plans to get them together," she says. "Back then everything was very chaste. You didn't really kiss somebody; you shook hands or something like that. So, I really did want Marian and Larry to kiss and asked Julian if they could please kiss at the end of the season. He granted me my wish."

Though Warfield warns that if they do secure a season 3 (HBO has yet to order more of The Gilded Age), it won't just be smooth sailing through the tunnel of love. Even if Marian will now have a newly empowered Ada (Cynthia Nixon) on her side against what will no doubt be objections from Agnes (Christine Baranski). "Relationships had their challenges in 1884, and they do today," she says. "The modern challenges aren't that different from those challenges. Yes, we're rooting for them. But everything will be complicated."

EW got Warfield to break down more of the finale, including Peggy's (Denée Benton) decision to leave the paper, Ada's sudden new wealth and its implications, and the possibility that Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) has sold her daughter, Gladys (Taissa Farmiga), to a duke solely to win a society war with Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy).

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You all brought Ada some romance this year, only to immediately kill off poor Luke (Robert Sean Leonard). So, I have to ask, why are you so mean?

SONJA WARFIELD: Because that's drama. And back then, most of the time when people had an ache or a pain, it did mean death. I wanted to disrupt the status quo with Ada. I just adore Cynthia Nixon, and her performance was mesmerizing to me, so I wanted her to be empowered to have a love. Agnes is oppressive, and so, I wanted for her to have love and to feel loved and to understand how that helped her in the world. The heart of the show, it's about the warring classes and Ada and Agnes represent that old money, and so, they need to remain intact. That's why he couldn't stay. 

Peggy decides to leave the Fortune (Sullivan Jones) paper. What will that mean for her future? She talks about a novel, but being a journalist seems like such a core part of her identity right now. 

In that time period, a lot of women were writing serialized stories for newspapers, so Peggy's done some of that too. There's versatility in her writing and in her work. Listen, Fortune is great, but he's a bad influence. He drinks a little bit; he's married. Peggy has a whole future ahead of her anywhere she wants to be. So I'm excited for her.

Will she be able to stay away though?

We shall see. He is pretty cute.

Watson (Michael Cerveris) gets this happy ending where he's going to actually go and have a life with his daughter. Will we continue to follow him and how that develops in the future? Or once he leaves the Russell household, will we not really check in with him?

Now, he's going to be living as a gentleman. We've already seen Turner (Kelley Curran) cross over. Anything's possible in America at that time.

Speaking of Turner, we learn in the climax of the finale that both Bertha and George did her dirty behind the scenes, both with the opera box and learning that Bertha wrote Mrs. Astor to get the new Mrs. Winterton kicked out of the Academy. If there is a season 3, how might that come back to bite them?

 Listen, she'll be conniving to take Bertha down. Turner, or Mrs. Winterton, will be in her orbit. There are crimes of opportunity that Turner will be looking out for wherever she can catch Bertha out. And remember, she was the maid and the maids know everything. 

One has to assume she already is blaming the Russells for everything.

Oh, absolutely. She's a smart cookie. She knows what's going on.

Season 1 ended with this very short-lived triumph for Bertha with her party coming off. But it wasn't enough. If there is a season 3, would that be similar? She won this battle. Are there more battles for her to win? 

The thing about power is that it's unquenchable. You get a taste of it, and you thirst for more. Bertha has her sights set on conquering American society.

There is a heavy implication that Bertha won the Duke of Buckingham by selling out her own daughter. Is that a fair reading of that scenario?

I think you're a smart woman and that's an astute reading. Sadly.

George also looks quite concerned with whatever might be happening with the Duke. And we did see him early in the season pledge that he was supportive of Gladys marrying someone she actually loves. So is he also suspicious? Is he still determined to stand firm to that promise?

That's something that will be tested, and we'll have to see where George and Bertha land. This season was great because we saw them, probably for the first time with their marriage, in some real jeopardy that they had not experienced before. What I loved about that is that they still emerged as this power couple, and so we'll see if they can sustain that and how much their marriage can take. Parents often want different things for their children and that can be challenging. 

We've really seen the servants branch out a lot more this season, whether that be going to the opera or this overarching plot line with the alarm clock. Are we trending toward a situation conceivably where servants are leaving their profession or their power dynamic is in flux?

That's the difference between America and the U.K. You're born into a position there, but in America it's supposedly the land of opportunity. Turner married up; we'll have to see what happens with Jack and how he fits into this new world, or if he gravitates back to his old world and what really happens with it. Businesses go bust, anything's possible. 

We've pretty much exclusively seen Larry interested in architecture to this point. So what would going into the alarm clock business potentially look like for him? 

Money. He's young and he gets to explore a lot of things because his father's a mogul.

In the final moment, Ada warns Agnes that things might be a little different. Historically, Ada is pretty good natured. So her being in charge, what do you conceive that looking like? I feel like we're gearing up for the battle of the century between these two sisters. 

Here's the thing, fighting with a sibling is so different than fighting with somebody else. You can go in and you can go deep and you can go back. It's so charged and it's so conflict ridden. At the same time, you can be at each other's throats and then the next minute, you can hug it out. What I love is that Ada didn't just get a lot of money. She was really empowered to be independent with Luke in that relationship. So the power dynamics, it'll be fun to watch what happens.

Does she hold any resentment toward Agnes for how domineering she was that we could see come out?

Listen, Agnes pushes people. Even if you were forgiving and didn't have resentment, she might stir it up again.

This cast is known for its stellar lineup of Broadway talent. Who would be your dream to join the cast next season?

Sutton Foster. That would be big fun.

[telomeke]

MY SCHOOL PRESIDENT – REPRESENTATION MATTERS

Maybe it's just my own wishful thinking, and maybe it's too early to tell for sure (though I don't think so), but remembering what Producer Aof, Director Au and the rest of the team did with Bad Buddy – it looks like the MSP team is giving a positive shout-out to the spectrum, even while anchoring the series firmly within the BL genre.

We have–

TinnGun – gay

SoundWin – gay, though Win may be bi/pan

TiwPor – likely gay

YoNook – straight

And Ep.7 suggests Pat may be straight/bi/pan but he comes across as more ace or arrow (to me at least).

And FINALLY the lesbians get a mention! 😍

(above) Ep.7 [3I4] 5.04 – musical-loving lesbians exist, even if they do break Pat's heart

I'm just hoping they give us a trans character somewhere too – oh WAIT a goshdang hot Bangkok minute, they already did! 😍

(above) Ep.5 [3I4] 7.13

The role of the producer at GMM Music in Ep.5 was played by actor and host Golf Kittipat Chalaragse, who openly identifies as a transgender woman.

It's important to note that she is treated by the boys with utmost respect in her one scene, and also that she broke disappointing news to Gun (not being shortlisted for signing despite his obvious talent) with kindness and empathy.

This quietly positive portrayal of a trans character in a position of influence is important for all the trans kids out there who might be watching this. (And yes, I'm aware that Golf's character in the show is not specifically identified as trans, but given her fame in Thailand I think most Thai viewers would see her as such.)

Bearing in mind that My School President is a lightly-crafted Thai-style High School Musical taking place in a QL universe, I believe that it is still carrying the sense of mission previous (more strident) Thai QL dramas have been sounding – The Eclipse, Not Me, and even Bad Buddy come to mind.

As with most other QL series, no one is treated as being less than anybody else based on gender or sexuality. So the boys take their Ep.6 music video – about the awkwardness of being in love while in the friendzone – happily into BL territory, free from any fear of societal judgement.

Previous dramas that did this (to the best of my memory) had an older target demographic, but this one is sending out a message of hope and normalization to a younger audience that it's OK if your sexuality or gender isn't society's perceived norm.

And to those who fit within the perceived norm as well, there is also the messaging that the trials and tribulations of your queer friends, family and compatriots have a lot in common with the dramas of your cishet lives too – so maybe it's time to stop othering anybody for being a little bit (or even a lot) different. (This is ultimately the message behind the switch from straight couples to BL ones in the Ep.6 music video, and also the BL switch in Bad Buddy's Kwan-Riam musical.)

It's not the first time a BL has been sending out messages geared to bolster queer self-esteem and normalization, but it's the first high school one in recent memory that seems to be radiating positivity all around, and hopefully its message will land with the younger set.

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.10 [2/4] 12.20 – Pran's t-shirt wasn't ahead of its time, but its message still applies a year later

Heartstopper may already have done this, and its finished product is perhaps a bit more realistically grounded and polished, but that show was restricted to a smaller, paying and arguably older audience on Netflix.

I cannot begin to emphasize how important it is that My School President and its messages of positive self-worth are beamed free-of-charge to LGBTQ+ teens all over the world, including places where it might not even be safe to be openly LGBTQ+.

My School President may be going all out to entertain (and it does), but beneath the froth and fluff it's still doing something. With the team behind it I wouldn't have expected anything less. And I'm so glad they're at it still. 💖 👍

[nimuetheseawitch]

I don't remember if I sent an ask for the ship meme or if I just thought I should do that and forgot lol. So just in case: Beejhawk and/or Hawkeye/Charles

Beejhawk: I ship it

1. What made you ship it?

Honestly, at this point, I don't remember. It doesn't help that I probably saw the whole show a dozen times before even considering shipping anyone, so any one moment would forever be influenced by every other moment. I do quite enjoy the "remind me to kiss you in the morning" line though.

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

Right now I'm on a serious kick of loving it when people are being oblivious idiots about their feelings, and I like that kind of dynamic for them: BJ being unaware of what his feelings actually mean and Hawkeye being very into preserving BJ's marriage and completely ignoring any possibility that BJ could have feelings for him.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

They're actually kind of bad for each other (or really, BJ is bad for Hawkeye). Don't get me wrong, I love them. I love them being a messy, dysfunctional disaster that either can't survive a return to the States or never gets off the ground (or doesn't get off the ground until they're old and finally get their shit together). But they are a hot mess. BJ is an asshole. Hawkeye is literally going insane. They aren't able to fix each other's problems because the problem is the war.

Charhawk: I don't ship it.

1. Why don’t you ship it?

To be fair, I'm not against them. I will entertain the ship. But it's just not one I seek out. I think a big part of it for me is that I would need Charles to come a lot farther politically to make me happy with him and Hawkeye together. Yes, Hawkeye and Charles see eye to eye on many things and can respect each other, and because it's the later seasons, Hawkeye's politics are worn down, but their world views are still so fundamentally in conflict, and that's hard for me to get past.

2. What would have made you like it?

I guess I kind of answered that? When I've read it and liked it, Charles has come a long way and gotten away from the politics of his family. I do think we see him change a lot in Korea, but in GFA we see how he struggles with acknowledging how he's changed, especially as he's facing reintegrating into Boston society. So I guess, for me, Charles needs to leave his version of Boston behind.

3. Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

Sons and Bowlers is a fantastic episode, and Charles can still be a great friend through fundamental differences of opinion. And I very much see the appeal of the ship. And god, I love David Ogden Stiers.

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I’ve read so far in 2023!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

___

237. The Woman in Me by Britney Spears--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I will admit that I'm one of those people who sometimes turns on an audiobook and just lets it play, my attention coming in and out of focus depending on how invested I am. THE WOMAN IN ME had my full attention. I think, in part, this is because it brought back so much nostalgia for me.

Britney Spears's very first album was my very first cassette when I was a kid. To this day, I will never NOT sing to any of the songs playing in that album. I was the kid in the 90s who laid out with her walkman, listening to the words over and over again, pretending that I knew how to sing. I loved Spears and her music was one of my introductions to North American English music.

Of course, being a kid I had no idea of all of the things she was going through and how obsessed the media was with her. I remember the buzzcut incident, the hounding of her while she was out with her babies, and how tumultuous her love life. But a lot of it didn't hit until I was older and reading THE WOMAN IN ME, I'm reminded that what we see in the media is always going to be through a particular lens--what do they want us to see? What do they want us to be entertained with? Britney's life is falling apart? Perfect, that will get page clicks and sell magazines. The dehumanization of Britney and the sexualization of her portrayed innocence by the media put her on a nearly impossible pedestal, opening the gates for her family to take advantage of her. She's not falling in line with what's expected of her, so of course it means she's out of control.

Anyway, I loved that she was pretty candid about a lot of the pivotal moments in her life. I AM sad, however, that she didn't go as into detail about certain things, but I know a lot of that is also because of the cease and desist letters she must have gotten prior to the publication of THE WOMAN IN ME.

I wanted to cry for her while I listened, and I felt so much anger for her, too. I loved that she referred to herself as weird because there's a certain kind of pure honesty with that. There's also the topic of JT and every time I talk to someone about it, they say there are "two sides to every story", which is true, but I find it always entertaining how convenient it is to say that when it is a man being accused of something less than desirable. But you know, that's just me. *shrug*

Anyway, this was an insightful and heartbreaking read and while I wish we'd gotten more, I appreciate what we COULD get.

___

238. The Bungalow Mystery by Carolynn Keene--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I think this Nancy Drew story MIGHT be my favourite one so far. As the series progresses, the themes are seemingly getting a little darker while still maintaining the fun and lightness of Nancy and her mysteries.

THE BUNGALOW MYSTERY held a little more insidiousness, since it features some themes of kidnapping, grief, and greed. I've only read a few of the books in the series and this one kept my attention the most. I wanted to know what would happen next and though the twist and mystery were easily guessed, it was the journey there that was the most entertaining.

Onto the next one!

___

239. Pestilence by Laura Thalassa--⭐️⭐️⭐️

While I will most likely never read the rest of this series, I am content with PESTILENCE. I loved the angst between the characters and how they grew through each others' influences. And while it wasn't a perfect read for me, it was enjoyable and I'm a simple girly sometimes.

The reasons why I'm not giving this five stars are the morality of this particular concept--I kept asking myself how the MC was going to connect with the love interest when he is the literal harbinger of pandemics and sickness; the sometimes repetitiveness of the conversations had regarding the aforementioned topic; and how religious this book was. Yes, this is a book about the four horsemen but the conversation made me feel a tad uncomfortable.

To be honest, now that I'm not in the fog of reading this book and the immediate dopamine hit of finishing it, a lot of it is making me question how much I actually enjoyed it while writing this review. I think it fed this particular craving I had after reading a book like BOUND TO THE BATTLE GOD and I was hooked. But I started reading the second book in this series and it dealt with a very timely topic...and not in the best way.

So, now that I've gone off on a diatribe, I will say that I enjoyed this for what it was but I'm realizing that it could have been MORE or just dealt with some of the topics better. I'm just going to leave it at that.

___

240. The Android by K.A. Applegate--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When I started reading this series, I had heard that it was very anti-war and while I've seen this in spurts here and there throughout the last few books, THE ANDROID is where I have truly seen the full extent of it (so far).

Applegate tackles this topic so powerfully in this--especially the idea that just because you can doesn't always mean that you should. The guilt and ghosts of war will follow you and change you for the rest of your life, no matter your intentions and the outcome. ANIMORPHS was truly ahead of its time.

I liked THE ANDROID, too, because it introduced us to something a little different from the at-times repetitive topics and fights that the kids face. I liked that they got to meet more beings fighting (in their own way) for survival in a universe fraught with dangers.

Onto the next one!

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241. Go Eat Worms by R.L. Stine--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I won't lie, of all the GOOSEBUMPS books I've read, this is one of the ones that has genuinely creeped me out. The story actually felt like it had a backstory AND there were some serious creepy crawlies haunting the story.

I think kid me would have loved this one for how gross it was. I feel like I would have been itching my arms and hair, afraid that a worm would be there to greet me. I would have disliked the MC's sister and occasionally the MC too for being so callous towards living things. Did he deserve what happens to him? Absolutely. Leave the poor worms alone, my dude.

Again, I'm hit with that sense of loss I sometimes get while reading these books because I know I would have loved them as a kid.

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242. My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine--⭐️⭐️⭐️

Listen, this book was FUN. It was adorable and a little silly and just pure fun.

While we don't get to see the story from the perspective of the love interest, the author gives us snippets of his thoughts and his side of things at the beginning of each chapter. I particularly loved those bits and looked forward to them.

The MC's artwork that is described sounds questionable, but I can't fault her her excitement and eagerness when she's creating it and talking about it.

Was this a work of art? No, but it was a surprisingly addicting read that kept me wanting more. I wanted the MC to find out her roommate's secret, and I wanted to see how she would deal with it all. I also wanted to see how their love would develop.

The story in itself is a bit simple and the conclusion was quicker than a two pump event, but I had fun. Like I said before, it was silly and fun. And honestly, sometimes, that's all I need.

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243. The Cuckoo Clock of Doom by R.L. Stine--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I think this is probably the most thought out GOOSEBUMPS book I've read so far. It wasn't scary at all, but it had a pretty great storyline. Of course, it had the awful parents and the morally questionable sibling.

I think though, that my favourite thing about this, was the dedication to actually give us different phases of the MC's life and in a fun and intriguing way. This one, in my opinion, is one of the better GOOSEBUMPS out there.

I especially loved that ending.

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244. Away Game by Ella Kade--⭐️⭐️.5

Was AWAY GAME slightly problematic? Yes. Did I devour the hell out of it all the same? Yes.

But listen, this was the kind of read that pulls you into a bubble but you can still see the pointy parts of the story fighting to pop said bubble.

What I enjoyed that kept me so hooked: ● I love bully romances because watching two characters get together when they hated each other is something I have a hard time saying no to. I love watching that character development and seeing that tension. ● How one character fell completely for the other. ●The sports aspect because I love a good sports romance.

Issues that I had with this book and why I probably won't read this author past this book:

● Who told this white author that she could write a mixed character and write about how hard it is to be mixed? As a mixed person, I could relate to the character but I found it kind of icky that the author used conversations like "will your father not like me because I'm half Black?" Like, in theory, I appreciate it, but it felt weird. Like, the topic of him being Black was brought up more than once and again, while I appreciate the representation, it felt tokenizing and just...not right? This was my major ick for this book. ● Also, adding to my comment about the mixed character's race being mentioned: the author kept referring to him as mocha-skinned. Like. Multiple. Times. White authors of course can write Bipoc and Black characters, but do it with respect. I was so uncomfortable. ● The romance was so quick--I love when there's a build up, but one moment one MC hates the other and all of a sudden, they're making out. It felt messy and a little too insta-lovey. ● The MC who's being bullied has no backbone. ● This needs a lot more editing. I know it's indie, but I've read a ton of indie romance and the editing in this one was distracting. ● The father confrontation was comical. I'm sorry, it's built up so much during the majority of the book and THAT is how he finds out/how the MC deals with the aftermath?

There's a few other things that irked me, but I don't want to say because I'm not educated enough in the topic to touch on it without potentially saying the wrong thing. I wish I could have loved this book, but alas, it was not for me.

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245. Lie With Me by Philippe Besson--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book. Omg this book. My heart wasn't ready AT ALL for this book.

Sometimes it's the smallest books that give you the biggest heart aches.

I see this story as a cautionary tale, but also the heartbreaking reality so many queer people may experience in their lives (and societies). Not everyone has the freedom to be who they really are and a lot of the times it can destroy them.

While LIE WITH ME deals with a forbidden and often chaotic teenage love at its heart, it is a story of the power of memories and experiences, as well as the decisions that may haunt us for the rest of our lives. Just thinking about this aspect of the book makes me want to cry all over again.

God, this book is beautifully heartbreaking. Especially when it explores the dark underbelly of what it means to hide who you are for the majority of your life.

Please read this book, but bring tissues. Definitely a favourite of the year.

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246. Never Have I Evan by D.J. Jamison--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

NEVER HAVE I EVAN took me by complete surprise! I was craving a story that would captivate me fully and this one definitely did it for me in the most unexpected way. I loved these two men from the moment the story started.

We get complicated backstories and a lot of character development, along with fantastic tension. One of my favourite things about this book is the level of communication and the maturity of the two characters. I often forgot that one of the MCs is only 19 because of how he navigated the harder hurdles in his relationship with the other MC. I just loved their dynamic so much and how they overcame their pasts and the hardships they might face in their futures.

I also LOVED the small town aspect and how everyone is trying to set the one MC up on dates because they just want him to find the perfect guy for him. The grannies of the town LOL.

I definitely see myself re-reading this in the future. I loved it so much!

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Have you read any of these books? Let me know your thoughts!

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Happy reading!

[dreamanduality]

Rarest Sun Signs? Does it matter?

Scrolling through TikTok, occasionally an astrology video pops through. My algorithm has been seasoned over the last 7ish years and I avoid astro influencers and hot takes since astrologers in droves decided that 3 months is an appropriate time to proclaim proficiency--vetting in these spaces isn't really a necessity. From a studied lens, we can tell. It's not to say that there aren't amazing young astrologers but as with everything there are much less than there are floating under hash tags.

So, a video popped up proclaiming that the 2 Saturn Ruled signs are the least in population. And that there isn't much information on Capricorns by Capricorns because of this.

Ok, sure, I can get on board with this mildly, though different sources state different things on birth rate months--a sun sign does not an astrologer make.

I think that more of what this is, is that the studied astrologer doesn't constantly talk about their chart. Wouldn't the viewer get bored if every post gave the astrologers natal chart as credentials.

I would be far, I'm more curious if this hot take would be around Saturn placements--though this isn't where we look at in the chart to see if astrology is a defined practice. We look to Mercury and the 9th house. Secondly, possibly, Jupiter and the 3ed house. In my experience as well as study--the condition of the planet, esp Mercury and what is articulated through the houses.

Defining everything through the lens of sun signs is to a detriment. I think that it is the result of erasure. The result of capital interest and depth psychology. Its entertainment and further washes the study and credibility of Astrology.

To circle back yes there are astrologers with a cap Sun, or even with a stellium--I am one.

Astrology hot takes are like cold readings--they have a time and place to capitalize on the desperate and insecure.