#which is accurate if used to describe me as well but damn does that make me crry with laughteer

[scoups4lyfe]

I think the funniest L I've ever taken is finding out me and Vash the Stampede have the same exact personality type 🤪

[sinisteredgirl]

I just need to rant about my favorite chapter in the entire series: The Meeting (Chapter 9, Vol. 11 of the Light Novel).

As a preface, I love political schemes and intrigues. It's the same reason why I love shrewd and cunning characters.

And holy shit, when I was reading this chapter I was grinning from ear to ear. And by the end of it, I was just as stunned as the Western Capital bureaucrats who watched this nerve-wrecking political dance between Jinshi and Gyoku-ou.

Heavy spoilers ahead!

At the beginning of the chapter, we see Jinshi and his entourage (Gaoshun and Chue) make their way to a meeting place after being summoned by Gyoku-ou—then leader of the Western Capital and Empress Gyokuyou's brother. During the carriage ride, we are treated with Jinshi's thoughts on the ongoing Locust plague relief efforts.

It's by no means an exaggeration to say that he has done so fucking much to prepare for the plague. A short laundry list of his accomplishments would include the following:

As early as Vol. 5, he raised taxes on grains to accommodate the expected shortfall from the devastation. He also banned sparrow-hunting to increase the insects' natural predators.

He brought tons and tons of provisions and supplies (e.g. potatoes).

Help from the Capital came quickly because he sent a post-horse as soon as the swarm came—also taking into consideration the time it took for the request to pass through the Capital's committees.

He sent messengers to assess the damage to nearby villages and calculated the needed food per location.

He wrote close to 200 letters soliciting for more aid to the Western Capital.

He tapped his team to research on fast-growing crops and medicine.

But given how limited his reach is within the Western Capital and how much faster it would be if Gyoku-ou handles the distribution, he lets him distribute what he has prepared. The downside of course is that Gyoku-ou gets all the credit, but Jinshi would rather throw away pride than not help people. I love how we get a glimpse of his psyche:

Even his thoughts on his name is revealing. So very human, as Ah-Duo mentioned in Vol. 15.

Soon after, they arrive at the meeting place with Gyoku-ou and Lakan already present. As usual, Lakan is busy working on his Go problems.

Gyoku-ou thanks Jinshi for all his efforts but now asks for help in getting more soldiers. He reveals his true goal: to start a war against Shaoh, with the Imperial Brother leading the army. He defends this by saying that resources would come faster to the Western Capital by annexing Shaoh’s ports, but we know that Gyoku-ou's deep seated hatred for all foreigners is behind all this. Gyoku-ou even uses the previous Shaoh Shrine Maiden incident to goad Jinshi into going to war.

Jinshi is of course appalled by the idea. This would make them no different than bandits. Lakan, however, is not interested in the 'why'; all he knows is how to win a war. What follows is a pretty accurate and telling description of Lakan:

I really like this depiction of Lakan: he possesses no malice or virtue. At his core, he is a true and frightening neutral piece.

What follows then is one of my favorite exchanges in the series: Jinshi's verbal smackdown with Gyoku-ou. He first punctures Gyoku-ou's scheme by mentioning his merchant father, Gyoku-en:

He then follows it up with the plain rejection of the plan as well as an insult exchange with Gyoku-ou:

(LOL Chue with her thumbs-up! I imagine Gaoshun breaking into cold sweat during the whole exchange though.)

Finally, Jinshi masterfully maneuvers his way out of war by manipulating Lakan:

It took me a minute to pick up my own jaw from the floor because hot damn, that is one hell of a way to squash a brewing war. I adore moments like this when Jinshi fully manifests his shrewd side—the "Imperial Brother" mode, which Maomao described as "a man who could and would use people as pawns".

(And while later on, Gyoku-ou does effectively corner Jinshi into going to war, it isn't so much as Jinshi's lack of political skill as it is Gyoku-ou being really that good of a politician.)

I know we only get snippets of powerplays like this as we are in Maomao's POV 99% of the time, but I absolutely love this chapter and the whole Western Capital 2 arc for dialing the stakes up to a 10. Truly the best arc through and through.

[108garys]

Manny Sherman dialogue transcribed

I really enjoyed transcribing the little hope puritan dialogue a bit ago despite it being one heck of an undertaking and I've always wanted to do a similar thing on a much smaller scale(this time) so as an afternoon task I pulled up a video of the four Sherman tapes and typed out his on screen dialogue, it'll be good for writing him and better understanding his vocabulary and maybe some time around I'll do something a little more substantial like Randolph Hodgson's journal but that aside I feel Sherman's dialogue flows really well and does a great job with characterisation, can you believe there's barely more than a thousand words from him all up? Regardless I've tried to follow the in game captions on the video which can be a little hard at times due to white text on a grey background with the occasional white detail obscuring stuff but I believe I got it at least 99% accurate and beyond that I added in places in brackets that he laughed but not the uncaptioned sounds of him getting his ass kicked because I thought one added something and the other wouldn't(and here's the video I used)

(interrogation - tape 1)

Manny Sherman. Born January one. Nineteen fifty-six.

Come on, you already know all this. What do you want?

What's this?… Huh… You've been doing your research, haven't you Special Agent Munday?

What are my favorite television programs?

Describe my first pet.

What were your friends like as a child?

What is this?!

You taking a survey or you trying to learn something?

Would it kill you to be direct?

You wanted to know what inspired me? As if I wasn't an original?

Well… maybe there was one man I found myself a little fascinated by.

Henry. Howard. Holmes.

Why? Because he was numero uno.

America's first. The guy invented the trade. He set the benchmark, you know?

Learn your history, Munday. Read a book.

You think because I stuck a blade in some people and get off on it I'm not smart?

I, heh… 'allegedly'… killed 13 people before you got smart enough to find me…

__

(interrogation - tape 2)

…had to build my own little castle, just like Holmes did.

Most people like me do their business where their target lives. That's just asking to get caught.

Holmes had the right idea. It was all about the honeytrap.

You bring me some smokes? Like I asked?

Lucky Reds? Yes! These are like gold in here. Damn that's good. So yeah, the honey pot.

Holmes built a hotel about a mile from the World's Fair and CALLED it the World's Fair Hotel and bought ad space in the papers alongside ads for the expo.

Rubes from far and wide assumed it was the official hotel!

Ma and Pa Kettle take a train in from Nebraska, takes three days, they roll up into that joint ready to rest, get to their room… and whoops- what do ya know… Holmes had a gas pipe hidden under the bed and poisons them.

Or maybe he pulls a trap door on them.

Maybe he separates them and makes one watch through a window while he slits the other's throat.

That's the advantage of a honey pot: no shortage of targets.

That's why I picked all those houses north of the airport.

That whole neighborhood was scheduled for demolition and yet…

All those lovely realtor ladies must not have gotten the memo.

Call up as a contractor, tell them I'm flipping, have them meet me out there… and look at that… we're the only two people for miles.

The first couple times I'd wait for a plane to fly over, just to hide their screams, but…

after a while I realized they could scream as loud as they wanted.

No one was gonna hear a thing.

That's what I remember most.

Those screams.

You can try to understand why I am the way I am. You can forensic science up all the data you want.

But you'll never know… You'll never know, Munday… You'll never really know how it feels when you watch the fire burn out of somebody.

__

(interrogation - tape 3)

(laughter)

A whole carton this time? You trying to get on my good side or something?

Think I'll save them.

What? No questions? What's going on with you, Munday?

You seem different.

(laughter) I see that that glimmer in your eye, you little devil.

I can keep secrets, man… we all have them.

That prosecutor is trying to get numbers out of me. Know that?

Of course you know that. Numbers. They got Holmes for 27… but we know he was closer to 200, right?

Can you imagine that? I wish I'd had the time to try and beat that.

Sure they know about those nice realtor ladies… they got families after all.

But the numbers the D.A. is asking me about… I think he knows there's some people out there- rejects… misfits… the kind of people that when you see them coming you look the other way.

Does anyone notice if they go missing?

My father always told me to leave my mark on the world.

I never knew what he meant by that- not until I watched that first girl bleed out.

I call it art. That's my signature on society.

It's not murder, it's an aesthetic response to what this has world made me.

Ask people to list killers, and they'll drop five, ten on you before they can't think of any more.

Ask them to name the detectives that caught those killers- no one is going to say a damn thing.

No one knows them. No one cares.

No one makes movies about them.

No one puts their faces on t-shirts.

No one gives a shit.

(quiet chuckle)

I've left my mark on the world…

…have you?

__

(interrogation - tape 4)

You want to know what it means to be a killer?

You ever been to the art museum downtown?

They got this painting by a guy… forgot his name. Famous painter.

He did portraits of slaughtered cows hanging on hooks.

You take a normal person to a slaughterhouse and they will puke their guts out.

You make it into a painting and suddenly it's art.

There's no difference between the two. Not really.

Don't look at me like that. You know I'm right.

You get it. I know you get it.

You got to do something that matters. Make people feel something they've never felt before.

Shatter the illusion that any of us are really in control.

Think of the most profound thing you've ever done… the most beautiful thing you've ever created… and I promise you… it's nothing compared to watching the life bleed out of someone.

To see the fear in their eyes, to feel them pawing at you for release, to hear them pleading- begging…

That moment when someone realizes they are at their end…

That's when you feel it. That's true art.

That's what you have to be- an artist… a sculptor… an architect.

I see the gleam in your eye, Agent Munday, You're not fooling me.

Oh, look at you now, huh?

Am I going to be your first?

Well come on then- I'm right here.

This room is soundproof- you don't even have to wait for a plane to fly overhead.

There… There you are… I see you now.

Not bad… not bad at all.

Bare hands can feel good, huh?

But the blade makes for such a prettier picture.

You've got potential. Agent Munday…

If you truly want to be an artist.

__

@kassiekole22 @delurkr @ctrvpani @aydeenchan

@tinynightmarewoman @kindheartedgummybears @mybrainrotforreal (Know idea as ever with this character on who'd be interested in this but it was a good exercise at any rate)

[tvintedspvrkmoved]

hahahah i'm losing my mind ??????

so two very cool things are true right now which are :

- in twelve days my best girl will have existed in some form for an entire year - i'm about to be able to say there are officially HUNDREDS of you here ???? like as in the plural form ??????

neither of these things make any sense to me , but since both are true i figured it would be a good time to do what i guess is a little follow forever type thing. SO. here are some of the people who have helped emma grow and develop and also helped me grow and develop as a person and as a writer 🤍

-------------------------- ★ ---------------------------

@dalphahale : honestly a day one bc i didn't really do very much with emma until around march i think and that's around when we started writing if i'm not mistaken ?? one of the best / most show accurate dereks i've ever come across and one of the best people too !!!! you're an incredible writer and honestly a saint in human form for putting up with me ooc lmao it's an honor to bless your dms every day with the most random and chaotic messages and thoughts and only be a LITTLE bit judged for it 😂 derek and emma are one of the most adorable ships i've ever seen and derek and allison are iconic as well i just think you're the bee's knees okay you're stuck with some form of my chaos indefinitely i fear 🤷‍♀️

@stanfordprepped : jared. JARED. another og and one of my best friends in the rpc. samemma is so unbelievably iconic and i'm so amazed and proud of everything that's come from them and from us writing together and from you in general i'm SO excited about charlotte's development and about samlena and about just all of our dynamics ahhhhh you are so unbelievably strong and talented and you deserve every good thing in the entire world bc the love and respect that you hold for others even on your worst days is so admirable i can't even fathom it sometimes.

@multi-royalty : MADDIE MY BELOVED i ????? owe so much of everything i've accomplished this year to you 😭🙏 you not only pulled me back when i was debating whether or not to even continue writing , but helped to develop some of my most cherished muses and threads and plots and headcanons. you're the sweetest little bean in the entire world and i can't even begin to thank you for everything you've done for and with me and the light that you bring to this community even when you can't see it 🤍

@guiltye : bitch i'll yell FOREVER at and about you are you kidding ????? your writing gives me literal chills and the plots that we have are some of the deepest most complex and incredible dynamics i've ever been a part of. you've been through so much this year and kicked ass until you got to the other side and still managed to help ME through so much too and i'm sure so many others and i just adore you okay i live for all lilly content but especially your ooc posts bc i just think your brain is so neat and i love getting to glimpse into it sometimes you're just incredible 🥹🤍 ps thank u for letting me yell about noah kahan without abandon and getting in ur feelings about him with me lol

@boundforhale // @stilesstylelinski : obviously i had to put y'all together you can't split up the gremlins okay. i love you both so much and i actually can't even begin to describe how much you guys have helped me this year both to be a better writer and to get through so many rough patches irl. i'm still not entirely convinced that australia is real but if it DOES exist i will not rest until i can fly there and we can all meet at a central location and proceed to just implode the whole universe with the sheer chaos and buffoonery. y'all are actually family at this point i don't know what i would do without you fr

@carp3diems : LISTEN HERE BITCH bff bestie angel i love you to pieces and if you ever leave me again i'll riot !!!! you're genuinely one of the coolest people i've ever met and i love all of our dynamics so damn much but what we've created with colbemma is just so insane and incredible and i know i just screamed about this in the dms but i genuinely cannot believe they started out hating each other lmao they're truly iconic and i can't wait to see how they continue to grow and thrive and also how YOU continue to grow and thrive

@redhoodiskra : A. you are an actual ray of sunshine and so incredibly talented and WAY TOO HARD ON YOURSELF and completely amazing and fantastic and i just love you a lot !!!! stiles and emma and the little family they've created make my heart so happy and so do all of our other dynamics !!!! we haven't written much on @westwingsolo yet and we absolutely should change that bc i'm in awe of you and your writing and the creativity you bring to your muses they're both so special and you can 100% see the love you've put into both.

i wish i could write everyone a little message but here are some more lovelies that you should absolutely go follow !!!! a lot of them have other pages with more incredible muses as well 🤍

@fuckmeupindie , @hellgiven , @gunchamber , @ofcrxwns , @escapedfromthevoiid , @ruinedmyself , @goldenboybarracuda , @delicatestm , @sarcasticsnackpack , @fidelissimi , @ofblackskies , @ratkiing , @snnydcys , @flamefallen , @impurc , @clockturned , @r4chelamber , @unbearablyindifferent , @mystictragedies , @conradfish3r , @jimh9334 , @jchnwinchester , @qapsiel , @thornstocutyouwith , @unitcd , @surgcns , @localsalt , @mecwmellc

[croisvoix]

I have a lot of thoughts about Bombrush Cyberfunk and trying to make a spiritual successor to a game over twenty years later. I love Jet Set Radio Future and when I saw the screenshots for Bombrush I thought it was going to be great, these are people who get the aethetic of Jet Set. The music was great, it was gorgeously cel shaded, the environments I saw looked like a playground. I slammed it into my wishlist and bought it release day. My enthusiasm for the game died in a thousand little cuts as I played it. I want to explore why, because I generally like when games get more modern! We made dogshit games in the past and Jet Set has its share of dog shit parts, no one enjoys Pharoah Park.

Let's start with movement. You start the game with no wheels on your feet. This is a skating game and that choice feels strange out the gate. In fact before I get wheels I get a boost pack. I was excited by the boostpack at first. It felt like it would give some fine control with how I could move laterally where I needed to.

I was wrong.

The boost pack existing damns the level design of Bombrush. Jet Set has lines of places to swap from grind spot to grind spot, letting you not touch the ground for long stretches if you want. It's great, makes you feel smart and observant when you get to the bottom of Dogenzaka the first time with never leaving a rail.

Bombrush's lines all require trial and error with a finicky boost pack that has two ways to boost you and neither work as well as you want. You have a short boost that doesn't lose altitude. It does however reset all your momentum. And it plays awfully with the camera. The camera wants to look a certain way, even when you're trying to do a plant to aim yourself. This leads to jumps that should he easy being impossible the first so many times because you can't aim properly. You have to trial and error to a landing. This murders your momentum.

The other function of the boost pack is to let you glide. It's not an accurate way to describe what happens but it feels like developer intent. Instead you drop rapidly as you gain a disappointing horizontal distance. The boost pack does not help you go vertical. This is another frustration. Maybe later you get that. I doubt I will find out without someone telling me.

How does this damn the level design? All the pieces of your playground get cut up and thrown far from each other because you are expected to boost jump between them. The boost pack which I thought would add fine control is too unpredictable and hard to use for this purpose. The lines are not visually distinct and the levels feel disjointed. I didn't have fun navigating around as I had to dedicate more time to scouting lines before starting. Which leads to one of Jet Set's problems that Bombrush exacerbated: grinding.

Grinding is king in Jet Set. It's how you het everywhere. It's easy scoring. It's the resource efficient way to get speed. Bombrush made it worse. The points weren't that major in Jet Set until the post game but you could accumulate high scoring points just stringing tricks together. This is not the case in Bombrush. Tricks give a pitrance of ppints and multipliers come from few sources. The best way to get multiplier? Leaning into turns on grinds whole not changing tricks. Changing tricks is rhythmic, it's fun and it gets you boost meter. You do not get multiplier changes if you lean into a turn while doing a trick. This sucks. This doubly sucks because the way I fought the first two gangs involved earning points and you only have a chance at this is with multiplier.

Speaking of fighting gangs, the mehtod of fighting them is simpler than Jet Set. You go to a neighborhood, you spray over their graffiti until individual members show up. You follow their routine and run them off. Repeat until you can do the big gamg battle. It's just earning points. Jet Set at least changed up the ways you did this. You raced Beat and Poison Jam. You followed a line for Combo. You played capture the flag with rapid 99. You played a weird ball race against fake Yoyo. The lack of variety off the bat there was disappointing.

If I planned this I would transfer to talking about gang design but I want to talk about one more mechanical thing not tied up in character design: fighting cops. You get actually fight the cops directly in this game. It sucks. Kicking cops is treated as doing tricks, which means you could theoertically combo cops for points. Unfortunately the knock out blow on a cop always breaks your combo. And it just lacks the charm of body slamming a cop at mach 2 then spray painting them. The cops in Jet Set are scripted, only showing because of playing the game and then fucking off when the encoutner is done. It's a nice way to break up the pace of the game.

Bombrush decided to have scripted encounters with cops but to also have cops be a punishment for playing the game. There is a GTA heat system. Level one randomly happens for spray painting graffiti. From star one on your game gets progressively more annoying to play. You get level two almost immediately. This makes turrets pop put of the ground that fire chains ehich latch onto you and restrict your movement.

In my skating game.

This sucks.

The turrets also are the only way to access certain graffiti points, so you have to remember where those points are and book it there while the game sends infinite cops at you. Then after you do that you have to get the cops to go away. Especially since you can't change characters while the cops are after you. There is exactly one way to rid yourself of cops, go to a portapotty and change your outfit. And once you do the fucking thing locks and you have to find another one. They are not labeled on your map. Neither is the place you do character select.

Which if like me you want to play as the woman because you hate being forced to play a dude, is a massive pain in the ass. They wrote the story about Red and goddamn will they force you to play as him at every opportunity. You have play an entire area and then a chunk of another to unlock character select. This sucks. Meanwhile in Jet Set I never got forced to play someone unless I played YoYo up to the point he goes away. And when you unlock another character it's your save point that you desperately sprayed and is highlighted on the map you need. Bombrush has checkerboard dance spots. I never unlocked another character beyond the other two members of the starting crew. And Bel just isn't gender enough.

What is the iconic gang of Jet Set? It's Poison Jam. They're freaks. They dress weird, they're evil and live in the sewer. They're also one of only two gangs of super freaks you see. Every gang is full of freaks but in a subdued way. Rapid 99 is beloved because of their beef with Poison Jam while also being somewhat normal looking. The GG's are full of freaks but in a cool fashion sense not all of them looking like supervillains.

The gangs I saw in Bombrush were all Poison Jam levels of design. You have Frankenstein wannabes, then cybergoth astrology weirdos and then 90's web browser helmet cyborgs. The main antagonist has an army of cloned women. It's weird. It's all escalation and no breathing room. And I didn't even get fun freaks to also play as while I went.

The game lacks a huge personality to get me to care about the world. It doesn't have to be DJ Professor K but it needs something, a person excited to talk to me about the weirdos running around. Instead other than the musicians the dialogue is all text with occasional mismatched voice lines to the text. This is whatever but with a lack of any characters that are more than a cool design and gimmick it really hurts.

Why am I writing this? I don't super know other than the fact that the game made me think a lot about why I loved Jet Set and how maybe modernization doesn't make a game better. That modern axioms that you need more movement options aren't always good. That the jank of old game limitations added to the charm of a game and made it beloved. That trying to capture that magic of an old game is really fucking hard and trying to innovate on it without abandoning the soul of what it was. And that putting down a post to sleep and coming back later fucking killed my train of thought.

[foreverdolly]

Do you read anyone else’s fics? Or does writing, take up all your time on here? I’m just genuinely curious if you have any favorite stories? ( you may of been asked this already) -

🤍lola

i will be honest- i don't read as much as i should on this site now that i'm writing daily, but i want to remedy that. if anyone has any recs or if you want me to read your writing, just message me ! i'm an absolute sucker for a well written fic. i'm not doing this in any sort of order btw ! just writing them down as they come to me. if i haven't mentioned a fic of yours- it's not because i don't like it ! it probably means that i just haven't gotten to it yet !

here are some fics that genuinely buttered my biscuit and had my one hundred and fifteen pound, tiny chihuahua-ass doing backflips down the hallway:

forbidden desire- @mamaspresley ( i read this three times within the first 48 hours of it being posted. i would suck the grease out of austin's hair in this movie like a damn rat. i'm jealous of the pitbull that got to chomp on this man's nutsack. i wish i was the doorframe where his ass got curb stomped. jackie did the damn thing on this one. if anyone knew how many times i've actually read this fic, someone might take my phone away from me. i told her that this was one of my favorite tumblr fics in the history of ever and she didn't believe me. "really?" yes, girl. yes. this had me doing the bend and snap. jackie you're so talented.)

to find a cure- @mamaspresley ( adorable. couldn't breathe the entire time. i had my inhaler in my lap and was clutching my modelo with my free hand. knuckles pale. knees quivering. mom's spaghetti. i'm nervous.)

into you - @dreamersparacosm ( this was actually one of the first austin fics i read post-elvis, which is super cool since you were one of my first mutuals as well ! ang, your writing is stellar. this shit had me doing laps around the house. i had to fight off the urge to propose to you. i told my mom about us. the way you write austin??? jesus, mary, joseph, the donkey and all the wise men.)

going method - @oh-austin (this is just so cute to read. it cured my depression and straightened out my scoliosis. i'm also no longer lactose intolerant, and i think this might also be connected to the series.)

the big shot mississippi boy - @ghxst-heart (i devoured this series in one sitting, and am anxiously awaiting part eight. the way that you are able to so accurately describe the 50's. . . it's almost as though you've lived it yourself ! not to mention the way that you write for elvis??? amazing amazing amazing. you deserve all the love.)

a whole man is hard to find- @aconflagrationofmyown (this fic is going to be my downfall, i can just feel it. marina- please don't give me a heart attack. i'm not ready to die yet. i haven't gotten to peg, and i have a few more things after that to cross off the ole' bucket list.)

familiarity- @blainesebastian (i adore this idea, and what you've done with it is absolutely out of this world. you have this fantastic way of making your reader inserts so relatable. it feels very real and i mean that in the best way possible. like any ole' person can run into austin butler while reaching for the coveted maple clusters. gorgeous.)

on a serious note: there's definitely way more than this. i'll be making a second post of more recommendations at a later date, that way everyone can get the love and appreciation that they deserve. thank you all for what you do for this fandom. just know that your hard work does not go unnoticed. i know that most of you either have school work or maybe even a full time job (like myself), and the fact that you set time aside to write for other's enjoyment is selfless, and quite amazing of you. you are seen, loved, and so so talented.

[cortexhyperfixationnation]

Uhm here's my ranking of the 4 scientists:

1: Dr Neo Cortex (obviously)

2: N Tropy

3: N Brio

4: N Gin

You might be wondering why I feel the way I do and the answer is actually very simple: I never finished Crash Bandicoot 2.

How does that affect things? Well it means I basically missed out on the whole of N Gin's character as it is first presented to us, and the whole of Brio's vengeance arc. So I never really got attached to N Gin. I do enjoy him, I love his goofy voice and the concept of him having a rocket in his brain, but I feel as though I don't know enough about him. IAT doesn't do him much justice either, he's the first boss and idk how accurate his portrayal is. I appreciate him and think he's a worthy part of the N Team, I just don't care enough about him.

N Brio is next, and honestly for me, he's almost tied with Tropy. On some days I'd find it hard to pick between them. But Brio is so damn cool, I enjoy his brute form even if it's just Frankenstein and Hulk mixed, but because it's tied to Brio (someone who is generally shy) I think that gives it more staying power. Not to mention his vendetta against Cortex is entirely built on his own self loathing, it just makes him such an interesting character. Most of my aus revolve around them being friends and TS! Brio has an unrequited love for Cortex but his canon depiction is great too! Also him being a potions guy and constantly mutating himself because no one else would dare take part in his experiments? Chefs kiss it's sublime.

N Tropy is next on the list, and the only reason he's above Brio is because I find shipping him with Cortex more fun. The idea of two evil scientists with the same goals hating each other but also having a weird respect for each other which then evolves into something more? Hell yea 💜

We love our funky British Time Lord so much he's a silly guy :'3 (and a very attractive one too)

Finally it's my absolute beloved my skrunkly my gorgeous silly it's Dr Neo Cortex baby!!! I cannot even begin to describe the sheer amount of love I have in my heart for him, he's so cute and epic and every time he shows up on screen I go crazy giggling and twirling my hair and kicking my feet he's my wittol!!! Genuinely he means the absolute world to me and his IAT incarnation is the fucking cream of the crop, the absolute best Cortex we've ever had and the other game I love him most in is Twinsanity, something about this guy being on the good team makes me all kind of soft and fuzzy and to me it's when his character is at its absolute level best 💕

Lex Lang did an awesome job with his voice I love how pathetic and fruity it sounds and honestly Cortex will never ever intimidate me because he's just too soft and wittol and smol I--- as much as I love Clancy Brown as Hank in DBH he's never going to be the definitive Cortex voice I'm sorry Lex Lang takes the cake ://3

I hope you all enjoyed this mini rant about the N Team and I hope it makes my opinions clear awa

[minuy600]

The Arcade Games of 1980 #5: Missile Command

If you thought Pac-Man was a fluke and we weren't in the golden age of arcade games yet, hoo boy, think again. Atari may not have impressed me a lot in recent times, but they clap back in some STYLE here.

Don't let the black background fool you, this game is not quite set in space. It did confuse me at first since it looks like you're defending Mars colonies rather than the Earth, but no, the cities you protect were actually supposed to be ones located in California. Which does add a bit of intensity when you think about it.

That's how I would describe the game best: Intense. The game doesn't sugarcoat, being *very* in your face about losing if you don't nab a high score. As soon as you hit the 2x multiplier, missiles come flying at you from all angles and depending on your skill level, your game can be over in the span of 90 seconds. Doesn't mean it's unfair, just that it's faster paced that you may be used to at this point in time.

Which is good! The speed of rounds makes the game incredibly replayable and you don't have to stick around to the slow stages for nearly as long. Blowing stuff up is always a hoot, especially with the large explosions this game hands you. You can make things easier for yourself too, flipping a DIP Switch gives you a city in reserve. The further you get, the higher the multiplier and the more ridiculous your score becomes if you hang on for a bit longer.

I don't have a ton of fluff to ramble on about this time. This is an excellent time and well worth your quarters/purchase of an Atari compilation. Even if it's yet another shooter game- damn I can't escape them can I?

The Verdict

Graphics (8): 8-bit decency that looks perfect for the early Famicom/NES days. It gets especially cool when there's a lot going on, with all those explosion vortexes and whatnot. The game over screen knows how to spook an unassuming player- big letters that yell 'THE END' at ya while the background flashes red. May have given small children nightmares, fits with the cold war theming.

Sound (8): Oooh, punchy, I like it! A lot of the bleeps and detonation noises aren't new, but they were updated to sound less sharp on the ears in the former's case, and more realistic in the latter's. Once again, fits with the scenario you've found yourself in. Can't deny I adore the randomly generated glitchy jingle when you get an extra city, too. A controlled cacophony that I can't get enough of.

Fun Factor (9): Brilliantly chaotic and replayable. Rounds are snappy, the controls are accurate *enough* that I don't find myself too upset when I miss, and there's also the twinge of strategy involved as well- what enemy do you focus on and what sacrifices need to be made? One of the least flawed feeling games yet. 'Polished af', as my informal self would say.

Longevity (9): Cuz rounds are so short, you can argue that reaching the final new aspects (6x multiplier at the 11th screen, no more background color changes some time later) won't take as long as it would with Pac-Man, however you'd be surprised. If you don't get a bit lucky with how the missiles fly towards your cities in the middle stages and don't have super fast access to multitasking, you could be stuck on this one for a very very long time. And you still would wanna play it afterwards, as with the other classics of the era.

My own max was the 7th screen for reference, past the point of new mechanics but well short of truly expert play.

In Conclusion

[artist-issues]

Honestly the main beef I have with this whole snowwhite business is that i think at least forty to sixty percent of the magic that comes from the animated movie is like, the animals? that animation itself is probably the more accurate reason, I suppose. I don't know enough words to describe this accurately but i don't see how live action could capture the sheer delight of two birds wringing out a shirt, or a turtle being used as washboard, or raccoons trying to sweep dust under the rug before Snow White scolds them.

I think the animation style is just, a delight to the eyes. and cgi cant mimic that whatsoever yet unless your under a talented director that knows precisely what they are doing. and I don't think that kind of director would even work with Disney in the first place.

Unrelated but a while ago i was listening to some of the songs of the original cause i suspected that those were the most slept on songs of the famous Disney Song discography in pop culture, and something that leapt out to me in the I'm Wishing song, is that it doesn't really matter whether or not the Wishing Well is actually magic, because Snow White making a wish into a well that makes a loud echo is precisely what gets the Prince's attention, and thus, by making a genuine wish from the heart, actually made it come true, which is payed off in the end because her Prince remembers and searches for her, which also means that by making a genuine wish in faith right in the beginning of her story ensured her being found/woken up in the end of the film, which...is like really neat when you think about it. I have trouble thinking of any Disney Princess that makes an action right at the beginning of her story that ensures at least a part of their ending.

i wouldn't have realized it without finding your post laying out how cool the Original Snow White film was, so thank you.

as for the whole Snow White Live Action situation I did think a good portion of the situation was rather stupid, as when i heard that a live action was in the works I didnt even have the energy to roll my eyes becuase I honestly thought that the Mouse was scrapping the bottom of the barrel on that one. I do think that Ms. Ziegler was downright stupid about her comments and should have been far more tactful, and I also do think that a lot of the response to her comments were out of proportion. Its a shame because while i'm sure some of the response was based in pointless racism; I think a lot more of the internet response was just dumping their frustrations on Ziegler rather than the real culprit of the whole damn mess, which is the Mouse. (Also personally I have heard this chick sing and I don't think her voice matches whatsoever. tho the same can be said for plenty of the live action singing at this point.)

i really like your blog and find your writing interesting. Thank you for putting your blog out here. I don't agree with everything you write of course, but i appreciate having the chance to read them. I wrote this mostly for kicks cause i've been thinking of reaching out for awhile and i figured i might as well do it now.

hope you have a good day

I appreciate all this so much! (naturally I wonder which things you disagree with but I guess that’s neither here nor there) YES, totally, the part with the wishing well, that’s the idea! The Queen is all about disguises and tricks, and the Dwarves hide from strangers, but Snow White does neither of those things; she’s all heart all the time, and acts on faith, especially in her attitude.

I agree with you about Zegler, and I agree with you about the animation style. It’s all so good, and as the first animated feature film, it’s hard to imagine the story not animated. Everything is very soft, water-colored, and round. I don’t think any live-action attempt can come close to that while still looking…well, real!

Anyway. Thank you for your comments!

[we-pay-for-everything]

I keep thinking about the great TVD discussions you've been having this week and have to tell you that you're doing a public service! Holidays are a tough time for a lot of us, and you're allowing us to focus on fun stuff like TVD ship/character analysis rather than the grim aspects of real life. I was thinking about why I too prefer Cordelia to Caroline by a smidge, and it's weird because I LOVE Caroline and can definitely relate more to the "insecure neurotic" type (as she accurately describes herself) than Cordy. But like you I love Charisma and how she makes Cordelia lovable and sometimes even vulnerable underneath the snippy mean girl exterior. And there's also the fact that Cordy is such an independent thinker, truly her own person. Like, yes, she enjoys being popular and at times wants to be 'famous', but her choices even back in high school and certainly afterwards reflect that she very much has her own mind and will blaze her own trail rather than ever pandering to others or giving a damn what others think. She opts to date Xander despite the fact that it will destroy her high school friendships and overall status, she constantly foregoes even trying to lead a glamorous LA lifestyle in favor of risking her own safety to help innocents in dingy areas of the city, she'll always make the choice to do something with purpose that helps people over just frivolous fun. Not saying that some of this doesn't apply to Caroline too, but Cordelia's excessive confidence - while not something I relate to, lol - also results in her being more brave, assertive and independent minded than almost any character ever, and I just admire that about her so much.

Oh, I wasn't expecting that! I know the holidays can suck, but I wasn't expecting for my replies to help anyone. That's so sweet :) I'm happy to help! My holidays suck too, but right now I'm not truly on a break.

I've never thought of Cordelia that way, as a trailblazer. I guess that since all the characters put their lives on the line to fight monsters, she just doesn't stand out to me. I don't see her as being braver or more independent-minded than the other Buffyverse characters. Maybe Xander and Willow were used to being unpopular, but they sacrificed a lot of normal experiences too, and Cordelia was too poor to have a glamorous lifestyle in LA. She's definitely brave, but she showed in season 1 that she cared about appearances too. Although she changed, she just became like everyone else who sacrificed their future to a good cause. It might seem like a bigger deal with Cordelia because everyone else came from "nothing" (Wes, Fred, Xander), but, in the end, Cordelia had nothing too - unlike Gunn, who sacrificed his friendships to join A.I, and Lorne, who left behind an actually semi-glamorous lifestyle.

But it's true that Cordelia's confidence results in her fighting for herself and putting her foot down many times, which is a good thing. I think Caroline was confident and had to make sacrifices in her life as well, though maybe not as many as Cordelia. That was sort of the difference between AtS and TVD though - the Angel gang sought out danger while, in TVD, danger found them.

I don't know, I have a weird relationship with Cordelia! Overall, I like Caroline better. My love/hate relationship with her is mostly love except in season 4 and in some scenes with Stefan. I love Cordelia more though because of CC and because I love Angel the most.

Thanks for the ask and for your kind words! You're making my days better too :) Tumblr is honestly the only place where I feel valued and like my opinion means anything. Apart from my mom, real life makes me feel inadequate and dumb (she does too sometimes), but here I feel smart and like I fit in, so thanks <3

[raibebe]

Omg describe him i feel like i can imagine all of dream somehow but jeno and jaemin specifically i cannot 😭😭

Okay, buckle up for my thoughts about each of the Dreamies!

Renjun:

ate CDs for dinner, I have no other explanation

so fucking stable, it's no joke

did Hyuck's iconic whoop da whoop part, loved it

and his part before the dance break

his short hair actually looks good in person. Not even joking.

smol.

spoke German but I couldn't hear because everyone was freaking out 😂

smiling the whole time and waving at the crowd

Jeno:

don't talk to me

they styled his hair SO FUCKING WELL OML

you could immediately tell they were on stage because of how violently pink his jacket was

don't talk to me about the JARMS (I didn't notice him yeeting the jacket before they showed a CLOSE-UP shot of him for the chorus of glitch mode)

oh yeah, speaking of glitch mode, he did Mark's part at the beginning, so we had two Jeno centers for glimo choruses (very sexy, I approve of that)

and another thing: his "buffering" move in the glimo dance is so sharp?? does that make sense?

he's somehow more angular than in photos? does this make sense?? like his face? jawline and cheekbones especially

also he's big. like broad? his shoulders?

he just oozes confidence which is so fucking sexy

sounds fairly similar to the recording but more hyped and raspy at times

honestly, I don't remember half of what he did, I was busy freaking out and screaming off the top of my lungs

Jaemin:

he was having so much fun, you could tell

all smiley during the meant and their special little corner

he was showing his excited and weird (endearingly) side a lot

super hyped when he spoke in English (super hyped in general)

I have a photo with the translation "the definition of sensual~~" on the screen of him and that's honestly pretty accurate

wouldn't stop staring at Jeno during their MC part

his live vocals are no fucking joke, it might have just been my favorite pare

like he sounds so different from the recording in the best way possible. his voice is just much raspier? I can't really describe it but it's different from the recording and you could immediately tell that his mic was ON

very smooth dancer

he did Mark's part where he was going back and forth with Jisung during glimo

Chenle

surprisingly the calmest out of all of them

I love love love his high notes in 5 Dream version of Hello Future so so so much. You couldn't really hear the first few ones because of how loud people were screaming but then for the last, big one he was like BITCH I CAN BE EVEN LOUDER

such crystal clear vocals

also slightly different than in the recording. Possibly more powerful, not too sure, was busy screaming

he!! danced!! such a good dancer damn

someone had a "chenle for president" slogan and another one printed out the pic of him as a child with the rifle to stick it on an A3 poster. Little suns are so iconic

Jisung

he's a dancer, he dances!!

like. he popped the fuck off. literally.

he went so fucking hard. He caught my eye especially during hello future in his center part near the end. The move was just so crisp and clean and urgh

I sat next to an asteroid and she was screaming so loud for him it was adorable

for the special part where they played around, he proposed to us with the Dream friendship ring. People unalived from that.

did the 299.792 per second part in glimo from Mark and honestly killed it

also ate a CD for dinner maybe with a slightly lower pitch(?)

[faranae]

I remember you once said you have a very fast typing speed! I've been wanting to increase mine but I'm not sure if those typing teaching programs are as effective on adults as they would be if I had used them when I was a kid. Do you have any tips?

As always, this is all advice from personal experience and I do not advise you take me 100% on my word because other folks could do this way better. I say "you" a lot but usually mean "in my experience". If you know me at all you'll be prepared for the tangents, if not this is your warning. ♥

Okay so this is actually a really interesting one for me, because I had a sort of.... Odd upbringing with regards to computers and typing. I was raised on my Nana's typewriter, frequently getting in trouble for doing "typed" school assignments without a computer. (She blessedly put a stop to that once she realized why I kept getting docked marks.)

We were formally taught using AlphaSmarts. Some folks from my generation will probably recognize these bad boys:

Needless to say, they weren't exactly stellar when it comes to training for WPM (words-per-minute). I digress.

Your concern about programs not working as well with adults as kids? Nah. This isn't like learning a new language, it's more like... Learning the controls in a video game. It's all hand-eye coordination! :D If I'm being honest I didn't learn how to type properly until I was a full-ass adult. I used to chicken-peck at the keys.

Just like speed in any skill (and I know, I know saying that's like a broken record) a good amount of practice goes a long way, and the way some folks train for speed won't work for everyone.

There's this tradeoff between speed and accuracy to consider with different kinds of typing.

You can type very quickly when going off the cuff, for example, because your brain is focused more on the words you're putting out in the moment rather than trying to process source text and translate it to your fingers. However, you're way more likely to make errors if you're not used to the speed yet.

In contrast, typing with a reference tends to go slower because of that extra layer of disconnect and increased focus on accurately duplicating your source material. Hand-eye coordination! :D

As an example: My speed going off the cuff is actually only about 90 WPM nowadays because of some medication side-effects, a bit higher when I'm really in a groove, whereas my speed working off a reference is around 60 WPM. Huge difference right? But both of these are at around 95% accuracy because the change in speed compensates for (what to me is) higher difficulty.

And I don't touch-type. Purists be damned.

(Pardon these explanations, they're not meant to be patronizing or anything, just accessibility for those who might not have known.)

Touch-typing is frequently described as the preferable, "best" way to type fast and efficiently. That's where your fingies are always on the home row (ASDF) and you just kinda clakkaclak without looking down.

Fast? Yeah.

Less errors? Sorta.

Potentially hard as shit to learn when you're not exactly neurotypical? Depending on if your brain is more chaotic or structured, yeaaaahhhhh...

I'm hybrid rather than a touch-typist, which means that while my hands remain in a mostly fixed place on the board (WASD for me, because gamer-brain), I still glance down occasionally to get my bearings as I go. It does lower my reaction time and speed, but touch-typing for me is an ugly error-prone mess because my hands 'slip' and I dysty yu[omh pmr lru pgg start typing one key off.

Depending on which method you use, you'll get there. Don't be afraid to look down and reorient yourself on the keys, and focus on accuracy first. If you get the accuracy down-pat, the speed's gonna follow.

So... Long story short, I guess that's my advice?

[thepauperphilosopher]

Mother and Child Reunion

(As in ‘Alma Mater’, which is Latin for ‘Nourishing Mother’)

OK so school was a very long time ago. Well that’s the point, at least for those of us on the downward slope of life. And there is an irony in the ‘nourishing’ bit for some of us; especially those that found school an unattractive place to be or, like myself, who were (shall we say) ejected before our time officially ended. Nonetheless school is a big deal for all of us, both for better and for worse. As emerging individuals our schooling makes us, breaks us, shapes us, forms us, informs us, misinforms us, frustrates us and dates us.

What is so interesting is to measure how much we have all changed as the decades have rolled by. Or not. I mean obviously we all go through many changes in our lives, but there does seem to be a kernel of personality in each of us that we may recognise even after fifty or sixty years. 

Or is that really true? I pose the question because Buddhism and neuroscience both suggest that there is no such thing as a core of ‘Self’ that is either lifelong or eternal. The idea is that all we really know are the thoughts and sensations that we experience in any given moment and that there is no substantial self; that our adherence to the concept of a unique ‘me’ is really an illusion. Is that heresy or deep wisdom? How does memory fit into that? I haven’t explored this in enough depth to offer a firm opinion and to be honest the deeper I try to go into it the more it does my head in, but either way the question is a source of very creative doubt. Do we ‘have’ a soul? Are we a ‘thetan’? Are we simply material girls and boys? Have we lived many times before? Are we born again in ethereal bliss or damned to perdition? Is this present reality our eternity? Answers on a postcard please…But what I love about philosophy, and indeed history, is that so many admirable people offer so many different answers to these questions (I tend to disregard the not so admirable ones) and mostly with great certainty. We are truly a fascinating species, but as for ‘truth’, well perhaps Forrest Gump’s mother was right all along and life really is like a giant box of chocolates.

But I digress (I know, I know)…I’ve had the pleasure of going to two reunions, twenty years apart. Both really enjoyable and instructive. And of the many old school compatriots I have met I think I knew every one, mostly with instant recognition. Physically, almost everyone looked the same but older. But more importantly I felt the essence of the youngsters I remember, except that pretty much everyone had mellowed and softened in a really nice way. Perhaps we get to a stage in life where we lose much of our angst and perhaps that old school competitiveness too. That’s a nice thought. But it does suggest that the common sense view is right in any case and there is indeed an essence or core of ourselves that endures. Assuming that’s correct, what does it consist of and was Buddha wrong? And are the neuroscientists chasing ghosts? Or is it we that chase them in any case?

Come to think of it, what exactly is a thought? Descartes famously declared “I think, therefore I am” but he didn’t define ‘think’; and I’m not sure I’ve ever come across a satisfactory definition of ‘thought’. It’s not enough to say well, it’s the synapses in the brain making connections that are somehow meaningful to us, because that doesn’t really explain how that creates all those pictures in our mind’s eye – or how those images and feelings are stored in order for us to look back, let alone look forward. I think (there we go again) that the human imagination is the most powerful tool in the known universe. So powerful that we have collectively reshaped an entire world, for better and for worse, yet we can’t accurately describe how it happens. (Enough already…ed.)

So another thing that strikes me about the reunion thing comes from a conversation recently, where two people from two different schools had been to a reunion but found it pretty limited as they didn’t know many of the people there. The surprise for me was that they both said they only knew those that were in their class. They hadn’t known the others in their year or any of the other years. They both went to Grammar schools of similar size to my own (about 600 pupils) and that really surprised me. I certainly knew everyone in my year and most of the rest of the school too. My own reunion(s) confirmed that we all knew and remembered each other pretty well regardless of specific class. I always felt at my school that much as I resented and rebelled against authority and the ‘system’, “the kids were alright”. It was pretty sociable. It still is, for those of us still in touch and I find that rather comforting.  

[juvederm]

this story been a wip since like 2019 maybe even 2018 and i have one version of it completed that i now just call a draft bc it's so incomplete to me even though it's posted on ao3

let me ramble

like if anyone's wondering why josh is such a focal point in my art it's literally bc of this damn story like 😭 i try to draw things that could potentially be a visual or something to be added in the story (ie drawing scenes that may happen or outfits he might wear) in order to keep myself motivated

since he's like the main character of the story, he's all i draw and talk about for the reason i just stated, like i can't allow myself to get unmotivated about this story bc it's been up my ass forever and has about 8 drafts at this point

it's such a hassle mainly bc of the complexities of how josh got the prank to work, the money spent, the routes he took, etc. i'm trying to find all of it to make the story as accurate as possible bc i can't have it not aligned with canon, while also having showing a diff angle of josh that i feel isn't in most ? fics about him ? and if it is, the fic is usually unfinished and untouched or a standalone

i stray away from that common way people used to write josh (or characterize him) as some suave, inappropriate and sometimes flirty dude (which is sooo inaccurate to his character i can't even emphasize that enough). i think he did make sexual jokes simply for the laughs or shock value. i think he does have charisma but not in the Womanizer kind of way that mike has. like josh has charm, but it's not because he's flirty. it's because he has this weird aura to him that makes him interesting, and makes him charming because of how he handles it

and i've said it before, i think it's all a front for him. he's not really like that. he probably dislikes being so fake, but is afraid of judgment and being isolated from others. so he tries to fit in as much as possible. even if it means drinking and partying enough to be called a "party animal" and being described as someone who "outdoes" everyone during drinking contests

i tried painting it as a slow descent for him in the story i'm writing. after he loses his sisters, everything's starting to fall.

best way i can describe josh: a steel tank rolling down a muddy hill that can be derailed by a twig.

i also tried showing his psyche through the clothes he wears. and his two different rooms (his room at his mom's, and his room at his dad's; i think they're divorced so).

his room at his mom's house has a lot more of his interests everywhere. you can definitely tell he's an art kid, movie obsessed introvert if you would walk into his room. he's eccentric when by himself to a degree where it's genuine and not a front. he kinda has an eccentric style as well, but after losing the twins, he loses that spark

when he moves in with his dad however, his room there is incredibly bleak. there's no posters, the spaces are wide, and there's no range in colors. just black, white and sometimes grey, maybe silver. and his clothes devolve to bland white shirts, black pants, black coats, etc. no poppy colors whatsoever. this kinda goes more into the head canon i have about his step mom, who is kind of on the traditional side.

and also when josh moves in with dad, he becomes invested in solitary activities such as painting, gardening or piano. all of which he does when he's completely alone. and painting and piano playing could be a way to vent out his emotions, even then josh tries to suppress it. he's way too used to doing that. but sometimes his artworks show that.

that's another thing. he's always been artistic and obsessed with painting. he had a lot more abstract pieces but as his mental health declined, the paintings became colorless and desaturated, depressing and claustrophobic (and also involved more of his fears like spiders and isolation)

anyways. maybe i should actually write for the story instead of talking about it

[astaroth1357]

Demigod MC Series: Poseidon

Fishy fishy fishy… I honestly could write 100 more things for Poseidon MC and Levi. I just love the dynamic between an insecure, otaku shut-in and a chill California surfer dead set on becoming his friend.

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter, Athena, Hades Pt. 2, Poseidon 

For anyone unaware, Poseidon is also the god of horses. I know it's a weird combo, but I didn't write the mythos.

Lucifer

…..

They came out of the portal….

On a horse….

They brought the mortal down to the Devildom…

On a goddamn horse….

There's a demigod on a live horse brandishing a weapon and doing laps around the Student Council Room…

Congratulations, he already wants to pull his hair out!!

Honestly, it would have been preferable to pluck them out of the sea. At least then they'd just need a towel! What the hell were they going to do with an entire horse!?

And his nightmare didn't stop there. Poseidon is a notoriously mercurial god, prone to bouts of anger and spitefulness for reasons far less grievous than kidnapping his children… 

Their apology was swift and (seemingly) effective, though the tide waters around the Devildom did rise by several feet for some time…

As for the MC… uh… Well, they're an energetic one to say the least…

Lucifer hasn't met a more active individual since Mammon. They horseback ride, swim, surf, skateboard, and probably do ten other things - the point is, they Hardly. Keep. Still! 

They're also annoyingly easygoing… He can't count the number of times they've told him to, "Just chill out," or, "Hang loose…" What does that even mean??

Between having to order a stable made for their horse and just trying to keep up with them, Lucifer already thinks this mortal has caused him more trouble than they're worth… At least they keep Mammon busy...

Mammon

Upon first meeting them atop their horse, Sunset, his first thought was of course:

"I wonder if I sell that...?"

After that, they nearly fed him to sharks for trying to take their beloved steed on same night. Safe to say, he never touched a hair on its head again…

These two had a rocky start, but their relationship mended fairly quickly. As it turns out, the MC is literally one of those "go with the flow" types. You can say it was water under the bridge soon enough.

Mammon actually thinks the MC is a hell of a lot of fun, even if they're super laid-back. Most of the time, they won’t take his drive for money (or fear of his bills) all that seriously and tell him that he’s worrying too much, but they’ll still lend a hand if its on their way.

He finds their ability to control water pretty cool as well. Levi has it to some extent, but the MC can make a whole-ass whirlpool or use water like a whip! 

He once begged them to call up some rare fish for him to sell, but they got all pseudo-philosophical on him about how “trading life for material wealth” is “not cool, dude...”

He also made the mistake of challenging them to a splash fight only once…. They managed to drench the whole family with a single wave….

The only thing that bothers him is their weird insistence on being Levi's "Best Buddy…" Why would someone like them even bother with a shut in??

Is it the water? … Probably water. Levi, that lucky bastard…

Leviathan 

Thinks they're a big normie, no scratch that, a HUGE normie! The biggest normie he's ever met!! They skateboard and horseback ride for Devil's sake!!

...But they’re also, undoubtedly, the best friend he could've ever asked for.

To be fair to Levi, their friendship was sort of forced upon him. The MC took one look at him, his aquatic-themed room, and his pet goldfish then declared their new friendship status at that moment. 

Unfortunately for him, though, they're energetic, extroverted, and generally have little understanding of personal space… aka, an introvert's worst nightmare…

The next month could accurately be described as the MC doing everything in their power to make their stubborn "senpai" like them.

They would drag him out to the aquarium, beach, or pool; they befriended Henry so he could put in a good word for them; and they'd even bring him little gifts or trinkets they'd find on the ocean floor. Pretty shells and stuff like a cat bringing its master a dead mouse.

After he finally began to accept them as a persistent fixture in his life, he introduced them to gaming and anime and started accepting them little by little...

By the end of their stay, these two were practically inseparable. Not just because they like spending time together, but because they figured out they could have a telepathic link due to Levi being part sea serpent. 

No matter how far they are, they can always have a chat! (That no one else can hear so people think they’re just crazy...)

Satan

Satan honestly isn't the MC's biggest fan, he generally finds them too loud and gregarious for his liking. But their horse…?

He never really thought that he'd be a horse man... Yet it didn’t really take long for Satan to adore Sunset, their beautiful golden-maned mare. Apparently she's not their only horse, but by far their favorite traveling companion.

Sunset is a wonderful horse - brave, strong, and well-trained. It only took a few weeks before he was regularly sneaking out to the stables to brush her fur or feed her apples...

After the MC taught him how to ride, that was it. All other forms of transportation were inferior to him now.

Satan would ride Sunset everywhere and he looked damn good doing it! It takes all that fairytale Prince Charming thing he has going on and puts it through the roof.

It's a good thing too, because when I say everywhere, I do mean everywhere. Lucifer had to put seals on the House doors to keep Satan from riding Sunset through the hallways...

Of course, he’ll always let the MC have Sunset back when they need her!... with a little complaining but nothing terrible.

The MC doesn't mind much because Sunset likes him and they know he takes good care of her, but the rest of the House is slightly unnerved at how quickly he went horse crazy… What if they brought a giant crab instead?? No one wants to deal with crab-Satan...

Asmodeus 

Their body is just scrumptious. Oh, how he could look at their swimsuit-clad figure all day!! 😩

Between the swimming and the fighting, their form is toned to all hell and he can't get enough of it! Yes baby, yes!! Take those clothes off again!!! He'll help~! 😘

When he's not staring at them “totally respectfully,” then he's inviting them out to pool parties or begging them to take him riding...

There are parts of horseback riding he doesn’t like, the smell and the jostling specifically, but there is a kind of… romance to it, no?

He loves having the chance to snuggle up to the MC as they trot around the Devildom! It's so romantic, like they’re his knight in shining armor! (Or his demigod in a damp swimsuit, either works. 😏)

His Devilgram is just full of selfies of him and MC riding on the back of Sunset or sitting by the edge of the pool or them in the middle of a swim meet…

Yeah his Devilgram is now a one part him and one part MC-Appreciation account.

After the pact he'll eventually cool down some and stop staring at them like a sex-object, but even then he'll be at every swim meet. Don't you worry~

Beelzebub 

He actually really likes them! It's great to finally have another athlete in the House. 😊

The MC joined the RAD swim team just as soon the coach was able to convince Diavolo that having the child of a water god wasn't completely cheating... 

Since swim and fangol practice ends at about the same time, they walk home together a lot and complain about... sports things... (Forgive me, I don’t know sports. Uhm... Rival teams? Coaches? That one drill everyone hates? Stuff like that.)

Beel also can surf, skate, and snowboard so the two have a healthy competition going. They're about on equal footing so they tie often (except in surfing but Beel doesn't think that should count cause they’re probably cheating).

The only thing that he has to watch out for is Sunset… As in, he has to watch himself around Sunset because he absolutely could eat her on accident… 

Look, he doesn't want to and he doesn't even like horse meat that much, but even he has to admit there are times he gets hungry enough to consider it…

Of course, he knows that if he ever did Satan would rip him limb from limb then the MC would drown the rest so he really, really tries to control himself… but still… She’s a very healthy horse...

At least he didn’t try to sell her like Mammon. The MC hung him over a shark tank for that stunt… He’d feel bad, but Mammon kind of had it coming.

Belphegor 

The first time they met, the MC smelled like beach water and called him "dude-bro…" He didn't like his prospects.

For a while, he genuinely thought that they had a lump of sand where their brain was. They were just too chill!! Here he was saying that he's being held captive and they were like, "Well that sucks, man… I'll help ya, but I've got practice tomorrow. You can wait, right?"

It's not like he expected them to jump on top of it, but some urgency would have been nice…

When they eventually got around to helping him, he was actually looking forward to choking the life out of them for the extra wait. Unfortunately, they apparently had a horse…

Yeah, Belphie found out just a bit too late that the MC could summon their steed to them whenever they wanted and ended up with Sunset's hooves firmly bucking into his back for his trouble…

What followed was Belphegor running circles around the attic from the weapon-totting MC riding their terrifying murder horse until Lucifer finally intervened....

Thank the gods he wasn’t near any water….

As it would turn out later, as long as he's not being held captive in an attic Belphie kind of vibes with their laid-backness… They say they approach life "one wave at a time" or something.

He could care less about what that actually means, but what it translates to is "Stop stressing out and just keep chill" which he's all about.

Everybody should just chill out!... dude…. Nah, he'll let them stick to the “dude”-thing, it feels weird...

[lovee-infected]

Your character analysis posts are really accurate! I like how you want to show that a character is a lot more than they show. It kind of angers me that there are people who headcanon the boys as something they're not, or they saying that they're this one personality trait only. What other characters from twisted get mischaracterized, at least in ur opinion?

THANK THANKK !! XD

I really enjoy going into depths of characters' personalities because damn- there were some big brains behind their creations!

This question was rather important so I couldn't decide on any specific characters to talk about, so I decided to list all of the twst characters and how they'd often get mischaracterized.

Mischaracterization isn't bound to twst fandom because as long as a there's a fandom, fanon interpretations of characters exist.

Almost any character in any fandom can be mischaracterized at some point, but it isn't always that noticable or important. Mischaracterization often becomes noticable when pretty different interpretations of rather 'popular' characters exist within a fandom, which causes many to argue over what the correct interpretation is.

For now, I'm dividing all of twst characters into "5 groups" to explain how each of them might often get mischaracterized.

Group A: Complex personalities

It's simple, these characters can be quite hard to understand. It's either because of having too many features at the same time, which makes them quite hard to read because we'll need to achieve a balance between all of their different personality aspects, or being quite secretive and mysterious which awfully bounds our knowledge regarding these characters and their personalities.

•Malleus Draconia: We previously talked about Malleus; the main reason of him getting mischaracterized is having plenty of spine-chilling features while having considerably childish and innocent hobbies at the same time. This opposition often makes it hard to decide on what the cannon Malleus is like, because it can hard to choose one between his darker side and softer side. What we need in order to achieve a rather cannon interpretation of Malleus, is a balance. Just as I previously said: Malleus isn't a baby, but he isn't a monster either.

•Lilia Vanrouge: Even without going into depths, you can tell that Lilia's personality is complicated as hell. Though I can't really tell that he's being Mischaracterized because the cannon Lilia himself can switch into a totally different personality in a matter of second, one moment he's a 90+ year old father trying to lead his children into he right path, one moment he's an unraveled neon teenager playing the ear-scrathing heavy metal with that guitar of his, and the other second he's an absolute monster which can creep the heck out of you with a simple "Boo". Lilia can also get plenty of different personalities through fanon interpretations:Yandere Lilia/Vampire fae/ Papa Lilia/ Daddy Vanrouge many other details which I can't go through now,but let me just say: A Lilia analysis would be rather long, and interesting one.

•Jade Leech: Speaking of reading characters, better know that this mister eel Leech is an absolutely tough one. You'll never know what he's hiding behind that friendly yet evil smile, or what intentions might be behind his extreme will to play the role of the butler and help everyone out. Understanding this Sebastian Michaelis complex is an absolute challenge and this is probably one of the things that makes him so Interesting, you always know that he's hiding something dark on the inside, yet you can't really tell what it is.

•Cater Diamond: This might be rather hard to notice, but there's a lot about Cater which is left untold. Despite his sweet and positive appearance, his personality is actually a bitter-sweet complex of too many emotions and a pretty well-written background. The amount of info found through his voice lines and personal stories is rather amazing as if you're reading a real boy's life story! But this amount of detail and considerably dark aspects of his personality can make it really hard to understand what's going on in this mysterious mind; especially because of how he seems to be hiding a second face under that friendly smile.

•Jamil Viper: Jamil can be quite hard to read. He isn't really emotional and hardly ever expresses his true feelings. Even NRC students agree that he can be quite a mystery, from his past life and daily struggles to how many of his true feelings and intentions remained a secret until chapter 4. Jamil is a complex of pain, power, hatred and patience. His background is perfect example of a villainous story and how a child can grow to be a villain, which is quite interesting! Jamil's story is worthy of a detailed analysis and some time for all of us to understand what this guy has been going through.

•Rook Hunt: We often tend to know him as Pomefiore's "dramatic stalker", and he surely is! The fanon interpretation of Rook doesn't usually go against his cannon interpretation (Expect for the times that people get salty over his appearance or attitude- Which leads to the creation of countless Rook memes-) While it's true that he's more than just a French stalker, it can be hard to talk about anything else when it comes to Rook, because the cannon Rook tends to hide a lot about himself, leaving us with a considerable lack of useful information to use. He really got us all there, huh? Even as he's a fictional character and we're living in real life- he tends to control what we know and think of him-

characters that can also belong to this group: Leona Kingscholar, Idia Shroud, Vil Schoenheit , Floyd Leech

Group B: Ignoring important features:

This group can get easily mischaracterized, mainly because each and every of them has an specific feature that really makes them stand out. (Ex: Riddle's short temper, Azul's soft and sensitive side, Sebek's obsession with Malleus,...) But paying to much attention to that one specific feature often leads to ignoring everything else about their personalities, and gives them a pretty simple and fanon interpretation which can sometimes be the total opposite of the detailed and cannon one.

•Azul Ashengrotto: Azul's fanon picture had an extreme change after chapter 3, mainly because of how his background and breakable side was revealed; the cruel and heartless mafia boss turned into the soft and emotional baby. This sudden change in perspective stole the hearts of many fans and the fandom in general came to appreciate Azul even more, but at some point it caused his most important feature to be forgotten: Azul tends to be strict about hiding that sensitive side of his, so the Azul we get to see in general is the fearful picture of the mastermind who's taken the magics of many away, not that baby Octopus who used to cry whenever other kids bullied him because he was different. Getting to know his background and true feelings made us forget about his professional and strict side which is indeed the most important side of his personality!

•Idia Shroud: Baby boy, soft child, sweet tooth cutie, pretty little emo,...and hundreds of other nicknames to appreciate Idia and his iconic nature. But in contrast to what many assume based on his appearance and social anxiety, Idia is way different from just a shy yet adorable nerd; this guy is seriously hiding some evil inside. If you go through his stories and get to the points where he's thinking with himself, you'll see how different he can be. While he can't really get to tell these properly through his main lines, you can find him secretly insulting and nagging at how annoying some people are several times. It isn't just about being shy, Idia obviously dislikes many of the people around him. Focusing on his social anxiety and awkwardness causes us to forget how different he is when he isn't forced into a face-to-face conversation, also note that there are many thoughts going through this guy's brain that you probably hadn't thought of.

•Floyd Leech: While Jade's personality is obviously a pretty complicated one, Floyd's character is even more confusing because of his playfulness and seemingly childish manners. But it's important to remember that deep inside, floyd is just as mysterious as his brother. Describing Floyd as childish and dumb is equal to falling into Yana's trap, because Floyd is designed as an extremely smart and somewhat of sadistic character. It's so important to know that he's way more than just a chaotic eel or an playful idiot, Floyd literally has anything needed to be ranked among the most dangerous characters of the game, his personality along side his magic and genius can be quite deadly.

•Sebek Zigvolt: To be honest, many of us are just doing him dirty. Look, it's true that Sebek's often caught praising and talking about Malleus but please do not forget that Sebek as well has got his very own personality! Associating Malleus with whatever he says or does (especially through fanfictions) is somehow fading his character because most of the things I get to read or hear about him involves Malleus. Come on! This is Sebek that we're talking about, not Malleus! I understand that talking about Malleus is legit something he often does but while you're writing a fanfic, please remember that Sebek has got hundreds of features and personality manners to talk about other than talking about his "Waka sama". So instead of just focusing on his Malleus appreciation habit, try to get to know his very own features and personality! In many of fanon interpretations, Sebek is bound to doing nothing but talking about Malleus and only him which is pretty unfair! We should all take some time to talk about Sebek himself, not his obsession with Lilia or Malleus.

•Riddle Rosehearts: I understand where this is coming from, but I want to see something more than an angry Riddle shouting and screaming about the importance of rules and harshly forcing others into following them whenever I read something that involves Riddle. I see how being angry and turning as red as a tomato is his rather famous feature but we shouldn't ignore everything else about hum because of it. Other than his background and mentionable talents and abilities as the greatest dorm leader Heartslabyul's history, keep this in mind that Riddle did decide to try and change his way of leadership and reduce his obsession with rules after his overblot.

Characters that can also belong to this group: Vil Schoenheit, Rook Hunt, Kalim Al Asim, Silver, Epel Felmier

Group C: Ignorance/Lack of information

The reason with this group is obvious, we need to talk about them more often! While they're all great characters with interesting designs and personalities, it's somehow rare to see anyone doing a proper analysis of their characters, either because of not going through their details or stories, or even going through them but not finding anything special.

•Ace Trappola: Both Deuce and Ace are characters who have appeared through all of the chapters so far, which means that we've had the chance to get to know them better than any other character in the game! But their fanon interpretations are pretty simple and sometimes, boring. Most of us don't even realize that we're mischaracterizing them-! I often see them being pictured as either stupid or loud and troublesome. Ace for example, got a really strong plot about how he'd go through a relationship and his past experience in the ghost marriage, which can be a strong guide to how we should picture Ace in reader inserts, but sadly we're just sticking to fanon interpretations and don't give his personality the detail and cannon depth he deserves. Let's note that he can be quite evil, smart, logical and unpredictable too at the time.

•Deuce Spade: Deuce's case is pretty similar to Ace. I'm not saying that he's a totally different one from how the fandom is characterizing him, but come on, Deuce isn't just a chicken dummy! We've learned a lot about his relationship with his mother, his past life, his relationship with his close friends, his hobbies and his will to become a great magician so there's a lot we can say about him! Instead of just sticking to his clumsiness and sometimes, stupidity it's better to consider those features and details to describe him. Not only will it make us have more of a cannon interpretation on Deuce, but it'll also inspire us to create newer and more creative content for him!

•Silver: Look, while many of us love this sleepy guy, we need to understand that he isn't just a sleeping beauty or Lilia's cute son! Let's admit something, we're facing a lack of Silver content and even as we go through most of the existing Silver fanfics and content, it either has something to do with his sleeping issues or his relationship with idia, maybe some arguments with Sebek as well but it's rare to see anyone talking about anything else than these when it comes to Silver. His relationship with Lilia and Malleus, he way he appears in others' side stories, how he handles his tasks and the way Malleus and Lilia describe him is telling us that there's a LOT about him which we often ignore!

•Trey Clover: It's true that the cannon Trey isn't that different from the fanon one, but I can tell that the fanon Trey lacks quite a few of the cannon features. We're giving him a rather solid and sometimes boring personality of Heartslabyul's calm and collected mum who treats everyone nicely regardless of how reckless or annoying or rebellious they are. But the real Trey does express annoyance and uncomfortablitiy from time to time, he can even be quite sarcastic. If you come to get a close look, you'll see that Trey isn't always as nice as he seems to be.

•Ruggie Bucchi: I genuinely adore Ruggie's personality design, especially how he mostly comes of as a mysterious troublemaker but at the same time, he's being a tiny family man on the inside. Watching how he can be quite reckless toward other students in NRC (especially the first years) and on the other hand, be a pretty caring and protective sibling who really loves and cares about his poor family and is working his hardest to support them really brings the tears of joy to my eyes. Ruggie's story has got a lot to tell and this interesting design and personality really deserves more attention and supporters!

•Jack Howl: It's true that Jack doesn't really get mischaracterized , but he deserves to be talked about more often! Most of the fandom captured his personality really good and I can feel his tsundere-ish and protective vibes through most of the fanfics that involve him. He's got a rather calm and collected nature which gives him a more balanced personality compared to the rest of the characters, and can make it easier to understand the cannon Jack. He used to get really mischaracterized back in twst's pre-release, but after the game was released and we got to know the cannon Jack, most of those misunderstandings were solved. Perhaps the only thing that I wish to mentioned more often are the adorable details and his background, especially his relationship with his family and siblings.

Characters that can also belong to his group: Silver, Deuce Spade, Ace Trappola, Rook Hunt

Group D: The healing type (Iyashikei)

Look, the cannon interpretation isn't always the happiest or the sweetest. This group usually get mischaracterized because their fanon interpretation is presenting something better, something that more fans would accept and love. 'Softening extremely dark and unapproachable personalities' or 'spreading adorable and wholesome headcanons' are two common ways of the healing type. Characters with extremely bitter personalities usually belong to this group, because their stories can be too sad for the fandom, so many decide to go for a softer yet untrue way of characterizing them, which is sometimes good but going too far with the softening process often leads to creating a character that's nothing like the original.

•Leona Kingscholar: While I was working on my Leona analysis, I came to understand why some fans prefer the fanon Leona over the cannon Leona. Cannon Leona is quite dark and unapproachable, and you'll find his background and personality in general quite painful and sometimes depressing if you try to study the cannon Leona. Within all of the twst characters, he's got the darkest design therefore it can be quite hard for fans to accept his cannon interpretation. That's why some try to give him more of an affectionate and soft nature to make his personality seem less painful to go through. This sometimes create a totally wrong interpretation that goes against everything that the cannon Leona is, but at the same time many fans agree that cannon Leona on the other hand is just too dark to accept. We can tell that this fandom's favorite Leona is a balance of cannon and fanon Leonas, something neither too dark nor to childish and wholesome.

•Ortho Shroud: There isn't much we know about Ortho and his background, and I can't say that he's being directly mischaracterized either. Sometimes all we have to use in order to capture his personality are the fan- theories, which can really complicate stuff. Best way to know him is by paying enough of attention to his voice lines and hidden details, but it can end up being quite dark if you dig too deep- His background with Idia isn't directly mentioned but there are some dark details hiding through the story that can seem quite scary when you actually think about them, therefore many of the fans decide to ignore those details, and since there isn't much of Ortho content (mostly fanfiction) either, many (including me) decided not to mention anything about those dark aspects...

•Epel Felmier: Cannon Epel is quite different from the fanon Epel. Not saying that Epel is a meanie because he surely does have pretty cute and adorable aspects but the cannon can Epel can be quite reckless, mean and rude at the time while the fanon Epel is always described as a shy, cute boy(which is exactly what the cannon Epel hates to be described as). Going through his ghost marriage stories and voice lines, we can realize that Epel's rather bad with romance, and for now, he doesn't really seem to be interested in any love-related issues either. Writing reader inserts especially can be really hard if you're going to stick with the cannon Epel, therefore many choose to use the fanon Epel instead, a cuter and softer Epel who's quite acceptive and approval of being in love. A considerable majority of fans prefer this soft and cuter Epel, and this is why Epel mostly gets mischaracterized in reader inserts.

Characters that can also belong to this group: Malleus Draconia, Azul Ashengrotto, Cater Diamond, Ace Trappola, Lilia Vanrouge

Group E: Mischaracterized on main

Spreading false headcanons, not paying enough of attention to official details and simplifying complicated personalities are often counted as general ways of mischaracterization. Unlike the previous groups, this group doesn't really have a proper excuse for their mischaracterization, especially as we see some fans are being attacked and offended by some who tend mischaracterize characters in this way.

•Vil Schoenheit: We previously talked about Vil and how there's a pile of wrong information about him spread all over the fandom, from the one saying that he's trans and his pronouns are she/her (Many fans were attacked and forced to use She/Her for Vil) to the ones that are picturing him as a selfish character who cares about no one but his very own beauty, and is bullying Epel just because he envies Epel for being more beautiful than him. Look, regarding his relationship with Epel I must say that he's trying is hardest to make Epel be more mindful of his appearance and manners, he cares to help each and every around him look their best and isn't just focusing on his very own beauty. I meant to add him in group B because how many consider him to be obsessed with beauty and ignore everything else about him like his remarkable skills in leadership and other abilities in general, but considering the great amount of wrong information that is being spread around the fandom and is causing misunderstandings and arguments, I thought it'd be better to put him in this group.

•Kalim al asim: One sentence, four words: He is NOT stupid! While I insist that everyone in the fandom is free to have their personal interpretation and ideas regarding the characters and their personalities, keep this is mind that it's okay as long as it doesn't offend anyone else! How does it feel when Kalim stans are just watching others making fun of their favorite and calling him useless and stupid? Even worse, how does it feel when they're being told reckless stuff like: "Hey, you know that your favorite is the dumbest character in the game?" Let me clear 3 points right here: 1)Even if one's favorite is stupid, you do not have the right to insult them because of it even if you mean it as a joke 2)Nope Kalim is not stupid, generosity and caring for everyone around him with genuine kindness makes him a good and pure person, not a stupid one. 3) People who are saying that he's stupid because of not doing that great in school are just as funny as those who told all of us that you won't be any successful if you don't get good grades in exams. Lmao, dude this is the 21st century.

Characters that can also belong to this group: Floyd Leech, Epel Felmier

Well, I guess that's all? I couldn't talk much about any of them otherwise this would've gotten too long- So I just put a small intro of how each of the boys often gets mischaracterized instead. Okay it's awfully late lol I leave this now-