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thegingerheed · 2 months

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How DELTATRAVELER is the funniest UT fangame by complete accident.

Over the course of the past year, I've talked a ton about various UT/DR fan-projects and my thoughts regarding them and their writing. One fan-work I have talked extensively about on various forums and threads being DELTATRAVELLER. For a while, I didn't know exactly how to feel about this game. It felt like an enigma to me.

The game was enjoyable to play, it was entertaining to read. Yet I could never get myself invested in anything regarding the game's narrative or characters. It was as if the game was unintentionally written to obliterate (pun entirely intended) any and all chances for narrative investment in its story and characters. What the game did have over me was that it had me in histersics for the majority of its runtime. Yet, paradoxically, none of the jokes written to be funny landed for me. For a while I didn't fully know why and how it made me feel about the game as a whole. How can you say you enjoyed something a lot whilst also laughing at it and acknowledging that under any other circumstance, it wouldn't be something that you'd consider to be good?

Spoiler alert: I found that answer, which I will now be explaining to YOU in weirdly esoteric detail !!!

But before we start, let's start of with the basic premise of DELTATRAVELER for those not in the know.

What is a "DELTATRAVELER"

DELTATRAVELER is a UT/DR fangame about Kris, Susie and Noelle being isekai'd from a Post-Chapter 2 DELTARUNE into the worlds of various different video games and UNDERTALE on a quest to find a way home. The game was inspired and made off the back of "GOD FUCKING damnit KRIS where the FUCK are we!?" which was a very popular meme at the time of DELTARUNE: Chapter 2's release.

Like DELTARUNE, the game is divided and released in chapters (dubbed 'sections' by the devs). Each chapter is set in a different world and has the Shit Squad (The objectively best name for the heroes) explore, fight and eventually find that world's "grey door" which serves as the end goal for the chapter as that will take the Shit Squad to the next world after the boss of the chapter is complete. In total the game is slated to have eight total chapters with what they are based on being revealed in advanced:

Chapter 1: UNDERTALE

Chapter 2: Earthbound

Chapter 3: GG!UNDERFELL

Chapter 4: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Chapter 5: TS!UNDERSWAP

Chapter 6: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Chapter 7: Toontown Online

Chapter 8: The Dark (the game's finale)

Currently as of this post, DELTATRAVELER is still a work in progress with Chapter 3 being released back in December. As a result all discussion of the game of the game will be on Chapters 1-3 as those are what's out right now.

I think I should preface this post with me saying, I don't think DELTATRAVELER is a bad game, quite the opposite, actually! I enjoyed my time with it.

Mechanically, the gameplay is really well done, the physics feel very on point to UT/DR, which is surprisingly rare for a lot of UT fan-games. It felt like I was playing UT/DR and was rewarded for the skills I had gained from the collective hundreds of hours I have played these games.

Visually, I think it looks very solid and charming. Seeing various locales and characters from other games being translated into UT/DR's iconic, sometimes janky artstyle is always cool to see and it will be very interesting to see how games like A Link to the Past are adapted in future chapters.

Musically, I think the game is fine. The original songs in the OST doesn't have anything I'd point to as "bangers" but also doesn't have anything I thought was particularly hard to listen to (With the outlier maybe being Eye for an Eye. The obligatory Megalo for the Sans fight in the GG!UNDERFELL chapter. But even then, I wouldn't even call the song "bad". I just don't like it too much and that's fine! just how music taste works.)

But to get to the main point. The most intreasting thing about DELTATRAVELER to me, is the way the game is written which has proven to be quite the controversial topic within the broader fandom which is what I'll try to give an in-depth and nuanced disection of but to put a long story short, I don't think this game is written well. Most of the core issues I have with DELTATRAVELER's writing can be attributed to a single, fundamental flaw. That being how the game handles it's "tone"

Explaining Tone

In writing, Tone is a very multi-factor concept, working as the bedrock for a given work. To put it simply and cleanly, tone is basically "the vibes" of a given thing. Tone can come in a lot of different flavours. Whether that be the tone of a given scene, the work itself or even the tone of an entire series. Tone is important as keeping tone consistent with itself is one of the major factors in narrative investment. It essentially tells the audience what they can and can't expect from a work of fiction.

Let's use this as an example:

You're watching a movie, in the movie there's a scene involving the protagonist having an anvil inexplicably dropped on their head by the antagonist.

If this movie was a comedy for children and family, the tone of this scene would ensure that this be as funny a punchline as possible or the set up for a funny punchline. This expectation built by the previous events of the story shields the narrative and characters from anything that might be too ill-fitting for the "comedy for child and family tone" it's trying to go for. At most the protagonist could be expected to suffer from a Loney Toons-like knockout rather than ending in a hospital bed with a shattered skull. Or, at worst, splattered and crushed across the pavement in an intensely gruesome fashion. If that happened, it wouldn't pass the story's "vibe check" which can cause something that I'll be calling "Tonal Whiplash"

If you want an example of "Tonal Whiplash" and the effects it can have on the audience, look no further than Shadow the Hedgehog

This game, to be frank. Is fucking hilarious and this is in part due to the mere concept of the game about Shadow using a gun breaking the tone set series-wide by other Sonic games and media in the past. (Expect Sonic Adventure 2, that has similar issues to a lesser extent)

It takes a series about stopping egg-themed villain from ruling the world to trying to assassinate the president and watching as a innocent girl gets shot in the back by what is basically, the USA military. And it all tries to do this in the Sonic series' iconic, albeit rather corny writing while also intened to appeal to older kids and be "cool". It leaves the game being kinda a clusterfuck even beyond just its tone issue, in a very funny way.

Now, this isn't to say that breaking tone is necessarily a bad thing all the time. Sometimes it's intentional, a way to make a moment hit harder, surprise the audience or all of the above. However, breaking tone is a narrative risk and if it fails you risk hurting the narrative investment your audience has within your work and to top it off once tone has been broken, it can't really be put back together with a story. You'll basically be shifting the tone of the story from that point on.

An easy example of this tonal shift is UT itself with it's Geno Route.

How UNDERTALE handles it's tone

UT's tone is one that acknowledges its nature as a video game with the usage of diegetic game mechanics like SAVING and the battle system.

This has many unique effects, for example means things like death as a concept is something that is treated rather lightly within the game's tone, the game even joking about it on the occasion. It's rather pointless treating death as anything other than a slight inconvenience to the human when you directly acknowledge that they can undo it by simply not wanting to die.

This treatment of death intentionally clashes with how it's treated when you kill monsters in a Geno Route. Papyrus is a shining example of this. Being something of an emotional obstacle for the player. Designed to make the player feel shit. Basically UT's writing is effectively, unapologetically trying to guilt trip you as another test of your determination to see this run to its completion.

The emotional weight of this scene is less carried by the idea of death and more so the fact that you hurt one of your favourite characters and won't see him anymore for the remainder of the run. It's more character focused, if you've already begun to withdraw your narrative investment and attachment to the characters or if you simply just don't give a fuck, it's not gonna make you feel anything. It'd just be another monster to slay, another number to increase.

Now you might find yourself wondering. How can UT be funny and sad without it leading to side effects normally seen by "tonal whiplash"? UT is funny, sure. There's a lot of jokes, each joke told in UT is a joke told by either a character or the world. Each joke means something beyond it being a funny line. But UT can also be heartfelt, like the walk up to Asgore. It all further fleshes these characters out making them feel more deep and layered, it treats it's world and characters not as jokes to be laughed at but as people, people who can be funny, people that can be sad and down even if you and the game both know that deep down, they aren't real. Just bundles of pixels and dialogue for your entertainment which is what makes Geno's clash work.

Your attachment to the characters and world. It's sudden, yes. But that's why it hits. NPCs vanish and their absence is felt, the once lively music replaced with a slowed drone. It all feels empty. It's dark, all because you have killed the things that gave this game its "light". UT's tone is something that . The tone of Pasifist runs reinforce and bring greater impact to Geno runs and that's why it feels less like tonal whiplash to the audience.

Now, let's get to DELTATRAVELER. If we want to establish how DELTATRAVELER establishes a tone for itself what best than analysis the beginning?

How DELTATRAVELER handles it's tone

After an amusing title screen and a quick file selection, we open with Kris and Susie on a bed of flowers, the first room of UT. After a brief moment of the two getting their bearings, they stand up and Susie turns to Kris before saying "God Damnit Kris! Where the hell are we?!!" fit with a silly pose and sound effect. A reference to the meme that inspired the game's creation.

The next scene is in the very next room and it's encounter with Flowey. Here he attempts the same speech he said in UT before Susie cuts him off, gets him to spill the beans that he was actually after Kris' SOUL before getting into a battle. Where they make a joke about DR battles being different from UT battles before Susie bashes her HUD into Kris' creating a unique one that DELTATRAVELER uses before blasting Flowey away with Rude Buster.

Off the cuff, DELTATRAVELER isn't really being serious. So far it's spent the first couple of scenes essentially making jokes around the characters, world and basic premise of the game and the game will continue to do this with inclusion such as Ralsei smoking a blunt, referencing a meme of the same name and Noelle making expressions referencing both a popular SpongeBob and MegaMind memes. On its own, this isn't really a bad thing, sure I may personally find it very unfunny but the game starting off with various memes isn't even a negative in principle, it just indicates that it doesn't want the audience to take it too seriously, which if that was the intention, would be fine. The issue DELTATRAVELER has with it's writing is that it unfortunately does want me to take it seriously.

The game makes an attempt to emulate UT's writing style, attempts to have serious moments sprinkled amongst jokes. However, unlike UT, DELTATRAVELER's brand of humour is basically solely self aware memes. Oftentimes, made at the expense of its own characters and world, leaving the moments where the game actually wants to be taken serious to fall flat.

Things like Kris' nightmare during Chapter 3, where they wonder why they are cursed with our control before lamenting about how much they want to rip their SOUL out and destroy it. Before crying out that they "Don't want to die alone." Doesn't have the impact the game wants it to have, because prior to that point, the game had basically already told the audience not to take the game too seriously, thus hurting any narrative and emotional investment the player could form with this interpretation of Kris as a character leading up to that point.

The same can be said with DELTATRAVELER's Geno Route equivalent, dubbed by the devs as The Obliteration Route watching the game in one route go from, "Ralsei Dobbie! No Bitches? Vine boom!" to beating and slaughtering a beloved protagonist and watching the kid bleed out on the ground as the other fights for revenge whilst a cover of (fucking) MEGALOVANIA starts playing in another takes what should be a very climactic and emotional moment and turns it into the single funniest boss fight I have played.

And that isn't counting the various other characterization issues present throughout the route as a whole. Characters like Noelle and Susie have no real reason to help Kris with the run once they notice them seemingly going around looking for people to slaughter. DELTATRAVELER especially when the game then goes out of its way to show the player that both party members have the digetic ability to reject the player's control, to the point where they can refuse to enter battles with Kris entirely.

But they don't, they'll even attack Ness and Paula under a certain percentage of health even after Susie tells explicitly Kris to not kill them. It leads to the game putting the blame on Kris and then The Player for a situation Susie and Noelle also have established agency over. Susie can help and kill a ton of monsters yet still be pissed at Kris for what is, under the game's internal logic, still a choice she chose to follow. The game tries to remedy this via Chapter 3's talk with the trio and it's better, sure. But it still leaves the writing in this strange place of hypocrisy with the characterization to me.

One scene that sticks out to me as particularly odd being after a secret Gaster lore dump cutscene on an Aborted Obliteration run has Noelle say:

"Kris..."

"If you were serious about not having control."

"You would've done it."

Directly implying that she thought Kris should've jumped off the cliff... which is just a strange inclusion, I feel is... Done more so to enlist a reaction in the player rather than creating important moments that respects the world and established characterization.

On the topic of weird characterization, let's talk Sans...

In the GG!UNDERFELL chapter, the main antagonists are Papyrus and Sans. Papyrus, is written, pretty recognisably from his Canon Counterpart. Sans however? Is a mess and a wonderful mess, at that. They take this very edgy, unhinged approach to his character, making him into an insane killer type of character similar to AUs like Dusttale. Throughout the chapter, he tries his damnest to kill Kris and take their SOUL, talking vaugely about a gurdge that doesn't ever get elaborated on. This approach creates a dynamic between Sans and Papyrus, where Sans is basically on Papyrus' metaphorically leash. Reaching a breaking point where he kicks Papyrus off a cliff, rushes at Kris like a feral dog before being being thrown off the bridge, leading to his battle.

His battle... oh my god his battle! It was easily the best part of the game, to the point it had to have its dialogue rewritten, the reason for this being honestly something I cannot begin to accurately describe to you while also doing the scene justice. So here's a clip from Andrew Cunningham's playthrough.

This isn't even the ironic either, this was just how Sans was written. The tone takes itself very seriously, this creates this type of divide where the game has already conditioned you not take it seriously, while trying to take itself completely seriously. It's peak tonal whiplash and it makes the scene, and the fight as a whole, unintentional hilarious.

Final Thoughts

The weirdest part? I don't even care. I've spent the better half of this essay arguing the flaws in DELTATRAVELER's writing, and while I do think they are all valid positions to have, for me? I don't really care about it that much, it's these issues that make me like the game. It's really funny in a very earnest, albeit unintentional way and at the end of the day. It's entertaining to read and there is value there. It's why I am not big on the rewrite of GG!Fell Sans. His issues come from fundemental aspect of his character that couldn't be changed with a simple rewrite, nor should it have it been expected to, as a result however, it doesn't really fix his character for me, it just takes a big part of what I enjoyed from him away. It's sort of a shining example on how when creating, you do not have a choice on how other people see your work. Some jokes you might tell might land and be funny, but also to some, may be brutally annoying and that's just the beauty of the beast. There's always room to analyse, to see if what the creator wanted to convey reads back to the audience. But even if there is critical flaws with the writing, enjoyment of that writing isn't inheritantly attached to author intentions or even the quality of the content, it's a feeling, a subjective one at that. It's why I could say I don't like Sonic the Hedgehog and Kingdom Hearts for being too corny and cheesey but to others, that's exactly what they love about it, and there's a lot of value in that.

There isn't a correct way to have an opinion, a right way to like or dislike something. You like things for the reasons you like them, you dislike you dislike them and that's fine.

However, I do want to take the time in this post to address pretty plevalent fandom issue perpetuated by the wider.

In the past, the UT/DR community was, to be frank rather toxic and elitist, it still is, depending on where you look. Overtime though, there's been a shift, whether be because those types of people moved on to other things or simply grew out of that behaviour, it doesn't matter why just that it has happened. There's a lot more positivity in this community and that is great to see. All healthy communities need such things. However, I do believe that as a result of this, the fandom now is suffering from a "rubber band mentality" where we've pulled too far in the opposite direction, leading to what feels like ironically "toxic positivity".

A lot of people feel very passionate about these fan-projects and that should be celebrated. However a trend I've seen in this fandom, one which has had a net negative effect on this community, is how we as a community react to people voicing opinions/ making jokes or just talking negatively about these beloved works.

You see it a lot with works like UNDERTALE: Yellow, DELTATRAVELER, Inverted Fate, all of the big fandom projects. Everytime a critique or just a joke about a fan-work gets more than like 10K Views on social media, the entire fandom begins to fold into basically damage control, regressing into "can we just not be so negative about the super popular fandom work loved by thousands?" People that voice their opinions on these work, especially negative opinions, get dogpiled, mocked and dismissed because according to them they "don't understand the writing", "hate fan works" or are just being "bitter about works made with passion and love and should simply shouldn't engage", even when said people once taking the time to actually hear them out, provide criticism that's honestly pretty valid.

I'd understand if people were directly going after devs, commenting under their tweets, invading their own communities just to mock and be the answer to a question nobody answered. That is wrong and should be called out. Voicing how funny or even terrible you think certain scenes are on your public social media? Ultimately, that's harmless in the grander scheme of things and I feel like fans and creators should be mindful of how they react to things because at the end of the day. People are allowed to voice their opinions, they are also allowed to make jokes and laugh at the writing, they are allowed to do all of that. People want to treat fan works like works of art and I am right there with them, but if you want to do that, you have to actually start treating them like art and accept it's a completely subjective thing. People will have different thoughts about them and that's okay! The moment you start policing what thoughts should and shouldn't be expressed is when any meaningful discussion dies. This whole mentality that since it took hard work and dedication to make a fan project should be celebrated to the highest order and treated as an object of reverence, absolved from all criticism is a harmful mentality to fall into. A thing can both require hard work and dedication and also be criticised and joked about by people. These two can co-exist. One doesn't somehow counteract and invalidate the other.

For some, analysing and critiquing media is a fun thing to do! It helps you get a better understand of the medium you're analysing, what works and what doesn't. It's legitimately fun to have discussions about. Being negative about works, even if they are works of passion aren't the end of the world, especially when they are just posts made by people just minding their own business. Jokes? Shitposts? They should all be allowed, because that's also how some people enjoy works of fiction. And if you don't want to see it? Valid but there are countless methods available to ensure that that don't involve creating a "good vibes only" type of fandom environment that everyone is forced to adhere to. That helps nobody and only breeds division within this community, I think.

#deltarune #undertale #analysis #undertale meta #critique #undertale au #undertale fangame #deltatraveler

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cry-ptidd · 9 months

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Me and my sister watched Hellsing together. Here's her opinion on the characters

- Alucard: "He's a cunt, but he's entertaining. I'd probably pay to see him in a strip club. I didn't like him and his shit-eating grin and 'master' bullshit at first, but he grew on me quick and i don't like that he grew on me. He's a complex character, and he's hot asf when he cries. Also I wish we'd seen his Dracula form for longer; that was awesome. Him and Anderson had a thing going on."

- Seras: "Didn't really mind her at first, but liked her after she drank blood. Her transformation and the guns are really fucking cool. I didn't like her voice and her whining at first but it got better after a few episodes. I like her when her personality became a little bit more spunky. Her story's fucked up."

- Integra: "Absolute bad bitch. Her attitude reminds me of myself so idk if I should like it or hate it, she's got a lot of pride which I respect. Really human and I like it, she takes no one's shit and she's a badass. Didn't even FLINCH when she got her eye shot out. Girlboss. She gives me ace vibes also."

- Walter: "I liked him, he was funny. And then he betrayed everyone and became emo. He gave good advice, and he was cool as hell with that wise older veteran vibe. I'm disappointed in him, but the plot twist was actually good. You'd notice the signs if you suspected him from the beginning."

- Pip: "He's FINE. I'd braid his hair any day. I was in love and then I mourned. I'm widowed. He was hilarious, plus his voice actor nailed the French. My favorite character. Screeched when he came back. He's a good leader and I loved his speeches, also his death made me cry. And I don't often cry when watching anime."

- Anderson: "kinda neutral. I didn't like him at first, he was obnoxious as fuck. Then he respected women and opposed Maxwell and his orders so he grew in my esteem a bit. His character is cool as fuck tho. I wish he didn't turn into a monster, he fell to the same level as Alucard. It's like human greed or desperation for power. Him and Alucard had a thing going on."

- Enrico Maxwell: "Lucius Malfoy. I hate him but not the one I hate most."

- Heinkel & Yumie: "Really like these two lesbians. So cool and I respect their resolve, especially Heinkel's. Rip Yumi. You were cool. Heinkel being intersex is a dope detail, she's very androgynous too. I like their designs."

- The major: "Augustus Gloop? I like the fact he refused vampirism, that was cool, but he's an actual fucking sociopath and I hate him"

- The Captain: "Ngl, I actually find him quite dope, aside from the nazi thing. Literally no one respected him, that shit had me crying. His face is pretty and his tits are big, even if he looks a bit goofy at times. Wish we'd seen more of him. I felt kinda bad when he got defeated."

- Schrödinger: "I want this thing dead"

- Rip van winkle: "She gives me the vibes of a Dr Seuss character."

- Zorin: "Bleach Ichigo knockoff. Fuck this bitch in particular I hate her"

- The Valentine brothers: "A slav squat necrophile and his gay brother that used to be a runway model but got cancelled after a scandal"

Overall: A hit, neither of us expected her to like it. She likes the political and literary aspects, and also finds the characters interesting. She doesn't really know how to feel about the ending; she considers it realistic and a good end, but she wished it was more epic. But from a writing perspective it's good. Also she lowkey wished Alucard would turn Integra into a vampire, just because it would be cool. Now we send each other memes about it. She calls Nendocard a whore when she passes by him, but says she'd buy a Pip nendo in a heartbeat

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ariuuokay · 3 months

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Do you have any favourite ships? Any media you're interested in or just duo that you enjoy the dynamic of!!

Ok I barely join some popular media they're more like the quiet ones sooo

So uhh Napolington -

I usually stick to one ship in a fandom and call it a day,but in the end Love is love and as long as it's not really problematic I'm fine,Like when I first joined the Napoleonic fandom I stayed with my pairs till this day and those pairs were..(It may be in order)

And these pairs were pure gambles :D aka

I assumed relationships in FANART😨😨😨(Thank you Amino)

•Napoleonic

-Lannes&Ney:I feel like this Pair isn't talk ABT often😔😔😔My only history with them is that they're the first Marshals I found and paired

-Bessimu:Ill tell you a silly story of how I may have shipped them but I like their contradicting personalities!(they're literally the "inside you are two wolves" meme)

....uhhh ok after some thoughts this ship is sort of my guilty pleasure.Like it's literally corroding my brain

-Massoult:OK GUYS HEAR ME OUT-

ok but genuinely I was relieved knowing they're relationship was pretty good (yk more support to the ship rather than just saying they both liked looting-)The letter from Massena also helped and I like imagining them interacting in my head which IM NOT TELLING YOU OR I WILL GET TAKEN TO THE PYSCHE WARD/but genuinely every knew irl or fannon interaction thats positive makes genuinely ecstatic and full of Dopamine(overall I like a tired grumpy man with a...tired...and old man idk)

-I have more actually it's just that I can't explain all since they did say"Media"so my generals but Classical music ig is next

{A ship I feel like my reasoning should just be kept since I'm on thin ice with this is Bethomoz,thank youu}

•Choliszt:Classic, literally unrequited love,I feel bad for Liszt ngl he seemed so genuinely sweet to Chopin (irl)and Chopin is just annoyed(from what I read)this is also the next ship you'll see in the fandom

Berlix- I heard somewhere Berlioz just casually calls Mendelssohn "Love" or something like that overall they seem quite nice for eachother that's all

Prokshos:I love them SM (Rns_williams drop another Prokshos fic and MY LIFE IS YOURS/SRS)I love the escalation from admiration to rivalry between them and even in the end Shosty still cared for Prokofiev:)

{Some rarepairs}

Vivaldi&Bach:They seem honestly so sweet for eachother.Bach's admiration for Vivaldi was so big he transcribed a handful of his concertos (And I think transcription is like a compliment since your spreading the work of an artist you think is great)Oh and look! They're blue and red what a twist

Paganini& Vivaldi: Literally those "AngelxDevil" gacha trope, They're also both Italians and from what I read Vivaldi was considered a Virtuoso before Paganini came in,Id like to see more stuff ABT them

Paganini &Mozart:Mostly a twist thing I genuinely don't hold that much love for it but I do find them funny and silly!

-Some other pairs(Pairs that I don't really think ABT but still pairs)

•Alberose(Genshin)

•Saintpierre(Frev)

•Saintmoulins(Frev)

•Robesmoulins(Frev)

•Madohomu(Madoka Magica)

•Zhongven(Genshin)

•Gakukai(Vocaloid)

•Skk(BSD)

•Shin Skk(BSD)

Anyways thats maybe all I can cram:,)✧･ﾟ:❀✧･ﾟ✧･ﾟ:❀✧･ﾟThank you to whoever asked ABT this!Maybe we can even talk further if anyone who saw this happened to have something to say!!!🌸🍓🫶🫶

-yours truly

Oh once again I'm sorry for unorganised and probably worng wording so if you want clarification pls tell me😭😭😭😭I'm scared I got something misunderstood

(ANYWAYS WHAT A TRIP THAT WAS AMIRIGHT????){pls laugh/j}

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bugslaststraw · 1 year

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I was struck with a powerful vision a few days ago and I *want* to put this in fic form but I wouldn't know where to start finding those spoons so just hear me out okay: what if we straight removed Humanz. No hear me out I don't mean remove the stuff that happened in Humanz, I like what happens in Humanz, I just mean like. I know this couldn't ever have been canon, as the writers are making the story as they go, and I don't blame A&H & co. for the wonk, but the Humanz period of time existing makes the character progression/arcs feel iffy in some areas, and fucks with the pacing, so I still like to entertain this idea, what if Humanz was sort of... integrated elsewhere. This should've been a 15k word fic and I am so so mad that it can't be but here goes

Humanz happens during and after Now Now. Sandwich the two together and you get one longer period of time.

The hiatus is probably also longer, so it takes more time for the band to find their ways back to London.

This is crucial: Murdoc goes directly from Plastic Beach to exiled at sea to eventually jailed, and stays jailed until freemurdoc happens. When he's found floating around in a leaky submarine and taken in for whatever list of petty crimes they've managed to pin him for, he's drunk out of his mind rambling on about how nothing matters, the world's already ended and he's stranded in hell; that is, until someone informs him "if this is about your bandmates, they're fine. They recently went on air saying they're going to start playing again" and he goes "oh........wait without me?" Cue jail time.

I always preferred the idea that Noodle or Russel brought in Ace, mostly because imagine how pissed Murdoc would be about that. Being replaced is like his kryptonite (to be fair he has a lot of kryptonites) and I just find the mental image of him ranting to his cell partner about how they got another green guy so they CLEARLY miss him funny

Things seem to be going well for the New (Now) Gorillaz. They're playing again, a sudden flood of creativity leading them on. They're basically making two albums at once; Humanz, which had a political concept and a vision that was there from the start, and the Now Now, which started out as a sort of b-side that grew to develop its own personality as 2-D especially became enamoured with it. They dithered about which album to put Strobelite in.

Cont. under cut cus long ass post:

The Strobelite music video does happen, minus Murdoc side plot of course. Not sure about Saturn Barz. No I don't care about the stupid meme.

However, Russel and Noodle can't find peace. Originally they think they're alone in that feeling, until they come together to talk about it one night and realize that they both feel on edge and uncomfortable. They can't really figure out why; not being equipped with quite enough emotional intelligence to realize that failed suicide attempts, getting dragged to Hell, almost dying at sea twice, spending years in self imposed exile chasing demons or being stuck in a glass tube for five years might leave you with some mental scarring. Rather than feel warm and welcome, the bright sunlight on LA beach gives them both headaches, and although they try to hide it, and do so very well, they find themselves never quite being able to enjoy their newfound peace.

2-D on the other hand genuinely feels on top of the world. As with regular Now Now he has time to regain his ego during this period, "reset himself and get back on track" after Plastic Beach, as he puts it. He's free now, properly, and revels in it, getting to learn and re-learn new skills, and he writes a lot during this period, proper creativity finally coming back to him.

That's not to say that Murdoc is forgotten; anything but, in fact, Murdoc has gravity, and the rest of the band (and 2-D especially) still subconsciously orbit around his absence. Big difference is; 2-D is aware of it. He knows he can't get rid of Murdoc and he knows, with a light-hearted, almost smug sort of resignation, that he's probably not going to stop forgiving him either. Maybe I'm some kind of a masochist, he thinks to himself. Oh well.

So he takes to taunting Murdoc every chance he gets, like with Humility, for example. Strutting around his absolute freedom from outside the prison walls, asking how does it feel, huh? and almost daring Murdoc to come get at him again, knowing that he can't ("calling the hunter with the rifle; if you're coming back to find me you'd better have good aim.")

This is all obviously sort of subtextual, but it's the vibe I get from Now Now anyway: Memory famously gains rose tinted glasses, so 2-D finds himself thinking back on Plastic Beach more fondly than he knows it should be remembered, almost feeling sorry for his ex-captor. Although he knows that's probably not a healthy mindset to have, it makes him feel really good for some reason, so he indulges in that too, occasionally fantasizing about the day Murdoc's let out of jail and comes back to them, because saying "I forgive you" after all this would be such a power move, wouldn't it? He can hardly wait, yet in a way loves the wait as well, trying to savour the last few moments (years) just before catharsis.

Obviously this all drives Murdoc absolutely up the walls, and his fellow inmates have a fond memory of that one time he threw a fit in the cafeteria about it (eg: that's MY thing he's fucking STEALING MY SIGNATURE MOVES don't be fooled by his stupid innocence-play and pretty face ok this smug piece of SHIT is TAUNTING ME LET ME OUT I NEED TO KILL HIM)

When not raging, he's usually begging Noodle to let him help them make music over the phone. He sends her blocks of lyric/hastily scribbled notes when he can, and wrote most of She's My Collar, which the others picked up, found a guest for, added to, and in 2-D's case practiced obsessively for (implied to be because he knew killing the performance of such a mature song (with his very wholesome, innocent public image, no less) would, again, drive Murdoc nuts.)

Mudz also still tries to pull the whole "I was framed by a demon thing" lie, which none of them believe, for obvious reasons.

Noodle is vaguely aware of 2-D's agenda and angrily side-eyes him every time he comes up with a lyric she finds suspicious, which is more often that he actually means anything by it (eg; the mirrored world lines in Saturn Barz and the like.) She's slowly developing a persistent urge to shake her friend/adoptive brother by the shoulders and shout "STOP GIVING HIM ATTENTION HE FEEDS ON IT LIKE A LEECH. YOU DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS" until he stops.

Noodle and Russel are also still wondering if the guy's possessed by something, and the idea that it might be El Mierda feels logical to them considering his mood.

Ace, not being very close to the rest of the band, picks up on almost none of this; assumes Noodle and Russel are doing fine and that 2-D genuinely hates Murdoc rather than whatever the hell is actually going on. He is never let in on the possession thing and bugs Russel about tripping 2-D up in Humility. He's there to be a little shit and enjoy the good vibes, he says, and that's what he'll do, but there's no need to fight now, is there?

Everything is, apart from that, going just fine. And then Murdoc, at least to the knowledge of the world in general, drowns in a sewer. Which obviously is bound to become a bit of a problem.

More accurately; it grinds everything to a halt. At this point Noodle is already out of England, looking for El Mierda, and finds out when her plane lands and she can call her band. She tries to get ahold of 2-D first, but he doesn't pick up, so she calls Russel, hoping he can help her. They talk a lot that night, over the phone, her sitting bent over the table in an empty cafeteria at the airport.

Russ has known for a day or so at that point, while she's just found out. He tries to explain things to her and sort of distance himself from the conflict as a whole while she's fuming, absolutely livid, because how dare he, how dare Murdoc send her into the mountains on a dangerous mission and then just die in the most ridiculous way possible on top of that? He tells her 2-D's gone very, very quiet since he found out.

They come to the same agreement eventually. "He was such a shithead. Literally not worth being stepped on like a bug and I hate him. And I'm gonna miss him. How fucked up isn't that?"

To Russ and Noodle's knowledge, no more music is really produced at that point.

There's one (to Russel very memorable) instance where Ace makes a misplaced attempt to lighten the mood ("yeah, but, c'mon, the old man was pretty awful, no need to get all teary over someone like that, c'moon let's just get back to what we were doi-") and 2-D breaks his nose over it.

Aside from that, that handful of weeks is slow, silent, and confusing.

On the plane from England to Patagonia, Murdoc listens to Souk Eye exactly once and has since avidly refused to ever do it again and won't explain why.

Cue the ending of freemurdoc, Noodle kicking snow for half an hour to stop herself snapping her awful adoptive father's spine like a toothpick, "you're like a family to me!! You're the daughter, Russel's the son, an' 2-D is uuuhh. The uh. The. House cat," etc etc

When they make the trip back home, a week or so later, the world already knows that Murdoc isn't dead, and so does the rest of the band. Ace dips, stating that he "would rather not be around when ol' Muddy shows back up if you catch my drift."

2-D, who's romantic idea of a triumphant reunion is shattered, is conflicted and nervous up until the point Murdoc shows back up, ("heyyy gang, sorry we're late; I almost drowned in a sewer and the trip back was awful, they didn't even have drinks on the plane, also sorry about lying, hope you don't mind, also here's a yak") when he goes from blank staring to a fit of laughter that makes everybody involved worry for his sanity to "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD YOU PIECE OF SHIT HOW DARE YOU BE SORRY NOW" to the four of them eating takeaway noodles on the floor of their studio in dead silence as Murdoc tries to avoid eye contact and 2-D stares at him as if he's imagining eating him

Humanz is finalized, and Murdoc happily partakes in some of the interviews and promo for the album. Seemingly, everything is normal again. But upon any kind of closer inspection he comes off as almost nervous, jittery, raw and easily upset. Something has changed, and he hasn't caught up yet. There's a tension still among the group.

When Humanz is finally released, they all swear to each other they have no idea where Busted and Blue even came from. Well, three out of four swear, and the fourth just sort of gives them a weird look and mutters something vaguely denying.

And then it transitions directly into Song Machine, which directly deals with the set-up we already have! The power dynamics in the group have changed, everyone is confused on how things work now, Noodle is annoyed with 2-D and how easily he's forgiven Plastic Beach, Russel is resigned about the same, and Murdoc himself tries to claw his way back to the top but can't, as 2-D has finally slipped through his hands to join the others well out of his direct control. And we all know what happens in Song Machine, so I hardly need to recount that

Ok done now :)

#grillyz #bbugseye taps #gorillaz #the now now #we are still humanz #im normal about souk eye #<- filthy 2doc enjoyer #2doc #2d gorillaz #murdoc niccals #noodle gorillaz #russel gorillaz #ace gorillaz #headcanon #long post

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baki-tiene-un-simp · 2 years

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Can we get a reader with gen z level character and humor? Baki, Hanayama, Jack and Yujiro? Maybe they're both fascinated and horrified by gen z and what they can pull off. And Yujiro laughs off the dumb jokes and is tolerant of the reader, just because he's interested in all that crap.

Situation: With a generation z S/O / Con un S/O de la generación z.

Characters: Baki Hanma, Jack Hanma, Kaoru Hanayama, and Yujiro Hanma.

Baki Hanma.

In another post I mentioned that it's VERY easy to make Baki laugh, very easy indeed, however I think he definitely doesn't do much for gen Z humor, he just doesn't understand most of the weirdly distorted, silly or profound jokes and memes But, he can pick up a couple of jokes, so he's not that lost.

He'll look on with surprise, and concern, when his S/O talks so relaxed about a joke they read about some childhood trauma online and just blurts out, "They're just like me".

He could join it if they explained that it is just a means to face problems for many, to feel that they are not the only ones having x thoughts or to forge a strange relationship with other people so as not to feel so alone.

I think he doesn't really like jokes about daddy issues or mommy issues, for different reasons, but it might make him laugh at those witty puns or create images.

Jack Hanma.

He likes black humor. I have no proof, but no doubt either. Perhaps it is the crudeness with which people experiment to make humor what amuses him or how immune he's can be in most cases.

Having an S/O with that kind of silly satirical humor is fine for him, it can be relaxing just to watching their walk up and smile at the nonsensical joke they shows him. Most likely he likes it just because his S/O likes it.

I don't think he's very fond of jokes about daddy issues or mommy issues either, for different reasons.

In general, he does well with a gen z S/O, he can stick with it.

Kaoru Hanayama.

I'm not sure with him, I mean, I could easily claim he gets the jokes and stuff, but I really don't think he enjoys it enough to get self-absorbed or identified.

However, he won't complain when his partner shows him all the pictures they think are funny, he won't judge their sense of humor although he might worry if it's too "twisted".

He doesn't laugh out loud at almost anything, but he can smile a little if his lover finds something really clever.

He doesn't question what his S/O enjoys seeing on his phone, but he can worry in silence.

Yujiro Hanma.

Of course he likes it, he certainly loves most of the horrible black humor jokes that run around without a filter. It's exactly what he likes, seeing people rant unindulgently about death, sprains and whatnot is refreshing to him.

His S/O may get a few laughs out of him when he randomly lets go of these comments, you will always catch him off guard and put him in a good mood. And it is that knowing that his partner is somewhat twisted like him, he likes it.

He even likes silly jokes! It's really amazing when he smiles at the picture that his partner randomly showed him while he was surfing the internet.

He is surprisingly easygoing and laid back, as normal as you can find in this monster of a man.

Versión en Español.

Baki Hanma.

En otra publicación mencioné que es MUY fácil hacer reír a Baki, realmente muy sencillo, sin embargo, creo que definitivamente no le va mucho el humor de la generación Z, simplemente no comprende la mayoría de los chistes y memes extrañamente distorsionados, tontos o profundos, pero, puede captar un par de chistes, así que no está tan perdida.

Mirará con sorpresa, y preocupación, cuando su S/O habla de forma tan relajada de un chiste que leyó en internet sobre algún trauma infantil y simplemente dejo ir un "es igual que yo".

Podría acoplarse a ello si se lo explican que es solo un medio para afrontar los problemas para muchos, para sentir que no son los únicos en tener x pensamiento o de forjar una relación extraña con otras personas para no sentirse tan solos.

Creo que no le caen muy bien los chistes sobre problemas de papá o problemas de mamá, por diferentes razones, pero podría hacerlo reír esos juegos de palabras ingeniosos o imágenes creativas.

Jack Hanma.

Le gusta el humor negro. No tengo pruebas, pero tampoco dudas. Quizá es la crudeza con la que la gente experimenta para hacer humor lo que le divierte o lo inmune que puede llegar a ser en la mayoría de los casos.

Tener un S/O con ese tipo de humor satírico y tonto está bien para él, puede ser relajante solo verle acercarse y sonreír por el chiste sin sentido que le muestra. Muy probablemente le gusta solo porque a su S/O le gusta.

Creo que tampoco le caen muy bien los chistes sobre problemas de papá o problemas de mamá, por diferentes razones.

En general, le va bien con un S/O de la generación z, puede acoplarse a ello.

Kaoru Hanayama.

No estoy segura con él, digo, fácilmente podría afirmar que entiende los chistes y demás, pero realmente no creo que lo disfrute como para ensimismarse o identificarse.

Sin embargo, no se quejará cuando su pareja le muestre todas las imágenes que según ellos son graciosas, no juzgara su sentido del humor aunque si podría preocuparse si este es demasiado "retorcido".

No se ríe a carcajadas con casi nada, pero puede sonreír un poco si su amante encuentra algo realmente ingenioso.

No cuestiona lo que su S/O disfruta ver en su teléfono, pero puede preocuparse en silencio.

Yujiro Hanma.

Por supuesto que le gusta, ama sin duda la mayoría de los horribles chistes de humor negro que corren por ahí sin filtro. Es exactamente lo que le gusta, ver personas despotricar sin indulgencia sobre la muerte, las torceduras y demás cosas es refrescante para él.

Su S/O podrá sacarle un par de risas cuando deja ir estos comentarios de forma aleatoria, siempre lo tomaras desprevenido y lo pondrá de buen humor. Y es que saber que su pareja es un tanto retorcida como él, le gusta.

¡Incluso los chistes tontos le gustan! Es realmente sorprendente cuando sonríe con la imagen que su pareja le mostró aleatoriamente mientras navegaba por internet.

Es sorprendentemente tolerante y relajado, es lo más normal que puedes encontrar en este monstruo de hombre.

#baki hanma #jack hanma #kaoru hanayama #yujiro hanma #baki headcanons #baki son of ogre #baki the grappler #baki dou

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colorfulmetaphors · 1 year

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Maul fic rec because yes please

Hello friendos. In the last few months or so, I took a break from tumblr and in that time read through the near-entirety of the (maul centered) Maul fic on ao3. It was a blast and I wanted to make a rec list because these were amazing and I want to gush over them. my goal here is to rec something for any maul mood you may be in. there's flash (short) fic, medium length, and long-ass novel fic; some fluff, some angst, some character studies; i tired to hit each Maul Genre. And I'm categorizing them because organizing things is fun. So:

O66 fallout:

To The Wild by @d0nkarnage (43,251 words; rated M)

This one is by far my fav of the Maul and Ahsoka team up during O66 (fall) ones. Giant buff gay Ahsoka? Yes. Good. But the greatest draw of this fic is the way in which these two characters learn to understand each other. I like how hostile it begins and how the author shows Ahsoka's opinion changing over time. And of course, because my focus is going to be Maul, I loved the way the Ahsoka POV catches his acerbic demeanor and lets him just be kind of an asshole. Then that first chapter of Maul POV hits to reframe everything and youre like *dog in a burning room meme* this is fine. It balances tone really well, with growth built on small moments, parallels I didn't expect to punch me in the heart, lines of dialogue that bring every that's crashing beneath up to the surface, and just being fucking funny. Every other line has me going Oooooooo that's some good-ass writing. Love it, please read it and enjoy the image of Ahsoka and Maul arm wrestling while you try not to sob over the ways theyve learned to care for each other.

Cocaine and Abel by storm_warning (18,431 words; rated T)

On the other side of Maul and Ahsoka team up (fall), we have my favorite of the Maul and Ahsoka team up (balance), or 'Ole Palps gets defeated. Not only is this fic awesome, so is the playlist (which the author has linked in the notes) that accompanies it. My favorite part of this fic is Maul's denial, or his inability to understand/confront himself. He's working through allying with Ahsoka, seeing his master defeated, and figuring out where his place is, all while fighting through the horror of [his entire life.] It all coalesces into my favorite line: "--and then his knife is letting the blood out of the Anomid’s throat, and it runs gushing and thin in the rain, and all the wretched voices are quiet with shock." Switching the subject of the sentence in a moment of intense emotional struggle is such a clever use of language, reminiscent of Windham using the passive voice to signify Maul's dissociation, and I went back and re-read the passage like seven times. Read this one if you want to lie awake at night, haunted by birdsong.

The Heavy Center by bluestalking (41,790 words; rated G)

This one snuck up on me! Not because I didn't like it, but because it didn't sound like something I would normally be into. But I was determined to read almost everything in the tag so I tried it and I'm so glad I did. It's a post-O66 (fall) fic that centers around Padme, Ahsoka, Maul, and Obi-Wan. And It's one of those fics where I have to stop every few paragraphs or so to just repeat a sentence to myself and roll the rhythm over my teeth. The turns of phrase are exquisite. I really appreciate how reasonable Maul is in this fic. I feel like in a lot of Obimaul scenarios, he doesn't get to be the one to say hold on wait a minute let's talk. I think this one does a great job showing the shift in his motivation/reasoning and how that affects the way he approaches other people. I also like how there's so much he and Obi-Wan don't talk about. They skirt around stuff because its difficult to confront, but they find a way anyway.

Smaul:

Keep Running by @greenreticule (two parts, combined 26,094 words; rated T)

God bless Maul is rescued young fics. I think this series gets the exact balance of aw what a cute bby and oh shit that is one traumatized child how tf do I raise him. I like that the relationship between Dex and Maul isn't easy, but it is careful. I like that Dex messes up and that Maul is a rebellious fearful angry curious little guy, prone to all the folly of any young child, let alone one raised by Sidious. And I love that those behaviors appearing are signs of healing! The world-building in this one is really cool too. I found myself enjoying the locations and imagining the spaces around the characters. And HOLY SHIT the trans feelings in part two. Please heed the author's warnings carefully. I was having a great time, enjoying smaul, and then felt like I got hit by a train. It's good, but it's painful, but it's good.

Twin Suns/Kenobi on Tatooine:

the past is another planet by anonymous (329 words, rated T)

I so admire authors who can say a lot with very little. This snippet of an altered Twin Suns uses action to convey thought very well, touching on themes without ever naming them. The last line left me breathless.

Just This Once by A_Hodgepodge_of_Nothings (35,451 words, rated E)

This fic is exceedingly warm. It made me happy reading it, and I had to pace myself-- stop myself from finishing it all in one go. This is a desert hermits fic in which Maul and Obi-Wan's relationship develops very slowly and naturally, spaced over time skips that flow together really well. The Maul would be good with kids, actually, representation we need. The learning to be vulnerable around each other and learning how to rely on someone else scenes we also need. Just two tired, sad men clinging onto what little hope remains between them. And some chapters have art!

The Nature of the Beast by Carmarthen (@carmarthenfan) (1,384 words; rated G)

After I've spent 20 minutes staring at the ceiling, despondent over Maul, I turn to this fic for relief. Maul and Obi-Wan adopt a puppy. What's not to love. The author does some really interesting world-building regarding the Tusken raiders, and Maul himself is curmudgeonly to cover his affection. He's a stinker who buys things he knows his partner will like but also intentionally spooks him because he can. Peak Maul.

TPM AUs:

The Lost & The Forgotten by @shadowmaat (5,651 words; rated G)

It was really difficult to pick just one work by shadowmaat. I highly recommend checking out their entire Maul catalogue. In the end, I chose this one because I was instantly charmed by its opening. Maul shouting "Fight me!" and Obi-Wan replying like no lets have lunch made me laugh and I was ready for the What If The Naboo Duel Never Happened ride. I love Maul's characterization in this one. There are touches to his presentation that I subconsciously look for now, and this one hit all the marks: his strange brand of kindness, his maladaptive coping behaviors, and the brusqueness that covers intense care. Their use of character voice is really powerful and I enjoyed each swap in POV. Maul and Obi-Wan being mutually stranded (abandoned?) alters their dynamic from the more standard one-saving-the-other, and I enjoyed the reciprocity of their equal standing. And if this one doesn't pique your interest please check out the Tooka Cafe AU. Guess I'm not just picking one ha. Her Twin Suns AU is also very good...... FUCK. moving on.

Leaps of Faith, Acts of Kindness by @trixree (1,298 words; rated T)

My favorite type of fic are the ones where Maul and Obi-Wan just talk. This is exactly how I think a conversation post-Maul-losing-on-Naboo would go. Maul's fear and courage are on equal display-- Maul is a collection of conflicting traits and I think this fic shows that with clarity. He's stoic but expressive, terrifying yet terrified, paranoid and all too ready to trust, and all of that conveyed through an outside POV . There are so many gaps in this fic, in a good way. The characters don't have all the answers and neither does the reader, but there's enough for the characters to act and enough for the reader to understand why they act in that way. That's really damn difficult to do. The dialogue is strong and carries the narrative without requiring a lot of description, only needing some emotive action to convey what's going on in the characters' heads. 10000000/10

Staring into open flame by SLWalker (@sl-walker) (100,526 words; rated M)

To me, this is THE Maul fic. It’s an insightful dive into his character; it’s stunningly beautiful in both language and composition; the ending was so satisfying that I immediately wanted to read the entire thing again. In it, Maul is found by the Jedi after Naboo, but the fic takes place during TCW (Wild Space novel) and bounces back and forth between the present and the past as Obi-Wan and Maul work through their relationship. And by God. The parallels the author draws. The way she uses those jumps to juxtapose different scenes. Reading it the second time was even better because I knew how things connected and could further appreciate how carefully they'd been woven. This fic made me fall in love with Maul’s character all over again and that’s the highest compliment I can give. (And honestly, anything by Steff is going to be a banger. I haven’t read all her stuff but Im confident it’s all good because her mastery of craft and understanding of character are that solid. AU where Bail Organa takes Maul in? I know nothing about Bail but that one ended up being my favorite of her work. A series where the base premise is just “maul has wings?” im already in the car with a full tank of gas let’s go. "WORDS" IS REALLY GOOD. "IT" IS REALLY GOOD. and im terrified to read her Twin Suns internal monologue because *mr incredible voice* im not strong enough. uh. This one tho. Please read this one.)

There my heart lays sweetly in the velvet moor by @texasdreamer01 (12,856 words; rated E)

I'm incredibly fond of this fic. Reading it feels like nesting into the couch, fireplace going, thick blanket on, and shaking up a snow-globe to watch the sparkles settle around this little encapsulated world. It's mesmerizing, comforting. Has that oooooooo a damn good writer wrote this pizzazz. In this one, Obi-Wan didn't "kill" Maul on Naboo, and afterwards they keep running into each other as time goes on, until those coincidences become purposeful. The author is great at describing places in a way thats tangible. I can hear the scenes, feel them. You can tell a lot of thought went into the smallest details. The vocabulary in this one is also great? Precise words are used in ways you wouldn't expect within the sentence structure. It makes reading it fun and engaging, like playing tag with phrases. I really really like this version of Maul; he's a little more loose than your typical TPM-era Maul, but he has the same awkwardness and endearing happiness in doing things efficiently/well. Settle in!

Misc Imperial Era:

Mannequin Dream by anonymous (1,477 words; rated T)

Maul/Rex as a thing kinda hit me out of left field but I think I like it? Maul's characterization in Maul/Rex fics is always so !sharp and this one is no different. The description alone sold me on it, and the content (Maul and Rex having a philosophical discussion about purpose and ideology and solitude) sealed the deal.

he reaches over and he touches you, like a prayer for which no words exist by trophygoth (2,131 words; rated M)

What initially caught my attention about this one is how Maul thinks about his past self. He feels matured, aged, changed from who he was when he was younger, and i think that that’s significant because his ability to self-reflect is initially so stunted. It's not a long fic; it’s a post-nightmare scene that captures how Maul and Obi-Wan have come to understand each other. They have gentle banter, intentional body language, and Maul's inner-monologue is knowing. It also portrays Maul well, with his tempered contemplation, rough edges, and warped thinking. "(He is still young enough that he allows himself to quantify this feeling as pain)," knocked me tf out.

TCW (ending where my love of Maul began, in true Maul fashion):

Far Above, Far Below by nobody_expects_the_inquisitorius (@nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius) (788 words; rated G)

Gen fic has a special place in my heart. Maul's venator rampage is probably my (second?) favorite TCW scene, because it's so calculating and brutal, but it also carries a sense of simultaneous hopelessness and determination to survive. Of you want a "monster?" Fine. And I feel like this internal-monologue fic does a great job of showing why Maul is feeling that way. The prose is incredibly pretty and it's so... desolate. Yet rebellious. It has the same gravitas as the scene it frames, and I think that's really impressive. It's in the verbs, evocative and visceral. I want to plant flowers around this fic, like offering respect at a sorrow-laden grave.

Until I am Whole by dimtraces (@doorsclosingslowly) (1,934 words, rated M)

Maybe I am slightly cheating on my parameters with this one, but I don't care because I love this fic so much. This one is Savage-focused, but his relationship with Maul lies at the center. (If you want something more Maul-focused with a similar tone, try Keep quite still and wait ((2,984 words, rated M)) by the same author ((yes I'm doing two in one because it's my list and no one can stop me)) listen dimtraces is where I go for Brothers) [Both have] everything: character work, beautiful writing, and that sweet sweet ~~~~~body horror~~~~~. This one is about Savage's lost arm, but that's such a simplistic way to summarize it. The imagery is visceral and the way the author follows a single thread through time/emotion is extremely well done. I want to talk about it a bunch but I also don't want to spoil it because seeing the way it unfolds is a large part of the appeal. It's spooky! It's got heart! It's gorgeous! Please read it and go-- go-- feral with me. (falls to knees in anguish)

and then the singing by @sunsetofdoom (10,007 words, rated T)

Okay. This happened to be the last fic I read as I made my way through the tag and worked off of my list of to-reads. And it's the best way to end. If you want just a straight-up character study of Maul, this is the one for you. It's haunting in a way that has stuck with me, and, I feel, will never leave because it has fundamentally altered my brain chemistry. I wept repeatedly while reading it-- it's so tender, but blunt about who Maul is. I'm struggling to put my thoughts into words, because it's not the kind of thing you talk about; it's the kind of thing you just feel. To try and give you a synopsis, then: it follows Maul's life from pre-TPM into Rebels (but is mainly focused during TCW) and has him braid his experiences with various songs (mostly old English folk), poems, and lullabies, all while the narrative hovers around a theme of clinging to individuality/person-hood, the part of him I hold most dear. It's triumphant and mournful, victory and tragedy. It's "This is why I love Maul." It's just-- achingly, beautifully, written. Achingly, perfectly, Maul. I'm going to start crying if I talk about it any more, so. Actually, too late. Pressing save as draft and coming back later. <3

Those are the recs! Thanks for taking a look and please come talk to me if you end up reading any. (or if you want even more recs, because I've got 'em) If any of the authors happen to see this, thank you! Your work has made this dive so enjoyable. You've made me laugh and cry and send impassioned raving messages to my friends. I appreciate you posting and allowing me to swim in your worlds for a while.

#ptp #long post #text wall #maul my beloved #after all why shouldnt i put it in my own maul tag #darth maul

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istadris · 5 months

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Unpopular Asterix meme: What does everyone else get wrong about your favorite character?

So when it comes to Asterix, I think the fandom is doing fine with him so far ?

BUT. What gets on my nerve is the "official" content makers : most of the live action movies (except Mission Cleopatra because that one is perfect) simply don't get what makes Asterix good ! And instead they turn him into the WORST character !

They don't know how to use a clever character without making him an insufferable know-it all. They don't know how to evoke his lack of love interests without making gross homophobic jokes and push forced straight romances on him (again, only Mission Cleopatra gets a pass because the romance with Gimmeakis is very cute and funny). They don't know how to make differentiate him from the rest of the Gauls without making unfunny jokes about him getting vegan. Hell, even his beef with Caesar is handled so poorly it gives me second hand cringe just from thinking about it.

And to some extent, even in good recent content, I feel like a lot of people don't really know how to use Asterix and instead just make him an extra in someone else's story. It didn't bother me too much in the Secret of the Magic Potion, because this was Getafix' movie and he deserves his moment of glory, but nowadays everytime there's a new album I find myself praying for the new authors to not butcher Asterix and give him some moment to shine.

Which is why, even if he gets ridiculed a couple of times in it, I really liked the Griffin album for giving our favorite short Gaul some golden moments ^^

Ask meme : unpopular opinion edition

#Astérix #asterix #Griffin gives a good example of how efficient Asterix is when it comes to messing around with Romans on a strategic level #answers #ask meme #unpopular opinion ask meme

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rorygilmoreclown · 1 year

Text

Kuroo x Desi!reader

Request: Kuroo with a poc/ south Asian exchange student in college. Smart witty mathematics major. (NSFW or SFW) Request by: @thefuckwasmyname

A/n: This is a grammatical abomination in terms of punctuations amongst other things. Also, is “ofcourse” an indian word of sort? Because autocorrect throws a fit and always denies that this word exists. Edit: got the error, dw I fixed it, of course.

Note: Italics are the dialogues. First dialogue is always Kuroo’s.

Word count: 1.1k

New student in the middle of the semester. You couldn’t go ignored at all. Specifically by a certain topper of the class.

Afterall you put his sport scholarship at risk. How could he ignore you.

So when that one common course came along, he saw this as an opportunity.

To flirt with you.

Because in his head, it wasn't the curiosity of seeing pretty little earrings or the little dot between your eyebrows or that pretty smile that attracted him to you; it was the fact that he wanted to win. Or maybe both.

Graciously failed to flirt as soon as he saw what you were working on.

The complex problem that your professor had assigned. THE COMPLEX PROBLEM. One which, even he, could not solve.

No matter how many times he tried to derivate. But you, were nearing the answer. That’s just not acceptable now is it.

So, now he had to distract you, the stakes were higher.

So when he saw the chance, he started the debate with you. To try and prove you wrong.

“Chain rule”

“Product rule”

“Chain rule”

“Product rule”

“Chain rule”

It was in fact the chain rule. And you were in fact right. Kuroo just didn’t want to admit it.

(Read the note before this pls)

“You are wrong you know.”

“No I am not. It is solvable by only chain rule.”

“Okay, let me convince you? I have a free lecture post lunch and before practice. “

“You could try. You will be wrong. “

That’s how your first date went. Him trying to convince him that he is right and you just sitting there trying to show him the solved version.

It became a routine of sort.

Him bringing you questions and then starting debates over them. Which turned into you sharing the questions you couldn’t solve as well

Eventually, just that one lecture was not enough to be debating over problems of all things.

So you took over each other’s lunches as well.

That’s when Kuroo discovered, your cooking

Let’s just say, for his stomach and his heart, there was no going back.

Achar from the side tiffin, getting over quicker than it was before. You reciprocated of course.

He had to buy pocky more often now.

I saw this math meme yesterday

Show

Huh

Why’d you tell me then?

Give your number, it’s a visually funny one

Or you could just show it to me from your phone

Fine, give your phone here

That’s how he took down your number.

A lot of stolen ladoos later….

Texting you things other than just problems started to make sense now.

His favourite being texting you indian food content he finds.

Yours being sending him kitten content in order to influence him into keeping one.

You see, your rental doesn’t allow pets. But his does.

And you had found the most adorable black cat near the campus.

He gives in in a couple of days yes. Afterall, he was the Nekoma captain.

So you both go shopping for the cat.

You see, despite being a cat person, Kuroo didn’t really know a lot about them. So you were there to help the cat out.

Not for anything else obviously.

They are as a matter of fact, allergic to milk

No, they are not. Back home I used to feed the stray cats milk and water

You didn’t know any better. I do.

Yes

I’ll google it

Go ahead

Ha!

What

They are only allergic to cow milk. Not buffalo milk.

Okay what?!

Yes, look

Next debate of yours came with the flavour of the cat food

The vet’s always suggest to start out with the chicken or ocean flavours

The salmon one looks better

Don't be stubborn on this one.

I will be.

Fine, I’ll give Kenma a call, he has cats.

Okay you do that.

Much to your dismay, Kenma suggested to start out with the ocean flavour.

Then much to your cashier’s dismay, his calculator broke down.

You could say that the cashier wanted to do the same.

Its 2080 yen

No, it’s 2210 yen

He said it’s on 20% discount didn’t he

No he said 15%

The cashier had said 10. The cashier himself spoke.

So it’s 2340!

Both of you claimed at the same time.

Did you finish the assignment yet?

You rolled your eyes at his text.

No, I’m on it

Okay, send it once you are done

Please

Okay, what will I get in return

A date

With who

With me obviously

You dare reject my advances

Fine, I’ll send it

Thankyou. Now that’s more like it

Stop being an asshole, doesn’t suit you

It suits me about 70%

We talked about this Kuroo

Yes we did

It was 20%

If it couldn’t get any better, you were also good at chemistry, but decided to drop it due to excess course load.

So it didn’t surprise Kuroo when you could correct his assignment and tell him that he had attempted a 10 marker incorrectly.

You had a fight about it for a while, but he did end up agreeing that it was D-erythrose and not D-threose.

(for context these molecules have similar structure, but not exactly the same)

Once this happened. Kuroo was no longer kidding himself.

He finally admitted to himself that he indeed does like you a lot more than he had planned and also the fact that you were better at math

So when he finally decided to confess, it wasn’t surprising to him and you either.

You had noticed the long stares, the teasing behind the red ears of his.

Because you were doing the same of course.

But Kuroo being Kuroo, decided to be extra about it.

He decided that the best way to confess to you would be to spell out your name and the confession as functions

Spent literal days on it

Even asked you to graph a few small things.

Didn’t tell you what of course, but you anyways helped him.

After he showed it to you, you literally got up and left.

Didn’t even say a word.

Left the poor guy hanging.

Well, he just justified it in his brain that he had miscalculated your actions as liking him back.

He decided to save himself the future embarrassments and never to talk to you again.

Gave up on the idea of him liking anyone else ever again

Lost the meaning of life.

Caved into depression.

All this in the span of 4 minutes 33 seconds that you were gone.

You came back with a “I feel the same” text on the graph as functions for his confession.

Boy lit up.

Deflated again

How’d you manage this within 4 minutes?

You just laughed.

#kuroo x reader #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu #kuroo tetsurou #kuroo testuro #hq kuroo #kuroo tetsuro x reader #kozume kenma #kuroo

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lazyauthor9000 · 2 years

Note

HELLOOO JAIII <33 HOPE YOUR HAVING A GREAT DAY/NIGHT WHEREEVER YOU ARE 💗 SINCE REQUESTS ARE OPEN (and CJ's @tempons) last request gave me an idea!!

how about a GN!readee who's April's sister? what would the rise boys (platonic) relationship be with them?

- jay !! 🫀

A/N: THIS IS SUCH A CUTE IDEA RAHHH!! I hope you have a swell day as well wherever you are!! 🧡

Pairing: Rise!Turtles x GN!Sibling!Reader

Genre: Platonic, lots of Fluff

Type: Headcanon

Warnings: Turtle brothers being turtles

Reader: Gender-neutral

| April's sister and the Rise boys |

Raphael:

Your relationship with Raph is really good to say the least

You liked watching him train, you thought he looked really cool and so you looked up to him

You couldn't participate in training because of the dangers of it, so you'd secretly reference the snapping turtle at home

You and Raph like to show off your stuffed toys

It makes Raph glad he isn't the only one who finds comfort in these small pillow animals

You climb on his back every now and then because of how tall he is

He freaks out because he doesn't want his spikes to hurt you

You reassure him and after a while, he got used to it and just lets you do it whenever

He tries not to crush you when he hugs you

You told him that head pats were just fine since it didn't require him to use much strength

He was still afraid but after a while, showing affection like this was acceptable to him

He was like your big brother now, taking care of you just like he does to his brothers

He invites you over with April to watch Lou Jitsu since he wants you to be an even bigger fan than all of them

(And so they can decide which movie is better)

Leonardo:

The both of you got along well

TOO well

The two of you were just as chaotic to say the least

Pulling pranks, throwing jokes here and there just to annoy everyone

Leo was just glad he can share this energy with someone else

The both of you would have movie marathons almost everyday when you could

Lou Jitsu and Jupiter Jim movies were a must

If you recommended a movie, he would watch it and give you his feedback on how awesome it was

It's rare, but he lets you take some of his most valuable comic books so you can read them in your free time to catch up so he can rant all about it to you

The both of you were inseparable

It sometimes even made April rant about how Leo was taking you away from her, and that you might even replace her with him someday

Leo would boast about it and would even ask if you can watch him skateboard just so he can show off how cool he is

Leo's notifications at 4 AM would wake you up and you wouldn't be able to fall back asleep

You'd both end up sending each other memes or videos that you thought were funny

He'd eventually start calling you "Little sis" just to annoy April, and it worked!

Donatello:

He's too smart

His brain is far too complicated to get along with

But of course, you found your way around and actually became good friends with the boy

When you couldn't get something on your homework, you'd ask him for help

He doesn't mind of course, he actually enjoys his time spent with you even if he never shows it

Since he does not like what he calls "Togetherness", he usually pats you on the head with his hook he created to say "Good job" when you got something correct

You'd sometimes sneak into his lab to watch him make his new inventions

He doesn't seem to mind as long as you don't interrupt him

He'd sometimes even go on a rant on how he makes them

He's actually really glad someone appreciates his work seeing as you never judged or looked bored with how much he talked about his inventions

Even if you don't get what he's saying most of the time, you're really trying

He actually appreciates your help with taking care of Sheldon when he can't

You're like the little assistant he never knew he needed

Michelangelo:

This guy absolutely adores you

Mikey loves giving surprise hugs every time you're over

He invites you over almost everyday to draw or paint with you

And even if you didn't draw, he'd teach you or tell you whatever you create is art

He likes cooking with you since it's his hobby

Running around and having fun in the kitchen is definitely something he enjoys when spending time with you

He of course cleans up the mess afterwards with your help

He absolutely loves teaching you how to cook so you can make it for yourself later on

When you get permission to stay over, he'd make a pillow fort with you and grab his tablet to watch Stock Boy's new scary videos

You'd both go into the arcade room to beat each other's scores

He'd go easy on you, but that was only sometimes since he's just too nice

He is the therapist of the family, so if you need to talk, he's there

You'll receive Dr. Feelings, or Dr. Positive depending on the situation

Seeing Dr. Delicate touch was rare, he doesn't want to scare you away with the truth

He likes to draw you stickers and make you pins, so please do put them on your phone case or backpack so it's visible to the eye

He really likes sharing his creations with you <3

| A/N: I'll need to look this over later, my brain is sizzled with no more brain cells. Please point out any mistakes I made cause I'm sure there's some |

#rise tmnt x reader #platonic #siblings #gender neutral #headcanon #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise leo #rise raph #rise donnie #rise mikey

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