#will always be the best version of the mystery gang

[sepublic]

Alright, let's talk about some details from the TOH pitch bible;

A lot of the stuff is what we've already seen and/or in line with the show. What's interesting is that King WAS a former King of Demons at one point, and we would've had an episode where he runs into his old gang and chooses Luz and Eda over them. It makes me wonder if he even had a connection to the Titan in earlier drafts, if he wasn't recognized as one back in the day because he just wasn't big enough, etc. Eda makes a deal to help remove the collar, which IS the source of King's woes, placed by a 'mysterious wizard', I wouldn't be surprised if it was Obron AKA Proto-Belos.

What gets me is that Tibbles originally started off as a friend to the protagonists, while Bump was an antagonist! Coupled with Tibbles being re-elected as mayor after Bump is deposed for corruption. I like the detail of Bump being a parasite controlling a body from the head, because it carried over into his final design with Frewin, and before we got confirmation Frewin was a separate entity, I loved the joke theory that the imp on Bump's head was the REAL Bump!!! Seems that was always the implied story of the design, I love it. Tibbles being the demon fan of human stuff would eventually become Gus instead, so this is technically Proto-Gus too…?

Interesting how Bump and Tibbles' alignments switch completely with one another, and it makes sense that with Lilith no longer the principal in the final draft, it goes to Bump, who ends up being really chill and a subversion in his own right! Interesting, but I do prefer the final Bump we got, and that's fine by me, because when the concepts aren't as interesting as the final product, it means we got the best possible version.

I've already discussed Obron and William in a separate post, and Pupa is someone we've been told about in a previous livestream. Lilith would've been both head of all covens (and not just the Emperor's Coven) AND principal at the same time, and she seems much more of a jerk to Eda in general; She has no qualms with cursing Eda because of a direct order from Obron.

Apparently the curse would've been an AGING spell, which settles my questions on how it would've been portrayed in earlier drafts! This goes along with Eda's older look. Likewise, there would've been a subplot of Eda considering Luz's sacrifice as a way to restore her youth, which likely goes hand in hand with Obron's orders to bring Luz to her, etc. The 'Bloom of Eternal Youth' quest, which Eda and Lilith go through together as their sisterly relationship is explored, feels like a carryover from this past idea.

I think I prefer the final draft; I like that the curse isn't just aging Eda, but also takes away her magic, makes her turn into a beast, etc. I like Lilith being a lot more complicated in her relationship with Eda, instead of just hating her and cursing her without hesitation. The redefining of the curse makes it less about age, and more a chronic illness metaphor, and I like how Eda in the final draft is upfront about having to learn to live with it, deal with it, on her own terms. She isn't trying to find a cure (although Lilith being promised one by Obron feels like a carryover of Eda's moral dilemma with Luz), and that adds another nice dimension to her conflict with Lilith, as well as Gwen. It's pretty frank in its own right about normalizing disability, and those who play an antagonistic role (however brief) are the real weirdoes for making such a fuss about it.

The Bat Queen would've had more of a recurring role based on the description, which saddens me; I always got the vibe she was planned for more, but between all of the other stuff the show had to juggle, plus the shortening, she ended up getting shafted despite being one of the earlier characters. Sashley, Pasha, and Bruno are also interesting, with Pasha in particular giving me freaking Philip Wittebane vibes with his grossness, beard, and anti-demon attitude; He even starts off as a potential friend to Luz because fellow human, only for his true bigotry to show. Makes me wonder if Philip ended up incorporating Pasha, we also have bodily transformation because of consuming magical stuff... P-names.

(Also, I like how in the drawing of typical Demon Realm denizens, I can see an eye demon who resembles a past drawing of Dana's!!!)

Eda was actually a late bloomer, which creates a parallel with Luz in one way, and their relationship is referred to as sisterly (in the final draft it’s explicitly maternal). So Eda wouldn't have been the talented youth, in fact things may have switched between her and Lilith; Lilith's disdain may have partially come from Eda not being as innately talented as her.

Luz and Amity's dynamic seems like it would've had Amity retain a lot of her more stand-offish, pragmatic personality even as a friend with Luz, and this would've come up more; So basically, she'd remain more like S1 Amity. That, or this part of their relationship would've lasted longer, and then we would've seen character development as Amity unlearns a lot of the issues her parents passed on. I also wonder if the Willow who cameos in the pilot was originally supposed to just be an extra separate from ‘Paulina’, but then they combined the two together.

The themes are exactly as I expected, glad to see they're still there, nothing changed! Luz becoming a witch and defying all odds to do so, putting in real work and passion. Celebrating individuality amidst conformity, plus Luz trying to impose her own fictional tropes onto the world, only to have to put that aside... Just like Wing it like Witches. It seems Amity would've had more involvement with Luz's journey to become a witch, though we still do have a carryover of that disconnect with her rant near the end of Covention.

I love the Demon Realm being situated BELOW the Human Realm, way to be subtle about being Hell you guys lol... Apparently portals to the human world are a lot rarer to find and use, which makes me wonder if the pilot's 'dimension port' doesn't have access to the human world; Meaning Amity is Luz's only way back, so her improved relationship with her is linked to getting back home. There's a gag about the Knee having service with the human world, but I can see how that didn't make the cut, for dramatic purposes; It seems like the premise for a S1 episode or at least a B-plot. Would Luz have struggled to communicate with Camila through this, or would her search for wi-fi be for mundane reasons?

Apparently Luz's magic would've required a lot more steps to complete, and I see why the show simplified things down to just glyphs. I wonder if there was always going to be the connection of glyphs as a gift from the Titan, or if the Titan and her story was going to be less intertwined in the overall narrative. There also don't seem to be nine main covens, just the many, many covens, some of which are pretty ridiculous, and Covention's sub-covens seem a callback to that.

Luz's first spell would've been levitation, and THEN she would've infiltrated Hexside, with Amity being a lot subtler about exposing Luz, though in the final draft she does figure that out as the way to go in I was a Teenage Abomination. Yeah, I prefer Light being her original spell, feels so much more symbolic and personal, etc. I wonder if the Titan is even as much of a character in early drafts, and if there's still the whole connection/relationship with the land and learning to respect it aspect. Some of these hypothetical episodes push the idea of Amity as a more episodic, typical popular kid antagonist, though in the final draft, the show goes through her character development and explores Amity's romantic relationship with Luz and its complications.

It seems the idea of the Mirror Ghost was split into Adegast and Vee, with Adegast being the one who offers the easier narrative for Luz to believe in about becoming a witch (only to be a fraud who uses uncanny puppets), and Vee being a doppelganger whom Luz communicates through with mirrors. Interesting how Yesterday's Lie was born from this. We saw the test animation from Spencer Wan for TOH, so I guess we know what Luz's puppet-doppelganger is called! And we can safely call her Proto-Vee. I wonder if she also would've been a sympathetic character, I always thought she reminded me of Lake from Infinity Train (and speculated her to be as such since Enchanting Grom Fright), and now the similarities are even MORE apparent!

Alas, The Good Witch Azura, or 'The Unassuming Princess' seems like it'd have been a lot less dear to Luz's heart, as the pilot also reflects; In the end, it turns out the author is just Eda's ex using her adventures as basis, and including private information. I remember when I once speculated that Raine, before we saw their face, would've been just like this as the author of Azura... Again, I think I prefer Azura as being a lot less mean-spirited in the final draft, and instead a celebration of who Luz is as a person, her relationship with fantasy and fiction, etc. We also would've had a Luz birthday party, the Quincenera we've been hoping for since S1...! In the final draft (and episode) we still get that Human-Demon Realm disconnect, though by that point, Luz is much more attuned and chill with the isles.

There’s definitely more of an episodic, sitcom feel to this pitch bible, especially when you compare Proto-Yesterday’s Lie to its final version. Makes sense, Dana is pitching this to Disney executives, though her statement on Understanding Willow feeling truly like her show makes me wonder if she always intended to push TOH in that more serious, emotional route we got.

[papa-m0thman]

I actually really like the idea of a Scooby Doo prequel centered around the Mystery Gang before they became friends.

Velma is your typical nerd who's interested in true crime. She started off solving small mysteries around her neighborhood, like where someone's missing cat went or who stole someone's bike. Then, some sort of really big mystery happens that the police completely overlook. Maybe students are ending up dead or missing or something like that.

She goes to the same school as Fred, Daphne, and Shaggy, but never talked to them due to personal assumptions. Fred is a popular jock, and a lot of his teammates bully Velma and force her to do their homework for them, so she doesn't trust him either. Daphne is a pretty rich girl who hangs out with a group of mean girls who also make fun of girls like Velma. Even though Fred's group and Daphne's group overlap, the two of them have never really spoken to one another before. Then, there's Shaggy who always shows up to school late, never knows the answer to teachers' questions, and sleeps through half of his classes.

Eventually, one of Daphne's friends get kidnapped. So, one night, she sneaks into the school to find some clues at the same time as Velma. Fred's there because he forgot his uniform, and Shaggy just likes hanging out at the school to do his homework in peace and quiet. They all team up for a while until security gets involved, and Fred helps them into a speedy getaway as the only one with his driver's license.

With Fred driving them home, the group decides to at least have a temporary team-up. Daphne and Velma have a shared goal, Fred likes having friends for the first time in forever, and Shaggy doesn't want to be the odd man out.

They get closer as they solve the mystery together. Fred isn't a jerk, and is super sweet and amazing at building all sorts of things, especially traps. Shaggy always brings the gang food he made, and eventually introduces them to his talking dog who may or may not be immortal. Daphne invites everyone to her house for sleepovers, helps Velma explore her style in a way that's still comfortable to her, and reveals her endless knowledge about every single person in the entire town.

The mystery gets solved, and the four stays friends. The End :)

[swervinonalatenight]

So many have interpreted The Emperor Balduran as a meta commentary on the how the player interacts with game characters and acts as a mirror of how you’re character acts to others. Which is super interesting and props to the writers for it.

But I always see The Emperor, “The Character”, which is its own can of juicy worms.

I should start off by saying this. The Emperor is NOT Balduran.

Ceremorphosis in its final stages destroys the soul of the host and replaces them with a mind flayer that has some of the memories and experiences of the host. They are not a transformed version of the original. (So sorry to pull out the rug on those who want to save Karlach with ceremorphosis, but that’s not Karlach anymore, it’s an ilithid based on Karlach.) They cannot be resurrected, they cannot be recovered. Their fundamental nature has changed from whatever they were, into a new mind flayer.

With this in mind, we can examine The Emperor from the start of your first meeting. The Emperor lies to you. He comes to you in a form of a dream guardian, someone who appeals to whatever you or your characters ideal is. He is everything you would want from the start and promises to protect you if you help them.

When The Emperor does reveal himself as a Mind Flayer, he doesn’t do it willingly, when you have grown to trust him and he you, it’s when he was forced to, when all options of hiding are gone. IIRC he never says anything about revealing it to you, if he could he would have kept lying to you for as long as he needed. He plays off his deceit by saying that he needed you to trust him, that you weren’t ready for the truth, shrouding you in wool of “forces beyond your understanding”.

He catfished you.

Then next you talk he tries to relate, tell you of his exploits as a human. A noble act yes, but again, shrouded in mystery as to who he was. He says he only killed criminals to feed off of, but never what kind of criminals. Were they murderers? Petty thieves? Gang members? Someone who stole bread to feed a starving sister and their son? He never says, just “criminals”. He worked with someone to make the place better, only to have it turn out he mentally controlled her to the point of making her brain dead.

His best friend, most likely lover, saw he was sick and went from heaven to hell to try and get him better, while he said he was fine with how he was, until the point where his lover was unable to accept him being gone and he killed him in self defense. Only, as it turns out, his lover may have actually been trying to stop him from doing something evil.

He says he has a troubled, but understandable past that you should sympathize with.

He then comes to you shirtless, ‘vulnerable’. He says there is a connection between you two that has driven you closer, that you understand him and he you. He gets you, and thinks you should “get to know him”. He seduces you, and he’s happy if you go along, but if you refuse he sounds miffed, like he was banking on it happening. And he says he knows everything about you and what you want.

He uses sex and a perceived attraction as a means of gaining trust, started with a false sense of vulnerability.

When you do as he says, follow his lead and “trust” him, he acts happy, overjoyed that you trust him and that you are following your best chance at salvation. That you see Balduran, not a mind flayer.

When you don’t do as he says, not necessarily distrust and go against him, even just thinking “maybe there’s a better option” he calls you a fool, and idiot, an incompetent who will damn themselves and everyone else because they don’t follow his vision. Even in the end, when you say you trust him but killing s bound and helpless man who he’s enslaved and exploited to get this far is wrong and that freeing him is best. He immediately cuts all ties and goes to a higher form of authority to get back at you. He exploits your desires about you, using the dream guardians as fodder. All your desires are nothing but tools to break you down. He knows you, but since you defied him, he will break you for daring tho think against him at all.

Really, The Emperor is an abusive/manipulative partner. He breaks down natural barriers of trust with his words and charisma of “trying to help you” and that you are the only hope (“I love you so much, you are so much better than me”). But only in so much as you follow his word. (Why are you doing this? Aren’t we partners? Don’t you love me? I’m the only one who can help/love you!) He isolates you from the others by talking to you alone, wraps you in six different kinds of lies to protect your sweet precious mind. (DW, it’s fine you don’t need to think that hard about it baby. I will take care of everything you just listen to me) And the moment you decide any other way than his way may be better, he goes against everything he has ever said to you and joins with the thing that enslaved him before just to get back at you, using everything you gave him against you. (Why don’t you love me!? We shared so much together?! Fine! Hope you love getting harassed and swatted bitch!)

The Emperor never cared about like he said. He’s a mind flayer, you are just, a really important thrall to him. That’s all you ever will be. A mind flayer mind is so alien to the thought of “other races are ok” that the closest they can get is “my favorite slave”.

He cares about you only in so much as you ensure his freedom. Becoming a mind flayer, is his way of gaining total control, as you are now HIS ideal, alone from anyone else that may care about you.

[theminecraftbee]

did anything in particular make you decide to study grief through solving counting sheep? very much enjoyed chapter 16 but augh my heart

this one’s under a cut because I ramble a LOT here!

so: SORT OF! it’s a long story!

so scs was ALWAYS gonna be about identity. even from day one, when half my original thought was “doing this from three’s perspective would be funny”, there wasn’t a world where the story wasn’t largely about identity, because this is the kind of story you can’t tell at all without it being about that. like it was maybe day two or three of waffling about this au, at least a month before I would actually commit to writing it, that I went “oh three isn’t actually really grian” (albeit in a different way than I ended up exploring it here).

the part about grief came later.

originally, the theme of grief came about because I was trying to decide WHY martyn was about and stealing watchers. that’s when I remembered a common watcher!grian trope: it’s fairly common (at least on the watcher!grian I’ve read, which to be fair is limited) for grian to have assumed the evo crowd was dead and vis versa. and I was like. aha! martyn can be attacking the watchers in vengeance for grian being dead! then I’ll be able to REALLF play with the dramatic irony if already wanted to use, where no one but the audience knew three was grian, because there’s another angle to work at that on!

cue: oh no wait this is about grief again. (see: tumblr post that I’m pretty sure is still semi-viral.)

the thing is, oftentimes “the evo crew thought grian was dead” is played for grian angst, which makes sense in grian-focused angst fics (this is not shade). but I was like. but that’d fuck up the people involved, right. like having your fun mystery game ended by someone actually getting murdered would tear basically everyone there apart, and that’s not even considering that the evo gang isn’t the WORLD’S most communicative people already. so I went… what if I made the story about that? what if, alongside being about three and identity, it was about the evo crew, grief, and how trauma can fuck up your relationships in unique and messy ways?

plus, like. this is a winter soldier fic. a staple here is “the moment steve realizes the winter soldier is bucky”, and while in three’s arc that bit is almost all about it taking the final step to establish its own independent identity, in the other’s arcs, that’s when they have to come to terms with who three used to be. and like, even in a world where three is uncomplicatedly grian, that’s a pretty big grief to have to unpack all over again. but this is a world where three is not grian, where I realized I’d have to tag mcd despite the character who died sort of also being alive, etc. at least there, grief would have to be explored.

also, for the weight of “grian and am I him” to actually hit three, three has to have an idea of how heavy grian is. like, in the original version I had pearl with the line “oh my god why are you grian” as a joke, and three responding “who is grian”. (oh, the early darlings of this au I killed.) but that doesn’t actually hit the same way, thematically, right? because it works best if once the reveal happens, we all know how much of a shadow grian casts.

in that way it comes back to the theme of identity, because identity here is therefore kind of intrinsically linked to grief. that final hurdle three has to cross to figure itself out of “can I define who I am out from under this shadow” doesn’t work unless everyone is really grieving for that shadow, yeah?

and, well, I’m me. I can’t avoid writing grief that long, it’s a theme I tend to gravitate back towards all the time. it makes sense in a fic that ended up actually being somewhat personal thematically that I’d end up back there.

it’s just one of those things. I realized martyn was there to avenge grian and then realized the story all worked so much better if it was about grief.

anyway this was a REALLY LONG RAMBLE but I hope you liked it! a glimpse into my thoughts I guess.

[sillydeafwitch]

So for my SDMI au…before I begin I’d love some suggestions on what to call it!!! If you don’t know what I’m talking about this is the post where I explained it up to date so far. @fallenflowersfromgrace helped me flesh it out so shoutout to them!!!! Ur epic 😎😎

Anyways, au. I may have already said some of this stuff so sorry :]

So this may be split into a few posts! This post will focus on the current mystery gang and their new personalities.

The og Mystery Gang (im calling them og gang) are the protagonists of this au. The current gang, the one we all know and love, are somewhat antagonistic, at least later into the au.

Pericles betrayed (not?)mayor jones and got him sent to a maximum security prison, instead of the other way around. This in turn lets Brad and Judy stay in Crystal Cove, so they end up raising Fred and stop looking for the planispheric disc.

Brad and Judy go by Ben Sternum and Julie Sternum, though when nobody else is around they call each other their actual names.

Shaggy is much less of a slacker and more of an overworked student. Pericles made sure of that. Though he focuses less on the academic side of things and more on just getting work done. He is definitely very anxious because of high standards set by Pericles and his parents. He’s more irritable because of stress and can come off as a mean person sometimes. (Even though he’s pretty a pretty good dude) He eats a lot, like his canon version, but this time it’s out of stress. His parents are nicer to him but they are more strict and similar to how Jones treated Fred in way.

Velma is more introverted and doesn’t talk as much. She’s pretty bitter towards Pericles since he overshadows her a lot in their treasure hunt searches. She is somewhat competitive with her peers in school or stuff that would be considered “academic.” She still hangs out with the gang but to outsiders she can go unnoticed. Of course the gang always does her best to include her their treasure hunts. She hangs out with Marcie a lot in this au when she isn’t with the gang, and they DO have a lil something goin’ on <3.

Daphne is more rebellious towards her parents and is somewhat of a delinquent. She is more carefree but she doesn’t put up with people she doesn’t like. Velma introduced her to the Hex-girls when they were younger, and they were a big influence for her. Her parents obviously disapprove of rebellious behavior but she mostly refuses to listen to them in this au. She dates multiple guys throughout this au but she has a crush on Fred, though she doesn’t think he reciprocates the interest.

Fred has a similar personality to his canon version but it’s still different. He is slightly corrupted by curse like the rest of gang so he isn’t as kind as usual in this au, of course he isn’t deliberately rude to people. He’s more confident since Brad and Judy weren’t as neglectful as Jones. But they both have busy jobs as doctors so they can be sorta absent sometimes, and Fred is home alone a lot. He gets into trouble a lot ands often ends up in dangerous situations like breaking into abandoned buildings or hanging out in shady places. He has a crush on Daphne but doesn’t think he’ll end up with her considering how many cool guys she’s dated. He still likes nets and stuff, but instead of traps he’s more interested in stuff like archeology and finding treasure.

Anyways, in this au, the first season would have them be sorta antagonists but not necessarily villains, while the second one would have them be (reluctant) villains. This is due to Pericles needing some helpers with his planispheric disc plan— and also out of a sick nostalgia. The reason why they are complying is because he has demonstrated on a certain not Mayor what will happen if they don’t. Hot Dog Water is involved too, but she’ll be in another post.

[mrhyde-mrseek]

(ED MENTION!)

Been rewatching Scooby Doo Mystery Inc. and hyperfixating on small town gothic mystery aesthetics, so here’s my version of the gang if I were to write my own adaptation:

Fred

19, engineering major

6’2”

Autistic

His special interest is traps

Asexual and biromantic, he/him

In a pre-established relationship with Daphne, they’re a ride-or-die couple and can sometimes be sappy to the point that they gross the others out

The heart of the group, brought everyone together, is usually the one to cool down arguments

Decent at cooking but REALLY good at baking

Gets ascots from Daphne every year for his birthday

Knew Velma a little in high school, mainly from physics and math but never got to actually know her until college

Got the Mystery Machine from a sketchy car dealer when he turned 16 and loves the old rust bucket to death

Velma:

18, forensics science major, minor in history

4’11”

Also autistic, self-diagnosed because it’s really hard to get a diagnosis

Lesbian and genderqueer, she/they

Had a crush on Daphne a few years ago, but when Daphne and Fred got together she forced herself to ignore it until it eventually went away

LOVES true crime podcasts, kinda wants to start their own one day

Super blunt and sarcastic, can sometimes come off as rude to the people who don’t know them that well

Struggled with an eating disorder for a while, Shaggy helped her recover and now they’re best friends

Tech wiz

Daphne:

19, fashion design major

5’6”

Pan, she/her

Grew up in a wealthy family with four older sisters, was always pressured by her parents to fit their image of perfection, so she eventually started deliberately doing things to piss them off

Starting a relationship with Fred was the breaking point and now she doesn’t talk to them (she still keeps in touch with her sisters, though)

Natural blonde, dyes her hair

The most athletic out of all of them, used to do gymnastics and dance throughout middle school and high school

Quit when she realized how much it was negatively affecting her body image

Hates when people assume she’s ditzy just because she’s hyperfeminine

Looks mean at first, is actually super sweet

Fascinated with ghosts and cryptids

Loves ‘80s and ‘90s Heathers-inspired fashion

Shaggy:

20, culinary arts major but was undecided for a while

5’9”

Aroace, he/him

Mix of hippie and grunge aesthetic

Definitely smokes weed

Loves ‘70s and ‘80s music

Has a panic disorder, ADHD, and dyslexia

Has seen every classic horror movie to ever exist despite being terrified of them

Everyone assumes the Mystery Machine belongs to him until someone in the Mystery Gang corrects them

Will eat basically any type of food you put in front of him

Shitty relationship with his parents since they have unreachable expectations for him and constantly compare him to his classmates and cousins

Scooby:

Shaggy’s psychiatric service “dog”

Not actually a dog—in reality he’s an alien who crash-landed near Shaggy’s house and took the form of a Great Dane, the Rogers got him trained as a service dog for Shaggy’s panic disorder, and the rest is history

Shaggy still has no idea (although he and the gang do think it’s weird that Scoob can talk)

Despite being a bit of a coward he’d do anything to protect the gang, especially Shaggy

Likes horror movies just as much as Shaggy

Will eat literal garbage if hungry enough (which is all the time)

Started developing doglike traits over the years (barks at people walking by, hates the vacuum, developed a taste for dog treats, etc.)

Also here’s the full body photos i drew:

[eastofthemoon]

Sudden realization.

There have been crossovers with Batman and the Scooby-doo gang.

We’ve now had crossovers with Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

So....why haven’t we had a crossover with the Scooby-doo gang and the ninja turtles?

It would be hilarious!

Mikey, Shaggy and Scooby discuss best pizza toppings.

Donnie and Velma be instant bffs.

Leo keeps trying to save the day and is stun how Daphne always has the solution in her purse.

Raph and Fred interactions would just be hilarious depending which version of Raph you use. (Rise Raph would be my vote since he does carry some good himbo energy.)

“The ninja turtles are too serious than scooby-doo!”

So is Batman these days and yet they’ve done it several times.

“The turtles involve mutants, it be weird.”

The mystery gang had several encounters with the supernatural, and if we include the DC crossovers several super villains, I think they can adjust well to mutants.

Also, let’s be honest Scooby getting revealed to be a mutant would explain a lot.

Just saying.

[showtoonzfan]

I’m so glad I found this tweet and that somebody FINALLY fucking said it, cuz I have some thoughts. So like…..I love Mystery Inc with all my heart. It was a huge part of my childhood and it has got to be one of the best, if not THE best Scooby Doo adaptation I have ever seen. I loved the characters, I loved the mystery surrounding the old gang, I loved the horror elements….I loved it all but………yeah I was NOT a fan of the damn love triangle between Velma, Scooby and Shaggy, in fact I think it was the only main thing that held the show back even if it was a masterpiece in my eyes. Particularly my issue was with Velma as a character. Don’t get me wrong, I love how she’s characterized in this show, she’s hilarious and all, but whenever she was attached to Shaggy, good fucking god, she was absolutely insufferable and honestly unlikable. I legit HATED the way she treated Scooby, the way she got jealous over a damn dog and referred to him as “some dog”, not liking Scooby really at all and the real Velma just would never act like that in my opinion, even if she did have beef with him. The whole point of the gang is that they’re supposed to be like a family, so to see this interpretation of Velma treat Scooby like shit did turn me off a lot.

There’s legit a scene in this show I DESPISED where Scooby was literally about to die, he was on the edge of a cliff and Velma deadass had to THINK about saving him or not because in her eyes he was the source to her and Shaggy’s relationship being messy. It was such a dark and disgusting scene of her blaming him for everything when he’s literally hanging on for his dear life, of course she saves him in the end but the fact that homegirl had to think about it and even CONSIDERED not saving him pissed me off immensely. It made her character look so fucking horrible, like she was really about to let Scooby fucking die just for some Shaggy tail, I legit have no idea what the writers were thinking for that scene, like I get that Velma had beef with him but that was going WAAAY too overboard.

Also there were like….SO and I mean SO many episodes of Scooby being jealous of Velma and then having drama with Shaggy over it and I just hated whenever the show wanted to focus on this romance drama bs, again the whole love triangle between these three drove me nuts. Velma was so forceful towards Shaggy as well and I always ended up just feeling bad for the guy. I can see where the show was coming from especially since the writers admitted they wanted Velma and Shaggy’s relationship to be messed up so she could end up with Hotdog Water, but…….yeah it was not for me, and you know what’s funny? I legit enjoyed Fred and Daphne’s drama more, seeing Fred be so oblivious and loving traps while Daphne was so obliviously pinning for him was hilarious. I will never not praise this show for how it characterized Fred, making him this cinnamon roll trap loving himbo was the best decision they ever made, and whenever the show focused on THEIR relationship, I never got tired of it, which is the opposite I can say for Velma/Shaggy/Scooby. As much as I love this show, it did drag with its romance aspect. I always hated love triangles and stupid drama in teenage shows, and I feel like this show kinda suffered from that. When it comes to Velma/Hot Dog Water, they could have been handled better honestly, in contrast to how she was with Shaggy. Like…the writing could have been so much better with that, but even after everything I just said, I still love this show and think it’s great. It has its up and downs, but at the end of the day it still rocks, I just needed to get this out there since I don’t see much people talk about it. I will say I don’t HATE this version of Velma, but I will admit that it is hard to really like her after the writing made her so attached to Shaggy and so needy and almost aggressive. They did her dirty with that damn cliff scene, but in the end it is happy to know that her and Shaggy realized they weren’t good for one another and that Velma was meant to be with a girl.

[quisyop]

Introduction to Writeblr!

Introduction

I’m quisyop, a writer who is new to the game. I really like horror, mystery, and character driven stories, and try my best to write them, too! I make sure to have a diverse cast of disabled, queer, and POC. However, I’m always trying my best to broaden my understanding of those groups of people, as I only have experience with being a little fruity gay :D

My WIPs

-The Casebook of Herschel Brown, a story about a socially ignorant detective named Herschel working with a intimidating woman with a heart of gold named Mary Sebastian. They form a sort of found family with Theodore Lux, an older man who’s tired of both of their chaos but cares about them deeply. Mystery/Comedy/Drama

-Orbit of Thieves, about a gang of criminals working together out of a lack of options to break into the strangest vault any of them have seen. It takes place in a version of the 1950s New York filled with cyberpunk aspects and a surplus of class conflict. (In its rough drafts, changing a lot)

-A D&D Campaign (Not sure if this counts but I have been working on it) about a group of adventurers, all tied together due to a city wide incident from a long time ago, fighting against a cult of the god of fear.

I haven’t posted much about these but think I’ll actually start interacting with the tumblr world now

[razypie]

hello rie ~

I just wanted to say that I think you’re amazing and ILY!!

I’m really grateful to how you’re always so supportive and your posts, comments and reblogs always make my day a little brighter!

I was wondering if you have an HCs or Idea about how the situation in Jinyoungs basement is like? Maybe a small conversation between Daniel, Samuel and Johan?

I hope you have a wonderful day!!💖💕💓

heya ying! you're actually the first one to drop an ask here tysmm 😭

aww thank you so much for your kind words~ ily tooo you're like one of my first friends here 🥺❣️

also, i think you guys who are always active in the fandom posting hcs and fanfics deserve appreciation so i take my time commenting to show it hehe and yeah, i usually don't write headcanons and just publish crack posts because that's all im good at lol but since ily, imma do my best. 🤗🤗

i had fun writing these, btw. i hope you like it! 💓💓

~

A Glimpse in Jinyoung Park's Basement (Headcanons)

most of these are scenarios and in Jinyoung's POV

Being a madman of a scientist Jinyoung Park is, he kept himself busy and always cooped up inside his lab.

He's probably spending most of his time formulating drugs and injecting them to his newfound guinea pigs, namely:

Daniel: the mysterious guy Eugene brought to him. He was shocked to discover his body's completeness and continued to inject drugs into him to test his limits. But ever since finding his secret about his two bodies, he decided to leave him in deep sleep (as shown in the webtoon). This is to probably wake up his other body (little Daniel) since he kept this body awake for too long. His other body might die of fatigue.

Next was Johan: He'd be unconscious the entire time (a well-deserved rest for the poor guy who's been soloing for too long) and if ever he wakes up, it'd just be for a short time and Jinyoung would probably go easy on him because he sees that he wasn't "smiling" and didn't attempt to smooth talk him like Daniel did. So he wasn't that harsh on him and just gave him sleep shots and pain relievers. He'd probably notice his right eye, too. and oh my god, I think Jinyoung Park might be able to cure his eyes 🥹😭😭 (yes im rly holding on to that pls daddy jinyoung i believe you're rly a nice guy 🥺)

On the other hand, Samuel 💀💀: Poor kid constantly triggers Jinyoung's sadistic tendencies to the point of using "toys" to basically toy with him. 💀 The scene where he screamed when he woke up in the lab probably pissed off Jinyoung and gave him a bad impression (the old man's p sensitive lol). Because of that, he's now getting most of Jinyoung's wack test drugs 🥹 (rip sammy big F)

The mad scientist seems to know the workings of body switching, based on his reaction to Daniel. So, it's either he knows one with the same case, or he might be even one of them too, or... he's the one responsible for the "switching between two bodies" phenomenon (a failed experiment, perhaps?)

Jinyoung also mentioned how he hated smiling when he talked to Daniel: he could be referring to a person's optimism/carefreeness (prolly consciousness or sanity too), he hated how people are breezily living their life without worries, unlike him who suffered all his life living on edge struck with anxiety (i might also just be overthinking that scene lol).

Although, Jinyoung had some sane moments when he'd sit down and talk to himself/to his three unconscious labrats. He goes on and on about his good ol' days in their fist gang: armwrestling with Gapryong, zooming around Seoul with their driver, Noh Bakgu, and keeping in touch with them and their fist's other members.

He talked about how he was filled with joy after receiving the news of Gapryong finally having a child with his wife--and how he proudly told how he closely resembled him.

He talked about how he would've loved to meet his mini version, and talk about life after they disbanded.

But hearing about his found brother's assassination devastated him, how it remained a mystery all these years kept him awake at night. He's had intrusive thoughts on who might've killed their leader, and they took a severe toll on his mental stability.

Jinyoung, through Noh Bakgu and Choi Bongae, was able to convene all their remaining members to help him out crack the unsolved case.

He's also heard of Chungcheong's 1st Gen King, Kwak Jichang, who offered his and his gang's hand in the investigation. He wants to personally meet him to show his gratitude for his aid.

Aside from gang stories, he would share some of his personal life too: what his childhood dream was (to become a community doctor), how his life was like outside fights, and meeting the only woman he ever loved, but eventually had to give her up to his childhood friend so that she won't get roped into gang wars.

His ramblings and storytelling usually end up with him getting stressed and agitated at the memory of Gapryong's death, which would activate his unhinged state.

His trigger word is obviously "ELITE" lol mine's ch*rles cho* we twinning

But if any of them is awake tho, Samuel, most of the time, he'd ask more about how Gapryong was like in their younger years (yeah he's still gapryong's #1 fangirl duh) which makes his ramblings a lot longer, easing his stress/anger levels... up until he gets ticked off by Samuel's cocky attitude and subjects him to more of his ruthless experiments.

(he's actually glad he at least has an audience for his stories, it lightens up the burden he'd been carrying)

HE CURES JOHAN'S EYES I MANIFEST 🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯

He's a clean freak, a germophobe. So when he saw Samuel's doodled sketch pad of a body, it irked him. He didn't want to keep him in his lab, but he had no choice. Jinyoung's annoyance grew more when he opened his mouth.

90% certain Jinyoung purposely didn't wrap Samuel's nether regions with the restraint strap to torture his balls with how freezing the aircon temp is (in hopes of toning down his bitchyness). 💀💀

Bonus HCs for when when Allied Crew + Jake infiltrate the 1st Affiliate

Daniel, Johan, and Samuel would have a conversation, most likely when Jinyoung Park isn't in the lab and forced to deal with the trespassers.

All three of them are bald by that point. 😭😭

Johan would be the first one to wake up (being the one who suffered the least. talk about Jinyoung picking favorites 😤😤)

He wakes up Daniel and Samuel.

Little Daniel had passed out during a fight inside the First Affiliate premises. He shot his eyes open and immediately squinted at the huge blinding lights above him. Finally, he woke up in his other body.

Of course, Daniel has already formulated a plan to escape.

Daniel: thank GOD this body is still alive. *faces the other two* johan? samuel? i don't know why they locked you two up down here too but im glad that you are both alive. and I have a plan how to get out of here, so let's g--

Johan and Samuel, in unison: you're bald.

Daniel, seeing his reflection in one of the steel tables: WHAT THE HELL??

Daniel: you guys are the one to talk though. you're bald as eggs too.

Samuel: yeah no shit kid i was awake when that sadist doctor fucking shaved my head. no need to remind me of the trauma.

Johan: oH FUCK… I-I'M BALD!?

Daniel: what's the matter, johan?

Johan, in tears: MOM WOULD FUCKING KILL ME.

-

i-- sorry some of these are just unserious. i just had to 😭

[kattahj]

The next half-dozen queer Thai shows I have watched! This time around, it's not just boys' love, but also girls' love and polyamory. Also, there's a lot more action-adventure this time around, with three plot-heavy, rather violent shows! Those are the ones I like best of the bunch, btw. :) And don't worry, they still have happy(-ish) endings!

Manner of Death

What's it about? City doctor moves back to a small town and immediately gets involved in a murder mystery. Also, the prime suspect is really hot.

Genre: Crime drama

Watch if you enjoy: Plot-heavy stories with twists upon twists upon twists. Seemingly nice towns being dens of corruption and vice. (Shit gets pretty dark!) Speedrun romance – no need to wait until the end for a kiss here!

Gayer version of: Somewhere inbetween Blue Velvet and L.A. Confidential

Recommended? Yes! Just make sure you can stomach onscreen murder and offscreen rape. Truth be told, I was a little iffy on it at first, but then it ate my brain, and now it's among my favourites.

Watched on: Dailymotion

Trailer: https://youtu.be/a4b-d_XyLV0

I Told Sunset About You

What's it about? Teh and Oh-Aew are childhood friends, but their love for acting causes some friction when they're competing first for the same part, and later for the same university position.

Genre: Coming of age

Watch if you enjoy: Low-stakes drama. Heavy focus on the central pairing and its romantic complications. Genuine, emotional acting (lots and lots of crying). Characters making foolish, selfish decisions that nevertheless make perfect sense for them to make. Very nuanced secondary love interests.

Gayer version of: My So-Called Life

Recommended? Yes, but I actually ended up NOT wanting these two to be together.

Watched on: Dailymotion

Trailer: https://youtu.be/KIylNdQuR-w

GAP the series

What's it about? Mon idolizes Lady Sam and is thrilled to start working at her company. Her dreams are soon crushed, though, when it turns out that Sam is a cold and demanding boss. The truth is that Sam is under pressure from her grandmother to uphold the royal image.

Genre: Melodrama

Watch if you enjoy: The grumpy one loving the sunshine one. Supportive girl gangs, including a butch lesbian hottie. Tentative attempts at a first relationship. Gossip mills in action.

More lesbian version of: Starts out as The Devil Wears Prada, quickly moves into Young Royals territory.

Recommended? Kind of? It's nice to see some lesbians for once, and the leads have good chemistry. I also really like Sam's catty girl gang. The story is a bit weak at times, and I wasn't always convinced that these two were right for each other. The humour isn't my style either. So it's a bit of a mixed bag, but definitely worth the effort if you want some girl loving!

Watched on: YouTube

Trailer: https://youtu.be/f7Kso0QOaiE

Together With Me

What's it about? Best friends Korn and Knock have a drunken one night stand. Afterwards, they try to forget all about it. After all, Knock already has a girlfriend. Meanwhile, their friends have relationship troubles of their own.

Genre: comedy (mostly)

Watch if you enjoy: More MaxTul after Manner of Death (but in a vastly different genre). Lots of double entendres and also single entendres. Bitchy girlfriends and sassy girl friends. (Yiwha and Faii ftw!) An ensemble cast where everyone makes terrible decisions and no one has even heard of boundaries.

Gayer version of: Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Recommended? I would say it is highly entertaining trash. :) It takes a while to kick into gear (but no time at all before sex), but then becomes kind of addictive. Just be aware that every single person in this is some flavour of Problematic (tm).

Watched on: YouTube

Trailer: https://youtu.be/lxX9UkhTCO0

Triage

What's it about? Young doctor Tin finds himself in a time loop. In order to make it stop, he has to save the life of a specific patient. His only help is an annoyingly cryptic angel.

Genre: supernatural mystery/medical drama

Watch if you enjoy: The same writer as Manner of Death. Plot-focused show. Lots of tense medical situations, and even tenser interpersonal situations. Social issues. Assholes learning to be less assholish (except the ones who are just irredeemable). Romance that is simultaneously slowburn and speedrun, and also folds in on itself.

Gayer version of: Russian Doll

Recommended? Yes! More for the plot than the romance, though. Also, if you're anything like me, you'll need tissues for episode 10. (Knowing things will turn out okay doesn't prevent the sad stuff from being sad!)

Watched on: Dailymotion (search for Triag3)

Trailer: https://youtu.be/QeXnXV3FStg

3 Will Be Free

What's it about? Male sex worker Neo has been sleeping with the wrong woman – namely, a mob boss's wife. Now he's running for his life, along with club hostess/pickpocket Miw, who has killed a hitman by sheer instinct, and the mob boss's son Shin, who... well, he just happens to like Neo better than his dad, is all.

Genre: Action/thriller

Watch if you enjoy: Canon OT3. Nuanced trans representation on the side. Chased by the mob. Very high death count. (Don't get attached to any guest characters!) Moral greyness all around, and some sympathy even for the bad guys.

More polyam version of: ...I can't currently think of a chased-by-the-mob film that isn't a comedy, and this is very much not a comedy.

Recommended? Yes! With a warning that all the cliffhangers makes it hard to stop watching, so you may just as well pause in the middle of episodes. (Sidenote: the YouTube comments are more annoying than usual.)

Watched on: YouTube

Trailer: https://youtu.be/ct9fPlMJSDw

[chorus-the-mutate]

I don't know why but I think it'd be really funny if Mystery Incorporated and the heroes of the DC universe coexisted. Just imagine the Justice League being very concerned and very impressed by these random ass teenagers with no powers or training going out and successfully solving crime.

Velma has probably figured out Batman's identity at this point and hasn't told the cops because he's basically a private investigator. She also knows Superman's identity but the fact that his disguise as Clark Kent is so obvious drives her insane since no one else believes Clark and Superman are one in the same. She's told the gang both of these heroes identities and they still don't believe her on either count. (Bruce knows that Velma knows his identity and is quaking in his boots, Clark is blissfully unaware.)

The Waynes and the Blakes despise each other, Bruce and Daphne's father have been this close to getting into a fistfight and the robins hate every one of Daphne's sisters. Daphne is the only member of her immediate family the Waynes unanimously like. Even Damien warms up to Daphne because she's a sweetheart. All of the robins have tried to save Daphne when they find out she's been kidnapped only to find out that she's already saved herself. When Tim and Dick find out that Daphne is interested in journalism they point her in Clark's direction. Velma screams when she learns this.

Fred reminds Kara and the league of Clark so much it hurts. They're both the hearts of their group with a nigh unwavering sense of optimism. They're both willing to be the cheerleaders of their group yet are both natural leaders. The only difference between Clark and Fred is that a few of the brain cells Fred would use for common sense have been lost like a sock in the washing machine. Like one version of Fred didn't think he was a man anymore because he had feelings. Instead all of his brain cells went to trap making and engineering. His traps are so impressive he's accidentally caught three robins, Green Arrow and a few of the Flash's villains on separate occasions. (Tim was very sleep deprived, it was not his proudest moment.) Bruce was going to fund Fred's way through college but Oliver beat him to it.

Last but not least we have Scooby and Shaggy. And they both terrify the heroes and villains of the DC universe alike. Sure they're both as benevolent as their friends but that doesn't make them any less unnerving. Bart and Wally have never met a human being who's metabolism rivaled theirs until they met Shaggy Rogers. Not only that but they've never really seen Shaggy snap. The gang know that Shaggy is capable of kicking ass when he gains some courage but considering how fast and how long he can already run while carrying a great dane no one wants to that side of him. Not only that but everyone is surprised to see how unfazed Shaggy is by Scooby's ability to talk. You don't hear Krypto, Ace or Bat Cow talking so why can he??? No one knows. No matter who looks into it always comes to a dead end. Even Batman is stumped by the enigma that is Scooby Doo. All the gang know is that he's Scooby Doo and he's the best boy they could ever have. :)

[khaleesiofalicante]

To get to know you better I hope you can indulge in my ask! :)

Favourite 5 novels of all time (and why?)

Favourite ships of all time (and why?)

What are your favourite Shadowhunter novels? (and why)?

Favourite Shadowhunter ships (and why)?

Much love :)

Of course! This is lovely! Thank you!

A) I have more favorite 'series' than books/novels tbh.

You'll see that I love books more for the plot than the characters, It's the same for any media I consume. I often don't relate to characters a lot. But I love stories and if the plot is good then I don't care if I like the characters!

In no particular order:

A Song of Ice and Fire (novel version of Game of Thrones) - I've never read a better series with a plot so captivating and the world building is just something else. I also love the characters so much!

The shadowhunter chronicles - I've always been obsessed with the concept of angels and demons (maybe it's my catholic upbringing) but I got sucked into the series very easily. One of the things I love about tsc is that the friendships have just as much emphasis as romantic relationships.

Red White Royal Blue/Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - These are two of my favourite queer novels because these were some of the first queer novels I read so they mean a lot to me. I love the characters in both!

Sherlock Holmes - I've read every single story and I was obsessed with Sherlock Holmes growing up. Mystery is my favourite genre and the writing of Conan Doyle really influenced my own in turns of how much I love leaving clues and plot twists. He is just brilliant!

Ponniyan Selvan (This is a novel in my native tongue) - I read this when I was very young and this is, to this day, one of the most brilliant pieces of writing I've ever read. I started writing stories when I was 8 (my mom took me to school competitions etc) and this story was my inspiration to start writing. (because growing up I only write in my native language. I think fan fiction was the first time I started writing in English).

B) Favourite ships:

I don't actually have many hehe. Like I said, I don't connect with characters/ships easily. But some ships I do like include Malec, Firstprince (rwrb) and Ineffable husbands (Good Omens).

There are also this from my own writing that I love a lot hehe. But I'll save them for later.

C) My favorite shadowhunter novels:

My favourite series is TMI. I think it's because I like the gang best (they felt like an actual real friend group to me as opposed to the others who had too many mini friend group inside them). I also like the plot of tmi and the villains much better.

I also love the three novellas - the bane chronicles, TFTSA, and GOTSM. This is some of CC's best work if you ask me (And those who co-wrote them with her!). And of course, I love the red scrolls of magic. The book was perfection. 100% perfection.

D) Favorite TSC ships:

Malec - Just because I understand them the most and I love their dynamic and I love how much growth we've seen from them (individually and together). They're the kind of couple that inspires others (in the tsc world and outside). I love that!

Herongraystairs - Idk there is something about the three of them and how much they love each other that gets to me. I wish we got to see more of them together!

Some honourable mentions I love: Henry/Charlotte, Gideon/Sophie, Gabriel/Cecily (I actually like all the ships in TID actually), Gwyn/Diana, Jace/Clary.

Thank you for the questions! Please feel free to tell me about all of yours too! I'd love to hear it 🧡

[synergysilhouette]

How "Mystery Inc." ruined the gang (and what they could've done to fix it)

Lemme just say: this series was one of the best (if not the best) Scooby Doo shows for it's storytelling, but the storytelling is also what I'm frustrated with; the gang are given personalities that I wasn't a big fan of upon rewatching, and it's a shame, since there were opportunities to explore the characters' psyches rather than having them feeling like random takes on beloved characters.

Fred Jones--I'm about to get a lot of negative attention for this, but I HATE this version of Fred. Since the 21st century (and even the late 20th century) the charming, intelligent, and sociable Fred Jones is nowehere to be seen, usually being portrayed as cocky, ignorant, or in this case, flanderized. In "Mystery Inc," Fred is socially inept, and while someone told me this may be because he was intended to be autistic, the show contradicts this in episode 6 of season 1 where he has a crisis over Daphne missing. He says "guys don't have feelings" and has this very weird sexist moment out of NOWHERE. It's never explained what made him feel this way, which is frustrating since the show did have the potential to show it. Along with this, Fred has an unhealthy obsession with traps. Like, it's not even funny; it's just annoying, especially since it was a big plot point when losing the planospheric disk. Mayor Jones--Fred's dad (no spoilers about that)--is shown to be distant from his son and discouraged Fred from solving mysteries so their town of Crystal Cove could thrive on tourism. THIS RIGHT HERE explains it: Fred's only parent figure is emotionally distant, leaving him to believe that men don't have feelings and thus shuts his out, relying on traps, something he can control and he can only blame himself for if they disappoint him. But no; it's a "kid's show" and thus the parents aren't involved unless they're directly tied to the mysteries at hand. His obsession with traps and emotional dissonance are instead reduced to quirks--annoying ones, might I add. Such a shame.

Daphne Blake--I'm ENRAGED that her main storyline was about her relationship with Fred, especially since he never feels right for her due to the aforementioned reasons. Even when he got better with acknowledging his feelings, it always felt like Daphne deserved better. But that's not what my main point. My main point is this: Daphne comes from a family of rich and successful people, including four sisters who look like her and who she has iffy relationships with (they seem either not that close or antagonistic). It makes her insecure, and her feelings for Fred strengthen in order to rebel against her family's perfect wishes for her...but we rarely see the "perfect" image take hold. Throughout various versions, Daphne has proven to have MANY skills and interests, but "Mystery Inc" doesn't capitalize on this like they should. Ideally, they would've shown that Daphne is Ms. Perfect, and that she's unsure of what she wants to do in life because she's scared of her family's reaction (remember: her dad fainted when she said she and Fred were engaged). I wanted Daphne to explore herself before falling for Fred--and I wanted Fred to be a character worth her time. This is why the series finale felt so weird, since Daphne is now successful and her sisters are underachievers, but this is never a dream Daphne expressed having.

Shaggy Rogers--Shaggy is portrayed more or less the same as all his other versions, but it's the details that make him less likeable for me. Noteably, he's been shown to have difficulty making decisions, particularly in his relationship with Velma. He allowed her to control the relationship and stressed out in order to try to keep her and Scooby happy. This is a lot of Velma's fault, but I'll get to her. With Shaggy, the show could've explained it by showcasing his confusing upbringing; his father is lenient and easygoing, while his mother is more strict and condescending, especially where Scooby is concerned. Shaggy being the loner due to a lack of social skills would've made sense since he was always worried about pleasing others and didn't want to put himself in stressful situations, as well as his deep connection with Scooby--plus Scoby isn't a normal dog; his speech, diet, and physical abilities mimic humans, so Shaggy treating him like one makes sense. And IDK how long they've known each other, but Scooby also has longevity and no health issues in sight, mimicking a human Shaggy's age.

Velma Dinkley--Just like Fred, I haven't liked her 21st century interpretations. She's frequently bitter, cruel, and insecure, with the exception of "What's New," where she's just insecure (didn't like that aspect, though). She also engages in a toxic relationship with Shaggy and devalues Scooby. Now it was confirmed by someone at some point that Velma was closeted, which led to a forceful relationship with Shaggy that she desperately tried to make work. This doesn't excuse how she treated him (did she apologize, or was it just Shaggy?), and I assume her treatment of Scooby stems from her use of logic in every situation. Once that whole "Nightmare on Elm Street" episode came out, she had a mini-breakdown about the lack of logic in a supernatural situation, which could imply she was treating Scooby like a normal dog as a coping mechanism. Again, an apology was appropriate. However, how she acted around others, similar to the rest of the gang, could and should be traced back to her parents. They LOVE the supernatural--or at least what they can monetize from it. They lie and embellish things at their job to make it more interesting, and Velma takes pleasure in exposing the truth. It makes sense that growing up with people who do business by "stretching the truth" can make one jaded and cynical about life, but again, it's never explored for Velma.

Scooby Doo--Scooby is probably the least damaged of the group in this show, imo, however my main issue with him does seem to be his inconsistency. His "dog? Where?" takes on a new meaning here, as the story is more serious and deep (except for the aforementioned issues), and they gloss over an existential crisis for Scooby: he acts like a dog one minute and a person the next. He has no worries like humans do aside from monsters and has typical dog mannerisms, but is quick to be offended or confused when people reduce him to a simple dog. While his feelings are understandable, he never sticks to them, expecting to be treated like a person whenever his feelings (or his appetite) is at stake, and a dog the other times. Given Scooby's various talents, I think it would've made more sense if he rarely ever acknowledged being a dog and audibly expressed his displeasure at not being seen as a human rather than it being a gag. It'd make him seem less contradictory and hypocritical when he's upset with Shaggy trying to spend more time with Velma than him.

[nerdfighterwhatevernumbers]

I love seeing different interpretations of the Scooby gang, because they started out so simple that there’s few ‘wrong’ ways to write them, and the Be Cool Scooby Doo gang is fun for me

Scooby and Shaggy are good and standard, Velma maintains the love of science and logic she’s had since A Pup Named Scooby Doo and the sarcasm of Mystery Inc Velma

Fred’s the most into mysteries, tricking out his van and bringing enthusiasm, but he also has control issues as the gang’s leader and is often frustrated with their antics

Daphne’s running thing is that she has new Weird Thing every episode, usually to the annoyance of Fred, but she’s also very kind-hearted and her antics blend with the episodes more as they go (instead of randomly wearing a fake beard for an episode, she’ll be really pro alien in an episode where the monster is an alien)

These versions of the characters mean Fred usually gets along with Velma best since she wants to stay on track the most, but his frustration with Daphne can turn really cute when he decides he’s actually into her new standup routine or whatever, and Daphne’s softness is really sweet with Velma’s awkwardness, plus Scooby and Shaggy are the bestest friends as always

[sleepyowlwrites]

not me being fascinated with my own writing

hey, wanna read some stuff from 2017? this is Mercenary Story in its first outing, when it was called Twisted. for reasons. (i don't think there were any reasons.)

I've recycled some of the names from this old wip so I've swapped them all out with their new versions

The front door opened and Shar stumbled inside, scowling as fierce as a baby bear trying to prove he was top cub to a gang much bigger bears. "I'm fine," he said as soon as Jorand saw him.

hehe

The edges of Rasterpool were far more silent than the center. Everything seemed more dead, and certainly more dusty. All the buildings were covered in sandy, rust-colored dirt, the only movement coming from when the wind descended and blew the dust into new patterns on the old streets. This was bug territory. Everything was broken. Everything was dead. Except maybe a couple of mercenaries on assignment.

I loved describing cities six years ago and I still do now

Naki was always strangely grateful that his job, while hard and usually dangerous, paid well enough to him clothed and sated. He remembered his childhood, unlike Shar, who'd come to them with no background or family. In Naymoor, everyone lived in big family groups, but there were always poor around. Buzzards, they were called there, the ones who lived off of what was left behind. It was the same anywhere, and especially in this broken city. Everybody climbed over everybody else to survive. Dishonesty was the best policy and they all expected murder from each other.

Innocence was a foreign concept, yet Shar had come to them with his almost fully intact. It was a shame they'd had to drive it out of him, though it wasn't totally gone yet. It was probably why he was always getting into trouble. Naki almost envied him.

ah yes, the envy of innocence, that old chestnut

When they heard a dull bang half a kilometer from the house, Naki dropped the trigger in a trash heap and sighed in satisfaction. Eshku eyed him with something akin to distaste. "Must you take so much joy in destruction?"

"I must," Naki grinned back at him. "It's the little things in life, Eshku. Gotta take joy where we can."

"Yeah." Eshku sighed too, a more weary sound. "We take it where we can."

I dunno what my original plan for this flavor of fantasy was, but it certainly sounds a lot more fullmetal alchemist than what I remember

Of all the members of their little gang, Tav was the most confusing to Shar. He knew he was psychic, but it had never been fully explained what that meant. It always seemed like he could read Shar's mind, but not the others. Maybe his brain was more open, since he had a lot less memories to go by.

But it wasn't just the psychic thing. Tav knew a lot of things. He knew about constellations. He could identify any flower or tree and found insects fascinating. He knew about imports and exports and when all the harvests happened. He knew when it was going to rain and when someone was lying. He spoke the common language, like they all did, and was familiar with all three lower cast dialects of Rasterpool, but Shar had heard him speaking Tarisian and Namoor on more than one occasion. According to Embur, he picked up both of them simply by hearing both spoken in the markets, but that made no sense to Shar. How could he learn a language if he'd had nothing to compare it to?

Tav was a mystery, and though they weren't surprised by his odd behaviors, it seemed like the rest thought of him in this way as well.

Tav was a delight in the old version too

shamelessly tagging people I want to read this @akindofmagictoo @kaiusvnoir @ettawritesnstudies @drippingmoon @avrablake @blind-the-winds