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twinkle-art · 10 months

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now that you're done endwalker, could you talk a little bit more about andromeda? im curious about what she got up to/how she grew in all that time

YES I’D LOVE TO endwalker was BRUTAL to her. and yet she still pulled through with the indomitable human spirit

Previously On Final Fantasy XIV (Andromeda Elo Version) style recap:

as you can imagine, her obsessive belief that killing zenos would instantly reinstate her as a perfect hero circa. stormblood went… poorly. the brief period when people thought she killed him and not that he killed himself in front of her did make her feel a little crazy

and then she went to the first and that kind of put things in perspective. or more accurately, gave her a fresh new slate for her hero image and an excuse to ignore her previous flop era

there was her whole thing with emet-selch. anyways

on that note, the only real canon deviation i made to shb was that when she’s dying of light poisoning she does, in fact, run off to the tempest by herself with the intention of killing them both. this doesn’t pan out and instead she spends about a week hallucinating in emet-selch’s torment nexus until some very upset scions come get her. i’ve drawn a lot about this. i will likely continue to draw a lot about this

due to a cocktail of deep rooted mental issues and also the fact that he was truly just so miserable, andromeda doesn’t feel… great about putting emet-selch down. but instead of articulating this, because she’s convinced it’s not the “right” reaction, she bottles it up for about 3 patches

…until elidibus plays on her guilt and she receives azem’s crystal as a 1-2 punch. when y’shtola asks the wol after the fact if they’re okay i decided that she immediately bursts into tears

so now we arrive at the end times

there’s really no delicate way to say it but the garlemald arc was probably the worst thing she ever experienced. which is impressive, given her spring break amaurot excursion just happened.

(i loved it though it might genuinely have my favorite writing in this whole game)

as i’m sure i don’t have to spell out, being treated as a foreign invader in the place she grew up was kind of a lot. she’s incredibly sentimental about her homeland- for as much as she hates it for how it rejected her (and the atrocities) and as much as she never for a second regretted her defection, her feelings towards garlemald are not dissimilar from the way someone might crave the recognition of a family that has only treated them poorly.

in fact, her traitor’s title of viator was never actually official- zenos referred to her as such, but never made his knowledge of her garlean citizenship public because he dgaf. and yet, despite continuing to exclusively go by elo and hide her origins, she privately referred to herself as viator caecus without much thought, in an act of blinding self-unawareness. (but as her god i know the reason, and it’s that on some level she likes that being branded a Significant Traitor still means being recognized by her former home as Significant)

anyways, speaking of her family: they sure did live in the capital! andromeda is trying really, really hard to be brave and pragmatically carry out her duty as Eorzea’s Champion but like…her mommy lives here :(

in the first of many acts that mean the jig of her supposed eorzean origins is pretty much up, she starts asking everyone they encounter if they’re aware of the whereabouts of a woman named lucretia eir caecus (for ilsabard contingent business, obviously. not because she’s terrified her mom is dead.) without much luck. the twins simply do not have the heart to tell her that this is a hell of a long shot.

(ONE person doesn’t know where she could be, but they do know of her and muse that the rumors must be true then- that this minor city bureaucrat really did have populares sympathies, if she’s a contact for the eorzeans. this comes as total news to andromeda.)

(also eventually, inevitably this get back around to their intelligence and thancred pulls her aside and grills her until he realizes what’s going on and pivots to Oh My God it’s fine that you miss your mom?! you should have come to us helping you look for her is the least we can do after everything. this is the second time a scion makes her burst into tears.)

putting a pin in that for now. in from the cold was . a lot. i don’t have much to say other than that it felt especially cruel to make her drag herself through the ruins of the city she was raised in while wearing the body of the kind of person who made her life hell. also in general that zenos knew what he was doing when he razed her hometown to the ground to get her attention. fucked up duty btw. her desire to kill him with a rock is back.

after tower of babil/the moon/zodiark i deviate from canon a little bit again- she lets the scions do their mare lamentorum side thing while she goes back to garlemald to see what’s going on. not feeling great about maybe causing the final days.

and then she reunites with her mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (<- part of her narrative that i had planned out as early as heavensward)

i want to draw this scene out in glorious detail but the long and short of it is that lucretia- who lest we forget, knows her way around a gunblade despite living as some military man’s obedient little wife for 25 years- had actually started trailing the ilsabard contingent from a distance once rumors spread that the wol was with them.

see, despite this not being officially public knowledge, she figured out that this “andromeda elo” was her daughter a long, long time ago, and it kind of snapped her out of the two-decade defeatist trance she put herself in for survival. (which is when she got involved in all manner of clandestine anti-state activities- she was rather dangerously close to getting in extremely serious trouble when civil war broke out and everyone kind of stopped caring)

so she followed them from a distance, falsely assuming that the daughter who ran away wouldn’t want to see her until finally getting caught and dragged in there

also she killed her husband in self-defense. allegedly. he was totally tempered i promise. he had it coming tho.

ANYWAYSSS that’s the chunk of edw i have the most detailed thoughts on. elpis was also incredibly harrowing due to um. her Whole Thing with emet-selch but tbh i haven’t fully digested the back half of the expansion yet because it is DENSE

(i do love it when two characters get one single transcendent moment when they're finally able to both understand each other though it makes me crazy)

two final beats that i think illustrate her mental state going into the finale:

when the final days descended, the number one thing that kept her from falling into despair was her reunion with her mother- while their relationship is far from magically fixed, the simple fact that she regained something she lost after realizing how precious it really was to her made her all the more ferocious about ensuring that she will never, ever give that up again

when zenos makes his final assertion that the two of them are the same, she rejects him- but this is because while it was once true, she has since outgrown that. she has outgrown him. and that’s why he loses.

...also she fucked drusilla at some point while learning reaper

#ffxiv #andromeda elo #THIS IS LONG. REALLY LONG but i added a bunch of pictures <3 #thank you for asking anon. i love my daughter i love to talk about her

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fangirlshrewt97 · 1 year

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Story Summary - RamBheemJenny Canon Remix

Ok again with story summaries, this is a story that can be much longer, but I do not have the energy to write it. If any of you feel inspired, feel free to run with it. I initially brainstormed this story with @ronaldofandom who wanted a love triangle story. (Except I hate love triangles, so I came up with this instead).

///

Ok so the start of the movie stays the same. Malli is captured while Bheem is absent at the village, the British perpetuate their violence against the tribe, and leave with a child already traumatized beyond belief. Ram is still pig headed about his ideals, so sure they are right, and that there is no other way but brute force against his fellow brothers and sisters. Despite the emotional and physical toll, the promotions are al given to White soldiers. But. Come on. An Indian THAT willing to beat up other Indians and THAT brutal about it? That CO was sweating buckets, and definitely reports the incident to Scott.

Who is dumb and arrogant and so sure of British supremacy but also not a complete idiot. He has a niece visiting, and he does not trust her among the mongrels of this country. He meets Ram, and well, at least this brown monkey knows how to talk civilized. As much as he would prefer Jenny stay in the palace, she is coming on holiday to see the country, so keeping her sequestered makes no sense. He tells Ram he is getting a special job: Bodyguard to his niece.

Ram grits his teeth, blanks his faces and salutes the man. Inside, he is seething. He has better things to do than to babysit a child. Babai advises patience, tells him how getting to spend time with the Scotts will still let them get valuable intel, if not the guns Ram so desires. Ram begrudgingly accepts, even as he snarls at having to take a snobbish brat around the country and hearing them whine about his country. Hopefully the girl is just stupid enough to let Ram manipulate her.

Except...when the girl arrives, she is nothing like Ram expected. She doesn't have the vicious air her uncle and aunt do. She seems naive beyond compare, and is clearly way over her head and unaware about it. She's also so full of questions, and barely spends time at the mansion, which means Ram does not have the time to snoop that he had been hoping for. Some of her questions make him grind his teeth, forcing himself to breath, instead of demanding if she expected India to be a country of beggars.

He also sees as a little girl, barely 10 or 11, clearly kidnapped. He eventually learns her name is Malli, and sees how the "lady" of the house uses her as a singing toy doll, brought out for the amusement of her friends. The first time his opinion of Jenny changes is when he sees her sneak a piece of cake to the girl. He can't remember the last time any Britisher showed that kind of thoughtfulness towards one of his people. He spends the night punching the sandbag until his knuckles are all split open as punishment for his traitorous thoughts.

And yet, it keeps happening over, and over. He realizes Jenny's questions are not mean spirited, but genuine curiosity. That this is the first time she has been away from her parents, the first time she has had her own taste of freedom. Jenny notices Ram's boredom whenever she goes to the city outskirts to paint, and brings him to the mansion's library. It's the first time she notices his eyes widen in wonder. From then on, she always makes sure he is armed with a couple of books during their excursions. She laughs when she notices he has an even mix of adventure stories and military tactics books.

There is also Jake and his special posse to consider. Jenny ... doesn't like them. Finds them callous and doesn't understand how they cannot see what a lovely country they're in, why they always choose to complain about things. She also notices how ... overt Jake is about his position as heir to a small duchy and how Uncle Scott always sits him next to her. She wishes she could have Ram as a conversation partner, at least he lets her speak, instead of Jake who barely lets her express her opinions, or ridicules them when she does. The first time Jenny notices Ram is a good looking man (really notices, beyond the first impression) is when he easily shows up Jake but does it so professionally, even Jake cannot take offence without admitting he lost to him. Jenny's heart skips a beat when she notices the twitch at the corner of Ram's mouth.

Their friendship deepens. Instead of each doing their own thing during their excursions, conversation is more open. Jenny pours her heart out, her growing love for this country, sadness at the thought of having to return home. Ram doesn't share much, but he listens and he also starts to see the girl beyond the position.

He forces himself to remember just who they are to one another.

Of course living in the Scott residence, he hears all about the trouble that they are having with the elusive Gond Protector, and launches his own private investigation in his free time (yes because he hopes that capturing him will get him the promotion, but a smaller voice that he tries to shut up also tells him the singing girl is the same age as Chinna, and what would his mother say if he let a child continue to suffer and then also took away her only chance at freedom?).

Jenny notices Ram being more distracted and distant, and tamps down the disappointment in her heart.

The next few events happen quickly, with Ram chasing after Lacchu, getting caught up in that freak train accident, meeting Akthar, and befriending that man. Dosti happens, and Ram has not had many close friends, only Seetha really, but Akthar means so much to him.

Jenny notices Ram is smiling more nowadays and asks if it's a girl. Ram laughs it off and says he's made a new friend.

One day, Scott calls in Ram to ask about how Jenny is doing, and general status report type of situation. Jenny had planned to go to the market, and debates abut waiting for Ram, but honestly its only a couple things... in her car it will barely take an hour...

Bheem is still terrible at flirting but that is cause he is really not thinking of romance at the sight of this white girl. She lives in the house where Malli is. Bheem could use her to get inside. But she isn't cruel like the others, and Bheem has always been able to make friends within a few heartbeats, so what's new here?

Ram panics when he notices Jenny is missing, and Officer Harry is all too happy to rub it in his face as he brings her back.

Let's push back the timeline so instead of that very afternoon, it takes another two weeks for the garden party. Ram smiles more freely around Jenny now, and she has to control herself not to blush when she stops rambling about the party to notice him looking at her with something akin to fond indulgence. She of course wants to invite her new crush, because if Ram is pretty, the other man, Akthar is stunning. Broad and wide and strong and kind. So unlike the arrogant English boys and men she is accustomed to. She also knows that Ram is a safe fantasy that will never amount to anything, but with Akthar...she'd like to at least be able to talk to the guy! She asks Ram to start tutoring her in Hindi/Telugu, and Ram is confused but agrees.

Two weeks also gives times for a few more encounters between Bheem and Jenny, conveniently when Ram is not around. It's not that Jenny does it intentionally, but ok she doesn't want Ram to tell her uncle. More importantly though, she doesn't know how she'd react if both her crushes were in the same room together. She invites Bheem to the party anyways.

Anyways, the party happens, and two events take place. 1, the trio realize they all know each other and have a minute of tension that is thankfully interrupted by a belligerant Jake, annoyed that Jenny is more excited about two brown men than him. 2, Naatu Naatu.

In this iteration, Ram was not aware of Akthar's affections for Jenny, and he is wary but hey they are both sweet souls, and deserve happiness, even if it is temporary. He doesn't think about why his heart feels like its breaking twice. He takes comfort in the pain, uses it as a wake up call about his mission, and his promise to his father.

On his day off, Ram is walking around the city and spots Lacchu, gives chase, still tortures him, and ends up with a snake bite. Bheem saves him, reveals his identity, causes an existential crisis for Ram, and goes off to invade a party with a truck full of dangerous animals.

Ram wants to kill. Even more, he wants to die. He thought the worst the universe could do to him had already been done with the death of his family.

He was wrong.

The interval fight happens, with even more angst because at the end of it, Jenny looks just as betrayed and disgusted. Whatever bit of soul Ram had left shrivels up and dies.

Next is Komuram Bheemudo. For Ram it is the realization that he has been approaching everything through one small narrow way of looking at things. That words and ideas and spirit can serve as inspiration and weapons just as much as weapons.

If only this epiphany did not come at the cost of the life of the best man he has ever known (and the best friend he has ever had). Jenny throws up as soon as she returns to the room, summarily tells her uncle she never wants to see Ram again, and spends the next few days in bed, crying.

How could Ram have done such a thing to Akthar...Bheem? Akthar-Bheem. He was only trying to save Malli.

Except.

Except Bheem didn't die? He saved Malli and they have escaped? Ram aided and abetted them?

Jenny's head spins at this turn of events and she wishes desperately to talk to either man but is not given the chance, instead questioned thoroughly about Ram. She truthfully says she has no idea about anything about him.

Ram is scheduled for execution. Jenny makes plans to return home. She cannot stay here. Cannot watch him die.

She convinces the guards to look the other way for a single night, and goes to see Ram. Is horrified by the beatings and injuries he has sustained. She asks him why he captured Bheem. Why he let him go?

Ram doesn't give her his whole backstory. Just says he was tired of seeing his people and culture being erased by the British and he couldn't sacrifice his friend. He's ...somewhat redeemed in Jenny's book (aka she sees him as a friend again).

And when Bheem approaches Jenny (with Sita in tow), revealing the whole story, she immediately joins them in breaking Ram out. Sita gets her far from the city, so she is only distantly aware her only family in this land is dead when she sees the smoke from the debris of the mansion. Eventually the boys rejoin them all, and Bheem fulfills his promise of reuniting Ram with Sita.

(We haven't really spoken about Bheem's feelings in this iteration, but I think it's because it is the most consistent of them all. He always falls for Ram, and is betrayed, and then finds it in him to forgive his friend.)

Now which romantic and which platonic relationships spring from there, I'll leave to your indulgence. Personally, I'd like for Jenny to realize that a relationship with either is only ever going to be a fantasy. And for RamBheem, I want them to find a true friend in Jenny, beyond just her use as an ally. RamBheem themselves? Well, theirs is a bond forged in the heart of a star, born suspended over the Yamuna with an exploding train over their heads. Their souls and hearts are intertwined. Romantic readings are up to reader's discretion.

///

@rambheem-is-real @budugu @bromance-minus-the-b @hissterical-nyaan @obsessedtoafault @hufhkbgg @yehsahihai @rorapostsbl @fangirl-from-discord @fadedscarlets @alikokinav @chaotic-moonlight @rambheemisgoated @rambheemlove @jaganmaya @burningsheepcrown @lovingperfectionwonderland @rosayounan @iam-siriuslysher-lokid @thewinchestergirl1208 @dumdaradumdaradum @ronaldofandom @jjwolfesworld @jrntrtitties @kashpaymentsonly @jeonmahi1864 @stanleykubricks @m3gs1mps4a @tulodiscord @teddybat24 @sally-for-sally @ssabriel @jadebomani @stuckyandlarrystuff @veteran-fanperson @ohfuckoffpls @bheemaxrama @chaidrivenwhore @gifseafins @keyhunter04 @umbrulla

#rrr #rrr fanfic #rambheemjenny #my fic #my writing

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karusenka · 2 months

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Hello! Im so sorry if its not going to be perfect, I am not that much into hazbin hotel but I still wanted to do the matchup trade, I hope I will not dissapoint you! 😭 @imjustabeanie

I had a diffucilly time in who to choose, because my brain doesn't work however but after some time I decided that I will go with something more risky!

Adam!!

Okay I matched you with him because I know you and him would be the biggest menace to the society, please save anyone who will get in your way. At the first meeting he would already like you. Your looks and personality are just perfect for him! He loves your attitude (you better not be polite towards him...because you know, this bitch doesn't deserve that) He really likes your flirting and he will flirt back for sure... But in his way if you know what I mean (just him being an asshole like always)

Adam is also not a morning person, you both can just rot in bed for a while! I think your dates with him would be mostly eating junk food and watching some stupid shit together. I think when you both are laying on a bed when no one is around he would cuddle with you, but it would be messy. Also you both would play a lot of video games, but please watch out, he is good at them! So please destroy him when you play games with him to crush his ego a little bit! :3

Adam loves how brutally honest you are, it won't affect him and he will laugh at you every time you point out something about him "I don't care, bitch!" (only imagine him saying mean names to you if you are comfortable with it! You know how Adam is...)

I think the first time when you both meet each other would be hilarious. He starts to be mean to you (wow what a surprise) and you both just start to cuss at each other 😭😭 the funniest shit ever, I would watch while eating popcorn for sure. (he will eat something too while arguing with you for sure).

When it comes to opening up, well Adam doesn’t mind that you never do that, he is awful at comforting so you don’t have to be worried that he will pressure you into telling him your problems, I mean he might jokily ask you about them, but you don’t have to worry about him pressuring you into telling him anything about problems that you don’t want to share. He cares about you (wow him?? caring about anybody??) so he doesn’t want you to actually feel bad, well maybe he just likes to see you angry, but otherwise? Adam dislikes seeing you being sad and he will give you some free time for yourself.

He loves your recklessness since I bet you both would do stupid shit together and make other people annoyed! He will hype every bad idea you have. Like I said earlier you both are the menace to society! Also that’s good that you never take anything seriously because he is also like that! There is no way to get serious with him so, good for you! Or not…You know it's Adam so-

Surprise… I know this will be very shocking. It might sound ooc but believe me I am always right (/j) But like I said before, he cares about you, maybe he doesn’t show it but he does care! He will never admit to it or he will joke about it, but yeah, good luck with making him confess it! Overall his love for you bothers him, he hates it, he hates how love feels, Lute probably figured out that he is in love and you probably figured it out too, seeing how close he is to you, he is genuinely happy and loves the time that he spends time with you <3

#matchup #matching #hazbin hotel matchup #match up

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blissfullyapillow · 4 months

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Hello, this is somewhat-a-tsundere-anon! I’m back for another matchup request. (Seriously, they are so addicting for my delusions. You can’t do this to me D: )

Recently, I’ve been playing a bunch of Honkai: Star Rail so I’d to add the males of this game as an option along with the usual order (aka Genshin males). Choose whatever you feel like writing!

HSR men I’m majorly simping for: Aventurine, Dr. Ratio, Argenti, Luocha, Imbibitor Lunae, Jing Yuan, Caelus, Gepard.

Of course, take your time and you have the right to ignore this request. I hope you have a good day/night! <3

Signed,

~Somewhat-a-Tsundere-anon~ 💕

Notes: We meet again my lovely anon~ lol I always love seeing your name pop up in my inbox! Always a pleasure to write a matchup for you Somewhat-a-Tsundere-anon

♡(੭´͈ ᐜ `͈)੭ Song here~!

Masterlist

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

I match you with: Luocha

Credits: @blissfullyapillow

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

You two are definitely a power couple in my opinion. He absolutely gets a kick out of your brutal honesty and if anything he encourages it.

He has no qualms about being on the receiving end, he appreciates someone who can be upfront without beating around the bush.

He may or may not have joked about putting you in his coffin on multiple occasions, only to feel appallingly nonplussed when you use it as motivation for writing one of your stories.

You both are the biggest menaces together. Instead of encouraging you to resist your impulsive thoughts he encourages them and will even assist you. You have to take extra precautions to restrain yourself around him because he will not discourage you.

Initially, his demeanor surprises you. He’ll act all cool and reserved, only to slip a flower in your hair. You never feel it or even see it until you return home and find your reflection staring back at you, with a new addition adorning your hair.

The only time you’ll receive his honest disapproval is when you’re being too hard on yourself, rebut his compliments, or refuse to hold his hand (he genuinely becomes pouty and upset). Despite his obvious qualms (if you don’t hold his hand) he’ll respect your decision and will make it his personal mission to lift your mood before the day's end.

He’s one for spontaneous trips around the universe, if you’re up to it that is. If not, his final destination at a day’s end will always be by your side, unless he’s away and time does not permit it. In those cases, expect to be spammed via text. Constantly. Throughout the day. You’ve chastised him for this more often than not, only to get a smug little emoji in reply.

He’ll be head over heels for you if you volunteer to take care of his hair. Even if you simply ask to brush it, he’ll jubilantly sit before you and close his eyes as you focus on the task at hand.

He’s always fast asleep by the end of it, especially if you spend time combing your fingers through his blonde strands.

Oddly good at keeping you at bay and easing your worries.

If he’s feeling a little playful he may purposefully give you convoluted directions so he can watch you struggle to find your way. Not for long though! He’ll eagerly offer to help you find your destination, fully knowing there was no way you’d be able to clearly understand his directions. (Seriously, what does “The door on your right side before your left, after the fourth door past the third window” even mean!?)

He may not initially indulge in overly romantic gestures with you, but if you show obvious approval of them then he’ll go out of his way to do those gestures for you to show you that he cares.

Shockingly really soft with you, guiding you gently whenever you show signs of panic and/or concern about a situation. Offers the best advice as well, very wise and learned through his many experiences (some he may hesitate to divulge).

Together you two make for an adorable couple. Depending on the day you are easily the biggest headache for the people around you, but it’s charming and endearing in its own right so 98% of the time you two get away with it.

When you don’t?

Luocha’s got the both of you covered. You believe the coffin he carries around contributes to his outstanding persuasion skills.

ᐟᐟ☆₊˚⊹⋆

“And why do you believe I had anything to do with it?” Luocha hums, his obvious satisfaction radiates from him in waves; from his relaxed shoulders to the lazy way his eyes meet yours.

He’s currently situated in front of you, his head resting comfortably in your lap as you play with the long strands of his silky hair.

“Because I know you. All of those crazy things happened after you arrived on the Luofu and–” A sharp glint in his eyes and a lazy smirk are enough to steal all the air from your lungs.

You remain silent, choosing to admire his hair to avoid his knowing gaze.

“You’re as smart as I give you credit for. That’s my girl..” His words sound akin to a cat’s satisfied purr, and it takes everything in you to not combust on the spot.

“Th..Thank you…” You murmur the words as you finally meet his gaze once more. He winks at you, motioning with his hands to lower your head.

You oblige, only to emit a sound of surprise when his lips press firmly against yours.

Your eyes close as you relish the warmth that floods your body; his hand reaches up to gently brush his thumb against your cheek before he pulls away.

“I believe it’s well into the night now. Would you indulge me?” You’re a little confused, but with a swift nod of confirmation Luocha wastes no time in sitting up, changing positions so you now lie in his arms.

“Thank you.” The words are whispered against the shell of your ear before he leans back, bringing you with him.

You two wind up falling asleep in that position.

Just as Luocha planned it.

Dedicated to,

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ somewhat a tsundere anon ⁺˚⋆｡

#soothingmatchupsforthesoul #pillow'slovelyanon's<3

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snowshinobi · 2 years

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Brass & Sass is a webcomic about band kids and finding your passion and figuring out who's worth holding onto in the competitive hellscapes of teenagedom and the concert band scene. add love--friendships, romances, family bonds--in there and it's a lot to work through. this comic does a phenomenal job of cutting between multiple tangled threads of story, typing them together and threading them through one another. and what I love about it the most is how the narrative structure itself actively aids in healing its characters.

emotional abuse comes up a lot. abusive family structures in particular. in Rowan's case, he's trying to handle what seems like a solid case of depression along with schoolwork, shallow friendships, deciding what to do with his life, and of course ... constant and brutal bullying from his own family. He's curled up in his room for days, clearly tired to the bone, unmotivated to a noticably abnormal, unhealthy degree ... and his family just pile on the insults: he's lazy, he's useless, he's got all the opportunities his older brothers had and he's chosen to do absolutely nothing with that potential. Rowan's been hiding his fantasy books under his bed, away from critical eyes, since middle school. no wonder this guy numbs the world out, skipping school to cruise through the mall and half-heartedly showing up to every party. this guy needs something solid to hold onto, a forces that reaches back and holds onto him, for good measure. So when he meets noisy, determined, enthusiastic, genuine Cam, of course he wants to spend all his time with her. She feels things. Good things! She draws his younger, excitable self out of him like a magnet.

So they date. They run into fundamental differences in their personalities. They run into cases and cases of crushed and locked-tight baggage. They part ways, on Rowan's insistence, because it's not fair to Cam to ask her to cut back on all the things she's passionate about to spend more time with him. But it's equally unfair for Rowan to feel like "an afterthought" in another glowing person's life. He's been neglecting his younger self the same way Cam's been neglecting her beloved trumpet. So Rowan steps back from Cam to sit with Rohan—his younger self, a boy who still uses the name he would later trade for "Rowan" in order to buy acceptance from fatphobic, racist, bully classmates.

So at this point I'm fuckin crying, partly bc I'm proud of my emotionally competent boy, and partly because Rohan's giving up his spot on the main cast. Distancing himself from Cam and her intrepid pack of band weirdos means distancing himself from the main story. I'm not gonna see him as much anymore. And it's for the best! He's making the right choice! But out of necessity, the story will move on past him. I'll miss him.

... only, the story doesn't do that. Because this story loves every single one of its characters. Rohan struggles to believe that he deserves space to be unapologetically himself—the story knows this. So it gives him that space freely. He doesn't have to ask for it. He just gets it.

We watch Rohan visit the game store to treat himself to some nerd shit, we watch him take the initiative (roll (; ) to interview there, and we watch him chat with Aggie—his coworker and also the daughter of the guy who owns the place—about their mutual love for games. She brings up her plans to take a gap year so she can update the family store's stock, freshen up its image. We watch Rohan see himself in Aggie's dad's story about dropping out of college and finding a career that actually fulfilled him. We watch Rohan realize he can find his own way too.

None of this has anything directly to do with the band kids. Rohan's only intersection with the main cast is his friendship and brief romance with Cam. But the story checks on him anyway. The story makes a point of weaving in scenes at the game store. At Aggie and her dad's dining table, where Rohan had been invited to eat with them. We watch Rohan heal the same way we watch Cam and her buddies hone their musical craft. Why does Cam play trumpet? Because she wants to "be part of the magic of making music" or however she put it, I forget (; point is, she's not in this for a career. She's here because it's fun. Because it gives her purpose. Because fun can be a purpose people build their lives around—one purpose among many!

So it looks like Rohan's growing self-assurance, his greatly improved mental health, the surrogate family he has with Aggie and her dad, all thanks to him allowing himself to finally engage his passion for fantasy content ... these things are actually incredibly relevant to the main storyline. Rohan needed someone to help him see that fun can be a purpose. Cam did that. And the story knew that we, the readers, needed to see Rohan heal. Abandoning him, letting his storyline peter out after the breakup, would have been wrong—as in, it would've felt bad and it also would've been bad. Look at all this theme we would've missed out on! Look at all the inspiring, comforting growth we wouldn't have seen.

This is a story that cares for its characters, that takes the roundabout path to thematic resonance. It takes its time. It's generous. It treats its characters like people, and in so doing, this story cares for the actual humans reading it, too.

You see what's happening, right? The healing in the story, the healing that this narrative takes the time and space to build, blurs the boundary between story and self. Person and persona. When this story wraps a metaphorical arm around Rohan, it's also reaching out to me. You. Whoever's reading it. I made space for Rohan, the story says, and there are people who will make space for you too. There are people you can reach out to, even if you feel like it's not your place or it's too late. Nothing is ever over. Help is healthy. Fun is not only possible, but vital. Regenerative.

#phew ok having thoughts about how a text operates on a narrative level #how the text asks to be read ... mimesis ... irrealism ....#that class has forever changed hiw i read. thank fuckin god #snowswords #analysis #brass and sass #abuse mention #rowan #rohan

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justfandomtings · 3 years

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Character study of William murderface

Cw: child abuse, ptsd, trauma, internalized homopobia,ect.

Throughout the show, murderface has been presented as a shitty person that is untalented, leeches off of his friends/ fame, and honestly just seem to have gotten lucky when getting into dethklok.

Which is true, but I want to look in a little deeper why he's like this. (Note:this might be kinda head cannonish. I have some examples from the actual show but since we never got a deep backstory for murderface or get many murderface centric episodes I'll be filling in some empty spaces.)

Murderface in the show

Murderface is extremely self loathing and has had moments where he just goes so hard in on himself.

Season 1 episode 1

We see this in the very beginning when he refers to himself as the 'fat one.'

It could've been played off as a simple joke, which it was in the show for the audience watching. But in the show's universe and for the character, this will be an occurring thing.

This continues in

Season 1 episode 3

It's murderface's birthday and the boys throw murderface a party. During his party murderface is shown complaining and being stand-offish. You would think the last thing he would want is a party, yet he still sends out invites to his bandmates. (Note: noticed how the invites were sent right after murderface left the room? Idk it just seemed like he was embarrassed or scared his bandmates would laugh at him for wanting a birthday party. He even tried to act non chalant when the invite said "come if you want, who gives a piss." when they did throw him a party he still came)

When the boys pulled a little, kinda mean but harmless prank on him, literally giving him the gift of nothing. Murderface was fucking hurt, like genuine tears almost left this man's eyes when he come into his room to get his thing's and 'run away'.

Of course the boys did give murderface an actual gift, which honestly had a lot of thought and effort put into it. This makes murderface cry a tear. (Of blood but you know still a tear)

This is the example of the boy's showing they care for murderface. But even after this big gesture murderface will continue to believe the opposite.

The show continues and we get the first and honestly only backstory for murderface.

Season 1 episode 6

When the boys get a band therapist, we find out the tragic murder/suicide of murderface's parents. His father killing his mother then himself with a chainsaw, this whole thing happens while murderface as a baby sits in his highchair unaware while eating his cereal. This flashback makes murderface kinda sit there in shock as he pisses his pants.

(Note: murderface has said in the show that his appearance was the reason his parents are dead. If that really was the case, why didn't his father kill him or at least killed him after he killed his mother? Why did his father just kill his wife and himself? Never laying a single hand on murderface? Will get back to that later.)

Season 1 episode 9

Bringing up this episode may be confusing to some for bringing this up since it doesn't focus solely on murderface. He doesn't even get that much screen time this episode. But I would like to point out his actions in that episode.

In this episode the boys adopt a young teen boy they name fatty ding dong and raise him as their son for probably couple of weeks. While the boys all had their...interesting way of raising him. Murderface had the most physical fights with fatty ding dong. Mostly when we misbehaved. Like hitting him, shocking him non stop with a tazer, beating him for eating his civil war boots ect.

I just like to point out that murderface was raised by his grandparents. We'll come back to more of that later in the post.

Season 1 episode 11

The band gets reunited with their families and what we see from murderface and his family is that they are very violent towards each other. Murderface tries to choke his grandmother when looking in at her mouth as she chewed. Pickles and Nathan had to snap himself out of it, murderface apologized saying it was his fault for looking to deeply.

Like that was some kind of trigger from his past that made him black out and get violent.

He was also highly against buying his grandfather a wheelchair, only doing so because the boys agreed to be nice towards their family to get them to leave.

Even when they were spending time with each other, they never touched each other William kept his distance. Only ever touching if it was fight related.

In the same episode we see why, Stella was so physically abusive towards murderface, spraying fucking pepper spray into his eyes when he did..nothing? He wasn't aggressive or was even part of the issue. She just attacks him because she had to change his diapers?

This belittlement and physical abuse continues everytime they are together on screen.

So to bring back up season 1 episode 9. With how murderface treated fatty ding dong we can assume that's how we was being treated while under the care of his grandparents. Children soak up things like a sponge. Whether you think they remember it or not. Many psychological reports has shown that children will mimick and repeat behaviors and actions their caretakers do. If it's right or not, children will do things because that's what this adult dose. That's what they see at home. It's normal to them if that is the environment they grow in. Even if the child feels like something is off or wrong. They won't know exactly what is wrong or why because it's all they know.

So if this is how murderface was raised, which highly may be the case since we see Stella physically abuse murderface even as an adult. He might have actually thought this is how you raise a child, this is what you do to a child when they misbehaved. Nobody in his life has corrected murderface or explain to him that this way of discipline isn't ok or even discipline to begin with, it is abuse.

So, we are to believe with the information we have now. Is that murderface was most likely abused as a child, probably all the way up till he was able to get away from them and join dethklok.

With this information we can apply this to his behavior in the show. A side effect from child abuse is suicidal behavior. Throughout the show Murderface would now and then casually commit about hurting or killing himself.

Season 1 episode 2

Murderface casually states if it'll be brutal enough for him to just take his life after Nathan deltes another record. Or when the boys kindly ask him to stop eating beans, he gets oddly emotional and says he'll just starve to death then.

Another effect from child abuse is eating disorders and obesity.

You already know this a big part of murderface's character. There are times where he's seen constantly eating junk food, to eating nothing and just drinking coffee, to the doctor pointing out the back of his teeth are decaying. And murderface informs him it's from throwing up his food.

He also gets teased for his weight being called chubby and fat, ect. Murderface has a hard time with his weight, his excessive eating may even be seen as an unhealthy coping mechanism.

Other effects such as aggressive behavior, low self esteem, dissociation, ect. Is also shown within the show.

Season 1 episode 15

Murderface gets into a motorcycle accident and is sent into the hospital. This near death experience gets him on a religious journey. Maybe to find answers to certain questions or possibly wondering where he was going to go if he did die? Is he a good person, why do certain things happen to people, what's the meaning of life?

He asked the guys if he really deserved to live. Does he really deserve to be brought onto this world, being a part of a pretty good and rare type of life.

The boys being emotionally closed off don't really answer his question. They honestly brush it off but they do go along with murderface on his spiritual journey.

He eventually chooses no religion, but I feel that near death experience stuck with him. He either decided that life was too short so might as well live it, or a more cynical view on life. That it's meaningless then who cares if he died?

Season 2 episode 11

This is probably an episode where murderface was the most sad and self loathing. (This and another episode I can't wait to get to) after his concert, he felt pretty shitty with the outcome and had lead him to feel that he does not deserve the life he has now and wonders why he even shows his face. Just wanting the spot light for one.

Which is really interesting. Because comparing season 1 with the other 3. Murderface in season one had...fans. There were people who genuinely liked him. The prime example is his birthday episode.

When he had a solo, just like in season 2 episode 11. People were cheering his name. Practically screaming at the rooftops for him. So what happened?

We already know that murderface is the least liked member of the band, but even then he still had fans. Hell people committed terrorists attacks just for him on his birthday.

Maybe it was just a loud minority? Who knows, but if in the show as time went on less and less people had him as his favorite or even just liked him would probably get him really insecure.

After the concert failure, Charles let's him host a Nas car event. Which I'd think would've gone actually well if you know, the dethklok curse wasn't a thing.

Also as murderface was planning the event people around him didn't really support him or help him out. Which is mostly murderface's fault, he has a lack of focus and doesn't really plan things through. This is a good reason for partners and others outside wanting to work with dethklok not want to work with murderface. It costs money and a lot of time to do all the things related to dethklok. And murderface's flakeyness is a valid reason for business and others to not have faith in him when related to these things.

BUT! (This is a little bit of projection here) as someone who also has a lack of focus and hard time to get things done. That doesn't mean I don't want to do said thing, that doesn't mean I want to waste others time. I simply have a hard time focusing, I need structure and that little reminder to get things done. But the difference between me and murderface is that I'm not a billionaire.

I am not apart of a popular metal band, with all the money in the world, with a manager that will clean up every little mess I make.

I have more risk, whatever I fuck up will effect me. I will suffer the consequences. Murderface won't. (Also he's a fictional character..so reality won't have any affect on him lol)

But yea, I believe if murderface would suffer from his consequences then he'd be a bit more on things. Also I feel murderface's mental health issues play a huge role in things.

His fear that he's not good enough, eating disorders, ect. Can really mess up your focus.

So, now to the infamous episode. Dethvanity.

Season 4 episode 8

In this episode Murderface in nominated for the most brutal looking award and this. Fucks. Him. Up.

So much so that he actually hallucinates his bandmates and Charles calling him ugly and other things that they never even said.

When he goes to the plastic surgeon, he tells him. A complete stranger, that he hates himself. For murderface to actually admit this deep issue that he's been keeping deep down. For him to show vulnerability to a stranger is pretty sad.

When he goes to Nathan to borrow money, he tells a story of a 'boy' that was so ugly that he's driven his parents to murder suicide. Again he's calling himself ugly and blaming himself for his parents death. (Were going to get back to that too.)

After murderface gets the surgery he days dream about what would happen if he was beautiful. Finally being accepted and able to say fuck you to all those that were shit to him.

Of course, it doesn't end like that. He's face gets infected and is even more ugly than before.

This episode was pretty messed up. Murderface didn't get what he thought would give him validation, he looks down on himself more, and he is humiliated front of 100s of people.

This whole shit show probably validated all the negative thoughts he had for himself.

Next we'll talk about his internalized homopobia. Murderface...is definitely..not straight. He's not gay either he does have sexual attraction to women but his uncomfortably and very interesting moments and visions say he might like more than just that.

Season 2 episode 5

Murderface has a weird thing with eating 'penis' shaped objects or watching other eating said shaped objects.

He has a lot of weird moments where he gets really close to one of his bandmates and just whispers something in their ear. Specifically Pickles and Skwisgaar.

He just said fuck it and tried to bang toki while they were in the submarine.

Had hallucinations of cutting between women, men, animals, even his own grandmother and was distraught when he had a small moment of admitting he way gay.

There's no real specific reason why or how murderface is this scared of being gay. But I feel it may also be with how he grew up. He was probably been told it was wrong to be gay and how immoral it was to like men and you'll burn in hell if you do. Also being gay wouldn't be 'brutal' or 'manly'.

And not to shit on metal heads but you know. They're not the...most..exclusive group of people.

I think murderface is scared to accept he's gay because his grandparents made him feel he would be a bad person if he was or get kicked out of the band if he was.

So, after all I laid on the table, let's wrap this up. Back to the blaming himself of his parents deth. I believe, Williams parents didn't kill/murder themselves because he has ugly. I like to think the opposite, I believe his parents actually dearly cared for him. I think his father had some serious mental issues or something else pushed him over the edge.

It could be anything really, maybe his dad was crazy, maybe it had something to do with the curse. I like to think they both cared for him his dad just..idk snapped.

I'm assuming murderface's grandparents are his dads parents. And seeing how they treated murderface they most definitely treated his dad the same.

Or, it wasn't murder/suicide at all. Buckle in because it's all tv theory over here. I have a hard time to believe that murderface remembered, in such detail in fact. How his parents died, in the flashback he looks to be 7 to 8 months? Traumatic event yes, but there's no way a baby can remember such a thing.

I think, Stella lied to murderface about how his parents died. I think it was just some evil twisted thing she said to make murderface feel terrible about himself. His parents probably unfortunately died in say a car accident or health related issues. But the main thing is how guilty murderface feels, how terrible he feels that he thinks he was the reason he killed his parents when that's far from the truth.

It was either an unfortunate accident or his father killing themselves. But it is not murderface's fault.

The physical abuse from his grandparents, the guilt of believing he's the reason for his parents death, his aggressive internalized homopobia, lack of support, the bullying from his bandmates, body issues/eating disorder, and it just keeps going.

It's no fucking wonder why the man is like this. Don't get me wrong, murderface is an asshole and is responsible for most of his actions.

But that's still a lot of shit for someone to go through.

That's all I have, this is really long. But I hoped you like this little thread. There's still more to his character but this is long enough.

#metalocalypse #william murderface #dethklok

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kaizokuou-ni-naru · 3 years

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The Voyage So Far: East Blue (Part One)

east blue (1 | 2) || alabasta (1 | 2) || skypiea || water 7 || enies lobby || thriller bark || paramount war (1 | 2) || fishman island || punk hazard || dressrosa (1 | 2) || whole cake island || wano (1 | 2)

so!! hey folks. as i’ve mentioned before, to mark the upcoming chapter 1000 (holy shit!!) as well as my blog’s first anniversary this december, i decided it would be a good time to go back and put together some highlight reel posts of my favorite panels/moments/scenes from each saga and some commentary about what i think the best parts of each arc and the series as a whole are and why, as a celebration of just how far one piece has come and how many fantastic moments we've had so far!

this will be quite a series of rather long posts- they’ll all be tagged #the voyage so far, if you’d like to avoid this messy retrospective. i'll be posting one saga a day each day until chapter 1000's official release on january 3rd!

honestly, i’m opening with this panel because it has a special place in my heart: i’m pretty sure it was the first time that one piece ever made me laugh.

the entire prologue does a really good job of setting up the tone for the entire rest of the story. i think i haven’t really written much about it before, but i really love romance dawn. it hits the exact mix of humorous and serious that’s practically one piece’s trademark tone, and introduces us to some of the main themes of the series: inherited will especially, and the theme of freedom, and the idea of betting your life for what you love.

technically this isn’t the first time we see luffy as an adult- he punches out the sea king before this- but it is his formal introduction, as well as (in the chapter title) the first time he’s referred to as strawhat luffy/mugiwara no luffy.

i really like a lot of these very early panels of luffy, really. i’m a writing person, not an art person, so i can’t really explain why, but there’s something about how he’s drawn that i think is just delightful for some reason. i like the earlier one piece art a whole lot in general, even though it’s often much less intricate and more simple than the current artstyle (which is not by any means bad either!! it’s just different). i think it fits the atmosphere of the start of the story very well- a journey just starting out.

he’s going to be pirate king!!

i’ve complained before about how zoro’s backstory doesn’t really hit the way a lot of the others do, mostly because it goes so fast, and kuina’s death is unfortunately the closest the series comes to fridging, but- that said, i do really like the core of it. i really like zoro being motivated by a promise to the one friend and rival he could never beat, and i love how this moment is what he cites later on while facing mihawk: a promise to a friend.

i love all the strawhats and their dynamics, and seeing the crew grow and develop and become a family over the course of hundreds of chapters is one of the great joys of one piece, but i think i’ll always have a soft spot for luffy and zoro’s relationship. there’s never really any conflict between them after their very first meeting; there’s loyalty and dedication and understanding there that starts from this moment and never really wavers.

it makes me grin to see the two of them, here at the start of it all. they don’t have a flag or a ship or a destination, yet, but this is the start of the strawhat pirates.

this series will probably reveal that i have a great weakness for group shots, and i think oda is particularly good at them- especially in these earlier arcs, you can usually see every character’s personality and feelings coming through in how they’re placed and what they’re doing.

i had actually forgotten that usopp did this, and while i know kuro was egging him on on purpose, i feel like he doesn’t get enough credit for being a reckless idiot sometimes. there’s a reason he fits in as a strawhat, after all, even if he himself isn’t always aware of it.

this is a lovely panel just on its own, but i think it (and all the other appearances of sunrise and dawn in the story) hits different now, with all the 'coming dawn’ theming that’s been established in recent arcs.

oda often absolutely nails his use of negative space to emphasize heavy little moments like this, and i for one absolutely love it. this one in particular gets me in the heart.

i like how you can reread some of these early arcs and see nami’s affection for the crew growing in little moments like these, and it’s very sweet, but there’s also a quiet kind of sadness in knowing she’s spending the whole time knowing she’s going to have to betray and leave them eventually.

i LOVE the new crewmate toasts. they all always look so happy.

also, in my opinion, this is the first time the strawhat pirates feel like a proper crew. they have a SHIP now! and just after this, they get their jolly roger to seal the deal.

it is my opinion that sanji has one of the best character introductions i’ve ever seen. in just a few chapters we know just about everything we need to know about him: he's not to be fucked with, he has extremely high respect for food and absolutely none for morons, and the first genuine smile we see from him is when he gives a free meal to a starving man.

i think about this moment a lot, really. luffy knows almost nothing about sanji at this point. he hasn’t tasted his food- he doesn’t even know his name. but he’s seen sanji give free food to gin for no other reason than that he’s hungry and it’s right, and that’s all it takes for luffy to decide that sanji is gonna be his cook.

baratie is mostly a serious arc (and leads into the even more serious arlong park), but it has some really good funny moments towards the start and this is one of them. you know they’re friends because they all just start roasting luffy without sympathy or hesitation.

i’ve mentioned before that the zoro and mihawk fight was one of the big things that hooked me on one piece (the other being sanji’s backstory), but the way it ends, especially, is one of my favorite moments in the whole series. i love,, strawhat loyalty moments. carve “any complaints, pirate king?” on my fucking grave.

sanji has a lot of really great action panels in this arc, but this is one of my favorites mostly because his combat abilities are being revealed to the audience at the same time they’re revealed to a lot of the characters watching. i can’t remember who pointed it out but sanji’s character design (especially pre-timeskip) just really looks like he’s designed for kicking- shiny black shoes, about 70% leg- and it really shows in panels like this.

sanji and zeff’s chronic inability to communicate is kind of the emotional core of baratie, and i think sanji calling the restaurant zeff’s treasure sums up the entire conflict between them very neatly. of course zeff values sanji way more than the restaurant, but zeff will never tell that to his face and sanji has negative zero self-worth so he’s never going to figure it out on his own. so they’re basically in a stalemate.

sanji’s backstory is absolutely brutal. we spend a truly agonizing amount of time literally just watching him slowly starve to death. it’s no secret that oda is really amazing at backstories, but i think sanji’s is probably one of the most effective at driving home exactly where his very specific mindset as an adult comes from. it’s hard to even read this section and not come away with at least a little more appreciation for food.

(to be continued in east blue part two!)

#the voyage so far #one piece #opmeta #arc: romance dawn #arc: syrup village #arc: baratie #not japanese #long post

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alfredosauce50 · 3 years

Note

would you be down to do 2p china hc’s? im very curious on how you characterize him!

I’m down! I’m guessing you figured I had my own interpretation of the guy after I answered an ask saying I’d write for him. I really like 2p! China as a character, but I have to say, I haven’t properly written for him before. Nevertheless, I’ll give you my thoughts on him as a person!

2p! China Headcanons

Zao’s appearance doesn’t give away much of his personality. He’s got a bit of a baby face, and he has a sociable and pleasant demeanor for the most part. So if you didn’t know him well enough to see past those traits, you would be surprised at how shady he can be.

Appearance

Like his 1p counterpart, his dark brown hair goes past his shoulders and is tied back in a low ponytail. It’s pretty thin too, so it stays flat against his back. But that’s what makes it look so good. He isn’t the tallest guy out there, as he stands around 170cm or 5′7″. Doesn’t mean you can easily take him out in a fight, though. He’s quite slender, but he’s muscular and knows a few martial arts to boot.

He has a lot of tattoos, and he doesn’t try to hide them. He has dragons curling down his arms, as well as Chinese characters etched into his back. Most of the time, he wears traditional clothing, such as a sleeveless Tang suit, so his arms are exposed. It’s almost as if the colors black and red were made for him. And he knows it. So unless he’s having a bad day where he’ll go for a simple T-shirt, he likes to dress to impress. Not that he even needs to try.

He’s devilishly attractive, and the way he talks gets girls flocking to him.

Personality

Zao is very easy-going and open-minded. He’ll talk about anything with anyone. Everything is fascinating in a way, and nothing seems to faze him either. So he’s the type to question the most trivial things in life--or list drugs as casually as you would your favorite candy bars. It’s also difficult to shock him, or anger him. When life deals him a bad hand, or springs up inconveniences, he’ll go with the flow because that’s life. So unless something involves the person he likes, he keeps himself pretty level-headed.

With his willingness to talk about anything, comes his brutal honesty and bluntness. So sometimes, he’ll find himself offending people even if he never meant to. If he does this to women, they’ll slap him before storming off, leaving him in confusion at what he did wrong. But if he does this to men, he’ll have to be quick on his feet to escape a potential fight. Unlike a few other 2ps, he has a good temperament so he avoids violence, but he’ll resort to it if he absolutely has to.

Despite the careers he’s depicted to have, like being a drug-dealer, something in adult entertainment, night-life, or anything illegal, he has strong fraternal instincts. If somebody embodied the “big brother” trope, it would be him. He cares a lot for his younger siblings, and they look up to him as a role model. But he’ll always tell them, “Do as I say, not as I do!” As comfortable as he is in his own skin, his own identity, he wouldn’t want them taking after him.

He’s very flirtatious, and a huge tease. How he shows he likes you is through making you blush, or embarrassed. He’ll call you pet names. Shower you with compliments. Refer to you as if you and him are already an item. If you bumped into him at a grocery store, he’ll help you shop, then say, “So, is that all we need? I can’t wait for dinner tonight.” Zao is also unapologetically dirty-minded. He’s all about dirty jokes, conversations, and gestures. The bigger reaction he gets, the more addicting they are.

He doesn’t have any qualifications, not even a high school diploma, but he’s street-smart to make up for it. That’s how he makes so many connections and hustles his way up to the top in shady businesses. If you need something, anything, legal or illegal, expensive or cheap, you can ask him, and 99% of the time, he’ll say, “I know a guy.” If he likes you, all he wants in return is something perverted. A kiss, maybe. Or maybe your underwear.

Interests

He loves anything cute, and he doesn’t hide it. Sanrio is a must--he keeps a collection of their plushies, most of them being Hello Kitty, but he also likes other characters such as Cinnamoroll and Pompompurin. Sometimes, he can get a bit obsessive over whatever sells fast. So if he has to, he’ll stay up and keep refreshing the page selling whatever he has his eyes on. If he’s infamous for his connections that let him get pretty much anything he wants, surely he can get his hands on the limited-edition Hello Kitty-themed towel, right!? He isn’t against having other kinds of merchandise either, like household items, but he keeps it lowkey for functionality.

In his house, you’ll find a lot of imports from East-Asian countries. Not only is he used to using them when he was back in China, they’re better than what you can find in America. Or at least, in his opinion. This includes cosmetics, snacks, alcohol, and decorations.

Although he doesn’t have a lot of time to, he enjoys watching anime. That’s why he makes sure to get through the most popular and mainstream ones first.

Zao likes to keep connected with his culture. He doesn’t care to assimilate, and being ‘different’ doesn’t bother him at all--he thinks it’s what gives him a unique personality and background. Since he doesn’t have a lot of friends to speak Mandarin with, he’ll look for his neighbors who can, and strike up a conversation every now and then. As well as that, he’ll give his siblings red pockets for Chinese New Year so they can spend it on food, videogames or whatever they want.

He can’t cook for shit. Even then, he has strong opinions on food, especially Chinese. While he enjoys westernised take out like Panda express, he wishes people would stop assuming Chinese cuisine is just dumplings, fried rice, noodles and yum cha. They’re B-tier at best. For a country with that rich and long a history, there’s so much more to indulge in. Too bad he can’t make anything if he tried.

Psychology + romance

Zao is used to being a second choice. His cheerfulness and bluntness make other people think he’s creepy or weird, so he can’t quite wrap his head around somebody liking him to that degree--or getting particularly close to him. At least, emotionally. There are a lot of girls who want him for one-night stands. But this doesn’t stop him from flirting with someone he genuinely likes, even if he doesn’t expect anything in return. It’s fun because they get flustered, after all. But when they start returning the same energy, get persistent, or even make him suspect that they like him back, he will get nervous. He’s used to being the chaser, not the other way around. So if the tables turn and things start getting real, he will back away.

As confident as he is with his image, it’s difficult for him to get intimate with somebody romantically. He’s open, but can’t be vulnerable. He’d rather keep things casual, so when he really falls for someone, he’ll be conflicted between keeping things the way they are, or pursuing them.

Eventually, these feelings will deepen to the point being just friends becomes suffocating. That’s when Zao loses his cool and gets frustrated. It could happen due to a build-up of his emotions, or an event that makes him explode from jealousy. He’ll get desperate after so long of not doing anything and make it very clear he wants you. “Just date me already!”

When he finally gets together with you, prepare to be coddled. He’ll want to help you with anything the best way he can, and go to extreme lengths to do so. Nothing seems extreme when it’s for somebody he cares so much about. While he never holds it against you--how much he does for you--he may or may not guilt trip you into giving him more affection. But only subtly. Instead of him kissing you, he'll loiter around your presence until you kiss him. And when you do, he’ll smile like an idiot.

He never makes it explicit when he wants to take you out on a date. Zao will just ask you if you’re free, and take you out for the night. He doesn’t see a point in labelling it as a ‘date’, because he doesn’t just see quality time with you through a romantic and sexual lens. He values the friendship aspect of it as well, and you really appreciate him for it.

Zao loves to cuddle. He doesn’t hug you much throughout the day, but when you’re at home and about to sleep, he will hug you, a lot. He won’t let go while he talks to you, and will only loosen his coils when you fall asleep.

Acknowledgements

I was mainly inspired by the 2p! China in the story, “Dragon District”, written by xYourHero. So props to them. The fandom’s perception of him has definitely deepened because of it, and it’s great seeing underrated 2ps finally getting the attention they deserve! I’m one of the people who’s had my characterization of Zao take after hers, so I’ll also be crediting her for my headcanons.

You can find the story on DeviantArt, Archive of our own and Wattpad. I adored that fic back in the day. Such good memories. I wasn’t even writing back when I was reading it. Any who, let’s get right into it. I’ve divided the headcanons into subcategories, appearance, personality, interests, and psychology + romance.

(Look at this fanart is by Amphany on DeviantArt. It was drawn for xYourHero. I’m gonna put it here for reference. https://www.deviantart.com/amphany/art/Dragon-smoke-548426383)

#hetalia #hetalia headcanons #2ptalia #2p!china #2p china #2p china headcanons #2ptalia x reader #2pchina x reader #axis powers hetalia #Axis powers ヘタリア #hetalia fanfiction #hetalia fanfic #alfredosauce50 #ask

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softielaces · 3 years

Text

The day is finally here, the day that Luca and Guilia are arriving home from school. The whole crew awaits their arrival on the train platform. Well, almost everyone.

Chapter 2

*All speech will be colored according to the speaker. The colors are as follows: Luca, Guilia, Massimo, Mr. and Mrs. Paguro, Alberto, other characters.

**Warnings: Brief cursing**

"Shit! Fuck! Dammit!" Alberto runs down the crowded streets of Portorosso, tiny pebbles biting the soles of his feet like little needles, arms flailing through the air like he's hailing a taxi cab, cheeks beat red from the brutal sun.

Alberto does realize it's late. Not only is it late, it's very late. He was supposed to meet Massimo at the house over two hours ago to pick up Luca and Guilia from the train station but, as it often does, time got away from him. He swears the last time he looked at the clock, it was 9 AM and he practically had half the day to waste before meeting Massimo.

Now he's running, and he's running fast, maybe faster than he's ever run before. He's halfway across town, a 25-minute walk but at the pace he's going, a 7-minute run.

He was trying, really trying, to do it right this time. He made his way down to the florist with the intention of picking out some flowers to give to Luca upon his return, but he spent too long deciding, contemplating, catastrophizing and now he's got a headache, a bitter taste in his mouth, and no flowers for his best friend. Not to mention, he's 2 hours late with nothing to show for it.

"Woah, woah, woah, slow your roll, sea monster." Ercole laughs loudly as Alberto turns the corner of the town square.

Alberto doesn't have time to entertain Ercole today and he knows it, but he also knows Ercole won't leave him alone and let him go without at least a response.

"Out my way, Ercole. I don't have time for this." Alberto uses the opportunity to catch his breath, gather himself a little before making the last stretch to the house.

"Easy, 'beto, wouldn't want you to bite me. After all, isn't it true that sea monsters kill humans?"

It burns Alberto's skin when people say things like that about him, about his people, about Luca.

"No, we don't. Not unless they deserve it."

Ercole laughs and looks Alberto up and down, only just noticing the disheveled fashion of his hair, his clothes, his character. It was so unlike him.

"Where are you going?" He asks genuinely, through a thick accent.

"Luca."

"He's back from Genoa?"

"Yes, and I'm late." Alberto takes another look at his watch.

Ercole dismisses Alberto with a flick of his wrist. Alberto turns away immediately, grateful to be back on the way to the one person he's been looking forward to seeing all year.

He reaches to tuck a loose strand of curly brown hair behind his ear before realizing he can't remember the last time he cut his hair. Did he look like he hadn't been taking care of himself? Would Luca think he was sloppy? Lazy?

He isn't- Alberto takes a lot of pride in his appearance. He started wearing sunscreen, polishes his nails on occasion, and even irons the wrinkles out of his clothes! He guesses he just hasn't been paying as much attention to his hair recently, having never really having to worry about cutting his hair before. For whatever reason, maybe the fact that he's human almost exclusively now, his hair has been growing at an alarming rate. It's really odd, actually. He wonders if Luca will notice, if Luca will point it out. He hopes he doesn't.

Lost in thought and a little taken over by heat exhaustion, Alberto didn't even realize he was standing on the front porch, gasping for air, sweat coating his freckled cheeks, his nose, every part of his back. He tries to pull himself together quickly, not wanting to waste any more time, but also not wanting to walk in looking a mess.

"I just swear I heard-"

Luca pushes open the front door, eyes wide and youthful, a smile slowly spreading across his blushing face.

Alberto stands with one hand still working out a knot in his hair and the other on his hip with his ring finger hooked on his belt loop. His eyes just as wide as Luca's, he bites his lip.

He quickly removes his hands and places them politely by his sides, like he had meant to do the first time.

"Luca, I-" Alberto tries to explain, tries to fix it, tries to make it better.

"'Beto!" The smaller boy exclaims before jumping into Alberto's arms.

Immediately, the heat of the sun on his exposed skin doesn't feel so warm to Alberto. He notices how weird this feels now, how he feels so warm on the inside, like some frozen part of him is melting. This is everything he didn't realize was missing. Luca being here, saying his name, being in his arms, safe from the world, it's everything.

Alberto breathes in the scent of Luca's hair, sea salt, lavender, and mint. He tries to dissect every part of this moment, wanting to remember, needing to savor.

"Luca." Alberto all but sighs into Luca's ear, the breath on his ear making Luca giggle and pull away.

Luca stares at Alberto and Alberto's not quite sure if he's waiting for something or if he's just taking it all in, but the pleased look on his face suggests the ladder. His eyes soften when he looks at him, his lips upturn, and his cheeks glow a deep shade of pink. This makes Alberto smile, just knowing Luca's here, Luca's with him, and Luca's happy.

There's a sort of lightness in the air, everything Alberto had been worried about, all the things he's done wrong, every moment he had to spend alone- it all melts away when Luca smiles at him like that.

"I can't believe it's been 8 months. It's like...it's like I never left."

Luca's eyes pass over every part of Alberto, his eyes, his smile, his curly hair, the glisten of sweat on his skin, trying to make sure he's real, that this is real, that this time he's not going anywhere.

Luca knows, for all realistic purposes, that he's the one that left, but it didn't feel that way. It felt like when he stepped off of that platform in Genoa, a part of him was missing, was back home in Portorosso. Like the parts of himself he loved the most weren't there anymore, and being here with Alberto again after so long, he knows what it means.

Sure, he recognized his feelings for Alberto a long time ago but he guesses he never really realized the depth of those feelings. He knows, standing across from Alberto with this huge goofy grin on his face, that he loves him.

"Luca?" Alberto places a hand on his friend's shoulder.

That's when Luca realizes that Alberto had been talking the whole time and he had missed just about...all of it.

"Did you even hear anything I just said?" Alberto laughs, pushing Luca playfully.

Luca laughs, too, and admires that adorable contagious laugh Alberto has.

Luca shakes his head and Alberto smiles and throws an arm around the smaller boy.

"Welcome home, Angioletto."

#luberto #luca x alberto #luca movie #pixar luca #gay

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kusagrasskusa · 3 years

Text

Yandere Simulator Delinquents.

They're basically copy and paste. Sooo here's my version of them for future reference! I got too excited writing the last one lol- It's been a while since I've been to inspired to write. This is a nice feeling uvu

Umeji Kizuguchi - Yellow guy

He has blonde, previously pink, hair and golden eyes. He wears a yellow shirt under unbuttoned blazer and carries a baseball bat around. He has a scar over his right eye. Umeji is Oroso right hand man and takes over position while she's gone; these are the cannon versions of him and all that's said.

This is my fannon version of him: He was hurt the most during the bullying and therefore the most fearful of pain. He flinches when touched and gets pissed instantly. He's the most cold and aggressive out of the five and it helped him keep him as the most feared of the delinquents. He works out daily, therefore having a good build and likes bitter foods rather than sweets. He'a quite ignorant and refuses to share his likes out of fear of being judged. He still feels depression but now faces more anxiety than anything. He often cries about it late at night.

But despite his depression, he's so determined to stay as a threat to many. It's the kist alive he's ever felt. He's somewhat narcissistic and has both an inferiority and superiority complex, actually. Sensitive to touch and criticism but damn his ego is big. He uses his strength and speed as another threat to fellow students, to let them know that if they mess up then he'll catch and hurt them.

His home life isn't fun. Parents maybe fighting here and there or gone for work or something. It wasn't abusive in any way or anything; in fact, they get along well when they're together. It's just the parents weren't attentive. As Umeji puts it, "My mom, dad, bless their hearts, but they aren't great." They tend to brush things off quickly and spend too much time to themselves.

Dairoku Surikizu - Blue manz

He has blonde, previously blue, hair and blue eyes. He wears a blue shirt under an unbuttoned blazer and carries around a boten or some shit, idk I couldn't figure it out. He has a scar on his lip and from Mulberry's art, it looks like he's the tallest of the group.

Fannonly, he's the most anxious of the group. He never talks about it to anyone but Hokuto, who brushes it off. Dairoku got his scar a long time ago when his parents were agruing; he hid under his bed when he was nine and started to cry. To calm himself, he started to bite his lip and scratch himself on the forearms and face to calm himself down. He cut himself in the process badly and tried to hide it from his parents so he didn't get yelled at.

His home life wasn't too bad either; his dad left the family not long after that incident when he was nine so his mom has to take on the roles of two people. She never has time for him so the other delinquents make him feel so happy. He likes- no, loves to talk to them but tries to look sketchy in the process.

Hokuto Furukizu - Purple manz

He has blonde, previously golden, hair and purple eyes. From Mulberry's art, he seems to be the second tallest, but very close to Dairoku. He carried around a metal pipe and wears a purple shirt under his opened blazer. He has a scar on his cheek too btw.

Fannonly, he talks most to Dairoku. He usually brushed off what he says, but relates to him most. Of the 5, he desperately wants to be normal and free the most. He was well popular in middle school but his anger once got the best of him and a fight caused him to lose a lot of his reputation. It just got worse as time went on however; but he misses those days so much.

His scare on his cheek came from the fight and serves as a curse mark to him; "The day they ruined my life." He hates looking at it and gets pissed off when people even look at it. He's always been hot headed but his physical appearance is his number one insecurity. Hokuto's homelife is normal and he's goodboi at home. Cleans, cooks sometimes, has an equally good relationship with his mom as he does his dad.

He managed to convince them that his new appearance and signs of depression from last year was just influence from ex friends. Eventually they just took his word for it despite how terrible of a lie that is, so they stopped asking.

Gaku Hikitsuri - Red guyz

According to Mulberry's art, the blonde who once had light blue hair and red eyes is the second tallest. He has a scar on his forehead and carried around a crowbar. His shirt is red and under, you guessed it, an unbuttoned blazer.

He's a genuine tsundere; the angriest of the group. He easily crushes on people like a simp and gets nervous easily, so he acts all defensive and aggressive around them especially. Other than Umeji, he's the quickest to shove people around and assert his position. But for the most part, he intentionally shoves and shoulder checks people he finds attractive or who he thinks is superior than him, which is a lot of people.

He suffers from an inferiority complex that makes him think everyone judges him behind his back and talks about him especially. Therefore, he's the loudest and quickest to insults; he's also very self conscious. He's scared to make noise in class, talk, eat in front of people, and others because he's scared to be judged. Because as long as nothing is brought to the table, there's nothing to judge. His scar was actually from Kokoro, the bully who's just a sadist according to the character files from Yandev, who got pissed at him defending himself and hit him down with a ring. He got cut badly and almost passed out from the hit; but hey, it's not like he can do anything about since she's a girl, and he'd be expelled instantly. The bitch even resulted him with a broken arm at some point.

Home life isn't great; rundown trailerpark, alcoholic dad and whole of a step mom, dead mom, things like that. Damn, if only he got more than a mattress on the floor, a cover, pillow, dresser filled with all his clothes and school supplies to live on. But he can't even get a job without his scar making people think he's worse than what his persona displays.

Hayanari Tsumeato - Grey manz

The grey eyed, blonde hair man with natural red hair who carries around a lead pipe is Hayanari, who's last name "Tsumeato" means scratch mark. He has a grey shirt under his unbuttoned blazer and a scar over his nose.

Fannonly, he was the one with the no fucks given attitude. He was usually straight faced and brutally honest when talking to people, but wasn't necessarily judgemental. It's hard to explain but just because he says, "damn Daniel, you're built like a carrot," doesn't mean he cares about his appearance, even if whoever tf Daniel is actually looks like a carrot or not. He was the daredevil who did things solely for his entertainment.

In a way, it was almost sociopathic or narcissistic; he'd be fine with embarrassing someone in front of anyone because it got a smile our of him. If someone complained, he'd roll his eyes and convince whoever that they were overreacting and that they were the one at fault. He's very manipulative and sarcastic, usually just smiling cockily and speaking innocently. Kinda emo, but he wasn't against that title. He actually liked the occult and for the most part, was down for anything that didn't have too much time needed, like school or family.

He was in the middle of everything; okay with cooking, occult, art, science, reading, anine and games, so there wasn't much a person can dislike him for in terms of social standards. He wasn't appart of a dislikes group like the occult kids or science kids, not with a loved group like cooking or art kids. But when he started to express a bit of interest in the occult was when people could finally pin him down and bully him back for all those insulting jokes that sounded way too serious. And before he knew it, he got wrapped up in the hate and couldn't get himself free.

Home life is something he never, not even to his fellow delinquents, never talks about. But one thing worth noting is that he's never seen without a long sleeved shirt or jacket of some kind. He used to pass out time to time during gym classes because he was overheated due to bringing a long sleeved version of the gym shirt to school and never drank anything. When his parents were called, they always insisted on saying they'll do something about it but they never did, either. The delinquents do think there's some kind of abuse at his house; besides, Hayanari is adopted and those things happen often even if it's more common in the foster system.

His family is something he never talks about. Back in middle school, his friends were able to see his "parents" time to time when they picked him up from school. It was immediately obvious that he wasn't related to them; hell, he rarely called them mom or dad. At home, until adopted, was great. Friends coming over, happy family moments, being able to play games and use electronics, things like that. But when he was adopted was when it wouldn't be easy to just tell someone what was to come; quite obviously, it was abuse. Verbal and physical, nearly everyday. It was worse in the beginning but happened less often as he got older.

His "mom" would call the police a few times him because she felt "threatened." She hit him so he would hit back and yell while doing so, so she has evidence of an attack. But luckily, her skin isn't sensitive enough to show any marks unlike Hayanari's. Other times, his "dad" would get involved and hurt him badly.

#fannon #backstory #yandere simulator #umeji kizuguchi #hayanari tsumeato #dairoku surikizu #gaku hikitsuri #hokuto furukizu #anime #fanfic #writing

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firemblem-fics · 4 years

Note

hi lay! could i please get the sfw alphabet for yuri? i love your work!!! have a nice day!! 💕

sfw alphabet. | yuri

-> Pairing: Yuri x GN!Reader

-> Genre: Fluff, SFW Alphabet

-> Warnings: None

-> A/N: i just wanted to say i’m so so so so close to 1.2k followers and i’m so excited i love having so many of y’all supporting me ♡︎

A -> Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

yuri is not affectionate in the beginning. it takes him a long time to warm up and get truly comfortable and fully trusting with you, so he still kind of has his walls up at the beginning of your relationship.

as it progresses, he gets a little more open in private, but there are some days where yuri just doesn’t want affection

B -> Begin (How did the relationship begin?)

you two were flirting MASTERS bruh

the tension in the monastery was unreal from the moment you two met. at first it wasn’t really serious, instead just trying to fluster the other, but eventually you gained some genuine feelings and he did too. yuri never really actually asked you out, it just kind of happened one day

C -> Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How do they cuddle?)

yuri’s kind of temperamental when it comes to cuddling. he doesn’t mean to be, but some days just aren’t cuddling days.

growing up, yuri didn’t get the affection he needed after being adopted. a sudden onslaught of affection and cuddling sometimes gets really overwhelming for him and he just needs to chill for a bit

D -> Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How good are they at cooking and cleaning?)

yuri’s never really thought about settling down. if you don’t want to settle down, he won’t either. if you do, he’ll consider it. to him, his work in the abyss never ends. he doesn’t want to “settle”, because to him, settling down means that his work is done.

E -> Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

unfortunately, yuri would pull some shit out of his ass like he did in the ashen wolves route. he’d come up with some lie as to why he’s breaking up with you and make you hate him so that it’s a little easier for him. newsflash, it’s never easier

F -> Fiancé(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quickly would they want to get married?)

yuri is definitely not going to jump at the chance of marriage, but he’d be willing to sit down and talk with you about it. after you’d been together for a long time, of course

he’s good with commitment, like exceptionally good, which is why i don’t think that he believes marriage is necessary. what’s the point other than earning a new last name? you love him and he loves you, he doesn’t think that there needs to be some big ceremony to know that

but if you’re adamant about it, he won’t be against it. as long as the wedding ceremony isn’t too big

G -> Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

physically, yuri is very gentle. he’s kind of awkward at first, not knowing what to do, so he’s lowkey kind of scared of doing the wrong thing. everything he does is done with precision and care to make sure that you’re comfortable and happy

emotionally, it takes him a while to be a little less... closed off. yuri is blunt and brutally honest, preferring not to sugar coat things or get caught up in sweet pleasantries. he has to realize that sometimes, those things can be taken as mean and the last thing he wants to do is be mean to you. showing you his soft side comes slowly, but it’s worth it when he does.

H -> Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

hugs are reserved for the small, fleeting private moments that the two of you get alone

they’re loose, with his arms draped around your waist and yours resting on his shoulders as he smiles down at you, talking sweet nothings in a hushed voice

I -> I Love You (How fast do they say the L-word?)

yuri’s love language is definitely not words of affirmation

it’s acts of service but that’s not what this letter is about

yuri doesn’t say i love you often. you’re the one to say it first, and even then, it’s a little hard for him to get out. it’s not that he doesn’t love you, because trust me, he does, it’s just that it’s such a vulnerable thing that caught him completely off guard when you said it.

he does say it back, though, muffled into the crown of your hair as he holds you in the middle of the night

J -> Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

to get yuri jealous is to accomplish the impossible

to even consider you as his s/o, yuri has to have an enormous amount of trust in you. he has faith that you won’t ever betray him

but if he does, somehow, get jealous, it’s kind of funny to watch. he’ll just casually walk up to whoever you’re talking to and join in on the conversation, making sure to butt in and interrupt the guy. he just wants to make the dude super duper frustrated, and it works.

K -> Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

super fiery and possessive, and yet unsure at the same time. yuri’s so passionate about you and loves you a lot, but he’s always on the cautious side, making sure that you’re comfy and okay

he love love love loves to kiss the crown of your head, especially as he’s holding you against his chest. it makes him feel like he’s protecting you

kiss his neck and chest!! please! he absolutely melts, even if it’s just cute lil loving sfw kisses

L -> Little Ones (How are they around children?)

yuri is very very good with kids. he’s like a hero to the children in the abyss, so he’s got a lot of practice. he loves to sit with them and tell them stories. his most popular is about a robin hood-esque character who somehow managed to get the most beautiful, sweetest person in the world to fall in love with him. that story makes you blush every time.

M -> Mornings (How are mornings spent with them?)

mornings together aren’t too often, but they’re not as scarce as they would be with felix. yuri’s day starts bright and early and he’d like it if yours did too. he’d love to wake up and spend like five minutes with you, but if you’re not an early bird he’d understand

if you’re still asleep by the time he wakes up, he’ll lay on his side and just admire you for a bit, running his fingers through your hair and just looking at you before giving you a kiss on the forehead and getting up to start his day.

N -> Nights (How are nights spent with them?)

nights with yuri kind of depend on his mood

as said in earlier headcanons, there are times when yuri just doesn’t want to be touched. those nights, you both just lay side by side and talk about different things

on nights that he’s comfortable with cuddling, he often will lay facing you and will hold you to his chest, his chin resting on your head as he rubs small circles into your back, still talking about the day and future plans

O -> Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything at once or wait to reveal things slowly?)

even years into your relationship with yuri, you’re still learning things. it’s usually menial things that he doesn’t deem necessary for someone to know, but you’re still learning.

it’s not that yuri doesn’t trust you, because he does, it’s just that he’s not an open person. he doesn’t find talking about his past beneficial for anyone, so he just doesn’t do it.

he will confide in you about his real name right after you get together, though, asking you to never use it again after that.

P -> Patience (How easily angered are they?)

yuri is very slow to anger. sure, he gets frustrated at times, but he’s never one to show such negative emotions. if someone sees that they’re getting to him, that’s a weakness that he just doesn’t want people to see.

he wouldn’t really ever get mad at you, i wish i could elaborate more on that but yuri’s just really tolerant and you don’t really do anything to make him mad anyways??

Q -> Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

yuri remembers big things like your birthday or other significant facts, but sometimes he has to be reminded of smaller things like your mother’s father’s dog’s cousin’s name. he remembers most things is what i’m trying to say

R -> Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

yuri likes to remember the day he realized that you were the one. he was very stressed that day because the abyssians were getting nervous about rumors of an impending attack from thieves and he was struggling calming them all down

you jumped right into the chaos when you saw what was happening and quickly began soothing the abyssians as well, rallying them up and improving their morale just in case they actually would have to defend their home again

yuri’s heart swelled as he realized that you truly cared about his people and his home as much as he did

S -> Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

yuri’s quite protective, but in a secretive way. he’s not really... out there. he chooses to watch you from the corner of his eye when you’re in the same room or fight close to you when you’re in battle, only swooping in to save the day when you absolutely need it.

that’s how he’d prefer to be “protected” as well, just don’t call it protected because the great yuri leclerc does NOT need protection according to him. don’t be overbearing, let him handle things and only really come in when he absolutely needs it.

T -> Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, etc?)

yuri would definitely try to make special days special, but he wouldn’t do much in terms of physical gifts. instead, he’d make you take a day off from duties and treat you to a tea party or a trip to the sauna and such

U -> Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

yuri will always always always struggle with leaning on you for support. he’s used to being the big, lone wolf leader who doesn’t need anybody and that won’t change easily.

V -> Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks? Do your looks bother them?)

yuri is naturally a beauty, so he doesn’t really try with his looks. even if he doesn’t really think he’s that much of a catch, he doesn’t bother to make himself one either.

your looks don’t bother him at all. he likes you for your personality, loyalty, strength, and all those things. it’s just a plus that you’re exceedingly attractive

W -> Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

i’m sorry, reader, but if he did feel incomplete without you, he sure as hell would be good at showing it. yuri’s spent his life only being close to three other people while everyone else has betrayed or left him. he’s got walls up for a reason and if you left, he’d easily be able to shut those feelings out and put the walls back up again

X -> Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

yuri snorts when he laughs too hard it’s just a proven fact. he gets super embarrassed when he does and makes you swear not to tell anyone, but it’s so cute and funny and makes you both laugh ten times harder

Y -> Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, in general or in a partner?)

if you don’t care about the abyss or are really selfish, that’s a no. yuri has two number one priorities; you and the abyss. he’d appreciate it if you at least just cared a little about it, yk? that’s his home

Z -> Zzz (What’s a sleep habit of theirs? Does it change around a partner?)

in addition to snorting when he laughs, yuri also makes little noises when he sleeps. they’re usually just small hums or little mumbles, but once you had a conversation with him while he was dead asleep

#fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #fire emblem x reader #fire emblem imagines #fire emblem three houses x reader #x reader #fire emblem three houses imagines #headcanons #requests #yuri #yuri x reader #yuri leclerc imagine #yuri leclerc x reader #yuri leclarc imagines #yuri leclarc x reader #yuri leclerc #yuri leclarc #lay writes #sfw alphabet

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scope-dogg · 3 years

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Mobile Suit Victory Gundam: Final Thoughts

Victory Gundam’s a series I’ve long been interested in watching before its return from its long SRW absence finally gave me the reason to go ahead and actually do it. Prior to watching it, the word-of-mouth I’d got from it was mixed. Apparently its reception at the time it was new in Japan was less than enthusiastic to the point that it effectively killed off UC Gundam as the mainstay of the franchise until relatively recently. Yoshiyuki Tomino, the creator, famously hates it and has even supposedly asked people to avoid watching it. Yet on the other hand I’ve seen fans praise it as one of the best Gundam series.

Ultimately I think it was a messy show - it was subject to budget issues and executive meddling and at points it really shows. Yet despite that there’s some really good stuff in here - enough that at least for me the time I spend with it didn’t feel wasted by the time I was through.

The plot setup is that in UC 0153, the Earth Federation is weaker and less effectual than its ever been, and a new militant spacenoid faction calling itself the Zanscare Empire seeks to take advantage of their vulnerability. They follow their queen, the newtype healer Maria Harmonia, and advocate to throw down the old order hitherto dominated by men and start a new matrilineal system bealt on motherly virtues. However, their methods aren’t in keeping with these values, as they make liberal use of the guillotine to execute dissidents and those who oppose their armed forces. While the Federation stands by idly, it falls to a civilian-led paramilitary force called the League Militaire to oppose the Zanscare Empire. One day, a skirmish between Zanscare forces and the League in Europe pulls a young man living in an illegal settlement named Uso Ewin into the fight, and he ends up piloting the League’s new mobile suit, the Victory Gundam, into battle.

As soon as you start the series you already see the beginning of executive meddling interfering with the plot. It starts in media res in the most confusing way possible - initially the Victory Gundam wasn’t meant to debut until after 4 episodes, but that wouldn’t do for the gunpla merchants at Sunrise, so the show begins with Uso getting into the Gundam and then spending the next three episodes walking it back and explaining how he got there. It’s the kind of opening that has you questioning if you’re watching the episodes in the right order.

Thankfully it does eventually get on track and it starts to get fairly good, although most viewers will likely be curious about what exactly the state of the world is - in particular, who the Zanscare empire actually are and what their plans are. Anyone with even a slight understanding of UC Gundam will be able to figure out that they’re similar to Zeon just from their aesthetics and MO, but the show doesn’t really open up with more detail for a fair while. There are other portions where the plot can’t seem to decide which way it wants to go and keeps walking back on itself, and as such there are times when there’s a serious lack of focus. As such, the overall plot isn’t especially compelling apart from those moments where it does sit down and focus for important flashpoints, most notable at the end and the segment at roughly the half-way point.

That said, it’s not like there’s no reason to watch even during the segments in between those. Victory’s got a large and fairly colourful cast of characters who are fun to watch interacting with one another. Uso, the protagonist, and much of the primary supporting cast are very young even by the standards of the franchise - Uso is 13, a record that wouldn’t equalled until Gundam Age aired. Despite this, the show doesn’t pull any punches, but the way he and his young comrades handle it makes him an easy character to root for. Much of the adulting supporting cast and characters amongst Zanscare are interesting as well, with a bunch of little dramas playing out at any one time, even though sometimes it can descend into melodrama, and sometimes characters exhibit odd behaviour.

The overall tone is one of the things this series is most notorious for, with it being considered the darkest, most brutal and depressing entry in the franchise. Honestly, I wasn’t really feeling that. Yes, there are a lot of character deaths in this show. Some of them are cruel and senseless, and they’re spread out fairly evenly across the series, meaning that it’s not afraid of delivering a gut punch to the viewer early on. But on the whole I’ve seen a lot worse. I felt like Iron-Blooded Orphans had a lot more senseless character death, and while it’s not hard to find tragedy in Victory there was nothing that felt as brutal as, say, Kamille’s cruel fate at the end of Zeta or the aftermath of colony gassings. If you look at some of Tomino’s other works outside of Gundam you can find far worse - look no further than the endings of Dunbine or Zambot 3, or the cosmic nightmare ride that’s Ideon: Be Invoked. I won’t deny that there is an air of cynicism and despair to Victory at times, apparently because Tomino was suffering especially badly with depression while he was making it, but I’ve seen a lot worse and I think its reputation has been exaggerated a bit. In fact, sometimes I’d say it goes to far in the opposite direction, with strange humour and a lighthearted tone in spots that doesn’t really fit the series’ narrative as a whole.

Still, ultimately I found more that I enjoyed than I didn’t in terms of the plot and tone, even if there was plenty that could have been done without. As for the presentation, the level of quality wavers but on the whole it’s pretty good, at least compared to its predecessors. Things do occasionally get rough when the budget clearly got tight, and you could probably find some better looking shows from the early 90s, but on the whole it’s quite good looking. Sound and music are pretty middle of the road, with nothing really standing out but nothing offensively bad either. There’s some excellent mechanical designs in here, especially the Victory and V2 Gundams that are in the starring roles - the V2 in particular is one of my favourite Gundams, and is probably the design that established Hajime Katoki as one of the masters of the mechanical design arts. On the other hand, Zanscare’s mobile suit design is often very eccentric with mixed results - it’s another thing this series is pretty infamous for. Some designs are genuinely brilliant, but others are just strange, like the serpentine Doggorla, and the overall strange obsession with putting giant tires on everything, including mobile suits meant primarily for use in space. Overall Zanscare design is a bit of an acquired taste.

Ultimately this show was somewhat of a mixed bag but was still watchable. It was the same kind of up-and-down viewing experience as ZZ Gundam was for me, just more towards the other end of the tone scale. It’s hardly mandatory viewing, as it’s not really all that connected to anything that’s come out either before or after, and it’s definitely not a good first-time entry for new Gundam viewers, but it’s probably worth checking out once you’ve got the main UC entries under your belt.

#victory gundam #mecha #respect the robot

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jupitermelichios · 4 years

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10 Manga Recommendations for Quarantine (or any other time)

People seemed to like my previous recs, so I thought I’d do a few more while so many of you are stuck home with some free time to kill. I don’t read a lot of manga these days, and my tastes are somewhat ecclectic, but hopefully there’ll be something in here for you.

20th Century Boys - Naoki Urasawa

Kenji didn’t like that a new doomsday cult had started recruiting in his neighbourhood, but he wasn’t going to do anything about it. As least until a letter from an old friend leads him to realise that the cult’s symbols and mythology are based on a children’s story. A story he and his friends made up thirty years ago. Now he must track down people he hasn’t seen since middle school as he desperately tries to remember which of his friends knew the story... and figure out which of them is leading the cult.

This isn’t just the best manga I’ve ever read, it’s one of the best stories full stop. Even if you think you hate manga, I urge you to give this a try.

Claymore - Norihiro Yagi

Claire was never supposed to be a Claymore. But when Theresa of the faint smile saved her life as a child, she knew there was no other path for her. With few of the supernatural powers granted to her sisters, she struggles to survive as a monster hunter in a brutal world where death is always waiting.

This was serialised in Shounen Jump originally, and it shows in places, but mostly this is a compelling drama, with some of the most startlingly beautiful and horrible monster design in all of fantasy and scifi.

Drrr!!! - Ryohgo Narita (illustrated by Akiyo Satorigi)

Nothing in Ikebukero is quite what it seems. The Russian Mafia sell the best sushi in town, demons are haunting the chatrooms, there’s a new gang on the streets, and if you’re really unlucky, you might just meet the Black Rider. They say its bike whinnies like a horse. They say it killed three men who tried to kidnap a girl. They say it has no head. They say... that it just wants to do the job and get paid like everyone else.

Drrr!!! is an experience. It blends fantasy and realism in ways I’ve very rarely seen done, and delights in subverting your expectations. Characters who appears to fit into archetypes any manga fan will recognise never turn out to be quite who you think they are, just as the story never quite goes where you expect it to.

Petshop of Horrors - Matsuri Akino

Do you want a protector? A companion? A friend? A lover? A child? Whatever you need, Count D has the perfect pet for you (even if they don’t always look like animals). Just remember to read the small print, very very carefully.

While there is, sort of, an overarching plot, these books are portmanteu horror in the old style, a series of barely connected unsettling stories strung together by a shared narrator and a handful of recurring characters. Spoopy more than genuinely spooky, and occaisionally surprisingly touching, this is a great series to dip in and out of.

Death Note - Tsugumi Ohba (illustrated by Takeshi Obata)

“Let's just say this: you will feel the fear and pain known only to humans who've used the notebook. And when it's your time to die, it will fall on me to write your name in my death note. Be warned any human who's used a Death Note can neither go to heaven nor hell for eternity. That's all.“

One of the very rare examples where the source material does live up to (almost all) the hype. Clever, dark, surprisingly apolitical, and just the right amount of very very cheesy.

Tokyo Ghoul - Sui Ishida

Keneki Ken was an extremely ordinary guy, living an extremely ordinary life... right up until the girl he fancied tried to eat him. Now he’s part of the world of Ghouls, struggling to hold on to what’s left of his humanity as all his old moral certainties are stripped away from him. Ghouls are people, they have hopes and dreams and loves and they deserve the right to live just like anyone else. It’s just that to live, they have kill humans.

Did you want to be cool and edgy as a teenager but you never quite had the guts to do it? Congratulations, Tokyo ghoul is for you. Think of it as emergency rations for your inner Goth.

Black Cat - Kentaro Yabuki

Sometimes a family is a legendary hitman on the run from his past, his mysterious boyfriend, a recovering child soldier, and the bisexual thief who keeps inviting herself into their lives.

Okay technically Train and Sven aren’t a couple. Technically. Rins is canon bi though so that’s cool. This book is a lovely little time capsule of the days when shonen manga was inexplicably full of bounty hunters with bizarre superpowers going on wacky adventures, and I love it for that. Plus it’s full of that good-good found family trope and we could all do with a bit more of that in our lives.

Beauty Pop - Kiyoko Arai

Kiri Koshiba is no ordinary teenager. She has a secret, something she hides from even those closest to her. The only ones who know about her special abilities are those she rescues. You see Kiri is secretly... really good at giving haircuts.

This is a deeply silly book, full of deeply silly characters, in which hairdressing is treated with the exact same seriousness that sports animes treat basketball or tennis, and reading it just makes me smile. Sometimes when the world’s a bit shit you just want to read about an undercover hairdresser helping girls with their self confidence and giving them rad haircuts.

Bizenghast - M. Alice LeGrow

Dinah Wherever is more goth than you. She’s got the wardrobe, and the doomed love, and non-specific mental health issues. Oh, and she’s enslaved to Bizenghast, cursed to spend her nights laying to rest the unquiet spirits that haunt the graveyard there and if she fails, she’ll loose her life... or something worse.

The first volume is definitely the standout in this short series, with stunning artwork and detailed world building, but all of it is a fun, creepy, surprisingly dark story, full of the author’s love for old school gothic romance.

The Wallflower - Tomoko Hayakawa

Mine Nakahara is concerned that her neice Sunako is never going attract a wealthy husband with a mysterious heart condition if she doesn’t learn not to be such a shut in. So in desperation, she turns to the only obvious solution - give four well-meaning himbos rent free accomodation in exchange for them teaching Sunako to wash, wear something other than sweatpants, and talk about anything that isn’t horror movies.

Sometimes you don’t want drama, or angst, or deep plot. Sometimes it’s enough to watch four attractive and deeply stupid men try to teach the human equivilent of an angry raccoon how to walk in heels.

#20th century boys #drrr #death note #claymore #petshop of horrors #the wallflower #perfect girl evolution #beauty pop #tokyo ghoul #bizenghast #long post #manga #manga review #manga rec list #manga rec #manga recommendation #jupiters top 10 #top 10 manga #black cat

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jurassicparkpodcast · 3 years

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Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous Season 2 | SPOILER Breakdown & Review

Be advised – this article contains heavy spoilers for the second season of Camp Cretaceous. Make sure to check out our non-spoiler review before you read this piece. If you’ve seen the entirety of Season Two, please feel free to read this review.

If you read my non-spoiler review of the second season of Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, then you may have noted my choice to refer directly to coming back to the spoiler section for several bits of key information. That is primarily because the events of this second season take place at a previously un-documented timeframe – meaning everything which occurs is ‘new’ – even if it may have nods to earlier and latter parts of the timeline.

With that said, we’re going to use this article to talk about some of the juicier parts of the second season of the show. Let’s dive in.

The key part to the second series of the show is the idea of the emergency beacon on Main Street being used by the kids to summon some help to the island – making their rescue a possibility. I enjoyed how the beacon was uncovered by the kids within the Jurassic World Inside Guide – a nice nod to some of the real documents like the Jurassic World Staff Book we have in the real-world. I also enjoyed how this sequence was used as an opportunity to explain how lots of technology may be hidden around the park as ‘nature’ – helping to retroactively explain how the park may have functioned without us even realising in Jurassic World. We also get to see the Jurassic World Discovery Walk (a new attraction!) during this segment, building out the park a little more, and also spend more time in T-Rex Kingdom, which was a welcome addition. This sequence also features a gut wrenching flashback – with Darius having a moment where Ben’s fall from the train in Season One is replaced with his dad falling. This was a heart wrenching moment – and really sets up the guilt arc which is a key driver for Darius throughout the second season. Of note is the fact that the beacon message does change from ‘Sent’ to ‘Received’ – something which is not touched upon again in the second season. This sets up a couple of interesting options for a third season – something which we will discuss in another article here on the website soon.

The next interesting element I wanted to talk about is the implementation of the veterinary area of the park in Episode Two. This was a fun opportunity to peak underneath the hood of the functioning Jurassic World a little bit more – seeing where sick animals may have been quarantined and treated. I particularly appreciated how the animals in cages here included a Parasaurolophus and Stegosaurus – a fun nod to the same animals being caged by Ludlow’s team in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. I loved the way Grim, Chaos and Limbo were introduced during this sequence – and also loved seeing them squaring off with the Stegosaurs, showing that sometimes predators would rather leave groups of Herbivores than pick a fight where they would be outnumbered. This is a nice nod to the real palaeontological understanding that herbivores moved in larger herds to protect them from predators. Kenji and Yaz also got some interesting development in Episode Two, too – and I feel like the first two episodes were some of the strongest in terms of the areas of the park they explored, and also the animal behaviours which they showed throughout the moments we spend with dinosaurs in these episodes. This is continued in Episode Three, however – which introduces us to the watering hole, and some fun accompanying lore to flesh out the behaviour of the dinosaurs in the series a little bit more.

Episode Three introduces us to the watering hole – and is arguably my favourite episode because of the time it takes to really bring back the ‘natural beauty’ element of the dinosaurs and the environments in the Jurassic franchise. During these sequences we get some interesting bits of information – including Darius sharing that Doctor Grant stated that predators and prey may be able to co-exist at a watering hole if the right conditions were met. It is nice to hear Grant name dropped to remind us of the universe we are in, and this is a nice way of explaining the Ceratosaurus also at the watering hole. During this sequence the Ceratosaurus also encounters the kids but chooses to ignore them and walk off – a nice call-back to the more docile behaviour we see exhibited from this animal in Jurassic Park III. Of note during this episode is the idea that the Stegosaurus has shed its plate as it has grown and rubbed itself against a tree – something which Sammy compares to modern-day animals, and we also see a Parasaurolophus inhabiting a river – calling back to where they were located in the park. Although we don’t get much of it in the latter parts of the season, the steps taken to really add to the dinosaurs behaviours in the earlier episodes feels rewarding and helps to flesh them out as natural animals in their own right.

Another interesting note in this episode is the fact that Brooklynn, Sammy and Yaz revisit the genetics lab where Doctor Wu and Eddie were in Season One, to find it now stripped back and empty. This suggests that, much like we see in the film, Hoskins may have ordered his people to extract assets from across the island – which does then call into question some moments which occur later in the season. During this sequence the trio find a key card in an envelope – alongside a couple of pieces of paper which appear to contain information, potentially to do with E750’s genetics given the fact that this name is on the envelope. E750 is, if you remember, the ‘confidential’ folder we saw on Wu’s Computer in Season One – implying that this is something big. At the end of this episode we are also introduced to a campfire on the island – indicating that someone else is on the island. In Episode Four we learn that these people mercenary-type character of Hap, and two Ecotourists – Mitch and Tiff. Mitch’s character design is an overt Alan Grant reference – designed to make us feel as though we can trust him, whilst Hap feels more akin to someone like Dieter Stark. Over the course of this episode we learn a few interesting details – including the fact that the group’s boat is away refueling at Papagayo. Interestingly, this is a peninsula on the North Pacific Coast of Costa Rica – in keeping with the geography of the series. The episode ends with Hap chasing the kids after they tried to break into his yurt – only for them to be rescued at the last moment by Ben and an adult Bumpy.

Episode Five takes the time for us to explore how Ben survived – showing how he attempted to escape the jungle but inadvertently wondered into Toro’s nesting ground. This sequence is cool as it shows Toro has been hunting animals since the end of Season One – suggesting he has been taking his aggression out on Nublar’s other residents. At a couple of different moments here we see Compys surrounding Ben as he cowers – helping to create the similar sense of vulnerableness that we see in Cathy Bowman. Eventually, after snapping at Bumpy and finding himself on his own, Ben stands up to the Compys and decides to go and fight Toro. This leads to a cool sequence where Bumpy eventually saves Ben and fights Toro – although I do feel like here the kids show side of the series takes over a little bit more, as I can imagine a kid with a spear not being much of a problem for a fully grown Carnotaurus. With that said, seeing a fully grown Bumpy showdown with Toro was a nice call-back to the cut Sinoceratops vs Carnotaurus fight from Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, and I was quite excited to see Toro back for an episode as I wasn’t sure we would see this animal again in the series.

The next episode reveals why Tiff and Mitch are truly on the island – because they are Big Game Hunters. In the yurt which was off limits Darius finds a lot of hunting tools, including a bear trap, and brutally – the head of a Sinoceratops. I was genuinely shocked at how morbid this sequence was – and think this reinforces the idea that this isn’t purely a kids show. Whilst this was mainly implied as the whole head is not shown under the cover it has over it, it was enough to shock me. I really enjoyed this reveal as I didn’t expect it – I thought it would be easy for this to be Mantah Corp, but obviously, as The Lost World shows us, there will be people out there who want to hunt these animals for a challenge. Interestingly, Mitch justifies hunting them as preserving their memory, saying that the UN will soon forget and abandon the island. I appreciated this attempt from the writers to show how the character would justify his actions as it helps to make him slightly more compelling – even if I would argue that the writing for both characters is weak here. In this episode we also see the death of Hap – who stays behind to distract the pack of three Baryonyx so that Brooklynn and Kenji can escape on a motorbike following Ben’s rescue. This was an interesting moment as it is clear Hap was written to fit the ‘villain’ stereotype and then flip it. Interestingly enough we don’t see Hap die – so whilst surviving an attack from three Baryonyx is improbable, it is possible he could return. I would argue that he was the best of the three new characters introduced in the second season of the show. We end with Yaz, Darius and Sammy at the mercy of the pair of hunters – who now want Darius to show them the watering hole so they can kill more dinosaurs. This makes sense – but may have benefitted from being slightly more fleshed out in my opinion.

This idea carries over into Episode Seven – where Darius falsely leads the pair to main street in a desperate bid to escape. There is a really cool sequence on main street here where Darius and Sammy are avoiding the couple in a way which almost mimics the Velociraptor kitchen sequence from Jurassic Park - with them moving from cover to cover in a slow fashion. Whilst this unfolds, Brooklynn, Kenji, Yaz and Ben find an emergency bunker when Brooklynn follows a hum she has heard throughout the series – pointing to something still being operational underground. The Bunker facility appears identical to the one which we see in Jurassic World Aftermath – which poses some interesting questions for where that latter entry slots into the story given what else unfolds here. We learn that this room connects to a room where a sample is cryogenically frozen – and Kenji inadvertently begins the process of awakening it. I enjoyed everything we saw on the computer screens on this sequence – including the location of the watering hole, which appears to be near Gyrosphere Valley. This then leads into the second sequence we get with the Tyrannosaurus Rex in this series – which is, unfortunately, a sequence which suffers from the necessity for plot armour to carry the antagonists through to the final episode. Rexy tries repeatedly to bite Tiff and Mitch and misses – allowing them to escape and eventually being distracted from Darius and Sammy by lights and sounds the rest of the crew activate in the command centre. Seeing Rexy unable to kill either Tiff or Mitch when they were out in the open is one of the moments which breaks the realism of the series, in my opinion – making it a little bit harder to accept at face value.

The finale starts with Tiff and Mitch heading to the watering hole whilst the rest of the kids attempt to stop them. During this sequence we get a brutal moment where Tiff kills Grim with a single shot – reminding us that this animals are not nearly as resilient as the Indominus Rex. This stood out to me as it reminded me how easy the dinosaurs which are rampaging during Jurassic World Dominion would be to deal with – implying that something more serious may happen to prevent authorities around the world from dealing with the animals so quickly. This moment really was brutal – as although Grim was technically an antagonist, the death had a similar effect to that of Zara, with it not feeling earned. Eventually the kids manage to stop Tiff and Mitch from killing any of the other animals – and both die in ways which homage different parts of the franchise. Mitch steps on his own snare and is eaten by the Tyrannosaurus Rex whilst hanging from a tree – a fun nod to the death of Cooper in JPIII who has a similar fate at the hands of the Velociraptors. Tiff, on the other hand, makes it onto her boat (which has been moored at the dock the whole time) – and makes it on in time to escape before the kids can get onboard. As she begins to sail away it is revealed that Limbo and Chaos have made it onboard – sealing her fate, and providing a moment of Karma for the brutal execution of Grim earlier in the episode. This also serves as a fun nod to the novel – where Velociraptors were able to board the Isla Nublar supply ships. This then ends with the kids practically in the same position as the end of Season One – which does, in some ways, negate the events of the second season as it feels as though no real progress occurs.

Overall, there are some fun sequences in Season Two of Camp Cretaceous – but it feels as though there are less memorable moments than the first season, and many of them are over-exaggerated and therefore leave you questioning their realism within the canon. Whilst the show should be granted additional freedom due to its target demographic, this undoubtedly is a canonical piece – and I feel like the second season pushed the boundaries of being a canonical entry in the series a little bit too far at times. Whilst some sequences, like a stampede sequence in Episode Seven and the Baryonyx attack in Episode Two feel well executed, other sequences, like the chase in Episode Six, feel a little bit too extreme. With that said, I think kids are definitely going to love these set pieces, so I can look past them for the impact they may have on younger fans.

I also didn’t enjoy the lack of any presence for Mantah Corp in Season Two. Whilst I appreciated Mitch and Tiff not being agents of the organisation, as that would’ve been easy to do, I do think that having some kind of reference – whether it be another drone, or mention of another boat off shore – would have been a nice way of tying in the fact that Mantah Corp are still an active threat in this universe. Whilst I have no doubt that they will return in the future, the complete lack to acknowledge them beyond Brooklynn and Sammy name-dropping them a couple of times did seem like a shame considering the focus that was placed on season one. The issue which irked me most, however, is probably that of E750 – which is being thawed out. We will have a separate video speculating what this could be, but my biggest issue is how this sits within the canon. As per JWFK and Jurassic World Aftermath, we know that teams were sent back to recover assets and extract them off of the island – so if E750 was such a big project for Wu, then why did he leave it on the island? This makes little sense to me right now and is, in my opinion, one of the bigger issues with retrospectively building this mystery specimen into the Jurassic timeline.

With these issues highlighted, I think Season Two of Camp Cretaceous was good, but it fails to follow-up on some of the more interesting parts of the first season, and strays a little close to the boundaries of the pre-established canon present in the universe. Whilst I appreciate it is a kids show, and I can allow more due to this, I do feel like the E750 storyline has the potential to raise more questions about the rest of the lore, depending on the direction it takes – and this is a problem which can occur when retroactively building a multi-media timeline. I am interested to see how this unfolds in a third season – and I do wonder how much more we can explore on Nublar before it begins to feel stagnant. There is certainly more of the island I would like to see and explore – so I hope we get to do this in future instalments.

I think it is fair to say I enjoyed the second season of the show – but, perhaps not as much as I did the first season, which I felt gave a little more to adult fans and those of us more familiar with the lore. With that said, I would love to hear from you! Let me know what you thought of Season Two in the comments below, and stay tuned for more Camp Cretaceous content on The Jurassic Park Podcast in the near future.

Written by: Tom Fishenden

#article #jurassic world camp cretaceous review #jurassic world camp cretaceous season two review #camp cretaceous review #camp cretaceous season two review #camp cretaceous season 2 #camp cretaceous spoilers #camp cretaceous season two spoilers #jurassic world camp cretaceous season two spoilers #jurassic world tv show spoilers #season two spoilers #camp cretaceous spoiler review #tom fishenden #tom fishenden camp cretaceous #camp cretaceous

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vinylhazza · 4 years

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Honor To Us All (G.D)

Summary: Grayson and Y/n watch Mulan, turning movie night into one of playful banter, serenades, and talk of a bigger life through mouthfuls of popcorn. Grayson confesses his real image of his girlfriend - a warrior in his eyes.

Word Count: 1.8k

Warning: Silliness, Fluff, Disney, literally so cheesy I’ll provide the wine: 🍷

“Do you think Mulan knows she’s a bad bitch?” Grayson ponders, stuffing another handful of cheesy popcorn into his mouth.

“I mean...I think she figures it out in the end. Or at least faces the fact that there is no other choice but the brave one. The confidence comes with her achievements - bringing honor to her family and country,” Y/n explains thoughtfully, smiling at how genuine of a question it was from such a big man that’s nothing but a softy that loves Disney.

Grayson sits for a moment longer, watching as Mushu rambles on about putting shame on a cow and what not, giggling at the small dragons rant. It’s always been his favorite character because of his perseverance to be seen as something more than a small sidekick. Plus he makes him laugh uncontrollably hard for being a cartoon and looking like a little lizard. And anything that can make that angelic smile and laugh of his come out is a gift from God, in her opinion.

“Good point. It’s just interesting that she goes into this war zone with all of this grit and dedication without ever being actually exposed to a lifestyle that requires such high expectations,” he mumbles through another mouthful of his snack. She knows he’s only saying this because he spends his time singing the songs instead of actually listening. Yes Grayson Dolan singing Mulan songs is one of the greatest sights she’s ever been blessed with. It’s a sound that bursts from him like he genuinely can’t hide his happiness, airy and with an adorable wheeze that leads to a puff from his inhaler.

“Well that’s not entirely true. Before she went with the army she was expected to bring honor to her family in a different way: find a husband, be a perfect daughter, a perfect wife, a perfect mother in the future. She was always held to a high standard even if she didn’t live up to it sometimes. The pressure prepared her for it, I believe. It can be brutal to be scrutinized by your own family...belittled for your clumsiness and uniqueness when you’re meant to be so proper and uniform. She was constantly second guessing everything she thought was right and locking her real self away just to maintain an image was never destined to have. The army brought out the individuality in her - even if she was disguised as a man,” she finishes with a huff, out of breath but satisfied with her lengthy answer, popping a few Skittles into her mouth and smiling when she realizes they were all her favorite ones - red and yellow. The superior Skittles.

The two sit wrapped in each other, scanning their eyes across a screen filled with fighting soldiers, a heaping pile on top of Mulan’s small frame. He takes a moment to comment “ouch” quietly without thinking, ignoring her small giggle at his innocence.

He’s so pure when he wants to be, serious when he has to be, and so totally himself all the time. It’s refreshing in a world so fake. There’s not a lot of men that will sit down and watch a movie like Mulan and actually think about what it means instead of teasing and making fun of the movie the entire duration. He’s not interested in being a douchebag for an image.

“Be a man, we must be swift as the coursing river, be a man, with all the force of a great typhoon, be a man, with all the strength of a raging fire, mysterious as the dark side of the mooooooooon,” he sings along, laughing at the way she’s watching him scream the lyrics like he really means them, joining in at the end.

“Fuck them Huns,” Y/n wheezes, slapping at his thigh as she laughs joyfully.

“Literally fuck them Huns,” he agrees through popcorn, hand pressed against his mouth in fear of spilling some due to her own rolling laughter.

When it returns to the calm silence he speaks out again with so much serious she thinks he might be being sarcastic. But no, he’s all serious and curious as always.

“Also he’s a fine ass man how is she not blushing?” he tuts once again, eyebrows dipped down as Li Shang all but sings in Mulan’s face. This is a question she’s thought nearly every time she watches the film, but never had the mind to speak allowed.

With a chuckle she simply fired back with another question, “She can’t fall over herself everytime she’s with him. She has a purpose for being there. Do you see me blushing every time I’m with you?”

“Yes,” he snarks, grinning again as she punches him in the arm playfully, snuggling into his black sweatshirt he hasn’t changed out of since they woke up a couple hours prior.

“Shut up,” she giggles like a schoolgirl, hiding in the fabric of his hoodie further, “it’s not my fault you insist on walking around shirtless most of the time.”

“Well so does Li Shang, so you see my point? The girls just can’t resist the bod,” Grayson gloats, a proud smile with lots of pearly white teeth on his face again.

“Men are vile creatures.” Her amused mockery get’s her another chuckle before it grows silent once more, both enjoying the company that doesn't need conversation, “and did you just say bod?”

“Mmm mostly and yes, yes I did,” he agrees with a nod, not even finding a good rebuttal that could prove her wrong. He’s good at that, letting her have a peaceful moment. Because that’s what it was - a peaceful moment between two lovers, joking about Mulan on a couch they’ve sat on for far too long, in clothes they haven’t the urge to change, with hearts that won’t stay steady.

Grayson stops when Mulan shouts from the speakers, covering herself as the soldiers pile into the water, and inevitably laughing as she scurries behind her horse. With a tug on his hoodie he’s yanking it over his head and handing it over to a shivering Y/n, knowing she could get a blanket, but his hoodie is so much better.

They settle into the comfortable silence, Y/n stealing tiny handfuls of Grayson’s popcorn whenever she got the chance, belting out laughter when it was too much to hold in. He joined in the majority of the time, loving how blissful her laugh sounded, cherishing the way it stuck to every nerve of his heart and had it skipping beats from being overwhelmed. That was what she loved so much about the love they shared, it was plentiful but pure and full - never a dull moment even when they are essentially doing nothing.

— — —

“I think you’re the Mulan of the world babe,” Grayson remarked with a love struck smile towards the end of the movie, having been silent for most of duration of the film since their little discussion in the beginning.

He’s hurrying to lean in and give his girlfriend a kiss on the cheek before she can question him, suddenly overwhelmed with a strong sense of devotion for this girl he gets to wake up to every morning by the grace of God. He would be so embarassed if anyone knew that he just geinuinely thought to himself just then that she was dreamy. But she was, she really was in every way, the most dreamy.

She smirks, turning as he backs away to quirk an eyebrow at him in question, “Oh really? Why’s that?”

Sitting back against the plush couch he explains the truth behind his claim, even if he’s going to sound cringe and too deep to have just watched an entire Disney movie.

“You never give up, even when things are hard. You keep pushing past all the failures in search of that success that has to come at some point. Even if it means making a sacrifice at your own expense to save someone else or protect something bigger than your ego,” his voice is strong, sure and pure, “you really do bring honor to us all. Even if most people choose to ignore it.”

“If I did everything in life to please other people, I would never be truly fulfilled, and yeah I might relate to Mulan the most but you, my dear, have Li Shang written all over. You’re always going on about duty, honor, making your family proud, even the country, always thinking outside of the box, owning up to mistakes and making sure you don’t make them again. You’re not easily defeated. You see purpose in all things, understand the rules and instead of trying to defy them like myself, you bring balance - hence why we are so good for each other.” Y/n strokes her fingers through his luscious hair,

“Well I would go to war for you, love,” he teases, rubbing his nose against hers for a tender eskimo kiss. He rarely uses that pet name, but loves her reaction when he does.

“Hmm and I would do the same for you, darling,” she hums back, holding his face close with both of her hands, cupping his face right under the strong bones of his jawline. It’s a gag worthy moment, sappy and cliche, something that if walked in on, they would both blush and cower in embarrassment. But in this moment, with the two of them sitting still, foreheads touching, with the ending credits of a fairytale rolling, they couldn’t care less about lingering eyes that might see their moment that means so much.

“You’re like fire, unstoppable and warm, you never let anyone ruin it for you...I wish I could be that way,” Grayson gulps, stroking her temple with his thumb.

“You are that way. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever known. You’re exactly like all of the strongest charcters in every movie and honestly fuck Li Shang right now because you’re better because you’re real.” Y/n is observant. Always watching. Not in a weird, stalker way. She simply likes to know the details, little things that make someone who they are that they might be ashamed of at some point, or maybe things they don’t even notice.

She notices. She notices that his leg in bouncing right now because he’s wondering if she liked the kiss, even if he’s kissed her a thousand times and she always pulls away blushing. She notices the way his left hand has dropped to rub at her thigh like he does when he feels comfortable. She takes note at the small smile he gives when she laces her fingers with his to soothe his nerves, knowing it makes him feel better to be touched when he’s nervous. She notices his love language so she can meet him halfway. He’s her prince and she’s not ashamed to show it.

People say fairytales can’t be real, but Grayson proves them wrong every single day.

He’s looking at her with that grin, the one where he looks sneaky. He wears this smile when he’s excited, so completely happy, or getting ready to tickle you. There’s no in between, but right now, with the remote waving in his hand, you know exactly what page he’s on.

“So...Tangled?”

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