#and like. the ideas/themes/concepts presented in this thing (from what I can tell) ARE present in other types of media and y'all REFUSE to

[musical-chick-13]

Oh not me avoiding a wildly popular piece of media that I’d probably actually like out of sheer spite.

#maybe this is my True Toxic Trait but I just get really annoyed when all I hear is 'this thing is PERFECT it's EVERYTHING it's the only #TRULY high-quality media to EVER exist it is OBJECTIVELY better than literally EVERYTHING else it's the MOST IMPORTANT thing of ALL TIME' #like...again. not that you have to issue a disclaimer for media discussion of every single one of it's flaws before you earn the right to #talk about it. but if people keep holding something up as The Best Ever No Exceptions with literally no other commentary I just kind of... #get irritated to the point where I don't want to engage with the thing #I think in this case it's really...Objectively This Is The Best. I think that's what bothers me. because there IS no objective measurement #of art. it doesn't exist!! and that's okay!!!! just be honest!!!!!!! #'but mc13 what about your relationship to cxgf' well if you go back through my episode reviews you will see that I very much #acknowledged that some things could be done better and that it is not a perfect show because perfect media ALSO doesn't exist #and I've never said that it's the ONLY '''right''' way to present the themes it explores. there are a million different ways to do that #and it is the Greatest of All Time in MY OPINION. that's not going to be true of everyone!! and you can think something is the Best™ #WITHOUT PUTTING DOWN OTHER PIECES OF MEDIA /ESPECIALLY/ ONES THAT ARE NOT EVEN IN THE SAME GENRE OR HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION?????? #I'm also so tired of people saying 'it's good because it's gay™' like that tells me NOTHING #and like. the ideas/themes/concepts presented in this thing (from what I can tell) ARE present in other types of media and y'all REFUSE to #engage in those other things??? like you write them off and disparage them and basically unconditionally hate the things in them but #THIS time it's okay THIS is the exception and there is just NO awareness or critical thought there at all. it's the hypocrisy for me #In the Vents

[ddarker-dreams]

Yan Chrollo x F Reader.

Companion piece to Idée Fixe.

(A journal entry that will never see the light of day, for it is meant to rot in darkness. Even the amoral owner is bound to agree with this).

Warnings: Yandere themes, unhealthy relationships, Chrollo is creepy hooooly shit (he needs a hobby), and religious imagery. Word count: 1k.

I have become hopelessly smitten with a woman who is, for lack of a better word, strange. 

She tells me she’s “probably agnostic, because that word sounds cooler than atheist”, while often exemplifying the religious doctrine she grew up in. She condemns herself for qualities she’d pardon in others. She’ll get excited over the most mundane things, such as pigeons, or when her rewards add up enough to get her favorite drink for free. I’m allowed to steal a certain amount before she stares at me, not quite comfortable enough to express her dissatisfaction verbally, yet undoubtedly pondering the perfect string of words to avoid offending me. 

The extent of her consideration for others is perplexing. There is no advantage to be gained by placating strangers, though her insistence on the matter would almost convince you otherwise. She never says “you’re welcome”, it’s always “of course”, as if the act of going so far out of her way is expected of her. If not that phrase, she’ll say “it’s no problem”, on the off chance the individual may think they burdened her. 

She’s strange, yes, but we’re alike in many ways, so I wonder what that’d make me. 

I’ve taken on innumerable roles throughout the years. I know how to judge the weight of my every word. My motivation for doing so is self-serving in nature. People, to me, are locks that require the right combination to crack. From what I can tell, she’s come to realize this too. Instead of pursuing this advantage, she shies away from it. Originally, I thought it was nothing more than people-pleasing, but it goes beyond that. She loves humanity, the same humanity I deem worthless. It’d be easier for me to understand if there was an ulterior motive. Alas, that'd be doing her a major injustice.

My initial intrigue in her was nothing more than a passing fancy. I had time to pass, and she just happened to be in the vicinity, reading a book I’m partial to. I thought I’d give her a few minutes of my time and then be on my way. Presently, however, If I believed in fate, I’d go so far as to say our paths were destined to cross. She is every part of myself that has died a slow death. Optimism, empathy, passion… they mix together to form the essence of her being. 

I didn’t intend to give her so much of my time. She became indispensable to me before I realized what was happening. In retrospect, perhaps I knew deep down that this was the type of person I’d been looking for. Someone I’d struggle between wanting to ruin or preserve. I erred toward the former at first. If I didn’t wake her from her naïve reverie, another would inevitably come down the line and do it themselves. The mere concept was unforgivable. 

As time passed, it became clear she wasn’t living in a dreamlike state, but was perfectly aware of her surroundings and the people who inhabit them. This left me at an impasse. How do you destroy someone who has already annihilated and rebuilt themselves? There are ways, yes, yet no longer did the idea appeal to me. I wanted something new from her, though the specifics alluded me. What I did know, however, was that this strange woman would touch many lives for the better. 

This was a constant torment. I’d have to go about my business, knowing full well she’s making others smile, laugh, and otherwise brightening their day elsewhere. My chest would become impossibly tight whenever I fixated on this. She holds qualities people are inevitably drawn to. She is radiance incarnate, so easy to adore. A light like that is visible far and wide.

When I pressed back against her dearly held beliefs, instead of fading, she burned ever brighter.

I know she feels it too — this invisible rope that binds us. She’ll happily talk to me for hours, even when I forgo superficial charm and express slivers of my depravity. She sees it, acknowledges it, and seeks me out all the same. I find myself talking more than I meant to when she’s around. She challenges me, interestingly enough. Her arguments often have holes and aren’t by any means polished, but she cuts to the heart of things. 

She is my personal torment. I want every inch of her for myself. Her unique mind, heart, soul… would it be enough? Could I stop there? Or would I keep going, taking more and more, until we were essentially one flesh? 

It’s by her recommendation I’m writing any of this down. She said “I am in desperate need of intensive therapy” and sent some links to her recommendations. I’m inclined to give in to her requests since she asks for so little, but that might be the one I have to refuse. I cannot recall the last time I met someone this amusing, if ever. The inner workings of her pretty little head are a mystery I long to unravel.

Displeased as I am to admit it, a day will pass when she no longer looks at me the way she does now. My true identity can’t go unknown forever, the revelation is inevitable. Still, I won’t let her go. My grip will only grow tighter. If her ire is my penance for possessing her entirely, then I’ll accept the sentence and chip away at it over time. Emotions are transient. With the right encouragement, I can guide her back to my arms, even if she considers the embrace a scourge. 

When we first met, she said something that has taken permanent residence in my mind. 

“So long as I can say I helped one person, that’s good enough for me.” 

This was always bound to be my benediction and her condemnation. 

From that moment onward, her life was mine to do with as I please. There are many far more worthy of her than I, which is why I’ll never give them the chance. I’ll deprive the world of her vibrancy. It could become engulfed in eternal darkness, and still, I’d happily refuse to give her back. Let them lament, weep, and gnash their teeth.

In my youth, I set out to be the greatest villain. Never have I been more willing to carry out the actions befitting such a lofty title. 

This is the curse of a wicked man’s love, [First] [Last]. Revisit your religion and pray fervently. For only a god could save you from the future I’ve planned for us. 

#yes he probably wrote this with an ink and quill by an oil lamp #chrollo x reader #yandere chrollo x reader #yandere #yandere x reader #hxh x reader #yandere hxh x reader #my stuff

[yokohamapound]

Since tis Spooky Season, how about some wedding headcanons for our goth boys Bram and Akutagawa? :3

It might no longer be spooky season but goth bois are timeless. <3

Characters: Bram Stoker, Akutagawa Ryuunosuke

Contents: gn!reader, nsfw mention

Bram Stoker

Bram is certainly the marrying type. Once he’s found someone he feels he can spend the long years of eternity with, he’ll want to lock you down quickly and make it official. Dating is a foreign concept to him, but he will spend some time courting you. He’s very likely the one who proposed marriage, and like, you have eyes, so of course you were going to accept. Who doesn’t want to marry a handsome vampire lord?

It’s not enough to call Bram ‘old-fashioned’. The man is at least several hundred years old, (depending on whether his age is based on the actual Bram Stoker or Vlad Tepes, basis of the legend for Dracula). He’s between approx 170-600 years old. He’s seen trends become traditions and vanish entirely. The wedding would probably be some flavour of traditional, whether that’s a Western white wedding, or a wedding steeped in his spouse’s culture. If you really wanted to, you could have a historical-themed wedding to make Bram feel at home—just expect him to be finicky on the minor details.

“This is the incorrect type of date for this pastry.”

It might take some doing to find a priest willing to marry you to a vampire, or you can forge the documents and have a civil ceremony. It depends on whether or not Bram can actually set foot in a church. He’s probably relieved to discover civil ceremonies are a thing. 

Bram looks beautiful in a suit. Just imagine it. A suit tailored to his ridiculous, 6’5” height, possibly a tailcoat, with a cravat, his long hair tied back. 

You’ll have to bring him up to speed and explain that, apart from certain cultural traditions, dowries aren’t that common anymore, and that he doesn’t have to offer your father 50 goats for your hand in marriage. 

Bram’s a pretty romantic guy, but he always does it with style. He pulls out your chair, his hand is going to rest on the small of your back, and he takes the lead in the first dance waltz, no matter your gender.

The speeches will be short—he’s had to put up with too many of Fukuchi’s soliloquies to want to hear any more monologuing. The wedding dinner—feast, he insists on calling it—is sumptuous, although Bram doesn’t partake. (You’re his wedding feast and he’d rather enjoy that in private.)

Godspeed on your wedding night. Bram’s spent years without a lower half of his body and now he has it back, and a spouse to enjoy. He is…pent up, shall we say~

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke

Poor Akutagawa is still reeling over the fact that he’s getting married. I would say that either you proposed, or Dazai planted the idea in Akutagawa’s head that it was time for him to put a ring on it. If Akutagawa proposed, your ring is some beautiful antique with a large stone and a creepy story attached to it. Don’t forget that Akutagawa makes bank in the Port Mafia. 

Please, please, please plan a goth wedding.

Please remember that this is the same young man who said this when asked what he would give as a wedding present: “I'd gift them the enemy's freshly severed head decorated with bloody barren flowers.” Suffice it to say, Akutagawa should not be left in charge of either your gift registry or the flower arrangements. You will end up with a load of obscure antiques, knives, and bunches of rotting flowers “to show the briefness of our lifespans.” 

Maybe compromise with dried flower garlands or even black roses if you want to go full 2007 My Chemical Romance-core. (Look me in the eye and tell me Akutagawa wouldn’t look up if you played him a G-note on the piano.)

He hates being the centre of attention in the actual wedding, so he’s more than happy to deflect it all toward you instead. The moments he seems happiest are when he gets to see Gin wearing a bridesmaid dress, when Dazai stands up to make a speech (during which Akutagawa sits up like he’s in a school assembly while the headmaster is speaking), and during the vows, when he’s focusing on you and only you. 

He looks wonderful in his suit - let him have full tails and black tie and he'll be content.

Your wedding photographs look like one of those austere Victorian family portraits, save for Tachihara throwing up the bunny ears behind Gin’s head. 

Akutagawa has a secret sweet tooth he won’t admit to, which is why he tries to pretend that he hasn’t had three slices of chocolate cake. 

Either get Dazai drunk or put him in a corner with a plate of crab cakes to keep him occupied, because you really don’t need him making sly comments when it’s time for you and Akutagawa to climb into the car and head off for your honeymoon. His wedding gift for Akutagawa is an inhaler and a note saying, “You’ll need this! xoxo Dazai.”

#yokohamapound #bungou stray dogs #bsd #bsd headcanons #bsd imagines #bram stoker bsd #bram x reader #akutagawa ryuunosuke #akutagawa x reader

[bettyshoweduptotheparty]

Reputation to Midnights and Final TPD Predictions

With 4 days until the Tortured Poets Department and two lines of lyrics we have so far, here are my thoughts on how we got here over the last 5 albums and final predictions for what's coming on Friday:

2016 changed the game - reputation era and long-term bearding

Many people might disagree, but I think the year 2016 changed a lot of things for Taylor. Without going into detail about snakegate, a possible failed coming out and scrapped album and the presidential election, her music has had a different tone ever since reputation (and I don't just mean sonically). As someone who writes a lot about love and relationships, the way she was writing about them changed from fairy tale love, pining and heartbreak to forever/long-term love, commitment/endame, 'us against the world' sort of love. And I do think she wanted to put that album out in 2016 but can't really do that when you're newly single and writing about wanting forever with someone... so in came Joe Alwyn who became the free pass for writing songs about long-term relationships, marriage and kids for the next six years. But LWYMMD (the song and the mv) made it pretty clear that this was not her first choice. Whatever happened, she had her agency taken from her, and she was mad about it. She may have made one hell of a comeback, but rep Taylor was on a revenge mission, and she has been ever since. Now, add to that the very same people foiled her coming out (possibly) a second time in 2019, I can well imagine the tortured poet that Taylor became during the pandemic with all that built up anger and misery pouring out into the folklore and evermore albums. And my guess is that with the plan to re-record the first 6 albums came an idea of how she could possibly get her revenge after all, which brings us to Midnights and TPD.

Midnights and Tortured Poets Department - Reflection and melancholia

Midnights had a similar tone to me than what we have seen of TPD so far: introspective, sombre and looking back on happier times and missed opportunities (hence the whole '13 nights throughout my life' concept). There is a lot of wondering about what ifs and regrets and always with a sense of vengeance in the background, which shows how Taylor clearly holds a grudge and has a hard time letting things go that have hurt her. And this continues in the two lines we have seen from TPD so far. The 'full eclipse' gives me love blackout vibes and this line

is so similar to many folkmore and Midnights songs where she talks about not being able to move on from a traumatic event (failed coming out *cough cough*). So, this album clearly continues the theme of reflection, regrets and vengeance, but with an additional touch of reckoning or impending judgment. I've seen some people say it seems like Taylor is putting someone (else or herself) on trial, and both the evidence file esthetics and the legal language she has been using in the hidden words puzzle on Apple Music have been feeding that theory:

She told us back in February she'd be entering all of her defenses and her muses into evidence, so is she the one being trialed and we are the jury? Or is she presenting evidence in her defense and accusing someone else? I initially thought the former, but now I'm thinking it could be either or both.

The songs will tell the story of the most painful times of her life and we will be able to decide if she chose her suffering or if the context/industry is to blame. My favourite swifties pointed out this morning that the ‘un-recall’ lyric is a parallel to CIWYW “I recall late November”. So what is she trying to forget? The 2016 election. The start of the love blackout. Much like the ‘full eclipse’ lyric. They almost had it all but then her plans got foiled and Tr*mp was elected which forced them underground. And where did she run off to? London. And what’s track 5 called? So long, London…

So, a lot of this album so far gives 2016 vibes. And I’ve said in a previous post (here) that the visuals seem very rep-inverted. Black vs white and the half yin-yang ☯️ in the logo. It’s looking likely that this is going to be the reflection on that time where her vendetta originated before she goes for revenge. And I’m not trying to clown but the rep parallels haven’t stopped:

This QR code mural in Chicago is very rep-cover coded and leads to a website that has the same 321 error message as the TS website the night of the Grammys. The message then was red herring. And not to sound too crazy, but I've said from the start that something feels off with this album. The absence of proper promo or merch is still weird. And would an entire album as a red herring be too crazy? Probably. But is she a crazy woman? Definitely! 😉

#tortured poets department #tpd #reputation #midnights #final thoughts and predictions

[misc-obeyme]

Would you do a fanfic about mc hurting them selfs ( brothers +dateables)

Or (if you don’t wanna do that) ((understandable))

How would the brother react to little paper origami cranes

*have a good day*



Hello there and thank you for the request!

I'm afraid I wasn't sure if you meant that MC hurts themselves on accident or on purpose. I can certainly write about MC accidentally hurting themselves and that would likely be pretty fluffy coming from me lol. I can do angst too but if we're talking about self harm, that's a bit too heavy of a topic for me. So if you did mean accidentally hurting themselves, please feel free to send another request and I will gladly write that for you.

However, I absolutely loved the origami crane idea, too, so I went ahead and did that one for the brothers! It was fun to write, so I would be happy to do the dateables too if requested. I hope you like it :)

GN!MC is making origami cranes and the brothers react.

Warnings: None!

Lucifer

Ah yes, he's heard about this. Isn't paper folding an art form in the human world? Your tiny cranes are well crafted, MC.

Teach him how to make them and he's instantly better at it than you are. His cranes are perfect.

He's secretly quite pleased that you showed him how to make them, though. If you sneak into his office when he's not around, you'll find discarded paperwork folded into little cranes.

Keeps a handful of the ones you made on his desk.

Mammon

He's curious about what you're doing when he sees you folding little pieces of paper. Actually watches you in fascination until you present the finished product to him and blow his mind.

What! How did ya turn that scrap paper into a little crane, MC? And you didn't even use magic?

He's gonna struggle a bit if you try to teach him how to make them. He might even give up until you tell him that origami cranes are good luck. Once he's sufficiently motivated, his cranes are almost as perfect as Lucifer's.

You make him one out of gold origami paper and it becomes one of his most prized possessions.

Leviathan

Levi is pretty sure he's seen these little origami cranes in an anime before. They're symbols of prosperity, aren't they, MC?

Catches on really quickly when you show him how to make them. He gets really into it and finds other folding patterns. You guys end up making all kinds of different origami objects.

Makes cranes in the colors of all his favorite anime characters. He might even draw his own themed patterns on the paper before folding it.

Puts his cranes and your cranes together in the display case in his room. Keeps several that you made around his computer.

Satan

MC, are those origami cranes you're making? He's impressed with your paper folding skills.

Of course Satan has read about this in books. He knows quite a lot about the history of origami and the significance of the crane.

Lets you show him how to do the folds and makes a few himself. He enjoys the process as it's rather relaxing. You look away for two seconds and he's already coming up with a way to fold the paper into a cat. You have to look up the real instructions for it, but he's actually not far off.

Give him some of your cranes and he'll flatten them out to use as bookmarks.

Asmodeus

What are these adorable paper birds, MC? The patterns on this paper are so beautiful!

You tell him about origami and he's fascinated. He loves them so much, he's so excited for you to teach him how to make them himself. Asmo is pretty good at making delicate things, as it turns out. His cranes are gorgeous.

He takes several of your cranes in various patterned papers. You wonder what he's going to do with them. Later, you discover that he used them as inspiration for little origami crane hair clips. He will insist on doing your hair with them.

He hangs your cranes around the vanity in his room.

Beelzebub

Another one who has no idea what he's looking at, but finds it fascinating. The concept of folding paper into little birds without any magic is amazing.

Teach him how to do it and he'll struggle at first. But he's determined to make a good one for you, so he keeps at it. Gets real focused on it.

He's amazed that you can make these so easily, MC. Eventually makes one that turns out really good and gives it to you in satisfaction.

Keeps your cranes in his room where he keeps his snacks. That way he sees them frequently and they make him smile.

Belphegor

Hmm origami cranes, huh? He's heard about that. Folding paper into little animals, right, MC?

He'll make a little bit of an effort to make one if you try to teach him. But let's be real, he'd much rather watch you make them.

You make him a few, then switch to origami stars. Now you've got his attention. He's not going to try any harder to make these, of course, but you can tell he really likes the ones you've made.

Go into the attic a little later and you'll find all the little stars and cranes you made hanging from the ceiling.

masterlist | part 2 with the side characters | Thank you for reading!

#obey me headcanons #obey me shall we date #obey me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #request #misc writes

[thunderpounce-inc]

Woe, a whole ass 20 gallon aquarium's worth of concept art I've been scribbling for fan my continuity Blitzwing redesign be upon you,,, because this is how I design things I make dozens of scribbles to gradually refine the idea

The traditional art doodles are kinda extra scribbly quality since I was doodling them while busy with various IRL things

Not polishing the text on these, since they are just concept art

The theme with this design is 'the Blitzwings saw medieval gothic plate armor while researching the local sophonts (as per protocol)', and then decided 'Makeover Time'

The other theme is 'the Blitzwings like Earth, actually'. I CANNOT get that scene where Icy expressed curiosity towards humanity in Animated, or the fact that Blitzwing kind of did a heel-face turn for a while in G1, out of my head. The fact that he NAMES HIMSELF in G1 (due to time travel shenanigans), makes me also headcannon that maybe G1 Blitzwing has a distinctly untranslated Earth word in his name... because he heard it while on Earth, liked the sound of it, and then used it when he named himself!

I just really love the idea of Decepticons that don't generically hate Earth/Humanity; I think it makes them more interesting, and gives them more depth!

I remember seeing a post somewhere, where someone headcannoned Icy and Hothead as autistic, and Random as ADHD? and honestly, I love it. I like to think Icy's special interest is meteorology, which is related to a whole 'nother headcannon I have??? which is that wherever there are flighted transformers present, they do the weather manually, My Little Pony style! This is what I think the Blitzwings' non-military job would be; they use their fire and ice powers to manipulate the weather!

YES I am aware that the crude 'ruler' by the jet scale bit is NOT actually 15 units; I was kinda just. splitting it in half and then splitting it half and kinda winging it

Also, you can tell which sketches ended up drawn while observed from an angle ;u; hdgifhjogrdjh (screaming)

#transformers #maccadam #inc's art #Blitzwing #fan continuity #TF: Autowar #Icy #Hothead #Random #redesign #headcannon #Starscream #Lugnut #Blurr

[aveterhours]

In my previous qsmp post I talked about how all the challenges of the qsmp are made so that the players will fail, but I wanted to elaborate a bit on the overall purpose of Why and the motive of this entity that controls this island, assumedly the qsmp federation. I also wanted to speculate on the overall theme of this story, and why I think this will actually have a (relatively) positive conclusion.

The theory that this is some sort of data-gathering operation is the one I think is the most plausible. This whole thing is an experiment. Maybe even a reoccurring one; this island is old, with broken down buildings and a wall covered in vines that can presumably move up and down. There was audio formatted like a report on test subjects until it devolved into errors. At least a few of the messages the players receive from the duck are recorded on videotape, possibly so they can be reused. The entire island feels used and artificial and is falling apart. Perhaps there were previous participants who faced similar tests and had similar conflicts and are now gone, in some way or another. Some of the entities present on the server might even be remnants of these past participants---mainly the ones who don't seem to be here intentionally, like the glitched green text creature, and the coded message telling them to find a way out.

As for the other entities, primarily the deities, to me they don't seem actually all that powerful. Maybe it's the fact they actually appear in game and not as some cutscene, or because they resemble players, but they seem to be working within the bounds of this experiment and this island, and are on a lower level compared to the federation. They are moreso variables than all-powerful beings. Which speaks to the level of control exerted over this island, amongst other things; something else that comes to mind is how death doesn't actually seem permanent, at least not yet. Players don't have an established limited amount of lives, and while the eggs do, they have come back on multiple occasions and only seem to stay dead because that's what some sort of controlling force wants. I don't believe people can permadie unless the federation wants it.

But why is this experiment being conducted? To prove a point, i think. To prove that these two groups cannot come together and use teamwork and get along and complete 'simple' tasks. To prove that unity is impossible. These challenges are made unable to be won, to cause more conflict, because they want to prove that this collaboration is foolish and harmful and should not be attempted.

The entire overarching theme of the qsmp, on multiple levels, is two different communities, two groups that speak different languages, coming together to make something. It's about working together despite differences and difficulties and learning from it. These challenges are the antagonistic force because they are driving people apart. The federation is the antagonistic force because it put them all on this island in a skewed experiment in order to prove collaboration between these two groups impossible. I think the story will be about defeating this because, despite how things are going now, the entire idea of the qsmp is to show that teamwork is possible and to prove those negative ideas wrong. To overcome those obstacles no matter what and subvert expectations of failure. It is a theme that permeates the entire operation, from the concept to the construction to the story, and I think it will prevail.

#qsmp #mcyt #a lot more speculative since its pretty far-future ideas but i think it holds weight #i do not think it will be easy or fair or quick but i think there will be victory #also stuff wjth the other entities is vague cause i dont know a lot about them #i trust other people will dig in deep for those #theres also that twitter stuff and the letters but i dont think thsoe disprove this overall idea #long post #if people have tbings that either support or dispute this feel free to add #i am most definitely lacking info #and there are many other viable theories

[fatuismooches]

hi :) i see your responses to my asks :) i see your reblogs :) i am absolutely not about to add sodium to the tea i am having rn :)

in all seriousness though oh my goodness smooches ;; i am glad i decided to take a little break from writing for now and be greeted with an influx of notifications alongside your responses to my asks and reblogs to the little thingies i published, just the perfect obliteration my heart needed to perfect my night <3

in response to your excitement about my kabuki series, ME TOO !! good god you don't know how over the damn moon i am just thinking about tomorrow like .. i should probably get a breather because this much excitement, while not new to me because i'm always excited, is about to annihilate my heart lmao

and now in response to your reblog of my fatui kuni drabble, yes. fucking yes. sorry excuse my language BUT. I GET IT. dearest when i tell you it's something i think about a lot — that drabble is actually what i wrote back when i was taking a walk near the seashore about i believe two weeks ago! but that aside, walks around snezhnaya with scara are like everything to me. like imagine him accompanying you to town or along the outskirts — very and i mean very attentively listens to you musings about everything and nothing because he doesn't have much to offer in comparison to what he wholeheartedly believes to be heaven in your eyes as you talk about very simple things ( i shall cut my rambling there because i have a whole series for fatui kuni that is primarily themed around that concept hehe ).

as for the 'nushi thesis...............

oops ~

no but this bitch had me on a chokehold for SO LONG, that i ended up writing not only lore but many, many other things as well from the small to the big deadass ended up being a presentation because i have arranged a design sheet and even chose a fucking theme for him. but king deserves it so (⁠~⁠￣⁠³⁠￣⁠)⁠~

there is so much i could say right now, so much i can express but bloody hell i like, can't because i have successfully melted into a puddle out of sheer joy :')

YOUR HCS FOR KABUKI BTW ARE SO SO REAL !! SPEAK YOUR TRUTH QUEEN !!

goodness .. dear smooches, dear mutual, dear fellow tea addict /lh lover, to say that your responses have made my night would be one of the biggest understatements i've ever made in life :') like omg i am thinking of a way i could respond to every little thing you mentioned in your responses to my asks and in your reblogs, but i think the bright smile painting my puffy face rn is more than indicative of how genuinely thankful and happy i am 🤍

thank you and incredible lot. i hope mundanities with kabukimono hits in all the right ways and you get to enjoy it as much as i enjoyed writing for it. i cannot wait to walk this journey with you and many others <3

— signed with much ( platonic ) love, ayame.

( don't tell kuni that i almost cried because tumblr ate the ask i previously sent you, please and thank you :') ).

the way i am actually about to cry because tumblr keeps having the ask i sent you just a minute ago as a meal............. i swear to god if this one gets sent unlike the other i am going to swallow a biscuit whole /j /nsrs

AYAME NOOOO IM SO SO SORRY TUMBLR CAN BE AN ASS LIKE THAT SOMETIMES 😭😭 But i am so glad to have received this ask from you omg, i love it sm ❤️ And you don't even need to thank me, I'm always happy to support and gush over your writing :)) I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND ABOUT BEING EXCITED TO POST there have been a bunch of times when i wanted to just post something at that instant instead of waiting (kabukimono series was an example when i literally posted back to back instead of spacing it out, i was SO READY 😭)

AND NGL YOU LITERALLY OPENED MY MIND TO SNEZHNAYAN WALKS WITH KUNI... i never thought about it before but. MWAH. i love the idea because i love walks and the cold especially if Kuni will be there to keep me warm hehe. Him being a silent listener is so so cute and real because you think he doesn't listen but then he brings up something random you said weeks ago and your heart just goes boom. (I propose to you now, you and Wanderer visiting Mondstadt/ Dragonspine and walking along the snowy path there too! Wanderer just has so much overflowing memories of the two of you doing the same thing in Snezhnaya, but you don't remember :( but at least he has a second chance with you to make new memories)

OH MY GOSH THE KURONUSHI STUFF EBWDBEWF bro. i so understand because when i saw him there i was excited beyond words. like FINALLY we were getting some Scara lore after like a year or something?? i also remember being sad that the furniture for the teapot wouldn't change to his picture :( but omg i love your dedication to him sm ITS SO SWEET I CAN'T WAIT TO READ MORE ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS ON KURO BC IM SO INTERESTED.

AGAIN IM REALLY GLAD MY SILLY RAMBLES MADE YOU SMILE!! *HUGS YOU* AND I TOO CANT WAIT TO EXPERIENCE YOUR KABUKI SERIES!! ILY TOO!! ❤️❤️

#smooches talks #moots: ayame <3 #also idk why or how the format got fucked. im so sorry HELP 😭 #we gotta know what happens if u throw snowball at him 😭🥺 #*patiently awaits the fatui kuni series 🧎‍♀️* #and nah im literally a tea addict. 😭 u can call me out.

[disruptivevoib]

mx voib how on earth do you go about designing your hmsw variants, i'm so jealous

Oh I feel fancy now!

Anyhow, I don't have any distinct go-to process but generally having a good idea for the au or the concept I want to design them based on and stemming from there.

Many of my more baseline Aus are close to my canonical designs. With the re-designs of Eleutheromania having a half/half Heart to match the Mind design and make him more distinct.

Then there are the more abstract things like the "Death Thirds" Which is an au I've not really spoken on, and I don't recall if I've posted them here. Though I know I have on Twitter. (I recall CJ liking the Soul design)

Those are meant to be more ethereal, uncanny and inhuman designs. They are VERY self indulgent and more an experiment than anything. Though I knew I wanted to use the Mind design off the album cover for CCCC as baseline inspo for Mind. Soul happened kind of accidentally tbh. I was doodling and he came about.

Theres a set I'm drawing right now which have been far more in-depth. But thats because they stem from an existing media. But that's all I'll say on that one!

As for the smaller guys... I wanted to draw an HMS which was closer to 'canon' in some ways or just different from my typical used for the Song Pieces! They actually well exemplify some thematics in terms of square mind, circle heart, triangle (with rounded edges) soul. Which is a motif I've had since even my VERRRRY very very first concept ideas for my HMS designs!! Shape language is very important to me, and its something I highly suggest learning about or messing with.

I also like to take their canonical clothing; Mind's leather jacket or black vest, Heart's hoodie, Soul's jacket and apply or manipulate it to fit a design. The stripes in my Soul jacket I believe aren't how the real jacket CJ owns is but more so ripped from Kai @/calamarispiderart ?

But yeah! Overall. Themes, motifs, things like that are key in my designs.

Pluto is also a good show of that. I wanted to make sure he looked as faded and washed out as he felt. So his hair is white and his colors, even his Heart and Mind's colors are desaturated and a little off. Lacuna Mind leans into navy and teal while Lacuna Heart is nearly pink!

The Swap designs are also a good example. Viscera is a Whole with nothing in him, and while now I see Soul as more exemplifying that- Whole needs to exist in this au more physically. So— Viscera takes that place. He's a husk and a shell. The half mask with an empty void on the otherside showcases just as much. And for as uncanny and blank as he seems, he is soft. His face is always very soft and maybe a little bit sad. Ennui, Swap!Mind maintains the half/half motif of my Mind designs if only to keep him recognizable. But, his source is a jagged and sharp edged heart and the strings run in a simplistic but sharp form of a heartbeat. Electricity forced to be another way. His features are also softer still from the typical Mind design! Even in what he wears! Judge I have fewer notes on other than his blindfold is not present and in its place is his brain source, obscuring both his eyes if he technically has them at all. Astray, Soul, is faceless. For what is Soul supposed to even be without the mask? Especially when he doesn't know much of anything at all.

Sooo yeah! Just. A big ramble that boils down to the answer of... I try most often to make sure the designs convey the personality or story of the character in some way. Themes and motifs or ideas from or for the au also play that same part.

Course I cannot tell you why the au where they are in eternal snow, Mind has white hair. That is far more a "felt like it" moment than anything else.

Sorry if this is too broad or non specific. I can probably go more into depth on particular designs but yeah! And sometimes a design is one and done. Other times they need many thumbnails or concepts to cycle through. My own designs for the canon HMS have changed a lot in little ways since I began drawing em!

#voidthoughts #hope that helps. #I'd get images and write or draw on them but my tablet did die yesterday so im in the awkward stage of #can i fix it or do i have to buy a new one #asks #thank u tho anon!! #i love character design very very much i could talk about it forever.

[theneighborhoodwatch]

What are your thoughts on the potential Julie and Frank 'relationship'?

(serious answer under the cut. also, again, disclaimer that this is all speculation and i'm not saying that any of this is 100% For Sure going to happen, i am just speaking within the context of this one particular theory.)

(edit: nvm i might actually be right. yeehaw [said unimaginably haggardly])

i've talked about that before on this blog, in this post specifically (with extra links for context so maybe check it out) and it's still something that i think about A Lot. in that post, i describe it as a source of Mutual horror, i.e. "you were created to both bring out the best in someone and to keep each other shackled to someone else’s incomprehensible idea of normalcy." and when i say incomprehensible, i really do mean incomprehensible; going by a few posts clown's made in the past, the idea of gender being tied to presentation and vice versa seems to be a foreign one to the playfellow puppets - and yet, this does not seem to prevent them from the consequences of being Perceived a certain way. it's also probably worth mentioning that if the 2022 pride art is to be believed, then neither frank or julie are cis, either (for whatever the playfellows puppets' definition/equivalent of "cis" is, anyway.)

i would be lying if i said i haven't thought about Several ways this could all play out; how it could affect both of them as individuals, their other relationships, their pre-existing friendship. i won't go over all of those here bc this post would be way too fucking long otherwise, but i will say that i think that they would have been friends regardless of whether or not the show decided they were (and regardless of whether or not the show wanted friends or "friends."*) i don't think either of them start out Aware that they're "supposed" to be together. i think they are likely made aware of it later on - of how they are seen. in this way, it's a good example of what i meant when i previously described welcome home feeling like a setup for some cosmic horror-as-coming of age shit (or coming of age as cosmic horror??) for example, in this particular context, i saw A Lot of these two scenarios when it came to growing up queer and/or closeted, especially in an unsafe environment: 1. "i'm told that because i spend so much time with this person, and they are (X) and i am (Y), that i am in love with them. i don't think this is true, but i have no idea how to refute this, so i'm just gonna Go Along With It until i am emotionally, mentally, and/or physically no longer able to do so bc i'm scared of what'll happen to me and/or the people i care about if i don't - OH FUCK THAT HAPPENED A LOT SOONER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK"

2. "i'm told that because i spend so much time with this person, and they are (X) and i am (Y), that i am in love with them. i think that's the dumbest fucking thing i've ever heard and it does not apply to me at all" [is punished for this] "Ah." it's just that here, the scale would be magnified to the point of cosmic horror, in order to drive home the turmoil these situations bring, both internal and external. do i think frank and julie would be the only examples of this, or that it is mutually exclusive from any of WH's other potential themes? absolutely not. but if all we have to go off of are crumbs, then We Will Work With Crumbs. * side note, i was gonna talk about how it was interesting that despite knowing next to nothing about frank/eddie in canon except for the fact that It Happens, all of the frank/eddie art we have so far is a lot more unambiguously romantic than any supposed in-universe ship teasing between frank and julie, buuut then i realized that was probably bc we're still in the prologue and all the frank/eddie stuff we have is like, side sketches and concept art. of course it's gonna be more indulgent.

tl;dr: I Care Them and i hope you can tell

#anonymous #ask #welcome home #wh speculation #frank frankly #julie joyful #ask to tag

[toytle]

Hi! I love your art style it's like. Breathtaking. And your hcs on barry are some of my favourites of all time?

What do you think of "The Ballad of Barry Allen by Jim's Big Ego as an analysis of Barry's character?

are you asking or are you telling me 🤨 lol THANK YOU i put all my headcanon power into him <3

for the ballad, i love their song stress, and this isn’t bad at all as far as fansongs go. but there’s a reason i don’t include it in my barry playlist, and it’s ultimately bc it doesn’t fit my narrative haha

the song was made in 2003 and i haven’t read many comics before then, so idk how well it aligns w barry’s characterization prior to flashpoint, but i’m basing my playlist off post-flashpoint, so that’s where a lot of the differences will lie

for starters, the song only includes one half of barry’s relationship to his superspeed, and it’s important to me that a barry interpretation includes both sides of that coin. instead, it’s playing on the idea of the dark side of the hero fantasy, an inherently optimistic genre. which, fair, being a superhero sounds like a nightmare, but that angle is less novel to me when that’s the extent of the analysis (and i’m a little over the whole “i hate being a superhero” storyline in general, personally). the song is basically abt how much it would suck to have superspeed bc the world slows to a crawl and you’re left behind bc no one else can keep up w you. and it’s true, that is a very real setback! especially for someone like barry who’s already prone to self-isolation and time management issues! but what does the song actually have to say abt him as a character?

the thing is, barry isn’t a “i wish i wasn’t a hero” kind of guy. he’s a “could i be so strong [to give up the flash]? or do i love the thrill of these powers too much?” kind of guy. he’s a “knowing what i know now… if i could go back in time… maybe i would’ve been somewhere else the day lightning struck my lab and electrified those chemicals, ready and willing to forfeit a life of dodging deathtraps and battling villains… who am i kidding? there’s no going back. no do-overs. like everyone else, superheroes can only follow the path destiny has laid out for them, whatever lies ahead.” kind of guy. yes, barry is caged by his superspeed, but it would be misleading to not present it first and foremost as the very thing that frees him. it’s a double-edged sword that gives him purpose, and that freedom in obligation is what motivates him to keep going. as a wise man once said, “all you can do is go forward.” (“thanks.” “superman is pretty smart isn’t he.” “hm.”)

i think the real kicker for me was this lyric: “i’ve got time to think about the past… how my life was so exciting before i got this way.” my sincerest apologies to mr. allen, but he does not feel complete to me without his mother’s death or his father’s false imprisonment. this backstory contextualizes everything for me. his life was NOT exciting before his superspeed, it was lonely and full of escapism, either in his sci-fi/comics or his dedication to finding justice. i am of the belief that barry didn’t truly start living until he got his superspeed, over 2 decades of waiting around before he rly understood freedom and what it meant to live for himself. i get what they’re trying to do here, but this is what i mean when i say it feels like the song characterizes barry around the concept of his speed rather than how barry’s speed defines him as a person

ik i can’t expect a 4min song to include every aspect of a character’s timeline/development/nuance (esp before some of that even existed lol), but my issue isn’t that it doesn’t cover enough ground—it’s not bad that they had a theme and stuck by it, i actually love the lyrics from a speedster perspective. my issue is that i don’t think this is a good framing for barry’s character as a whole. for all his regrets and suffering, barry is optimistic to the point of denial. choosing this to be The theme to represent barry just. doesn’t feel like barry to me. it’s more like barry is the placeholder subject as an excuse to sing abt superspeed

if this was somehow less overtly a “BARRY ALLEN FANSONG” and maybe more metaphorical or even non-fandom, then it would be a dif situation and i might have dif opinions. at the end of the day, this has more to do w my pickiness than the quality of the song, and the fact that it even exists is so exciting for me as a barry allen enjoyer first, human second. but if you’re going to call smth a character study, i Will be getting my hopes up

#barry allen #the flash #dc #danswers #danbles #i’ve never had to put this into coherent thought before usually i’m just being a hater unprompted in my friends’ dms LOL #which i think should emphasize that my opinions say more abt me than this song or even barry #but ty for the kind words + ask! this was rly fun to rattle around in my brain #i love having strong opinions abt things that don’t matter 😋

[stratospheric-bebop]

Some of my thoughts on Cowboy Bebop. Or my ESSAY really, if you WILL!

I’m in the middle of re-watching this entire show again after having watched it (so sporadically) before. I’m honestly a little sad that I couldn’t watch it consistently to begin with. It’s become something so appealing now to me after re-watching, but, maybe that’s just the way it was meant to happen.

It’s funny. Back then I thought this was just another good show out there, just another interesting piece of media I’ve decided to watch and take up. That is would just be another show I could tell people about and go ‘Oh yeah! I’ve seen it! It was good!’ and elaborate no further about it.

But that wasn’t the case.

I really got into this show once I started the re-watch. I’ve not seen the movie yet, I’m saving the movie for a bad day, as per a friend’s request, (he didn’t elaborate any further, but, might as well) and I’m super excited about that. I don’t think I’ll watch it until I finish my re-watch of the show first, though.

But yeah, it’s just interesting. I’m trying to put my finger on what is just so… appealing about this show to me. I have an idea roughly of several things that have been so interesting about this show, but, I’m trying to figure out what specifically has stuck out, aside from the atmosphere, the storytelling, and more. I’m trying to figure out what feels so personalized to me about this show…

A bunch of people trying to live out their lives and live with their struggles, flaws, & pasts while doing it. That’s rather profound. There’s something so resonating about that concept. About learning to co-exist with yourself and to truly be present in your own life, as short and as fundamentally difficult as it may be.

And that concept is summarized very well by the following infamous, notable quote:

YOU’RE GONNA CARRY THAT WEIGHT.

And that’s pretty damn hard hitting.

But that aside, I also think there’s another big theme in Cowboy Bebop.

Risk. Surprisingly. It’s my own interpretation of course, and not gospel (I love everyone’s different interpretations anyway), but, here, just have this as food for thought.

Acknowledging the presence of pain, of processing it, is grief. Something many of these characters already go through with so much of their pasts. That’s seemingly obvious and easy to sort of discern and describe, yes?

But to confront it and welcome what comes next, even if it might be painful, even if it might be challenging… is risk.

Which I think there is a lot to say about this theme, when dissecting the finale and the character’s developments. With Faye, with Ed, and with Jet, especially.

Even if it ended in the ultimate tragedy for some people, ahem. Everyone took their risks. They still got hurt, a lot of the time. Most of the time, actually.

But they still took it. And somehow, this appeared to give a stronger feeling of solace, even if it was painful for these characters, seeing them take the risk of confrontation, of hope, or of anything.

With Spike’s demise, I feel you can even study and see this concept in him as well. To be trapped within your own mind and the past — he really did go to find out if he was truly alive. On a surface level it might just look like a suicide mission, and even Faye contends with testing that concept there in the ending. It’s so gray and there’s so much room for so many interpretations on the ending. But that’s what I love so much about it.

But I like to think he really did truly feel alive. Because on a deeper level, he felt the pursuit was… worth the risk, that this was essential to his good mind of conscience. If he dies, he dies. What happens, happens.

That regardless of the pain he felt that day, regardless of what he lost, I feel he did something for once in his entire life with the fullest bit of intentionality that he had. He did something without being plagued by the past. Without being afraid. You could argue Spike was never afraid, but I’m not sure if I believe that. That’s another essay, but.

This once I feel he took a true risk.

Even if that resulted in his death… the smile that he gives in the end there, feels much more like a victory to me than it does a defeat, for so many reasons.

…

Those are just my own thoughts. But it’s interesting, isn’t it?

I also feel as if Bebop really lines up a lot of harsh realities that parallel real-life, that’s a given I’m sure most media literates can take note of. But you can feel this subtle, slice-of-life type of presence, of hope in little moments, and in the seemingly mundane. Even in a futuristic hell-scape such as this — the characters still experience their own fruits of fulfillment however small they may be, be it special delicacies or winning lotteries.

It has such an allusion to realism with it that I can’t quite describe or place my finger on just yet. That I just… cannot find anywhere else in media. Not like this.

This show is like a puzzle but I love trying to pick apart and interpret every minute of it. It really requires me to think much about it. Kind of inspiring and creatively-engaging really, especially when comparing my own work and stories.

That’s my essay for now, but yeah.

SEE YOU LATER, SPACE COWBOY.

I suppose.

#cowboy bebop #spike spiegel #cowboy bebop essay #faye valentine #jet black #strato-written

[knight-rider-fan-2000]

I was chatting with my mom today about how unique Knight Rider is as a show for one reason only- having a character that's honestly, genuinely, and truly a car.

(Yeah, sure, there's Transformers, but watch any Transformers show and you'll see that they rarely keep the robots in car mode for any scenes. The car modes are almost exclusively used for scene transitions or for action set pieces.)

Knight Rider is different in that it challenges the viewer to imagine a character who is a car. This character is Kitt. There is no way for him to stop being a car, even when it's inconvenient for him, or even when it's inconvenient for the plot. Kitt, as a concept, asks the viewer to empathize- what would being a car genuinely be like? What challenges would that present? What advantages?

This is where most robots in fiction, and fiction that claims to analyze humanity through the lens of robot characters, ultimately fail. I'm hard-pressed to find another work of sci-fi with a lead character in such a genuinely divorced role from humanity. Most fictional robots have:

Hands, to physically interact with a human-scaled world in the way that humans do,

Faces, for humans to relate to, and

Eyes, for humans to look at, and tell where the robot is looking.

Kitt has none of these. He never gets any of these at any point. The show even reflects on this in episode 22 of season 1, where he projects eyes onto his screen for the little girl who's trying to understand him. Yet even this is temporary- he gets rid of them after only a minute, and the girl gets used to the real him accordingly. It's never portrayed that these attributes (of hands, a face, and eyes) are some kind of upgrade that Kitt is missing.

However, Kitt is still undeniably 'human', and this is the most important part. Kitt's way of thinking isn't alien just because his body is different. It's what he is thinking about that's been altered from the traditional human experience. This leads to a fascinating exploration of topics such as:

Accessibility. Kitt is constantly analyzing where his body can go and to what places he has access to. Even Michael Knight learns to start thinking this way as he grows closer with Kitt, to the benefit of them both. The question of what Kitt can do vs what he can't do given his body is at the core of Michael's problem solving when the show is at its best.

Priorities. What does Kitt care about? Again, it's deeply important that the first answer to this is "his friends", but barring that, what else? Things like a good road or the polish of bodywork become elevated in importance through his perspective.

Prejudice. A lot of science fiction has the trope of "robot racism", or the idea that there's a portion of humans who actively believe that sentient robots are not equal to humans. Knight Rider, however, never takes this easy drama. Humans treat Kitt differently, and sometimes with a shocking amount of disrespect (even after he's revealed himself to be a person,) but it's never out of malice. It's out of ignorance. The bulk of these humans have only the best intentions. This presentation reflects upon real-world prejudices through a different lens than the aforementioned trope, which has, by now, been thoroughly beaten to death.

Again, it's the fact that the show actively goes out of its way to tell the audience that Kitt has a soul (season 2, the episode literally titled "Soul Survivor"), yet doesn't shy away from the genuine differences he faces from being nonhuman, that makes it so damn compelling to me.

(Mind you, the way the show usually "explores" these themes is through the lens of comedy that relies on Kitt's differences being the butt of the joke. . . and that the inclusion of these deeper themes definitely do NOT cancel out the show's genuine problems with sexism/racism! But-)

I really do consider Knight Rider to be science fiction at (or at least close to) its finest. Which is an insane statement out of context, I realize, but I hope after reading this post you might be able to understand why. Knight Rider set the bar for robots in fiction for me and nothing has been able to compare since.

TL;DR: Kitt is a car. This is deeply profound.

#knight rider #k.i.t.t. #kitt #science fiction #robot #robots #artificial intelligence #robot character #yup yup bringing out the big boy tags for this one #I realized I can't say that knight rider is the best sci fi has to offer in terms of the robot department #without a whole boat of an essay to explain why #I also sound completely nuts when I say 'I want more exploration of disability like knight rider' #but I'm not brave enough to say that outside of the tags

[nochocolate]

Theory: Chara's motivations

lucabicono submitted to nochocolate:

I recently found this blog and got drawn back in to reading theories and speculations, and after reading a few, I noticed a common thread that I never had before, connecting a lot of elements regarding the narrative of Undertale, Chara's behavior and motivations, and the significance of the Goner/Gaster characters: the idea of being forgotten. I'm not sure if anyone else has pointed any of this out, but I wanted to submit it for consideration. I also haven't come up with any theories of my own in a long time, and my knowledge of the inner workings and unique scenarios (fun values, kill count changes, etc.) present in Undertale is elementary at best, so I figured you might be better at piecing this together and seeing if it holds water at all.

First off, the obvious connection to the idea of being forgotten, or rather, the concept of memory. The game itself remembers the actions of the player, even in new games and fresh resets, but it doesn't simply stop with the game. Characters like Sans and Flowey obviously either know about previous playthroughs, or at least have some awareness of them. Even Frisk is implied if not outright stated to have some recollection between runs; Toriel's comment that they look like they've "seen a ghost" if the player kills her and then reloads a previous save, and Frisk outright telling Asgore how many times he's killed them.

Another pretty obvious connection is with the Goner characters, specifically Gaster and his followers. Gaster himself was completely erased, past present and future; forgotten by existence. The only people remaining who know about him (aside from, implicitly, Sans) are characters like the Goner Kid, whose entire spiel is about "a world world where everything is exactly the same...except you don't exist", or essentially "a world that has forgotten you". The Goner Kid also asks for the player to forget about them when bringing them an umbrella.

And there are plenty of other allusions to the idea of being forgotten, and having the world move on without you. For example, the Echo Flower that Flowey speaks into says the following: "She'll find another kid, and instantly forget about you." This also ties into the game’s overall theme of letting go.

Having read the theory on here regarding how Chara's influence is tied to number of kills and how the player isn't necessarily corrupting them, as well as the theory surrounding the use of the “*...” dialogue, I began thinking, what exactly is Chara's motivation? Because just having them be a demon or whatever is boring.

Could Chara be motivated at least partially by a fear of being forgotten?

It would explain their hatred of Toriel during a genocide route, who took in fallen child after fallen child even after their passing. It would explain how they're able to one-shot Mettaton NEO despite his monster soul being protected by his robot body; the fountain having possibly been made in to celebrate Chara's arrival having been altered to instead honor Mettaton. I would explain why Chara makes sure to remind the player of the consequences of the genocide route in a soulless pacifist run. It would explain why, even when the player is on a neutral or true pacifist run and they have no soul of their own and basically no influence, Chara is still Determined to let the player know that they're there through things like flavor text ("You laugh and keep laughing", "All you can do is FIGHT", etc).

Given how prevalent the concept of being forgotten by the world is, as well as Chara implicitly wanting to become the angel to "free" the monsters, and how their/the player's in-game theme is quite literally "Megalovania", I think it's entirely possible that they would find the idea of being forgotten terrifying.

#submission #nochocolate submissions #lucabicono #undertale #undertale spoilers #mod felt #solid theory #what's meta is that this being forgotten motif is hard to find in the game since the goner characters have such a low chance of appearing #very cool

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Keep it in Your Heart

If we're doing another leg of this flashback, it's time to dust off a old concept that proved right with the last time we stepped away. We...might not be coming back to how this situation with Saturn gets resolved. We may come in directly on the resolution. There are a lot of ways that can go. But for the moment I just wanted to focus on a few things that are relevant. Starting with the chapter I borrowed a title from here, 603. Viz slightly changes it, but the noteworthy "heart" theme is part of the whole package, one you probably remember with this scene.

Of course it's relevant that Kuma asked for this final mission. This direction for the flashback has a high chance of us seeing an alternate view of the story we all know and love. Really, really would like to see this cover Kuma's POV on Thriller Bark. What I forgot until looking at this chapter again was how much the Straw Hats, particularly Franky, know about the cyborg project. Franky offering a dire warning that is quite pertinent; that Kuma is someone they're indebted to...but if they ever cross paths again he will be an emotionless weapon.

There is no such thing as coincidence, only fate. That was how Van Augur put it. Remember, that was when the story was taking an odd moment between Luffy and Blackbeard and spelling out the thread that had been running since Drum. How a quirk of fate tied the brothers' story together. It's interesting to see it on display here leading into explaining just how Kuma protected the ship. Had a hand in setting the Straw Hats up to learn what they'd need to take on the New World.

I used that quote from Augur in one of our earliest Post-Wano Musings, titled Holding Pattern which covered Chapters 1062 & 1063. Looking back, man it's cool we're still looking at Bonney the same way and Drake has the same potential. I really dug up the coincidence thing because Law having boobies was so on point. 1063 was the first time I really started wondering if there might be a real reason to keep the hopium around because it was so weird then to cut away to Law like that. Egghead has gotten a lot longer than we imagined then but really leaned into those early threads we were looking at.

Those who have been following along would recall a while ago I stopped fully caring about this from the perspective of Kiku actually being #10 or not and more that using her as a guide was clearly paying off enough I'mma keep doing it until we get our answer. So then it's worth noting it may be no coincidence, but fate that made Kuma's decision to split the Straw Hats land them at the right time to stumble into the Akazaya's revenge plot. Though the length of their time apart is out of Kuma's paws even if he knew about it. That was just one thought looking back on 603 here.

You even had Caribou stumble in at the end. Don't forget him. My hunch right now is if the Blackbeard ship is actually Moria & Perona then Caribou fits their aesthetic to a T. That's not a bad vehicle to show some of what happened during the skipped night in the lab. Reading that old review was a great reminder; some of the little oddities we noticed early did and continue to snowball.

As for Kuma? Who knows where the flashback goes from here. I'd love some deep Makino lore but they could just be ships passing in the night. Where Bonney's story runs parallel will also be telling. I'll dust off one classic though. The longer this flashback goes the better the odds we come back to the present in a weird fashion. I don't think this 1100 turn can be ended in just one followup chapter either. Gut says wait til the first one of a new year, those are always big too.

Hell...worth mentioning too. If this is our second segment like this in the arc, what does it mean if/when we break down into a third? Just saying, we already had the idea Egghead was the 4th more accurate part of Wano doing a Rashomon type thing. What if that story itself is a nested Rashomon narrative? I will make and send Oda an award for literary brilliance if he does that and it's really, really starting to feel like we might.

#one piece #chapter 1100 #post-wano musings

[augustspage]

The current renaissance of star wars (Andor, Thrawn trilogy, Mandolorian) is because of rebels.

SW rebels was one of the first things to premiere after the legends purge, so salty fans attacked it relentlessly as they had no other outlet (until the sequel trilogy). As we get further and further from that time and canon builds up its timeline we can see the amount of worldbuilding the show did that provides the base for so many of the current shows, to work off of.

The darksaber and the mandolorian

The mandolorian is basically a spinoff of rebels with the amount of shared characters, plots and macguffins, but I'd like to focus on the darksaber.

The amount of weight that saber holds is established in rebels, "trial of the darksaber" while being an amazing episode for sabine establishes the history of the darksaber, clarifies how lightsabers work and sets up "the ducchess" very likely a superweapon thats gonna show up in season 3. without having g rebels to lean on the mandolorian would not feel as galaxy spanning and large.

Kenobi and Fallen order and the inquisitors

This one's pretty obvious the main conflict in the show and game revolve around a concept that rebels writers took from legends and refined. Inquisitors are potrayed as intimidating, but coming from sympathetic pasts (Grand inquisitor being temple guard), capable but falling to infighting (seventh sister and fifth brother) as well as their cool designs. (I really like the spinny blades okay)

Fallen order and kenobi build on these elements set up in rebels, to drive their plot, and use other ideas like vaders broken helmet for emotional moments (not to mention Cal's story being identical to kanan's current, hopefully it grows in jedi survivor) .

The ISB and andor

Rebels establishes the isb through Agent kallus, a skilled, menacing devious tactician, who is sympathetic, who is very capable of espionage, and is used to comment on the empires dehumanisation, sound familiar?

There are differences in portrayal obviously as ones for a younger audience but the underlying themes and ideas are the same. Andor used the ideas present to build its own story about a surveillance state, and the empires radicalisation off of the base ideas there.

Rebels brought thrawn back as a villan

I don't think I need to tell you how much fans like thrawn, but he was never a household name until rebels. It introduced thus awesome character to a larger audience, and gave Timothy zahn to take his character in new interesting directions basically doing whatever he wants, which people seem to like.

Importantly however rebels brought him back as a villan cause however fun he is as a Sherlock figure, thrawn is at his best as a intimidating smart villan, season 3 of rebels always had that looming feeling that the rebels are falling into a trap, which they were. Thrawn in the season finale was terrifying, one by one destroying all the ships the rebels built up, losing the people they worked hard to save and the base they got to rest at if even for a moment. This is where thrawn is at his best, and from the looks of it that's what they are gonna build on for the future of star wars as a whole.

This post is basically a reminder that current star wars is nothing without star wars rebels as a base and more people should know about it.

#star wars rebels #star wars #andor #kenobi show #fallen order #thrawn #darksaber #second sister #third sister #agent kallus