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turtleblogatlast · 10 days

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Thinking about the Don Suave scene and what it means in terms of LGBTQ+ representation because my brain does nothing if not torment me with random topics to ramble about on the regular.

Anyway, I just wanted to ramble about why I like the scene but to get it out of the way - the scene can very easily be interpreted in so many different ways, and all of them are valid. I personally see it as Leo having at least some attraction to a man. And the following is an explanation of my own interpretation and thoughts on it and what it means especially for Leo’s portrayal in the grand scheme of things.

Long-winded interpretation under the cut!

Now, to start with, it’s important to me that in the scene Leo looks at Don Suave in the very beginning and then for the entirety of the rest of the time the man is on screen, Leo’s eyes are closed. Yet, in the end, he is still visibly enamored with Don Suave, happily cuddling up to him as he’s being carried away.

You can very easily interpret this as Leo being spellbound and that’s honestly super valid and I believe he likely was at least somewhat in the beginning, but considering how fast he looked away and how he never looked again, I personally think it makes more sense to read it as Leo just finding the man attractive, at least somewhat. (For the record, I personally headcanon Rise Leo as bisexual with a heavy preference for men, but I want to be blunt when I say that any interpretation is valid. Literally any. Ace, pan, gay, bi, none of the above or a mixture of something new literally all of it is more than okay and fair. Hell you could even interpret this entire scene as more romantic attraction than physical and it would still work. Anything goes!! Don’t bother people, guys, really.)

The main reason I take this scene to be at the very least LGBTQ+ adjacent isn’t just because of how it’s portrayed, but because of who Leonardo is. Not in terms of Rise of the TMNT, but in terms of the entire Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™️ franchise.

Leo’s a character who, while changing with each iteration, has still at his core been around for decades upon decades as “the blue one”. One fourth of the team. He’s the one most are going to look at as the Leader, and oftentimes he is the one closest to having the title of Main Character. Not to say the others aren’t just as important, but Leo’s presence in the A plots of basically all TMNT media is often something very main character-esque.

And that’s very, very important to note. Here we have a Main Character of a prolific and decades long-running franchise distributed by a children’s television network. You can play around with his and his brothers’ characters all you like, but there is always going to be challenges to dodge around, especially since this was still in 2018-2019.

For example, you can play around with their designs so long as they’re color coded turtles, but their sexualities? Now that’s tricky.

“But what about Hypno and Warren?” Not main characters and also they’re Rise originals. They have a lot more room to play around with than a character like Leo does. But even talking about main characters in the franchise, you could arguably have an easier time playing around with Donnie or Mikey’s sexualities than Leo or even Raph, as (unfortunately) the former two tend to get more B plots, so they’d likely have had a little more leeway (still not a lot though.)

So, where does this leave us?

It leaves us in a place where outright stating and/or showing undeniable proof of Leo’s attraction to men is very, very difficult. So, workarounds!

Workarounds like the entire Don Suave situation.

To be honest, as left up to interpretation and lowkey and deniable as it is, this whole scene means a lot to me because of who Leo is as a character. It’s just nice when we get so see even the bare bones of representation with characters that have been such a large part of pop culture for decades, y’know? Even if more would be so much nicer, this is better than I thought we’d ever get for these boys.

And, again, literally nothing I’ve said is the only way to interpret it, I’m more than happy when people interpret media on their own honestly, it’s just something I’ve been thinking of lately and I was wondering if others felt the same way.

Whatever you think when you interpret this scene or Rise Leo as a whole, I just thought this would be interesting to think about, even if it was ramble-y, haha.

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt headcanons #rottmnt leo #rise leo #rise don suave #rottmnt don suave #I lied I’m back to ramble because I’m just #so bad at keeping my mouth shut #or uh #not typing word vomit #anyway- yeah this is my personal interpretation #I believe Leo was legitimately mesmerized by Don Suave’s powers…in the beginning #but even the series’ creator says it was ‘at least PART of what was going on with Leo’ so #idk it’s something that’s been on my mind and I was wondering if anyone else felt the same??#may delete this later who knowssss #pleaaaase feel free to disagree I just like to talk lol #but yeah sometimes I look around at how much media has LGBTQ+ rep in it now and it honestly makes me emotional??#(we always always ALWAYS could use more but)#we did not have even a crumb of this as kids #but also like most of that rep is new properties #and I just was thinking about what that could mean #idk man idk #once again please don’t take this as facts it is VERY MUCH NOT #man I was looking around for good images to use and found jack all #anyway tho did you know Donnie often has bi colors around him and Leo is often dressed in the colors of the trans flag-#okay anyway back to the caves I go this comic won’t draw itself #I gotta spray myself with water any time I go to type long winded essays because they’re not great for the mental health fr

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thranduel · 8 months

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You're right. I can be better than him.

#astarion #bg3 #idk what this is just felt like dropping some more hd screenshots lol #to say i was so proud of him in this scene is an understatement #i love him so much. SO much #the only ending i'll give him every single playthrough i don't care!!!!#call me boring but i do not care #i will love him and take care of him and help him heal every single time #like do you see the pain in that second screenshot #that ruined me #like actually destroyed me #but i will never take away his feelings and genuine emotions #no matter how much things may hurt sometimes #i will never turn him into the person that destroyed him #i will never turn him into the person he despises most #i would never do that to him #i know that he can find happiness again #no matter how long it takes #and i will help him #because all he wanted was for someone to love him and believe in him #anyways WOW i am dramatic!!!!!!!!#sorry just in my feels :')#btw i'm just VERY passionate about his character arc and development and growth and i just want him to be happy #this isn't a dig at anyone for what they choose to do in their playthroughs #it's a fictional fantasy RPG do whatever you want have fun #just sharing what i personally choose to do for him and why #the writers and developers and neil put so much effort into all of astarion's endings and some of the scenes are really interesting to see #so i don't blame anyone for trying different things out #but these are just my own PERSONAL feelings about it <3 #my screenshots

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swordheld · 5 months

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hi! your blog is one of my favourites and i absolutely adore reading your thoughts. my grandfather recently passed away and it feels like i lost myself with him. how do i continue living after this? there is this constant weight on my chest and it feels like an emptiness has made a home inside of me. how do i go on when it feels like the world crashed on my shoulders?

hello, love! this is so very sweet and kind of you, and i hope you're treating yourself gently and kindly right now - there aren't words for a loss like this. that heaviness is difficult, and hard, and painful. it's okay if things don't feel okay, right now, or even soon - i think that's something that a lot of the people i know that have gone through similar grief feel: like they should be able to get back to a relative 'normal' in a [insert far too short period of time].

but it's okay if it hurts. that's where i'd like to start. you're allowed to feel that emptiness, that world-crashed feeling that goes beyond words, beyond time. don't feel like you have to rush this to feel some sort of better. things get easier with time, i promise you this, but sometimes painful feelings are important to feel, too. cry, scream, feel your emotions. they're a part of you. grieve.

it's perhaps a little silly, but when i think about death i always think about a couple of space songs: mainly drops of jupiter by train and saturn by sleeping at last. there are perhaps others that speak to the emotions better, but these two have always hit something a little deeper for me, and are popular for a wide-reaching reason.

and while personally i don't know much about grief like this, i do know a lot about love; and i think they're a lot of the same thing.

the people we love are a part of us, and this is why it takes from us so deeply when we lose them, because it does feel like we've lost a part of ourselves in the wake of it. but it's because they were so central to our experiences of living - our lives, that the separation introduces a hollowness - a place where they used to be. a home that now goes unlived in.

an emptiness, like you said.

but just because they're not here physically, doesn't mean he's not still there, in your heart, in your life, your memory. you can hold him close in smaller ways, as well: steal a sweater, or cologne/scent for something a little more physical and long lasting for remembering. hold onto the memories you cherish, the things that made you laugh, the ease of slow mornings and gentle nights. write them all down, slide a few photographs in there, go through it and add more when you miss him. keep them all close, keep them in your heart.

you're not alone, in this. he's still there, with you, it's just - in the little things.

he's with you in the way you see and go about your daily life, in doing what he liked to do, in the ways he interacted with the world that you shared with him. the memories you recall fondly when the night is late or the moment is right and something calls it into you like a melody, an old bell, laughter you'd recognize anywhere.

but i think, perhaps most importantly above all others - talk about him. with your family, your friends, his friends, strangers; stories are how we keep the people we love alive. the connections they've made, the legacies and experiences they've left behind, and so, so many stories.

how lucky, we are - to love so much it takes a piece of us when they go. grief is the other side of the coin, but it does not mean our love goes away. it lives in you. it lives in everyone who knew him, in the smallest pieces of our lives.

the people we love never really leave us, like this: they're in how we cook and the way we fold our newspapers, our laundry, in the radio stations we tune in to and the way we decorate our walls, our photo albums. they're in the way we store our mail, organize our closets, the scribbled notes in the indexes of our books. the meals we love and the drinks we mix, the way we spend time with one another. they've been passed down for generations, for longer than history - and we are all the luckier for it.

think about what you shared with him, and do it intentionally. bring him into your life, like this, again. whether it's crosswords or poetry or sports or anything else. if one doesn't help, try another. something might click.

i hope things feel a little easier for you, as they tend to do only with time. i hope you find joy in your grief, even if it is small and hard to grasp at first. know that your hurt stems from so much love that there isn't a place to put it properly, and that it is something so meaningful and hurting poets and storytellers have been struggling to put it into words and sounds that feel like the fit right for eons, and that it is also just simply yours. sometimes things don't have to make sense. sometimes they just are - unable to be put into words or neat little sentiments, as unfair and tragic as they come.

but i promise it will not feel like this forever. your love is real. and perhaps, on where to begin on from here - i think it's less on finding where to begin and just beginning. and you've already started. you've taken the most important and crucial step: the first one. wherever you go, after that, from here? you'll figure it out. you always have, and you always do. it'll come, as things always do. love leads us, as does light - and you're never alone in your hurt. in your grief, your missing something dear to you. i think if you talk about it with others, you'll find they have ways of helping you cope as well - and they have so much love of their own to spare, too.

as an aside, here is the song (northern star by dom fera) i was listening to when i wrote this, for no other reason more than it makes me think of connections, and love, and how we hold onto the people we love and how they change us, wonderfully and intrinsically. it's a little more joyous than the others i've mentioned, and plays like a story, and it made me think of what is at the core of this, love and stories and i am here with you, and maybe it'll bring you some joy, if you'd like it. wishing you all my love and ease 💛

#q&a.#birdsong.#wishing u gentle ease; the death of a loved one is near inexplicable to put into words and i hope you take care of yourself gently <3 #i hope this will make u laugh: when i was a tiny child in middle school there were times i would go outside in my tiny suburban cul de sac-#in the rain and sing along to my lil ipod nano and i only remember doing this to drops of jupiter. can you imagine going out to get the mai #after a long day of work and you just hear this kid singing train in the streets. in the RAIN.... it makes me laugh like i really.#i really thought i was so cool and deep and emotional ghjkd but i find it v funny that i only remember it w/ that one train track.#and saturn just. it's my fav s.a.l. song for a reason. that slow violin opening? the piano coming in gentle and easy?#it feels like light. like hope. like something new - a dawn after the long dark. that beautiful things can begin again even where #it hurts. and there is nothing more human than a sentiment like that.#how rare and beautiful it is to truly exist. what it is to be alive and get to be here and live with other people. with those we love.#i think your grandfather was so lucky to be able to know you. to have you in his life for the time you had together.#i'm no spiritual person; but i like to believe when you're thinking about him? he's thinking about you too.#the second law of thermodynamics (physics nerd mode) is that no energy has ever been created/destroyed since the beginning of the universe.#so it has to go somewhere - it's that carl sagan quote of 'we're all made of stardust'. because we are. we used to be stars; planets; etc.#i think it's why i think of these space songs - because they're a part of everything; once more; when they go. us and everything else.

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autisticcassandracain · 1 year

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I dunno man I feel like most statements along the lines of ‘Batman isn’t REALLY x, he’s y’ don’t hold much water because usually, there’s a pretty good chance a number of writers over the years have written him as x, you just didn’t like it or think it doesn’t count for some reason.

For example ‘Batman isn’t REALLY a good parent, he’s actually a bad parent’, when Batman has been written as a good parent by a number of writers, and has, in addition, been written as realizing that he’s screwed up with his children and resolved to fix it by even more. At the same time, stating ‘Batman isn’t REALLY a bad parent, he’s actually a good parent’ is also incorrect, because Batman has been written as a bad parent by a number of writers, either intentionally or not; in addition, the pattern presented by the tug-of-war between writers who believe he should be a good parent and writers who don’t has, over the years, created an unintentional pattern that strongly resembles that of an abusive relationship. So, stating he is a good parent is inaccurate and dismisses a bunch of his canon writing, but stating he is a bad parent also dismisses a bunch of his canon writing and the intentions of the authors that wrote him.

The secret here is realizing that Batman has had so many writers over the years that it’s practically impossible to find a universal truth about him beyond the basic premise and maybe very, very basic characterization keystones. Writers with different beliefs about both the character and the world at large have written him in accordance to their worldview, and sometimes that worldview will align with yours, and sometimes it won’t.

Like, at this point, Batman is more an idea than he is a character. He is the bare-knuckled fight against injustice, but what ‘injustice’ is depends heavily on your worldview, as does what ‘bare-knuckled’ and ‘fight’ mean. Batman has been interpreted in dozens of different ways over the years, and singling out a few of those as the True Batman is largely arbitrary and dependent on your personal taste and belief in what the character should be. The only ‘objective’ measurement you could apply here are the old Golden Age comics, and I think most fans can agree that measuring modern Batman comics by how faithful they are to the Golden Age comics is, more often than not, a little ridiculous.

For the record, I do think that arguing about what Batman should be matters; if right-wing assholes use the character as a mouthpiece for their worldview we can and should critique that, but not because it’s ‘OOC’, but because the worldview espoused by those right-wing assholes is harmful and shitty. Batman should be a good parent, not because it’s ‘OOC’ for him to be a bad parent, but because having your paragon of justice be a child abuser is pretty shitty. Etc.

I don’t really have anywhere specific to go with this, I just think it’s a little strange when people try to view Batman as a character with a clear-cut characterization, rather than a concept that many people have approached in different ways over the years. Can that concept be mishandled? Sure. But it’s usually mishandled for reasons a bit more substantial than ‘a previous writer wrote it differently’.

#part of me feels like it's a cop-out to say #'batman isn't really a character so much as a concept and he can rarely ever be truly ooc'#'because he's been written by so many different people that practically any interpretation of him has canon back-up'#but at the same time. when you have a decades long history as one of the most well known pop culture icons of our time #i do think you kinda stop being a character and start being more of a concept #this post was inspired by a lot of stuff but the thing on my mind rn is conversations about why batman doesn't kill #and a lot of people being like 'saying batman doesn't kill because he thinks it'd turn him into an unstoppable killing monster is wrong!'#which. isn't true. that's a take many writers have on his character.#you may not like you or think it's stupid or whatever but. it's an interpretation of the no-kill rule with canon backing #and for that matter. even 'batman doesn't kill' is kind of up in the air with many writers taking a more relaxed stance on that #or even outright doing away with it. batman was also written before the concept of him not killing was added to his character #like. with a character with a history as long an profilic as batman. shit's complicated i feel #bruce wayne #my posts #infodumping

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letterstosirsonic · 9 months

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My dearest Sonic,

Oh, how I wish to speak with you, just one more time.

Though I acknowledge that these letters may never grace your sight again, I trust you would find comfort in this solace that grows within me as I pen the emotions weighing upon my heart.

This realm of ink and paper lets me safely release these feelings, allowing them to flutter and soar like wondrous butterflies.

It grants me that of closure, knowing that these words serve as a testament to the love and memories we once shared, tenderly preserved within these pages.

I am forever changed by the mark you left on my soul.

In this continued act of writing, I find myself ever more connected to the essence of your being, as though you were gently guiding my pen with the touch of a noble hand.

I cherish the memories we created, holding them close as if they threaten to slip away with the passage of time.

Slowly, I'm learning to draw strength from these memories we shared.

Despite the void you left seeming insurmountable, it is an endearing reminder that life can be as cruel as it is beautiful.

This loss is a shadow that clings to my every step, a constant reminder of the emptiness that haunts our once vibrant world, an ache that refuses to fade with time.

Still, even in the depths of my loss, your essence remains an ethereal beacon, guiding my path as I journey through this world without you.

Oh, Sonic, how I long for the sound of your laughter, the warmth of your embrace, and the unwavering courage that defined you.

In your absence, I find myself adrift in a restless sea of grief.

On these long nights, I whisper your name, praying that somehow, you can hear me across the realms that separate us.

I cling to the belief that love transcends time and space, and one day, our souls shall reunite in the embrace of eternity.

But for now, I'll allow the weight of losing you to envelop me for a while longer.

Forever missing you,

Lancelot.

#lansoni #satbk sir lancelot #satbk #authors note:#I hope this letter finds you all well #I'm forever grateful for the support you have given me all this time #I have admittedly poured my heart out into this letter for it may be the last you'll read for a long time #you may remember my break previously because of my health and unfortunately these issues have returned tenfold #things aren't looking as bright as I would have liked #though I am finding my peace with all this pain #it'll be alright my dears #take it easy #sonic and the black knight #sonic the hedgehog #sonic #satbk sonic #letterstosirsonic #letterstokingarthur

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northern-passage · 11 months

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i haven't shared a lot of tnp lately because i have been working on a different project, but i do plan to update tnp sometime this year. i know people aren't fond of less frequent updates, and "one update a year" is not exactly what i would like either, but tnp is massive at this point and i'd be lying if i tried to pretend like i could get out monthly/frequent updates. the branching is complex & it's not easy for me to put out smaller bits of content, because my branching just doesn't work that way, and i prefer to do big, chunky updates for all of you to really have something to sink your teeth into. if i could do giant full chapter updates, i would, but then we'd really be sitting around twiddling our thumbs for a while...

i never planned for tnp to take this long or even for it to be this large, but it is what it is! as they say, the time will pass anyway

#and sometimes i just want to write something else #which is what i've been doing for the last month now #i havent shared that either because it's something i may potentially... try to do something Official with #and i also might try and do something for neo twiny jam. havent decided yet still kicking ideas around #but yeah :-) and i'm always thankful to all of you for your patience and support over such long periods of time #tnp is something that i always plan to come back to #yes the game is going to take a while. i'm one person with a lot of problems LOL #but i'm grateful to everyone who has read it and enjoyed it #for what it is now even incomplete. and i hope you will come back to read the fully story one day too #personal

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reksink · 11 months

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The Speculative Molts of Lycosid Magnusannelid

#hollow knight #hollow knight hornet #hornet hollow knight #hornet hk #my art #fanart #To translates: My take on the 'Beastnet' headcanon hehe #I absolutely adore the idea of Hornet growing again because she is/feels safe you have no idea #Poor gal has had it hard for too long and as such she may grow #Unfortunately for me this is feel very much the tip of the iceberg for my bio spec on Hornet #The possibilities for her body are absurd and I must calculate all of them #Also this is my first time trying my hand at giving a fictional 'species' a scientific name!!#If I did it right it should literally be 'Wolf Spider Big Worm'#Well little ring be ehhhhh #Anyway I had lots of fun with this and I'd love to try something like this again in the future!!

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oneprotagonistshort · 4 months

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also a Dirk Gently WIP whenever just for kicks. from the ongoing Forces Unseen sequel

“Holy shit,” Todd said, hearing Dirk come in through the door he’d left propped open. “Did you know we can see the Washington Monument from here?”

Dirk joined him at the window and wrapped an arm around his middle from behind. He was suddenly feeling a bit clingy, like he was going to need to front load all the cuddles he could get, which was abjectly ridiculous. Todd had never shied away from that, if anything it was Dirk who’d been jumpy lately about tender little moments like this. Still, Dirk couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d be wanting more of this later but might not be able to get it. He hooked his chin over Todd’s shoulder and squinted out the window, not sure what Todd was referring to.

“The bloke on the penny’s house?” he asked, not seeing it. “I don’t think he lives in DC anymore, Todd.”

“What?” Todd asked, pulling back a little to look at him before pointing at a large lit-up obelisk surrounded by illuminated American flags. “No, that. I’ve only ever seen it in movies, National Treasure didn’t prepare me for the real thing.”

“Ohhh,” Dirk said, comprehension dawning as he held Todd close to his front. “You mean the giant pencil statue.”

“The giant—Dirk, that’s the Washington Monument. As in George Washington? It doesn’t even look like a pencil.”

“Doesn’t look much like George Washington either,” Dirk mused, and whatever retort Todd had been about to fire back was interrupted by the sharp trill of Dirk’s phone.

#dghda fic #dghda #dirk gently's holistic detective agency #if anyone wants to come be the hype squad for this fic I would appreciate it lol #it's been sitting at 25% complete for like six months #I got the initial idea in December 2021 and started writing it in earnest in May 2022 #I still have 2.5 parts and an epilogue to go #this is why I don't post WIPs btw lmao #it has never taken me this long to write something I care about so much #it's a proposal fic and I LITERALLY GOT ENGAGED in the time it's taking to write #we're thinking of setting the date for fall 2025 and so help me god I will finish this fic before then #I set this fic in DC because I'd just moved here and wanted to use it as an excuse to explore and do cool shit like write on-location #and I'm literally leaving DC next month #I can see the giant pencil statue from where I walk my dog BUT NOT FOR LONG #get it together Briana

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fluffypotatey · 7 months

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What are your in depth thoughts about MK’s and Sun Wukong’s vs MK’s and Macaque’s relationships? Because lemme tell you I’ve got so many it’s essay worthy

i saved you for last <3 but i honestly don't know if i can talk about this coherently T^T

short answer: they are on different levels in 2 ways, MK's comfortability and in how they grow

long answer: *inhales*

so you see, there are many levels that are set between the two relationships. and by levels i mean power dynamics, casualness, formalities, respect, and idolization :)

MK and Sun Wukong

with MK and Sun Wukong their relationship began very formal. MK was simply Wukong's student (with a wish to one day be close friends with his mentor/idol), but then by around 1x09, there becomes this shift in their dynamic. in this episode, we do get insight into how far Wukong actually cares for MK because for about most of s1, the monkey keeps his distance while putting up a laid back attitude. but after MK admits to his desire of being "good enough, like [Wukong]," you will notice that Sun Wukong, slowly starts to pull down his walls for MK. he even invites MK to stay over with him for New Years (2x00), despite knowing that it was more likely for MK to leave and celebrate with his friends. (WHICH MK EVEN SAYS BECAUSE BY THIS POINT MK COMES TO REALIZE THAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP MIGHT NEVER BREACH INTO THE FRIENDSHIP HE ROMANTICIZED IN HIS HEAD. THUS SHOWING HOW THE TWO ARE DOING A REVERSE IN THEIR DYNAMIC AND- *gets dragged away to calm down*)

as i was saying.

in s2, Wukong ends up leaving to investigate a way to stop LBD before things blow over (which succeeds and fails bc it did, in fact, blow over). he didn't do it because he believed that it would hurt MK. personally, my assumption is that Sun Wukong didn't really see himself as that great of a mentor and that MK had been able to quickly pick up on new moves and techniques without much help from him, and with that thought, he believed that by leaving MK nothing but scrolls and a goal, MK would still be capable of mastering the new skills (which he did, thereby reinforcing that idea). but unfortunately, our beloved monkey king forgot that while MK is a very capable individual of incredible power, he's not confident in himself. he's simply "just loud" about himself and his prowess (which, if you noticed, MK grew even more quieter about this in seasons 2 & 3....fascinating).

so now there's this manufactured push to bring back their previous formality because Wukong is not completely ready to tell MK the truth despite how much he cares and trusts him (because, and this is my opinion, Wukong really wants to ensure that MK is not too involved in something as dangerous as LBD because she can get into your head and she can make matters worse for everybody). said manufactured push confuses MK because they had come so far from 1x01 and the distance they had before. sure, it's not as close as s3 and s4, but it definitely felt like they were at the cusp of something. this leaves MK sort of in his own limbo on where he stands with the Monkey King, and even if he sought advice about this with his friends, none of them have met the guy yet and can only make opinions based on their assumptions of what they feel like is going on (*cough, cough* Pigsy *cough, cough*).

and even after s2, in s3 Wukong is exhausted, a lot of his power depleted, and has to try and mingle civilly with MK's friends on a mission he originally planned to do alone (a suicidal mission to obtain the Samadhi Fire, if i might add). his reasoning for refusing at the beginning is because they are mortals, which MK misinterprets to mean that Wukong does not think MK can handle this mission and wants to prove himself.

omg their relationship is so complicated and messy T^T i love it

anyway, MK's and Sun Wukong's relationship is a push and pull between both people wanting to uphold and prove their worth to the other (Wukong lying to keep MK ignorant of a danger the monkey plans to eradicate in secret VS MK pushing himself into becoming powerful in order to prove himself as someone swk sees as worthy to trust). also, their dynamic is literally a platonic slow burn that slowly brings them closer and closer with s4 beginning with them (swk mostly lol) trying to be more honest and upfront about their thoughts and feelings. and s4 ending with the two actually fighting for each other and protecting each other and fighting WITH each other and T^T it's so beautiful. but also because their dynamic is a slow burn, that provides ample time to seed in doubt and insecurities and wanting to bottle up your issues to keep the peace and-

ugh T^T them <3

(side note: the actual timeline of this show is a tad confusing to me. how long was s1? a month, a couple months, a week? how long was s2? how long is the gap between seasons???? idk and i've tried to find something feasible to work with but i'm mostly just taking an "academic" estimation)

but now onto Macky and MK's relationship!

Mackenzie and MK

this one despite how rocky it looks is not a slow burn dynamic. it's got a fun roller coaster of levels because it goes "secret mentor/student" to "enemies" to "frenemies?" to "morally dubious but is actually a softie" to "potential mentor 2.0???" and i love it.

so, MK and Macky's dynamic begins in 1x09 (the blessed episode) since that's Mackackle's introduction to the show and MK begins to train under him in secret because MK is frustrated with swk's teaching methods. through the brief montage of MK's training, i can't help but notice the words and phrasing Macky uses:

Mackarell: [sounding disappointed] Not bad...[chuckles] [in a mocking tone] don't get me wrong, but I was expecting a little more with someone of your power. MK: [is defensive] H-hey, I've got more- I can give way more than that! [sighs] I can do better. Macaroni: [bemused] Kay, maybe show me next time.

ok, honestly, i just wanna talk about this. because if you heard it without seeing Marconi's face and how they animated him, you could side-step the the fake disappointment and mocking tone. what he's saying on the surface, isn't anything malicious or cruel. he is acting like a mentor and it appears like he is trying to encourage MK so he can stop hesitating. but that's not what Mac's really doing.

he is acting disappointed in MK because MK has a need to prove himself. the scene before MK meets Macaque, he is with Wukong and is frustrated by how slow his training is. he knows he can do some pretty powerful moves if his mentor allowed him to, if only he can prove to him that he can level up from the "baby stuff", if only he could have someone see that potential and train him in something more his "style." how convenient that right after he vents his frustrations MK encounters exactly what he wants, but oh no, they're disappointed in his strength and prowess, he has to prove that wrong, he CAN prove that wrong.

see where i'm going? MK fell for Macky's web, hook-line-and-sinker because it was tailor made for him. BUT! this mentor/student dynamic does not last very long. and that's mostly because it never a long term relationship in the slightest. Macky always planned to use MK's powers for his own, so now the two are slotted into the enemies level. they were never on equal ground like MK thought, or even on a similar mentor/student level MK has with Wukong. Macaquack absolutely abused that dynamic for his own gain and MK lost his trust for it.

MK cannot trust Macky, why should he? in s2, MK and Macky's relationship is mostly antagonistic because Mk cannot trust Mac and Mac enjoys tormenting the guy by hanging his insecurities over him. they are not on equal ground. Mac only sees MK as some mortal child who is in over his head and thinks he can be a Wukong 2.0 while MK sees Mac as someone who betrayed his trust, tried to kill him and his mentor and it is very personal.

but then there's this interesting choice made by lmk. Mac warns MK of an upcoming danger. why does he do it? he had just proven that he is an enemy! but also, he ends up freeing MK's friends on the basis that it "wasn't fun anymore". why take pity (should we even call it pity) on MK enough to tell him that "big things are coming"?

why choose to give MK some (very vague) advice about what's to come? what caused Macky to decide to offer this information?

well, 1st it is clearly the writers' way of showing that there is more than meets the eye with Macky. this is a little indicator for the audience about "hey! keep an eye on him! he's more complex than you think! he's more than a stock villain!" 2nd, this is the very first push into Mac's more amiable relationship with MK.

in s3, Macky is under LBD's command and has to follow her orders or else she might send him back to the Diyu either by ripping his soul from his body, or encasing him in ice/bone. he is only on her side to survive. he doesn't even plan to stay. instead, it really looks like Mac wants to escape from her hold (which he eventually plans out after learning about the gang's mission to find the Rings of Samadhi).

when it comes to MK, Mac is very antagonistic. @shadowpeachyuri made a really great analysis on Macky's antagonistic behavior in s3. especially in 3x04 where he taunts and mocks MK for his self worth and powers, but he's also stalling from his own mission in retrieving MK for LBD. most of s3 is him stalling and picking fights with people rather than do his own job. not to mention, that he purposefully separated MK and Wukong believing it would be easier to retrieve them. but why all the stalling and hesitation? because he's upset with his circumstances, and wants to take out on everyone? yeah, that's definitely part of it.

still in s3 Mac is not trying to befriend MK, he's not trying to help him either, but he also isn't truly trying to catch him. his main objective is getting out of dodge, escaping and finding somewhere that is far from here. yet, he can't help but challenge MK into using his powers, offer some (very biased and skewed) advice on who the guy should trust. and it's not until "Embrace Your Destiny" when his on-again and off-again mood finally gets to MK because he saved MK, he brought MK to Mei and he gave them the Not-Mayor guy for information.

just...this whole exchange T^T

Mackardy: Look, I brought you the Lady Bone Demon's lapdog, but I'm not up for being a hero, kid.

here lies, Macky trying to tell MK that he is not on his side. he has been constantly antagonistic and while LBD is also his enemy, he was planning to just give MK and his gang enough help for them to plan out how to defeat her.

MK: We don't need you to beat him. We just need you to keep him busy. As long as he's [Monkey King] under her control the Mech's vulnerable. We can do this! You can do this.

enter MK, looking at Macky with such optimism and arguing back at Macky with the guy's own logic. it won't be a battle to try and defeat Wukong, Macky just has to "keep him busy". Stall, like he's been doing for all of s3. and he sprinkles in a bit more optimism and encouragement to sweeten the deal.

Macaroon: Nice speech, kid but it's not gonna- MK: [frustrated growl] STOP! You keep playing at being this bad guy, acting like you're just in it for you! But I know deep, deep down: you're not that guy. Help us. Make it right. Macadoodle: I'm not a hero, bud MK: Then be a warrior!

personally, i feel like this is the moment where the two's new dynamic begins. also, Macky and MK's relationship feels a but more on equal footing. neither of them hold a pedestal or an image of who they are. MK is able to figure out that a lot of Macky's outward appearance is just that, an appearance. and Macky is able to see that MK isn't some Wukong 2.0 he imagined up in his head in s1. MK is the Monkey King's successor but he is also his own person who will and has made different decisions than Wukong.

after s3, their dynamic is very similar to mentor/student in 4x10, but not in the same way as in 1x09. Macky isn't trying to be manipulative or play with double meanings, he's actually trying to help and figured a video game rpg would be the best bet since MK likes video games. MK is able to snap back at Macky and isn't afraid of showing the monkey his worries and fears (something he's struggling to with Wukong and vice versa) because Macky has seen that side of him already.

idk it's fascinating. i feel like i'm repeating myself a lot, but my main takeaway is that MK and Wukong have a slow burn friendship that began with formalities and over the seasons, they gradually grew closer and more comfortable with admitting that they care about each other (mostly Wukong needed this help but it's ok). and MK and Macky's relationship though began as enemies, grew into 2 characters who view each other as equals by the end and respect ach other loads.

there be my thoughts *jazz hands*

#lego monkie kid #lmk #lmk mk #lmk sun wukong #lmk six eared macaque #lmk qi xiaotian #lmk meta #lmk analysis #lmk sunburst duo #lmk soysauce duo #sunburst duo #soysauce duo #bestie i am so sorry it took me this long to finish your answer T^T #i was saving it for last just so i could take my time with it but may have forgotten that my actual time to write all of this was limited #anyway #this was a lot of fun to discuss #you are absolutely free to tell me your thoughts!#i wanna know your essay worthy thoughts profa ;-;#also i single out pigsy at some point here but it's mostly bc besides all of swk's enemies he's the biggest critic of swk who's close to MK #his reasons for being upset at the guy are beCAUSE he unintentionally hurt MK and essentially neglected the guy in his eyes #however: he is an extremely harsh and biased critic not even bothering to hear the other side bc of his distrustful nature & protectiveness #once pigsy somes to a conclusion you will need to provide some solid evidence to back up your argument WHICH WUKONG ALMOST NEVER DOES #the grind for meta is real but so is my commitment to the bit :3 #you will never find me spelling mackadoo's name right unless it's for fic #also i think i my macky analysis might be a tad off bc i kept repeating myself so sorry about that T^T #jfc this took me 3 days ;A;#enjoyed every bit of it #asks

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dummerjan · 1 month

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i just came across ai covers on youtube and people are requesting songs in the comments instead of getting enraged and i am further losing hope in humanity and turning to misanthropy

#meins #for a minute i got really excited about henning may singing take me to church :(#i hate people #have you no appreciation for or understanding of art? clearly not.#why would you want to listen to an ai generated song? even if it sounds like your favourite singer it's not them #it has no feelings to meaning to intention. it is empty and soulless #reading the booklet for sinéad o'connor's album of traditional irish and folk songs gave me so much appreciation for her #she wrote a little bit about each song. why she chose it or what it means to her.#it has added so much to my enjoyment of those songs and i think of it whenver i listen to it #they were chosen with intention with love with a deep appreciation for the music and lyrics and there is a story behind it all #it is art and love and human #i see aboslutely no appeal in ai generated 'music' or 'art'#and i hate that i fell for it for a minute #i was sceptical because i had never heard of henning may covering hozier and since it wasn't just 20-60 sec i am certain #i would have heard about it by now #and something was just a little bit... unsatisfying? something was missing which does apply to a lot of cover songs #(i could go on hour long rants about why people fuck up danny boy (and sinéad o'connor does it best (because she actually takes her time)#or trash madonna's version of don't cry for me argentina (again a song ruined for by everybody else but sinéad - once she has sung somethin #i have a hard time enjoying it by anybody else. the parting glass is an exception. hozier's version is phenomenal))#but! henning may not giving it his all for a cover? unlikely. very unlikely.#anyway this concludes my tuesday night rant. rather here in the tags than some poor person's inbox.#or i would have kept fuming by myself for another hour or two

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starberry-cupcake · 4 months

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A lot of things happened between me making the Strange World poll and me looking at the results, then I sat on my hot take about it for a while, after which I ended up thinking about how it reflects Disney as a whole right now and how that impacts media and culture, and now here we are.

Basically what I got from it was 1) that a huge portion of the people who voted didn't know the movie existed, even if it's been available online (legally or otherwise) for a year now, 2) that the biggest amount of negative votes are from people who didn't see the movie (either because it's a Disney movie or because they heard it was bad) and 3) that a vast minority of the negative votes are from people who actually watched it and didn't like it.

So, most of the problems people had with it were not "movie problems" but "Disney problems".

I made the poll because I read that Bob Iger (aka the person people should have been dissing all these years instead of Eisner, who hasn't been in Disney for almost 20 years now) had said that the problem currently going on with Disney movies is that they're more focused on having a message than on being entertaining.

Strange World was, to me, the best example to test this, because it's a movie that packs a hell of a lot of important things for Disney to portray in a story, does it pretty well in my humble irrelevant opinion, and it did incredibly poorly in the box office (it apparently picked up in streaming, but it's still considered a "major flop").

Box office, even if still the way studios measure success, isn't really a valuable measurement of it anymore. After 2020 nobody goes to the theater as much as they used to, worldwide. People who pay for Disney+ always prefer to wait for the movies being added there and people who don't can find HD quality options elsewhere once it does.

Still, the general media perception is that the movie is "bad", regardless of numbers.

However, other animated films that came out at a similar time, which also tackled some important themes and representation, have been praised for those things by the same audiences that didn't acknowledge Strange World.

Why would the same people wax poetic about something like Nimona, for example, and hate Stange World with a passion? I mean, they're not comparable in plot or the fact that Nimona was an adaptation of a previously released source material, but why would something with the "message" Iger is talking about (mainly representation, especially queer representation, and a core essence about something socially or culturally impactful) be universally despised and another thing with it be universally loved?

My poll isn't representative of a huge portion of the viewership but it's telling me that the problem wasn't fully on the film itself but on Disney.

On 1) their lack of support for the film (and it's message, considering things happened without Disney acknowledging them, like teachers who showed it to students receiving professional consequences) and 2) of the image they currently have as a company because of all they've done.

I'm not the first to observe that Disney ended in a place between conservatives wanting it to be a patriotic beacon of oppressive values and reasonable audiences wanting it to be more aware of its impact and responsibility in representing stories (as well as the dangers of it, as a company, monopolizing media and treating employees with disrespect, something Abigail Disney, who doesn't have a place in the table, has called out many times and attempted to help with).

Caught in the middle of this are people trying to tell stories, some of them with more impactful messages than they get credit for, because they're reduced to be seen as cog wheels of the mouse. People who were trying to change things from within, even with the pressure put on them from outside, not only because of the company leadership wanting to be on the good side of every type of audience possible to get more money, but also because of the god awful production decisions they're forced to undertake upon this leadership's view, also to make more money (to make characters that can be marketable, to consider that they have to make dolls, munchlings, pins, costumes and ears of this character, to release the films at crazy dates, etc.).

Also caught in the middle of this is Jennifer Lee, who is the first female director of Walt Disney Animation Studios feature film and was chosen after Iger very reluctantly let go of known abuser John Lasseter who was immediately later employed by Skydance because being a known abuser is less bad for animation studios than making movies that flop. But we already knew that, in the past few years we've known of accusations against Aaron Ehasz (ATLA, Dragon Prince), Bibo Bergeron (Road to El Dorado, A Monster in Paris), Skyler Page (Clarence) and Patrick Mchale (OTGW), to name the first that come to mind (who people still wax poetic about and who are still releasing projects).

It took ages for Disney to actually fire Lasseter, even with everything going on against him, and having Lee stepping up was a welcomed surprise that very clearly has impacted the content and type of movies Disney has been making. Still, Lee herself has shown how insane the rhythm of work has been for them at Disney because of the deadlines and decisions pushed by the management, very clearly evidenced in the documentary they did about the making of Frozen II, which she co-wrote and co-directed, while being director of Disney Animation.

It would not surprise me in the least if Lee is blamed for this "chain of flops", since her addition has brought more of these so-called "messages" to the movies.

When I read Iger say his statement, I wasn't surprised, he has always been this way. His way of treating Disney has been to purchase IPs in order to use them to get box office numbers faster. To not care about the quality of a film but that it's part of a pre-made something that makes people want to see it in theaters or stream it day 1, not caring if it's good. Star Wars, Marvel, the live actions, the god awful sequels nobody asked for, even the ride overlays at the parks with 0 new narratives, it's all part of this plan.

It's easier to get people in theaters day one to watch the live action Little Mermaid people have been arguing about online for years than a new movie about a family in steampunk clothes that nobody knows about.

He doesn't care about the essence of a story or about what people like about it, it's about trying to get the attention of the most amount of people possible, especially people who wouldn't otherwise see this film or pay for this hotel or buy this merch (this is why the Galactic Starcruiser failed imo).

But, considering movies like Strange World did flop and people do regard them as bad, I had to ask. To see if, indeed, people just don't care anymore.

Iger says entertainment is the essence of Disney and I don't think it ever was.

A lot of the movies Walt Disney oversaw during his lifetime were considered flops (Pinocchio, Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, the package films...they don't remind you that very often) and he kept making them. He famously gave up his own money and belongings for uncertain projects and went bankrupt several times because of that. He ruined his Ford sponsorship because his team developed a non gasoline sustained transportation medium that Ford feared would compete with the automobile. If his aim had been purely entertainment with no other incentive, I don't think these things would have happened.

I think the essence used to be creativity, to be completely honest.

Disney is missing creativity, but not because it lacks creative talent in its ranks. It's because those creatives are stifled (and overworked and undervalued) by a leadership that is money hungry and has turned the studio into a company that eats what's in front of it like pacman.

The sad part is that when people look at the movies in which these creatives try to break free and have them mean something, what people see is the greedy face of the leadership and throw away the whole suitcase.

In tow, leadership uses that as evidence that these movies, the ones that mean something, are the issue and what doesn't work for Disney. They use people's dismissal of the movies because of the company as proof that the movies are to blame for it all.

So, basically, Strange World flops and we get announced Toy Story 5, Frozen 3 and Zootopia 2 while also laying off 7000 employees at the same time.

Whatever people might individually think about Disney (as a studio, as a company, etc.), they have been making media for 100+ years. Every generation alive today has existed while something by Disney was playing in a theater somewhere. Fairy tales and folk stories that used to be told orally or read to kids have coexisted with the Disney stories (originals or versions of the prior) for a century.

When people think of Snow White, chances are they believe the Grimm story ends with a kiss because the Disney movie has it. When people think of Cinderella, chances are they think she had mice helping her with chores because the Disney movie has it. When people are asked who is the antagonist in Sleeping Beauty, chances are they say 'Maleficent'.

A lot of people hate that, children's lit academics hate that with a passion, comments upon comments in youtube video essays blame Disney for changing things in their movies, for making stories less gruesome and yet not progressive enough, not historically accurate and yet not designed creatively enough, etc.

But the fact remains that they have been building storytelling we grow up with for 100+ years. And, to me personally, that means it's worth looking into and criticizing in depth, however extra it might seem (or maybe it's my line of work that's driving me to it).

The consequence of this century-long presence in storytelling, that is both inspired by folklore and provided to childhood in forming years, is that its evolution (in narrative, in depictions, in representation, in subject matters) not only is influenced by the vision of a society at a given time, it also influences society itself in tow.

You can study the evolution of anything in Disney movies (like princesses or villains or cultural settings) and see how changes represent a view of something at a certain point in time, as much as you can do with versions of fairy tales both oral and written.

At the same time, you can draw parallels on how the things that are not depicted, represented or done so in a problematic way can influence the perception of identity of a person since their formative years.

In this sense, like it or not, Disney has become a cornerstone of both media depiction of cultural storytelling and a formative narrative tool for people in their childhood. And that's a major responsibility to throw out the window by reducing its importance as "entertainment" alone.

Still, when a movie like Strange World tries and fails, and leadership uses it as an excuse to blame for any of their wrongdoings, it's hard to move forward and create steps ahead for cultural and social representation in what has become such an integral piece of narrative influence.

#disney #long post #I'm not including Wish in this because I haven't seen it #i may or may not leave this post up we'll see

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nezumeanie · 1 year

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𐐪𐑂 B a d H a b i t s 𐐪𐑂

no warnings | gn reader | fluff | uh...not proofread __φ(。。)

Shu Itsuki has a few bad habits, including the fact that he doesn’t realize how heart fluttering they can be

❝ Shu hasn’t quite realized it but he’s become attached to you in a strange way. Inadvertently, he’s made you a part of his daily routine, his dreams and ambitions…❞

…and his afternoon cafe runs.

ఌ Though his concentrated face while mulling over his stage designs are heart fluttering, the issue lies (as he would say) with y o u. ‘Ah, is there a hole in your chin? How did you get icing there? You’re this old already how haven’t you learned how to eat properly yet?’ Shu always presses your cheeks between his elegant fingers, takes his napkin, and wipes off the remains of your cinnamon bun while scolding you. His hands feel a little cold but soft and after knowing him for so long you can only hear the warmth in his voice. You can’t help but think it’s a little unfair—he’s already talking to you about something different while your heart is still pounding in your chest.

ఌ His bad habits also follow the both of you out in public. It looks like there’s a brand new craft store across the street from the cafe, though it’s wares look a little cheap it’s still worth a trip inside! You always have to walk a little faster to keep pace with Shu when he spots something interesting, smiling slightly while listening to him talk about how long lasting cashmere can be if you treat your clothing with care. When you can’t fast enough Shu finds himself sighing and grabbing your wrist to make sure you don’t fall behind. ‘It’s important for you to know these things! And you’re walking to slowly! How can you do your job properly if you can’t manage to make it from one end to the other without assistance?’ Because he’s still walking ahead of you, you can safely give him a lovelorn look, why does he hold your wrist but not your hand?

ఌ Possibly his worst habit rears it’s head in the small craft store aisles……besides openly criticizing the fabric and jewelry making supplies for being stiff and unmanageable. There’s many other customers looking for ways to begin their seamster journeys. Too many. Whether Shu is a repellent or you are a magnet—people just won’t stop bumping into you. The thread aisle, the button aisle, the velcro aisle…Shu begins to huff like it was your fault. Placing an arm around your side he pulls you out of the way of another shopper, bumping your shoulders together. ‘Won’t you pay a little more attention?’ As if you could in a situation like this. His soap has just the faintest scent of linen & peonies, even though he smells like laundry in an open field something about it reminds you of star gazing. The only thing keeping you grounded is the feeling of his hand around your upper arm keeping you out of “harms way”. It might be a blessing that he has a bad habit of not noticing when he manages to make you feel so flustered. ‘Stand right next to me. Ah, I can’t take you anywhere.’ …..He really has a bad habit of saying that, too.

#not it being 3am TT_TT hello〜#sorry i didn’t realize ppl were following this blog…#but i got struck by lighting #no w inspo struck w inspo #aha #but ig i got over my weirdness abt writing abt itsuki but there’s just a specific kind of relationship u can have a him #bc he’s so……Like That hahaha or what i mean is #his casual intimacy is always in a corrective way but never in an affectionate way because he has a hard time with affection #which may b confusing but praise & affection are separate things so he may like it when ppl talk abt how intelligent and creative he is but #admiring someone looking up to someone is much much different than liking and loving those are scary concepts #so it takes a lot of years of this sort of ‘im dating him & he doesn’t know’ until he could even entertain the idea of liking u TT_TT like #maybe if u had been born a porcelain doll things could be different hahahah im kidding! it’s been so long now that he calls u and tells u #his unfinished works and that’s a big deal you know #uh…wait how do i tag again?#things written #ensemble stars #enstars fanfic #enstars fluff #valkyrie enstars #shu itsuki x reader #shu x reader #shu itsuki #enstars x reader #valkyrie ensemble stars #enstars headcanons

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