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#he has 1 (one) defining character trait and it's those Big Eyes
awhphooey · 2 years
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PLEASE talk to me about your tmnt designs they are so good and friend shaped
OK!!! >:D gonna just copy paste them directly from discord so excuse the “like previously stated” stuff lmao
Raph:
Ok so!! This one might be short bc I do really enjoy his canon design. I made his spikes a bit more rounded than they are in canon because alligator snapping turtles are sharp but not that sharp (I’m aware the show’s style is just generally sharp as well). I also think it suits his personality more, with the spikes being a bit rounded out. He’s big and tough, yes, and he can definitely beat the shit out of people, but with his brothers he’s just a big teddy bear! Clothes wise I was initially going to give him a ripped jersey but decided against it because I wanted to show off the cracks and marks on his shell. He’s a big guy which means he most likely just throws himself (literally) into fights, which would definitely end up with him getting some marks in his shell. I left the x bandages on his chest and added some others on his side, as well as a sticker from Mikey over one of the smaller scratches. I ended up ripping the ends of his bandana as well, more than I think it is in the show, if it is at all. I let him keep the wraps on his feet and hands, and added some sweat bands on his wrists (despite the fact they wouldn’t work that way) to replace the sporty vibe the jersey would’ve given. I also gave him shorts for the same reason. It just gives him a boxer vibe imo. Giving him a tail is the only thing I will never regret because 1. TAIL. 2. long tails are like??? A defining trait of snapping turtles bro. I already explained that his markings aren’t natural, and that they’re sprayed on by Mikey. He probably has to get them redone every once in a while, which means the shape of them might change a bit every time. (The small splatters definitely do) that’s sort of all I can think about to say for Raph? He’s my sweet cheese? My good time boy?
Leo:
Woo! Guy I stole my name from let’s go- his design didn’t change much either, if I’m being honest. Probably changed less than Raph’s. I liked the crescent markings on his eyes instead of the classic slider stripes, I just think they fit his vibe more so I let those be. The crescents on his arms, however, had to go. I know they were probably chosen to be easier for the animators, but I’m not an animator and my boy isn’t a damn tiger!! So racing stripes it is! I left the color alone tho bc I liked the contrast. His gloves also got left alone because I enjoy how dramatically they flare out. He got a scarf because I thought it looked cool but also !! It is kind of reminiscent of the weird shock collar thingy he got in Donnie’s Gifts. Obviously this scarf won’t keep his quips at bay, but at least he’ll be warm while he messes around. He also gets to keep his over the shoulder thing instead of being downgraded to a belt like Mikey, just because his sword is too damn long to fit in a side holster thingy (idk if holster is the right term for the sword one or if it’s exclusively for firearms). I was high key debating giving him a Fanny pack bc I thought it would’ve been funny, but braces *and* a Fanny pack would’ve made me feel like I was trying to make fun of him for some reason so he just gets a slightly bigger side bag. Satchel? Idk. I gave him a few marks as well because out of all four of them, I feel like he gets knocked around the most- mostly because he’s the one running in without a plan. He’s got one on his leg, two (from the same injury) on his left arm, and one across the bridge of where his nose would be. I wasn’t sure if I was going to add the nose one, because I was having trouble thinking of how he would get a cut so deep on his nose to scar but not to affect his eyes, but then I remembered I don’t care for logic when it comes to character design. He’s also got a bit of a torn up shell from roughhousing with Raph and pulling stupid stunts.
Donnie:
Burger boy!! Ok so I am a firm believer in Donnie should get clothing/tech that will actually help him and doesn’t just look cool. Hence the welding gloves and goggles! I also think he would use the bandana around his neck as a mask to cover the bottom half of his face! When he’s not wearing his mask, as you can see, he just keeps the goggles around his neck. I think that the turtles wouldn’t always be wearing their masks, but Donnie always wants his goggles with him, so he just lets em hang there. The tech pad on his arm controls his shells and Shelldon, as well as just being used like any tablet can be used. He usually does things himself, but he has the doc Ock robot arms to help him with smaller tasks like carrying things or holding stuff for him while he works. Also to hold his phone because,,, Gen Z man… anyways actual design wise, I just kept with the patterns he has in the show. I gave him 2012 Donnie’s tooth gap because I enjoy it immensely, and I gave him slightly webbed feet for swimming. He would be the best swimmer out of all of his brothers because of it. Also yeah, he’s got normal people eyebrows now, but the ones you see over his mask are 100% drawn on. Speaking of his mask!!!! I gave him a little Deadpool type bump at the back of it because I wanted to and also because I have never once in my life been able to tie a bandana around my head like that without having a bump. Is this the shortest one? Probably, I literally can’t tell rn 💀 Sorry Donnie I said Leo changed the least but maybe it was you. Or I’m just bad at analyzing my design for him
Mikey:
Ok Mikey now bc he’s last (rip)!! He definitely got the most little details added in, because he was the first one I drew. Also because his initial design already has so much character compared to the others. First off, pattern: FRECKLESSSSS I enjoy him having tiny speckles instead of just big blotches. I just think it gives him more of an asymmetrical look. Same with the stickers on his shell!! I purposely gave him no two shapes the same so it would be a bit more mismatchy. The skull- like previously stated- is a reference to his toddler design, which had a skull on an orange sleeveless hoodie. WHY DOES HE HAVE KNEE PADS AND NO ELBOW PADS. WHAT IS THE POINT OF THEM. So anyways he has elbow pads now. You can’t see them but he has more faces drawn on them. I gave him one sweatband on one wrist and the beaded bracelets on the other, again, for asymmetry. One of the only symmetrical things is probably his spats/socks/shoe thingies. His backpack straps aren’t even even. Speaking of his backpack, he has some pins and patches on there that are 90% gifts from his brothers and 10% ones he found on the ground. His skateboard on the bottom is a drawing he did by himself, and was one of the first pieces he ever did without copying something. Not super intentional, but his shell design sort of looks like a firework going off, which I think matches his personality a whole lot. The tooth he has missing is a permanent tooth and he honestly doesn’t care that it’s missing he thinks he looks cool.
1,300+ words later, you deserve a Turtle Tot design so here you go!!
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fortheloveofwii · 10 months
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12 and 17 for the violent ask meme, for the Quarry fandom. 👀
12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them
Climbs to the highest mountain top to scream JACOB CUSTOS!!! I know by the technical definition of “unpopular” he’s not really, but to me he’s the most decharacterized and whose negative traits get exaggerated the most! I think a lot of people like to boil him down into two categories:
1. Harmless dumb himbo
2. Shitty, thoughtless idiot
And I’m not saying these ARENT traits of his, I’m just saying he has more nuance than that and deserves recognition as more than a vehicle for humor and a scapegoat for why everything went wrong in the game.
The Jacob I witnessed in my play through was rash, yes, and immature. But he was also sensitive, insecure, protective.
He’s a good, but imperfect friend. You can make him run to Abi’s cries, he expresses concern when people are hurt.
His vulnerability to me was surprisingly well executed, and while he makes a poor choice he’s not the FIRST in the supermassive games to be responsible for the tragedies that take place (Lovingly side eyes most of the cast in Until Dawn)
He’s just a guy who thinks he’s in love and wants one last chance to make it work, or even to just spend more time with the people he’s grown to like. His actions can be condemned without that being his only driving plot line.
He isn’t the Big Bad in the story and he isn’t a bumbling idiot, his choice was just the vehicle for it!
17. there should be more of this type of fic/art
This is coming from someone who LOVES found family, people need to write more fics of things just not working out between the counselors—I adore the idea of all of them hanging out and being best friends, but I feel like especially with games like until dawn and the quarry where a singular choice derails EVERYONES lives, trauma is going to do two things.
Bring you closer, or break you up. And I feel like especially with the quarry there’s so many opportunities for them to say/do hurtful things to one another, and that can define more than people think.
Nick says TERRIBLE shit to Abi, curse or no those are words that could confirm her own insecurities and then she SHOOTS him (rightfully) Max can call Laura a bitch, Ryan can be cold to Dylan all based on your choices and those should have post canon consequences!
Guns are being pointed, accusations are being made, blame is being placed, and after all that everything is just fine? NO
So I guess my tangent is make it where their bonding comes from actively choosing to forgive one another, or have some never talk again, make it disjointed or one sided and imperfect. I think watching them grow and STILL finding each other is just as good!!
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mashedcontroller · 6 months
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I used to think gen 1 pokemon designs are more or less just universally suck. But after spending time looking through the sprites, but no, the designs just work in Gen 1 (and 2) but not really future generations. They often traded off visual clarity for personality, which is a decision that I really like. It just leaves so much up to the imagination because the anatomy is a bit up to interpretation. Gonna go over some Pokemon that really just hit different in Gen 1.
Fearow
I’ve never really like Fearow. Based on its current depictions, it’s very forgettable. Its colors are just brown and lame, it’s literally just a brown bird but angry. Like, I would kill for 99% of the bird pokemon, but not Fearow. It’s just too nothing.  
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Anyways, here is its Green sprite. I fucking love how the wings are drawn. The tufts of fur(?) on its wings are super exaggerated and really makes the design stand out as “mean bird but fluffy(?)” The pose is also super dynamic. Fearow’s most defining traits are definitely its long beak and massive wingspan, and this sprite just captures those two points and leaves the rest up to the imagination. This might be Fearow’s best look ngl. 
Muk & Grimer
I really don’t care for Muk. It’s just a pile of sludge. Not helped that Grimer is just a pile of sludge but happy(?). Even in Gen 3, Muk and Grimer just looks lame.
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Like, that’s a pile of purple sludge. I don’t think it looks cute, cool, intimidating, or really much of anything. I look at this character design and I feel nothing.
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Anyways, here they are in Pokemon Red & Blue popping the fuck off. Grimer looks like it craves death and is also happy(?) while Muk is just has this very big and intimidating amorphus sludge abomination energy. Like, these two look fucking awesome in Gen 1 and I think they really take advantage of the Gameboy’s limited options. These two also feel really distinct from each other in Gen 1, which wasn’t really the case in future generations, and it has to do with how the sludge is rendered. Grimer has more defined outlines and the goo feels like it’s drooping downwards, while Muk feels much more gelatinous, like it isn’t falling apar at the seams.
Gengar
Gonna be honest, I didn’t like Gengar until I had a chance to use it in gen 1 and 2 OU, where it then shot up to being one of my favorite Pokemon. Modern Gengar just looks so nothing. It’s just an orb with a face and cat ears(?). Like, he’s one of the more liked Pokemon from Gen 1 and I’m just like “eh?” So, part of what made me like Gengar was that he’s super fun to use in Gen 1 and Gen 2 OU, but the other half is just that the gen 1 and 2 sprites for him are so much better than everything after.
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Like, Gengar’s Gen 1 back sprite has got to be one of my favorite sprites. He just has so much “bad man” energy. Like, his ears look somewhere between cat ears and devil horns, half the sprite is taken up by his devious smile, you can only see him from the side. This is fucking fantastic. 
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I also love Gengar’s front sprite in Crystal. Like, he looks like a schoolyard bully. The usage of color is also really good here. Those red eyes really pop against Gengar’s dark purple body. I like how much the body is obscured in shadow. 
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ashoutinthedarkness · 2 years
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Toxic Masculinity - Research Article
Toxic Masculinity
 Pixie Pheonix
Department of Home and Family, [Name of my University Here]
FAML 460: Child and Family Advocacy 
[Name of my Professor Here]
February 1, 2022
 Understanding Toxic Masculinity
Toxic Masculinity, as any weakness, is a strength that has been pushed too far. With masculinity being attributed to physical strength, ambition, and aggression, it’s easy to see how these behaviors can lead to detriment to both one’s self and those around (PragerU, 2018). Allie Stuckey, in PragerU’s video, states, “Aggression, violence, and unbridled ambition can’t be eliminated from the male psyche, they can only be harnessed. And when they are harnessed, they are tools for good, not for harm. The same masculine traits that bring destruction also defeat tyranny. The traits that foster greed also build economies. The traits that drive men to take foolish risks also drive men to take heroic risks.” (PragerU, 2018). However, when unharnessed, or harnessed incorrectly, these masculine traits can warp and become twisted. “Masculine ideals warp into a culture where mistakes are irreparable, emotional vulnerability must be avoided at all costs, and displays of strength and stamina are a requirement for success” (Berdahl, 2018).  These ideas can not only be harmful to the individual both physically and emotionally, but to those around them such as their peers, spouses, and children.
Microsystem Factors
Children are both intuitive, and easily influenced. While they may not understand all the nuances behind a particular attitude or behavior, children often mimic, or “mirror,” the behavior of those around them (Bandura, Ross, et al. 1961). These behaviors can be exacerbated through the use of video games, particularly both on and offline multiplayer video games. With technology use being the number one past time and replacing alternative means to connect with one’s peers, the likelihood of children’s poor behaviors growing due to its propensity to act as an echo chamber increases. In his book Why Gender Matters, Dr. Sax shares the connections made by Judge John Romero between various toxic behaviors in boys and their desires to be seen as heroic. Judge Romero explains how “boys want to be seen as heroes in the eyes of their peers,” and that this desire is being fulfilled in ways that leave much to be desired (2017). Both gang activity and video game addictions are fed from this base desire.
“The differences between your son in the suburbs and these boys [gang members] in the barrio are not as big as you might think. The biggest difference may be that the boy in the barrio is engaging in actual violence with a real gun. Your son, upstairs…is engaging in pretend violence with a pretend gun. But the underlying dynamic is the same…In both cases the boy is trying to prove to his friends, and to himself, that he is a real man” (Sax, p. 171, 2017).
While toxic behavior with peers can grow if left unrestrained, should an adult displaying toxic masculinity traits be a part of the child’s microsystem, as defined by Bronfenbrenner, these traits will have just as higher impact, if not higher, on the child due to proximity, amount of regular contact, and perceived authority on how one goes about becoming a man.
Exosystem Factors
Within the exosystem, portrayals of “real men” and other masculine characters can influence an individual’s perception on proper and accepted behavior. The exosystem entails mass media productions, neighbors, friends of the family, and other groups that, while exhibiting some measure of influence, are not in contact with a child as often as those within the microsystem. Characteristics, attributes, actions, and even the responses of those around characters (and actors) of the movies and shows in question are all noticed, even if subconsciously, by the viewing party. These observations can serve as a mold, or standard, to which others hold themselves to or work to act within. As the child’s peers, and adults in their lives (such as neighbors) are influenced by their media intake, these attributes can carry over toward the child in question as those ideologies influence outward and readily apparent behaviors.
Macrosystem  Factors
Covering the attitudes and ideologies of the culture most prevalent in the child’s life, the macrosystem can, at times, be difficult to contain to any one idea. As a culture works to shape the people’s views on any number of ideologies and issues, the actions and attitudes of the people work to actively shape their culture. This can lead to various types of mild circular reasoning. As discussed with the idea of social media, behaviors portrayed are not necessarily behaviors accepted by the societal culture within which one resides. However, the more culturally accepted problematic, and overall toxic, behavior the more those behaviors become reinforced and further accepted into the overarching culture. Whether the reinforcement given is positive (through praise, reward, or other acknowledgement) or negative (no rebuke or other outward acknowledgement), toxic behaviors will continue to be perpetuated until such a time as it is generally acknowledged and accepted as unacceptable. Behavioral traits tend to continue when one is either praised for it, or if none stand up to stop it.
An example of such an effect can be noted in the development of the production of pornography. Overtime, pornography has become not only more prevalent in society, but more culturally accepted. From advertisements to video games and movies, to books and comics and magazines, pornography not only has a presence in almost every type of past-time available, it’s being advocated as a tool to benefit marriages. Various websites and articles attempt to paint pornography as a way to save marriages that are struggling with the more physical aspects of intimacy. As it becomes more prevalent and available, people begin to accept it as more readily acceptable, and therefore permissible due to humanity’s susceptibility with the illusory truth effect. This effect covers the reactions of those that hear lies often enough to begin to believe them as truth. In turn, this belief changes the culture as it seeks to adapt to the changing views of those that live those ideologies.
Chronossystem Factors 
           In most patriarchal societies, cultural rules practically dictate the behaviors and attributes men are to have; the roles they are to play as designated by their gender. The stereotypical male is strong, brave, stoic, and logical with a penchant for aggression and violence that can be directed toward protectiveness or possessiveness. Over time as these traits are celebrated, and other traits (such as empathy) dissuaded, they become cemented in a culture; further reinforcing expected behavior and establishing gender norms. As those norms are established, pushback or attempted eradication of said norms can be met with not only extreme pushback, but even to the point of going in the opposite direction.
           An example of this can be found in the impact feminism [WW8] has had on views of masculinity over time. While feminism has pushed to allow men to show their emotions without being perceived as weak, radical feminists seek to emasculate the men leading to a chain reaction of increased toxic masculinity as an overreactive response. There are no vacuums in nature. In an attempt to take something away, something else will swoop in to fill the gap. As radical feminists work to stamp out various manly behaviors and responses, only the stubborn will remain, which unfortunately include those swathed in toxic masculinity. Through this, boys are deprived of figures they can look up to to learn how to be good men that will one day become good fathers. It's better to teach boys how to effectively direct the tendencies that males have toward the purpose of bettering society than to attempt to strangle or bury those natural inclinations.
Understanding the Contribution of Fatherlessness to Toxic Masculinity
When there is a lack of guidance or influence from one source, another will always take its place. With a lack of prominent and involved good father figures in the live of many children around the world, other sources have risen to take their place. However, this trade is not for the better. With both the increase of time children spend in front of a screen and the shift in the entertainment industry leading toward more graphic and violent content, children lacking in a figure to model good behavior from will model the behavior they witness occurring in front of them (Bandura, Ross, et al. 1961).  So long as the media continues to portray men as rude, slow-witted, irresponsible, stumbling, bumbling idiots only capable of thinking with their hormones rather than their brains, children will continue to mirror this behavior as they grow up, further engraining those stereotypes and perpetuating the cycle.
Improving Fatherhood
           Just as fatherlessness feeds and increases toxic masculinity, toxic masculinity leads to increased cases of fatherlessness. By improving fathers, and thereby the role models children have to look up to, such behaviors will be modeled and mirrored leading to a natural decrease in toxic masculinity. The absence of fathers is an expensive deficit. The various programs, institutions, and laws that have been required to take up the slack presents the nation with a receipt of the importance of good men, and good fathers. Rather than requiring more outside support, which act more as a patch than a true mending of the issue, teaching boys to become good men, who can then learn how to be good fathers and continue to pass on the knowledge to their children, will surely be a more effective, if slower, method for positive change.
Reducing Fatherlessness
           There are many good men out there who are denied the opportunity to be good fathers, or father-figure role models, due to the current organization of various institutions and laws. Courts are more inclined to give the mothers sole custody of their children denying them the opportunity of having an active father-figure in their lives. Were the courts to understand the importance of fathers on children’s development and work out methods to allow their continued influence on their children, the impact of being without a father in the home could be reduced. Attempts to bridge this lack of understanding could include the mandatory involvement of familial expert key witnesses in any court case involving children and a couple attempting to divorce and determine custody. Judges could also be required to fulfill a predetermined minimal number of hours undergoing training in family sciences. This training could include attending classes, a conference, or even a modified interview/lecture with a family science expert.
           Additionally, were the entertainment industry to include more positive father figures children would have someone to attempt to emulate, as well as an example of good behavior that illustrates how fathers should treat their children and their wives. Examples of such father figures include the dads in Kim Possible (Kim and Ron’s fathers respectively), Avatar: The Last Airbender (Sokka and Katara’s father, and Zuko’s uncle), and from The Lion King (Simba’s dad). Each of these father figures treat their wives and children with love and respect. They take the time to listen to their children and teach them important lessons. They are portrayed with a variety of strengths that show there’s no one “right way” to be a good father. Just as children will model poor behavior, they will also model good behavior. They just need to know where to turn to find such examples.
 References
Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63(3), 575–582. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045925
Berdahl, J. L., Cooper, M., Glick, P., Matos, K., O’Neill, O., & Lei, X. (2018). Toxic Leadership and the Masculinity Contest Culture: How “Win or Die” Cultures Breed Abusive Leadership. Journal of Social Issues, 74(3), 500. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12284
PragerU. (2018, August 6). Make Men Masculine Again [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-kxdyJs6y8
Sax, L. (2017). Why Gender Matters: What parents and teachers need to know about the emerging science of sex differences. Harmony Books.
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sasubaeuchithot · 2 years
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been thinking about kishimoto's character designs since i got that ask about it this morning, and how good he was as capturing the entire essence of the character in their design. I really just wanted to dump out how well he did with some of them. there are so many that you truly understand exactly who the character is at first glance, before you even read a line of dialog for them. here are some of my favorites:
1.) rock lee/gai
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rock lee and gai are both so well capsulated in those spandex onesies. with the combination of the leg warmers (functionally covering the famous weights), they look straight out of an 80's American workout video, which perfectly displays their peppiness and their core characteristics that they are always training, always working out. they are both so goofy-looking with their matching bowl cuts; their hair itself is a nod to bruce lee, further cementing their ties to martial arts, specifically taijutsu. rock lee with this bowl-cut, his super-lanky build and round unsettling eyes paint his character as awkward and dweebish right from the start. before he speaks his first word, you already know he would be the kid in class reminding the teacher that they didn't collect the homework.
the decision to match both characters' design also adds insight to who they are, both individually and as a team. there's this comedic trope of a "mini-me" at play, a very silly concept for two very silly characters. we instantly know that rock-lee idolizes gai, and that gai is a bit big-headed about himself to have encouraged the mimicry.
awkward, silly, overbearingly into training their bodies for taijutsu- you can see all of those traits so clearly in just their designs
2.) orochimaru
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even without his freakishly long tongue on display, you can absolutely tell that this man is grimeyyyy. his long, super thin shiny hair just looks straight up full of grease, and his wide sly smile tells you that he is up to no good. the markings around his eyes are very animalistic, and combined with the wide mouth, thin nose and angular face, you already imagine him as almost reptilian. the moment you see his tongue, which is so often displayed both canonically and in promo shots, his snake-like characteristics become unavoidable. he wears a simple tunic-like piece, heavily resembling a burlap sack; this really gives you the vibe that this man stumbled out of the woods naked and threw on the first thing he could find. very "totally transforms into a giant reptilian monster every so often"-core. the black dickie-lookin thing on his neck makes him look like a creepy priest, which,,,,,,,,,
no idea wtf is going on with the oversized buttbow other than it being there displays his drama but it is iconic
3.) neji's shippuden
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though we meet neji in a different design, i feel like neji's shippuden design does such a better job of showing you who he is. neji's shippuden design does such an excellent job incorporating his main character theme of forced compliance to tradition. he wears a kimono-like top in plain, unoffending white. neji is forced into his role of being a subservient figure in his clan, and he is not allowed to defy his clan's tradition. so he is designed in pale and neutral colors, as though even his clothing is not allowed to be loud. we are probably all aware of how imbedded Japanese folklore is to the entire series, so I won't go too into that here, but neji is a great example of kishimoto implementing that culture in his character designs. one of his most defining physical traits is his long hair. long hair in many Asian cultures signifies dignity and power. it paints us the picture that neji has never been disgraced, as shame would demand shearing one's hair short in that culture. it shows us that he is an incredibly talented ninja who rarely loses. he has a stern face, which shows us how reserved he is, and that he is not one to joke about.
even the seal he is designed with having clues us in on him. though it is always hidden behind his headband, when we do see it, it forces us to look deeper at him. the seal being displayed prominently on his forehead tells us that whatever it is must not only be incredibly important to his story, but it also makes us worry. why is it on his forehead? did he choose for it to be there of his own accord as a reminder of something very important, or else was it something imposed on him, forcing him to see it every time he looked in the mirror? before we know anything of the seal's horrifying meaning, we know that there is something unsettling about it just by its placement. both the original (problematic) symbol and the redesigned cross hold a negative yet captivating aura
I do wish that he was given this design or something similar for his character introduction in part one, but it still holds for new viewers to see the Shippuden design. of course the long hair and muted colors still stands in part one. though I will say his original jacket feels very angry-preteen-from-a-well-off-family to me, which fits him in a morbid way.
4.) sasuke
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nothing to say other than he's pretty and you should look at him. kishimoto said "I want him to be pretty" and then continued to draw him pretty. look at him.
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5.) kiba
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i have never seen any character designed to look more like a furry
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gordons-foot-scans · 3 years
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Antisemetism In Art, and How To Avoid It: A masterpost for HLVRAI content creators
Posted by a Jewish adult, with help from other jewish HLVRAI fans
Notes before we get into this:
A portion of this will be graphs/images, with image IDs underneath each section.
Bubby and Benrey are the focus of this post, if you have questions regarding other characters then please don't hesitate to ask if the general idea is not covered here.
This is a collaborative effort between fans of HLVRAI who are Jewish, but that does not mean we are representing every jewish fan's view. If other jewish fans disagree, that does not mean either of us are less jewish than the other. Thank you.
If you have any questions about this post, literally any, please don't hesitate to ask!
And yes, this can be reblogged by goyim! It helps spread the word.
Lets Begin!
Text versions will be below the read-more.
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*Villain
Source Credits:
- Most of the images came from an in-depth google doc about antisemitism HERE
- The rest of the copy-pasted reference images came from the Wikipedia page on Antisemitism, and the final illustrations were drawn by me.
- The Wikipedia page also has more information on antisemitism in general if you want to read up more outside of fandom issues!
Closing Notes:
Thank you so much for reading - I know this took far too long to post and I am very sorry for how long it took. With moving multiple times, starting a new job, and losing motivation to work on this, I am very happy to finally have this done. I hope this helps, and my inbox is always open for discussion, questions, or just to talk (same for DMs!)
*EDIT (5/17/2021): While "Bubby's model is based on a jewish person" is a common claim made in the HLVRAI community, I can't actually find any information supporting that. However, the character model (Isaac Kleiner) is still Jewish/Jewish coded (due to his name), so the chart still applies. Thank you for understanding, and I am sorry for the confusion!
💖
TEXT VERSIONS:
Trait Charts for Bubby & Benrey
Bubby's in-game model is based on a Jewish person, while Benrey has no ties to judaism. Because of this, the guidelines for their character designs are not the same.
BUBBY No: - Hooked Nose - Different from pointed nose - Inhuman Skin - specifically from the yellow, green, and blue hues. - Horns/Horn Hair - Animal features - Tail, animal eyes, and animal limbs. Think stereotypical demons? Catboys not included, the intent behind those is less so dehumanizing and moreso just furry-lite. Only 1 At A Time*: - Sharp Teeth - Not very common, but it has still been used to demonize jewish people - Claws - Pointed Ears * When I say "Only 1 at a time", honestly 1-2 can be combined. It entirely depends on the artist's intent/how exaggerated those aspects are. Sadly, nuance is hard to define in a small chart. Just be cautious and respectful! OK!: - Being evil - Being a villain/temporarily evil does not equal automatically bad. Woobifying jewish people is Not the solution. Unless he is portrayed as greedy or the "mastermind" behind everything (very bad), being generally evil is OK. - Pointer/Big Nose - Styleized pointed noses, or realistically larger noses, are not the same as a hooked nose. Speaking as someone who has a larger nose, it is ok to draw those. - "Flame" Hair
BENREY NO: - Hooked Nose - Different from pointed nose - Inhuman Skin - SPECIFICALLY greens and yellows, greys and blues are okay -Horns/Horn Hair - This one is situational - they are okay for AUs (such as demon AUs or Winter Holiday imps) but not for just basic Benrey. Fluffy/messy/spiky hair is fine tho Mostly Okay, Depends On Intent*: - Sharp Teeth - Claws - Pointed ears - While bad on jewish characters, pointy ears are a very common trait in other non-antisemetic media (Such as elves, vampires, aliens, etc.) - Being Evil - Pointy/Big Nose -Animal Features - While bad for bubby, having demonic characters it not antisemetic in itself! Only when it's used to represent jews. * When it comes to non-jewish characters, it's harder to make a set list of "yes"s and "no"s due to a little thing called nuance. Sometimes artists can combine these traits in a respectful way that has no ties to antisemitism, and other artists utilize these traits to make anti-jewish media. This is unfortunately an overlap that can not be defines due to how much of this is a grey area, so do your best to research an artists views before making false claims - the same goes for giving antisemitic artists a free pass on accident. Do your research, don't be afraid to ask artists in private first before making public posts, and stay safe!
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Part 1 Here! / <This is part 2!>
Commission info for a Love Letter from a HP character here!
A/N: This part is shorter but deff expect a part 2/3/15/ and 20 lol. If you would like to be added to the tag list, it will be open until tumblr limits my tags, comment that you want to be added!
Also something I forgot to add a lot of the house decision part of this post was inspired by another post I read on tumblr where Harry belongs to all the houses. I couldn’t find it, so if it’s your post (or you know who it is) lmk so I can give you credit!
- “Their mother was in my house-“ McGonagall starts
- “And their father was in mine, I have equal claim” Snape cuts in
- “Let’s not forget that before that, historically, they came from a long line of Ravenclaws” Flitwick adds
- “Oh tosh, this is a kind child if I ever saw one, did you see the way they were reassuring the other children- even Cedric apparently-“ Professor Sprout adds
- So she’s heard about that
- “What has that got to do with anything?” Snape snaps
- You’re not sure what’s weirder
- The fact that the sorting hat couldn’t decide where you belonged
- Or that all the heads of each house are fighting over who gets you
- Honestly with how well the whole situation was handled in front of everyone else you didn’t think something like this would happen
- Dumbledore silenced everyone, and said it would be discussed afterwards
- You watched each child get sorted in their appropriate house
- And afterwards, while everyone was feasting, you were lead away by Dumbledore and his four house heads to his office
- You’re not really sure what’s there to fight about-
- Honestly they should probably be fighting over who has to take you with how much trouble you’ll be.
- “Enough!” Dumbledore shouts and the four are immediately silenced
- And then he looks at you and you feel your hair stand on end
- “I believe it only natural, in this situation, that they get to choose which house they wish to be apart of”
- Snape blanches at the mention
- “But sir-“
- “That is my decision” he says with an air of finality and none of the others protest when his attention sweeps back to you
- “So which will it be?”
- You Blanche
- “Isn’t there some sort of quiz - or test I could take instead headmaster-“
- “There is not”
- You feel yourself sweating
- “Well-“ you start
- Ravenclaw was your initial choice, it’s the safest
- But then, if you were in Gryffindor you could be friends with Fred and George
- And if you went to Slytherin, you might be able to knock some sense into those blood obsessed freaks, not to mention Blaise in there
- But then- Hufflepuff isn’t looking too bad either, and Cedric seems to like you. It would be nice to have someone older looking out for you
- “How am I supposed to decide?”
- The words escape you without realizing and you see all the professors flinch at your words
- “What do you-“ Snape starts with a hiss, but Dumbledore stops him with a wave of a hand
- “And what do you mean by that child?”
- You gulp
- “Well-“
- You take a deep breath looking into his twinkling eyes
- “I want to be brave-“ you see McGonagall swell from the corner of your eye
- “But I also want to to be kind-“ she deflated and professor Sprout stands a bit taller “And wise and ambitious”
- “I want them all, how am I supposed to pick just one trait and make it my defining characteristic? People are nuanced, they’re more than just one thing”
- Everyone in the room stiffens at your words, and feeling as if you might have said something terribly rude you rush to make amends-
- “So if there’s some sort of trial, or-“
- “Alright we’ll do that then” Dumbledore says with an air of finality and you feel baffled
- “Do what sir?”
- “A trial period of course, a month in each house.”
- .
- .....
- .........
- (Y/N).exe is broken
- “Headmaster that’s completely-“
- “What kind of impression will-“
- “-nothing like that is stated in the handbook”
- “Think of the other students Albus!”
- They’re all shouting over each other, but you understand the basic sentiment
- This is pretty out there, even for a magic school
- “I have decided” Dumbledore doesn’t even say it all that loud, but the other four immediately clamor up
- “We’ll start alphabetically, with Gryffindor and work our way through”
- Huh?
- You’re mind is only just start to repair itself, assessing the situation
- Well it’s not exactly a bad deal now is it?
- In a way you’ve gotten exactly what you wanted
- But the anxiety of having to make a choice looms over you
- “Well, come now I’ll show you the way-“ and so you chase after the strict lithe woman as you follow her to the Gryffindor Common Room
- The other two shuffle out, but Snape stays
- “You’re just doing this because you’re bored aren’t you?” Snape asks
- Dumbledore shrugs
- “Can you blame me? It’s been so long since anything interesting has happened”
- “You say that like one of the Weasley boys doesn’t cause trouble every other week”
- You follow McGonagall down several poorly lit hallways, making mental note of the a few choice paintings, hoping to remember them for later
- “The password this year is “chartreuse” “ she tells you
- And just like magic the portrait swings open, and several hands emerge from the inky depths to grab onto your arm and pull you inside
- The portrait door shutting close
- McGonagall sighs
- “Children will be children I suppose”
- A small smile curling onto her mouth and walked to her chambers
- You would have half a mind to be afraid, if the second you made it inside you didn’t see fireworks and pert poppers popping
- “Welcome to Gryffindor,” the boy on your right, Fred says
- “We knew you’d end up here” George finishes
- Everyone is i the common room, and they all congratulate you, happy to have you in their house
- The room is as big as a banquet hall, full of dark red rugs and gold tapestry’s
- A little gaudy if you’re being honest
- Like something out of a Harry Potter themed room in a pottery barn catalogue
- But that’s probably the point
- “So how did it all go down?” Fred asks, sitting on your right side on a red couch in front of the fire
- “Did Minnie manage to convince you?”
- “Oi they didn’t need convincin’ Fred, we’re clearly the superior house”
- “Well you see, it’s not quite official”
- They look at you with wide eyes as you recount the tale
- You almost feel bad bursting their bubble, especially when they’re being so nice to you
- But when you’re done they both sport identical grins, twinkles in their eyes
- “That’s wicked” they say in unison
- You grin
- You think you’re going to like it here
- The twins basically monopolize the rest of your night, asking for your input on pranks
- “If it were me-“ you start, their eyes on you with rapt attention
- “I would brew some amortentia and give it to Filch-“
- “And make him fall in love with Snape!” George says like you’ve just said the most brilliant thing
- You shake your head
- “I would give it to the cat- Mrs. Noriss, And make her fall in love with something crazy, like a dog- it’s that subtle annoyance that makes it all the more satisfying”
- The both grin
- “So when are we doing it?” Fred asks
- “Doing what?”
- “Brewing the love potion of course”
- You grin
- Yeah, you’re really going to like it here
Tag List:
@parascape​ @imdoingathingmom​ @smileygirl08​ @awesomebooklover17​ @taferris​
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lacktastrophe · 2 years
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I thought Mccain was a cute supporting character, I don't think he could carry a serious storyline on his back. But as a backgrounder, I thought a short dog dressed Matrix Style who always tried to act logical & stoic was a cute backgrounder. Kinda like in the Simpsons, how there are characters like the Sea-Captain, Frink, Comic Book Guy, ETC that didn't get episode focus, but gave the background some character. Shame Mccain fans apparently bugged the author, though.
I'm on the other side as far as McCain goes, I don't think he's at all suited for BCB. McCain zealots were a symptom of a much larger problem particularly with his character and how his popularity was threatening to transcend the main characters, and that had something to do with him being simply the smartest and collected character in a story of teenagers learning to grow up.
It's hard to ignore McCain's presence. And that sucks!!!
I cannot remember but SOME PART OF ME tells me there had once been discussion of BCB having a Fonzie moment. And I can't help but think that conversation had been about McCain given his overwhelming popularity. McCain's logical and stoic personality appeals to people considering who he is surrounded with, and judging by how people tend to ignore things going on in the pages he exists in and concentrated more on him evident in the page commentary indicates there's quite a number of frustrated readers who can't bring themselves to try to emphasise with any of the less-perfect characters, namely the main ones. So they latch onto him instead.
McCain's quite literally a clean slate as far as baggage; he's immune to the other kid's drama and has none of his own. He has no competition, no rivalry. When he gets shut down that makes readers sympathise with him. Great for a comic which is lighthearted and joke-centric because hahaha he's clearly out of place with these losers. But McCain is really out of place when that became less of a focus and when we really wanted to focus more on the losers and their loser problems.
I savaged McCain years ago in my Sue megapost because I thought McCain was a big detractor to Sue's character development. That was a problem with McCain, but not the problem with McCain. I seriously find him fundamentally flawed because of his design, both aesthetically and function. He's a character that rides too closely to a pop-culture reference enough to be defined by it in both attitude and appearance. He is the dog form of Morpheus. Even if you weren't to necessarily agree with that assessment, it's seemingly hard to ignore him when he isn't the focal point of a page either. His overall design is loud; he's black and white. He's both the shortest and the most clothed character. Even though he's written to be quiet and an introvert in his own right, the contrapasta is there and you can't ignore it. In a highschool setting where clothing is optional in the first place, McCain's attire outshines many of the other characters. This is great when it's explored in the chapter with the spotlight searching squad. But he's since transcended it outside of the comic. Show anyone a picture of the volume 1 cast of BCB and I feel like their eyes will immediately go to him based on both of these traits alone. This is so evident the case because even when he is literally in the background, the page talk will ALWAYS focus on him.
As a pop-culture wiseman reference who pops in from time to time to savage Paulo, he's great. Getting turned into a character, he's an unintentional distraction .
Those Simpsons characters that you listed are all good characters who are references to something; Sea-captain is a homage to Popeye, comic book guy is literally every comic book store owner you know, Frink is absolutely every nerd you know. But those characters compliment the main characters, they aren't given comparable time in the spotlight (unless that's changed, I stopped watching after season 6), and their attire isn't designed to take focus away from the main characters either by competing against them. McCain has become such a meme these days he steals the show by simply existing. This has been the case and will continue to be the case, ever more prevalent from the reactions on the more vocal readers on the talk pages because people want to focus more on McCain than on the characters they should be paying more attention to.
And I feel that hurts the experience, particularly for new readers. I can't help but feel the situation is made even worse because the people who still hold a candle for McCain hype him up on webtoons where the new readers are coming from, and this is having the effect of giving off the wrong idea.
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Assuming this particular post isn't just sarcasm, this reader is getting set up for disappointment because we all know McCain will be unceremoniously evicted after Feline Filibuster. But what about entirely new readers who have absolutely no knowledge of this at all? With messages like this, they're getting set up with expectations to see him again. I can't help but think that's disasterous given this is everything that caused him to be removed in the first place.
But alas, this is my hill to die on. I really want to like McCain but he just does not fit with the main story in any capacity. He was out of place back then and that was fitting considering the setting, he's REALLY out of place when he was evolved into a minor character. I'd have to wonder if Suit and Tae had anticipated the same comments with the webtoon and with the Omnibus release and whether that bothers them like last time.
I can't help but wonder if the next time the early volumes are revisited in maybe an anthology when the comic ends if McCain gets the Kizuna treatment. The only real way to deal with McCain overshadowing the others and being a distraction in the story is to remove him entirely and replace him with an entirely new character(s). I don't see a way to salvage him.
Though maybe if they do still like him, maybe there's life for him in BCI or in mini-strips in the newsletters? I suppose that would be interesting.
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wrenhyperfixates · 3 years
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Loki Series Thoughts—The Variant
With the release of episode 2, I’m back with another analysis. Spoilers ahead!! This will be a combination of personal thoughts, theories, and objective analysis. This is overall, a positive review, so if you do not want to see that, I would not recommend continuing to read. I am however more than open to some friendly debate and discussion over any and all of the following points, whether you agree or disagree with them.
With all that being said, let’s dive in:
I feel gypped on the Holding out for a Hero fight scene. I mean, I liked how the scene was shot, especially with the whole loudspeaker thing (it set the mood very well), but where’s Loki fighting to that song?
Alright, I might as well address the elephant in the room: Is Loki OOC? Well, for my money, the answer is both yes and no. And I don’t mean to be wishy-washy; it really kind of depends on how you define OOC and/or who exactly you take this Loki to be.
What does OOC mean? To me, the literal definition of “out of character” would be the character acting in a way unlike they’ve been seen acting before. Likewise, according to Collins Dictionary it would be defined as “not typical of the apparent character of a person or thing.” Now, that’s a bit too black and white. What if you have a character in a new situation, how do you know how they’d react? By analyzing their past actions and seeing if they line up. And if you stop at this point and deem Loki entirely OOC, well you’re allowed to and that’s valid. I, however, would not say entirely is the word to use. Somewhat, yes, but not terribly and not inexcusably so. I’ll come back to this in a moment.
Who is this Loki? He’s the one right after the Avengers, of course, but he’s something different too. Think about it, the whole series is centered around how different choices can shape the very fabric of the universe. Wouldn’t it stand to reason that changes in Loki’s story would cause him to behave differently than what we’ve seen before? This is, in essence, a different Loki, albeit one who’s own narrative is shaped by a shared backstory with ours. It even says it on his jacket in big, bright letters: VARIANT. So while he shouldn’t be too dissimilar from the Loki we know, I do not think we can entirely look to the old to determine the new.
Now that we have that out of the way, we’re back to my somewhat noncommittal answer of the original question. Loki has some moments that seem OOC, but almost always has a (valid) reason for acting that way, both in and out of universe.
Loki’s OOC moments:
◦ The Renaissance Fair: And I by no means think this applies to his whole spiel. In fact, I think it was largely in character. What got me was “Which is absurd, because my people are, by nature, gullible fools. A trait that I, the God of Mischief, exploited time and time again simply by listening.” And then again, right after B-15 announces they are one unit away from red line. Though, my issue with the latter is how rushed it is. This could make sense because he’s worried about having time to finish his ploy. It’s a small thing to harp on for sure, though, for the point I am trying to make.
◦ In the hallway: This is where I think he’s most OOC. It feels rambley and pointless. More a desperate plea than a calculated last resort.
◦ With the librarian: I was hesitant to put this one in, but he seemed a bit unsure at points in his dialogue here. The inflection of his voice in the middle just sounded, like I said, unsure.
◦ The cafeteria (both times): More so in the first. The metaphor was, like Loki himself said, clumsy. But what I really think is OOC here is how excitable and obvious he is after Mobius concedes, “Not bad.” And the only thing on their second cafeteria chat is at the very end. His response of “I know” to being called clever, once again has an inflection to it that I would not typically associate with Loki—it’s too pronounced.
◦ Pompeii (beginning of scene only): Loki seems pretty flippant about the whole thing in the immediate moments after their arrival. (As an aside, I don’t think he’s necessarily unsympathetic here; he knows what happens and to keep himself safe and prove his point, he can’t branch the timeline.) To be quite honest, I think he might just be goading Mobius as he’s done to our God of Mischief many a time already.
◦ Before Roxxcart: He seems nervous, and his speech is a bit rushed again. Then again, this is something he wants—to be better. I’d think he’d be a bit more calm about it, though. Then again, with everything that’s happened recently, maybe it’s a natural response?
The reasons why he seems OOC:
◦ It’s on purpose: He knows what they think of him. If he plays into that, even in an exaggerated way, they’re not going to call bs on it.
◦ He’s been through a lot/Not our Loki: Like I mentioned earlier, not only is this a new environment, it’s a new Loki. He’s been shaped differently from our Loki because of how he was immediately thrust into the world of the TVA after many traumatic experiences.
◦ It’s an acting choice: No, it’s not one you have to agree with. But I believe Tom could be doing it to highlight moments where Loki is saying things he personally does not actually believe or that he knows others believe. Just to distinguish from the more calculated lying he does.
So, are there moments when Loki acts OOC? Yes. Is it inexplicable? No. Are the answers to those questions always the same from person to person? No, because like so many things, it’s all about how you frame it. And, of course, every person perceives each moment of time through their own eyes, with their own thoughts, in their own ways.
Loki has plenty of moments in character, too. In fact, I’d say he was overwhelmingly in character, for my understanding of it. In the earlier parts of the Renaissance Fair he is witty and lying with ease. At all other points that I didn’t mention, I found his vocabulary and inflection perfectly fine. I can’t think of any one moment his hand gestures particularly stuck out to me as out of place. And during his impromptu magic lesson, he seemed so sure of himself. He has snark without being rude. His interactions with “the variant” are on point. Even in the majority of the Pompeii scene, he’s not acting OOC, he’s just acting. He wanted to make an over-exaggerated splash to test his theory. Between that and speaking Latin, aren’t we seeing his cunning and wit?
Well, with that divisive and slightly negative topic out of the way, let’s move onto Mobius, his character, and his role in the show. He’s a bit different than the Mobius we see last time. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still moments where he seems to be manipulating Loki, or at least attempting to (the walk to the elevator; dangling a meeting with the Time Keepers in front of Loki’s face). In episode two, he’s presented as a victim. Mobius is just as much a slave to the “sacred timeline” as those living in it. He can’t go into the world and do the things he wants to do. Even any questions about time that Loki has, he answers seemingly by rote (perhaps drilled into his brain through propaganda?) or he can’t explain well (note, two times he somewhat hesitantly deems what Loki says as “an oversimplification”).
We’re also told that Mobius has a soft spot for broken things. That seems like a bold thing to say if Mobius hasn’t done something big before. Has he possibly ever used a variant like this before? Could he even possibly have a deeper connection to the rouge variant? Probably not on that second one, but it’s not wholly impossible. Though, going back to “has he done this before?” (and get ready for me to get absolutely insane now) do the rings on the table have deeper symbolic meaning pertaining to this? Yes, it could have just been for comedy, it may have just been a cool shot, but why put so much focus and emphasis on it like that with the camera and dialogue if it has no significance. Basically what I mean is, it’s symbolic of Mobius messing up. He messed up Renslayer’s table, maybe he botched a mission. Or maybe he even screwed up when working with another variant. Regardless of whether that’s symbolism, we do see him have a soft spot for the people at the hurricane shelter.
Mobius’s role in episode 1 was trying to break down Loki and recruit him. In this episode, he was more of a guide, more of a friend. Yes, there are lines like at Roxxcart when he says he knows he can’t be trusted, but there’s also a lot of camaraderie between the two. By the time Loki and Mobius are having their second chat in the cafeteria, they seem familiar with each other, engaging in what seems to be a friendly bout of verbal sparring. They seem, at very least, fond of each other, and I believe Mobius is, to some extent, on Loki’s side.
In fact, Mobius and Loki share something in common; they want something more than what the time keepers have preordained for them, even if Loki is more ready to admit that. Mobius is still, however, playing the part he’s been assigned, his “glorious purpose.” And, yes that includes some digs like that at Loki, whether Loki’s in the room or not, and whether they’re subtle or not. Is “I’ll delete him myself. He’s really arrogant.” really a dig though? I mean, it sounds like he could just be saying what Renslayer wants to hear. And when he talks about Loki wanting something more, wanting to change, I don’t think he’s actually talking about Loki. With the inflection and stage whisper, it almost sounds like he’s projecting. Remind you of anyone? Mobius will likely end up helping Loki, or may even turn into a tragic hero, his fatal flaw being his unwillingness to admit the TVA is not infallible.
The TVA workers. Isn’t odd how some of them have names and others don’t? Do they name themselves? More likely, I think whoever is in charge of a branch of the TVA gets a name, and all underlings get the less than human mix of letters and numbers with which to identify themselves. It also seems that the people with the most personality are the ones with names. B-15 has a personality, sure, but it’s more just in line with “I work for the TVA. This is what they want. I will do exactly that.” It’s almost lacking something that the named characters have lying beneath the surface of their character arc.
And then she gets enchanted, and if Wunmi Mosaku wasn’t already shining with the limited story for the character, oh boy she is now. When B-15 comes to, she is scared. It’s on her face and in that little shuddered breath. And when asked what happened, she seemed so unsure, timid. I’m definitely interested to see how that progresses!
Back to the workers in general, they didn’t seem as sad about their coworkers this episode as in the last. Even with C-20 it seemed to be a respect thing. I mean, they reset the timeline with their colleagues lying dead on the floor. I think in a lot of scenarios, dead soldiers would be given a proper burial.
Ravonna Renslayer and the time keepers. Renslayer is even more steadfastly devoted to the sacred timeline and the time keepers than anyone else. Why? Well, I think it’s because she is the time keepers. Any time they’re brought up, it’s quickly explained away with a simple “they’re busy.” That’s because they’re not real. But Renslayer sure seems chummy with them, huh? What other reason then its her timeline she has everyone protecting.
Then again, she may only be second in command, but not to the time keepers. (I mean, omniscient and omnipotent beings who are relatively aloof and unreachable? They’re perfectly set up to be revealed as not real. Plus the constant non-answers when it comes to them, I’ll be more surprised if they’re real than if they’re not.) But in the comics, her plot line is interwoven with that of Kang the Conqueror, a time traveler, among many other things. Even more likely than her being in charge, is him being in charge.
And now for the variant. It’s not Lady Loki, we all know that right? Ok, that comes off a bit harsh, but she is listed as Sylvie in the credits for languages other than English. This was also who Sophia Di Martino was previously listed as on IMDb. I won’t get into her story in the comics now, but I’d bet we’ll take elements of that in her story in the series. And if you’re still not convinced that’s who this is, why have her blonde? It just doesn’t make sense to change that about her. Plus, Sylvie takes on the name of Enchantress. What does Loki say her powers are? Enchantments. She doesn’t want to be called Loki either. She does say the main Loki variant is her, but if she’s framing him or taking on his persona for her crimes, why stop now? Her language is distinctly un-Loki like, too. She also boldly declares “This isn’t about you.” And finally, there’s the foreshadowing in Loki’s line, “I would never treat me like this.”
I only wonder what her motives are. Is she looking for revenge on the Loki from her timeline? Or perhaps she’s working fo him? Maybe he’s dead and she’s avenging him? Or he’s alive and she wants to grab his attention? Maybe she has motives all her own. And what of Mephisto? Does he actually play a part in this? I’m just spitballing, I need more information.
When Loki finds the file. No. Like. Give a detailed description of this please!!!!! He thinks he’s evil. That he causes all that death with malicious intent. Even if he doesn’t, there’s clear pain over the destruction of Asgard. And look at his eyes, the only thing we’re shown as he process the information fully for the first time. He’s hurt, confused. Disappointed and angry with himself. The bit we’re shown of his face before it zooms in on his eyes portrays this too. He looks so lost in that shot. And he looks to be tearing up a bit.
Maybe I’m just being dumb, but what does it mean 9,719 casualties? Didn’t they all escape? His face as the scene zooms back out is... defeated. Scared. Scarred. He’s barely holding it together. Then something else catches his eye, giving him an idea. And I’m sure more than anything he wants to be distracted from the storm in his mind. So yeah, he’ll happily throw himself into his work. The epiphany on his face as he’s still recovering and discovering new things is just so perfect too.
The confrontation at Roxxcart. This was really well done, I felt. Loki felt in character, and he was fighting smartly, using what he could. Because clearly the enchantment also lent Sylvie’s powers to the person. But Loki manages to hang in there and dig for information while keeping the battle going.
He gets mad, too. He starts yelling. And that makes sense. He wants answers, and for so long he’s been denied them; it’s a recurring theme in his life. He’s losing control of himself a bit here. And that’s a large part of the reason why he goes through the time door. Loki doesn’t want to lose control again. I don’t even know if it was exactly a betrayal of the TVA. I don’t think he’s on their side, but I think he just saw that he couldn’t lose the variant again. Because for what he says his plan is, he wouldn’t have followed the variant. However, he does because he wants answers.
What about that plan though? I’m working a bit in reverse with this scene I realize, but bear with me. That look on his face as he stands, it’s calculating. I think he’s lying about his plan. I think he’s trying to bring the variant in, not work with them.
Also, I’m so concerned for C-20. What’s real? I want to know!! But we’re already getting a feel for Sylvie’s powers. The people she enchants live, but they’ve seen something they’d rather not. What other reason is there for the similar way B-15 and C-20 act? And I know she mentions telling Sylvie the time keeper’s location, but really, it’s their location to her knowledge. It doesn’t necessarily mean they exist. Or maybe it’s just Kang.
And Mobius at the very end of this scene, the very end of the confrontation, the very end of the episode. The last thing is him calling after Loki. And he sounds genuine, almost. It didn’t sound like he was fearful for his own life, but rather more worried for Loki. Though, maybe I have that confused and it’s worried about Loki. Whatever the reason, it sounded like genuine fear in his voice to me.
Finally, some random thoughts that didn’t fit anywhere:
Gugu Mbatha-Raw is so talented. I mean, I got a lot of emotion from Renslayer. Confident and proper at the beginning, panicked and afraid at the end. Even in her talks with Mobius, there’s many subtleties to pick apart. I think it’s heavily implied through her words and actions that she’s evil.
The casual magic use was great. Hope there’s more.
Why do setting off reset charges in the main timeline have a different effect than setting them off in the branch timelines? Like shouldn’t it wipe it, not make branches?
Loved all the rapport happening in the episode. There was a lot of good dialogue.
Despite the manipulations going on, I like the relationship forming between Mobius and Loki. I think they make a nice little duo.
I love all the Loki variants we’re shown. Very, very interesting. Just give us Jötunn Loki for real, please.
Loki was very clever this episode, particularly with figuring out you could hide in an apocalypse and at Roxxcart.
Does Roxxcart have a link to Roxxon?
Their little motto thing is a bit creepy. “For all time. Always.” Sounds like it’s just part of their propaganda.
“You see, I know something children don’t. No one bad is ever truly bad. And no one good is ever truly good.” I love this line. Seriosuly, why not use this sound bite in the trailers? Loki himself is morally gray, and I love that we’re addressing this fact of life; the world is not all black and white, not all good and bad.
CASEY!!!
In the second cafeteria scene, there is a guard in full armor just standing there. I guess they’re monitoring the employees. How likely does whoever is in charge think it would be for an uprising of sorts to happen?
Between sleepy Loki, him putting that jacket on, his hair, that talking to himself and that annoyed little shh in the library, and just being the happy goof that he is deep down (Miss Minutes scene and salad metaphor) Loki was just so adorable this episode.
I think it’s important Mobius said sorry when talking about ragnarok. He knows Loki cares.
Mobius does kind of understand Loki when saying he has an “insecure need for validation.” He’s right, honestly, albeit harsh. But that’s all he wanted throughout the Thor movies too, not to be looked down upon. To be treated as equal. As worthy.
Of Mobius’s two options for why he’s sticking his neck out for Loki, I think they both hold some truth.
Interesting how TVA agents like to keep souvenirs from lives they can never live. Though maybe Renslayer keeps them for a different reason. Like from timelines that were particularly a threat to order—her order.
The score is still on point. Loving the theremin.
Wow an explanation pertaining to time travel I’ve found no holes in. It’s unstable and they have to enter in real time (furthest point on the branch) because of that. Ok, yeah. Checks out.
I’m so glad they kept the title card from last week. I like it so much better than the one from the trailers, and it fits the vibe of the show better.
Is it bad I want all these new branches to red line? I think it seems a little too early into the show for that to happen, but maybe a few of them will? Perhaps improbable but not impossible. But think of the chaos! What better playground for the God of Mischief than a universe thrown into disarray.
And now, my final thoughts. A very good episode with a mainly in character Loki. I like how we’re slowly learning more with what’s going on, while still keeping an element of mystery. Though, Marvel’s twists aren’t landing as well as I think they were hoping (assuming I’m right of course. I’ve seen plenty of other people who were thinking along the same lines though, so). It’s lacking a certain je ne sais quoi that Glorious Purpose had, but I still enjoyed it. Overall, 8/10. Let’s just hope my rating doesn’t go down point with every episode.
Like something I said? Totally disagree? Really want to talk more about one point? Whatever it is, I’d love to hear! Reblogs and comments are appreciated. My ask box is always open, and anon is always on. I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Thanks :)
Me, after not liking one, but two episodes:
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littlx-songbxrd · 3 years
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Chain of Iron:Death theory
As the awaited release date for Chain of Iron approaches and the fandom decends into pure madness, I want to put in my last two cents of overthinking before I stop having coherent thoughts
So we all know this is a second book, and second books bring the absolute pain in the shadowhunter chronicles. There is likely going to be a death from the mains considering the theme of this book, and I am here to throw my theory and reasons as to who I think it might be. Im here to sadly theorize about why I think Christopher Lightwood might not make it past the last hours
1. Tatianas revenge
Right now, Tatiana wants revenge after all our main families: the carstairs, herondales, fairchilds and both branches of the lightwoods. For the lightwood-collins theres barbaras death. For the herondales her daughter has been manipulating their son for over 6 years. Theres a theory that the fairy poison Mathew bought that caused Charlottes misscarriage could be traced back to her. And there are other theories that Elias dissaperance between chog and choi could have something to do with Belial. As of right now the only family who is yet to recieve any permanent damage or tragedy are the lightwood-herondales. Which is really ironic considering its the only family that has two bloodlines Tatiana wants to harm. Not only that, but theyre also the children of who Tatiana blames directly for her fathers death, Gabriel. It seems fishy to me there hasn't been any permanent damage in their family, and I dont think that is gonna last for long
2. The family tree
The family tree states that Grace Cartwright (Aka Grace Blackthorn) marries Christopher Lightwood and theyre the ones who continue the line that leads to Alec and Isabelle. Now Cassandra has said varius times the family tree can be misleading, and I am a firm believer this is one of the misleading ends. Why this lie was created, I'm not sure, but lets analize some things. As of right now there are 5 lightwood children. At least 3 of them can pass down the lightwood name. Of those three, if we take into account that Thomas may not have kids due to being gay, that still leaves two branches of lightwood kids that may continue on. As of present time we only have word of one line, Alec and Isabelles. And Robert isnt said to have any cousins, theres no mention in the future of another lightwood line. So the idea that both Alexander and Christopher have kids is pretty unbelivable considering theres only one lightwood line in the future. Unless Alexander goes on to have only girls and Christopher has only one boy, it seems more likely the family tree is wrong. Isabelle and Alec are confirmed as of the bane chronicles to be decendants of Gabriel lightwood (Isabelle makes a reference to looking up her great great grandfather Gabriel Lightwood and telling magnus he was hot in the last story of the book)
So its already confirmed they're a) the last decendants of the lightwood line and b) that line stems from Gabriel. If we based ourselves solely on the family tree and Christopher being the one carrying the line, that would have been believable enough not to raise any red flags. Christopher IS the son of Grabriel Lightwood, able bodied and seems to have a general attraction to women (I mean, we all know hes aro/ace but lets stick with canon). There isnt anything pointing to him not being able to marry and have kids. Where the red flags raise for me is with Alexander
Alexander wasnt in the original plans for the family tree, he was added when Cassie started writting the last hours. If you take into account his role in chog, there really was no reason to add Alexander Lightwood. He doesnt seem to do anything, hes a 3 year old kid, you can very well delete him from the narrative and nothing would change. So why did Cassandra add him?? Why did she decide to make Cecily and Gabriel have another kid ?
To me, it seems a lot like the baby carstairs situation . The family tree says Alastair carries the carstairs line, Alastair is a gay man so he cant have biological kids, theres another unplaned baby to carry the line. It seems to me Christopher carrying the lightwood line is a lie, and Alexanders role is to carry it in his place. I even found a little info from an ask wayy before chain of gold came out where it said Alexander had green eyes, but in the book she changed it to blue eyes. The exact same shade the modern day lightwoods seem to have. A trait hes more likely to pass down than his lavender eyed brother who supposedly "marries" grey eyed grace
3. Character Arc
Characters in literature need goals, things to work for or work towards through the story in order for them to develop. We call those things character arcs, and it seems we have all ignored how christophers may have indirectly ended. If you read his short story, or just overall analize his character, his main goal is simple. He wants to create something that will help the nephlim through science. His personal character arc is that he wants to prove himself and his skill to the clave using his passion to be a hero.
An arc that could have been expanded all through the series, and ended with him using his skills in the end to defeat belial in some way, proving his passions worth. Through the story we could have had a glimpse at his struggles, how he was put down, the failed attempts, fustrations etc. This all could have rounded christopher as a character, and brought more satisfaction to the end goal of his arc which is proving the value of his science. But instead, his arc in book seemingly already ended? Because he did it, he figured out a way to combine science with his duty and saved the entire enclave from the demon poison. He is now acclaimed a hero for his skills. All the other characters have things to finish going into chain of iron, Christopher doesnt. Why would she end an arc that could have taken through the entire series in just one book? Christopher is the only secondary character with a defined personality and a lack of arc to look foward too in following books. This could all point that his arc was rushed because it was being cut short
4. Lightwood blood
There has been a lot of theories going around about Thomas being the one who gets killed in this book, which is resonable considering the unerving amount of forehsadowing we've had to him getting himself caught up in something. But I raise you this, why would CC be giving us so much assurance that Thomas was going to get hurt if she was going to kill him? Not only would she be reaveling one of her most devastating murders, she would basically be spoiling a very big part of her own book. Thomas death would affect everyone, if she WERE to kill him she wouldnt be indulging us in our Thomas death theory as much as she has. Itd be too expectable, I actually believe that by giving us all the info she has she has more or less confirmed he wont die.
I believe this is all a decoy. Shes giving us foreshadowing towards something bad happening to Thomas, to cover up the very big reality shes planning to kill someone else. Theres a very big chance that for the resurection, theyre gonna need Jesses families blood. Same way Malcom needed blackthorn blood to raise Annabel. As of rightnow there arent any blackthorns (by blood) left alive, the only blood relatives Jesse still had are the lightwoods. So we already know Thomas gets captured by the murderer (referenece to the art), but it is most likely he gets rescued. People speculate he most likely got captured for the resurection Tatianas trying to do, because of his lightwood blood. But if Thomas escapes, Tatiana still needs her families blood. And I'd like to point out this is also where the fact she hasnt taken permanent revenge on the lightwood-herondales would come in. Theres a good chance that if the murders are releated to her, and she cant have Thomas, she wont stop at just Thomas.
5. Story relevance
In all sense of story, Christopher is the perfect candidate to kill. As hard as that is to say: he's a secondary character, who has a well defined personality, loved enough by the fans that there would certainly be a shock factor following his death, important enough to the story that there would be a big impact to the narrative, and interwined enough with the main characters to cause emotional distress in the story. His arc is indirectly done, this author has a history of killing lightwoods, there isnt much to discourage the possibility he might be killed besides the faulty family tree. And as I said, that tree has been stated multiple times to be misleading
Bonus prove
6. Christophers cut-out
Same way were analizing the hell out of a broken spear, why are we not talking about the skull on christophers?
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(Sorry couldnt get better quality pics)
The truth is, I hate this theory as much as everyone, Im genuinly hoping chain of iron proves me wrong. But there are 5 deaths comming, and not all of them can be side characters. Cordelia Lucie and James all have main character protection. I already explained why Thomas dying is unlikely. Anna, Ariadne and Alastair have gay protection (and I think some asks about Alastair dying were pretty much answered with a discreet no)
If there are mains dying, Christophers the most likely to go
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afewnovelideas · 3 years
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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, DCU (Comics), Batman (Comics), Young Justice (Comics), Robin (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Kyubey (PMMM), Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Selina Kyle Additional Tags: Tim Drake-centric, Tim Drake is Robin, Tim Drake is Not Okay, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake Gets a Hug, Alternate Universe - Madoka Magica Fusion, Soul Gems (Madoka Magica), Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Magical Boys, Origin Story, No Beta We Die Like Mami, Don't Have to Know Madoka Magica Canon, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent Series: Part 1 of Eques Magi: Originem - Magicka Knights: Origin Summary:
"The Labyrinths of Gotham City are so tightly concentrated, no human born here can escape the influence of at least one or two Witches, if not more. Despite the aura of despair and the constant work of the Witches' various Familiars, there are still those souls who persist in clinging to hope and will do whatever they can to try and make this city a better place, even though all their efforts will ultimately fail in the end.
"It's the perfect environment to find a new Magicka Knight."
---
"Have you ever seen an albino cat?"
Catwoman, aka Selina Kyle, glanced over at Batman's newest Robin curiously. She hadn't been expecting to cross paths with him, but since it was obvious the Big Bad Bat was out of town and Nightwing hadn't shown up at all in the past week, she decided to keep an eye on the new kid for at least the evening. He certainly wasn't like the previous Robin. This thirteen-year-old boy was quiet and thoughtful, which had been quite a change from the previous brash impulsive kid Batman had been mentoring a little over a year ago before they were murdered by the Joker. 
She also noticed that this Robin was glancing over his shoulder at something on the rooftop on the other side of the street. "An albino, huh?" she said as she tried to follow his gaze. However, despite using her binoculars to zoom in on the far rooftop, she couldn't see any sign of any animal, feline, albino, or otherwise. "I've heard of them, but never seen one in person," Selina admitted casually as she put away her binoculars. "They are extremely rare." She smiled at Robin. "Have you seen one around town?"
Robin leaned against his bo staff thoughtfully. "I think so, but I'm not really sure." 
"Not sure?"
The boy looked up at Selina earnestly. "Y'know how a cat has two pointed ears about here?" Amusingly to the professional cat burglar, Robin made a vague pair of cat-ear shapes with his hand at the top of his head.  She smiled affectionately. 
"Yeah. It's kind of a defining cat trait, having pointy ears."
Robin pouted slightly at the teasing tone he caught in Catwoman's voice. Then he continued. "Well... This cat I've been seeing... It looks like they have a second set of ears too."
"A second set?" 
He nodded. He made a motion with his hands that seemed to make another vague shape that started at the base of where the cat's ears ought to be and downward along either side of its head. "Yeah. They kinda start out here and go all the way down there."
"Are you sure what you're looking at is an albino 'cat'? That kinda sounds more like a white rabbit to me."
"But it has pointy ears like a cat," Robin argued. "And its got a long fluffy tail, and its legs are like a cat's." The young teenager frowned slightly. "It's really weird looking."
"Well it does sound like a unique creature, whatever it is," Selina said thoughtfully.  "Maybe it's some sort of cryptid or mutant? This is Gotham after all." She smiled at Robin. "Tell ya what. If you can catch a photo of the critter, I promise I'll take a good hard look and let you know if it's a cat, a rabbit, or something completely different." Then she gave him an almost stern maternal look. "But be careful. Don't get too close. If it does turn out to be something 'not normal', it could be dangerous."
"Okay."
 ---
  It was two nights later and Tim Drake, fully decked out as Robin for another solo patrol, had just finished trussing up a pair of would-be carjackers. As soon as he placed the anon call to the Gotham PD for pickup, he glanced up to fire his grapple gun and froze.
There, on the rooftop above him, was a familiar white shape with two sets of ears and red eyes. The "cat" was peering down. He could see the animal's long fluffy tail swishing this way and that. Tim's breath caught in his throat. This was the closest he'd ever seen the animal come to him before. Rather than risk his grapple gun startling the animal and scaring it away, the young vigilante quickly indulged in some impromptu parkour up a garbage bin and a chain link fence to reach the metal fire escape attached to the side of the building. 
When he pulled himself on the rooftop, Tim was disappointed to find that it appeared to be empty. Not a trace of red eyes or white fur anywhere. He walked across the roof slowly, scanning the area for any sign of the small creature as he pulled out a small portable camera from his utility belt. "Hey there," he whispered softly. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty. I'm not going to hurt you. C'mon out please. I just wanna take a picture." 
When no one came out of hiding, Tim tried a different tactic. He reached into another pouch on his belt and pulled out a small package of beef jerky. He shook the bag temptingly before opening it and setting it on the ground before stepping away from it. "Got some food here if you want. All for you."
"Thank you, but no. I'm not hungry."
Tim froze. Then he glanced around himself as quickly as he could before zeroing in on the form of the albino "cat" sitting on top of a large A/C unit just a few yards away from him, its white body practically glowing against the cloudy night sky of Gotham City. This close, Tim could see this was not a normal "cat".  It did appear to have two sets of ears, but the two longer rabbit-like ones had golden rings attached to them and were tipped in pink with red spots. Its tail also appeared to be unnaturally long as it swished back and forth casually.
"Did you... just... talk?"
The cat-like creature flicked its smaller pointy ears. "Of course I did!" it said in a childlike voice without moving its mouth at all. Its long white tail finally stopped swishing and settled into a question mark shape behind it. "How else am I supposed to introduce myself?"
 ---
  Tim Drake gave up caffeine for the rest of the week. When the boy returned to the Cave from patrol and declared that he was quitting cold turkey, Alfred asked about it curiously. All the old butler got from the thirteen year old was a confusingly vague answer about talking albino cats with pink ears and clearly not enough sleep with too much stress before marching himself into the showers before he would make his eventual way back to his bedroom. 
 ---
  Unfortunately for Tim, giving up his favorite sodas, teas, and coffee did not stop the appearances of the strange cat-like hallucination that had introduced itself as "Kyubey" and seemed hell bent on following him and talking to him both day and night, in and out of uniform.
"You think I'm a figment of your imagination?"
Tim sighed as he reached over the creature sitting in his high school locker in order to grab his workbooks for math and english. "I'm not talking to you here," he whispered as he slammed the locker door in hopes of locking the hallucination behind it.
"It's probably better that you don't, at least not out loud," Kyubey agreed, after reappearing on the top of the locker to look down on Tim. "If people catch you talking to something they can't see, they might think you're losing your mind."
Somehow, Tim managed to choke down the near hysterical giggle that wanted to bubble up at that matter-of-fact remark. Kyubey had made it quite clear that night on the rooftop that no one else could see them except Tim.
"Besides, why waste your breath?" Kyubey said as they trotted along the top of the lockers, keeping pace with Tim as he walked to his next class. "We can speak telepathically just fine."
Tim paused at the end of the lockers and glanced at Kyubey. "Telepathically?" he asked experimentally without voicing the word.
"See! Easy!"
"Oh my god, I AM losing my mind," he thought with a grimace before sighing and stepping into the classroom and tried to ignore Kyubey as best he could for the rest of his school day.
 ---
  "So why are you here?" Tim finally asked Kyubey after tossing down his pencil and finally giving up on trying to concentrate on his homework. "What is my subconscious trying to tell me?"
"I'm not your subconscious, and I'm not a hallucination. I'm a messenger of magic." 
Tim raised his eyebrows at Kyubey as he echoed incredulously, "A messenger of magic?"
The cat-like creature made themself comfortable on Tim's bed. "That's right."
The teen noted with a slight measure of concern that he could see the disturbance Kyubey's form made on his pillow and blanket, proving that, at least right now, they had a solid physical state. Still, he was not about to reach out and try to touch the creature. "I'm probably going to regret asking this, but why is a 'messenger of magic' in Gotham City, and why am I the only one who can see and speak with you?"
"I'm on a mission to find people with the potential to become Magicka Knights to fight Witches and save the Universe, and you have that potential."
"Seriously? Magical knights? Actual witches?" Tim shook his head as he scoffed lightly. "This sounds like the plot of some generic magical girl anime."
Kyubey titled their head to one side. "And you and your mentor go out at night in masks to fight criminals who can control plants, have freeze guns, are living clay, and are occasionally half reptiles. How is that more believable than Magicka Knights and Witches?"
Tim snickered awkwardly. "I guess I'm in no position to throw stones in glass houses."
"You really aren't."
 ---
  Finally! Bruce was back from his Justice League mission and he was going to go out on patrol with Tim. Batman and Robin flying through Gotham City for the first time in over two weeks.
At least that was the plan until a call came through from Oracle barely an hour into their patrol.
"A report of potential Joker gas exposure has been put out by the GCPD in Chinatown near the Dragon's Den."
Batman and Robin paused on the roof of St. Peter's Cathedral. Tim felt a weight settle in the pit of his stomach as he took in the tightness of his mentor's jawline. He knew what was coming next.
"Go home, Robin."
"But B--"
"It's the Joker. I need to handle this alone."
"You don't have to. I can stay out of the way and watch your back. Make sure no one gets the drop on you."
Batman shook his head. "Head back to the Cave, Robin."
The leather of Robin's gloves creaked a little as he clenched his hand into a fist and turned away from his mentor. "Fine."
Without even looking, Tim could tell when he was left alone on the cathedral's roof with just the gargoyles for company.
Then, he wasn't alone.
"He doesn't trust you?"
Tim looked up to see Kyubey sitting on the head of a nearby gargoyle. He sighed. "It's not like that," he said telepathically. No need to risk Oracle or Agent A overhearing him talking to Kyubey. Not like the mic would pick up the magical creature's voice anyways. Still, better safe than sorry. "The Joker is really dangerous. He killed the Robin who came before me. B just doesn't want to risk me being anywhere near him."
Suddenly, Tim heard a pinging from his comm link, a sign that Oracle was attempting to signal him. "Yes O?"
"I know B ordered you home, but do you think you could swing by Amusement Mile along the way? I got a report on a Mad Hatter sighting there."
Tim brightened visibly at the prospect. "Sure!" He reached for his grapple gun and loaded a cartridge. "Any idea what he's up to?" 
"There have been earlier reports over the last few months of missing girls fitting the Hatter's preferred victim profile. Children with long blond hair under the age of twelve. But since the children are usually street kids or runaways, most attempts to investigate by the police have been half-hearted at best. Those that have tried haven't found anything but dead ends."
"Well, that's going to come to a stop tonight." Tim declared confidently. 
"Be careful Robin," Oracle warned. "Focus on recon tonight. Don't engage Hatter unless absolutely necessary."
"Understood!"
 ---
  "What's this?" 
At Amusement Mile, Tim was just in time to stop a kidnapping in progress. While the sudden appearance of Robin was enough to send the Mad Hatter scurrying away into the shadows, the young vigilante reluctantly let him go in favor of caring for the victim, a child of eight or nine who appeared to be in a catatonic state.
However, nothing Tim did seemed to be able to wake her up. He was about to notify O to call an ambulance when he noticed a small red mark, like a tattoo, on the girl's neck, right above her pulse point. It was about the size of a quarter and looked like the symbol used in chess to designate the Queen piece. 
"Hey O. I found a weird tattoo on the girl. Sending you a pic now." Tim quickly snapped a photo and sent it electronically to Oracle. A moment later, he got a response.
"Are you sure you sent me the right photo?"
"What do you mean?" 
"There's no tattoo in the pic. All I see is a bare neck."
Tim opened the monitor of his camera and his eyes went wide. Even on the camera, the girl's neck had no tattoo. He took several more pics to be sure, but despite being able to see the crown icon with his own eyes, they defied being photographed.
"Not sure what's going on, but I can't take a pic of it," he told Oracle. "Maybe it's some sort of weird ink that comes up invisible on cameras?"
"That's not it."
Tim glanced at Kyubey, who was sitting beside the girl. The white creature sniffed at the tattoo. "That's a Witch's Kiss."
He felt his chest tighten a bit at Kyubey's words. Tim carefully masked the sudden nervousness he felt in his voice. "Can you call an ambulance to pick up the girl? I'm going to investigate the area and try to find out where Hatter ran off to."
"Will do. Be careful."
Once the comm was silenced again and after the EMTs came to pick up the rescued child, Robin backed into a secluded alleyway and hid within the shadows before addressing Kyubey telepathically.
"What's a Witch's Kiss?"
"It's a mark used by Witches and familiars to control the minds of their prey."
Tim felt a shiver run down his spine. Still he continued. "Is... the Mad Hatter a Witch?"
Kyubey tilted their head thoughtfully before shaking in the negative. "No. I think he's just a familiar being used to bring humans to a Witch's Labyrinth."
"Why? Why would a Witch want a human child?"
Kyubey sighed. "A Witch is a creature that feeds on misery and sadness," they said very matter-of-factly. "What could be more delicious to a Witch than the grief and fear of a kidnapped child? At least this one seems to prefer the despair of children in particular."
A sudden sensation of dread settled over Tim. "That's.... That's horrible! We can't let this continue!"
"But you can't stop them."
"Why not?" Tim's righteous indignation flared up. "Batman's stopped the Mad Hatter dozens of times. Why can't I?"
"Most likely it's because your mentor has never captured him near his Witch, and never within an actual Labyrinth." Kyubey stared at Tim with their round red eyes, their stoic tone never wavering. "You're just a human being, and so is he under all that armor. Even with all your training, there's no way your frail human bodies can endure the strain of fighting a Witch and their familiars in their own Labyrinth. If you get trapped in a Labyrinth, there's no way out until either the Witch is dead or you are."
Tim watched the retreating lights of the ambulance carrying the nearly kidnapped child away. Then he took a deep breath and released it slowly.
"Can you help me find the Witch's Labyrinth?"
"I can."
 ---
  He was going to die.
Tim leaned against the wall and watched helplessly as his blood flowed freely from beneath and between his fingers to pool on the floor under him despite the pressure he tried to keep on the wound in his stomach. The Witch's familiars, not just the Mad Hatter, but a March Hare and other fictional characters pulled straight from the story Alice in Wonderland, had been too numerous and too merciless for him to fight off alone. 
The Witch herself, in the guise of a twisted Queen of Hearts, shrieked for his head through the twists and turns of her Labyrinth. 
   ͙̹̫ͪ̆̏͝  "̶͚̜̪̣̬͇ͭ͑ͅOͩͫ̄͏̬͖̳ Ḟ̖̝̟̜͖̭͑͢ F̡̜̼̰͓͍̟͎͇̆̾̐ ̨͚̫̗ͮ̚ͅ W̐ͧ̑͏͍͎͍̖̤̥ͅI͓͙̤͔̺̦͌̓̌̍͠T̖͍͒͛͢H̡̳̪̭̹̺̒̓̿ ̹̥͉̟͙̝͓̅ͫ͝H̸̝̬̘͕̩͙̤͇̾ͥ͂Į̯͔̦͖̳̣ͥ̌͆̂S͆̑ͪ͏̦̥̭̺̞̳̪͔ ͙̪̯͗̑͞Hͧ͏̤̯̪̩ E̶̯̣̰͌̆ͨͯ A̬̦̻͍͒͝ͅD̖̹͂͒͟ !ͫͯ́͆҉̺̦̩̹̺
 ̠͓͈͎ͧͨ͡Ō̵̪̻̭̩̯F̣͙̲̖̈́̋͝ F̌̅̾̓͏̭̺̰͉̹̖̯ ̡̮͔͇͚̬͎̝͊̆ͪͅŴ͙̠̽ I̘̬͇̖͑͂̏̂͞ T̨̗̫̜͙̩̖̮͒ H̴̙̝̀ͥͣ̚ ̘̯̮̺̥ͣ̑̄H̻̭͇̮̮͕͗͗ͬ̊͠ͅ Iͮͪ͋͏̬̺̖̝̥̭̘ͅ S̵̝̖̙̿ ̛̬̳̠̪̰̑͗̽ H̸͙̟̱̝̳̰̄͑̃̊ Ě̳͓̝̗͎͟ A̴̤͖̬̖͓͇̖͗̆ͫ́Ḋ̜͚̬̐̋͟!̨͇͚̞̩͚̗̣̿                                        
                  Ơ͚̹̜̥ͮͥ͑̏F̴̯̤̮͉̰ͫF͈̱͍̌ͩͥ̍̕ͅ ̧͎͕̱͚͍̥͔̐W̩̦̯̹̏͊̏̌̕I͐҉͕̪͔̥̞̭͈̲T̖̝̖̪̑̿̓͢H̤̠͍̣̻̠͚ͧ̍̐̿͢ ̴̲̖̫̫̺ͭH̗̤̒̆͆͡Î̤͓̭̻̝Ș̵͉͔͙̗̝̌̍̍ͬͅ ͎̫͉̞̲͆͡Ḫ̨̪̅ͧ̏E̵̮̲̩̤͓̱̙ͦÁ̻̦̘̜̂ͩ͝D̸̯͖̦͔̲͕̠̜̓̓̆̚!̨͖̓̐̈́ͪ̏ͅ҉̬͉̰̫"̙̺̬̯̹̦͖͛͗͘  
  Her magic.. too powerful.
His… everything... too weak.
Trapped in this magical Labyrinth that resembled a scene from Wonderland, he couldn't even get a signal out to call for a rescue. He'd tried early on to call Oracle... Nightwing... Agent A... Batman... But the only thing he got for his troubles was static.
Tim felt tears flow down his cheeks as his vision became dark and hazy around the edges and his limbs began to grow numb. He could hear the sounds of his pursuers coming closer, searching for him, and he just didn't have the strength anymore to run. All he could do was hide and wait for the inevitable.
Batman was going to lose another Robin.
Dick was going to lose another little brother.
Jack Drake was going to lose his only son.
He was going to die.
"Oh dear. I was almost too late."
A set of dainty white paws walked into his sight line, contrasting starkly against the pool of crimson blood on the floor. Weakly, Tim lifted his gaze.
"Kyubey?"
The magical creature stepped closer to the fallen teenager and took a seat in front of him. They tilted their head slightly. "I tried to warn you. A normal human isn't able to fight a Witch. Only a Magicka Knight has the power to defend against a Witch's curses and attack them in kind."
"I know," Tim whispered. "I should've listened to you."
Kyubey titled their head to the other side. "It's not too late. You can still listen to me."
Despite the cold feeling in his limbs and the shadows in his vision, Tim did his level best to keep his gaze locked on Kyubey, on the one bright spot in his dying world. 
"If you enter a contract with me, you can become a Magicka Knight." Kyubey explained. "You'd be duty bound to fight Witches, but in return I can grant you one wish. Anything in the world your heart desires."
"If I become a Magicka Knight, I'll have to fight this Witch right away, right?"
"I'm afraid so. It's the only way to escape her Labyrinth."
"And there's no guarantee I'll win?"
"I won't lie to you. Turning you into a Magicka Knight is not a promise of victory. But at least you'll have a fighting chance."
Tim closed his eyes and smiled sadly. "Then I want to make a wish that can outlive me, in case I die." When he opened his eyes, tears slipped down his cheeks again. "I wish Bruce Wayne's son, Jason Todd, was alive."
Kyubey's round red eyes seemed to shimmer in the darkness, and the twin gold rings that encircled their longer set of ears started to glow brightly even as Tim's vision finally faded into blackness. As his consciousness slipped away, he heard Kyubey's voice, as if it was very far away.
"As you wish."
 ---
  "Dinner was great, Alfred. Thank you." Tim set down his fork and watched as the kind old butler retrieved his dirty dishes.
"Will you be heading out with Master Bruce this evening?"
Tim got to his feet and placed the cloth napkin that had been on his lap onto the table, though he fidgeted with it a little before finally letting it go. "'Fraid not. B wants me to stay in and 'do my homework'."
Alfred gave him a knowing compassionate look. "I see. Well, if you want to take your dessert upstairs to have while you work on your homework, I'll allow it for tonight. If you need anything else, I'll be in the Cave on comms tonight..
"Thanks Alfred," Tim said with a smile and a quick side-hug. "You're the best!"
Tim made his way upstairs with a small plate of cheesecake topped with strawberries. Once in his bedroom, he closed the door behind him with a sigh.
"Bruce isn't letting you patrol again tonight?" 
The teenager glanced over and watched as Kyubey unwound itself from the fluffy white ball it normally curled into while it napped on Tim's pillow. Tim couldn't help the fond smile as his little friend stretched leisurely and indulged in a wide mouthed yawn. 
"Nope. He's still got his cape in a twist over Jason's whole empty grave thing." Tim shook his head before making his way to the window seat and making himself comfortable. "I think he just wants to make sure I don't wander off either, but it's still annoying! It's been nearly a month and B still won't let me go on any solo patrols." 
"Well, look at the bright side. Now you can get a full night of sleep and wake up early to go Witch hunting before school."
"I suppose."
Tim and his sullen mood weren't alone for long at the window before Kyubey leapt gracefully from the bed to his shoulder. The startled expression on Tim's face lasted only a second before it melted into one of amusement as Kyubey headbutted him affectionately against the cheek. Once they'd managed to wring a chuckle out of the boy, Kyubey hopped down to the window seat where Tim had placed the cheesecake and began sniffing at the selection. Tim watched as his friend picked up the reddest strawberry it could find and popped that into its mouth first, eating it with obvious relish. Then he looked out the window and thought back about the night he became a Magicka Knight, about the moment he set foot back in the cave after defeating his first Witch and claiming his first Grief Seed.
 ---
  "Where have you been?!" 
Batman had stormed up to him the moment Robin pulled up on his motorcycle into the Cave. Tim froze the moment he saw his mentor barrelling toward him. "You're back already?"
"The Joker gas was a false alarm," Bruce said as he pushed back his cowl and grabbed Tim by his upper arms, Tim was startled by the frantic way Bruce's eyes were darting over him. "Where were you?! Barbara sent you to investigate a Hatter sighting, then you didn't check in for hours! It's nearly sunrise. Where have you been?!"
Tim swallowed hard. "I... I got lured into a maze trap by Hatter," he admitted quietly. "The place had some weird interference so my comms were scrambled. Hatter got away and it took me forever to find my way out. I'm sorry."
"Are you hurt?"
Tim shook his head. "I'm fine B. Just... tired. It... was a really long night."
After another long moment of Bruce looking over him, the older man finally seemed to relax. He released his hold on Tim's arms and raked his fingers through his cowl-mussed hair. "Please don't go running off like that ever again, Tim. If anything had happened to you--"
"I know," Tim murmured, his eyes focused on the floor even as he wrapped his arms about himself tightly. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
"Master Bruce?"
Both Bruce and TIm turned to see a shaken Alfred coming toward them with a phone in hand. 
"What's wrong?"
"Commissioner Gordon is on the line."
Bruce and Tim shared a confused look. "Why is he calling at this hour?"
Alfred swallowed hard. "He needs 'Bruce Wayne' to come to the precinct as soon as possible. There's been a robbery."
"I don't under--"
"Someone broke into Gotham Cemetery tonight. They stole Master Jason's body."
As Bruce immediately went after Alfred as the old man gave him the phone, Tim stood in the Cave in shock before daring to glance at Kyubey, who had materialized at his heels. 
"My wish... It really came true?"
Kyubey curled their tail around Tim's legs in a comforting gesture. "Of course it did. We made a contract."
 ---
  "I wonder where Jason is," Tim mused aloud as he continued to stare out the window. "I thought he would've come straight home. Bruce has looked everywhere. I've looked everywhere..." He looked at Kyubey who had taken a delicate bite of the cheesecake itself. "Do you have any idea where he went after I made my wish?"
Kyubey looked up at Tim, a curious tilt to their head as they stared back at him with their round red eyes. "I was with you in the Labyrinth when the wish was made," they said matter-of-factly.
Tim shrugged. "Yeah. I know... I guess I was just hoping... Well, I hope he's alright, wherever he is." 
Quietly, Tim studied the new silver ring encircling the ring finger of his right hand as well as the green alchemical symbol of Mercury that was now on his fingernail. The small emerald gem inlaid within the ring itself shimmered with magic. With a smooth motion, Tim turned his palm up and the ring morphed before his eyes into a brilliant green gem encased in an intricate cage of gold, just like a faberge egg. 
His Soul Gem. The source of his power as a Magicka Knight.
For several minutes there was nothing but a comfortable silence as Tim watched the swirling glow of his Soul Gem and Kyubey ate their fill. Once the plate was empty and their paws and muzzle were thoroughly cleaned, Kyubey trotted onto Tim's lap and laid down comfortably. Unconsciously, Tim began to stroke Kyubey's soft whilte fur with his free hand. 
"I just hope Jason comes home soon," Tim said as he finally put his Soul Gem away, turning it back into his ring. "That way, he and Bruce can reunite, they can be a family again, and I can step away from being Robin so I can devote myself to being a Magicka Knight instead."
"In the meantime, it's not so bad for you to be both Robin and a Magicka Knight," Kyubey mused. When Tim glanced down at them, they continued. "You have to admit that nearly every night you go out on patrol as Robin, you stumble upon one or two Labyrinths. Even if we can't get to them immediately to flush out the Witch, at least we know where they are for later!"
Tim grinned. "Yeah. I guess there is a silver lining there." Impulsively, he picked up Kyubey and gathered them into a gentle hug. "Thanks for staying with me."
Kyubey nuzzled the underside of Tim's jawline. "Of course I'm staying with you. You're my Magicka Knight. We're in this together." Kyubey flicked their short pointy ears cutely. "Besides, it's not like Bruce or anyone else can separate us. You're the only one here that can see and hear me."
"I'm glad," Tim said. "It's nice to not be alone all the time." He smiled gratefully at Kyubey. "And it makes being grounded by Bruce easier to swallow when I've got you for company."
Then he glanced back out the window at the dark outlines of Gotham City's skyline when the appearance of the Bat-signal lit up the night sky above it. "Still--" he mused. "I really hope Jason shows up soon. I can't wait to meet him."
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bookaddict24-7 · 3 years
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I said at the beginning of the year that I would share my reviews more on my blog instead of just on Instagram and Goodreads. I’ve been reading a lot so far this year, so my reviews will be delayed on here.
Friend me on Goodreads here to read my reviews in real-time!
___
107. Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow, this book had more of a punch than I anticipated! I think books like this one are super important--not just because of the content, but because of the audience it's geared towards. Young readers now are learning more and more about society than a lot of us did at their age, so I think it's perfectly fitting that a book like this one is out there for kids to devour. One of the things I liked the most about this book was the allegory of racism in a magical community. Usually in fantastical novels for kids (older ones, anyway), there's this belief that no matter what you look like, the moment you go to another magical place all of your worries about racism goes away because MAGIC. But in this one, not only did our MC have to contend with the racism in her normal life, she had to face more racism in her new life, just with a new title. So many of the actions taken against her by those around her, and the comments (like putting her brother on a pedestal because he was the star of the school and calling him the exception to the rule, or one girl actively telling her that "You can take the girl out of the ghetto, but not the ghetto out of the girl) really made me think that this poor kid went from one ignorant situation to another. Not only is she trying to find her brother and solve the mystery of his disappearance, but she also has to deal with racist and ignorant people around her. Imagine calling a child evil because of something they can't control. Imagine going out of your way to ensure that they fail. Imagine you or your child hearing the things this child heard while trying to just do her best in a system that's always been made to be against her, both in the human world and in the magic world. Imagine, imagine, imagine. Another thing I loved about this book was her resilience. She is brave, and smart, and has such a big future in this new world of hers. I'm so excited to read the rest of this series as it comes out. This book was POWERFUL and I highly recommend it. Not just for the young readers in your life, but I think parents and other readers would highly benefit from reading Amari's story.
___
108. Mindy Kim & the Yummy Seaweed Business by Lyla Lee--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Okay, this book was ADORABLE. I haven’t read a 6-8 book in a long time and I’m thankful to my friend on Instagram who recommended these books! Mindy has to deal with not only her grief about losing her mom and her dad’s busy schedule (as well as his own grief), but she’s also at a new school in a new State where she is the only Asian student. I’ve mentioned this in some of my most recent reviews, but I love that these important topics are being discussed in children’s books. We see moments of racism in this book where Mindy is left upset, even if she doesn’t fully understand just why certain comments and actions are so hurtful. And even if she doesn’t dwell on it, a parent reading this with their little one would notice and hopefully learn if they see their own behaviours mirrored in the actions of some of these adults. But we also see moments of kindness and love as a young girl tries her best to find ways to make her dad happy. Despite the heavier undertones in this book, there was an overall feel of sweetness and childhood innocence. The ability to apologize when you know you’re in the wrong, the innocence of emotions getting away from you, and the sweetness of a daughter loving her father. This was a great read and I highly recommend it for everyone, but especially the little ones in your life who will be entering situations where books like these and their lessons are really important.
___
109. The Dead Zone by Stephen King--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one, I felt, held more of an emotional punch rather than a creepy feeling. I really enjoyed it! I loved the psychic angle and the MC proving the people who didn’t believe him or mocked wrong. Also, this was a King book that actually made me want to cry at the end. I didn’t give it a 5 because of some really slow moments. While I love that his stories always have a way of coming together at the end, certain scenes sometimes feel long, boring, or confusing. I’d recommend this for anyone who wants to read a King book that isn’t scary and if you’re a fan of 11/22/63!
___
110. Takane & Hana Vol. 1 by Yuki Shiwasu--⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one took me a while to read. I found that I wasn’t really in the mood to read it every time I picked it up—which is so different from when I pick up a manga I really want to read. The story had some funny bits and the artwork was gorgeous, but it really bugged me how every new chapter re-introduced the love interest. Over and over and over again. I get it: he’s rich, arrogant, and an asshole. Can’t you trust us to remember these key personality traits? But it wasn’t even just that. We were constantly re-introduced to the premise of the story. I don’t know how common this is WITHIN the same volume, but I haven’t encountered it yet—and if I have, it wasn’t as annoying as this one. I’ll keep reading the story because I’m curious, but this first volume was a bit of a rougher read for me.
___
111. You Have A Match by Emma Lord--⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I think the thing with this book is that the cover tells a different story than what really matters in this book. Yes, there’s a friends to more relationship in this, but the main storyline is about two girls who find out they’re sisters and are trying to solve that mystery. This isn’t a romcom—the romance is a super side story to the main storyline. And to be honest, I really enjoyed it. I wanted to see why these two sisters lived their whole life separated. I enjoyed the process and the friendships created along the way. I felt for the parents, but at the same time, I felt more for the girls. There were instances where I wanted to yell at the parents because they kept putting the reveal off. This was enjoyable overall—a great summer read. Not particularly memorable, but it does what it sets out to do: makes you question the strength of friendships and what they can overcome. Also, Instagram.
___
112. Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When my friend raved about this book I was both excited and intimidated. I usually try to avoid hypes surrounding books because I go in with too-high expectations and a lot of the time, the expectations crush me while I’m reading. Thankfully, the hype is very well-deserved with this one. For me, the most important aspect of this book that stuck with me wasn’t the mystery surrounding the MC’s cousin’s death, but the character growth the MC himself experiences during the time of his investigation. Identity sounds like a pretty clear cut thing sometimes, but it’s a lot harder to know your own when you’re the child of an immigrant family. You live in a new country, get accustomed to new expectations and customs, and inevitably feel a culture shock when you’re re-introduced to the culture your parents grew up in. I saw myself so much in this MC. From my childhood to my current adult years, people have thought that they could define me and who I am simply because I say I’m this or this. But while others make a quick judgment, they don’t see the internal struggle. They don’t see you questioning yourself on whether you’re enough of this, or whether you’re enough of that. I think teenage me would have loved this book even more. The MC is constantly faced with criticism about his father choosing to move them to the States from the Philippines. The judgments and the preconceived notions of him and his family make him not only weary because he recalls how his uncle treated his father the first time he visited, but also wary because it sets him down this road of self-reflection. I haven’t read many (if any, unfortunately) books where a character goes to the Philippines. I’m so thankful to this book. I learned so much about the culture, the foods, and the struggles faced not just financially, but politically as well. I remember reading about some of the topics brought up in this book and it was extremely eye-opening. It’s so easy for us to look away because we have that privilege, but this book says, “No, look at me. I exist.” The MC, in his journey, also learns to speak up and use his voice. Not just against ignorant friends, but an annoyingly smug and verbally abusive uncle (who I hated to all hell). He also learns to listen. He learns that though not every story is perfect, they still have power. I think this is a great read for those who have one foot in two different worlds (hands and arms can be in other worlds, too). Especially if you’re trying to understand this part of you that wasn’t developed as you grew up. I’d also recommend it to readers who want to learn more about this struggle, learn more about a different culture that is more than its stereotypes, and/or want to read about a young teenager trying to come to terms with his grief and guilt.
___ Have you read any of these books? Would you recommend them?
___
Happy reading!
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here's my design for goty 2022 (in an au where copyright isn't an issue)
FACTS
name: nia mahdi
age: 11
ethnicity: persian
religion: muslim
family: nia is an only child. she was born in charlottesville, va, after parents immigrated there from iran.
notes: nia is autistic and trans <3
DOLL
face mold: nia would get a new face mold that is designed based on ethnically persian features
skin tone: 25 ("tan skin with warm neutral undertones")
eye color: dark brown
freckles: yes
hair cut: wavy, very long (kanani length)
hair color: dark brown
meet outfit: a trans pride flag colored scrunchy for her hair, a light blue zip-up sweatshirt that says "i am proud to be autistic" on the back, this t-shirt (a light blue t-shirt with fan art of dreamer with a trans pride flag cape) beneath that sweatshirt, these shorts (pastel plaid knee-length shorts), lindsey's striped leggings beneath those shorts, and sperry shoes
meet accessories: bright purple ear defenders, an AAC tablet, a doll-sized version of the 2021 dc pride comic book, this pink kryptonite chewelry
BOOK 1
(these books would have three authors - me, an author who is muslim and a second generation immigrant, and an author who is a trans woman of color. the reason for three authors is so that we can tell nia's story authentically - i'm autistic and have autism gender like nia, the second author is muslim and an immigrant like nia, and the third author is specifically a trans woman of color like nia.)
in chapter 1 we'll briefly go over this background information:
nia came out to her parents as trans on the car ride home from the last day of first grade. she chose the name "nia" because she wanted to name herself after nia nal, a character on her favorite show (supergirl) because nia nal is trans like she is, nia nal is an alien (and nia mahdi oftentimes feels like an alien around other humans), and nia nal is a really cool superhero! (unspoken: nia nal is nia mahdi's special interest.)
it took nia mahdi's parents a little bit of time to wrap their heads around her truth, but soon, they fully accepted nia for who she is.
that summer, her parents informed nia's school of her correct name, pronouns, and gender. and nia started growing out her hair, and she's never cut it since! nia loves her long hair.
when nia started second grade, nia's classmates sometimes accidentally called her by the wrong name and pronouns, but they always apologized and corrected themselves when nia pointed out their mistake. a few kids were confused, but once nia explained that she knows she's a girl just as well as you know you're a boy/girl, they all understood and accepted her :)
now onto the real content of the first book, which takes place from september to december:
nia's just started sixth grade at a new middle school. it's really loud, big, and hard. but she has a friend, ender. ender doesn't speak english well (he moved to america from turkey just last year), but that's okay because nia has trouble speaking sometimes too.
one day, nia's parents take her to a doctor, and she has to answer a lot of questions and take a lot of tests.
a few weeks later, nia's parents sit her down and tell her that she has been diagnosed with autism.
nia researches autism and feels very relieved and validated. (unspoken: autism becomes one of nia's special interests.)
at school, nia gets some cool accomodations: she's allowed to wear ear defenders at lunch and in the hallways, she can keep a tablet in her backpack to use for AAC when necessary, and she can use the school's sensory break room when necessary.
one time, nia gets very upset after receiving a "bad grade" on a reading test. a few of the questions asked her to identify characters' emotions, motivations, etc., and nia wants to explain to her teacher that her autism makes "emotional reading between the lines" hard for her. but she's so upset that her mouth isn't working properly, so she uses her AAC to talk to the teacher.
after that, one of nia's classmates makes a rude comment about her AAC. speaking through her AAC, nia explains to him why she uses her AAC. she stands up for herself.
in her free time, nia keeps researching autism and disability justice advocacy. she begins to think that her friend ender might be autistic too - he has a lot of autistic traits, and she's never felt alien around him in the way she does around most people.
she tells ender about her theory. ender says he's not sure whether or not he thinks he's autistic. but he does know that the hallways are far too loud, and he would like to be able to wear ear defenders like nia. so nia lends ender her spare pair of ear defenders.
the next day at lunch, ender gives nia back her ear defenders and reveals that he got in trouble for wearing in the hallway. the teacher thought he was wearing headphones and listening to music (which isn't allowed), and ender couldn't remember the english words to explain to her that they were just to shield him from the noise.
nia wants to help ender be able to wear defenders. she schedules a meeting with the guidance counselor. together, she and ender explain to the guidance counselor that ender just wants to wear ear defenders in the loud hallways. the counselor says that ender can't do that since he doesn't have an official accommodations letter.
nia leaves the office very upset. she knows from her research that autism diagnoses are very expensive and hard to get. she wants to find a way to get ender this accommodation without an official letter.
so nia makes a plan: she and ender write a long essay explaining why ender should be allowed to wear ear defenders.
they present the essay to the counselor, and she's convinced by their arguement. ender is now allowed to wear ear defenders in the hallway :)
to celebrate their victory, nia buys ender bright purple ear defenders (the same type she has) so that they can match :)
and that's the end of book 1
BOOK 2
book 2 takes place from january to march
nia goes on puberty blockers. nia's glad that she won't have to go through male puberty, but she also feels weird about it. nia is very excited to start wearing a hijab, and her mom says that she can start wearing a hijab when she goes through puberty and transitions from being a girl to being a woman. so, if nia isn't going through puberty now, when will she get to start wearing a hijab?
nia talks to ender about her problem. ender suggests that she should talk to her mom about it.
nia talks to her mom about her concerns. nia's mom explains that the shift from girl to woman involves more than just her body changing: it involves growth, strength of spirit, and learning about oneself. nia's mom will be able to tell when she's ready to start wearing the hijab, even if nia isn't going through puberty. nia feels a lot better now.
the next day at lunch, nia tells ender the good news. he is very happy for her. he then tells nia that he's scared of puberty too. he asks nia how she knew she was a girl, and nia explains how it was this strong internal feeling. ender reveals that he feels like he's not a boy or a girl. he's afraid that that means he's weird or broken. nia explains that he's not weird or broken - some people are non-binary, which means that they're not fully a boy or fully a girl. ender really likes that word. nia also tells ender that some non-binary like to use the gender-neutral pronouns "they/them" and asks ender if he would like her to start using those pronouns for him. ender says that he's not sure. he likes he/him pronouns, he thinks, at least for now. nia smiles and tells him that she's proud of him.
the spring dance is in march. nia and her mom go shopping for an oufit. at first, nia drifts towards the pretty dresses. she loves how they look and feels great in them, but she wants to try on suits too. she feels a little bit insecure when she realizes that she loves how she looks in the suit too. (plus, this navy suit will go better with her purple ear defenders than the colorful dresses will.) she's scared that her classmates will think she's not a "real girl" if she comes to the dance in a suit, but then she remembers her conversation with ender - when ender asked her how she knew she's a girl, her answer was that it was just something she knew. her gender isn't defined by her clothing preferences - she's just as much of a real girl in this suit as in those dresses. so nia buys the suit, and she feels very happy and confident.
at the dance, she finds that ender is wearing a skirt (and a tuxedo shirt and blazer). she runs up to him, and they both happy stim. they have a lot of fun dancing and snacking on cheez its together.
BOOK 3
book 3 takes place from april to june
the main plot of book 3 is going to be nia's grandmother visiting from iran for three months. nia learns a lot of new information about her family culture.
in june, to celebrate the end of the school year, nia's school has a multi-cultural night.
ender signs up to bring in some traditional turkish food and share some of the poetry his dad has written in turkish. he encourages nia to sign up for multi-cultural night too!
so nia signs up.
together, nia and her grandmother cook a ton of traditional iranian food to share at the celebration. she and her grandmother also work together to sew a special kaftan for nia.
the night of the celebration, nia dresses up in her kaftan and grabs the containers of food. as she's getting ready to leave, her father asks her to stop so he can take a picture of her. her mother says, "wait! i have one other thing for the picture!" (but spoken in faarsi). she emerges with a hijab for nia. she helps nia put on the hijab and tells nia that she's seen how nia's grown into a woman this past school year (aka, over the course of these 3 books). nia is so happy that she cries.
at the multi-cultural night, everyone loves the food and nia's kaftan and hijab. when ender sees nia's hijab, he starts happy stimming, and nia starts happy stimming too.
that's all my plans for goty 2022!
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maxwell-grant · 3 years
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Downfall of a Dark Avenger Part 1: El Sombra
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Having finished reading Al Ewing’s El Sombra trilogy and having had enough time to digest it, I’d like to talk about the trajectory of it’s titular protagonist, the character and series’s relationship with it’s influences. Relating to The Shadow and Zorro and general pulp archetypes, and also the way it incorporates Astro Boy’s Pluto into the mix. My interest in Pluto’s imagery led to me reading Naoki Urasawa’s Pluto, and I will go into the correlation between all of these seemingly random sources coming together. 
But before we can talk about what El Sombra becomes, we must talk about what he is, and where he starts.
The very first chapter of El Sombra is dedicated to establishing the happy scenery of the village of Pasito, as a big wedding is drawing the entire town together, eager to see one of it’s greatest heroes marry his sweetheart. We get a great description of said hero Heraclio...and then the reveal that the character we’re gonna be following for the rest of the story is not Heraclio, but instead his loser brother Djego, a morose, slow-witted poet largely considered a joke by the village, currently being rejected and beaten by the love of his life, which is just about the 2nd worst thing that happens to him that day, followed by winged Nazis storming the village, murdering scores of men, women and children, killing Djego’s brother as he watches helplessly, and then said brother cursing Djego with his dying breath as Djego just barely escapes into the desert, with nothing but a sword and a wedding sash in hand. Djego is probably the last man in the village anyone could have possibly expected to become a hero (which may be part of why he ended the way he did). 
Cut to 9 years later, Pasito has been transformed into a mechanized nightmare, a clockwork city of endless toiling and suffering ruled by Nazis, freely enacting their every dark whim on it’s population, revealed to be little more than just a large-scale experiment conducted by the Nazis to increase workforce enough to match Britain’s. After two agonizing chapters with little more than Nazi atrocities to occupy our time, we get our first look at the intrepid hero, Djego. And how does El Sombra introduce himself? Through laughter.
The laughter. Rich and strong, echoing around the square, freezing the milling workers in their tracks. An awful laugh - a terrible laugh of hope and joy and strength! A sound that had not been heard in the clockwork-town for nine years.
as the sound of laughter echoed across the town, the men shuddered and glanced at each other briefly, as though hearing the first sounds of an approaching storm.
The smile on the creature's face was powerful and confident and utterly unafraid. To Alexis, it seemed like the smile the devil might have in the deepest pits of Hell.
For the most part, El Sombra is heavily modeled after Zorro. He’s got Zorro’s swashbuckling fighting style, wields primarily a sword, his main outfit is styled partially after Douglas Fairbanks’s costume, he can be quite friendly and charming and peppers an “amigo” at every sentence. His name is the same as Diego’s minus one letter, his main enemies specifically consist of tyrants who rule over his town, and his mission of vengeance gradually turns him into a rebellious, inspirational figure for the city he strives to liberate. El Sombra is Zorro vs Nazis and it delivers on that.
But nothing is ever quite as it seems in this trilogy, and the first installment of El Sombra goes to great lenghts to establish that El Sombra is a long, long way from being the pure and heroic fantasy that Zorro embodies. He doesn’t live in a world where problems can be solved with guile, luck, good swordplay and a good smile. He doesn’t live in a world where he can show up, humble imperialists and get the people behind him. He lives in a world where the only recourse available to him, to even stand a chance, was nine years of an extended fugue state trip through the desert, ingesting hallucinogens, having his soul shattered and then repaired into something much, much darker. And it’s in those moments that we start to see why exactly his name is El Sombra.
There was something in his voice as cold and unyielding as a gravestone.
"Djego is dead, Father Santiago. He was useless and stupid and pathetic. And he died and left good flesh behind. So I took his place." The eyes behind the mask met Santiago's then, and the priest breathed in sharply. There was nothing of Djego in them. There was nothing human in them.
Something bigger had lodged there, something stronger and faster than a man, something with a laugh that could shake mountains and a spirit like hot iron and fire. Something better.
"I am his shadow. El Sombra."
Atop of his inhuman speed and agility and skill at combat and murder, Djego repeteadly demonstrates skills and traits that, not only did he not have prior, but he couldn’t have picked simply in his desert sojourn. He knows how to apply advanced first aid, he speaks German, in Gods of Manhattan he is able to get the drop on Blood-Spider with a textbook Shadow hypnotic trick, and for all of those, the only explanation he gives is a shrug and “I picked it up somewhere”. Djego had the same trip to the unknown that defined The Shadow and so many other pulp heroes, except Ewing never provides any explanation for El Sombra’s advanced skills other than what the character says. Because there is no explanation. El Sombra is bigger than that. 
El Sombra has to be, because a mere man with training and skills and strength and inspirational heroism isn’t going to cut it against what he’s up to. His brother had all of those things, and he died in the first chapter. Like The Shadow, El Sombra has warped himself to address calamity upon mankind, and morphed into something bigger and darker than just another vigilante. 
In that moment, El Sombra knew himself to be no longer a man. He was, instead, what the ticking clock had made of him. He was a monster.
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In fact, with the devil imagery Ewing grants upon El Sombra at points, and the reocurring “itch in the back of the skull” prelude to crucial moments, you can pinpoint exactly the points where El Sombra’s character traits would later manifest in Immortal Hulk, with Ewing’s reinvention of the Hulk plumbing the darkest possible alternatives for said character by digging into the greater horror roots of the character. This will be more relevant when we get to Pluto though.
But to put it plainly, Djego may be Zorro in every aspect at his surface. He may desperately strive to be Zorro, and it may be his Zorro traits that allow him to truly save Pasito. But Djego is not Zorro. He is El Sombra, as illustrated most in the following sequence. The moment where he pulls the most Shadow-esque destruction of a Nazi ever since The Shadow convinced a Nazi general to gut himself with his own sword.
The chained man began to laugh. Softly at first, then louder, the sound rolling through the quiet, cold room like the skeletons of winter leaves in a chill and bitter wind. It was not a laugh of joy, or of hope, or of strength, or of anything associated with sunlight and clean air. It was a laugh that belonged in these dank and fetid conditions, a snide chuckle, a sneering, contemptuous snicker. A laugh like a thousand beetles marching across a sheet of glass.
It was a sound that would have been sickeningly familiar to anyone who had once been a guest of the Palace Of Beautiful Thoughts. The old man started back, looking at the features of his chained captive, breathing in sharply as the handsome face of the terrorist became foreign and strange, warped by the noise emanating from it. He recognised the sound too, recognised the dry, hollow chuckle. And it chilled him.
The chained man turned his head, as though on aged bones, and smiled, a dry and sinister grin. And then he spoke. And the voice that came from his throat did not belong to El Sombra at all.
The chained man spoke with Master Minus' voice.
The chained man's smile froze him in his tracks. It promised terrible cruelty, a mephistophilean love of manipulation, and the eyes sparkled with fire from the depths of Hell itself. The old man sucked in another breath scented with sickly yellow and looked desperately away, to find himself staring once again at the mirror, at the face that was surely not his own...
The old man, who suddenly felt neither old nor a man, raised his hands, fingertips touching the aged, wrinkled face with the unfamiliar eyes. Could he fool himself that his fingertips travelled across soft, worn flesh, lined with years of service? Or was he feeling sterile plastic, soft, loose latex? He shuddered, the motion travelling up his spine, his hands shivering and twitching as he tugged ...
"Take off the mask."
... and the old, wrinkled, false face was torn away, coming off in long strips, pulled away bit by bit to reveal another face underneath. His eyes were wide, unblinking, unable to close as he stared at the face underneath, the face that had been there all the time.
Behind him, the thin beetle-voice spoke once more.
And this is what it said:
"APRIL FOOL! Quién es el hombre? Quién es el hombre? I'm the hombre! I'm the hombre! Now all I need are some pants."
El Sombra grinned down from the vertical rack at Master Minus, slumped on his knees in front of the blood spattered mirror, staring without eyelids at the remains of his face. He had succeeded in tearing all of the flesh from it, and all that remained were a few scraps of muscle clinging to a crimson, bloodstained skull, with two grotesque eyeballs gazing mercilessly at their own reflection. El Sombra smiled and did the voice, again while he made another attempt to work his left hand free of the shackle that held it in place.
"Creatures of the night... what music... they make... I vant to suck your blooood... yeah, you keep looking, amigo. Intense shame boosted by mind-warping drugs, hey? That's very original, I wouldn't know what that's like at all... ah, these bastard cuffs!" He was babbling, a result of the endorphin rush from the intense pain and the thrill of victory. 
The yellow mist coursing through his veins - the mist Master Minus relied on so heavily - had been counterbalanced by the Trichocereus Validus already in his system, the desert cactus that had destroyed and rebuilt his mind. But while El Sombra was in a stronger position than the torturer realised, Master Minus was weaker than he knew, far too used to the easy victories the mist brought him, not realising that his own exposure to it made him ripe for psychological attack. The old man had spent years claiming that he was immune to the yellow mist, but nobody had ever been in a position to test that claim - until now.
In the end, El Sombra is able to drive the Nazis out of Pasito, and he’s succeded in ultimately inspiring the population to rally against them, eventually winning not because of said darkness granting him power, but by turning said darkness into a tool of good. The true victories of El Sombra are not in the violence, but in selfless heroism, in actions big and small. And in the end, He’s given even the opportunity of a happy ending, to settle down in the town he’s wanted so long to rescue. And if this were the story of Djego, the poet turned hero of his hometown, that’s where it would end. 
But this is not Djego’s story. It’s the story of a man who’s destroyed himself to be rebuilt as an avenging force of nature. Someone who’s subsumed as much of his humanity as he could, who now can see and done things much beyond the scope of ordinary man, and now must pay the price of said terrible gifts. Who will pay much, much bigger prices for them in the future. It’s the story of El Sombra, and it’s only just begun:
It was too bad about Djego. El Sombra regretted little, but he regretted denying Djego that one small chance at happiness. But it couldn't be helped.
Until Adolf Hitler was dead, El Sombra could never rest
The man walked west, towards the sinking sun.
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beepiesheepie · 2 years
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I posted 6,848 times in 2021
36 posts created (1%)
6812 posts reblogged (99%)
For every post I created, I reblogged 189.2 posts. Not surprising tbh
I added 44 tags in 2021
#0 - 3 posts
#reblog - 9 posts
#all tomorrows - 7 posts
#tf2 - 6 posts
#cats - 4 posts
#prev tags - 3 posts
#art - 3 posts
#help - 3 posts
#me - 3 posts
#avatar:the last airbender - 3 posts
Longest Tag: 140 characters
#these bitches rly said 'hey you know how our post human relatives have successfully made not only civilization but a galactic unified empire
My Top Posts in 2021
#5
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16 notes • Posted 2021-08-15 03:53:56 GMT
#4
asteromorphs be like
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17 notes • Posted 2021-09-09 01:07:23 GMT
#3
the tf2 mercs and what atla elements they’d bend cause you follow me and you signed up for my ramblings
this is literally gonna be that meme or mike wazowski hunched over and mike and that slug lady are looking at him like ‘wtf’. also these thoughts will not leave my brain until i write them down so feel free to ignore.
Scout: Airbender, hands down. Just look at him, look at everything he is and look at everything air represents. He’d likely be a rogue/non-monastery  airbender cause he’s so self absorbed and worldly attached that he can’t follow their customs (which also makes him a weaker airbender by default, why? see Kyoshi’s mom). Air is the element of freedom, fun, and humor, and just look at Scout, its his most defining traits. Imagine this kid just zipping around on the battlefield with a huge cloud of dust following him, or using a glider to fly in some way. He absolutely would.
Soldier: At first I thought he’d be a non bender, but then I began to think it over, and fire is what kinda bender he’d be (if he was one, he could still be a non bender). Fire is the element of power and passion, and not only can it become wild or unhinged in the wrong hands but it can be very destructive. That fits Soldier’s bill pretty well, he’s a passionate man of raw power. You could also make the argument he’s an Earthbender, what with his and its elements of machismo, courage, and physical strength, which Soldier is not lacking in. He could maybe bend lava if he was an Earthbender, and I don’t see him as a metalbender- metalbenders go through some form of major display of strength, something that forces them to be stronger than they are and work harder (see: Toph discovering metalbending and Toph teaching her metalbending students in the comics). Overall I’m pretty mixed on Soldier, but it is cool to imagine him using fire to blast himself upward or normally rocket jumping but when he comes down there’s a big wave of rocks going everywhere. If you have thoughts I’d love to hear them. Overall he’s more likely to be a fire or non bender in my eyes, non especially. (Imagine him going “I don’t need to throw fancy rocks or toss fireballs to shove this boot up your ass.”)
Pyro: It’s literally in the fucking name, its right there, their entire being, pyro. Firebender, hands down. Considering how mysterious Pyro is already I don’t know what else to say about them, but from my own personal vibes, I think they’d draw firebending from life, energy, passion, etc.
Engineer: I think this man’s an Earth and Metalbender, he’s courageous, strong physically (how else do you lift all those damn toolboxes), and generally a down to earth kinda guy. And of course he metalbends cause it’s Just A Very Engineer Thing. Also imagining this tiny lil dude earthbending massive rocks is really cool.
Heavy: Now hear me out. Waterbender. Yeah Heavy is a big dude, yeah he’s strong and masculine and powerful and huge and all that, but people forget- he’s a man of family. He has three sisters and a mom and they were shoved into a gulag at a young age. He’s also smart and has a PhD in Literature. He’s smart, and family oriented, and gets along with his team in game and out of the game. He protects and is a wall for those he cares about, which is a huge trait of waterbending. Feel free to share your own thoughts, I’d love to hear em.
Demoman: Tbh I don’t have that much on him. he strikes me as a nonbender, as a real Sokka kinda guy where his brains and strategic mind shine as a replacement for his no bending. Sticky traps and planning projectile arcs or using demoknight is a huge part of strategy when playing him. Also, combining alcohol and firebending never sounds like a good idea.
Medic: You’d think he’d be a waterbender cause of healing right? Lmao no this man gives 0 fucks for anyone near him, that’s a surface level analysis. This man strikes me as a nonbender. He heals using what he’s got and he doesn’t need no bending to magically fix things. Sweat and blood prevail.
Sniper: Also a nonbender. Doesn’t strike me as any of the four elements in any particular way, other than maybe air or water. Don’t have much thoughts on him either.
Spy: Oh my god I am so torn. On the one hand, he’s Scout’s father, and also imagine him as another rogue airbender, or maybe an ex monastery airbender so he has tattoos? Him being an airbender is solely for the rule of cool factor. On the other hand he could also be a nonbender, but having all the support classes be nonbenders is a bit disappointing. On the OTHER hand though, and I expect controversy for this, waterbender. He’s not the most community oriented, in fact he hates everything he works with, but this man absolutely would not hesitate to use bloodbending if it meant the job’s done stealthily, also, he has a weapon in the game that’s an ice spike. Not a lot of reasons for waterbending here I just think it’d be cool
Ok rant’s over I’m gonna eat a pint of ice cream ok byeeeeee
24 notes • Posted 2021-07-05 17:25:50 GMT
#2
new machines be like
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65 notes • Posted 2021-08-29 22:15:04 GMT
#1
does anyone have that post about how the kiss at the end of the legend of korra completely fucking changed everything in animation and how queerness is in animation today i need it for an essay
84 notes • Posted 2021-11-18 21:06:38 GMT
Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →
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starsmuserainbow · 3 years
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1OO IMPORTANT CHARACTER QUESTIONS
taken from beth kinderman and nikki walker’s the 100 most important things to know about your character. a good list to help develop a character’s background, personality, and general aspects.
(Template link here)
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PART 1: THE BASICS
What is your full name?
"Koriand'r, but on Earth it is Starfire!"
Where and when were you born?
"On Tamaran, in the castle. We were still in the war with the Gordanians."
Who are/were your parents? (Know their names, occupations, personalities, etc.)
"Myand'r, the Grand Ruler of Tamaran, and Luand'r, his wife! They were very wonderful! They have cared for us as well as they could, I believe, and I do not doubt that they have loved us very much!"
Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like?
"... Blackfire is my older sister. I have always looked up to her, but she is very much not interested in a positive bond between us. She is a criminal, I believe many parts of the galaxy are searching for her, and she has multiple times before attempted to capture me or bring me into the hands of those who would not be very nice to me.
I much prefer to talk about my baby brother, Ryand'r, or Wildfire as he is calling himself on Earth! We have long thought that he has died when he was still very small, but he has survived and lived many years in complete isolation! He has grown to be very wonderful and nice and friendly, and I am loving him a lot! I am most thankful that he has by now returned to my life!"
Where do you live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the person/people.
"I am living with my best friends, the Teen Titans! Our home is commonly called the 'T-Tower', and it is a very accurate description as it is a building with many floors and in the shape of a T!
Raven is as close to me as I am imagining a sister to be that does not constantly wish to harm me! She is skilled in magic, and she has to meditate for calming her emotions because her powers can be dangerous when she is feeling too strongly! This is also leading to her appearing very calm or 'unemotional' in many situations, I am knowing that she is loving us as much as we her!
I am most admiring Beast Boy's talent for joking! It often is about things that I do not initially understand, but I am still certain that his jokes are always very funny and most entertaining!
Cyborg is very skilled with technology. He has equipped our home with its security, he created our communicators, and he is also very much enjoying to play the games of the video together with Beast Boy!
Our leader is Robin! He is very trained, he knows many types of the martial arts, and I am very much enjoying to fight alongside him! Some times he can be too focused on his work, but we are all trying what we can to make him realize it and stop, and I believe it has bettered over the time that we are together."
What is your occupation?
"I am a hero, one of the Teen Titans! We are using what we are capable of to protect the people of the city - and the planet - from dangers and any form of harm!"
Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks.
"I am commonly wearing my tamaranean uniform, which is mostly purple and combined with silver metallic armor! I believe I am taller than the average human, I am thin and do not have any tattoos, scars or similar! As with all of us tamaraneans, my skin is more orange, or golden, than a human one, and my eyes are having their green color both in the sclera and the pupil! Oh, and I am having long red hair, which I preferto wear untied!"
To which social class do you belong?
"A... a social class? I have never visited the earthen schools!" [[Well, on Tamaran probably upper/highest class since she's of the royal family, and on Earth, average I assume? So probably middle, or something?]]
Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?
"I am allergic to metallic chromium."
Are you right- or left-handed?
"My right hand is the one that I am using predominantly!"
What does your voice sound like?
"I believe I am having a very friendly and light voice! But I cannot describe voices well."
What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently?
"There have before been people mimicking me by reciting 'glorious' or 'wonderful', so perhaps those!"
What do you have in your pockets?
"My communicator! A bit of cat food, oh! And this is a drawing that I have been given by a child earlier!"
Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?
"People have before mocked me by using very many times of the 'the' in each sentence, so perhaps that is a thing? Although I have never understood this mockery. I am also very much enjoying to hug people - but that cannot be a bad thing, no?"
PART 2: GROWING UP
How would you describe your childhood in general?
"It was a very wonderful childhood! I have grown up with parents that loved me very much, I had two siblings, and I have been able to learn much! There also was our caretaker, Galfore, I am still very close to him and thankful for his advice. ... I would have wished for chances to explore and learn about other worlds already during my childhood, but I can understand how it was too big a risk!"
What is your earliest memory?
"I remember playing a game with my father! I am very happy that this is a memory I recall, especially since at a later time of our lives, he did not have as much time for us anymore."
How much schooling have you had?
"I have completed all the tamaranean schooling! It is not working in the same way as the earthen system, so I cannot compare it."
Did you enjoy school?
"Of course! It was most fascinating to learn about every thing!"
Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?
"Most of it has been trained on Tamaran! But with my friends I am also continuing to strengthen my abilities!"
While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them.
"My father! He was wonderful to us, and also a great ruler even in the times of war! I have always admired him. ... I have also very much looked up to my sister. She has always been so strong, so independent and so experienced..."
While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?
"I have gotten along very well with my mother and father! And Ry was most adorable and we were very close as well! ... I have always assumed that I was also getting along well with my sister, but by now I have realized that such never has been the case."
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
"... I have always wanted to be like my sister. ... And I have wished to be able to explore other worlds!"
As a child, what were your favorite activities?
"I have often strolled through the royal garden! ... as long as it has still existed. It was also very entertaining to be taught by Galfore, in cooking and about the history and the customs and how to fight!"
As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?
"I do not believe that my personality has changed much since my childhood!"
As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like?
"As children of the royal family, we were very... shielded. There were not many other children that we have met, so I do not believe that there was a chance to truly measure popularity. Those that I did meet liked me though, I believe."
When and with whom was your first kiss?
"Kissing does not carry such a meaning for my people. It is default that as children, we are having lip-contact with multiple teachers, to train the assimilation of languages and to learn the most important languages."
Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity?
If you are a supernatural being (i.e. mage, werewolf, vampire), tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities. If you are just a normal human, describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.
"My abilities are normal for the tamaraneans, so while I am an alien to this world, I do not think that there is a story that I can tell."
PART 3: PAST INFLUENCES
What do you consider the most important event of your life so far?
"Having met my friends, and having found a home with them!"
Who has had the most influence on you?
"That is either Galfore or my friends of now!"
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
"It has felt like a big success when I had beaten my sister for the second time. And that even while she had used the Jewel of Charta, which was making her much stronger and less vulnerable."
What is your greatest regret?
"I am still feeling very sorry for the destruction that I have initially caused on Earth."
What is the most evil thing you have ever done?
"That destruction, I believe."
Do you have a criminal record of any kind?
"I do not know! But as I have caused damage on this world, I assume it would only be right if it is noted somewhere, no?"
When was the time you were the most frightened?
"After we have watched a movie, Raven's powers had once brought the monsters and the spookiness from the movie to life! It has been a very frightening situation."
What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you?
"I have many times misunderstood the earthen phrases. At times, the people around me are laughing very openly about it. That is making me feel very embarassed."
If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why?
"I would hope to be able to better the connection to my sister!"
What is your best memory?
"I will never forget how Robin has assured me that Blackfire would never have been able to replace me."
What is your worst memory?
"My brief staying in captivity was most horrifying."
PART 4: BELIEFS & OPINIONS
Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic?
"I believe I am more optimistic!"
What is your greatest fear?
"Being alone, and captive, without hopes of escaping."
What are your religious views?
"It would take much time to explain the beliefs of X'Hal to you! It is the tamaranean religion, and I am adhereing to that."
What are your political views?
"I... I do not know what you are asking here. My political views? On what?"
What are your views on sex?
Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?
"Yes. I do not enjoy to take a life, but if there is truly no other option for saving those that are in danger, I will not hesitate as much as I believe my friends would. But under any circumstances, and wherever possible, it should be avoided to kill someone."
In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do?
"Harming innocent children is most evil!"
Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love?
"Though I would not call it these, I believe in similar concepts, yes."
What do you believe makes a successful life?
"To be happy, to enjoy what you are doing, perhaps also to make those happy you care for."
How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)?
"It is difficult for a tamaranean to be dishonest about the feelings. It can very quickly become similar to a sickness. There are tamaraneans that still do not show what they are thinking or feeling, but I am feeling much better if I am simply being open!"
Do you have any biases or prejudices?
"Even when I am not happy about some thing, I would always do what I can to not let such connections endanger a new meeting."
Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it?
"I would always refuse to harm my friends! Because it cannot be right to do such!"
Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)?
"It is not a thought that I enjoy. But I believe me and my friends all would not hesitate to give our lives for those of the others."
PART 5: RELATIONSHIPS W/OTHERS
In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how?
"I am doing my best to treat every one politely! And I do not think that my behaviour is changing if I am knowing some one better."
Who is the most important person in your life, and why?
"All of my friends are!"
Who is the person you respect the most, and why?
"Raven! It must be very difficult to keep such a control of her emotions at all times!"
Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people.
"There are so many friends that I could name! My best friend is Robin! I have described him before, have I not? He is the leader of our team, and he is often willing to explain to me what I do not understand. He is very important to me!"
Do you have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe this person.
"I do not have such!"
Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened.
"I... Yes, there was... there was a connection that I have felt immediately as we have first met. We... We are still working on it, I believe."
What do you look for in a potential lover?
"I wish for some one who is friendly, who is there for me and who can rely on me in return. Some one that I am feeling at home and comfortable with!"
How close are you to your family?
"It... it is difficult with Blackfire, I would not call us 'close' at all. But I am very close to my baby brother, now that he has returned to us!"
Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not?
"I have not! But I am most enjoying the idea. It is a delighting thought to picture myself having children of my own that I can care for!"
Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help?
"My friends, my team! The Titans!"
Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why?
"I would never doubt that my friends would always protect me, as I them!"
If you died or went missing, who would miss you?
"I believe my friends and my brother would miss you! And many of my friends would attempt to find me, or find out what has happened. And Galfore certainly, as well!"
Who is the person you despise the most, and why?
"I am aware that she is merely a human, and that I need not feel as strongly towards her... but I do not like Kitten, the daughter of Killer Moth, at all."
Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict?
"I do not like arguing! But if necessary, I would not avoid it."
Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations?
"I do not think so. But I am often talking much, so perhaps I am, and merely do not realize it?"
Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not?
"Certainly! There is an earthen saying, that it is merrier the more people are there, no? I find it very entertaining to have many friends around me!"
Do you care what others think of you?
"I am trying to lessen how much I am caring, but yes. It is most unpleasant when I am insulted."
PART 6: LIKES & DISLIKES
What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?
"Exploring Earth! Oh, and I am enjoying to go shopping, or to cook or care for our Silkie!"
What is your most treasured possession?
"I... There is the 'crown' that I have worn when I came to Earth. My mother has gifted it to me shortly before we have lost her."
What is your favorite color?
"I am very fond of purple, as many of my people are. Perhaps it is simply some thing I have been raised into, as it is the most common color for clothing on Tamaran."
What is your favorite food?
"Glorg!"
What, if anything, do you like to read?
"Raven is recommending books to me some times! I am not very fast with reading them, as I have often some thing else that I am then thinking of doing, but they are most entertaining to read!"
What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)?
"I do not understand. Entertainment is good if it is keeping one entertained, and as the likes of such vary, it is difficult to have any entertainment that is not good!"
Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit?
"I am not doing any of these things."
How do you spend a typical Saturday night?
"If we are not on a mission, it is often that me and my friends are making the nights of movies!"
What makes you laugh?
"There are many things that are making me laugh!"
What, if anything, shocks or offends you?
"It is not very nice when people are unfriendly to others based on how they look or which gender they are having. I am hearing bad words because of my looks and for being alien, as well. So perhaps these."
What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself?
"I would watch TV! There is always some thing interesting shown, no?"
How do you deal with stress?
"It is best to unleash any troubles I am having. Such includes stress. And my friends would certainly aid me in overcoming the stress."
Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan?
"I am not very good at sticking with plans."
What are your pet peeves?
"I do not understand what those are that you ask for."
PART 7: SELF IMAGES & OTHER
Describe the routine of a normal day for you. How do you feel when this routine is disrupted?
"It is often that our days are not going by routine. When trouble is coming, we are going to it as quickly as we can. It might not be pleasant, but it is necessary, so I am rarely feeling bad about it. On a routine, hmm... I am waking, I stretch and prepare myself for the breakfast. We are commonly eating together, and doing some activity for spending the day. On many days, there is also our training."
What is your greatest strength as a person?
"Perhaps that I am willing to trust others? Although my friends have also told me that it is a big weakness. Perhaps caring for the well-being of others?"
What is your greatest weakness?
"Perhaps my trusting too easily? I do not truly know."
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
"I would not change a thing! I am happy as I am."
Are you generally introverted or extroverted?
"Extroverted!"
Are you generally organized or messy?
"I prefer to have things look organized, but if I am too distracted, I can quickly be very messy, as well."
Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.
"I am good at cooking! ... tamaranean dishes. My friends have before complained that I am often not following the recipes, and am creating different earthen dishes than what they expect. I am a capable fighter, and I am good at making friends!
I cannot draw well, um... I am not aware of many parts of the earthen sayings, and I am not good at recognizing when I should not be trusting or believeing someone."
Do you like yourself?
"Yes, I think I do."
What are your reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons…)
"I am a hero because it would feel wrong to not use my abilities, that are more than the average on this world, to aid others. It would feel egoistic, and I enjoy to help others."
What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime?
"I do not have goals. All I am wishing for is to continue to be happy."
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
"I hope that I am still with my friends!"
If you could choose, how would you want to die?
"Either after a long living, or if it must happen earlier... I would prefer to die in saving someone else."
If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left.
"I would visit and hug as many of my friends as I can! I would wish to tell them again how much I value them and how their friendship has delighted me. And I certainly must spend a lot of time with Ry! If there is no more time, I must do what I can to make him understand that he is worth much more than he is thinking! ... And I also wish to say goodbye to Galfore, and perhaps leave messages for those that I am not able to reach. ... Perhaps a message for Blackfire, as well."
What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death?
"Perhaps for the good that we are doing as heroes?"
What three words best describe your personality?
"Friendly, cheerful, and very happy to explore and learn!"
What three words would others probably use to describe you?
"I am hoping some thing similar! Although there have also been words that were not as friendly, I believe that more people would not use those mean words."
If you could, what advice would you, the player, give to your character? (You might even want to speak as if he or she were sitting right here in front of you, and use proper tone so he or she might heed your advice…)
I don't think there really is anything I'd need to give her as advice. I mean, if I really have to say something, probably something like that she should stay how she is and not change only because of some bad experiences. Something like that.
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