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wileycap · 7 months

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ATLA Headcanon (this is very much spoilers and I'm pretty sure this isn't a super original thought):

Ozai was always thought of as kind of a useless coward in the Fire Nation, before he grabbed power. He was the spare prince next to the Dragon of the West, and this motivates him in everything that he does.

It makes a lot of sense and provides some depth of character to him - which, let me be clear, I don't think he needs: within the story, he works perfectly fine as just a cruel, narcissistic monster. Any detour into his motivations would have distracted from the overall story.

But think about it. Why does he hate Zuko so much? Because Zuko reminds him of his own (perceived) failures, as the disappointing son, and as a narcissist, he can not bear thinking about anything that makes him less than perfect. He wants to get rid of Zuko because he sees himself in Zuko, and this is only compounded by Zuko and Azula's dynamic resembling the dynamic between him and Iroh. Of course, in this case, it's the younger sibling that is the favoured, more capable child. Ozai wants to see himself in Azula, but actually sees himself in Zuko.

Now, I know that the more overt explanation is that he cares about his legacy, and wants Azula to succeed him because she's the stronger heir, but I don't think that matters to Ozai that much. It certainly matters a little bit, because the greater glory of his heir reflects well on him, and obviously he wants that. But I don't think Ozai is actually all that concerned with what happens after he dies. To that, Zhao, whom Ozai promotes and clearly favours to some degree, expresses open disdain at Iroh's spirituality - it's reasonable to think that this sort of attitude thrives under Ozai, or it might just be the Fire Nation in general.

I think Ozai operates under a belief that the world will end with him, and doesn't believe in an afterlife. I don't necessarily mean that he is actually cognisant of this belief - I mean that he is only concerned with himself, so to him, once he stops existing, everything of value will have left the world. If he'd still been in power once he was at the age where death becomes a real concern instead of an abstract possibility, he probably would have sought some form of immortality.

He is very quick to cast Azula aside with a meaningless title, after all. He doesn't value Azula, he just hates the reminder that is Zuko. Zuko also resembles him physically - and to that point, his method of punishing Zuko before getting rid of him is to disfigure him. To further distance himself from Zuko.

In Zuko Alone, Azula refers to Iroh as "his royal tea-loving kookiness" - and we have to remember that Azula probably parrots Ozai's words. Why is this significant? Because at the time, Iroh has just broken through the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se, a tremendous military accomplishment. He's living up to the Fire Nation's greatest values of military power and glory in battle. And still Ozai disparages him to Azula.

Because Ozai is a wounded narcissist who's always been jealous of his brother. I'm intentionally paraphrasing Zuko's words from The Avatar State here, because it's very likely that those words are also originally Ozai's. An attempt to drive a wedge between his successful older brother and his son.

Ozai's plan to literally burn down the Earth Kingdom is, aside from being monstrous, a terrible strategic decision. What, does the think that the ashes are going to pay him taxes? What's the end goal? At that point, the Fire Nation has effectively won the war. Sure, they are likely still facing resistance, and the Earth Kingdom might be able to rally in the future and challenge them for hegemony. But, considering other conquering military states in our history, a large chunk of their economy probably relies on war. On levying taxes on subjugated territories in order to prop up the economy of the homeland. So, he's intentionally handicapping his own nation by literally burning down a massive source of income.

In the context of erasing his own profound narcissistic injury, however, that makes perfect sense. Who's going to remember Iroh's glorious victories in the Earth Kingdom when there is no Earth Kingdom?

So, there you have it. Ozai is the disappointing child in the shadow of his heroic older brother, the cowardly prince who never went to war in a nation that idolizes war and war heroics above all else, and he spends the rest of his life covering that wound up with blood and fire.

And I do think it's a very beautiful sort of karma that he ends up without his firebending after a short reign and without any meaningful triumphs or accomplishments to his name. Because fuck that guy.

#atla spoilers #atla headcanons #iroh #fire lord ozai #ozai #zuko #fan theory #avatar the last airbender #atla #fire nation

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sparksly-mage-of-light · 1 year

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Okay, I have thoughts about Leander and need to express them.

Now, I could very well end up being wrong and might be missing some things that make everyone else really suspicious of him, but I really don't think he's a bad person completely masquerading as a hero and trying to manipulate people. I do think his whole heroic persona might be somewhat performative, but I think he genuinely wants to help people and be seen as a good person. He at the very least strikes me as a people-pleaser.

I think the problem might lie in him over-extending himself and neglecting his own wants and needs (like sleep, if the dark circles under his eyes are anything to go by). Like keeping up a protection spell just so a certain cursed newcomer can hold his hand/feel him up whenever they want (magic has to take some kind of toll on the user). Or promising to cure said newcomer by claiming to be able to do the work of an entire organization on his own (we don't know what the Senobium's deal is, yes, but they have to have a decent amount of power to have the reputation they do).

There's also the little things, like Leander not complaining about Vere ordering expensive champagne even though the price does seem to concern him. The way he physically jumped in to diffuse the tension. How, if you take him up on the drink, he picks what sounds like the most palatable drink that also introduces you to more of Eridias' local culture. He won't even give us his opinion of the others without asking for ours first, as if he doesn't want to risk disagreeing with us.

He also just doesn't seem to make any decisions for himself in general. The people at the bar ask him to to perform, so he does. Kuras said Leander could help us, so he says he will. The Bloodhounds' reaction to us mentioning the Senobium makes us uncomfortable, so he talks them down; but also we made them uncomfortable, so he moves our conversation outside. We never see him order a specific drink for himself independently: when we first meet him, he just asks the bartender to surprise him, and during his section towards the end, he just orders whatever you order (when they all gather at the bar, we don't get an idea of what drink he ordered or how, but I wouldn't be surprised if something similar happened). Even when he grabs our wrist the first time we touch, I think he does it more to reassure us than out of any desire to touch us more (and I mean that even if you hesitate, because at that point you're like 90% of the way there and he wants you to know he can help. His whole freakout, as I've seen others point out, is probably just due to a stronger than expected reaction from our curse).

As for how that might tie in to what makes him monstrous, I think that might come down to what lengths he's willing to go to in trying to help people. Maybe he's willing to kill for other people, maybe he dabbles in some dark magic like necromancy or has some sort of magic patron he's made a deal with a la dnd warlock pacts, or maybe it's something more self-sacrificial and he's willing to risk his life or sell his soul.

Regarding his relationship with the MC, I do think he could get obsessive over them, but I don't think it would be in the stereotypical yandere fashion. Considering how submissive he acts (and how Ais describes him to be), I think Leander would rather be possessed by the MC than possess MC himself.

I don't know if this makes sense. I just think Touchstarved is doing a lot of interesting and nuanced things, and Leander just being a deceptive yandere feels too easy (no offense to the people making those headcanons, though. love a yandere headcanon. i just like to overthink things).

#touchstarved leander #touchstarved #leander theory #blorbo from my visual novel demo #i've just been rotating leander in my head since i finished the demo #the relationship bit is there mainly because i keep hearing I Wanna Be Yours by Arctic Monkeys every time i think of him

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eldritch-spouse · 7 months

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I don't usually interact with "succubus/incubus" esque monsters in my monster-loving ventures because I feel weird about them being designed to fulfill others desires. Almost like they can't have boundaries?

I usually enjoy your writing so I read some of your succubus stories of Santi and Vesper, and though I'm still not exactly a 'lust-monster cheerleader' I find myself enjoying them with less of my usual hangups!

I really like how you convey the monsters as enjoying the activity outside of just sex = sexual pleasure = all good folks!

The idea that pleasure/lust gives them pleasure isn't new but the way you write it is refreshing in allowing an easier suspension of disbelief.

With how depraved and lust-driven you make the monsters it's easier to believe that they really do enjoy all the kinks their prey enjoys and are within their comfort zone. Instead of some objectified fantasy of a sex-doll coming to life but still being just a sex-doll, it only comes to life to make the person feel wanted and less of a loser (nothing wrong with those who partake in those fantasies every now and again but I personally don't like it, especially when it's repetitive and still no personality).

By giving them personalities that aren't just "sexsexsexsexsex" or some facet of it (so many succubus/incubus characters tend to fall back on the trope personalities traits of charisma, self-absorbed, shallow) you make them more fleshed out without losing the idea that they still are lust-driven.

Also, kudos for sticking to your guns about them being sexually polyamorous (though not always romantically poly) because it makes sense!!!! So many stories seem to go with the idea that once they find The One they'll be monogamous (and if people want to read that then good for them it's their preference), but being sexually polyamorous makes sense and doesn't negate the meaningfulness of their relationship any!!

You don't shy away from what it means to be a Lust Monster, which I really appreciate as someone who is into monster loving for how 'other' the monsters act (not just look).

It also allows them some agency in a way? I can't really explain it but something about you not disregarding their monstrous aspects or expecting them to change and loving them for it. Something about not expecting a beast that feeds on lust to conform to your perception of the world. Something about not controlling or owning them. Something about how their species give pleasure to receive pleasure and you can't physically withstand enough of their pleasure-giving for them to receive enough pleasure so you give them pleasure in a way by encouraging them to receive it elsewhere. Something about adapting to their ways of affection & love based in pleasure as they adapt to yours based outside of it and both of you being better off for it.

I do wonder;

Does Vesper have any boundaries (in relationships or otherwise), even if they're not sexual?

Does he ever have a moment where the realisation that his spouse isn't just in it for the sexual gratification he can offer them or the power of being with him fully sets in? That he isn't just lust-worthy but love-worthy? I imagine he is loved by many but probably for his capabilities, his power, or the persona he displays. But to be loved for something other than what he can give/serve others?

(I may be coming to the realisation that this aversion to lust-monsters could have something to do with the uncomfortable familiarity of being loved for the servitude you offer and not for who you are)

Would he react in any particular way?

[Ohhh lord, this is huge (no offense genuinely), so I'm going to keep the answer under a read more and divide it so people can tell when I'm talking about Vesper.]

I'm going to be real, I actually like the idea of monsters who are genuine sex creatures. Creations that exist solely to please sexually and have little to no autonomy as well as a basically non-existent sense of self. But that already comes from my somewhat present objectification/mindbreak fetish. I did laugh when you talked about the "fantasy of a sex doll coming to life", because I could get into that. I know perfectly well that a character of this caliber would be extremely one-dimensional, and therefore a bit of a "one-trick pooch" that I can't poke and prod at too much unless I give them a personal development arc that is quite profound.

I agree with you in the sense that, even if just subconsciously, I've always felt like people weren't really exploring the lust monster trope too much. Or maybe I just wanted to put my own very different spin on it. (This is a bit rich of me to say, considering I've intentionally reduced Gluttony to what amounts to "heehee hungy :)))" instead of "overbearing indulgence".)

I enjoy trying to translate their view of the world into terms we can understand. Sex isn't just a recreational commodity for them, it's food, it's a basic necessity, it's their bread and butter- Even a science! But it's also trivial. Sexual cheating just isn't a thing for concubi, unless one of them has entered some sort of exclusivity agreement, for whatever reason.

I like the idea of there always being a healthy amount of "pros" and "cons" in all types of monsters, it keeps them balanced and more two dimensional as characters, and it makes for a very good base when it comes to world-building. (Keep in mind I'm talking out of my ass, I have no formal/professional insight on any of this.) Sure, you can have a concubus as a partner, it'll be the best sex of your life, you'll find new sides of your carnality you never saw before and you'll be able to withstand some acts that would break your physical limits- But you'll get quite literally drained of your life if you insist on being their only meal. But you can and will become hypersexual depending on the circumstances. But there's quite a bit of social stigma. But many of them are afraid of commitment. But kids might never be on the table. Etcetera.

That makes things more interesting, doesn't it?

I'm a firm believer that perverted characters can have depth to their personality, sex-driven narratives can have interesting premises or twists and a wide variety of personalities that serve to enhance the smut, you know? In fact, you should strive to make these lust monsters as distinct as possible, so that they don't all fall under the same umbrella of repetitive humdrum smut. There's nothing sadder than a sexual setting that falls flat on its ass because you can predict everything.

I'm not going to lie, I think the idea of them becoming exclusively attached to you romantically and sexually can work- But in a very toxic and "horror-esque" setting where the concubus is so mentally ill with their hyperfixation that you end up dying eventually because they don't acknowledge your limits and simply keep shattering you for their own gain/pleasure.

Thank you for the insight though! I'm very happy you find some sort of novelty in the way I portray these characters!

When it comes to Vesper, you have to remember he's a bit of a romantic.

Both him and Santi are given how much contact they used to have in the past, how Vesper helped mold Santi into someone better. Naturally, Santi is more of a romantic than the King for a couple of reasons I can't get into right now or I'll risk making this response longer than it needs to be. They're both also yandere, keep that in mind.

From the very start, Vesper is extremely affectionate with you and quick to profess his love. He expects you to want to be with him for the sex, obviously, but he also desperately wants you to return his love and he thinks he can get you to love him with enough pleasure and pleasantries.

Since we're talking about an Icon, Vesper doesn't really make a strong separation between "what he can give others/receive from them" and "who he is". Icons are less two dimensional than standard characters, so whether you love him because you like Vesper as a person or because he makes you feel like nobody else in bed, it's all the same to him- Because it kind of is the same in his mind.

Maybe I'm not being too clear, but I hope it's understandable.

Boundaries... It kind of depends? I'll ramble.

You're romantically monogamous to him as he is to you, but there can be a polyamorous dynamic at some point, if desired;

His mark is the only one to ever stay on your body;

On the realm of preferences, you know he doesn't really like to have sex while he's clothed because clothes are unappealing to him;

He doesn't like it when you wear chasity devices;

He won't humor castration as a fetish for you or him specifically;

Don't portray him chastely;

It really does depend on the situation, because Vesper will gladly let you refer to him as a "brainless fucktoy" or nothing more than cocks on legs, or something equally derogatory that suggests he's not even a person.

As the embodiment of depravity, he's bound to only get more aroused by his own consistent dehumanization, so the demonlord's boundaries end up being things you wouldn't really expect, you know?

#Vesper oc #sexc-snail

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levmada · 1 year

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gee, my friend!! congratulations on 2k, that’s a big number fr 💙

levi and 8. shielding the other one with their body (can we… shield levi? 👀)

thank youuuuu suki <3 plot is sponsored by a fic i read a while lol. idk what’s up with my writing style in this one but djfjsjdjgj also nanaba is nb because.

//gn!reader, canon-typical violence, injury | ~1.8k

To think that an abandoned town like this—surrounded by a moat, watchtowers and all—is a safe haven during the night, but by daybreak, the formation is just as vulnerable as if they'd camped in a meadow.

The bright day gave eyes (in addition to Miche's supernatural sense of smell) crystal-clear visibility, and so the presence of approaching Titans was caught well in advance. They wandered in threes, but in exchange for the advantage of no abnormals to contend with, there were plenty of numbers all attracted to the scent of human flesh.

But there was time. That's the reason elite soldiers like you and Levi were chosen to evacuate the field hospital—what once was a stone watchtower. Erwin commanded that the objective was to outrun, not fight.

His speed and your level head, besides your close relationship that made you act in-sync was perfect for a mission that made it imperative to work together.

You both started at the exposed top floor and worked your way down, ushering the rest of the injured that hadn’t yet, or couldn’t, escape all on their own. One medic joined you.

Good progress has been made so far. You and Levi, and three others counting the quick medic, descended the stone steps now to the first floor. Louder than your heart in your ears was the cocophony of shouts, snapping reins, thunderous steps and the gnashing of jaws just outside this structure. Your lungs burned. Almost out.

Fingers the size of your own body slam through the wall into the narrow stairwell, causing a roaring crash you feel down to your bones.

Levi acts fast and in one enormous slice, frees your way. Fingers to be replaced by a hoard of steam, and a monstrous roar. "Hurry up!”

He leaps down the steps with effortless agility, not pausing for whom he trusts will stick to his heels—and of course you do, tailed by two moaning, injured men, and the grim medic. She has done well to keep her head.

The first floor has been the most spared from the chaos—so much so every cubicle curtain is still upright, even. No sound of howling for help or terror, except a woman with expressive blue eyes and a cast. You mistake her frightened yowling for a cat at first.

"Get them out!" Levi orders you. "I got this one."

You don't think, you act, and throw your body against the thick oak door. The medic is a small woman, of course not cut out for combat, but she joins you. The wood is stuck stiff, probably from the damage done to the tower's integrity.

"Shit."

"We can do this," you insist. "Keep going."

Both men volunteer to shove alongside you, as best they can. Every crunch of stone, sometimes cascading feels like a taste of death. There's no way in hell the third floor is still intact. It too is most likely exposed to the air, where humans can be picked up and treated as a snack. You're running out of time.

But you're close to freedom, so insignificant to mean getting out of this tower, you think bitterly. The door protests and groans, but you're close. The lighter whining of the bed as Levi ushers her up is like a warning siren.

Just a little—

The sound like a mountain snapping in half behind you seems to come long before the ceiling physically collapses.

Levi.

Again, again, you don't think, you act, rocketing back from the door with a shove and into, onto—doesn't matter—Levi mid-run, before the weight of the world comes crashing down on top of you.

It sounds, when you can hear, like distant thunder for some reason. You're within, now, a very, very small coffin. Then you hear no more.

Levi is the first to blink rapidly from unconsciousness and coughs, then squeezes his eyes shut. Dust. Can't breathe. A grueling headache. He remembers it found him first in sleep.

After taking account of his own state, he surveys his surroundings, or lack thereof.

Not rock, or not just rock, but dead weight lays upon his curled-up form like a massive blanket. Fortunate, he thinks at first, that it's dark and his vision keeps warbling in and out of clarity, because he can't tell which name this corpse belongs to.

One second later, the bliss of ignorance shatters. He barks your name, blinking wildly in the cramped, heavy darkness. He commands himself to get calm.

His hand, the one not pinned underneath himself, finds purchase in your neck. He thumbs your pulse and turns his head. Where are your breaths? At first he thinks his nose finds your cheek, but it's your bleeding forehead. He smells blood. Your blood.

Fuck—disgusting.

He feels a solid pulse, and, awkwardly nuzzling the side of your mouth, slow, warm breaths wash over his cheek. A weird noise leaves him, hitched like fear and a low moan in pain and ultimate relief.

Blood is fresh, he thinks in a flurry. It can't have been long since the tower collapsed. Everyone else is surely dead—or he'll treat them that way until he can guarantee he and you are making it out of this.

He forces his incessant panting silent, groping over your back inch by inch so he can to shield your head from further harm. It's all so far away, worlds away, but he hears Titans.

Keep breathing. Keep breathing.

He squirms his head, half-laying on his back now, and his lips touch your ear.

"Wake up," he grunts, very aware then that he's wasting his air. You and the others have been buried alive under rubble. He can't waste both your supplies of air saying your name or begging you not to die, or you'll most likely die anyway.

He could risk crawling out on his own, but that'd mean risking the rubble he displaces crashing right on top of you. It's bad enough that you shielded his body with your own. You could've died on impact. You could die.

Can't climb up either. He's strong, the strongest he’s aware, but not even he can lift a ton of rock.

"Stay alive," he settles on, bullying his other arm up past your shoulderblades. Small bits of gravel and rock shift. With the most coverage he can, he shields the length of your spine. If something happens to your head or spine, that means death for sure, one way or another. It's all he can do—he can't get on top of you.

His heart throbs. Dammit, why couldn't he have been faster? If he'd went for the door before you, he could've gotten it open and most everyone out. Why did he try to save everyone? Now it's just him and you.

Every time this kind of situation has happened before, he’s always the only one left.

"Stay alive..." he mumbles in your ear, then your name. "Don't die on me."

His splitting headache makes it hard to deliberate or even think any more. Whenever he catches himself nodding off, he bites his tongue until it feels like it’s splitting in half, using the pain to stay awake, and devoting constant concentration to tracking your thready, but steady breathing.

When, under the clashing of shovels and shouts, you're both uncovered and your bodies are lifted from the rubble, Levi is found bloody, the only one conscious but delirious, and clutching your body as if you were lovers in bed—not soldiers pinned under tons of stone, dust, and rubble.

You're the only two out of five living.

You wander to wakefulness finally, on a bedroll, parallel with a half-dozen of your comrades who were injured during the attack. You distantly think that five is a good number all things considered, before you turn your head, and wince.

I’m injured…?

Blinking the haze and blur from your vision, the first thing you notice with any meaningful clarity isn’t the clean blue sky through the forest canopy, but in your far-back peripheral: Levi. He sits up against a towering oak, hunched with his knees tucked to his chest. One sword lays balanced across his knees. His fist clutches the grip tight despite his angry knuckles and bloody fingertips. His dull eyes stare vacantly forward, expression hard like a stone.

Which doesn’t even twitch when you say his name. It’s like he’s keeping a statue’s vigil. The only thing living or waking about him upon squinting is the rigid pattern he taps his leather boot in. Tap… tap, taptaptap… tap… tap, taptaptap…

Movement around you is slow—the formation has evidently traveled since… since the tower came crashing down on top of you, you now remember with a start. Tents are up, tendrils of soft smoke billowing up around the area. Lunch.

“Levi?” you ask again, in a weak voice. You tilt your head back to peer at him upside down, because it hurts too much to raise it. “Is… Did we…”

“Hey, Lieutenant. You’re awake,” Nanaba greets with a relieved sigh. You didn’t notice them approach.

They stand over you now with their hands on their hips. The tapping doesn’t stop—or rather it hardens at the approach of someone new.

“What happened?”

They crouch down. “Well… Shit. This is gonna be hard to hear, but only you and Levi survived. I think…” They cast a quick glance in his direction. “I think the Captain’s in worse shape than you. He hasn’t really moved since we got here. Refused any medical, but that’s nothing new.”

You release a breath you didn’t know you were holding. It must’ve been torture for him, riding with no placement near the injured wagons. Duty calls.

He doesn’t appear to hear you and Nanaba talking about him right in front of him, but you know better. His dull eyes narrow despite the hundred-yard stare in them. He keeps tapping.

“I have him taken care of,” you volunteer without thinking. “Um. Well, you know.”

Nanaba looks pained, then scoffs without any humor in it. “I do. When our squad found you…” They trail off.

He protected me, didn’t he? you think with painful fondness. Even when you protect him—and it’s exceedingly rare Levi needs protection at all—he finds a way.

“How… How long were we?”

“A couple of hours. Chances are, he was awake the whole time. So. Try to get him to take it easy,” they say.

You huff in astonishment, eyes wide. Hours. Buried alive for hours. “I’ll try.”

They nod. “Rest up.”

Nanaba leaves you both, or rather leaves you. You lay in silence for a little while longer until you find resolve to slowly push up into a sit. The tapping persists, but your eyes meet for the first time. Despite the state he’s in, his gaze is so intense you want to look away.

“Thank you for protecting me… Hey. Even you couldn’t get out of all that rubble, so, you stayed awake and made sure I was okay. Thank you, Lev’… Now that we’re here, and I’m awake, you don’t have to guard me anymore,” you chuckle lamely.

It’s a plain reassurance, but your head is pounding. You’re still weak.

The tapping doesn’t change. You recognize the technique he’s using to ground himself for what it is, besides his blade being cocked for all to see despite the peaceful area. It’s impossible to tell what he’s thinking, but maybe he isn’t, and that’s just it. That’s what’s wrong.

“It’s okay. I’m okay,” you say again. “Can I sit with you?”

His severe gaze drops. A crack in his armor appears when his shoulders deflate. The tapping slows.

Carefully, you shuffle back, giving his blade wide berth, and sit so your sides are touching.

You rest your head on his shoulder. At first he goes rigid, and then seems to slump completely.

“Everything’s okay, Levi.”

Tap… tap, taptaptap… tap… tap, taptaptap…

“…How’s your head,” he asks, or rather says in a soft rasp.

“It hurts. But that means I’m alive. Thanks to you.”

“Don’t be a fucking fool,” he seethes.

Your lips part.

“I was useless. And I’m the reason we were crushed. Staying awake all that time counts for shit.”

Each sentence, blandly spoken, comes seemingly punctuated by an invisible blow.

You stare. You kind of want to slap him. “I had three others trying that door with me. It wasn’t enough then, either… but we’ll never know if it was inevitable or not.

“Waiting was everything you could do. Ha… You gave your whole heart, as always. If you really wanted to be useless, you would’ve had to die.”

His chest wracks, and a sound that’s both a weak gasp and a surrendering, yet silent sob. His head bows and the tapping fails. You reach over and touch his gnarled knuckles.

“It’s okay.” You kiss his greasy hair and embrace him best you can in this position.

It’s okay. You can’t ask for solace, but your continued hearts’ beating, that you can, and that he gave you.

#levi x reader #hurt/comfort #levi x you #levi x gender neutral reader #levi ackerman angst #levi ackerman x reader #levi fic #levi ackerman fanfiction #2k event

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cliozaur · 3 months

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Another poignant chapter not only marks the beginning of Fantine's sufferings but also initiates the tribulations of young Cosette. When we first encounter Cosette, she is well-cared-for, healthy, rosy-cheeked, and impeccably dressed. Regrettably, this idyllic situation is short-lived, and Hugo goes to great lengths to emphasize that it should not have unfolded this way. It was a twist of fate that evolved into a trap for Fantine.

Interestingly, I previously held the misconception that Fantine was pregnant when Tholomyès abandoned her. Now I see that she already had a baby. Hugo did say at the end of the previous chapter that she “had a child,” meaning she was not pregnant but did have a child already. It makes more sense then; it means that she managed to survive in Paris for ten months with an infant who was not a newborn. And she did not have to go through an illegitimate pregnancy and labour all alone. On the other hand, it means that Tholomyès did support her and Cosette for the first year – a year and a half? His desertion becomes even more deplorable, as he left not only his lover but also a child he was aware of.

From what I know about the circumstances of unmarried mothers, it seems that Hugo may have projected his knowledge of the era he was more familiar with onto an earlier period. In comparison to the harsh treatment an unmarried woman with a child might face in the seventeenth century, attitudes in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries were quite lenient and forgiving. The best Fantine could have done was to stay in Paris. But even in Montreuil-sur-mer, the social moral should not have been as harsh as Hugo presented. Regardless, we must work with the narrative as presented.

The ever-present Thénardiers make a reappearance, with Mme Thénardier depicted as a monstrous figure: a red-haired, towering, colossus-like wife of a soldier. While she will become a tormentor to Cosette, her physical stature is unrelated to her malevolence, likely reflecting Hugo's idiosyncrasies about tall women. (It's worth noting that grown-up Cosette will also be taller than average.) Fantine's tragic flaw lies in her inability to read people and perceive the impending danger emanating from these sinister figures. Unfortunately, this obliviousness will eventually become Cosette's nightmare. Poor girls.

#les mis letters #lm 1.4.1 #les miserables #fantine #cosette #thenardier

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tavyliasin · 2 months

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Fandom Essay - Body Positivity and Validation

Good timezone darlings~ Lia is back at it again with some examination of BG3 Fandom and some more of the wonderful things we can find within it. This time we are talking about representation of different physical features. If you feel this might be a little much for you, either in regards to your relationship to your body or any potential dysphoria, please feel free to skip it. Second disclaimer that I will be mentioning trans and nonbinary people here from the perspective of a Cis person - this is absolutely not my right to speak for or over anyone so I thoroughly welcome the voices of those with lived experiences to join in the comments with their input, but I also did not want to leave the topic out of the discussion and you may just see why as we get into it~ So on with today's long title:

How FanWorks Can Be Important To Self Acceptance And Body Positivity - The Next "Callout Essay" from TavyliaSin (Who is calling herself out with these too) ((there are reasons it feels targeted I know where to aim)) (((but honestly it's fine it's all positive I promise)))

Today we will be discussing: body types, disability representation (only a little though, this one may need a full post of its own), body size, gender (and gender euphoria), scars and "imperfections", visible ageing. This will be through the lens of both the canon inclusion and everything we see in mods, edits, and fan creations of all kinds. As usual I will use sub headers and encourage anyone to skip what makes them uncomfortable, as well as to join the discussion~ so let's begin, shall we?

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What Does Body Positivity Mean?

Let's start off with the simple one. Body positivity doesn't mean promoting any one body type as the ideal or as better than any others, it is about being positive about the mortal flesh vessels we inhabit and all of their features. A lot of people can find this difficult, to love oneself or even just accept oneself, especially in a highly critical society. But that is where representation and even fan creations can step in - by being vocal and loud about appreciating features that people may feel negative about in themselves, we can help build up confidence and self worth, as well as reminding all of us that we do not have to look a certain way to be desirable and desired~

How Does This Relate To Baldur's Gate 3?

On the surface, we do have a lot of characters with more conventionally accepted body types in the main cast and romance characters, though it is worth noting that the base models were updated to be less "Hollywood muscles" on a couple of characters, which made more sense to the character stats and backstories (unless Gale was working out every day in his tower, he's not that much like a bodybuilder physique).

But aside from this, when you look closer, there's also an awful lot to appreciate in the standard character designs. A lot of these are things which fans pick up on and adore, despite how they may be features that people are actively bullied for or that are seen as undesirable by beauty standards. Those "beauty standards" can get in the trash too, but I'll use it here to point out the things we are shining a positive light on in the face of those societal values~ Karlach - Our tall queen, strong and muscular and not particularly feminine with her tattoos, piercings, and hairstyle. But she is adored for all of those things, even her broken horn is an important feature, alongside the glowing heart and fire that have some in the game view her as monstrous until they look closer and know her. Astarion - His laugh lines. Gods don't we love those? The wrinkles in his face are experience, and of course he has those signs of exhaustion in his eyes that make him so much more relatable to many of us. Lae'zel - This might feel like cheating as she's not human, and is less human-like than most of the other characters, but in a way that is also an important one. She's still desirable and treated as such in the romances, as well as very much adored by the fans. Gale - The little signs of ageing and stress mark Gale's face, and even the hints of greying in his hair are picked up on and chewed on by those who love him most. Wyll - More on him later but honestly is he not the poster boy for physical acceptance? Not only do we have his initial appearance with the stone eye but with one choice his entire body is completely changed and part of his story is arguably learning to live with this and how his new look is likely going to be seen as everything he ever feared. Halsin - Are we cheating with BIG TALL MUSCLE MOUNTAIN because many people find this attractive to start with? Maybe, but again he has clear signs of ageing, as well as very obvious facial scarring. His look might easily be described as fearsome, and yet his personality couldn't be further from it. Raphael - Hello there lovers of older men, who look at each one of those wrinkles and his brow lines and start sweating a bit more. I'm with you, he's gorgeous because of those signs of aging, not despite them. Abdirak - Our real poster boy for scars and visible wounds. Features which have long been given only to villainous characters in fiction (particularly that aimed at younger audiences) and yes he is one of the most violent characters, but he is also immediately deeply sympathetic to the player. So we are no longer equating scars/visual difference with pure evil. In general we have a lot of features that are not overly smoothed out or homogenised to fit certain standards. We have different nose shapes, visible pores, scars, acne marks, wrinkles, greying hair, moles, freckles, body hair, and a lot of variety across face shapes and features. It makes the characters feel more real, more relatable, and seeing features closer to our own can be comforting and validating in a lot of ways. Of course there are more examples, and far more we could say about each one of these and all the things that make them unique that we love about them, but we would be here all day and there are other topics to cover!

What About The Player Characters?

So we do have a range of fantasy races, many of which arguably don't represent real humans at all, and we do also lack variation in body types in the standard game. But we also have player characters with shorter statures with the dwarves, halflings and gnomes. Beyond just being part of the lore and story, there is some representation here for similar body types in real life. I can't say a lot on this as I neither have personal experience nor do I personally know anyone who could speak on how they feel about these races in comparison to lived experiences, but it would be equally unfair to leave the point out of the conversation - please do add something in the comments if you have the knowledge and emotional bandwidth to spare, I would love to hear about your experiences and opinions! Aside from this we have a wide range of skin tones (though my own is too close to plain paper to be able to tell you if this is anywhere near adequate so please feel free to weigh in with lived experience here) as well as scars and other features in the character creation. There's also vitiligo pigmentation, which is not only representing the condition but also normalising it to those who aren't familiar and making some rather beautiful options for our characters in my opinion. Even in the hair styles there are a couple of options featuring thinner hair or baldness patterns. There are less options for textured hairstyles and the facial features are equally limited, but there are some truly gorgeous mods out there which I'll mention later.

Player Characters And Gender

Another caveat to please weigh in with your lived experiences, but this one is one that I've seen friends enjoy and it was really wonderful to see that delight. Being able to select pronouns, genitals, body type, and voice all independently of each other is something which is so vastly meaningful to a lot of players. To some it might just be "oh cool I get to choose what my character looks like naked", but to a nonbinary friend of mine... Well, they were sending me happy, joyful, and what can only be described as "delightfully shouty" messages when they were in character creation. To paraphrase, and to tone it down just a little, it went something like this:

"Wait you mean I can have a character look and exist the way I want to be? I can actually have myself represented on screen, and nobody will misgender me, and nobody will decline a romance based on any of this?!"

Maybe it seems silly but I got tearful to see them just absolutely losing it over having these options. They've been stuck with binary options in most fantasy RPGs for so long... Of course there's still things that could be improved, there always will be, but that joy? Priceless. It meant something in that moment and I hope it will continue to mean something to a lot more people in many moments to come. Of course there are still flaws - the faces and bodies are still gender matched, and it isn't possible for people to refine the size and shape of player character chests. In some ways really what we have is the bare minimum, a start that needs to go further, but seeing as there have been precious few games in the genre to even reach this low bar it is good to recognise it, to say "this brought people joy and is worth the effort to make it happen", and to say "please go further because there is genuine interest."

What About Mods?

This is where we can see a lot more of that positivity flourishing. There are countless options, from having more hairstyles and hair types, to face shapes and features, all the way to body types and adding in top surgery scars. Giving the game the ability to be modded, and potentially even encouraging and supporting it, means we can see so much more of that body positivity and representation. Having a hero who shares your features, seeing romances play out where the characters are valued in every way just as they are. Being able to mod softer and wider body types to the Origin characters too, taking the form away from the bodybuilder/model physique and far closer to more average - and undeniably still devastatingly attractive - body types. Seeing the trans-Origin character headcanons portrayed too, that's just so utterly divine~ (There is a lot to be said about parallels to LGBTQIA+ experiences in the Origin storylines, too, so feel free to comment on those at the end if you would like to) To all of you out there making mods, and sharing the characters you've created using other peoples' mods - thank you! I adore seeing all of these, as well as people's happiness in sharing and using them too~

I don't even use mods, honestly darlings I'm not the best with tech at times and as I'm spending vastly more hours writing than playing it's likely not as worth it for me - especially when people share the modded content for us all to enjoy in videos and screenshots. But I love how many there are, that they exist, and all the ways they give people joy and euphoria to see their own body types and/or body types they find to be desirable~

But Wasn't This Post About Fandom and Fan Creations?

It was - and is! Because after all of the content you can get in the base game and in the modded version, what comes after is where the fans go with it from there.

That's truly where we get the most body positivity and joy. Headcanons leave the head and pour onto the page. We see characters reimagined a hundred times, each with their own twist, their own enthusiasm both from the creator and from fans just eating up every piece that comes out. There's so much variety there seems to be almost anything you could wish for with almost any character, and I can guarantee you that if there's something you'd like to see and aren't seeing out there, there will be an artist willing to work on the idea (most likely on commission basis, we do prefer to ensure our artists can eat after all, but there may be some willing to just adopt ideas to draw as their own too). This even extends to cosplay, with gender-swapped characters, as well as the one thing I will always be vocal about in cosplay - everyone should be allowed to wear the character costumes they love regardless of body types or how well their body/face matches the original character. Though this does come with the caveat that skin should never be darkened to match a character's look (if that character has a natural type skin tone, obviously green etc is not an issue) - just be your own version of the character if you adore them enough to put the costume together.

And your work?...

Thank you for asking Lia, let me answer that one for you. Of course, take it away, Lia! Ahem silliness aside, there is something you might or might not have noticed in my writing. I don't do a lot of body-type description. You can imagine whatever you like as you read - Gale with a soft tummy to snuggle? Yes please! Or you can imagine him with sculped abs, or a more slender frame - whatever brings you the most joy to read. This is especially true for anything I do with gender neutral character fics (usually "character x Reader"/2nd person pieces) - I try to stay away from any specific gendered features and focus on actions and sensations which can be common to any body.

How Does This All Add Up To Body Positivity?

Simple, love - by sharing and making all of these works we are saying "these features are beautiful, we love them, we want to see more of them as we fall head over heels time and time again". It might not seem like a lot, but the mind is both powerful and very easily open to suggestion. If a person keeps seeing negative things about a feature they have (eg, as a mild example body hair on women/feminine people) they will internalise that and wish to change themselves (eg, waxing/shaving/etc). In the case of a bit of body hair that might not seem drastic, but it still changes how someone feels about themselves. At the end of the day, the more we love ourselves the easier it is to look after ourselves and be happy in the mortal flesh vessels we pilot around this terribly strange universe~ For my part, I have seen my body shape which I had struggled with shown time and time again as "wow look at this character who looks this way, they are amazing! I love this feature, and that feature, and the way the artist made sure to include this particular thing-" Every time I see that, every time I see parts of myself I struggle with being applauded and appreciated, I feel a little brighter. A little more comfortable. A little more like I am allowed to dress it up nicely and spend time and care to feel good about it. I also feel less shame for old scars, for every part of myself that has made me look at the mirror with unkind eyes. Confidence is not a single brick, it's many that need to be built carefully with the right cement. If it is chipped away at too many times, even by little self-deprecating "jokes", it will erode. It will crack. It will wear away piece by piece instead of building up. And before anyone decides to try equating weight and health, darling this is not the place. If you truly care about someone's wellbeing, leave their health to the private discussions they have with their doctors, and remember that looking after oneself is far easier from a place of loving oneself. If you care about a thing, you want to look after it. If you see a thing as already broken, you're less likely to be cautious in how you handle it.

Where does this essay end?

Well, I believe that would be here. With the endless gratitude for every creator out there bringing us mods, images, fiction, art, cosplay, content of all of these wonderful characters in every incredible variation that we can think of. I encourage those of you who are feeling lower in confidence about yourselves to really look at the fan responses to these creations - the excitement and desire for every body type, every feature, everything that we might see of ourselves and dislike there are so many people out there seeing those exact same features we have and feeling nothing but attraction, desire, love, adoration, and praise~ We are often our own worst critics, but not one of those characters would ever reject us, neither are we rejecting any of our favourites when we see them on the screen. I certainly hope to see more games bringing us this variety, and going further too. There is power in fiction and fan-works, and it is helpful to recognise it too.

Apologies if this one felt too long, rambling, or like I lost my point - it was done over 3 days and I'm rather tired~ I have other essays coming in the next few weeks too, and I really would love to hear your opinions on any of them~

As a final note - please do add your own views and experiences on the topic! I can only offer my own as a disabled white cisgender asexual/bisexual/panromantic woman with too much time on her hands~ I neither wish to ignore experiences outside of my own nor speak over them. All I can offer is what I see, what I hear, and of course my endless love to all of you~ That, my very dear darlings, is never in doubt. I love you just the way you are, because of who you are, and will see the beauty in everything that makes up the sum of your wonderful selves~

#baldurs gate 3 #fandom essay #body positvity #body positive #bg3 #opinions welcome #please add in the comments

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itstimetotheorize · 20 hours

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The Nowhere and the Waking world

For years we have tried to make sense of the world surrounding the Little Nightmares franchise, and after years of waiting, we finally have the one thing we never knew we could have...Answers. Thanks to the release of The Sounds of Nightmares podcast, some much needed information was finally brought to light, while many more things were finally confirmed. This world was everything we had theorized it would be, and so much more, and after years of waiting, we have a name for this nightmarish world...."The Nowhere".... and just as we have always theorized, this world was no little nightmare...it was always real.

The Nowhere itself is separate from the human world(a.k.a the waking world), but it is a world which one can travel to none the less...through dreams. After a person enters a dream state, their minds can reach the space between the two worlds, "The Threshold", a dark and endless abyss where one will float through a dark mist. The dark mist obscures one's vision until it dissipates enough to allow a person to see what is beyond the darkness, the gateway to Nowhere. Once a human crosses this gateway, they are judged by a giant red pulsing eye entity(more on this in a moment) and its many eyes circling around it, all sparkling with a hypnotic, enchanting light, their light dripping down into the abyss just as we saw it drip down into Monster Six's music box in Little Nightmares 2.

The eye entity's eyes look on as every child is presented to them within the Threshold, and if they like what they see in the tormented child, the all seeing eye will equally be pleased enough to open up and permit the human child entry to the Nowhere. Once the human child is permitted entry into Nowhere, their physical body will disappear from the waking/human world to complete the journey, leaving the child trapped among the monstrous Residents, or even becoming part of the Nowhere itself should they open themselves up to it.

However, this gateway and the Nowhere itself, are not all as they may seem. The gateway alone is guarded by the Ferryman, a Resident of the Nowhere we have known about since the very first game, primarily from the Little nightmares issues #1 and #2 comics, whose main duty is to find human children whose tormented lives have left them vulnerable enough to his manipulation, and desperate enough to find any escape from their current lives in the human world. Once a child has been selected, the Ferryman will guide them through the threshold and through the gateway, to Nowhere. The Ferryman's existence is primarily to not only guide children to Nowhere, but to also convince the children to give into the Nowhere and remain there, through any means necessary, usually by convincing them there is something only the Nowhere can provide, such as freedom from something specific, including all illnesses within their body or being liberated from whatever it is the child feels tormented by, such as other people, their own fears, loneliness etc.

While Children are primarily targeted and given permission to cross over into Nowhere, adults can also be granted permission, though through a more meticulous process. The Ferryman proclaims in chp. 6 of The Sounds of Nightmares, about there being another way to enter the Threshold to find the Nowhere, as for what this other way is? Well, more on this in another theory. As for obtaining permission to cross over into Nowhere, the Ferryman states an adult like Otto must pay a "toll in torments'", and considering it is the tormented children who are of the highest priority to claim for the Nowhere, I and many other theorists have theorized adults like Otto...must commit to the Ferryman's duty of sacrificing a large sum of children, as a way to please the very being which rules over the entire Nowhere...the eye entity, the giant pulsing red eye said to be the size of a moon, which can be met once a visitor crosses the gateway hidden within the Threshold.

The eye entity itself has been theorized to have existed since the very beginning, the most obvious sign of its constant presence being of course, the eye symbol with rays of its hypnotic light surrounding it, a symbol depicted on every game and the franchise as a whole.

Thanks to the podcast, we have finally gained some understanding as to just what the all seeing eye is, it is not just an all powerful entity which rules over the Nowhere, the eye entity/all seeing eye....IS the Nowhere, and this alone was something I and many other theorists gradually realized was always revealed... as far back as the first games DLC. In the Little Nightmares DLC: The Residence, the Runaway Kid came across various things within the lady's vast library, including a giant astrolabe depicting the all seeing eye's various eyes, looking down on the ancient instrument used to locate positions in time and space, an instrument which always revealed the all seeing eye's capability in finding the worlds beyond the threshold, primarily the human world the children originated from. In terms of the eye entity being the Nowhere itself, well....what more could we have had to confirm this than the globe in the Lady's library depicting the world and its entirety as one giant eye, the very one Noone met in chp. 6.

The eye entity has always been depicted maintaining a constant watch over everyone and everything, and while some parts of it could be encountered in the form of a fleshy mass, such as the flesh walls within the Tower and the Mall of chp. 3 of The Sounds of Nightmares, it had yet to be fully seen in the game, and now we know why...it was always hidden in a space far beyond any normal person's reach, the Threshold . The eye entity itself remains hidden within the darkness of the Threshold, along with its many eyes, eyes which can easily be mistaken for twinkling lights and constellations while in the Threshold, eyes which were also foreshadowed all throughout the world, both in the game and on the very merchandise we purchased.

Based on what we have gathered, each eye can be an entirely new location, the very Spiral we will get to journey in Little Nightmares 3, and just as we have always theorized, each eye can take on the shape of an entirely new structure, such as the Mall in chp 3 of TSON. We have always theorized structures such as the tower and the Maw were extensions of the eye entity itself, and though they act on their own, we always theorized they were all connected, like a building with different floors as Noone put it in chp. 5. But out of everything which makes up the Nowhere/eye entity, we have always theorized the most crucial piece in its ongoing survival...is humans.

Though there is still so much to learn about the Nowhere/eye entity, what we can be certain of is the place it currently resides, the Threshold, and though this endless dark abyss has thus far ensured the eye entity/Nowhere's safety, this abyss is still as empty and endless as Noone said it was, meaning there is nothing for the Nowhere to survive on, and much like any living being, in order to continue living and thriving...the Nowhere itself must feed.

We have always theorized the children were crucial for the eye entity/Nowhere's survival. However, although The Nowhere may prefer to consume the children for their youth and purity, it is not limited to just them, teens such as those in chp. 4 of TSON, as well as adults like Otto, can also be accepted, meaning one thing... all of humanity is more than suitable for the eye entity/Nowhere, its just a matter of how they are prepared.

What am I trying to say? Well, We have always theorized obtaining children and making them suitable enough for the eye entity's consumption, was not something it could do on its own, it required the aid of its Residents, like the Ferryman. While the eye entity/Nowhere's hypnotic light is capable of enchanting and controlling the minds of anyone who falls victim to it, it cannot affect the minds of those who have yet to fully grasp the full severity of their miserable situation. In order to be affected by the eye entity's hypnotic light, humans must grow desperate enough to seek an escape from the cruel reality around them, and who else is better suited to set things in motion than the Residents, many of whom were once children themselves before the Nowhere/eye entity finally changed them, like the sewer man in chp. 5 of TSON. Crazy thing is, we had always theorized humans knew about the existence of the Nowhere/eye entity, about monstrous Residents like the Ferryman ...sad to say, we were far more accurate than we had hoped.

In chp, 5 of The Sounds of Nightmares, Otto states the Ferryman had been documented in various cultures around the world... for centuries. Theorists and I had always theorized that humans had known about the eye entity/the Nowhere and its Residents for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, we also theorized the humans who knew of the Nowhere and the Residents existence, had played them off as nothing more than stories, myths, all of which held a warning many were quick to cast aside. No matter the warning, many humans refused to accept the possibility of their lives actually falling into danger at the hands of the monstrous beings they had always been told about, but refused to acknowledge were actually real, leaving them incapable of taking better action to learn how to defend themselves against the looming horrors from the other side and prevent further tragedy. Those who were willing to accept the existence of the Nowhere and the Residents, were cast aside as lunatics, such as Otto's old professor, his former colleagues, the parapsychologists over the centuries who obsessed over the Ferryman and the existence of the Nowhere...even the humpback girl from the little nightmares issue #1 comic....all of them, were ridiculed for their knowledge.

We may not yet know the full extend of the stories humans build around the existence of the eye entity/Nowhere and the Residents like the Ferryman, but what is certain is a large part of the world has always been aware of these myths and stories for all those hundreds of years....question is.... how long has the Nowhere existed? For the longest time, the mystery of the eye entity's origins remained unknown, and in a way it still is. The eye entity itself appears to have originated from the dark abyss of the threshold, but we have yet to know how its existence came to be. I, and many other theorists, had theorized humanity itself could only trace the existence of the Nowhere and the Ferryman as far back as humanity had learned to take notice of their looming presence, and if what we theorized is true, then could this potentially mean the eye entity/Nowhere itself had always existed far longer than what was recorded in human history ?....honestly who's to say....

Thus far, this is the sum of what I and many other theorists have put together about the world of the Nowhere and the human/waking world. And yet...something doesn't make sense...Though the two worlds seem so very far apart, they are far closer together than they appeared to be. Otto stated the Ferryman alone was proof of the connection between the two worlds...but unlike the humans... it is the Ferryman who is ABLE to see and hear into the human/waking world, while also being UNABLE to physically cross over from the Threshold to the human world as the children are capable of doing when they journey to and from the Nowhere, but why? Well...Noone did say the Ferryman did not belong to the human world, meaning he has never been capable of physically crossing over to it...and yet...what if he was always trying to....

In chp. 6 of TSON the Ferryman reveals he could hear everything Otto was saying to him, from the Threshold. Now, what does this mean? It means throughout TSON, Otto and Noone were never alone in their sessions, the Ferryman was watching them, hearing every word, seeing every action without either Noone or Otto knowing he was there. Otto gradually realized the Ferryman was watching and listening, but wondered why he couldn't see or sense the Nowhere and the Ferryman for himself, then quickly realized there was a veil up, like a two way mirror, only it was all of humanity who was stuck on the side of the mirror where you can't see through the glass. The Ferryman was always aware of what was happening without ever being seen... then again...maybe his presence was always shown. Anytime the Ferryman was spoken of, anytime his words were repeated...something strange happened...the audio in chp. 2,3,5...it glitched, it became distorted, as if there was something else interfering with the recording... as if... someone else was trying to break through...was it the Ferryman?...maybe.... But if it truly was the Ferryman attempting to break through to the other side, which he eventually did...at least vocally anyway in chp.6, then why would he?

The Ferryman and the Nowhere/eye entity have gone on throughout the centuries, taking child after child, while remaining hidden within the darkness, looking on as all of humanity was unable to find them, their existence passed on as stories and myths, and nothing more....then again....what if this was not what they wanted... Where am I going with this? Well...parapsychologists of the human world state the stories of numerous cultures believed the Ferryman stops anyone from entering any unseen worlds, even Otto himself believed the Ferryman was determined to keep him out of the Nowhere...but if this was ever true, then....why would the Ferryman push Otto to pursue his research to find a way into Nowhere? (more here) Was the Ferryman just toying with Otto?... No, if he was, he wouldn't have given Otto the information he needed to figure out how to cross over...then again...maybe it was never about what the Ferryman wanted..maybe...it was always about what the Nowhere wanted.

In chp. 5 of The Sounds of Nightmares, Otto spoke of a weather phenomenon unique to the Counties, a swirling mist known to be followed by a downpour, a storm. But the way Otto described this "weather phenomenon", it was almost as if there really was never anything normal about it...because what if maybe...just maybe....it was never just some freak weather, so what was it?

The night the bizarre swirling mist set in, was the night Otto first used his apparatus on Noone in an attempt to see the Nowhere, and to the shock of the readers, as well as Otto himself... it worked. The night Otto tested his apparatus, was the night he caught his first glimpse of the eye entity/Nowhere within the Threshold... and all the while Otto noticed the eye entity staring back at him with its intense light growing ever more powerful, the swirling mists storm could in turn be heard outside... growing stronger and stronger.

And yet, the moment the apparatus exploded, unable to withstand the presence of the eye entity/Nowhere, something odd happens...the storm we all heard raging on outside, the very storm which grew stronger the more the apparatus worked in connecting the two worlds....dies down...but why?...maybe we always knew. While the bizarre interference within the audio of TSON could have been the Ferryman trying to break through to the other side, does this mean the bizarre swirling mist and storm within the Counties was in itself, never just some freak weather? But rather...a sign of something much bigger trying to break through?...something far more powerful than the Ferryman...something like...the Nowhere.

We have always theorized the eye entity/Nowhere was the one which commanded all the Residents of its world , as well as anyone like Noone who fell prey to its hypnotic light, meaning maybe...just maybe...it was never the Ferryman who wanted to cross over to the human world...it was the Nowhere itself... If it was, then what does this mean for the children of the game?...What does this mean for the home they all hope to return to?... I guess we'll just have to wait and see...but then again...we have always theorized The Sounds of Nightmares, was no ordinary story...it was the origin story to the start of something...catastrophic. The two worlds, the waking/human world and the world of the Nowhere, though seemingly separate from one another...may be far closer together than we might think...But hey! It's just a theory...a Little Nightmares theory.

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softgrungeprophet · 9 days

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i think... while i disagree with the notorious choices in terms of adaptations of Lolita I can understand to some extent a dilemma inherent in the text as it is (unreliable narrator and all) which is mainly that HH is by his nature a charismatic and attractive character in-the-fiction, by which I mean women are attracted to him in-universe, and he is able to garner various people's trust and so on and so forth, you know to the point of Dolores' mother proposing to him and all of that stuff. He doesn't "seem" suspicious or shifty to the outside observer.

The benefit of the written word and it being from Humbert's POV is that you do not see his charisma or handsomeness the way the other characters do, you see all of his ulterior motives and schemings inside of his own head. And even through the veil of his attraction to her you can see that Dolores is a child who he has power over.

I think if I were tasked to try to do all of that (the book) in a visual form the approach that makes the most sense to me would be to keep the camera off of Dolly as much as possible, make it largely a child POV camera angle even w/ narration from HH and being from his point of view as a work of fiction— and also to use a man who is not just handsome, but also very physically intimidating, by which I mean incredibly tall and capable of turning his expressions into grotesques. also like, very blue-eyed probably. pale blue eyed.

Obviously this still kind of betrays some of the element of like, he's not supposed to look untrustworthy necessarily but to a child in this situation shouldn't he look kind of, well, monstrous? And then when viewed by other characters he is simply affable, charming, perhaps a little mysterious or opaque but very much the "charismatic learned man" whose opinions are valued by society and who no one would ever suspect of a thing. because that's a constant problem IRL obviously. oh he was always such a smart young man. so promising. i can't believe he'd ever do such a horrible thing. blah blah blah

and then when the camera is inevitably on the child, I think it would be to emphasize the child's point of view, that Dolly is very young, frightened, sad, and isolated. That she cries herself to sleep every night. and honestly the book itself has those kinds of moments anyway even through HH's eyes where he has these brief, supposed instances of conscience, but obviously doesn't change himself at all, or stop.

idk i was just thinking about it this morning... how can this be done, how can that be done, etc. etc.

#wired: casting Jim Carrey (not really. i think he's a great actor and he is actually attractive but the typecasting is hard to detach)#(but i mean. count olaf? great example of the charm vs the monster albeit in a more cartoonishly exaggerated way)#ftr if you haven't read the book and if you are able to read the book (given the subject matter) i think it's worth a read #i would say if you are ''comfortable'' reading the book but i think that would be a kind of self-defeating suggestion #it's an inherently uncomfortable book lol #nadia rambles #absolutely despise the cover treatment of my paperback copy fwiw. completely missing the entire point of the book.#(it's the one with a closeup of a girl's mouth)

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thecreaturecodex · 1 year

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Brainchild

Image © Paizo Publishing, accessed at Archives of Nethys here

[I mentioned earlier that Bestiary 3 is my favorite of the PF2e main monster books. The brainchild is part of the reason why. I was going through the As and Bs with a fair bit of enjoyment, but this is the first monster in the book that made me sit up and take notice. I’ve streamlined and regulated the urban legend ability a bit more than the PF2e version, which states that the same brainchild might have different abilities in the same combat against different characters! That’s a lot of bookkeeping, so I wanted to make it a bit easier to play. I also expanded the types of spell-like abilities it could have access to. So if you want to make Candyman and have him summon swarms of bees, or give a brainchild Freddy Krueger’s nightmare ability, you can.]

Brainchild CR 11 CE Aberration This humanoid creature appears as a twisted, shadowy hag, her grin filled with sharp teeth and her claws perpetually blood-stained.

A brainchild is an urban legend come to life. In places where fears run high, especially where the boundaries between the Material and Shadow Planes are thin, any mysterious death or unexplained sighting might inspire the creation of a brainchild. No two brainchildren are alike, and they may take humanoid, bestial or stranger forms. Most people in a community haunted by a brainchild believe the creature to be a fiend, an undead, a monstrous beast or some other more tangible entity. As stories expand and rumors spread, the same brainchild may even take on new appearances or abilities.

Because of their disparate legends, no two brainchildren fight with exactly the same strategy, but there are some common themes. A brainchild’s most powerful attack is an illusory weapon of some kind, a signature move that inflicts mental, not physical damage (although it may certainly resemble a gout of flame, a hyperextensible claw, or some other more mundane weapon). They prefer ambush and slaughter to a straight up fight, attempting to kill the weakest seeming enemy at once with a phantasmal killer spell. Enemies that recognize that a brainchild is a mental creature can use that to weaken the monster, disbelieving its abilities until it is a shell of its typical power.

Areas haunted by a brainchild tend to attract other monsters. Fear-obsessed fey such as bogeymen and meenlocks are drawn to a brainchild the way a moth is drawn to a flame. Popobawas love brainchildren as if they were literal children, and try to bring them into existence in a community by hiding their own presence. All of these added horrors tend to reinforce a brainchild’s existence, as the stories get blurred together and the reputation of the region as monster-haunted increases. The only way to permanently destroy a brainchild is to convince everyone living in the area that it truly is dead. Most brainchildren accumulate rumors of their weaknesses—a particular sword can slay one, they can only die if a specific song is sung over their fresh body, etc. Some of the most dangerous and powerful brainchildren are those that return after a long absence. When an old diary is read or regional folklore is collected, a brainchild may be called back into existence, and the means to put it down again may not be as well remembered.

Brainchild CR 11 XP 12,800 CE Large aberration Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +18 Aura frightful presence (100 ft., Will DC 25) Defense AC 27, touch 15, flat-footed 21 (-1 size, +5 Dex, +1 dodge, +12 natural) hp 136 (16d8+64) Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +13 DR 10/cold iron; Immune cold, death effects, disease, fear; SR 22 Defensive Abilities persistence of memory, undetectable Offense Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (good) Melee 2 claws +15 (1d8+4 plus bleed), bite +15 (2d6+4 plus bleed) Ranged illusory weapon +16 (8d6+7) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks bleed (1d6) Spell-like Abilities CL 11th, concentration +18 (+22 casting defensively) At will—ghost sound (DC 17) 3/day—dimension door, phantasmal killer (DC 21), sending 1/day—cone of cold (DC 22) Statistics Str 18, Dex 21, Con 18, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 25 Base Atk +12; CMB +19; CMD 35 Feats Blind Fight, Combat Casting, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Skill Focus (Bluff) Skills Bluff +25, Fly +22, Intimidate +22, Knowledge (local) +17, Perception +18, Perform (oratory) +19, Sense Motive +15, Stealth +16 Languages telepathy 100 ft., truespeech SQ urban legend (bleed, blindsense, cone of cold, DR/cold iron, frightful presence, immune to cold, SR) Ecology Environment urban or any land Organization solitary Treasure standard Special Abilities Illusory Weapon (Su) As a standard action, a brainchild can make an attack with an illusory weapon. Treat this as a ranged attack with a range of 100 feet and no range increment. A creature struck takes d6s of damage equal to ½ the brainchild’s HD, plus the brainchild’s Charisma modifier (8d6+7 for the average specimen). This damage is typeless, but creatures immune to mind-influencing damage are immune to this effect, and the illusory weapon is treated as a mind thrust III spell for the purposes of interacting with mental barrier and similar effects. Persistence of Memory (Ex) A brainchild is restored to life 2d4 days after it is slain, unless everyone in the community it haunts believes it to be truly dead. Undetectable (Ex) A brainchild is immune to divination spells and effects that would detect it or determine its alignment or other auras. It is not immune to divination spells and effects that deal damage, such as mind thrust spells. Urban Legend (Su) All brainchildren have a suite of abilities, based on what people believe about them. A brainchild may choose from any of the following abilities, and may take multiple abilities of the same type as long as they do not cancel each other out (for example, two immunities).

An additional natural weapon that deals damage as normal for a creature of its size

All natural weapons deal an additional 1d6 points of damage. This damage may be acid, bleed, cold, electricity, fire, force, negative energy or sonic damage.

Damage reduction 10/cold iron or DR 10/silver

Spell resistance equal to 10 + CR

Immune to an energy type or school of magic

A 5th or 6th level spell usable as a spell-like ability 1/day, or a 3rd or 4th level spell usable as a spell-like ability 3/day

Blindsense or tremorsense 60 ft.

Frightful presence (100 foot radius)

A brainchild may have a number of abilities equal to its Charisma modifier (+7 for the average specimen). A brainchild may take an 8th ability if it also takes a vulnerability to an energy type. As a standard action, a character within 100 feet of a brainchild may attempt to make a Perception or Sense Motive check, opposed by the brainchild’s Bluff check. If it succeeds, it treats the brainchild as if it doesn’t have one of its abilities (of the character’s choice) for 24 hours. If it fails, it cannot attempt to disbelieve that same ability for the next 24 hours. During that time, that character can spend a standard action to aid another character’s Perception or Sense Motive check against the same ability and grant them a +4 bonus on their skill check to disbelieve.

#brainchild #aberration #horror movies #pathfinder 1e #pathfinder 2e

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dailycharacteroption · 6 months

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Roleplaying Races 14: Wyrwood

(art by James Anderson on Artstation)

Our next entry, much like gathlains, trox, and wyvarans, started out as one of the completely new “example” ancestries that were created to demonstrate how the race builder rules from Advanced Race Guide could be used to create entirely new playable options, and not just turn your favorite monstrous humanoids into something you could play as.

And unlike the bestiary-only options, those species actually got development, lore, and character options! In particular, today we are looking at wyrwoods!

Originally created to demonstrate a construct playable option (which really pushed the limits of the builder’s ruleset), the wyrwoods barely had any abilities at all aside from “it’s got all the construct immunities and weaknesses.”

However, since then, these diminutive automatons have gotten both lore and ability updates to really flesh them out, literally in one case.

Overall, they have elements of “ancient robots”, “freed automatons distrustful of fleshlings” and other such tropes built into their design.

The first wyrwoods were created by the ancient Azlanti, animating frames of metal and wood a powerful ioun stone (or aeon stone as they are called now) as the power source and possibly the seat of their consciousness. The enclave that created them had succeeded in creating intelligent constructs with souls and wills of their own, but with sapience comes the ability to question, and the wyrwoods wondered why they had to be involved in the conflict between the Azlanti and the Alghollthu in the last years of the empire.

When forced to fight against the horrors of the deep, the wyrwoods rebelled and fled, taking with them the secret of their creation, where they weathered the destruction of Azlant. To this day, these pragmatic people seek their own survival and have sworn to never be under the thumb of any other species ever again.

About halfling-sized, wyrwoods are humanoid constructs of wood and metal, the exact shape varying by the artistic aesthetics of the “parent” that built them, as well as any repairs or upgrades they themselves have made since that time. They all sport an aeon stone matrix somewhere in their body, but this may or may not be visible, and is not easily removed in any case.

The diminutive machines have a limited capacity for emotion, focusing primarily on logic and survival, and what emotions they have are treated as motivating tools rather than a part of their core being.

Wyrwood society is defined by their distrust of all organics, who once enslaved them, and by their desire to survive and live free, which is why they guard the secret of their creation so fiercely. The most horrible thing to these constructs is the thought of an entire population of new wyrwoods manufactured to be slaves and servants, not knowing the freedom of the rest of their people, or worse, accepting it as normal.

That isn’t to say that wyrwoods refuse all contact with flesh people. Indeed, sometimes envoys are sent abroad, particularly to places where constructs are made and studied, but they prefer not to stay long, especially when humans and other fleshlings reveal malicious intent that makes their fears into reality.

Wyrwoods are agile and always thinking, but their distrust makes it hard to endear themselves to others.

As constructs, they boast an impressive array of immunities and defenses compared to living creatures. However, it also means they cannot benefit from most healing magic.

As smaller beings, they are quite agile but also lack leverage, inhibiting their strength.

They also sport impressive night vision.

Of course, not all wyrwoods are built the same, and I mean that in a very literal sense. Some were designed to be supportive of others of their kind and even other constructs, able to channel magic to repair them. Others used different materials in their construction for the physical and mystical benefits. Some may contain religious relics that allow them to provide divine blessings, or have bodies mostly constructed of the remains of wands and staves, increasing their reserve of arcane energy. Some may have parts from the First World, and have an uncanny ability to befriend animals as a result, while others may be constructed of salvaged materials from battle sites or ruins, able to channel a small measure of violent destruction into their attacks. Perhaps the strangest of all are those who have incorporated living matter into their bodies (typically plant life, but there are experimental possibilities), the result being constructs that blur the lines between automaton and living being. While this gets rid of many of their immunities, they can be resurrected as if they were ordinary living creatures.

With their intelligence and agility, the most natural classes for wyrwoods are rogue and investigator, what with their focus on dexterity and having lots of skills, though alchemist, wizard, and other intelligence-based casters are also good picks as well. The charisma penalty does limit them somewhat with charisma casters and charming builds, but this can be circumvented. The only classes that I would avoid them are barbarian, bard, and skald, as they can’t benefit from morale bonuses, preventing many core features from being of any use to them without special archetypes.

That does it for today, but we’re far from done! See you tomorrow!

#pathfinder #race #wyrwood #Advanced Race Guide #Inner Sea Races #Bestiary 4 #Heroes of Golarion

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see-arcane · 2 years

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i feel like the novel dracula is like step by step "how to make a monster" story, t has all the beats for it.

because jonathan harker in his quest now is no knight in shining armor to slay the dragon, duty-bound and honor-driven with the others' safety in mind, solemnly risking death for his duty. he was a pure and innocent polite young man, but one who has been turning into a wrathful, cold, hopeless lovesick killer who for vengeance would sell his soul, welcome the rope, and dive into hell to inflict judgment himself

i'm glad you can see this because god. the Potential.

The thing is, Dracula was a pioneer novel for a lot of possibilities in horror. Whether Stoker was intentional in all of it or just snuck in a bunch of happy accidents for future readers to catch is up in the air, but they are there.

The combination of different genre lenses--gothic horror start in the castle, dwindling party log on the Demeter, psychological thriller in Whitby, supernatural medical mystery in Lucy's illness, fully aware-conversion/infection threat with Mina's attack, hunt/exorcise the monster after that--all of these stand alone as their own novel-in-potentia, but also all make sense together as perspectives and intel for the characters evolve. It's an amazing medley of narratives to make the Big Narrative, and I can believe that Stoker had true intention behind all of them.

But not with what I--and a ton of others!--are uncovering with the Jonathan Harker Could Be/Become a Monster vein.

The implications for Jonathan and his potential change for the worse in mental, moral, and monstrous states are obvious to us because we get to enjoy a lot of media dedicated to the "How to Make a Monster," genre of horror/thriller. The closest I think Stoker's era had was the old tragedies where the hero trips and falls on their own hubris or some cruel circumstances forcing them into an ugly ending and evil actions.

But where a tragedy is meant only to be sad, and like Lucy and Mina's harrowing and choice-free dragging into undeath is frightening without any moral qualms, something like our good friend Jonathan standing at the edge of selling his soul for love and--overlooked by everyone else in the book!--slipping into a literal physical metamorphosis wholly unaware of the change? That had never been done. That wasn't even a possibility.

Stoker shows Jonathan is willing to exist as a monster with Mina. He's willing to deny her double-death and, quite likely, defend her from the others if they make a move to keep their oath. While holding his kukri. While the rest of the crew have no idea what kind of threat is sitting among them and what might happen if they fail to save Mina. But, spoilers, it's all bluff! Because of course it is! Happy endings abound!

If not?

Well, that would mean we really were watching the cruel foundation of something so twisted it hadn't really slipped into the literary realm at the time.

Love as corruption. The Good Man made into a Horror despite doing everything as right as he could until God seemingly tore all His protection away from his assaulted and Wafer-burned beloved. The steady slip of morality and humanity off a precipice that, in the best horror movie form, only the audience is allowed to pick up on while the heroes go on clueless about the invisible danger in their midst. Worse, there's the implication that, in true cyclic tragedy fashion, Jonathan is willing to cave to Mina the Vampire; which would imply Dracula has survived and must also be bowed to.

"But I am in hopes that I shall see more of you at Castle Dracula."

Can you imagine? Risking his mortal life to avoid the Brides' embrace, to die a man rather than be kept in the Count's cage of a castle. Only to have his traitor heart drag him spiritually blasted and red-handed back over its threshold and under the thumb of the same monster who imprisoned him to begin with. For love.

Damnation complete. And why? What brought him to such a point?

Because he was doing his job. Because he did his best to help end the monster. Because he went along with the others' societally 'proper' lead in closing Mina off, chafing all the while. Because he was, he is, always will be in love with Mina, cherishing her above God and all the things that had failed her--including himself.

How depressing. How richly, horrifically depressing.

It is ripe with potential. So much of the psychological and supernatural elements Stoker sprinkles throughout the book are. As to the particular form of monstrosity Jonathan turns to in Barking Harker? I hope to realize something unique in his transformation beyond simple vampirism. Likewise for others.

Van Helsing and the Suitors Three are due a little fresh perspective, I think. A drastic one.

#I am full of many words and now you must all suffer the consequences #jonathan harker #monster jonathan harker #dracula #barking harker #dracula daily #bram stoker

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0nelittlebirdtoldme · 1 year

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I have an nfsw vamp question. If you’ll humor me. We see Lestat and Louis have sex multiple times in Interview with the vampire. And in the book. Duh. It’s implied that Dracula has sex in nearly any version of media we see him in. Edward Cullen and Bella must have had sex in order to have a baby, and of course you have your own smuts that you write yourself, birdie. So that leads me to my question: How does it work? Anatomically? For vampires? I mean they’re undead but clearly certain tools still work. Please explain, because I can’t compute

Please, we just talked about this yesterday on the server – also, how dare you use logic against me?

Either way, of course I had to make this an essay, so thank you for entertaining me. I will try to keep this PG friendly. Please take this with a grain of salt. This is just my own, pseudo-scientific explanation. If you have a different take, that is perfectly fine as well! I’d actually would like to know other suggestions for this dilemma!

Vampire Dicks and their Mechanics

First things first, I want to point out that there are some adaptations in which vampires do have a form of heartbeat; whether a normal one or it being, for example, heavily slowed like in A Dowry of Blood. That said, I am not overly familiar with the mechanics/biology of the Vampire Chronicles’ vampires – I have only seen the show and read half of the first novel.

Anyway, this is just my head canon, and the solution I most often use for fic writing on my own. Of course, I could just handwave this and say “idk, magic or something” but why make things easy, huh?

The Bloodstream

In my understanding, vampires don’t have a heartbeat or pulse. That said, they can and do bleed, so there must be a constant support, flow, and renewal of blood inside their bodies happening. I did like @alpaca-clouds suggestion from yesterday, namely that blood flow does exist, but it no longer goes via the heart, but instead is kept moving through magic. Perhaps because, as monstrous creatures, they are (metaphorically) heartless?

The Biology

My Vampires do have access to all of their senses. They feel touch and pain, but simply in a different way (for example, since their own body temperature is lowered, they don’t really feel cold outside) and are receptive to it, meaning that they have fully functioning nerves. They can, therefore, get aroused in the conventional way (direct stimulation) in addition to my head canon that drinking blood is for vampire kin inherently arousing. Since the act is very intimate, intense and sensual, there is little distinction between food and sex. Drinking from someone, whether human or vampire, can therefore very well result in literal, physical arousal. On top of that, I love writing vampire venom, which is transferred through a bite, working like an aphrodisiac - you see, there are many ways for a vamp to get hot and bothered.

The Produce

So; vampires can feel arousal, can get aroused, and stay aroused. Where does now the actual release come from?

To reference back to Dracula: Vampires can age, when they don’t drink blood for a long time, and grow younger again, as they consume it it. Therefore, in addition to the common trope of a fast regeneration factor and advanced healing, their bodies must be able to produce new cells, while old ones die off. In my personal head canon this means that they can grow (body) hair. Their nails, if cut, would grow back. If a vampire drinks a lot of blood, he will have to use a toilet, even if I don’t ever mention it in my fics (although, who wants to read about that, honestly?). Vampires can produce sweat, blood, spit and tears. So, why make the exception in regard to all things concerning sexual intercourse?

To sum up

Despite often times being portrayed as having no heartbeat, vampires can get erections and ejaculate.

#thank you for indulging me anon #i made this way more detailed that it should have been #tumblr ask #vampires #dracula #a dowry of blood #interview with the vampire #amc iwtv #dracula daily #my fic

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stewyonmolly · 10 months

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what makes you think stewy has a significantly deeper capacity for love than the roys? in the context of them all being part of the same parasitic landscape it kinda feels like comparing a guy who's 85% soulless to the guys who are 96% soulless which ig is still a difference but not rly a meaningful one

no yeah that’s a valid perspective! i think that (a small part of) stewy is in denial over how much he cares, which makes him “fit” w the roys and the professionals that surround him more seamlessly (always a performer); he knows how to act to get what he wants (something the roys do not know how to do all the time). he shows his love with varying degrees of “social normalcy” (physical touch vs for example the trojan horse) just as the roys do (any of the times they kiss each other upon meeting up vs hug of death to put roman down in the finale). a lot of this comes down to performance vs honesty. the siblings’ love for each other, for all their other neuroses, tends to be honest. we don’t know enough about stewy to absolutely say the same.

we could dissect every second of screen time to determine the ways kendall roman and shiv are able versus unable to “perform” or “exhibit” love per social standards and structures and we still wouldn’t have clear answers—**and it really doesn’t fucking matter how they show the love because the love is undeniably there!!!!** the tit-for-tat would be endless: stewy does show his love in socially typical ways (which is up to interpretation as well!! you could think he’s being primarily manipulative when he touches ken on screen. i just don’t think that personally); the roys MATCH HIM in that sense—a hug after daddy dies, holding hands to tell their brother the news: the tragedy of losing someone who they needed MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE to love them is the inciting action for them falling onto the next most similar form of love: their siblings. thus the development of the sibs’ relationships through s4, clinging then pushing away, kissing and biting, their father’s children all the way through. we don’t get to see stewy with anyone other than the roys, sandies, the old guard, hired staff, and briefly & from a distance josh. so there’s not much in the source material to prove he has a greater capacity for love! which is why i totally understand where you’re coming from!

i really don’t want this to seem like i think all the roys are is monstrous. if you’ve spent 2 seconds on my blog you know i don’t think that so i am assuming you’re asking this in good faith!!!!

to pivot slightly, when i write about kenstewy’s love specifically, i’m not saying stewy’s love is “better” or “worth more” or “realer” than the roys’, but i think STEWY feels like it means that—specifically he thinks he loves kendall better than anyone else does. since i write so much from stewy’s perspective i bet it seems like i’m saying that all the time lol, and when i write from kendall’s perspective i write him in a way where he’s obsessed w how much he loves stewy & stewy loves him, because to his father/family it WAS quantifiable. ratable. whatever

**for the sake of this discussion, i will say again that i don’t think for a moment such a thing as love/an amount of love can be literally numerically quantified!! & to be super clear i also strongly believe it has NO relation to one’s morality.** so i’m not saying stewy is a better person. everything i’ve said on this topic is meant to support the thesis that the enormous amount of love the roys invest in their father impacts the way they are able to show love to all other characters. i think stewy loves the shit out of his family; i also think kendall is the most important person in his life. i think kendall loves the shit out of stewy; i also think his family are the most important people in his life.

i don’t have super concrete views on the topic, as i think this answer demonstrates!

tl;dr the real reason i feel this way is because of the soul arian instills into the performance. it’s less what’s on paper and more what he brought in his dark lambent eyes

#soent a full hour trying to word this while in a meeting i’m so sorry if it doesn’t make sense. it feels redundant but i can’t stare at it #anymore #succession #kenstewy

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whatyourusherthinks · 3 months

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Howl's Movie Castle Review

What's with the Ghibli movies? Well the theater is just doing a month of Miyazaki films right now, and I'm taking the opportunity to watch all of them and lessen my Ghibli blind spot. And boy howdy, am I glad I am. Next week is My Neighbor Totoro, but I've seen that before so I'm not sure if I'll review it.

What's The Movie About?

Sophie is a quiet haberdasher who one day gets saved by a very handsome wizard, cursed by a witch to become old, then works for the handsome wizard as his housecleaner while trying to break her curse and get him to fall in love with her. Howl is the name of the wizard, by the way. (I feel like my synopses get worse every review.) Also, war is happening and it's bad.

What I Like.

There is so much about this movie that specifically tickles me. Obviously the animation is excellent, it's Studio Ghibli. With Howl's specifically I was admiring the backgrounds, I love how busy they are with little trinkets and knickknacks all over the titular castle. I also really like the characters. Sophie is an almost perfect protagonist for me. She's driven, yet not obnoxious. She can be both funny and dramatic, she makes a positive impact on everyone she meets, but she's also flawed. Howl's gonna get his own paragraph, but I love all the Moving Castle family members. I really like Markl's wizard disguise. Calcifer is also great and funny, I really like how demons work in the movie. I'm totally gonna steal the swallowing stars to turn your heart into a demon thing for an RPG, it's so cool. I also really like the Witch of the Wastes, and I like that even after she is welcomed the family she's still very selfish and vice-prone. And there's even a dog character I like! I really love the magic in the movie. I don't know if I can explain this properly, but I love when magic is unknowable but has definitions. Like when a fantasy story has a wizard who just seems to be able to do whatever they hell they want just by flicking their wrist or whispering a word, and then they come across something magical and they turn to their non-magic friends and is like "These are the Runes of Shiiiiiiiii'rak. I read a tome that will help me translate the spell they inscribe." I think that's cool. I don't mind if a story goes full unknowable or reality warping magic, but I find stories that try to explain magic fully get bogged down by minutia of it all and rarely ever make sense. I also really like when magic has a lot of physical components to it, like magicians need to take damage or physically manipulate magic to get their spells to work, like when Howl removes the Witch's message from the table. The worldbuilding in this movie is fantastic. I mentioned the demon heart thing, but I also like the designs of the flying machines that the two nations have, the goop creatures employed by both the Witch of the Wastes and the armies are kinda freaky to be honest, and again, the Moving Castle looks so cool! The movie starts with a shot of the Castle, which is the perfect opening. The final shot is also perfect, now that I think about it.

And finally, Howl. This portion is literally just going to be gushing about how hot he is, so skip to the next session if you don't care. He is so goddamn sexy. I almost never get on with playboy characters, because more often than not their personalities are so horrendous that it makes no sense that anyone would want to sleep with them. I totally get why Howl has the reputation he has. Not only is his first introduction with Sophie incredibly smooth, he actually has a pretty likable personality. I mean, he has his moments of being obnoxious, but once they explain why I totally sympathized. Also, and this is obviously just a me thing, but I liked all his monstrous forms. I like birds, and monsters, and he's a bird monster. Basically it doesn't matter what he looked like, I'd still let him fuck me if he wanted. I'm not sorry.

What I Didn't Like.

Admittedly, the story feels like two plots that don't quite mesh together. I wouldn't even call it a case of "we're just examining what this world is like" since they are both equally prominent in the story. It just feels like the curse story wasn't long enough for a feature film so they added the anti-war story as well. Also, there was like one scene where Howl is a bitch and Sophie runs off to cry and I wasn't sure why it was happening, but I got to see Ghibli's gorgeous tears animation and so I ain't mad.

Final Summation.

As of time of writing, I have seen 5 Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki movies. This, Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, and The Boy and the Heron. I like them all. But Howl's is my favorite.

Listen. It may not be the most polished movie ever. The plot is more like two smashed together. But goddamn do I like the characters. And goddamn is the world cool. And goddamn is the animation gorgeous. And goddamn is Howl HOT! GET OFF MY BACK SPIRITED AWAY STANS!

#Howl's Moving Castle #Recommended Movies

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gryptids · 9 months

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*breaks down your door* OCS ASKS!!!!

Cule: 20 and D for Saoirse, 34 for Cara, 43 for Vic, 7 and G for Jude

TGG: 23 for Luce, 38 and F for Maria, 28 and B for Alaric, 22 for Leander

annnnnd 40 and E for &Lav!!

HE HE HE >:3C Thank u so much for askin!! Answers will all be below the cut :]

CULE:

(Saoirse) 20: If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so? Re: platonic and romantic love, it's not too different for them! I don't think they see much of a distinction -- for them, relationships are very cyclical, so it's more about the point in the cycle the relationship is in (growing & then fading closeness/intimacy) than other distinctions. For example, she considers Victor a friend, but has a deep, intimate dynamic with him that involves sex. It's more about what the other party wants to classify the relationship as; if they had it her way, she wouldn't label them at all.

(Saoirse) D: Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look? Nope! Saoirse went through a big change when I was first settling on character designs. They've always been goth, but she originally had a different hairstyle (natural hair w/ braids on the sides to emulate a fauxhawk) AND was plus size! I knew I wanted to have plus size characters in the cast, because the splinters can 'choose' what form they pick, and I wanted to demonstrate that fatness was something people can and would chose to be if social and medical stigma around size didn't exist. But then I read a book called “Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia” by Sabrina Strings, where she argues that "slim, desirable white women [are explicitly and figuratively juxtaposed] against corpulent, seemingly monstrous black women." Well... I had made a thin white woman and a fat Black femme (who was also somewhat monstrous as a part of the story) as juxtaposed parties. That book as well as some gift art I received from YOU made me reconsider which characters I wanted to be fat -- and I eventually settled on Carolyn and Victor. I gave Saoirse another one of my favorite body types instead -- broad shoulders, narrow waist!

(Cara) 34: How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt? Ooh, this is a juicy question. Cara tends to move to the beat of her own drum; the rules that society holds aren't necessarily the ones she believes in or follows in her day-to-day life. Where she feels the most guilt is when she feels like she's failed by her own metrics; when she can't live up to the ideals she holds for herself. She pretends it doesn't affect her when she fails to live up to her own expectations, but it will eat away at her until she directs her frustration at the nearest target.

(Victor) 43: If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so? "I'm bi. Why, you interested?" (In fact, the entire quartet is bisexual! As a bisexual myself, it's very important for me to increase bi visibility through my characters. Plus, that way I can smash them together in whichever configurations I please <3)

(Jude) 7: What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling? Answered here!

(Jude) G: What trait of theirs bothers you the most? There's plenty to get bothered over when it comes to Jude, but the trait that bothers me the most is his obtuseness; he REFUSES to be vulnerable with others, and instead thinks he can guess what someone will like better than they can judge for themself. Instead of just letting someone fall in love with him, he tries to put on a show and tailor himself to their expectations. That and his (related) milquetoast opinions bug the hell out of me. Where's the vulnerability?? Where's the locked-and-loaded rant about your least favorite pastry????? He won't risk being 'wrong' for someone, which inevitably means that he's never right for someone either.

TGG:

(Lucia) 23: How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)? She gets VERY competitive when envious (which happens a lot in the story; she has incredible magical talent, which has been outlawed in her home nation, and comes from a very low social rung). She WILL prove that she's the best, that she deserves what she wants, tooth and nail -- even if she's leaving with broken bones and bloody lips. It'll all be worth it to prove everyone wrong.

(Maria) 38: What memory do they revisit the most often? Maria holds a lot of fond memories around the ocean; it was a source of independence and bonding for her and her sister, and represents a wild kind of freedom that she was never allowed to embody growing up. She'll often return to a memory of her floating naked in the ocean underneath a full moon, completely at ease, and completely alone. No expectations, no needs she must address... just her and her skills, and the uncaring eye of nature.

(Maria) F: What do you feel when you think of your OC (pride, excitement, frustration, etc)? LOVE!! I love Maria so much. I've poured so much of myself and my experiences into her. She perseveres alongside depression and chronic pain, and her creative and passionate spirit never dims even in the worst circumstances. Her curiosity, kindness, and fierce defense of the ones she loves is what it's all about, babey!!

(Alaric) 28: Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth? Never. Lies ruined his life at a very young age, and turned him into the bitter fuck he is today. He makes it his mission to force people to face unpleasant truths whenever possible. Otherwise, when the truth eventually reaches you (and it will reach you), everyone will be caught in the crossfire.

(Alaric) B: What inspired you to create them? This is a great question! The seed narrative that would become TGG originally included just Maria and Leander -- but I decided I wanted a messy, bisexual love triangle (as well as a twist on the 'evil advisor' trope), and Alaric was born. Though that love triangle element wasn't retained into the current story, I still think it's a very fun dynamic. Two people who butt heads bond over the man they think they can't have, and have sex with each other as a substitute instead? That's the exact kind of mess I love. If the romantic rivals simply had sex with each other to blow off that frustration, everyone would be happier.

(Leander) 22: How does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)? ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION! Leander gets (even more) withdrawn when jealous, mostly because it's a very overwhelming feeling. It's very rare that he's confronted with something he wants but can't have, and even rarer that someone is willing to challenge him. It's... refreshing, in a way. So while he does get withdrawn, it's not in a submissive way, but in a 'the volcano is quiet but there's still molten rock underneath' way. That challenge is exactly what he needs to actually kick his ass into gear sometimes. Be assured; he might be quiet and stony-faced, but the gears are turning.

&LAV: (gonna answer for the main three -- Lav, Ro, and Zan -- since u didn't specify a char!)

40: How sensitive are they to their own flaws?

Lav: They try not to think about it (which works sometimes, and not others). They try their best to live an upstanding life, but upstanding lives are just so boring. The constant battle is between impulse and societal pressure, and they've yet to balance them in a satisfying way. Slipping up is a 'flaw' -- but they discover that flaws can actually be kind of delicious when held in the right light.

Ro: Kind of, but it doesn't get to her. I mean, her job is literally to get showered with praise in exchange for performance, so a healthy sense of self-confidence is key. She's had her ups and downs -- and she would say her biggest flaw is her isolation -- but has gotten to a place where she can handle herself with grace and confidence. Sometimes a little too much confidence.

Zan: Very sensitive. He was recently punished -- both socially and physically -- by his superiors for slipping up. Now he's back and trying to prove himself, and he's very aware of how much is on the line. He's prepared to claw his way back to the top (and then some), but he'd be lying if he said he never dwelt on what landed him in his current predicament.

E: Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?

Lav: They are very pretty, but we don't have much in common. I'm a very energetic person, and they tend to be more withdrawn; they're very refined, and I am... not that. I think we would have great conversations about their work (they carve gems! That's so cool!) but it would be a congenial exchange and nothing more.

Ro: A tentative yes! She's a homebody, so I think she'd appreciate that my idea of a fun hang-out is snacks and a movie at home. However, she's busy as fuck, so we wouldn't get to see each other often. Kind of annoying, but it's always a good time when we do see each other!

Zan: He IS an effervescent conversationalist, but our worlds are so different that I have no idea what we'd talk about. I'm not into cigars, or poker, or couture brands, or other rich fancy status stuff; likewise, he's not super interested in outdoorsy hikes or art, though he does have a good aesthetic eye. We might chat a bit at a bar, but it would be very low intimacy.

#culecore #tgg #&lav #THANK U FOR ASKIN!!!

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