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multifandom--mess · 1 month

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Hannigram Fic Recs! pt.2

Here it is, the big fat fic recs post I've been putting off for like two months but at least that means I had time to read a shit ton of fics. I made sure to do a mix of short and long fics this time around since the first part were all long ones. Enjoy!

part 1

》 The Lamb and His Monster by petrodactyl352 (Explicit)(104k)

Will has always been drawn to the macabre. The proverbial flame upon which he has burnt his fragile moth’s wings time and time again, it’s why he had fallen in love with Florence and why he alone seems to see the beauty in the grisly but exquisite work of Il Mostro. But when he meets a young man in the Uffizi Gallery whose sketchbook is filled with nothing but page upon page of intricate renditions of the Primavera drawn in reverent strokes of pencil, he realizes he may not be alone in his fascination with the Monster. As they lift veils and scale forts and slowly begin to understand each other, Will gets a taste of exactly how bright the cinders of intrigue can burn—and how quickly they can kindle into an inferno of obsession.

(Young hannigram in Florence ahhh this is seriously one of the best fics i've ever read it had to be at the top of the list)

》 Spectral Hearts by mattHughdancy (Explicit) (16k)

Will has a meltdown at a crime scene. Guess who’s called in to help.

(Another top fave of mine they are so fucking cute in this fic 🤧 features autistic Will, and Hannibal just loves him so much oh my goddd my heart exploded reading this)

》 lay like a flood spills away by bleakmidwinter (Explicit)(35k)

Will Graham meets Hannibal, a frequent cruiser, at an open-minded nudist lake. Despite his reservations, Will is drawn to him, but is eventually forced to question his mysterious nature when the lakeside regulars start to go missing.

(I loved this one bc what better setting than a nudist lake. This is just gay as hell honestly lmao bc the lake is all dudes and Will is "straight" at the beginning until he meets Hannibal and it's all downhill from there. Definitely give this one a read it had some hilarious moments too)

》 Doing Things That Friends Don't Do by HigherMagic (Explicit) (39k)

A year after the fall, Will and Hannibal have settled into a fairly blissful, domestic harmony. But Will's imagination has never let him simply enjoy what he has - why should it start now?

(Basically Will trying everything in his power NOT to have sex with Hannibal but of course we all know he can't keep it together. They are so horny for each other in this i died laughing so many times. Also this author is such an amazing writer expect multiple recs from them in this post)

》 Railroad Romance by OneWhoSitsWithTurtles (12k)(Explicit)

Hannibal is still Hannibal, and Will is still Will. Except Will is not part of the FBI and they meet on a two day train trip from New Orleans to Baltimore.

(A strangers to lovers meet-cute on a train. Lots of fluffy moments and of course train sex ensues)

》 Three Stars by beforethedawn (94k)(Explicit)

Three months after the fall, Jack finally tracks them down in Canada and Will and Hannibal have to make a run for it, slumming it through America in three star hotels and eating sub par food.

(Hannigram roadtrip!! This fic was so fun I loved it. They take on the identities of some familiar Mads and Hugh characters ;)

》 Unexpected Delight by HigherMagic (Explicit) (61k)

Will has a kink that he’s deeply ashamed of. Unbeknownst to him, Hannibal has the same or a similar/compatible kink. They get together, and Will is going out of his way as he usually does to seem like his sexual tastes are as “normal” as possible. As a result, Hannibal gets the idea that Will is super vanilla and maybe a little prudish, and not wanting to scare him off, is also keeping his kinky side on the DL. This goes on for while, with them each trying super hard to hide how kinky they are and act as “vanilla” as possible, to hilarious results, all while privately thinking the other one would be super freaked out if they knew since they’re obviously so sweet and normal.

(This whole thing is literally ALL smut 😭😭 but Han and Will love each other to death and the sex is so good y'all omg I had to stop reading multiple times to catch my breath)

》 The Substitute by Devereauxs_Disease (Explicit) (10k)

When Hannibal tells Will he's sick, Will is skeptical. Before he knows it, he's laying in a hospital bed and being told he's going nowhere for two weeks. Will is distraught until Hannibal swoops in and offers to take over Will's courses at the FBI Academy. Will doesn't mind Hannibal showing up every night with a home-cooked meal, but he might just resent Hannibal becoming the most popular teacher at the Academy in just two weeks...

(A seaon 1 au if Hannibal wasn't an asshole had told Will about the encephalitis. This is hilarious tho because the students don't like Will no more when he comes back and they keep asking about Hannibal 😭😭 poor Will lmaoo)

》 When This Old Tired Body Wants to Sing by KareliaSweet (Explicit) (7k)

“Fuck me quicker, darling,” he purrs with liquid insincerity, “God forbid you see my face.” Will never touches him unless it is in the dark. In the daylight he is a ghost.

(Will being an asshole and only fucking Hannibal in the dark ugh 🙄 but things work out eventually so don't worry!)

》 Maybe Tomorrow by Shotgun_sinner (Explicit) (26k)

After recovering from their tumble off a cliff, Will agrees to get Hannibal to Portugal, where the good doctor can start a new life for himself. In exchange, Will can take the boat and return to his life, or start over himself. A storm hits on the open water, leaving them stranded somewhere in the Azores. With no one else on the small island, they're forced to work together for survival, and work through their violent past in order to get along.

(A survival au! I LOVED this and author is another fave of mine. I go crazy for a good stranded on a deserted island trope and this did not disappoint. Also there is an insanely funny part where I absolutely DIED. You'll know when you read it 💀💀)

》 I've Always Been A Daughter by air_of_the_Waterfall (44k)(Explicit)

It's been a month since Will and Abigail ran away with Hannibal. Living in a safe Canadian town, Will and Hannibal are free to explore their newfound intimacy and Abigail has a chance at the future she craves. However, upon meeting Hannibal’s sister Mischa and her daughter, loyalties are tested and insecurities run rampant. The Lecters have an undeniably dark past, and as Abigail and Will fall deeper into its truths, Hannibal’s manipulation and misguided love come to light more clearly than ever before.

(This fic is truly a hidden gem I am so glad I found it. Murder family post-mizumono and also MISCHA LIVES. The plot is so well written and I love Mischa's characterization. Definitely give this one a read, yall it is SO GOOD it deserves so much love)

》 Home is Not a Place by Shotgun_Sinner (11k)(Explicit)

Post-Fall, Hannibal recovers from his injuries. Will takes care of him, and their relationship evolves much more easily than Hannibal thought it would. The only issue is that Will is a constant presence, and he hasn't had alone time in three years. It ends up not being an issue at all.

(This one is so sweet. Basically Hannibal wants to jerk off but he can't because Will is just always there and he hardly gets a moment alone and he'll feel bad for telling him to go away 😭😭 but they finally get together in the end

》 Held in the Highest Regard by HigherMagic (12k)(Explicit)

What happens when a group of serial killers pick the absolute worst targets? Will is already having a pretty rough night, since Hannibal proposed to him and Will said 'No' for reasons he still hasn't quite figured out yet. It's not their fault - they couldn't have known - but sometimes people have to learn lessons the hard way, and Will could definitely use some stress relief.

(If you are familiar with the movie 'The Strangers' then you'll really like this one. I reread it like three times it was so good. Shit had me tweaking omg this is like the perfect au for them)

》 Green-Eyed Monster by CestPasDuBaudelaire (53k)(Explicit)

Will and Hannibal have settled in Cuba and, for the past year, they have been living their happily ever after in a small hidden community for retired wanted criminals. However, at the hazard of a gathering, Will is faced with an unbelievable fact, other members of the community may also fancy his monster of a husband. Then comes Will's spiraling, as he learns to come to terms with a disastrous, chaotic and slowly overwhelming possessiveness. And of course, feelings are never easy to deal with, when Hannibal is involved. A smut character study in three acts exploring Will's possessiveness.

(Top!Will my beloved. Don't let the title fool you, this was so fun to read and I love the community for wanted criminals idea. And possessive Will is always a treat ;)

》 Haunted by Anonymous (165k)(Explicit)

Still recovering from their fight with Dolarhyde, Will and Hannibal escape to New Orleans with Chiyoh's help. But Will is still struggling to accept Hannibal and his own darkness, something that Hannibal has every intention of helping him overcome...

(And finally I leave you guys with this monster of a fic. So sad that the author chose to go anon but if they somehow see this I hope they know how much I love this story. Will is struggling and Hannibal is an asshole at certain points but when is he not? Lots of references to Will's past too and some stuff about his mom that's very interesting)

I hope you guys enjoy these stories as much as I did. If you read any and want to discuss my messages and ask box are always open! ♡♡♡

#hannibal #nbc hannibal #hannigram #will graham #hannibal lecter #murder husbands #hannibal fanfiction #hannigram fanfiction #hannigram fic #hannibal fic #ao3 #fic rec

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sammysdewysensitiveeyes · 27 days

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My Morph primer

Since X-Men 97 is drawing in a lot of new fans with varied levels of experience with the original animated series or the comics, I figured I could give a write-up of who Morph is, where they come from, and why you don’t see them in any of the movies or other media. This is also an excuse for me to write about an obsessive fave, seriously, they are all over my blog. I'm not necessarily an "authority," but I've watched TAS and read the comics, which are the basis for this write-up.

Who is Morph?

"Wolverine! Fall back!"

Morph is a shapeshifting mutant who was added to the X-Men team in the original X-Men: The Animated Series as a redshirt/sacrificial lamb, to be killed off For Real in order to show that the stakes are really high. Originally it was actually going to be Thunderbird, a short-lived X-Man who died in the comics just a few issues after he was introduced, and has remained dead for decades. But creators realized that killing off the only Native American character on a mostly white team was a bad look, and went with Morph instead. Morph proved surprisingly popular with (mostly child) viewers, and was brought back in the 2nd season as a result. Morph in TAS was originally presented as male using male pronouns, but I’m gonna use they/them for the character since they are nonbinary in X-Men 97.

(Btw, even Morph's TAS costume shows their redshirt nature, as they are basically wearing a variant of the standard X-Men uniform that different groups have worn, with the Original Five (Angel, Jean, Cyclops, Beast and Iceman) and the New Mutants all wearing something similar. There was a time in the 90's when all the X-Men were wearing this uniform to try to give them a team look, but thankfully that didn't last, the individualized looks are much better. Morph's amazing disappearing reappearing jacket are the only personalized touch in their uniform, and I hope X-Men 97 gives them a costume upgrade after everyone gets used to the new look.)

Morph doesn’t appear in many episodes of TAS, but here are the definitive ones:

Season 1:

Night of the Sentinels Parts 1 and 2: Morph seems to be an established part of the team, a wise-cracking shapeshifter who is so naively overconfident about their mission that they’ve practically got a target painted on their back. When the mission goes wrong, Morph pushes Wolverine out of the way of Sentinel lasers, and gets blasted all to hell. Morph’s supposed death (which was meant at the time to be a real death) is sensed by both Jean and Xavier. Cyclops orders a retreat because the team is getting their asses kicked, abandoning both the (dead) Morph and (alive but injured) Beast, who spends the rest of the season in jail. Morph is quickly forgotten as a character, BUT the impact of their death is felt throughout the season. We get Wolverine yelling “This one’s for you, Morph!” while slicing up a Sentinel, and Cyclops in the finale insisting, “I’m not leaving anyone behind! Not this time!”

Season 2:

Till Death Do Us Part, Parts 1 and 2: Morph returns as a villain, but a sympathetic, brainwashed villain under the control of season Big Bad Mr. Sinister. Sinister is an evil scientist who likes to fuck around with mutant genetics and is especially obsessed with getting Scott and Jean to fuck, because their child will supposedly be an extremely genetically superior mutant. After Morph’s “death,” they were taken by Sinister, who revived them and implanted a control device into Morph’s brain that he uses to literally torture Morph into compliance. Morph seems to have a kind of split personality, which Sinister exacerbates and encourages, shifting between a haggard-looking Evil Morph who wants revenge on the X-Men for abandoning them and cracks jokes while attacking the team, and a normal-looking Good Morph, who doesn’t want to hurt their friends, and is generally scared and confused and having a Bad Time. If you are wondering about Morph turning into that version of themselves with dark circles around their eyes in X-Men 97 “Fire Made Flesh,” it was a reference back to this:

Evil Morph lookin' reeeeeaal creepy.

Morph uses their shape-shifting trickery to fake marry Scott and Jean (as the priest), impersonate Xavier and turn the team against each other, until Wolverine identifies them by scent. The team then chases Morph to Sinister’s lair, where he’s captured a honey-mooning Scott and Jean. Morph has been struggling with the brainwashing the entire time, and breaks free long enough to attack Sinister, then runs off away from everyone.

Whatever It Takes: Wolverine, who has declared the Morph is “the only one who could ever make him laugh,” chases Morph down to Brazil in an attempt to drag them back to the team. Morph, still fighting their dark side and flipping back and forth between the two personalities, taunts Wolverine in Jean’s form, fights him, and eventually gains enough control to tell Logan to back off. (“I have to get through this by myself!”)

Fighting your friend in an abandoned mine shaft, a totally normal thing to do.

Wolverine reluctantly lets them go. This the B-plot, the main plot of the episode features Storm and Rogue confronting the Shadow King in Africa, and is also really good.

Reunion Parts 1 and 2: Morph leaves a message for Wolverine stating that he wants to return to the team, in what seems like an obvious set-up for a trap. Wolverine, Jean and Cyclops go to retrieve them, and find that yes, it is a trap. Morph attmpts to warn the group to leave, but they are jumped by Sinister and the Nasty Boys, and the fight ends with Jean being taken, and Morph (still struggling against Sinister’s control), going semi-willingly. The whole team winds up at Sinister’s base in the Savage Land and there are a lot of good character moments, like Gambit telling Rogue he loves her. Morph spends the whole time still fighting against the brainwashing, but throws it off completely at the end (with Xavier’s help) and turns on Sinister, helping Scott and Jean defeat him. Morph is then Put on a Bus to Muir Island so that the writers wouldn’t have to deal with the character but could hold them in reserve to use later. Xavier comments that he can remove Sinister’s mind-control chip from Morph’s brain, but that “removing the psychic damage will take longer.” So the answer to “Where’s Morph?” in later seasons will always be “Recovering on Muir Island, probably hanging out with Moira and Banshee.”

If you are a Morph fan, Season 2 is THE Morph season, they get a great character arc that fleshes them out, and establishes their close relationship with Wolverine. I’m glad they didn’t toss out Morph in X-Men 97, both because I like the character, and because Morph’s entire arc in Season 2 was about their struggle to come back to the team, and constantly reaffirms that Morph is one of them, and that they belong with the X-Men. Also, I know Tumblr love an angsty, suffering blorbo, and good God does Morph suffer in Season 2.

(Someone is having a Bad Time).

Season 4:

Courage: After getting only a couple of non-speaking background cameos in Season 3, this is Morph’s comeback episode in Season 4. Morph believes that they are fully recovered and ready to rejoin the X-Men, while both Moira and Xavier seem to think they are not ready, and warn them to slow down a little. Morph tries to jump back into their old role, makes jokes, and goes on a mission with Wolverine, but is clearly still dealing with PTSD and completely freezes up when Sentinels attack the mansion and kidnap Xavier. Morph is left at the mansion while the X-Men go to rescue Xavier, but follows them anyway, and manages to play an instrumental role in stopping the Sentinels and saving Xavier. Despite this, Morph decides that they are not ready to return and cannot be relied upon in battle (because the writers didn’t want to deal with using the character on the team), and goes back to Muir Island. It’s a standard “character fucks up at the start of the episode but saves the day in the end” superhero cartoon story, and I was a little disappointed that the episode focused entirely on Morph’s “near death trauma” from the Sentinels and not the much worse “brainwashed and tortured by Sinister to the point of developing a second personality” issue. The closest we get to addressing that is Morph pointedly walking up to Cyclops with “Scott…been a long time….” which sounds like a way of saying “We’re cool now, bro, I promise I won’t try to kill you.” Still, we get some great Morph and Wolverine moments, and Morph kicks a lot of ass at the end. After Morph spends most of the series either dead or suffering, I don’t mind an episode where they get to kick ass. This episode also establishes that Morph was suffering from serious nightmares for awhile, so consider that a canon excuse to put that in your angsty fanfic.

(Morph also gets a non-speaking cameo in Beyond Good and Evil Part 1, sitting next to Jubilee at Scott and Jean’s second wedding. I think it’s sweet that they were invited, but can also imagine Scott putting them in the front row just to ensure that there are no more “fake priest” shenanigans. “Let’s put Morph where I can see him….just in case.”)

Season 5:

Graduation Day: After Xavier is attacked, Morph returns to help calm mutants world-wide by impersonating Xavier and making a public call for peace. Morph doesn’t do much in the episode, but they get an individualized goodbye from Xavier while he is addressing the team one by one, and it is clear at the end that Morph is officially back with the team. In other words, the writers could give Morph a happy ending of coming back since the show was ending and they didn’t have to deal with it going forward. Thankfully, the X-Men 97 writers were happy to pick up that ball and continue running with it, and I love what they’ve done with Morph so far!

Were there shippy vibes between Morph and Wolverine in the original series?

I dunno friend, watch “Whatever it Takes,” and “Courage,” and you tell me. Morph shifting into Jean to taunt Wolverine definitely gives me vibes of “There’s something going on there.”

Is Morph in the comics?

(Note – I’m using he/him for all comics versions of Morph because those versions all apparently ID as male.)

The answer is yes, sort of.

Changeling:

Morph was loosely based on an obscure, long dead shape-shifting mutant from the X-Men’s original 60’s run. Changeling was a villain with a tacky costume who acted very much like a standard 60’s comic book villain, associated with a terrorist group called Factor Three. Look at this fucking dude:

At the end of the Factor Three arc, it turns out that Factor Three’s leader, Mutant Master, is an alien who wants to destroy ALL life on Earth to make way for his own people, and the mutants in the group turn on him and help the X-Men. Changeling is the first one to question Mutant Master’s motives, and that’s probably the only interesting thing he does in the whole story. Several issues later, Xavier supposedly dies while helping defeat a villain named Grotesk and save the world. This story is retconned near the end of the run, when Xavier is revealed to be alive, and explains that the dead “Xavier” was actually Changeling. Changeling had discovered that he was terminally ill, and came to Xavier seeking redemption. Xavier asked Changeling to temporarily take his place as Xavier while he shut himself up in the basement to prepare to stop an alien invasion (and no, the X-Men were not informed of this, besides Jean, and yes, that is really fucked up). So Changeling became a reformed villain and honorary X-Man who went out in a heroic sacrifice, and was almost never mentioned again. (Even now Changeling appears to still be dead in the comics, even though the current storyline has allowed ALL the dead mutants to come back. Even Thunderbird is back.)

Changeling was greatly reworked to become Morph, totally changing his personality and origins. The only similarities are the shapeshifting powers and physical appearance. You can see how this guy:

Became this not-actually-a-guy:

Or even this version:

X-Men 97 Morph got a real glow-up to their human form.

Of course, they also share the trait of being a sacrificial lamb plot device, and X-Men TAS creators were originally going to call the character “Changeling,” but changed the name to Morph because DC’s Beast Boy was called Changeling at the time.

Age of Apocalypse Morph:

In the 90’s, there was a cross-over event over all the X-Books called the Age of Apocalypse, in which a time-traveller (Xavier’s son Legion, long story) murdered Xavier in the past before Xavier formed the X-Men, and created a dystopian alternate reality in which Apocalypse had taken over and Magneto led the X-Men. This was a kind of what-if event that let writers have fun with switching up character relationships, turning good guys bad and bad guys good, and of course, killing a lot of characters off. The event only lasted about four issues before it was all undone and we returned to the main Marvel universe, so they could really go wild. In the AoA book Astonishing X-Men, Magneto’s team includes a character called Morph, a versatile shapeshifter with a pasty white made-of-clay look, and a jovial, upbeat personality that is clearly based on TAS Morph. (This change to character design is where X-Men 97 Morph’s white, featureless appearance comes from).

Just a silly little guy!

AoA Morph is also stated in the book to have been formerly Changeling, before undergoing a name-change and attitude adjustment, making him an AU variant. He explains to Sunfire at one point that he never takes anything seriously because fuck it, he’s probably gonna die anyway, he may as well die with a smile on his face. AoA Morph is pretty cool, he does great shapeshifting tricks, and has some depth and heart beneath the obnoxious jokes.

Exiles Morph:

After Age of Apocalypse, the fan-favorite character Blink (like Morph, another alternate version of a short-lived character in the main comics timeline) gets pulled out of the AoA timeline and placed on a team of time-displaced X-Men. This team, all coming from alternate realities and including some other minor neglected characters (like versions of Thunderbird and Mimic), is tasked with hopping through realities, putting things right that once went wrong, and hoping each time that the next leap will be their leap home. The team also includes a version of Morph, who is so similar to AoA Morph that Blink mistakes him initially for her old teammate. This is another AU variant of Changeling who was never Changeling, but instead was recruited into the New Mutants (a bit of an age retcon for the character, as 60’s Changeling seemed much older, while Exiles Morph is clearly much younger.) Exiles Morph was a popular hero in his reality, served as both an X-Man and an Avenger, and is an incredibly powerful shapeshifter. He also winds up being a long-running mainstay of the Exiles team, so this is really the book to read for Morph content. Exiles also fleshes out the character’s past, stating that he was born as a shapeshifting blob with X-gene already activated, and only assumed a human appearance to fit in with peers. He also lost his mother to cancer at an early age, and his obnoxious jokey personality was partially a reaction to that, an attempt to both cheer up and get some attention from his grieving father. Exiles Morph is a great character, my only complaint is that he is a bit of a sex pest, constantly making “jokes” that border on sexual harassment of his female teammates. I don’t think he’s meant to actually be a creep, he never actually does anything, and when the teammate he has a crush on reveals that she is a lesbian, he steps back and acts as a supportive friend. I think Exiles Morph just suffers from late 90’s early 2000 writing where the funny jokey character has to be all “LOL, Boobies!” all the time, just so we know he’s straight. (Funny, given how not-straight X-Men 97 Morph seems to be.)

The Other Morph: Benjamin Deeds:

Brian Michael Bendis, in his Uncanny X-Men run, introduced a new character named Benjamin Deeds who could shapeshift, and looked suspiciously similar to a teenage version of Changeling/TAS Morph. His personality was different, though (more of a sulky teen trying to deal with being a mutant than a funny guy), and the nature of his powers is different. Benjamin has what is described as “chameleon-like” shapeshifting, taking on the physical characteristics of people when he gets close to them rather than fully shifting forms. He also exudes a chemical that makes people automatically like and trust him. Emma suggests the codename “Morph,” and although Benjamin doesn’t like it, it becomes his official codename going forward. I don’t think Ben actually has any real connection to Changeling or TAS Morph, he seems more like a legacy character or winking homage, like Pyro II (Simon Lasker, who inexplicably has the same powers and looks almost exactly like original Pyro, St. John Alledyce). He’s fun character and a cute lil’ guy, though.

There are people who call TAS Morph an “original character” completely invented for the cartoon, and I don’t think they’re entirely wrong. Morph is VERY different from Changeling, But to me, it makes the most sense to consider TAS Morph another AU variant of Changeling, given all the influence back and forth between the comics and the cartoon. Morph was based on Changeling, and Morph’s popularity led to AU versions of Changeling in the comics with TAS Morph’s personality literally named “Morph,” and now X-Men 97 Morph has been redesigned to match AoA/Exiles Morph’s appearance. They are variations of the same person. And it’s not exactly the first time that a comics character has been drastically reworked in an adaptation – I’m looking at you, First Class Mystique and Evolution’s “Lance Alvers.” I wonder if people would still be calling Morph an “original character” if they’d kept the name “Changeling,” since keeping the name seems to be all it takes at times. Still, TAS Morph is kind of right on the border between OC and “adapted from the comics,” and even I tend to include them in groups of “created for the cartoon” characters like Firestar, Spyke and X-23.

Why is Morph tagged as “Kevin Sydney/Sidney”?

Because that is the character’s name, more or less. TAS Morph didn’t have a “real name” in 92, because Changeling didn’t (similarly, Rogue also didn’t have a real name because the character hadn’t been given one in the comics.) In Age of Apocalypse, characters called Morph “Sydney” or “Syd,” and Morph even referred to himself that way in a thought-balloons, but the Exiles writer apparently decided, “Nah, it’s a last name,” and officially named Morph “Kevin Sydney.” The name stuck, and the 2004 Marvel “Book of the Dead” gave Changeling that name in the entry on him. Morph’s name has never been given in the cartoon, but it’s probably safe to assume that their official “human name” is Kevin Sydney, just like TAS Rogue is probably Anna Marie (her official name in the comics.) Interestingly, even in Exiles, the book where the name originated, Morph always goes by “Morph” and never “Kevin.” Maybe Home Alone ruined the name for him. I tend to use the Kevin Sydney tags on Tumblr and A03 to differentiate from other uses of the “morph” tag. In particular, Tumblr has a lot of body modification fetish posts tagged as “morph,” and no offense to the fetishists, you all keep doing what you are doing, but that’s not the content I’m looking for. I’m sure the fetish people are probably a bit annoyed at their own tag filling up with an X-Men character, but hey, it’s their name.

How old is Morph? How long were they with the team and when did they join? Is the featureless white face their “real form”? What’s their history with Wolverine?

I don’t have answers here because we don’t know. There’s a lot we don’t know about TAS Morph, and the origins of their comics counterparts don’t really translate well into cartoon continuity. Like I can’t imagine TAS Morph ever having been a willing member of Factor Three.

Personally, I tend to assume that Morph was with the team for awhile before their “death,” given that they have an established “old friend” relationship with Wolverine and know the team extremely well. I also tend to assume that TAS Morph is a similar age to the other young adults on the team like Scott and Jean. They sometimes look older in the original series, because they were based on Changeling (who also looks older), but the voice acting and general personality of the character seem younger, plus Wolverine calls them “kid”a couple of times. And it seems like their “human form” may not be their “real face” anyway, given that they’ve now defaulted to the white blank-face look. The white blank-face look IS the real form for Exiles (and presumably AoA) Morph, so the same is probably true for TAS Morph and Changeling. But this is all just my own headcanon and speculation, based on what I’ve seen in the original cartoon and the comics. You are all free to come up with your own headcanons fleshing out the character, I’ve already seen great stuff in fanfic out there!

Edit: Actually, I thought of a bit more:

How does Morph shift their clothing? Does Morph even wear clothes? How can they create accessories like Psylocke's swords?

Honestly, I dunno, this is Rule of Cool and Morph as a vehicle for character cameos in affect here. I will say that, in the comics, many characters with shapeshifter-type powers, like Wolfsbane, wear costumes made of unstable molecules that shift with their bodies, the same may be true of Morph. Exiles Morph, when commenting on his female teammates' skimpy costumes, at one point jokes that he "wears even less," so he may just be literally making clothing out of his own body. Although I would think that would get cold, or painful with no protection against the elements.

I assume that Morph does form accessories like Psylocke's swords out of their own body, which also presumably means they can't drop them. I wonder if it would hurt Morph if one of the swords broke? Exile Morph regularly turns his own body into accessories that he can hold (but not separate from his form), so presumably X-Men 97 Morph is doing the same. This is a step-up from TAS Morph, who never did that. Exiles Morph seems to be able to turn their body into whatever they want.

Does Morph copy the powers of other mutants?

Morph seems to be able to mimic only the physical-based powers of other mutants, under the shapeshifter logic of changing their body to give themselves larger muscles, claws, etc. So Angel's wings, but not Cyclops' eye beams. Nightcrawler's tail but not teleportation. In X-Men 97, Morph takes a couple of shots from X-Cutioner after shifting into Colossus, so apparently they can do the whole metal skin thing. But in TAS, when Morph turns into Wolverine, their claws are not adamantium and Wolverine easily slices through them.

I would add that Exiles Morph is also extremely durable, and can literally be ripped to pieces and shapeshift himself back together. This doesn't seem to be the case of "died from Sentinel lasers" TAS Morph, but maybe they just aren't there with their power levels yet. Exiles Morph IS especially susceptible to burns or laser blasts, and almost dies when Hyperion hits him with a beam at close range.

That’s it, hopefully this is helpful for people completely new to the character who got into X-Men 97. Mostly I just love writing about Morph. I encourage you to go back and watch the original series, or at least the Morph episodes. It’s a good show, if a bit 90’s corny, and will let you fully appreciate X-Men 97 (which has been, so far, an absolute banger of a series). Presumably we’ll see more character development of Morph as the show continues, which will maybe answer some of these questions.

#morph #kevin sydney #morph x-men

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stackslip · 2 months

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CAN YOU ELABORATE ON TLT BEING A HOMESTUCK FANFIC‽‽‽‽‽

i'm exaggerating a bit, but taz muir was a well known homestuck writer who wrote under the username urbanAnchorite. her fic the serendipity gospels is one of my fave fics ever, but was never finished and it's only by book 2 of tlt that i figured that the clear allusions to it in book 1 weren't just cute little nods but that she'd expanded on some of the ideas/concepts and worldbuilding of the serendipity gospels. to name a few:

the ninth house cult is heavily based on the juggalo church muir wrote/expanded upon in TSG, from face paint to the rituals and a lot of the accompanying prose

act 2 of TSG takes place mainly in a spaceship that serves as "cathedral" of the juggalo cult, and is described to be covered in bones that have been painted in many colors--which is close to the description of the mithraeum

act 2 also features the two main characters being much younger people mentored/manipulated into horrible acts by an old man who is thousands of years old and bickering with his other thousand year old friends/enemies, who seem to share knowledge and understanding that neither the two protagonists do but also deeply resent one another. hard to not read a parallel to john and the lyctors here!

to elaborate on this bc i just realized it: it is heavily implied in TSG that the dancestors (older people thousands of years old) went through a universe reset and built the empire in the image of their own trauma and anger, which would v much parallel what happens to john on earth and how he "reset" humanity

less of a homestuck thing and more of a taz muir thing: said old man is v much grooming the main female character and making her life miserable during the entirety of act 2

a lot of the story takes place in the background of the trolls' empire being a horrific imperialist force that the main characters were originally very excited to join and become a part of, with one of these characters in particular daydreaming about becoming ground troop for invasion while also holding a terrible secret that would have precluded him of doing so anyway. p neat parallel to gideon's own thing here

act 1 and act 2 of TSG are from two different pov characters, with a drastic shift in prose style and understanding of the situation/world when the pov shifts. which v much echoes how tlt has worked so far. part 3 was barely started before it went on hiatus, but it followed the same pattern.

speaking of, the prose of act 2 of TSG definitely feels very close to harrow the ninth's prose. you can just open the fic and check the first chapter of act 2 and how it's written, and you'll see what i mean. there are differences--the prose of TSG act 2 is more inflected with southern usamerican evangelical speak, i think? i'm not american so i can't quite 200% tell

there is an external armed resistance to the empire's violent imperialism and resistance that was supposed to be the focus in act 3 of TSG, which never happened. nona the ninth did, though, and it follows that structure.

there are also eldritch horrors that threaten the entire universe--homestuck's own horrorterrors--that are in the background of TSG and implied to be an important part of the future plot that we never saw. tlt has the ressurrection beasts

taz muir's worldbuilding around the blood castes in og homestuck that she elaborates on in TSG also somewhat parallels the way the houses function in tlt

iirc there's also worldbuilding around space travel in tlt (such as the obelisks? i think that's the name? and the use of necromancy to power them) that parallels taz muir's own take on how space travel works in the troll empire, using psionics and draining them dry in a similar way

i think the necro-cav relationship 'ideal' is based around how taz also interpreted moirallegiance in not just TSG but all her homestuck fics, down to how its legal implementation and the idealization of it vs its role in troll/houses imperialism and the reality of blurred lines in "expected" relationships. i'd love to hear taz's discourse on troll romance

i also think the necro-cav relationship parallels the other legal pairing explored in TSG--legislacerator and subjugglator.

there are probably more parallels i am missing--i need to reread TSG soon, as i haven't in a while. there are elements i'd say are more like, how taz herself elaborated on the bones of the worldbuilding of homestuck and then made it her own thing, which is rad as hell. other elements are more fun nods, such as gideon's aviator glasses being shamelessly stolen from dave homestuck, and a lot of gtn's prose feeling very homestuckey. it's def not like, just a little rewrite and boom, you get the locked tomb! imo it's more elements of plot and worldbuilding that were interesting enough to develop into something of its own and that taz made into something new, along with other elements of other stories (such as lolita and umineko) being woven into it. part of why i enjoy tlt so much is its "collage" aspect, taking elements taz thought interesting in other stories, or using these elements to purposefully evoke specific feelings/moods to construct or obsfucate certain ideas.

#eli talks #tlt #homestuck

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unsoundedcomic · 6 months

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Maybe this kind of praise is a bit weird to receive, but a while ago, after I'd already been keeping up with the comic for a bit, I realized that Duane has certain similarities to my dad. That realization has helped me begin to sort through some... complicated emotions I have towards him. (And for some nice symmetry, my initially relatively simple feelings about Duane suddenly got a lot more complicated.)

I was telling my brother about Unsounded and I was telling him that I thought if it ever somehow got really popular and entered the public consciousness, the arguments would be insufferable. There's no good guys! Or at least, no unproblematic faves. I can just imagine someone with piss on the poor reading comprehension trying to say anyone who likes it is a fascist bc the protagonist is a fascist.

Point being I really appreciate that these characters' morals aren't simplified, that they're realistic portraits of people who could exist, and I didn't realize how much I appreciated that until I realized I'd met one of them, and didn't like him as much in real life. So thanks. I don't really see that kind of characterization other places.

Thanks for your thoughts, Anon!

Unsounded has always been very much about me trying to figure out my family. You don't choose your family and you can't easily walk away from them, so you have to deal with them where they are, warts and all. With the lone exception of my mom, who is pretty amazing, love is highly conditional in my family. I think this is part of what made me into such a cynical little weirdo. I expect the worst from everyone and am seldom disappointed.

Fortunately, Unsounded is fiction. The characters can change, relationships can be healed. I hope you and your dad figure each other out soon <3

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schoenht · 1 year

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GREETINGS, MY DEAR FRIEND. if your requests are really open, may i ask for your faves (can be one of them, can be all of them, it depends on you!) + azul and riddle with an s/o who's the oldest sibling? thank you for your time and enjoy your week <33 (don't feel pressured to do this ofc JLSDJLAD you can do your ideas first !!)

↳ oldest sibling s/o.

characters: trey clover, jamil viper, azul ashengrotto, riddle rosehearts.

genre: fluff.

a/n: THE POWER YOU’VE GIVEN ME yes i’m putting four bc. my favs.

TREY knows how tired you must be. He loves his little siblings to bits, but he gets that sometimes you’re just tired. If you are the type of person to say that you hate your siblings but really don’t, he gets amused every time you speak about them. He knows that you talk bad about them, yet it’s clear how protective you are. You can complain all you want to him, he will listen. He is aware that as the oldest, you are the anchor, therefore no one realizes that you’re being crushed under all your expectations. All of it is thrown away when it comes to him. He ensures that you are relaxed around him and don’t have to worry about carrying another burden with a smile. Trey definitely likes to hug you a lot, if you make it clear that you don’t really get hugged that often. They’re long hugs too, they’re long enough to give you, even just temporarily, peace inside.

JAMIL sees past what you put up. He is too used to seeing this; he has literally had to do this for most of his life. He is an intelligent person who has to work hard to keep that hidden; meanwhile, you are the person who has to follow the expectations set to you from a young age. He can tell you are burned out. You are not even in a situation like Kalim’s, where you are rich, you actually have to work until you get to a position where you are safe. Jamil hates seeing how much you force yourself to do in order to make your parents proud. He is the one that tells you how proud he is. If no one else tells you, he will. If no one else shows you how much they appreciate you, Jamil will. He wants to help you the one no one helped him because you are the only person that has seen past what he tries to hide. You are the only person who reached out to him and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t do the same for you.

AZUL likes to think that you’re just as hard-working as him, when he actually starts realizing that maybe it’s not the hard work. Maybe you are so used to stress that whenever you are not in a constant state of it, you get even more panicked. This idea came to him after he told you that you did not have to take care of the twins, yet you insisted it was fine, that you didn’t have anything else to do. However, he was stubborn. But he saw the effects of that when you were pacing, nervous as though relaxing was going to bring something bad. Azul finds out after a while what is going on and he does his absolute best to slowly get you to ease up on your workload. If you truly want to help him, he will not say no. He likes spending time with you; he will just tell you to vent if you need to. He’s the kind of guy who will stay up late talking to you because he knows that you need someone to be there. He is more than willing to be that person. If no one else will, he will because he wants to. He is not good at saying he loves you out loud, but he says it in his tone when he goes on and on about stuff he likes about you, from your work ethic to your personality. Your smile is everything and he wishes to be the one that causes it.

RIDDLE understands that you carry a lot on your shoulders. Since you are the oldest, you are the model in your family. It is similar to his role as housewarden, only you have your siblings stuck with you for a while, maybe even forever. The protective instinct never goes away and it is even more haywire when you are not there with them. He tries to help you whenever he can since you carry a lot. He tends to hold tea parties just for the two of you to help you relax and so you can spend time together. Here, you can vent to him, he will listen and give advice if you want it. Mostly, he is concerned that you might burn yourself out. He sees your potential and the last thing he wants is for you to collapse. If there is anything you need help with, he is there for you. He makes it clear that you do not need to keep up the strong act with him, you can finally breathe.

#twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #trey clover x reader #jamil viper x reader #azul ashengrotto x reader #riddle rosehearts x reader #trey clover x mc #jamil viper x mc #azul ashengrotto x mc #riddle rosehearts x mc

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milo-igidk · 4 months

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Not me stalking your account simply by the fact that you say that rawest stuff about my fave character (Keefe) ummm anyways

I used to really hate Fitz for being mad at Keefe for joining the Neverseen and not really understanding his best friend, but a recent reread made me realize that Keefe leaving was SO much more startling for Fitz than Sophie or the reader. Sophie saw the small sighs really early on. I'd even argue that it was as early as Exile. The alicorn ride where he stopped joking for a moment to lay himself out a little? Then of course there's the whole thing with Keefe's mom "dying" and all that, but Fitz probably thought his cheery, happy-go-lucky friend would be okay. Those scenes leading up to Loadstar where you see Keefe's fear and anger? ONLY Sophie sees it. Suddenly Fitz sees his brother and best friend who seem really similar are now a part of the Neverseen? With SO little warning? Without what Sophie saw, I would feel betrayed and angry too. And how would Keefe feel? I bet he felt a lot more alone once he realized that he hid his pain so well that even his best friend didn't really know him.

Sorry, that wasn't really a question and was a bit long, but I thought I'd put it here in case you had some cool thoughts to add that I may have missed. :) (Since you're so good at it)

shxhjxjs omg thanks first of all im glad vdbdnx😭

and also yeees youre so right and i honestly hadnt rlly thought abt that

i feel like keefe and fitz have such an interesting dynamic and i hope shannon like makes them actually talk about shit instead of being like oh fitz is fine with everything now. bc yea fitz really doesnt know a lot of the things going on with keefe and like it goes to show how his demeanour totally changed in that one scene in lodestar when he saw the memories keefe was showing sophie.

honestly i am well over my 'hating fitz' phase that i feel like all kotlc fans have at some point, hes a great character but nooot that great of a friend to keefe? imo? idk i dont think its on purpose i just feel like, like you said, he sees this persona that keefe puts up and doesnt think to look any deeper, even after keefe came back from the neverseen like the only time hes hung out with keef that i can remember being mentioned is when he was looking for memories with cassius, when he was complaining abt sophie to him, or when he needed those drawings for sophies gift. and again its not that much his fault, he just assumes everything is fine and also has his own stuff going on but like still dude. they definitely both need to talk abt like a lot of stuff (coughs what alden said to him in flashback coughs im not still salty youre still salty)

#i love getting asks like this shcbxj #asks #kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #keefe sencen #kotlc thoughts #kotlc fandom #sophie foster #kotlc keefe #kotlc sophie #sokeefe #kotlc fitz #fitz vacker

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camecita · 1 year

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This is mostly self indulgent... cause I. REALLY. NEED. IT.

I miss so much eating some actual meat instead of some ass punny sausage.

Genres: Fluff (i guess), mostly comfort, modern au kind of.

Characters: Childe, Pantalone, Diluc & Ayato. (Yas just my fave rich boys)

Summary: Due the bad payment of your job and the increasing bills reader has suffer some issues about getting their stuff for the fridge. (Yeah thats me) To the point to even lose some weight.

Disclaimers: i dont own any of the art here(the fisrt banner)

TW: my native lenguage isnt english so there might be some misspelling, characters may be ooc, established relationships, more tba.

Notice me if i need to add some TW i dont know much about them.

He is so clingy, so he noticed asap.

"Have you lost some weight?" The way his arms encircled you was feeling different from the previous months, you just evaded that question, it was so embarrassing telling him that you cant even afford a real meal per day. And he notices that too, but doesn't press the matter much.

But is when he is resting in your lap and feels how your thighs are thinner.

No!! anything but his precious thighs.

"Babe... are you feeling Okey?" He composed himself, his stern look was telling you how concerned he was.

It took you various seconds swimming in his deep blue eyes to broke in front of him and taking out all your strugglings.

"Its just... its been so hard to get some food in the fridge, sorry, thats why I've been keeping you away from my home too" yeah so embarrassing.

"Babe, you dont need to be sorry 'bout that" his hand is caressing your cheek.

"You know you can count on me for anything" the way he's treating you is with so much respect, he noticed how hard was for you to admit about your financial situation. Even when he jokes around a lot and tease you about almost everything he doesn't cross the line in this situation.

"Do you want some take out?" He's determinated to get back his favourites thighs again.

He is a very observant person, so he notice the moment when your clothes is loosing up around your body.

"Darling, have you been doing work out?" If thats the case, well damn he wants to see your toned body now. But when your response is ambiguous his reaction is tending to suspicious.

He is very observant, he notices to how your eating has been diminishing (cause your stomach is getting more and more little, yeah cause that happens when you go on a diet)

Now that makes him worry. He confronts you directly but at his cunning and meticulous way.

Struggling with your words you explain your financial situation.

Oh he understands so well, he has been through some similar issues.

His eyes and smile are so tender, his hands on your shoulders are warm and caring.

"Its Okey darling, thats nothing you must be ashamed of"

Diluc can be dense in so much regarding relationships, it took him a lot to realize his feelings for you and yours for him.

But nothing can escape his eyes, those little things about you, and mostly everything that has something to do with your well being. He can notices, he must notices when something is wrong.

"Dove have you been eating well?" His eyes held so much worry, like a lost puppy or something. And keeping secrets aways from him was practically impossible (in fact its impossible with any other of the men in this list).

With head low you explain how difficult has been to keep up with the bills and buying the essentials for the fridge. And like it if the most common thing in the world he just said.

"You know? I can help you with that" he didn't say it with means to offend you, you know he can be a little bold with his statements.

"I know Lulú, but i dont want to drag you down with my problems"

"You'll never drag me down, I'd be more than pleased to help you out with anything my dove" his soft lips form a little and gorgeous smile, a rarest one. Just let him spoil you.

This man is so hot likes to spoil his little partner, so when you refuse to go for another round of sweets or junk food he just go like.

What, why are you refusing my affection?? Why are you refusing the food?!?!

"Dear whats wrong?" He's about to drill the answers out without you noticing.

Ashamed of yourself you just spill the beans.

He IS really concerned, how could he didn't notice before?!

"Dear we've been through many issues by now, you can always count on me with this kind of issues" yes because for him any of the other guys, money wasn't a problem.

"What about living together?" His idea was helping you by making the rent and the other services more affordable for you and he also wants you 24/7.

#heheh #genshin impact #x reader #childe #tartaglia #pantalone #diluc #ayato #tartaglia x reader #pantalone x reader #diluc x reader #ayato x reader #kamisato ayato #aaaaaaaa #a bad writer #pwp #he you can easily see which one is my favourite and know the must #that he is a laugh like a #im writing this at 2 in the morning.... my sleep schedule its just a mess

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thewertsearch · 1 year

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Asks Comp 1/5

We don't even need to speculate about Vriska's hidden motives - even her stated motivation is dangerous.

As I said before, we know exactly how she 'helps' people.

Thank you! It's good to be back.

Act 5.2 has been fun so far. I didn't realize how much I missed the kids until we got back to their PoVs.

Homestuck could have opened on Rose, watching her mother drink herself into a stupor - or Vriska, tossing a corpse into her spider's pit. These events are canonical, but bringing them into sharper focus would turn the story into something very different.

That Homestuck chose to start with John tells us a lot about its identity. It's a dark story, in a lot of ways - but there are much darker stories, two steps to the left.

Sburb Any% in 23:59:59 (Green Sun skip)

Haha, that's fair, actually. Although you're probably not chastising them for failing to understand the time loops you're both navigating.

(If you are, though, you have the coolest job imaginable. Are you hiring?)

@gravity-rocks asked: Ooo, saw the person who asked you about your thoughts on lusii and troll evolution and thought I would pitch in with my little theory. I like to believe instead of lusii being the parasites, maybe TROLLS evolved as brood parasites. All these lusii seem to have consistent blood colors, and the blood colors always match the troll theyre a guardian of. I know we havent seen baby lusii, but maybe before they become "white" their babies are a bright color, and the bright blood colors of the trolls evolved as a way to trick the lusii into caring for them. Now, not all animals actually care for their young, so it's not a perfect strategy, so some creatures taking 'advantage' of this parasitism couldve evolved side by side, which I find super interesting. And with troll genetics and slurries, that made me wonder if troll genomes are particularly unstable and able to incorporate all sorts of other dna into it, like some bacteria - perhaps lending to this ‘infiltration’ power. The troll powers and mutations relating to their lusii is really really interesting, I mean we saw sollux’s ogre lusus with similar powers. I wonder if that sort of matching dna in subtle ways influences which trolls are adopted by which lusus. Alternatively an even more interesting explanation. Trolls grow their powers over time with their lusus and incorporate more of their dna over their lifetime with them. With huge wiggled populations, the way the genetics slurry with each other, and ease of mutation, perhaps it explains how intense their anti mutant and culling sentiments are, and why they might have evolved to be as extreme as they are.

This is some great speculative biology - I particularly like the idea that trolls are highly prone to mutation, like an alien Eevee.

It is interesting that Sollux shares his eye-beams with his Biclops. Their powers are identical, so there has to be some casual relationship between the two - we just don't know what direction it's in.

Aw, Kanaya. Neither of you is the Stupid Girl - it just feels that way when you have a crush!

I started shipping these two because they're my favorite characters - but I'm continuing to ship them because their relationship is cute as all hell.

For sure! The added context of Hivebent really adds a lot of texture to the plot. The playing field feels wider, and the stakes are much higher.

@manorinthewoods asked: What are your favorite songs from Homestuck? [ they listed their own faves but some are technically spoilers, will send them later! - C] . ~LOSS (25/4/23)

My current favorites are Descend, Dissention, Sburban Jungle, Upward Movement, and The Beginning Of Something Really Excellent!

Another album review is well past due, but Homestuck Volume 5 is longer than the first four combined, so I'll need to set a day aside to really take it in.

I never got an ask about this, so send away!

Zathura! Damn, it's been a while since I've thought about that movie.

I love the idea that every 'real' game in fiction is actually taking place in an infinite sea of monsters.

That's true, I guess, and you do need to get there to fight the final boss - but Sollux proved that you can freely fly between planets, if you have the means. The houses seem kind of redundant, if that's their only purpose, but I don't think it is.

Act 4, I think! Hivebent's troll worldbuilding is great - but Act 4 focused a lot more on Sburb's game mechanics, and that's still my favorite part of the comic.

We don't yet know the circumstances of his Exiling, but he probably needed to lose, to be Exiled the way he did.

As for why he needed to be Exiled the way he did... well, we've already talked about how weird and arbitrary these loops are. In the end, WV's army was just a casualty of causality - and messing around with causality is beyond the scope of the game.

Not impossible, necessarily - just beyond the scope of the game. Rose knows what I'm talking about.

It's either that, or the meteor's seed was what fell into the portal, and it grew to full size after it left the Medium. Either works.

It's impossible for me to choose - but I'll default to Descend. It was a great bookend to pre-Hivebent Homestuck.

Thanks for the list of names - and congratulations on your evolution to full blog status!

That's all true - and I never considered that Karkat would be jealous of John's social circle. Things are just easier for him - his friends all get along, and he doesn't need to needle them into working together. From Karkat's perspective, John barely has to do anything as a leader, while Karkat worked his ass off and still failed. Damn.

[ this post! ]

Hahaha, damn. I forgot about those early predictions.

I was right about the terraforming, I just wasn't thinking big enough. In retrospect, it's pretty funny that I only gave it a 1% probability - for all the help they were, I may as well have pulled those numbers out of thin air.

John's the kismesissitude mascot, after all!

Earth's a big place, so there could easily be thousands of unseen temples - but I'm starting to doubt they'll ever get any focus.

I've slowly begun to accept that Earth's other sessions might just be out of scope for this story. That's for the fanfiction authors - and, maybe, for 'semi-canon' spin-offs.

Yep, this chicken/egg stuff is so common for Sburb that it's practically routine by now. It's simply not possible to say whether Titles cause personalities, or vice-versa - both were 'simultaneously' encoded into the Alpha Timeline. The point is moot.

Yeah, quadrants really haven't shaken out the way the original infodump implied they would.

Karkat's Dark Crush on John doesn't seem nearly as toxic as whatever's going on with Jack and the Queen.

Is Karkat wrong about his feelings? Do Carapacians experience kismesissitude differently? Has Hussie quietly retconned some of Hivebent's quadrant stuff?

At this point, who knows. Alternia's original view of quadrants might not even matter - it's gone, and the surviving trolls are free to do their own thing.

#asks #full liveblog #act 5.2

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licncourt · 7 months

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begin again COOKED as a post-qotd fix-it (fave fic! <3) but i need to know your thoughts on prince lestat/how you would re-do it in the correct way. to this day i still think LESTAT becoming prince monarch of all the vampires is one of the craziest decisions made during the novels. to me lestat is a prince in the same way that jack skellington was king of halloween (that includes the running away to cause delusional hijinks that ultimately jeapordize everyone)

Aaahhh thank you!! That fic is my child that I birthed so I appreciate it more than you know! It's actually BA's one year finished-iversary next week, my baby's all grown up.

I've talked about that before actually in this post about how I would rewrite the whole series, but I can expand a little here!

Firstly, this could've been two books instead of three. There was nothing going on in there that required three entire novels

Things that have to go entirely: aliens, test tube clone baby Viktor, Atlantis. Sorry, not salvageable

I think rather than the Amel thing, it would have been cool if the sacred core had started corrupting Lestat and altering his behavior as host, maybe changing him gradually into a animalistic, violent folklore-like vampire, making him slowly lose his mind like Mekare, or erasing his sense of self to become a blank host. Then it's a race against the clock and vampire magical biology to save him. This could be the first PL book

Ideally, I think this book should be narrated by Louis and focus a lot on his growth as a character as he finishes his personal. It would bring some happy ending closure to the IWTV version of him without being a jarring change. I also think having his POV for the best of his and Lestat's relationship would be a nice full circle moment from seeing him describe their worst. The idea of Lestat losing himself to the core and them potentially coming together too late would add good drama as well. Maybe this is Louis' follow-up memoir describing how they fixed things

The Rhoshamandes conflict can stay for the second PL and final VC book, but I think it could've been less boring if the drama between him and Lestat had been better fleshed out. They have a lot of similarities that weren't used to their full advantage. It would really highlight Lestat's growth to have him defeat what he could've become

When Lestat reunites with Louis, they would actually have some long, hard conversations about their past, ones that continue throughout the PL trilogy

Hopefully an explanation for why Lestat has made this 180 is included, even if it's just the crushing realization of his own loneliness and longing reaching critical mass after twenty years of who the fuck knows what

The cast is pared down to the strongest written and most interesting characters so the story isn't spread so thin, probably Lestat, Louis, Armand, Gabrielle, Marius, Pandora, and maybe a small handful of new characters with significance in the story. I think Seth, Fareed, Sevraine had the most potential to be good additions to the primary roster if she wanted to add on

Cool characters from the original like trilogy like Maharet and Khayman are expanded on rather than killed offscreen to make room for more Anne Rice NPCs. If we're going to kill someone from the trilogy, please God let it be David Talbot

This goes without saying I think, especially from me, but Louis would be restored to his former glory as a true main character alongside Lestat instead of relegated to lobotomized housewife. There was so much potential for him in an active consort role. We also don't get to see how he got to such a peaceful place at the end of PL, so I would like to see him work through some stuff on the page

I would either cut the Rhoshamandes/Benedict storyline because of how redundant it is with how it mirrors the Marius/Armand dynamic or do something to differentiate it as its own relationship. At the very least, maybe the similarity could be highlighted to become a character beat for Armand

As far as Armand in general, I would make him a much more prominent player. I think he's a great fit for a court setting and could create a lot of intrigue as well as adding coolness factor. I'm always torn about whether I like the reveal of his romantic feelings for Lestat, but in the interest of keeping SOME things intact, I would just play it differently. Primarily, I think he becomes way too agreeable (similar to Louis) in how he submits to and idolizes Lestat, so I would love to see him come into more conflict with Lestat in spite of those feelings. Maybe we can see him make some peace with their history and let go of that intense emotion for something healthier

If we're going to keep the sex injections (IVs, whatever), I think we should do more with it than have Lestat prematurely ejaculate into a random woman. I think there's potential for a very interesting new dynamic with Louis and Lestat. It would be cathartic and maybe an interesting part of their healing process and of becoming a real couple for the first time

That's what I can think of for now, but I might update later!

#btw the lestat jack skellington comparison made me laugh you're so right #louis is so sally coded #answered #vc #the vampire chronicles #interview with the vampire #meta

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crimeronan · 5 months

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re: your empathy posts. As someone who probably has higher than normal empathy (I used to ask people around me how they deal with sympathetic distress in common situations that occur in a job and only got blank stares) you're so valid!! The lionizing of this random subconscious process called empathy is so useless! It says nothing about the person and their values! As your other commenters suggested, people disparaging you may just be trying to boost their own shaky feelings about how their own emotional stability is deeply tied to their people-pleasing tendencies.

If anything, I think learning to function "normally" in society with "empathy" makes you more messed up. I understand this person's distress. I acknowledge it, and know how my actions will make it worse. I make them feel worse anyway, because that's the organizationally approved behavior, causing more pain for both them and myself. All the while I must behave as if I am cheerful and unbothered. Internalizing that hurting others and yourself to achieve your goals is Fine is necessary in order to stay sane. This is counter to everything people say they believe, so lying also has to become a virtue.

Buying kindness from the store seems like a really kind thing to do tbh. I am passing you on the street as I am schlupping over to pick up some callousness.

this last sentence made me giggle a lot. but YEAH!! a lot of this is spot-on to stuff i've been thinking about lately. like, "normal" empathy levels seem to be socially defined as "you care about people and want to help them, but you don't care so much that you'll harm yourself in pursuit of that" and it's all just..... i dunno. so much pathologizing of how we think and feel and whether we're Human (TM) about stuff. it's all so Weird

like..... i keep thinking that my lack of empathy gives me certain advantages in social situations. but in a similar vein to the ppl worried about sounding like tiktok empaths for being hyperempathetic, i worry that this makes me sound like an alpha male influencer writing youtube essays about why emotions make you weak, or whatever.

it's not that emotions make people weak or that having less empathy makes me like, a Cold Logical Calculating Math-Loving Strategist. i'm a writer who focuses solely on character-driven stuff, u probably wouldn't expect that from a stereotypically sociopathic person. part of why i LIKE writing character-driven stuff so much is BECAUSE i've had to actively teach myself how other people think, how they feel, how they struggle, etc

a lack of empathy means i can choose not to get invested in other people's feelings or lives, i don't feel guilty for emotionally disconnecting, i'm not afraid of being disliked. but i still know how to act like a decent human being. there's that one post about how stupid it is not to realize being nice gets people to be nice back, and fuckin. YEAH!! it's astonishing to me to read about cases of """clinical sociopaths""" (who are just people who didn't get the 'pretend you give a shit, moron' memo) manipulating and gaslighting people and whatnot. everyone in the comments will always be like "ooo so scary... they didn't feel bad at ALL... so terrifying that people who don't feel guilt exist..." and i'm like.

IS GUILT THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS YOU FROM COMMITTING ATROCITIES???

BLOWS MY MIND. IT'S LIKE..... THE LEFTIST EQUIVALENT OF SAYING EVERYONE WOULD BE MURDERERS IF THEY WERENT SCARED OF GOD. LIKE. YOU ONLY AVOID DOING BAD STUFF BC IT MAKES YOU FEEL BAD??????

good LORD. at least having no empathy means i've had to grow my principles organically. oh my GOD.

anyway what brought these thoughts up today was that i was thinking about gansey and luz noceda, since theyre extremely similar characters & on my All Time Faves list. and i've said this before but the things i love about them (the kindness, self-sacrificing shit, anxiety, etc) are things i don't see in myself. but Wish I Did. like i wish i was kinder on the inside than i am.

but i know that i admire ppl with luz and gansey traits both in fiction and in real life. so i simply just..... emulate the luz and gansey actions. not always successfully, esp because i have a temper and very little patience, but like. i try to be kind where i can bc i wish i was someone who tries to be kind when they can. so i'm just going to be. u know??

#replies #long post #havent edited this so if its incoherent.... sorry #low empathy

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 2 years

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Idk why but seeing Sebek so high on your tier list made me inexplicably happy. He kind of annoyed me when I first started playing, but that was before I read his personal stories. Man I was a fool because he’s now one of my favorites (I’m a first year squad stan and he’s one of my faves of the group). Like he’s so serious as a person but a lot of his moments are actually pretty funny. Anyway this has been Appreciate Sebek Hours and I shall raise a carton of coffee milk to him

[Referencing this post!]

Like coffee, Sebek is kind of a strong and acquired taste.

I totally get why a lot of people are initially turned off by him when he’s so brazen, loud, and obsessive. I know that I personally started TWST not expecting a lot out of Sebek; I couldn’t really take his pastel green Phoenix Wright design that seriously, and I didn’t like his personality since a lot of the early promotional materials marketed Sebek as being defined predominantly by his devotion and worship of Malleus. I’m relieved to see Sebek having character outside of his reverence for his dorm leader and prince.

I feel that since Sebek takes himself so seriously despite basically being a dumb and childish kid himself, it plays off well with other characters that clearly don’t have the same intense viewpoints as he does. That contrast creates a lot of ridiculous and comedic moments like the time Sebek cried because a cookie Malleus gave him got crushed, or the time Sebek threw a tantrum because he didn’t end up on the same team as his lord. He tries so hard to be cool and mature, but it just comes off as either really smug/condescending (ie shouting about how no one can be as majestic as Silver) or weirdly pathetic (ie stumbling over his words when Malleus tells him to be off to his next class instead of standing around and shouting at Ace and Grim) 😹 Sebek really embodies the cringey way real teenagers act sometimes... too much in a rush to grow up and prove himself to those he looks up to, not realizing how his words and actions can come off to others as hurtful or as just plain silly.

I think Sebek’s biggest deterrent is probably his... discrimination against humans (or basically anyone that isn’t fae). I can see why that would make people uncomfortable when they consider his character. Racism is just plain wrong, end of story. However, I believe that Sebek is purposefully written as such so the main story can correct his behavior and show him the error of his ways (similar to how chapter 5 has Vil teaching Epel that his traditional views on masculinity and femininity are outdated).

Actually! What I find really interesting about Sebek is that his situation seems to be poised to address an issue that isn’t often mentioned in popular media, and I think it’s important to discuss it. Soooo, without further ado--

***Content warning: discussion of racism (more specifically, internalized racism) and mentions of war below the cut.*** ***Please note that I am in NO way condoning racism or war; I am speaking on these topics in an analytical manner. My only intentions in writing this post are to theorize and to educate. I am NOT defending Sebek or his actions, but rather critically commenting on how his circumstances may have played into his current characterization.***

We learn that Sebek is half human and half fae from Silver in chapter 5. While Sebek is busy chiding others and (once again) referring to them as “humans” (derogatory), Silver points out that Sebek himself is half human. Then, through Sebek’s Birthday Boy vignettes, we indeed learn that his mother is a nocturnal fairy while his father is a human.

So if Sebek is half human, then it begs the following questions: why does he seem to hate humans so much? Why does he never make mention of his own heritage, and instead chooses to exclusively extol fae?

Two words: internalized racism.

“Hold on!” I hear you saying. “What is internalized racism, and how does it differ from the regular definition of racism?”

Well, according to the Oxford dictionary, racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized”. Internalized racism is when those minorities or marginalized groups turn the oppression inward, which results in hating their own group. In Sebek’s case, this hatred is directed at humans--the side of himself that he seems to resent and be ashamed of.

It’s completely believable that Sebek would end up the way that he is. From what little we know of the Briar Valley and of fae in Twisted Wonderland, we can make many inferences and come to this conclusion. The population of Sebek’s home country is said to be predominantly fae, and they often use magic rather than technology to complete everyday tasks. (For example, if they want to go somewhere, the preferred “mode of transportation” is flight instead of cars.) The Briar Valley appears to be a very traditional, old-fashioned nation that is set in its ways.

Furthermore, it seems that most fae, as diverse as they are, seem to be exclusionary to other races (though we learn in Fairy Gala and FG: What If that, even among fae, there can be conflicts and discrimination; for example, nocturnal and diurnal fae do not get along). We somewhat observe this in Malleus, as he casually talks about the feats he is able to perform, whether magical or physical. At the same time, the tone he takes when addressing his classmates, even fellow third years and peers, is somewhat haughty (referring to humans as “child”/”children” of man as if to imply they are juvenile and inexperienced, outright saying that everyone is “like a baby” compared to him, and brushing off their magic as though it is nothing to him). These can be perceived as microaggressions, or “commonplace daily verbal, behavioral or environmental slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes towards others of a particular group”. The fairies we see in Fairy Gala and even Vargas CAMP! also reflect this, as they chase out humans from their event and/or territory. In Fairy Gala in particular, it’s implied that the fairies will reject or be hostile towards those not perceived as fairies at their gatherings, which is why the boys have to cover themselves with Fairy Dust to “blend in” and pass as fairies. It wouldn’t be too strange to assume that similar exclusion occurs in the Briar Valley, especially considering that fae are the majority and humans are the minority.

I want to take a brief moment to note that the behavior discussed in the previous paragraph is exclusive to fae. Beastmen and merpeople, two other races, engage with humans in a far less antagonistic ways.

We do sometimes see beastmen talk down to humans, typically on account of believing that humans are weak, but the beastmen we’ve observed so far have never attacked others simply due to not being of the same race as them. It seems that beastmen discriminate based mostly on whether or not they believe another person can hold themselves in a fight--it’s a very “survival of the fittest” viewpoint. Interestingly, Ruggie is said to be lacking in physical strength, but commands respect due to his reputation of being Leona’s (someone who is significantly stronger, and considered the “leader of the pack) right hand man. I wonder if hyenas (who appear to be on the lower social rungs of the Sunset Savanna) are also seen as somehow “weaker” than other beastmen, which may explain their place in the hierarchy (as the beastment we’ve seen so far seem to value physical strength).

Meanwhile, merpeople have arguably been the most amicable with humans and by far the most open to the idea of integrating with human society (though it hasn’t always been this way). This goes back to their history, which tells the tale of a curious Mermaid Princess that made a deal with the Sea Witch to obtain legs and explore the world above. That same Mermaid Princess would go on to establish a program for young merfolk to come to the surface to study and learn about land culture. There’s even a special bureau that hands out free potions that give merpeople human forms (1 potion lasts anywhere from 7 to 10 days), so long as those merpeople wish to migrate and/or establish careers in the world above. However, I do want to point out that merfolk DO seem to discriminate within themselves based on traits such as how fast they can swim (as Azul cites being bullied because he had bulky limbs which made him a slow swimmer). Again, this is a very “survival of the fittest” mindset, which I believe makes sense for both merfolk and beastmen, who are “wild animal” based races subject to the whims of Mother Nature.

It is only fae that appear to discriminate against non-fae (specifically humans) so intensely, and on a basis that extends beyond the “survival of the fittest” belief. They live in their own closed-off circles and believe that their own kind are “better than” those outside of those circles. Living longer, fae have more wisdom. Using magic all the time, fae have more skill. No human could hope to compare.

This part is pure speculation, but there have been mentions of a human-fae war in Twisted Wonderland’s history, and I wonder if the Briar Valley played a significant role in that (seeing as Lilia is described to be a decorated war veteran). If so, this may also be more evidence toward the internalized racism Sebek has developed. Regardless of who won or lost this war, if the Briar Valley took part in it, then its fae residents would definitely hold prejudice toward humans, who were on the opposing side. There might have been intense fear that developed concerning humans who have lived in the valley for generations, simply due to being of the same race as the enemies the fae were fighting. Such paranoia could very well have led into racist legal measures being implemented against humans, or fae turning on their human neighbors and reporting them under suspicion of being spies or traitors. This can go right down to what is taught to children in school: view the enemy and those similar to the enemy as outsiders, even hate them, while building up your own country and your countrymen as shining beacons. As horrible and as scary as all of this is, these are all real things that have happened and are happening during wars in real life--and children, being as pliable as they are, can easily buy into wartime propaganda.

UPDATE: Some of the things I said in the previous paragraph were confirmed in book 7. Briar Valley did, in fact, participate in the war, and they even lost their crown princess (Malleus's mother) in the conflict. The human invaders also ravaged the Land of Briar for its natural resources against the fae’s wishes. Due to how the continent is divided up in modern day Twisted Wonderland, it does appear that they were the losers in the war and had to give up their land to the human nations (though this part is just speculation; more on this theory here). I can easily see why the fae in Briar Valley might harbor and perpetuate disdain toward any non-fae, and humans in particular.

When Sebek tells us about his parents, he mentions that “there were many among [my mother’s] peers who opposed her marriage to a human”. In other words, there was a distinct social push against the union of people from two different races (which isn’t that hard to believe, especially seeing how “old-fashioned” the Briar Valley is implied to be and how fae appear to discriminate against other races in general). As offspring resulting from that union, Sebek may have faced considerable hardships in his childhood. He’s not like the other children (most of which, I’d presume, are either fully fae or fully human), he’s an anomaly. I wouldn’t be shocked to learn that Sebek might have been ostracized because of who his parents were. (In book 7, he is discriminated against by his own grandfather who calls him a “human” and derides him for lacking the Zigvolt family’s signature scales.) On top of that, he grew up in a society that seems to heavily favor fae and those capable of using magic--traits that don’t apply to his father.

Another detail which may have contributed to Sebek being looked at differently by his peers is that he was a late bloomer with his magic. It’s probable that others looked down on Sebek because he manifested his magical abilities late in life. Imagine years and years of being surrounded by peers that are just more skilled and talented than you, and they often treat you differently because of that. Whether it’s overt bullying (fighting, name calling, taunting) or subtle snubs (ie excluding him or giving strange looks), they would all hurt and deeply wound a growing child like Sebek who is still trying to make sense of the world and his place in it. Let’s also remember that he has an older brother and an older sister that he could easily compare himself to, and a (retired royal guard) grandfather with a great legacy to live up to. (Side note on Sebek’s grandpa: he is described to be very old-fashioned and discriminatory himself, so it’s possible his ideals rubbed off on Sebek, especially seeing as Sebek says he spent a lot of time in his youth at his grandfather’s.)

Of course Sebek would develop great shame for the half that is looked down on by seemingly everyone outside of his immediate family. Of course he would embrace the “superior” side of his heritage, the culture and air of righteousness that pervades his country. Of course he would shun his “inferior” side, going so far as to make no mention of it to others (note that it was Silver, who is fully comfortable being a full-blooded human raised by a fae, who outed Sebek’s half bloodedness, rather than Sebek himself). Of course he would worship Malleus, the epitome of the power and might that fae can wield. He’s seeking validation in his very VERY confused identity, which is a struggle that many teenagers in real life have to deal with.

I propose that this is how Sebek has learned to cope with the struggles of growing up half human, half fae: by rejecting his humanity and aggressively embracing being fae. All his boisterousness and the acting out he gets up to is him denying a part of himself. He’s projecting it to the world to see and hear--because if he says it enough times, and says it loudly enough, then surely he can convince himself that he isn’t somehow “less than” his fellow countrymen, right? (Or so that’s probably what Sebek tells himself.) It might not be the best way to cope, but it was, perhaps, the only way Sebek knew how to cope. When most of your country looks at you like you’re the strange one, how is a child supposed to fight back? He can’t--so with little to no other options, his psyche turned that hatred inward as a defense mechanism to protect himself and his ego.

This internalized racism helps explain why Sebek’s relationship with his dad seem so... strange (well, at least from the kid’s end). Sebek’s grandfather (from his mother’s side) is a retired soldier and war hero serving under General Lilia. His mother is also said to be highly proficient with magic since a very young age, and boasts strong principles and unbending conviction. Sebek is very proud of these parts of his family while expressing confusion at and criticism of his father, who is, by comparison, unremarkable. He notes that his father buys him sweets and snacks unprovoked, and showers the kids with attention and praise. It’s strange; Sebek constantly shouts about humans and how weak and insignificant they are at school, then in the same breath Sebek can communicate that he doesn’t “understand” his father, but he never directly insults him.

I don’t believe that Sebek hates his dad, but that his odd behavior toward him is a result of cognitive dissonance. Sebek (theoretically) resents his human blood because of how it is looked down on in the Briar Valley, but he cannot find it within himself to resent his father for it. How can he, when his dad has been nothing but doting and supportive to his entire family? Yet Sebek’s pride won’t allow him to outright acknowledge his love for his father, won’t let him show weakness or bend a knee to a “mere” human.

There’s also another angle to Sebek’s cognitive dissonance. How can his father—magicless and utterly unremarkable—be so carefree and content when Sebek has been told his entire life that magicless creatures are second class citizens? How can his father be so genuinely supportive of his children, who are capable of magic without becoming jealous? How can his father be so comfortable with himself, despite not being fae, despite not being able to use magic? By all accounts, the way his father lives and is satisfied with what he already has flies in the face of everything Sebek has been taught by the Briar Valley, and this totally baffles him.

In Sebek’s Union Birthday vignettes, we see just how much he really cares for his dad. When asked who he would pick to be with him on a deserted island (and it can’t be anyone from his own dorm), Sebek replies with Trey. Why Trey, even though he doesn’t seem to have any skills for surviving in the wilderness? Because (as Sebek himself states), Trey reminds him of his father. “No matter what I say to him, he would always talk to me without being fazed whatsoever.” Jack, Sebek’s interviewer, points out that his dad must have a big heart, and that he must be someone Sebek can rely on. To this, Sebek reacts with embarrassment and insists that he does NOT rely on his father, then rushes to move on to the next question.

It’s probably very strange to Sebek that his dad loves him so much, as it is likely a strong contrast to how those outside of his immediate family perceive and treat him. Society has taught Sebek that humans are inferior to fae, and yet here is a human that doesn’t care what he or Sebek is or isn’t. He just loves his family, and loves Sebek, regardless of what everyone else says or thinks of them. Sebek doesn’t know how to react to that, and it’s so off-putting. His dad gives him such pure and unconditional love, and I think that Sebek recognizes that, but he feels too ashamed to express his gratitude and reciprocate that unyielding love (which, I suspect, is due in part to all that internalized racism). It only contributes to his ongoing identity crisis--a crisis that, mind you, has him dividing people in "fae" and "humans" rather than "fae", "humans", "merpeople", and "beastmen. Why? Because Sebek is fixating on the two sides of himself, his "fae"-ness and his humanity... and lost in that conflict is himself and the connections he could have made with others. If you think about it that way, Sebek is not only hurting those around him, but he’s also (unintentionally) sabotaging himself and his relationships. It’s proof that racism is terrible for everyone involved, even the people perpetuating it.

Sebek never feels like he’s enough. He’s always rushing to get somewhere, rushing to prove himself in the eyes of others. He’s the last in the Diasomnia group to go to NRC, he feels the need to compete with and outperform Silver, his magic came to him late… and to top it all off, he’s questioning who he is: fae or human, both or neither? Now he’s overcorrecting, overcompensating, in an effort to be seen as someone worth having around. This is why he loudly declares his fae heritage and shuts down humans. This is why he is so desperate for praise. This is explains SO much about him.

So why did I spend several paragraphs detailing Sebek’s internalized racism to you? Because, as I’ve said earlier in this post, this is something that happens in the real world and it is not discussed enough in a lot of the media we consume.

I feel like Sebek’s dilemma can be very relatable, particularly to those struggling with an identity crisis of their own, be it those of mixed race, those hailing from unconventional family structures, or anything else which may make them “different”. Of course, this is NOT a blanket statement. Everyone does not go through the same struggles, and every person’s experiences are unique. I am only presenting my own speculation on how Sebek’s situation relates to the real world.

I know that I’ve personally gone through an identity struggle that looks a lot like how I theorized Sebek’s to be, so his character really hits close to home 💦 Without getting into too many specifics, I’m considered a minority in my country, and I’ve received a lot of ridicule because of it. I cannot count the number of times I’ve seriously been told that my native language sounds “weird”, been made fun of for my appearance (particularly my eye shape), stereotyped as smart just because of my race, or called insensitive nicknames. It got to the point where I started to resent my heritage (refusing to eat our foods, refusing to speak our language, refusing to learn about our history), which I saw as alienating me from my peers--but it seemed that no matter what I did, neither culture that I was a part of fully accepted me. The people I was trying to fit in with never considered me part of their group, and my extended family thought I was “different” from them since I was not born and raised in our home country. I was disconnected from my peers and my relatives. It felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. I can really understand what Sebek is probably going through, because I’ve lived it myself.

Now that I’m older and wiser, I look back at that period of my life and realize how toxic it really was. I’m reconnecting with my roots and coming to embrace and love the culture I grew up in, and the culture of the family that I was born into--both sides. But here’s the thing: people don’t always identify internalized racism and recognize it as something that is harmful (both to themselves and to the people around them). That’s why I’m hopeful for Sebek, what chapter 7 can do for him, and the important message it can send to the fandom.

ANOTHER UPDATE: 100 parts (and counting) deep into book 7 and yes, I can confirm now that Sebek's internalized racism is being confronted and he's being forced to reconcile with those difficult feelings. I may make a follow-up post on this topic.

It’s so, so easy to dismiss Sebek as a hypocrite (which, don’t get me wrong, he definitely is), but there is likely so much more nuance to it than just “he hates on humans even though he is half human himself” or just “he’s a racist and that’s all there is to him”.

Obviously, racism is wrong and should be condemned, but I don’t believe simply depicting a character as racist is necessarily promoting racism. As long as media is not outright glorifying it, racism can be used as a literary device to deliver an important message (which is, more often than not, an anti-racism one) to the audience.

It’s made pretty clear that no one takes Sebek seriously when he shouts about humans or acts hateful toward them. Other characters consistently either make fun of Sebek for acting so outrageously, or they outright call him out for his discrimination.

To me, this all reads as very blatantly and purposefully setting Sebek’s racist beliefs up to be shattered and proven wrong later. He’s representative of a social problem, and I hope that TWST will use Sebek to promote a positive message when his time in the spotlight comes around.

What message might that be?

To learn to love and accept yourself, and where you come from, in its entirety.

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sokkastyles · 8 months

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I don't understand people who say Zuko has no relation to bending because every main character has a relation to bending.

Aang's relation to bending is that he is the last one able to hold up air nomad culture and is the only Airbender seen in the last 100 years. Katara freed aang with her bending then travels and fought for her right to learn water bending and then became one of the best water benders in the world. Tophs bending allows her to see the world in her own way and is what frees her from her parents, Sokka can't bend and yet his arc is a little tied to bending in that he felt useless for not being a bender (in a least one episode) so he learned how to sword fight so he could feel lkke he was pulling his own weight.

Azula being a prodigal bender in a family that puts such an emphasis on being great fire benders is why Ozai shapes her into the character we know. (Also why is Zuko's rainbow fire questioned but not Azula's blue fire as I read somewhere the creators gave her blue fire to distinguish from Zuko's orange-red fire in fights so how is that different from Zuko's rainbow fire. The creators of both mediums put them there to put them there allegedlly.)

Yeah, I mean, it's not like bending was based on martial arts which also has spiritual meanings and associations in East Asian cultures, and also uses symbology related to the four elements and incorporates ideas from various Asian religions, in particular Buddhism. Not like elemental and spiritual balance is a huge theme of the show or anything.

And yeah, the creators also pulled the "we just thought it would be cool" about Azula's blue fire, and similar to what I said about Zuko's rainbow fire, there are also other associations that go with the image of blue fire that many people have made because those associations already exist. The most common interpretation being that blue fire burns hotter, to represent Azula being a prodigy or to represent her rage and hatred, or that the blue represents her coldness and detachment from others.

People like to rag on Yang for giving the same equivalent to a creator shoulder shrug because the comics overall are poorer quality, the same as people are willing to forgive ATLA for its faults because of its overall amazing quality. But I don't think a lot of people actually realize why the comics are poor quality or what about the writing is poor. That's evident by how many corners of the fandom you can go to and find people who hate the comics for treating their fave poorly. I thought that was really funny when I reblogged that post and had Aang stans telling me that Gene Yang just favors Zuko, since I spend most of my time in the Zuko corner of fandom where people largely blame Yang for doing his characterization dirty.

Anyway, I was happy to see American Born Chinese getting its own show because this fandom throws some of the most ridiculous shit out there at Gene Yang for a crappy sequel comic series he wrote to an award-winning serialized tv show that was basically doomed to be terrible.

#atla comics #zuko #azula #firebending #elemental symbolism

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corpsepng · 1 month

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tell us all about your favorite sci-fi stories!!

!!!!! To be so honest I feel a little too under-read to talk specific stories as I’ve only recently started Reading reading again. But in this time of growing a (robust tbh) reading habit I’ve also (FINALLY) developed my taste and realized (after 25 years of life) I’m accidentally a sci-fi guy when before I was VEHEMENTLY opposed and convinced I was a staunch fantasy enjoyer lmao. So I think instead of rattling off stories I’ll describe WHAT I like the most in my sci-fi/my reading tastes (film included). AND. AND. If anyone has recs based on this let me know!

I like my sci-fi down to earth, because I have weird intrusi-qualms about secondary worlds that are supposed to make sense (fantasy gives me this reaction too now unless I change my headspace). (So far) I have found no one (the scavengers show on HBO excluded bc that impressed me) is making their alien worlds ALIEN enough for me!!! I like sci-fi that is near to home in both space and time, therefore believable. And with societies that don’t feel like archaic repeats of the past (could not even get 2 chapters into red rising). Some stuff like Dune just feels space fantasy to me. Yada yada space travel, where’s the science yk? All I see is magic. (So like the seep and annihilation and possessor, just weird enough to feel different but similar enough to feel real)

I also only like space travel if it talks about how horrific space travel is because the isolation should be the main character. The hopelessness and high stakes of failing should eclipse everything else. If they’re on a space ship I need people to die bc space should, logical, be 10 times as unfriendly as the sea. (Europa report, sunshine, that one with Sandra bullock hyperventilating for 2 hours)

And first contact!!!!!!! The three body problem, arrival, annihilation and the seep again!!! The many ways we can and might encounter and react to alien life but with very clear discussions about human nature, alien nature, and the nature of life itself. Can we really coexist? Are we really all that intelligent? What are the consequences of our hamfisted human choices? How can we ever hope to effectively communicate anything to anyone ever?????????????

And lastly. Lastly. horror. I think all sci-fi SHOULD be a little scary just like all fantasy should be a little scary. Horror is an essential element to every story regardless of genre, because fear is a cardinal human emotion. All animals know fear. SO. Take the scary out and the whole thing is defanged. I want body horror, existential horror, creature horror, isolation horror, tech horror. Alien and event horizon and I have no mouth but I must scream and annihilation (again) and three body problem (hill to die on) etcetera!!!!! The world is terrifying and science fiction is meant to examine the truth of that.

Tbh a lot of my fav HORROR has an element of sci-fi to it (ie lovecraftian work especially Caitlin Kiernan, sunshine, the genetically modified worms part of the troop, possessor!!!!!! All Time Faves) The science of horror AND the horror of science yk. We’re creating the monsters in laboratories if you will.

I’m also reading a lot of non fiction as well, but this is already too long so I’ll list my books and films in a reblog. Thank you for the excuse to write all this and PLEASE someone recommend me more books (and film)

🖤💙🦋🩵🩶🖤💙🦋🩵🩶🖤💙🦋🩵🩶

#mail.txt #I could literally go on for 1000 years #<<33 #sci-fi #am reading

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1-up-chump · 1 year

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mortal kombat MK 3 roster SFW general HC

Cyrax

Cyrax is a sweetheart and pretty moderate with showing affection, Although he won't go father than a hug and a kiss. He tries to keep you at a distance with the lin kuei and his more personal business, but regardless of what happens he's still going to love you. And when he inevitably becomes a cyborg, loving you will never be reprogrammed out.

Cyrax prefers quality time than gifts, time being a precious thing, he would rather spend it with someone he cares about deeply. He enjoys conversation even if neither of you have to say much, the little things matter to cyrax and especially after becoming a cyborg

Cyrax would sacrifice a lot of things but for you especially, netherrealm would freeze over before he'd allow you to get hurt, much less suffer a fate similar to his.

Sektor

Sektor is a bit stiff with showing affection but the smallest gestures with him mean a lot. He's always been loyal to the lin kuei, not even you could change that. However he's softer on you than others, it may not seem like much, but it matters.

Like cyrax, quality time is his preferred way of showing affection, maybe even the only way. But to him time is even more precious, and spending it with you is his greatest gift.

Sektor may be conflicted when you get hurt, preferring that you could handle yourself. Perhaps even try to get you to eventually become a cyborg like himself so you both can work together and be of superior physical capability. But even if you refuse, sektor might actually fight his reprogramming for the first time if he's ever sent to harm you.

Kabal

Oh he will not shut up about you, kabal will brag about you and not afraid to get a little handsy in public. You do the same to him however is a different story and he'll get all flustered.

Kabal will give you any kind of expensive thing, mostly out of "societal expectation" of whats the best way to win your heart. But really he likes to just do things for you, hold your hand, even talk with you. Really kabal is kinda insecure of a dude (i mean his face literally got messed up bad) so he might try to overcompensate but once you reassure him, he's very sweet.

Kabal is dead serious if anyone threatens or harms his darling. They'll be dead before they even realize it, before you probably even register you were ever in danger in the first place.

Stryker

(Ok im gonna admit, he's my least fave mk character EVER but I'll try to write him good)

Stryker is a bit of a serious kinda guy so when it comes to relationships, he's gonna be a bit stiff with PDA but not so stiff you can't do something simple like hand holding and kissing. Private is a different story he's more lax but kinda traditional in the sense that, he's more likely to take the lead in certain romantic situations like opening the door for you or carrying you bridal style. Although he's not gonna complain too much if you insist on doing all that too.

The most you're gonna get in ways of gifts is flowers, maybe a cute bracelet he saw that he knew you'd like. Its not that he doesn't want to, he just thinks spending time with someone and doing things with them is more important than material. To Stryker, material things is just the icing on a cake, too much and its just a tub of frosting.

Stryker is absolutely not gonna let you get hurt on his watch. If you're not the fighting type or not fit to, he wants you out of harmful situations asap no questions asked. But if you can hold your own, he's still going to be a bit more protective than necessary bc he can't afford to lose you, Stryker doesn't believe he could ever emotionally recover from that.

Nightwolf

Oh he's such a gentleman with you, he's simple with public affection but in private he's very romantic and heartfelt. He takes the relationship seriously.

Any gift he gives you is gonna be handmade, from jewelry to food, its all made with love. But he shows his love in many ways equally mostly with relaxing in silence at night, star gazing with you is his favorite moment.

Hell hath no fury than nightwolf seeing you get hurt. The greater the injury, the greater the pain inflicted on whoever is unfortunate enough to get an axe to the head, And a spirit animal biting their guts out

Sindel

Sindel shows affection in that regal sort of way, nothing too intimate but probably more intimate than kitana would be comfortable with. Needless to say, sindel is gonna treat you good. Even when corrupted by dark magic she still is generous to you, of course by the twist of said magic she expects you to not mind being the "submissive" one in the relationship from time to time. She's a queen and expects to be treated as such either way.

Lavish, rare and expensive gifts are to be expected. Both received and delivered, but if you're with sindel your status should make it relatively easy for you to find something sindel would like. Sindel is a words of affirmation kind of woman, she loves to give praise and hear it back. Sindel loves to remind you how much she loves you, but she won't shy away from getting physical if her words alone aren't enough. Just a fair warning, sindel likes to "squeeze" a lot

It should be obvious that it's a bad idea to mess with sindel, let alone hurt her lover. Sindel isn't afraid to personally get her hands dirty to "make an example" out of someone. Fortunately you've learned to pack a few spare earplugs in such a case even if the poor victim is far away from you. Sindel's scream can carry sound even from far distances

Sheeva

Sheeva is sort of like goro when showing affection, but not as "show offey". Like she just appreciates your presence more than anything, but doesn't shy away from declaring her love.

Her gifts come in the form of armor, something to protect you, but also act as a show of love and devotion. Strong armor that won't break so easily. Sheeva also likes to "play wrestle" with you from time to time, take that as you will.

Sheeva would rather take someone who can defend themselves physically, however appreciates other forms of strength as well. But regardless, if you're hurt badly, sheeva is gonna skin alive whoever hurt you and wear them as a mini coat

Smoke/tomas vrbada

Tomas is a sweetheart and knows the danger of showing affection and others potentially using this knowledge for malicious purposes. Despite that he tries to get away with lowkey hand holding and kissing you in the shadows as much as possible.

Tomas is a kind of homemade gifts kind of guy. Whether that be origami or he makes you a homecooked meal, its from the heart. But he's very smooth yet humble about it. The only lavish gift he'll give is a beautiful wedding ring later down the relationship.

Despite the terrible fate he ends up having, no amount of reprogramming will remove his love for you. Fighting within an inch of his soul to keep you from harms way, even from himself. You'll always be able to snap him out of whatever evil thing the lin kuei did to reprogram his mind, body, and to a degree his soul.

Motaro

(So sorry motaro enjoyers this was the best gif i could find)

Everyone doesn't know whether or not to be shocked that someone was crazy enough to be in a relationship with motaro, or that motaro even has a relationship in the first place. But regardless, the Centaurian carries you around like royalty.

Don't expect much in the way of gifts, but motaro's love language is fighting or hunting alongside you. He might even show off a bit and prance around with pride if you're impressed.

Even if you suck at fighting, motaro may be highly annoyed trying to protect you all the time. But he will always make sure no one would even lay a finger on your head, at least while still intact and not crushed to death.

#mortal kombat cyrax #mortal kombat kabal #mortal kombat Stryker #mortal kombat nightwolf #mortal kombat sindel #mortal kombat sheeva #mortal kombat smoke #mortal kombat motaro #mortal kombat #xreader #x reader #im so sorry this took so long bc my brain literally crashed on smoke #i deadass forgot what his character was like and got so embarrassed i procrastinated for months #BUT I CAME BACK TO FINISH THIS

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