#i've been thinking about arcadia all the way

[patchwork-crow-writes]

Thoughts on Kris x Ralsei

This is so long I had to split it up into parts - this is Part 1, which looks into how the roles that Kris and Ralsei are given contributes to the idea of their romance. As more parts are written, they'll be linked below in this handy-dandy TOC!

Part 1: And They Lived Happily Ever After <- (You Are Here!) Part 1.5: I Believe Your Choices DO Matter Part 2: A Pair of Star-Cross'd Lovers Part 2.5: In Another World, We Could Have Been (Just) Friends

Okay, so.

Wanted to elaborate a bit on my viewpoint of this ship, because I don't think it's something I've ever really discussed before and I think it's actually a very interesting dynamic (or at least has the potential to be, depending on where the rest of Deltarune goes).

So, Kralsei is cute, isn't it? It's fun to hug the fluffy boy and watch him melt into incomprehensible stuttering and blushing. All the little signs he's really, really into Kris, all the cute little snippets of dialogue you can initiate with him, all the alone time they spend together, in both chapters... honestly, the game makes it hard not to root for this pairing.

And yeah, it's cute... in a very surface-level, don't-think-about-it-too-hard kind of way. But once you start thinking about it... hoo boy. There is. A LOT to unpack here. So much more is going on just under the surface, and once you see it, it's difficult to un-see it. And in my opinion, it makes the Kralsei dynamic so much more nuanced, more compelling, and potentially quite tragic.

Now, a disclaimer: it's fine to like this ship on a surface level. No real harm is being done, these are fictional characters and it doesn't matter what reason you enjoy it for - if it provides comfort to you and gets you through, then more power to you! This is more me sorting through my thoughts on the subject and is not a judgment on how others approach it. With that said, and in the spirit of full disclosure, this will go into slightly uncomfortable territory - picking apart the idea of destined love, the deconstruction of common romance tropes, how outside manipulation might play a part, and even the potentially incest-adjacent nature of the relationship. If you don't want to deal with any of that, you can stop reading right now, and that's okay. Please continue to enjoy Deltarune in the manner that is best for you, and thank you for your attention thus far :)

If you're still with me, then please click the read more and we'll get started.

Part 1: And They Lived Happily Ever After

The first thing you have to understand is that Deltarune is utterly determined to cram the notion of Kralsei down the player's throat. The game is not subtle about this in any way, shape or form. Everything from the narration, to the dialogue, to major game events, to item interactions, and even the roles that Kris and Ralsei play both in the story and the party, serves to reinforce the notion that these two are very likely to end up romantically involved with each other in some way.

Let's look at the characters first. Kris is portrayed as the noble knight - stoic, unwavering, courageous, a natural leader - clad in medieval-inspired plate armour and wielding a sword and shield. And Ralsei is the archetypal princess - demure, dainty, kindhearted, nurturing - who uses magic to heal his allies and pacify enemies.

I did not mistype there - Ralsei is a prince, but the characteristics associated with him are more commonly found amongst female healers in JRPGs. Think Fina from Skies of Arcadia, or Marle from Chrono Trigger (minus the temperment), and you might have an idea of what I'm on about.

Think of knights and princesses for a moment. Imagine St. George slaying the dragon to save a helpless damsel. Imagine Lancelot and Gwenevere. Robin Hood and Maid Marion. Link and Zelda. Squall and Rinoa. Every single fairy tale involving an imperilled princess and a knightly rescuer. For a more modern take, imagine The Bodyguard. Ness and Paula. I could go on, but then we'd be here all day.

Suffice it to say that there is a pretty entrenched tradition surrounding these archetypes - a male-coded, phsyically-adept, courageous, stoic, action-oriented figure, is paired with a female-coded, magically-adept (depending on the medium of course), less-physically-capable by comparison, emotional, and more passive foil. The (male-coded) knight protects and rescues, the (female-coded) princess nurtures and soothes.

It is a very, VERY emotionally-charged dynamic, by its very nature. Through their acts of service to their protectee, the Knight displays their devotion and care for the Princess, and is in turn emotionally-enriched and cared-for. There is a great deal of physical and emotional vulnerability between them, and it is therefore ideal for romance stories.

Look at Kris and Ralsei again, through this lens. Kris is immediately put into the role of Knight, and Ralsei quickly establishes himself as a classic Princess. Almost instantly, before you've even become aware of it, you've made the connection - they're going to fall in love, because that's what ALWAYS happens in these stories. Ralsei supports and encourages Kris, both in dialogue and in battle, and Kris...

...Kris, uh...

...they...

...hug Ralsei sometimes...?

...they... they give him a ribbon...?

...no, that can't be right.

But it is right, for two reasons. One, Kris doesn't have to do anything. The roles are already established, and Ralsei is playing his part like a pro. And two, Kris doesn't do any of those things in the first place - you do. It's the player who hugs Ralsei, who gives him the ribbon, who picks the dialogue options, who makes the connections. You're the Knight in this scenario, not Kris.

Because Kris doesn't get to make that choice. Kris has to do what you tell them to do. And many of us have already jumped to the conlusion that this romance is happening, becuase that's what always happens. The Knight and the Princess fall in love. They get married. They live happily ever after.

So we ship them, because hey, it's cute, and it's easy. I can't stress enough how easy the game makes this. I'm fairly convinced that Ralsei was designed by comittee, like the Funzo toy in that one episode of the Simpsons. Like he was created with the sole purpose of being the most disgustingly adorable, lovable, awkward little cinnamon bun that ever existed. Like he was created to generate the maximum emotional response in players. It's the cuteness response dialled up to 11, and we are almost hard-wired to want to protect this little bundle of fluff from any and all danger, because lookit how sweet and adorable he is! The glasses make his eyes look all big, his fluffiness is reminscent of that of baby animals, he stutters and fumbles his way through dialogue, and you just want to scoop him up and put him in your pocket or something.

And so, we're more than happy to fulfil the role of the Knight to Ralsei's Princess. Whether Kris actually wants to or not. Because it does become increasingly obvious that outside of our influence, Kris is still their own person, with their own goals and desires, but no real agency with which to pursue them. Would that we could know what they truly want, but we are never presented with an opportunity to find out.

The thing is, Kris is not particularly... knightly. They play pranks on their friends, they swipe sweet treats from their mother, they seem to enjoy getting a rise out of people, and particularly from Asriel, if the story about "dropping the lizard into the pit to jump higher" is any indication. They sleep through class, yet by Berdly's grudging admission they are the "third smartest in the class". The only reason they go to church is so they can drink the "sick fruit juice". They don't seem to have any issue with prank-calling their mom, while she's taking about them with their tutor, while they're standing just out of sight, while they're balancing a trash orb on their head.

Nothing about this behaviour screams "Knight." If anything, it would make more sense for Kris to have become a Rogue-type character upon entering the dark world. So the question remains - why is Kris forced into that role? And to what extent is the seemingly "fated" romance between Kris and Ralsei part of that role?

Folks, we have barely scratched the surface here. If I keep writing here this will become a novel, so I have to stop for everyone's sanity. But I will follow up soon, looking into the ideas of Purpose and Destiny and how they relate to Kralsei in-game. If you've stuck with me up to this point, let me just say thanks, because wow I wrote a lot here, and it's probably a bit rambly and says the same things two or three times, but I just. Had to get this onto the page in some way or another, so... here it is.

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one :)

#essay #thoughts #rambling #deltarune #kris dreemurr #Ralsei #Kralsei #Krisei #shipping #romance #character archetypes #Knights and Princesses #long post #Part one of several #oh my god there's so much ground to go over here I didn't even know #and we're only TWO CHAPTERS in #no wonder I'm obsessed #theory

[arcadiabaytornado]

Omg I'm totally convinced you're right about the "has Rachel powers?" but now is the question, do you think she created the storm? I have noticed that kinda everyone thinks differently about this one

I believe that Rachel caused the storm!

While the in-game explanation is that Max caused the storm by saving Chloe, I've never fully believed that idea. Max sees a vision of the storm before she goes to the bathroom, and it's really weird that the universe randomly gave Max the power to save Chloe just to be like, "Yeah. You weren't actually supposed to use the power you were given." Like…if the universe meant for Chloe to die on Monday, shouldn't she just have...died on Monday?? If the universe can give Max time travel powers, surely it can just…not do that??

So I've settled my mind on the idea that Rachel caused the storm because I feel like that makes the most sense. Under the cut, I'll give all my circumstantial evidence for why I think it makes sense for Rachel to be the storm.

More Undercut

A: Rachel's death was really unjust. She died at the hands of her teacher, who groomed her. And she never got the chance to leave Arcadia Bay. That could make a ghost really spiteful, and it makes sense that she would take her rage out on the town, considering her entire character motivation was leaving it.

B: The storm is still happening in the Alternative Timeline where Chloe couldn't have been in the Blackwell bathroom. However, Rachel IS missing in this universe, so she could be the storm.

C: Rachel comes back as a ghost deer or has a connection to a ghost deer...so it's not really a stretch to think she could also cause a supernatural storm.

D: The wind blows every time she screams when she burns down the tree. So maybe she has some kind of wind power.

E: Rachel almost took out the entire town already with the tree incident, and Chloe even says "I can't believe Rachel set that fire. I don't think she meant to. But I also don't think she...didn't mean to." Given that Rachel almost took out the town once is really THAT big of a stretch to think that if she was murdered and could get revenge on the town she would?

F: I still feel like the endings work within the context of her being the storm. If you sacrfice Chloe, then Rachel has Chloe by her side again and Mark and Nathan are put in prison for what they did to her. If you sacrfice Arcadia Bay, then Rachel gets her revenge on the town and Nathan dies and Mark is arrested. Either way Rachel would win.

Those are just the reasons I feel like the idea is plausible off the top of my head! I think it makes more sense then the idea that the universe gave Max the power to save someone that was never supposed to be saved.

#life is strange #lis #Rachel Amber

[tokyo-tower-symbolism]

I've been meaning to get into the re:live game story for a while now, but I don't know how necessary the event stories are in comparison to the main and school stories...

do you have a recommended reading order for main story and events if the timeline makes them interspersed?

Uhh, there was this one good google doc that had a bunch of stuff like what stories were important for each character, but I cannot find that right now so I'll do my best from memory but honestly I might miss a couple things so my bad.

Edit: thank you @pallastronomy for finding the doc in question, i really wanted to read that again too

To read it you can go to the wikia, read it on karth.top, or look up the parts on Youtube. That last one might be the best since you'll get the full visual novel experience.

So first off I would suggest reading the first part of the story, so Main Story chapters 1-6. Well, suggest is a strong word. I think those chapters kinda suck, but I guess they're necessary for the premise and to introduce the characters? But then again they abandon the original premise half way in favor of the performance festival so whatever. And if you want a better introduction to the characters you should read the School Stories (ignoring SJH) and also maybe watch Shoujo Cante All Starlight. So really I don't suggest you read those chapters but

I think at this point you are can read the event stories from "Hello to Halloween" to "Surprise! Rehearsal Friends!"

And you don't need to read them all, but they're fun! I couldn't really tell you which ones are super important to the plot, sorry about that. Honestly my personal opinion at this point is to just pick a couple characters you like to follow and read their stories. You can see who participates in each one on the Revue Starlight wikia

Plus, character card bond stories! Each event has a couple gacha cards they're trying to sell, and sometimes they're not super related to the story, but sometimes they are. If someone references something that happened off screen, it either happened in an earlier event or in the bond card, but I'd still only read the bond cards once you're done reading the event is over since otherwise they can be spoilers. Just think of those as prequels instead of preludes.

Then at this point you can read Main Story Chapters 7-11. And I really do think you should read these since they are juicy. There's a new plot and we really get to dive deep into the ReLive characters and see their individual pasts and why they now stand on stage. It's great.

Now for the Event Stories, feel free to read any story from "Starry Diamond Tragic Orion" up until "Royal Retainer"

Although now I gotta bring up some caveats. Anything with Seiran is not going to matter to the main plot of ReLive, and if you're curious about them, then that gets into Stage Play Territory which is much easier to follow but not in ReLive.

And honestly same with the Seisho only stories. They're fun, don't get me wrong, but they kinda don't affect the developments of the cast at all.

Starry Diamond is a live show that had some Revues, so some of the relive events are just rehashings of those. Except Venus & Cupid Story, which is a sequel to Zeus no Chuusai from the Starry Diamond Live, and that revue is actually super important to the Yumeoji Sisters's story but it is not in ReLive.

And once you've had your fill of those stories, you can start reading Main Story Chapters 12-18, Arcana Arcadia. And this one is really good. Iirc, the main revue starlight writer came in for these parts. There's some info that directly leads into the movie. And it's honestly great.

But the issue is that there are intermission bond stories that need to be read in the middle of the chapters. If you are reading it online that can be kind of pain, but in the game I think it's in the right order? I could not say for sure since I don't actually play it. Anyways, here's the vague order according to the wikia, but I'm not 100% on this

Chapter 12: 1-2

Chapter 13: Tower, Hermit, Empress, 1-3, High Priestess, 4-5, Magician, 6-9, Hanged Man, Strength, 10-15

Chapter 14: Wheel of Fortune, Chariot, 1-2, Lovers, 3-14, Faith, Hierophant, 15

Chapter 15: 1-2, Devil, Sun, Justice, 3-15

Chapter 16: Death, Charity, 1-15

Chapter 17: Temperance, 1, Fool, 2-4, World, Judgement, 5-15

Chapter 18: Hope, 1-9, Emperor, 10-14, 15/Moon

So yeah, after this you have basically free reign to read the remaining event stories. The next big ongoing plot seems to be about Siegfeld Junior High, but that one also isn't really connected to the previous stories at all.

Also some cards have connecting bond stories even without events, such as the Frontier Rangers, Orpheus, Camelot, Snow White, and Yin-Yang.

But for real, I think the best way to get into the story is to read the main story and then see what characters you like. Then you can read along all their bond stories and events that they star in, and maybe you'll find other characters that stand out. If you are missing any information, usually characters will reference whatever they are talking about, so you won't be completely lost.

So yeah, I hope you have fun with the relive story! It touches on a lot of the themes from the show and honestly I just really liked seeing the characters again. And also Arcana Arcadia is great, just so great.

#asks #revue starlight

[chloe-caulfield94]

Max is a hero, because she cares about people no one else cares about

Max refuses to give up on people everyone else has given up on, and I think that's the most heroic thing one can do. This becomes evident with her rescues of Chloe and Tristan.

By the time Max returned to Arcadia Bay, Chloe had no one standing in her corner, believing in her. "Broken girl from a broken home", "loser dropout", "whore", "faux punk slut". That's how people saw her. Almost everyone treated her with disdain. Rachel was gone, having left a letter how she had met someone new and exciting. I don't doubt that Joyce loved her daughter. But the way she spoke about her, how Chloe supposedly "chose to stay angry", betrays that she had written Chloe off. If it's Chloe's choice to be miserable, then no one has to bother helping her, right? Because she could just choose to be her old, happy self again. Joyce decided to move on. Just like she had hidden away all of William's photographs, she relegated her daughter to the role of an irreformable troublemaker that nothing could be done about.

And the worst thing was that Chloe gave up on herself. "He acts like I'm some kind of problem to solve. Sometimes I am a problem, though", "I screwed it up somehow. Like I screw everything up. 'Cause I'm a fucking screw-up", "I don't deserve it. I'm so selfish", "I know I've been selfish, but for once I think I should accept my fate". After years of being told she's broken, worthless, unworthy, a lost cause, she finally accepted it as the gospel truth.

When Max tore up the butterfly photograph, she was the only person in the world still choosing to believe in Chloe. Believing that she could have a new beginning. That it wasn't too late for Chloe to experience a first day of the rest of her life. Standing by someone who would otherwise be alone, wanting someone no one else wants - that's the most heroic thing I can think of.

Tristan's story is eerily similar to Chloe's. He was a lonely, desperate kid who got himself into very bad company. His destiny was to be gunned down. But Max saved him. Because she couldn't let a stranger die. No more than she could let a different stranger die in the bathroom of her school.

It was later revealed that the reason Tristan was able to move between universes so easily was that he had died in EVERY SINGLE UNIVERSE, apart from the "Amberprice" universe Max visited. That means Max, more specifically our version of Max, was the only person in all of existence to care about him. A boy who was destined to have his life extinguished across all of creation, and Max saved him. Once again, Max stood by someone no one else wanted to stand by. No one would cry for Tristan. A dead gutter rat carted off for communal burial. But Max gave him a new chance at life.

Both Tristan and Chloe grasped at their second chances and utilized them fully. A year after the Storm Chloe is living together with the girl of her dreams, she's making friends, she's found a job she's good at. She's moving forward in time. And Tristan has found love and friendship. He's no longer adrift. He has a safe haven now. All that love, friendship and happiness is of Max's making.

To me, Max Caulfield personifies the hope that everyone, no matter how broken, lost or derided by others they may be, will find at least one person willing to stand by them. Willing to believe in them, even if they no longer believe in themselves. And giving hope is what heroes do.

#Max Caulfield #Chloe Price #Tristan Tanaka #Life is Strange #LiS #comics

[hyenafu]

If Slightly Damned were to have a collaboration to have a appearance in a video game, movie, etc. Which would it be?

That would certainly be the dream, wouldn't it? I don't know if any of those things are in the future of Slightly Damned, but if I could pick, I would want: - a cool animated intro with a theme song, like it's an anime (i don't need a whole series to be happy. let's just raise money for an OP someday lol) - collaboration with the PiLi puppet theater troupe to make a Slightly Damned adaptation. this is definitely the most unlikely thing to happen on this list, but I can dream. if I saw any of my characters as a PiLi puppet I think my heart would stop - an RPG game either based on the comic's story or focused around an adventure that the main cast goes on. Buwaro has very little in the way of offense, but he can cheer on the party and his buffs are especially helpful to Kieri. Kieri is the strongest and pulls the team, but she can only do it with support from Buwaro and Rhea. Rhea is so-so with combat but spams status conditions through taunting and items. - Slightly Damned Kart. I've been daydreaming recently about a St. Curtis track that changes over time like Grumble Volcano in Mario Kart or the Skies of Arcadia track in Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed. The first lap is the city as it is normally, the second lap is the festival with a lot of peace blossoms floating around, and the third lap has everything on fire 🔥🔥🔥 are any of things realistic?? hell if I know. it's fun to think about, though!

#slightly damned #sdamned #asks

[abittersweetraisin]

Reasons why i don't hate RotT.

In all the years since the movie came out there's been such an avalanche of hate towards it that i preferred not to write my thoughts about it. I get it, it's not the end we had expected, but i don't agree with the fandom's general opinion.

Hopefully after all this time the hatred has diminished enough so that at least some people will give my words a chance. I will try to stick to facts, not opinions. Spoilers ahead this point.

From what i've read, the fandom has two main problems with the ending: the characters' development was 'lost' with the time reset and Toby being the new trollhunter. So many things i want to say at once,... First, it was a time reset, not going to an alternate universe. What do i mean by this? The time reset didn't take away all the potential of any of the characters. -Blinky and Jim's father-son relationship. That relationship grew after spending time together; all the training, all the challenges, etc. Ok yes, Toby is now the one with the amulet, but Toby and Jim are best friends. So, just the same way Toby got into the trollhunters team the first time, Jim will get to join too. Jim and Blinky will get to spend time together again, how can people think their relationship will not grow again into what it was? Because Toby now has the amulet? Come on, Blinky became like a father to Jim because of who Jim is, not because he had an amulet.

The training will now be focused on Toby, not Jim. So? That means more Jim-Blinky time. I can see them both side by side exchanging opinions while watching Toby's training.

-Strickler. Do i really need to spend time on probing how Strickler will become good again? Wasn't it left quite clear that the story was going to head that way again? His love for Barbara was true. That's why Jim invited him to have dinner and meet his mother, to start that change in him. It's not as if Strickler had been this evil-concentrated kind of character. He was perfectly capable of change. And Jim's knowledge is the key for it to happen again. I think Jim's knowledge has been terribly underestimated by the fandom, but i will get to that later.

-Claire. Jlaire. How can some people doubt if it will happen again?

With the way they showed us Claire was looking at Jim it was left crystal clear they were going to become a couple again.

About Claire's powers. She discovered them after she stole the shadow staff from Angor Rot. Let's say Jim manages to change things and Strickler becomes good sooner, then he wouldn't release Angor Rot. So? Was Strickler the only changeling in Arcadia? Or in the world? Any other changeling can do that. Let's push it further and say no one will release Angor. Still, the shadow staff was just a tool. Claire had magic in her, it was part of her nature. I mean...

She eventually learned how to do magic without the shadow staff. You may be thinking "But if she never gets the shadow staff then how can she learn to use magic?". The time reset brought back Gunmar, Bular, Morgana, etc. Also the Janus Order. Magical battles are to be expected again. Plenty of opportunities for her to learn about her magic in a different way than the shadow staff. And let's not forget that also Douxie is back in Arcadia. He could come to detect Claire's potential and train her. As i said, many ways for her to become Miss Super Witch again.

-Steve. Of course I wasn't going to leave The Palchuck out. :) Four things were the main ingredients to Steve's arc. Jim's punch, Aja, that goblin that introduced him to the troll's world, and Eli. Jim has seen what Steve can become. I seriously doubt he will do nothing about it. Aja is Aja, she will hit the blond oaf once more. Again, i have no doubt about it. About that troll Steve met while taking out the trash. Arcadia is infested with trolls, so... When Steve approaches Eli again, i seriously doubt Eli's response would be different. So, I really think Sir Steve of Palchukia hasn't vanished from the new future. -Toby. I read someone saying that Toby wouldn't last a minute fighting against Bular. Yes, Toby is overweight. But honestly, when fighting a huge troll that is over 5,200 years, it's more about the lack of experience. Besides, remember how once transformed the amulet gives magical protection. There's another thing. A theory that i hadn't thought of but recently read. By the time the time reset happens Jim has his new amulet. So, wouldn't it follow that now there will be two amulets? Maybe Jim wouldn't use it right away. That's something we won't get to know, but can't we try to be more positive here? Another thing i've also read is people thinking the main characters won't meet again. Let's see... Jim is Toby's best friend. Toby now has the amulet, so through Toby Jim will meet Blinky, Aaarrrgh and all the other trolls again. Do you really think Jim and Toby will leave Claire out of the team? Seriously? Douxie, as i said before, the time reset didn't change the fact of Douxie living in arcadia. They are so meeting again. Aja and Krel will still need to leave Akiridion 5. So, there you go, those two will be in the same school again. Morando couldn't care less who got the amulet, he will still be coming. Most, if not all, the challenges that brought all the team together will happen again.

I'm sorry but a lot of people seem to be a bit too keen on wanting the worst case scenarios to happen after the time reset, even when what was shown to us in the trilogy didn't point that way. How can i be so sure? Well, didn't Nari said "Krohnisfere will make right"? Is it too crazy to think that she meant that things will be better after the time reset? That the time reset is the path towards the complete defeat of their enemies with as little deaths as possible on the side of good? Think about it. If the reset had brought them back to the beginning of the movie then the lives of Strickler, Nomura, Toby could be saved, but by going so far back to the past more lives can be saved: Vendel, Draal, Aja and Krel's parents. As i mentioned before, Jim's knowledge has been terribly underestimated. In this second chance Jim now knows that Usurna is a traitor. He knows the location of the Janus Order, the location of Merlin, etc., etc. This information will become so powerful. Isn't the chance to save all these lives enough to make the ending not terrible? The characters' developments weren't lost, just reset. And as i said in this post, i don't see why they won't grow again into what they had become. I guess the writers must had wanted to give us a different kind of ending. They took the risk and there we have the result. I get that the fandom wanted an ending with no loose ends, as little sacrifices as possible, but i do think the hate was too much. I can't help to feel sorry for the writers. All their hard work grilled the way it's been done. And think about the negative impact on people who hasn't see the show and feels curious about it. If they do a little research to learn where the story starts or just want to share their love for the first part of the trilogy they would surely come across hate towards RotT and maybe drop the show.

Anyway, hopefully some people will not hate the ending so much after reading my post.

#toa #rott #toa rott #toa rise of the titans #rise of the titans #tales of arcadia #trollhunters #3below #wizards #toa spoilers #toa rott spoilers

[yourneighbourhoodtraumatisedkids]

FAVOURITE FANFICTION FROM EVERYONE!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH OKAY OKAY OKAY OKAY!!!!!

*camera being set up by Clotpole and Dollophead*

Dollophead: *looks on clipboard* So... who's going first?

Clotpole: *fixing camera and computer* It's... Toby this time, I think.

Dollophead: What happened to Jim?

Clotpole: Well, after he hacked into the system to play Shameless on the speakers, the Dark Raven and Queen of Maids agreed that it wouldn't be good for him to go first since he had more time to hack into the speakers.

Dollophead: *groans* And why exactly are we taking my girlfriend's advice on this?

Clotpole: Simply because it's best to. No one messes with the Dark Raven, and you know that very well.

Dollophead: *snorts* Oh, so she gets Dark Raven as a name, but I got stuck with fucking Dollophead-

Clotpole: Toby, get in here!

*Toby enters, smiling nervously*

Clotpole: Sit. Now.

*Toby sits down on the chair*

Clotpole: Now, what is your favourite fanfiction, huh?

Toby: I cannot believe you shadow portalled us all the way from Arcadia at 4 am-

Clotpole: Do it, or I'm dropping you in Gatto's mouth.

Toby: Fine! Umm... Your Future Hasn't Been Written by @sakon76. 161 chapters so far, angsty, but honestly a good read. But I want to kill Arthur. For sure. But there are so many things I don't understand- all because Jim doesn't explain them. Such as the Green Knight-

Dollophead: Okay, that's it. Next!

*Toby jumps out of chair and goes to stand next to Dollophead*

Toby: Dude, how do you deal with her-

Dollophead: I've known her since she was 3. That's how.

*Darci enters the room, and sits down on the seat, smiling*

Clotpole: *smiles* Hey, Darce. If you don't mind telling me, what is your favourite fanfiction?

Darci: *thinks* It has to be... A Secret's Worth by @rosemaidenvixen. It's way too good. I literally just finished it the other day when she posted the last chapter. I really like how she took to writing Jim's and Barbara's problems with the CPS and that one scene where Strickler was combing through Jim's hair and showed that he actually worried about him because Jim was losing hair because he was stressed.

Dollophead: *ticks name on clipboard* Thank you, Darci. Next!

*Darci gets up and walks over to Toby*

Toby: How is she so nice to you?!

Darci: Because I don't make Clotpole angry.

Dollophead: Well, I don't make her angry-

Darci: D, that's simply the dynamic you have. She bosses you around, you snark at her. But we know you guys are like brother and sister-

Dollophead: I have a sister and she has a brother-

Darci: But you guys still care about each other. We can all see the bromance. And you respect her rules- like no touching her and making sure to tell her when to pray-

Clotpole: *giggles* Guys, please, we can talk about D's and my dynamic later. *puts on serious face* NEXT PERSON, C'MON- WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!

*Eli enters, stumbling over his feet*

Eli: Sorry, sorry, I'm here.

Clotpole: Did Steve push you?

Eli: *nods* Yeah.

Clotpole: I'll deal with him later- or Hairdo Guy will. Anyway, Eli, what is your favourite fanfiction.

Eli: Probably the series Tear Me in Two (The Moonlight will Anyway) by @avirxy. I really like how they turned our life into a monster hunting AU, with Claire as the werewolf and Mary as a banshee. I think it actually really fits the concept, and it's so well written as well.

Clotpole: *nods* One of my favourites as well, if we're being completely honest. I'll read it at midnight for no reason- just when I want to see some angst. But their Arcane Blight is by far my favourite. Anyway, thank you Eli, AND NEXT!

*Eli gets off the chair and Steve comes into the room, and sits on the chair*

Clotpole: Favourite fanfiction, Steve?

Steve: Through the Veil by @pinkytoothlesso11. That's a good one. I- I really don't know what to say, apart from the fact I'm glad that some of us got a happy ending. It makes me a little hopeful.

*Toby raises an eyebrow*

Toby: Didn't I die in that one-

Dollophead: Shut up!

Clotpole: Thank you Steve, and NEXT!

*Mary walks into the room, filing nails*

Clotpole: *rolls eyes* Mary, c'mon, we don't have all night- I need to get back home before my mom finds out I'm not doing Chemistry revision for goodness sake! Now, what is your favourite fanfiction.

*Mary sits on chair*

Mary: Probably... There is a lot about me you don't know by @generalallxsanjishipper or Killian44peeta on ao3. They're good at writing Douxie and his trauma. Also Jim being scared by the bathtub gives me the feels but also makes me kind of laugh because of that one time when he tried to move that one bathtub in that store and pretty much-

Clotpole: *stops smiling* Okay, okay, we get it, Mary, and thank you. NEXT!

*Claire enters the room and sits down on the chair*

Clotpole: Okay, favourite fanfiction, Claire?

Claire: I think I've said this before but Mirrored convictions by @albentelisa. It's too good- it just fuels me whenever I read a chapter. I especially liked that bit with Jim and the Gravesand and Mrs Shen, and then that bit after where Jim stabs Barbara in the thigh. I don't know why but it gave me this weird feeling that this would escalate later on. Can't wait for Chapter 67!

Clotpole: *grins* Honestly, I can't wait either. And finally, last but not least- JIM, GET YOUR ASS INSIDE HERE!

[mydarlingbeatrice]

Arcadia , PT. 2

A/N - SORRY OMG FOR TAKING SO LONG BUT HERE U GO!!!

Sad and lonely, the poor girl watches as the entire school gets ready for the upcoming Valentines day. She had heard from one of her closest friends, Andromeda, that this year Hogwarts would have more preparation for the loved holiday. 

"I'm surprised you're not with James, you still like him don't you?" Andromeda questions her, taking a bite of her biscuit after. She stares at the girl in front of her, waiting for an answer with raised eyebrows. 

The girl sighs and looks back into her tea, trying to formulate a response for her friend. "I don't know Andy, I think he likes Lily Evans. They've been talking a lot this past month. He might as well ask her to be his Valentine!" She pouts, complaining. 

Andromeda considers the weight of her words for a mere second, "Well, I've heard that the Rosier, Evan was his name wasn't it? Yes him, he's been glancing at you quite often in the hallways! Why don't you see if you like him?" She turns to look at the girl, waiting for a response. 

She however, smiles before responding, "Perhaps. He's been nice to me so I don't see why not? Maybe he'll take my mind off the boy I've liked for almost 4 years." She says. The two girls stand up to put their trash away as they exit the Three Broomsticks. 

. . . 

I freeze. I was truly stupid to come to the Three Broomsticks without expecting a couple. But, I didn't know that I'd be faced with James Potter accompanied with an annoyed looking Lily Evans. Andy looks at me staring the two down. She grabs my arm and we quickly make our way back into the campus. 

"Stay unaffected." She tells me when we walk through the hallways to the library. I smiled at her, entering the library. 

My face morphs into one of surprise as I find a now awake Evan Rosier staring back at me, smirking while sitting in one of the many chairs that we have. 

My luck just keeps getting better, doesn't it?

Andy smirks, "Well, go to him!" She whispers to me, pushing me towards the man. My face is still stuck in the surprise I had when I first saw him. 

"What a pleasure, lovely to see you darling." He says in a nonchalant way, still smirking at my smitten face. I quickly regain myself, patting my hair down. 

I stare at him nervously, flashing him one of my smiles. "Can I sit here?" I say, pointing to the seat next to him. 

. . . 

Evan and I had been getting along for the most part, we had shared mostly similar interests. Currently we were talking about Slughorn’s new project in Potions. “That’s amazing! How long did it take for you to finish the brew?” I asked him. He thinks, trying to remember. 

“Erm, I don’t think it took much time! I mean, I did also have Snape as my partner..” He finishes off with a chuckle, adjusting to face me in his chair. 

I smile softly at him. “Of course, Snape’s amazing at Potions! I’ve never seen him not make a potion perfectly. Need to ask him his secrets!” I laugh along with him. 

Soon, a comfortable silence falls over us as I turn to my homework for Slughorn, writing “The Draught of Living Death” in underlined letters. I continue to finish up my essay and go over it with Rosier, who doesn’t hesitate to help me. We both peacefully look over each other’s essays and homework. Suddenly, we are interrupted by a loud slam against the outside of the library door. I furrowed my eyebrows as I then saw Sirius, Remus, James and Peter emerge through the library’s old wooden doors. 

I smile brightly as I look towards them. They however, fail to return my advances as they look confusedly between me and Evan Rosier. “Hello you guys! Come sit with us.” I scan all of them with a smile, faltering my movements when I see James. 

“Hey, can I talk to you in private for a second?” The brunette I was staring at asks me, I nod wordlessly as he pulls me out the library. 

#james potter #james potter x you #james potter x reader #james potter fic #the marauders #marauders era #marauders fandom #hp marauders #marauders #harry potter marauders #sirius black #remus lupin #lily evans #peter pettigrew #evan rosier #tysm y’all

[gamesception]

Sception Reads Cass Cain #21

Ghost / Batgirl #1-4 Words: Mike Kennedy Pictures: Ryan Benjamin Additional Work: Randy Emberlin, Howard Shun

One impression I used to have that going back to look at ~all~ of Cass's early appearances has forced me to reconsider is the idea that she didn't appear outside of her own books very much. While later on that is more the case, early on she does have a fair few guest appearances and cross overs, including in this bit of non-canon dual publisher cross promotion with Elisa Cameron, aka Ghost, a Dark Horse character with a solo that had been running since 1995.

The miniseries pits long time Batman villain Harvey Dent against brand new Ghost antagonist Malcolm Greymater - a (fictional) confederate general turned zombie libertarian corpse reanimator - in a conflict over Greymater poaching some of Dent's employees (ie reanimating goons that Dent killed). Babs, Cass, and Elisa get caught in the middle and are forced to work together after following separate threads of a bombing by Two Face and bodies stolen by Greymater only to be sold off into unsavory employment after failed reanimation experiments.

I don't want to go through the whole thing with a plot summary - it's four issues of non-canon stuff after all. But as a stand alone story it works fairly well, worth a read if you're a fan of early Cass. In particular there's solid characterization of Harvey Dent and what it's like to work for him - pretty bad actually. You can see why he'd get upset at someone trying to poach his guys, working conditions for goons in Gotham are terrible, if word got around of better conditions in Arcadia (Ghost's hometown) or wherever else then Batman's villains could easily find themselves suffering a labor shortage. The mere idea of that is funny enough to me that I can't help but like this little mini series, and it's an idea I'd love to see brought back. Goons On Strike - now there's a solid idea for an ongoing Gotham event crossover.

Anyway, Ghost/Batgirl is definitely a higher fantasy story than we usually see from Cass, at least back in the early days, but there's a focus on the individual lives and humanity of the underlings working for the villains that's very grounded and down to earth. That fits in really well next to the "street level" focus of Cass's early solo title. As for the book's cross-promotional function, it does make me curious about Ghost, though probably not enough so to go back and look at her solo title. I like her villain here, but Malcolm Greymater and his crew seem to be more or less exclusive to this crossover? Comicvine is telling me he maybe appears in a single issue outside of this, so that's kind of disappointing.

So setting aside the story, how's our girl in this? Well, first of all, she's being drawn by new hands. In costume she's mostly fine.

Sleek and spooky, glossy black. The details of her form are sometimes lost in the darkness, which loses some specificity in the action panels, but in a way that mostly works aesthetically. My only real complaint here is that her facial expression doesn't really show through the mask. You don't get a sense of what she's thinking or feeling in costume, she's just this dark angry spooky form, not so much a person or a character. As I've said in the past, though, that's as much or more a criticism of her costume design as it is of how any particular artist draws her in it.

It's also worth noting that, as with Cass's early pairing with Azrael, her costume contrasts very nicely with Ghost's. White with round hood and billowing cape vs. Cass all black and pointy. Aesthetically it's a great fit.

Out of costume, though...

I don't know. Just doesn't quite look like Cass to me? I know, I know, comic character facial features don't have the same specific canon as their costumes do, different artists have different styles so characters will look different, and there's definitely a stylistic element here that isn't gelling with me. The overall shape of the head is too thin, maybe, making her look a bit older than she should, where I'm used to Scott's more rounded face, stronger jaw, bushier eyebrows, shorter, poofier hair.

Scott's style, at least at the time, also just packs in more emotional expression, which is absolutely critical for a silent protagonist.

By contrast Benjamin's Cass, when she's not in costume, is often just standing a bit behind Babs with a sort of blank, neutral expression while Babs interacts with other characters or the audience for her.

...

Which also kind of brings us to the writing for Cass here. Ghost / Batgirl is probably the best example yet that silent Cass was a mistake, because yeah, the creators of this book just do not know how to convey her character to the reader without words. The first image starts with Cass looking out over the wreckage of a bombing, and of course there's pseudo noir internal monologue all over it, because how else do you start a bat-book, only Cass can't narrate so Babs provides the narration even though she isn't even in that scene.

Babs goes along on the adventure mostly so the writers have someone who can talk for Cass, or even in some panels quite literally talk over Cass.

Cass is an intimidating physical presence in costume, but in this book she functions more as an extension of Babs than as a person in her own right.

...

It's not all bad, though. In particular there's this one bit introducing an additional ability for Cass that makes perfect sense with her backstory and yet sadly I don't think is ever mentioned again in a canon Batgirl story:

Cass gets poisoned, but she survives, and recovers remarkably quickly, because she has a natural resistance to many poisons and venoms built up from repeat exposure to tiny amounts when she was a child, because of course that's something David would do. You could just imagine little Cass and David having drinking contests to see who could take the most poison before passing out, or even sneakily poisoning each other as a little game of escalating pranks.

...

So yeah, overall a nice little stand alone series with maybe not the best depiction of Cass, but one that is illustrative of why the major change to have her start speaking, while I still don't like how it was done, was probably for the best.

#cassandra cain #batgirl #elisa cameron #ghost #sception reads cassandra cain

[kuraitsune]

NEVER CHANGE

PARiNGS - ...Mysta Rias x GN!reader

MENTiONS - ...Elira Pendora, Aia Amare, Aster Arcadia

SUMMARY - ...he decided to speak up after several weeks of hesitation. only then does Mysta realize that he was the one you chose to love.

READER'S PROFiLE - ...as a student in NIJI Academia, you were one of the top students and most liked person throughout the campus. you're also a childhood friend of Mysta's + you both are roommates.

DiSCLAiMERS - NIJISANJI school AU! in no way am i a professional writer, i just like english lol. please know that these writings are a work of fiction and are the appearance and persona of the character! not the person behind the screen.

IMPORTANT NOTE - this was supposed to be a little more different so i may make a prequel to the events of this work from what i'm thinking of 👀

"Mysta, get your ass up before I drag you off myself," you look at the ashen haired laying on the bed, still somewhat asleep.

"Nooo... It's the weekend though, [name].." he mumbled, turning over to face the other way and stuffing his head in the pillows.

"Ughhh, don't you remember? We're going on a study session with Elira, Aster, and Aia!" you sighed, "We've been planning this since last week."

He groaned before rubbing his eyes, "Fine. But only because it's you." He quietly mumbled the last part.

"Huh? I couldn't quite catch that... Mysta?" you set your hands on your hips.

"Oh, nothing important!" you shrugged and walked out of his room. He looked at your figure with a familiar yet strange feeling as you left.

Finally, when Mysta finished getting ready, the two of you drove to the campus library, the planned meeting spot.

Entering the library, you look around to see a purple-yellow haired boy, who we all know as Aster Arcadia.

"Hey, Aster! Where are the others?" you ask, creeping up behind him. He jumped very slightly before turning towards Mysta and you.

"Oh, hello [name] and Mysta! Elira's looking around for books and Aia hasn't arrived yet."

The ashen haired sat down at nearby table as you and Aster chatted a bit, "Hey, Mysta? Can I talk to you for a moment, by the way?"

He looked up at the celestial being, and shrugged slightly, "Sure I guess."

You quietly sat down at the opposite seat of where Mysta had previously sat at, him getting up and following Aster to a secluded part of the library.

"So, I've noticed something between you and [name]."

"Ah-! What do you mean by that..?" Mysta's ears perked up at the mention of your name, casting his gaze to the shelf next to Aster's head.

"I mean that you were staring at them while we were talking. And I've seen you do this several times already, Mysta," he crossed his arms, furrowing his eyebrows but still had a small smile by his lips.

"It really isn't anything weird, I assure you! It's just... something else I guess."

"And..?" the other slightly shorter male continued to question him.

Shocked, he stumbled along his words to answer, "I- err... what else is there to add?"

"Bro, you can just be honest. But you do have a talent for hiding it well, except for the fact that you were blatantly staring~" Aster teased the ashen haired as he sighs in defeat.

"Whatever... either way I don't even think they would share mutual feelings. Since after... well y'know, that incident," Mysta confessed, thoughts full of your ex and how he'd comfort you through it all.

"You can be really unsure of yourself however much, but it won't change who you are. Don't change, Mysta, okay?" the purple-yellow haired looked at his aquamarine eyes to deepen his words. "Elira and Aia must've arrived by now, let's go!"

The two boys walked out of the corner, seeing you, Elira, and Aia chatting away while waiting for them.

"Oh there you guys were! Now let's get this session done, shall we?" Aia "gently" slammed the table, clearly pumped up to start studying and not fail her classes.

"Ughhhh, how much fucking more longer do we have to keep doing these problems..??" alluded a very drained Mysta.

"We have about 30 minutes left until we're done for today, so you should at least pass the test when we're done today. Unless you forget everything we've been studying," you roll your eyes, a very small smile tugged your cheeks.

"That's so long though...." he groaned, his face stuffed in the pages of a book.

"Mysta, chill for like 10 minutes. We're almost done, then we can go get ourselves some lunch," Elira peaked in the conversation, attempting to convince the fox-like boy to stay for at least 10 more minutes.

"I'll get you some Magnum ice cream if you stay~" you lightly sung at the end, of course you'd know what the fox likes.

"Fine! I'll stay, but right after I'm going to fucking leave the place and go find a place to eat."

After the great dismay of a study session, it turned into a chill hangout, going to a local cafe to eat lunch, you getting Mysta his promised ice cream, and ending off with a walk in the park when everyone else went back home.

The birds were chirping, the evening orange-yellow skies turning to the blue-purple hues, and the chatter of you and Mysta's voices. You both decided to sit down by a hill and a tree, facing where the sun was going to set.

Soon enough, the two of you slowly were put into a comfortable silence, just you, your thoughts, and Mysta.

You let your thoughts wander to a very multitude of things. Ranging from wonders of what Aster and the very person sitting next to you were talking about earlier in the day, to everything about him.

"[-me]? [name]..? Hello? You good in the brain up there?" Mysta's such recognizable voice broke your train of thought.

"Oh-! Sorry, I was thinking about... things."

"Right... anyways, are you ready to head home now? The sun's setting, y'know..." he pointed at the sight in front of you guys, looking forward as well, taking in the scenery and relaxing his muscles, the two of you standing up to your fullest.

It was astounding, honestly. You couldn't help but stare at Mysta's facial features and the golden hues of the sun hitting them, especially his teal blue eyes, forgetting the question at hand.

He looked back at you, noticing a pair of eyes on him. Quickly looking at the sunset itself, you didn't want to explain why after all. You were really hoping that he didn't notice it was you.

"[name]...?" Ah, of course he would. Of course he'd notice. "If you have anything on your mind... I'm here to listen."

"...Mysta... Mysta Rias."

"Mhm..?" you took a deep breath in, you were going to do this now. Save for the fact that you were shaking very slightly. "Hey, what's up..?" he came up to your side, his brows furrowing and worrying that something was seriously wrong.

"You have no idea how much I... love you, do you?" you bashfully look away from him. His mouth was slightly agape, due to the shock of this sudden confession. He couldn't even find himself to say anything.

Alas, he needed to trust his guts. Mysta lifted one of his gloved hands under your chin, gently turning your head towards him.

You saw an expression full of adoration and love. You smiled, small happy tears forming at the corner of your eyes.

He cautiously leaned in, his eyes half-lidded until you swiftly connected your lips with his. It was a gentle yet passionate kiss.

After so many weeks of hesitation, how could Mysta ever believe that this was happening?

As soon as you separated, you held a comforting smile along the lines of your lips.

"I love you too."

NOTE - i feel so full of love and fluffiness in my heart after writing this omg i can't even believe i wrote this goodness- hope you mystakes enjoy this~

DO NOT: repost or copy any of @kuraitsune's works! sharing is fine with credits.

#kura writings | 🦜 #nijisanji en #nijien #nijisanji en x reader #luxiem #luxiem x reader #mysta rias #mysta rias x reader

[spookyshipperfics]

The Finer Things (Case Fic Complete)

This fake/pretend relationship case fic topped off with some Diana angst is finally complete. I've neglected chapter updates on Tumblr, so here is my attempt to make up for that.

Find it: a03 / Fandom: The X-Files / Rating: Explicit

Part of the Do You Like Scary Movies? series

Tagging @today-in-fic

What is it About? Scully and Mulder are sent undercover onboard a luxury train to investigate the presence of a suspicious and undocumented train car. Playing a wealthy married couple is tricky, but they run into even bigger issues when an unwelcomed agent gets sent in for backup.

Sample from Chapter 5: The cocktail car was exactly how she left it. Crowded and loud. Mulder was now by the bar, chatting to what looked like a young couple.

“Hey, Chrissy,” Mulder announced when he spotted her. “This is Brad and Mike. They’re headed to Vegas on their honeymoon.”

Scully nodded to the couple and gave her congratulations. One good look at her, and Mulder’s brow furrowed. “Are you okay?”

“Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Of course.” His hand had already found hers and was leading her away. “I’ll catch up with you, fellas, later,” he called over his shoulder.

Scully scanned the room. There wasn’t really anywhere private to stand, which was probably why Mulder dragged her toward the designated dance area.

“I don’t dance,” she whined, even as her hands slipped over his shoulders and his found a home on her waist.

“We’ve danced before,” he countered. “Now, what’s wrong?”

She wanted to scream the name Diana, but their cover forced her to speak in riddles. “That woman… the new passenger we met—”

“Irina?”

She nodded. “I let her use our private bathroom.”

“That was nice of you.”

“Well, my niceness was rewarded with her jumping down my throat. She disagreed with the conclusion we reached last night, and she let me know.”

“I think she’s been drinking.”

She scoffed. “Why do you always make excuses for her?”

“I don’t always make excuses for her. I just met her.” He emphasized the last sentence to subtly remind her they were undercover in a packed room of people.

Scully took a step closer. “She’s rude.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know it doesn’t mean as much coming from me, but she shouldn’t have confronted you like that.”

“I think she’s interested in you.” The statement came out before she could stop it.

“Too bad I’m married.”

Butterflies started in her stomach. Their wings were weighed down by envy and uncertainty. It was like Arcadia all over again. “She wants to sleep with you.” Scully tried to say it clear and detached, but the quiver of her lip betrayed her.

Mulder grabbed her chin, tilting her head until their eyes locked. “I’m not interested in her.”

“She’s your type… was your type.”

He scoffed, the hand on her face dropping back to her waist. “If you think I’m still interested in her, then you haven’t been paying attention.”

Her mind sifted through recent memories. The kiss that never happened in his hallway. Mulder’s love confession in a hospital room. His needy behavior on Christmas Eve. She’d wanted him for so long, and for the first time, she allowed herself to believe that he wanted her the same way. That maybe Diana was the push she needed instead of the obstacle she initially saw her as.

“I wouldn’t know,” she responded. “We don’t usually talk about stuff like that.”

“Maybe we should start,” he challenged. “I meant what I said before. You look beautiful.” The statement was oozing with the same sincerity as earlier. Scully couldn’t help but drop her gaze.

“Thank you,” she said after a moment.

“It’s just so different than how I normally see you.”

She peered up. “Is that bad?”

“No. I wish I could see you like this more. Surrounded by the finer things in life. Dressed up. Dancing. Sitting across from me at fancy dinners.”

“I didn’t realize you liked those types of activities?”

“I like doing them with you.”

Her cheeks burned with the declaration. She took another step closer. There was no space between their bodies, and Mulder’s hands lowered on her waist, fingers hovering just above the curve of her butt. “That’s what certified besties are for,” she remarked.

He froze in place, their poor attempt at dancing coming to a sudden halt. “That’s the thing,” he said. “I don’t just want you as a best friend.”

Her heart pounded with anticipation. “How else do you want me then?”

“Like this,” he uttered as he leaned forward.

She knew a kiss was coming but still couldn’t prepare herself for how it felt. For the electric feeling of Mulder’s warm mouth on hers. For the way one of his hands threaded through her hair and tugged her impossibly closer. This was what she wanted to do in Arcadia. Hell, this was what she wanted to do since she’d shook his hand six years ago. The arousal between her legs was proof.

She reluctantly pulled back only because what she desired to do next couldn’t take place in the middle of the cocktail car. “I’m suddenly feeling like going back to the room.”

Mulder’s lips quirked into a smile. “Funny you say that. I was just thinking the same thing,” he said as he interlaced his fingers with hers.

Find the rest on a03

#the x files fanfic #x files fanfic #msr #msr fanfic #case fic

[kingofthewilderwest]

I two questions

Do you write fanfics?

How good are you at it?

Do you know Nimona, Tales of Arcadia, Monkey King (Netflix), Kung Fu Panda, Raya and the Last Dragon, Moana, and Rise of the Guardians?

Hey there! Thanks for popping in and asking!

1. Do you write fanfics?

Yes. No. Nyeso. I love writing and have written since I was four. However, I wasn't aware fanfiction was a Thing until my 20s. Fanfiction would be a minor secondary output for me, and it's not something I drive for naturally. I am a writer. I don't identify as a fic writer, but I have written fics, and I've been grateful for the kind words and art people gave upon reading. ^.^

2. How good are you at it?

I like my writing. I think I'm a good writer but not a good fanfic writer. Most multichapter fics were written on the fly. Discerning eyes would detect narrational ad-libbing and lack of editing. I think my fics are my "worst" material haha!

Also, I never integrated into the intricacies of fic culture. You won't find "traditional" fic conceptualizations like hurt/comfort or enemies to lovers because I don't think that way. XD This knocks points off of me being a "good fic writer," too. I'm grateful to have gotten a little attention for a few fics, though I would leave it to those old readers - who actually know what fics should be like - to say whether they're okay.

I realize I'm not selling myself ;) but it's not for lack of self-confidence. I just wanna be casual and honest about where it's at.

3. Are you aware of...

Nimona: Most definitely know about. Not intending to watch.

Tales of Arcadia: Have seen once all the way through!

Monkey King: Only the vaguest of familiar once I looked up images. On my endless list of "I'd watch this if I actually got around to watching anything."

Kung Fu Panda: You betcha.

Raya and the Last Dragon: Have watched video essays deconstructing the movie. Have not watched myself and haven't intended to.

Moana: Have seen once!

Rise of the Guardians: Have seen once!

* As someone who doesn't watch much, "once" is the usual amount of times I watch anything. ^.^

#awesome anonymous friend #anonymous #blabbing Haddock #ask #ask me #about me #writing #creative writing #my writing #I guess #good memories XD #not to ruin the fun from anyone but there were fics where clearly I was only writing them to finish them

[arcadiabaytornado]

Thinking about how in Episodes 1-4 of Life Is Strange, Chloe is negatively characterized for thinking the world revolves around her.

Then in episode 5, it turns out that Arcadia Bay, Max and Chloe's world, literally does revolve around her as the fate of the town rests on her survival.

That inconstancy is so crazy to me because:

A: I don't think the writers realized this contradiction fully. I say this because Chloe says, "I know I've been selfish, but for once, I think I should accept my fate" on the cliff. Chloe has been shown to be selfish throughout the game in a "she thinks the world revolves around her" way, but…is she wrong if she's offering to die to save the world this game takes place in?

B: I think this is partially why I like the idea of Max not causing the storm. I feel like the world revolving around Chloe really backpedals on her character development that we've seen since Episode 1. Plus I think it would interesting commentary if Max "I'd do anything for Chloe" Caulfield assumed that the world revolved around her only for it to be revealed that the storm doesn't really have anything to do with her at all.

So yeah I'm just having a lot of Life Is Strange thoughts tonight.

#life is strange #lis #chloe price

[ltwharfy]

"Bob's Burgers" Season 2 Episode Ranking Rewatch (Long Post)

So, I've been rewatching "Bob's Burgers" from the beginning and ranking the episodes using the spreadsheet that @babsvibes created! If you want to know why I'm doing this or how I view the 1-5 rating scale, you can check out my Season 1 post!

Now, on to Season 2:

Average (mean): 4.22

Mode (most common ranking) : 5

I hid the director and writer name categories when I took the picture to make it easier to focus on episode ratings. I will share my director and writer rankings when I reach the end of this project.

Season as a whole thoughts:

I really enjoy Season 2! I know everyone's got their own take on when "Bob's Burgers" really hit its stride, and many folks say Season 3 or later, but I'm going to say that for me, it had already hit that stride in Season 2. It was consistently funny, and I was surprised by how many lines from it were just burned in my memory- some without me even recognizing the source. (For example, before starting this project, the line: "You know what's free? Loading. Freeloading!" popped in my head. I did not know where it was from- not even what show. It's Louise in "Burgerboss".) "Mommy doesn't get drunk, she just has fun." "Don't feed a guy a sponge, Bobby." I could go on...

Seeing all the familiar faces who started showing up also really made it begin to feel like classic "Bob's Burgers" to me: we've got Zeke! Darryl! Sgt. Bosco! Mickey! Tammy! Honestly, I always think there is something fun in watching all the pieces of something begin to fall into place to create something wonderful, and Season 2 gave me a lot of that feeling.

In my season 1 review, I noted that if "Bob's Burgers" had been cancelled after that season, I would've been annoyed because I thought it showed promise but I wouldn't've viewed it as a tragedy (Season 1 of "Bob's Burgers" is no "Firefly"). But, Season 2 was really the beginning of the time period when I would've been outraged had it been cancelled. (Thankfully, it avoided being a two season wonder like "Joan of Arcadia" or "Saved by the Bell (2020 Revival)")

That said, the show was still figuring out some of the characters (especially Bob) and the overall family dynamic and show tone, which lead to the few episodes I didn't enjoy that much, including the only 2 I've issued so far.

Some thoughts on particular episodes:

"The Belchies": I remember watching this episode when it first aired and feeling like the show had clearly leveled up- it felt like it was beginning to realize the potential I saw in the first season. For some reason, I specifically remember watching the end credits- with Cyndi Lauper singing "Taffy Butt" and JJ dancing- and knowing that the show was capable of being more than it had been in season 1. Also, this episode is really the first example of one of my favorite "Bob's Burgers" episode types which is "the Belcher kids and their friends have an adventure!" And one of the great things about Season 2 is that the kids gain a number of friends- Hi Zeke!

"Bob Day Afternoon"- After this rewatch thing is over, I may try to do a top 20 or 25 list and this episode may be on that. I love it! In particular, the scene where the kids cling on to Bob as he is trying to take the burgers to Mickey and the hostages is one of the best of the series in terms of improv and the humor of talking over each other. And if I ever don't laugh at the part of Gene's Robot College fantasy where he walks in on his robo-roommate performing "routine maintenance" it's a sign that I am dead.

"Burgerboss"- This was a really pleasant surprise! While I knew those first two were two of my favorites, I just thought this one was kind of good- but on actually rewatching it, I found myself laughing the whole way through, so it gets a 5.

"Dr. Yap"- I generally enjoy Yap the character, as well as Gayle, but the two things I really love about this episode are the Gene and Louise jawbreaker subplot (it's fun watching those two get into a ridiculous competition over something stupid) and the Prince of Persuasia. The Prince is such a great parody of that horrible "pickup artist" style, and I find literally all his lines hilarious ("Never make her pancakes. Force her to make you pancakes- in the middle of the night.")

"Bad Tina"- Another episode that might make a top 25 list. Both storylines- the introduction of Tammy and Bob's obsession with "Cake"- are A+. They had already established a number of Tina's core traits throughout the first two seasons, but now with the addition of friend fiction and Tammy, her best of frenemies, it feels like they've fully got Tina down and we get the first great Tina episode (and Tina episodes tend to my favorites, even if Louise is my favorite character).

Okay, now the episodes I didn't like that much:

"Moody Foodie"- Why did I give this my first (and so far only) 2? Honestly, I thought it was overdone and dry.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I actually enjoy the first half of the episode. Bob's nightmare about working in an office is hilarious to me as an actual office drone. The scene where he and Louise just start yelling "overdone and dry" at passersby is great. And the farmer's market scene at the beginning has some great family banter.

And then it goes completely off the rails in the second half. The second half of the episode is "Bob Belcher and his friends and family hold a couple of dudes prisoner" which sounds more like a WTF fanfic summary than an actual episode of the show. And it's likely that this episode bothers me more now than it did when it first aired. I think they were still figuring Bob's character out and if they had ended up making him more Homer Simpson-like (prone to anger and hare-brained schemes) maybe this episode wouldn't stick out so much. Similarly, I think that all animated shows struggle a bit with figuring out how grounded in reality they are going to be. if BB had evolved into a less grounded show, this episode also might not stick out.

But it does stick out, for me at least. I just found the second half of this episode more weird and disturbing than funny (although it still had some good lines- I enjoyed Tina translating "Wet Willie" into Spanish for Pepe). If the hostage taking was a shorter part of the episode, maybe I would give it a mixed-review 3, but it is basically the main plot, and I'd rather not rewatch it.

"Beefsquatch": I don't love the physical confrontation between Bob and Gene at the end, but what stops this episode from being a 2 is that really the worst part of it (in my opinion) is actually a pretty small part of the episode. And both of them realize they were acting nuts, and their motivations seem kind-of in character to me (Bob wanted the cooking segment to be a chance to promote the restaurant, Gene wanted his performance as Beefsquatch to be the center of attention). And I just enjoy some other bits in this. "More Scotch!". Louise first enjoying than getting burnt out by her involvement in Gene and Bob's prank war. And Gene's flashback to accidentally gluing his wiener to his remote control helicopter- followed by Louise's "accidentally on purpose!" and them high-fiving. (The high-five cracks me up so much! It's such a silly thing to high-five over!)

Random thoughts (stuff that doesn't affect the ratings):

-It was fun to see the introduction of the exterminator van being different each episode after seeing "Rat's All Folks!" for all of season 1.

-Peter Pescadero is back- and he has his correct face after that weirdness in "Spaghetti Western and Meatballs"! Has anybody written a fic about why his face changed? Like "Face/Off" but with Peter Pescadero (just one idea)?

-Generally, I try not to nitpick about continuity on the show that much. I think they do a really good job, especially by standards of animated comedies (but honestly, really all comedies). But it does bug me that there is a whole episode in a later season about how Louise can only poop in her home toilet when in "Synchronized Swimming" she poops in public pool. She named it Jezebel for crying out loud! It's Bob and Linda's grand-doody! JEZEBEL CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN!

Well, clearly I've been writing for too long and have gone crazy. See you when I'm done with Season 3, whoever may be reading these!

#bob's burgers #bob's burgers season 2 #bob's burgers episode ranking rewatch #long post

[babblish]

20 questions of fic writers

Thanks for the tag @creativenicocorner!

Tagging: @dreamcrow @renee561 @megan0013 @ihateblocks I know it's NaNoWriMo so feel to ignore this one this busy season, but likewise if you're not tagged and wished to join in, feel free to do so. 🤔 I feel like I'm forgetting several people as it is.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

20 (and 1 draft)

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

710,674 so far (it should be 717,602 once the draft is published)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Tales of Arcadia, Dungeons and Dragons TTRPG, and this other one I won't share because I haven't finished the goddamn draft for yet and as such haven't published.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Under the Wave

Primordial Awakenings

Whispers Within

Honey and Lemon

Primordial Awakenings - Deleted Scenes

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, always, and I try to give out as much as the commenter puts in. So an emoji gets an emoji, a paragraph gets a paragraph, a short essay gets an essay, etc. I do this because I think it's nice balanced response policy and I don't want to overwhelm readers who sent a short sentence of approval with a wall of text over how I think they're great (even though they are, in fact, quite great.)

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

🤔Under the Sun: The White Rabbit.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Whispers Within.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not directly, certainly not in the comments of a fic. I know my ships and blorbos are not popular with everyone, but honestly this is how it's always been. I typically like writing the weirdos and cardboard cutout characters who get/got treated dirty in canon.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes I do now. I put it off for a long time because I wasn't confident writing it enough to share it publicly, but I started publishing that kind of thing last year in attempt to Get Good.

It's essentially a personal exercise routine, highly recommend this to anyone struggling with a particular element of writing. Obviously it doesn't have to be even remotely spicy, I know not everyone is comfortable writing that kind of thing and I certainly expect anyone to read mine. It's just I was struggling with interpersonal physical interactions, choreography if you will, and the easiest way to practice these was either smut or combat scenes, and combat scenes seemed kind of a massive downer.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

To the best of my knowledge, I have never in my life written a crossover, nor do I currently have any wish to. The absolute closest has gotta be including a lot of OCs to fill roles that aren't quite filled in the canon cast, which as we all know is not quite the same. Full respect to our troops in the crossover trenches, I just don't think I have a brain that works like that.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I've definitely had art stolen (rip that one cute gnome PC I did for a friend), but never a fic... to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No but I've had my grammar and spelling corrected once or twice when I attempted a language I am not fluent in and made mistakes. (I owe you my life.)

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have co-written before, back in the day, and I'm not taking about rp forums but the dark fantasy/sci-fi writing project I shared as a teen with my brother and friend at the time. For fic specifically I've only beta'd.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

As a polyamorous multishipper this is a homophobic question. There's room on my top shelf for as many I want. 🤔 Many are Morticia and Gomez Addams shaped, or whatever the fuck was happening in The Road to El Dorado shaped, one has to admit.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Eugh probably The Homework Squad (a ToA fic with multiple PoV about Strickler's time as a teacher before he left that position.) Maybe I'll get to it one day, but I have so many other fics I'd much rather be working on now.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been told that I am very good at character voices and dialogue, and that I have the ability to control the tension of any given scene with pinpoint accuracy and twist the mood like a knife in the reader's heart without it seeming unnatural. This might be my dark fantasy background coming to the surface, ngl.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

These are such things that gets mentioned less in feedback because it would be a dick mood unprompted, but speaking as someone with no beta beyond myself and an ereader, I know that sometimes my prose can be stiff and awkward, and my sentences err towards the unwieldy to the point that reading aloud can be difficult.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Sometimes different languages can be important to the plot and characterisation, and in these cases I do write dialogue in other languages but also include translation RIGHT THERE for the readers instead of clumped down at bottom notes of the chapter.

Otherwise I will include a helpful little note in the dialogue tag to indicate if the speaker has switched languages.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Tales of Arcadia.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

It's probably Primordial Awakenings, but again I still have a soft spot for Whispers Within, and most if not all of my fics really. I pour a lot of myself into my fics, so they represent not just the fic themselves, but the particular time in my life when I was writing them.

#dash games #dash memes #tales of arcadia #heart of janus au

[saixpuppy]

🦐 for the ask game!!!

the emotions really DO be shrimpin'....

so beatmania iidx has me by the throat rn and i'm absolutely in love with all the roots26 characters. they're very interconnected, and all sorts of little mundane details about each one make them feel like people i could know. i've got two favorites but the one who's currently eating most of my fucking brain real estate is

duel

real name "leonard baxter," which is a very silly name in my honest onion. i am never going to call him that ever in my life. the aliases are basically just IIDX usernames anyway so that's cute in a way i guess.

he's a british weeaboo. completely seriously. i'm going mostly off the arcadia version of his profile here - he was a sweet kid who liked soccer, but got screwed over after his parents' store went bankrupt, started fucking around as a broker in the black market because poverty. got stabbed, got inspired to move to japan from a movie he saw while he was in the hospital, and now he writes books about culture and uses his black market sales skills to export weeb shit.

oh, and as per heroic verse and rage, apparently he's also some kind of dog-mecha-suit-wearing demon-assassination-strike-team-member who's on the leash of one of the more morally dubious recurring characters.

"isn't this a game about being a dj," someone asked me recently. (it is.)

siren calls him shady basically to his face. iirc one of the girls says he talks strange (he does - from what i can see he tends to quote stuff and has other...quirks.) he dresses like a mall ninja military fetishist. (he's never been in the military - though another fucking iidx dj has. nix my beloved.) i threw some actual official art of him on a customized eamusement card decal and my friend said i shouldn't use it because it has actual gang imagery in it. (i only mention this because i think it's hilarious in retrospect.)

i hate this man. i want to put him in the dryer spin cycle. his fashion choices make me want to eat my own iidx controller. he's the exact kind of person i'd kill to be friends with because he'd invite me to go to japanese history museums. his tits are out in the newest art of him that i've found. if he wanted to put a dog collar on me i probably would not tell him no.

shrimp emotions indeed

#tekka post #THANK YOU FOR ENABLING ME #also like HI BIG CAVEAT: i'm NEW to iidx i've been #scrounging between remywiki and fantranslations and badly google translating literal screen pictures of the heroic verse story. #i'm PROBABLY missing something!! #i found out about the inu unit thing like a WEEK AGO after microwaving this guy in my brain for like a month. fuck. #i could've also written this about nix and it probably would've been shorter #i really fucking love nix also i've just been in a rough place lately and duel's slightly more suited for that kind of energy ig. #i'm hitting him with beams. #this post took me all evening to write holy christ. (that's mostly adhd though.) #((pspspspsss someone enable me to talk about nix. jkjk. ....unless?)) #long post #LONG ASS POST. SORRY.