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pep-the-artemis · 27 days

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Villain Comparisons

A wild pairing (I know) but there is merit to comparing them both.

Hazbin Hotel and Murder Drones spoilers below (two shows I deeply recommend anyone for watching for really different reasons). I'll try to minimise spoilers.

TL;DR and image transcripts at the bottom.

Firstly, introductions.

Sir Pentious is a former human who ended up in hell and now in pursuit of peer acceptance has become easily manipulated and turned to a life of evil; his desires also lead him to become easily manipulated by people like Vox. He takes on the form of a snake, a creature surrounded with assumptions of evil.

Doll Yurikova is Russian robot from a 'race' formerly enslaved by humanity and corporate greed; due to the experiments conducted on her mother Yeva, Doll became cursed—giving her eldritch powers and driving her to insanity. At a young age she was forced to watch both her parents die at the hands of the genocidal Disassembly Drones and now seeks revenge and to learn the truth about her curse, hoping to find a cure.

(no prizes on guessing which show is darker)

The reason I think this comparison is worth making is because they're both redeemable characters and die a sad, tragic death against the main antagonist who they had zero chance at even scratching... but I think Murder Drones pulls it off better.

Firstly, from the pilot and episode 1, Sir Pentious seems evil for the thrill—he enjoys the destruction, turf wars, and rivalries—but once he enters the happy hotel (calling it that to avoid confusion with the title), these traits seem to disappear. His rivalry turns to crushing and motives seem to shift more towards peer acceptance as mentioned above (he is still has a fascination with war machines but to me that never comes across as evil).

Doll, on the other hand, is straight up a psychopath. She kills without remorse or reason, she's a cannibal, and keeps the corpses of her dead parents in her home. Most of this is because of her curse but not entirely—unlike Uzi with the same curse, Doll shows no remorse or regret for her actions.

Secondly, Sir Pentious is weak AF. He loses every fight he is in. This is meant to be used as comedic value and also to show how he doesn't really belong but its so lame how even in the final battle he is worthless.

Doll, on the other hand, is an utter menace. The only reason the main cast one there first fight with her was because Uzi was immune to her magic and got distracted when her mothers bracelet broke. Doll outclasses the main cast making her a real tangible threat.

Thirdly, Sir Pentious main character flaw is that his is too weak against peer pressure and so his arc is to grow a backbone and act as his own person and not care what others think of him which is what the happy hotel is supporting him with. This is not a critique.

Doll's, on the other hand, main weakness is separate to her motives. She is unwilling to work with others, she fights alone and isolates herself from the world. This is in direct contrast with Uzi who is willing to work with others and understand there past mistakes. So for Doll to start her journey of redemption, she has to accept others into her life which I cannot stress enough is always an option for her, Uzi is constantly wanting to cooperate.

Lets begin wrapping this up—with there final scenes.

The battle of Heaven and Hell, Hell is losing. Realising this Sir Pentious decides he needs to lead the charge head on—he kisses his crush and charges forward in his own death machine attacking Adam head on... then his killed immediately before he can fire a single shot.

The most obvious thing is that this death is not narratively satisfying, he could have landed one hit weakening Adam but no Adam was just too strong of a threat that he didn't even need to even bother.

Then, even though he was killed by an angelic weapon (its kinda murky what Adams blast is exactly...), he gets redeemed... I know they can kill off characters, they did it to Dazzle, but I understand that it would be very dark. The problem is that it defeats the concept of 'a selfless act'. doing a selfless act isn't "do something because later you'll be rewarded", it's "do something because its the right thing to do".

Now onto Doll, who's death takes place in three different scenes. The first scene comes in two parts; the first Doll gets the jump on Tessa (who is just a woman with a longsword) and they fight and even with Dolls teleportation and telekinesis, she is unable to land a hit on Tessa. The fight ends with Tessa landing two strikes, one cutting off Dolls eye patch and the other disarming her. This works well to show that Tessa is a real threat while not undermining Dolls skill.

The next half of the scene, leaving Doll alone in the dark, Tessa disappears. An impossible feat in a narrow tunnel. Doll begins to panic and when she finally see's Tessa its too late, she can do nothing and dies. This is so important because it shows just how outmatched; Doll was utterly helpless. This works because of the previous scene which cemented the fact Doll is competent.

So Doll dies without redeeming herself. A real bitter song, she forced herself to live in isolation refusing every chance she was given only to never be given the chance, dying confused and lone just like like how she lived. But her deaths not over.

The second scene shows Doll stumbling out of a hellish pit, her torso ripped apart and entrails pooling out. Her last act before collapsing was leaving the message "дать отпор" (fight back). Her final act was to try and help Uzi, a real glimmer that for her redemption was truly possible but (that she's dead) out of reach.

The final scene is just a simple kick in the teeth, we watch as 'Tessa' devours her entrails, a real mockery... basically Liam Vickers saying "oh she is dead! I cannot stress that fact enough!". Utterly brutal.

Sir Pentious was evil, went searching for redemption, and got everything.

Doll is evil, refused all calls for redemption, and got nothing.

tl;dr

So overall, Murder Drones pulls of tragic character death better because

Doll isn't just a walking punching bag.

It was made explicitly clear that she lost because Tessa was stronger and not because she was weaker.

the show doesn't pull any punches unlike Hazbin hotel which immediately revives Sir Pentious.

Is Sir Pentious a bad character? No, I think he had a mediocre death.

Again, watch both shows. Hazbin Hotel is a great and fun comfort show while Murder Drones is a lot heavier but full of so much small detail it has great rewatchability. Being so different its less about which is better and entirely about which you prefer.

[Image ID: A digital drawing of Sir Pentious from Hazbin Hotel. It is a background-less shot with Sir Pentious smiling facing the camera with bold posed arms. /.End ID]

[Image ID: A digital drawing of Doll Yurikova from Murder Drones. It is a background-less shot with Doll grimacing facing the camera with limp arms by her side. /.End ID]

#murder drones #murder drones spoilers #murder drones details #doll murder drones #uzi murder drones #v murder drones #tessa murder drones #flesha murder drones #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel spoilers #hazbin hotel details #sir pentious hazbin hotel #adam hazbin hotel #vox hazbin hotel #em dash my beloved

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starsuncounted · 5 months

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16, 17 & 19 for the book asks!

Thanks for the ask!

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

Deathless. I'd heard a lot of good things about it and about how similar it is to The Winternight Trilogy (which I adored) and had seen lots of promising excerpts on here, so I went into it with high expectations. But as hard as I tried, I just couldn't get into it and ended up DNF'ing it partway through. I was really disappointed because I'd been looking forward to it for a long time, and I love Eastern European fantasy and can never find enough of it. :(

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries! For whatever reason, its blurb didn't snag me, so I wasn't sure I'd like it, but I ended up loving it! It's absolutely hilarious with big Howl and Sophie vibes from the main characters. 15/10 can barely wait for the sequel to come out in January.

Olivia Atwater's Regency Faerie Tales were also a pleasant surprise! I'm not much of a Regency fan (and I get kinda sick of the majority of historical fantasy novels being set in the Regency period), but the books were a lot of fun, Ten Thousand Stitches especially.

I also was blown away by Ashley's Poston's depictions of grief in The Dead Romantics and The Seven-Year Slip. I wasn't expecting the books to delve so deeply into grief, but I'm glad they did because Ashley Poston writes it masterfully. She just gets it.

19. Did you use your library?

I have five library cards, and I use them like my life depends on it.

[end-of-year book asks]

#asks #hobbitwrangler

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rainmono · 1 year

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Interests: Books

Point Horror collection/Goosebumps and all the others: Best book collection(s) I own, collecting them over the years really shaped me as a person, I love the chilling stories told by such amazing writers and don't get me started on the book covers..

The Mediator series by Meg Cabott: I love so many different trilogies Meg has written but this one in particular realllly is my favourite😍, she is one of my favourite writers and I love how detailed and badass her main characters are especially Suze in the mediator, every single book of the Meditator series is amazing and I hope to god it never gets adapted into a show because nobody could do this series justice.

Interview with the vampire trilogy by Anne Rice: I love ALL of Anne's books and was so upset when I heard she had passed, she has left a legacy behind and I simply loved the unique adaptions that have followed the books including this year's show. In depth characters and deep deep plot just my kinda thing.

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman: Neil is a legend and has countless of amazing books but the sandman book/graphic novel is 10000% my favourite of them all. The characters, the lore, the art. Just beautiful.

Keeper of the lost cities by Shannon Messenger: A much lighter carefree fantasy trilogy that I stumbled upon and accidentally became obsessed with, usually fantasy isn't my thing but this one is AMAZING I recently just got the newest book in the series and can't wait to read...

Virginia Andrews books.. A LOT of ppl criticise her works and I can understand why.. she has veryyyy dark books and I probably started reading them WAY to young but I can't help but love them and her writing style was incredibly unique and I will never part with my collection.

The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde was such a beautiful book and I felt so speechless by the end it really made me think deeply and its Oscar Wilde, who was a master of literature and poetry. What more is there to be said?

Jacqueline Wilson THE OG, the first books I ever read were hers and to this day my collection of her books grow, her books remind me of my childhood whilst also touching on the issues young teens face, she will always have a special place in my heart.

that is most of the most influential books I have read/own. I hope you enjoyed this brief analysis, please do reach out if you have recommendations or opinions to share :))))

#books #authors #literature #ilovereading #library #bookreviews

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livthedragon · 3 years

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Dream SMP Animal Rescue Center AU

The L’Manburg Animal Rescue Center (LARC) is a well-known institution dedicated to the well-being of all animals known to man. The facility receives animals from all over the world, and has staff fit for any creature that gallops, swims, flies, climbs, or runs into their care. With hundreds of acres of land at its disposal, the Rescue Center is equipped to care for animals that cannot be released back into the wild for as long as they may live. Come and visit with our season pass, or drop by anytime with admission tickets half off for the kids! Anyone 15 or older is welcome to come and volunteer their help towards these wonderful beings!

Alright, now that the official canon stuff is done, I’d like to make a few quick notes on pthis AU! First off, this was inspired by Dazenightmare’s Grocery store AU, so go check them out as well! If you have any idea or comments about this piece, the ask box is always open! Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and without further ado, I present my DreamSMP Animal Rescue Center AU!

-Liv💫

(P.s, I’ll be setting things up by showing the character’s official staff introductions first, and then my personal notes on them! This is how most things will be presented!)

Our Wonderful Staff!

Listed below is all of our fantastic employees, each with important and essential jobs to keep LARC running smoothly! If you ever need anything, they’ll be happy to help!

Even though they all have differing roles and places in the hierarchy, the staff have always been tight-knit friends, almost a family. But, like any family, they definitely have their spats! As I come to think of more stuff I might edit this, but so far the employees are Nihachu, Puffy, Eret, Philza, Fundy, Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo, Quackity, Techno, Ranboo, Purpled, Ponk, Awesamdude, George, Dream, Sapnap, Bad, Skeppy, Karl, Hbomb, Jack, Jschlatt, Foolish, and Ant. (Official names for introductions are Niki, Cara, Eret, Phil, Floris, Wilbur, Tommy, Toby, Alex, Dave, Ranboo, Grayson, Ponk, Sam, George, Clay, Nick, Darryl, Zak, Karl, Liam, Jack, Johnathan, Noah, and Antfrost, in the same order as above. These are the real names of most of the characters, I couldn’t do the ones that haven’t done a name reveal. (I didn’t change Wilbur because it just did not feel right) If there’s a character you wanted to see that’s not here I’m sorry, it means I just don’t know enough about them. (I’m so sorry Punz fans, I’ll add him eventually but I’ve never watched him before and don’t want to improperly represent him!) The minors (Ranboo, Tommy, Tubbo, and Purpled) are technically volunteers and not employees, so they’ll be presented separately. I mention the Regulars (regular patrons) a couple times, these include other MCYTs! So keep an eye out for special appearances! Sadly, SBI is not canon in my AU. It just didn’t make much sense to me as I tried to write it, but if you want to interpret them as family you can! (They’re still very close, so they act just like a family even though they’re not related by blood!)

Clay - Clay is the manager of our facility, and has run it for 3 years now! He’s proven to be a capable and fun leader, and you can often find him wandering about with some other staff members! If you ever see him around, don’t be afraid to ask him for anything!

Dream - Since Dream is the founder and main leader of the SMP, making him the manager made the most sense! He kinda has two ‘settings’, his official business mode for when he needs to handle serious work, and his more chill mode he presents when he’s just hanging out with everyone. He’s never really pulled the ‘I’m your boss so listen to me blah blah’ thing before, he actually prefers to emphasize that he’s on the same level as anyone else, just with a fancy title. He’s only brought out his manager mode when it comes to his employees a few times before, like when one of Tommy’s pranks went too far, and when George was slacking off just a bit too much. Other than that, he’s a nice guy who considers all of his employees his friends, but he’s often busy with ‘manager things’ as he says.

George - Our trusty head of security, George is responsible for keeping our guests safe! He’s in charge of things like security cameras, patrols, and safety regulations regarding people. He’s often found manning the cameras or patrolling about! If you ever get lost or feel unsafe, he and the other security members are always ready to help!

George - He sleeps. A lot. When it says ‘often’ manning the cameras, that means always. Always manning the cameras, and 9 times out of 10 he’s sleeping. He patrols like, once a day for the bare minimum time purely because he has too. The only reason he isn’t fired at this point is because he has uncanny luck. Every time anything comes up that he’s needed in he’s always awake, without fail. Every time a crime (not really crimes more like petty stuff, vandalism and shoplifting from the souvenir stands) happens he always sees it. No one knows how, because he’s always sleeping anytime else. Despite that, he’s a pretty nice guy that everyone gets along with, and does his job good enough to keep people safe.

Nick, Sam, and Cara - Our loyal security guards, who faithfully patrol and protect! It”s their sworn duty to keep animals and people alike safe, and can always be turned to if needed! They can be found rotating between the different wings of the center, and are glad to help with any issue! You can easily identify their signature blue uniforms!

Sapnap - Since George is nearly always ‘occupied,’ Sap is usually the one who handles planning patrol routes and shift changes. Although he can definitely be mischievous or a jokester at times, he does take his job seriously. He’s kind to the little kids that visit, and likes to give them tours whenever Ponk and Eret are busy. He’s loved among the regulars, and knows them all by heart. He’s pulled his fair share of pranks (most often with Tommy, Skeppy, and even occasionally Dream to help him) but he takes care to not cause any serious damage. Overall, he’s a prankster, but he loves his job and fellow employees.

Sam - Although he’s officially a security guard, he’s more like the resident handyman. Whenever there’s a problem with any electrical or plumbing systems (usually the fault of Tubbo, the poor kid breaks everything he touches) Sam usually handles it. He’s reliable, he doesn’t pull jokes like Sapnap does, but he can respect a good one. Despite being rather intimidating at first, Sam is gentle and can often be found helping Ant with the birds or Wilbur with the gazelles. He cares deeply for everyone, especially Tommy, Tubbo, Ranboo, and Purpled, and helps protect people whenever a Karen comes into the picture. He’s the one who helps elderly people cross the busy paths and gives directions to lost tourists.

Puffy - When she was first hired, people wondered why she chose to be a security guard. She was gentle and kind, and tried to avoid any and all conflict. But when a group of teens were spray painting the reptile house, it became obvious. Those kids not only volunteered to clean it themselves, but asked if they could help clean up garbage around the paths while Puffy stood over their shoulders. She’s been famous for her lectures ever since, and can even get Techno and Tommy under her thumb. Her gentle side definitely helps, and because she’s far less intimidating than the other guards, she’s the one who helps lost kids find their parents. She’s confident in herself, and shows it. No one questions her while she’s on patrol, despite being the smallest of the guards, she’s one of the strongest.

Eret and Ponk - Our lovely tour guides, they’re in charge of all the tours around the facility, from the reptile room to the butterfly greenhouse! Whenever you book a tour, one of these two will be in charge! They’re kind and energetic, and can be found with the scheduled tours all over our institute!

Eret - Eret is the more comedic of the two, often slipping in sarcastic jokes here and there on the tour. He’s not afraid to hide who he is, and he’s well known among the regulars for wearing extravagant outfits every now and then. Of course you always have the occasional Karen, but the moment one starts to approach him one of the security guards ‘conveniently’ needs his help. Whenever there’s some sort of event like a holiday or birthday, Eret is usually the one who volunteers to plan it. His parties are legendary, everything is always planned to perfection, and always runs smoothly. No one knows how he does it, it’s like he can predict catastrophe before it even happens. Tommy is mildly scared of him because not one of his pranks has worked on him, he always manages to get out of it (While looking fabulous, of course!) Despite his sarcasm and nonchalant behavior, he loves his job and ‘family’ he’s found!

Ponk - Definitely the more energetic of the two, he never seems to run out of stamina when he gives tours. He’s popular with the little kids because he gives out little stickers at the end of the tour, most often custom ones of all the famous animals. Whenever he’s off duty, he has a game he plays where he mixes all of the vending machine drinks together and sees who’s brave enough to try it. Sam is usually the victim, he has a hard time saying no to him! He’s been known to join in the occasional prank here and there, but never anything crazy (Like the famous Tiger incident, Tommy got suspended for a month after that…) He really cares about all his friends, and always comes into work with a smile!

Zak and Darryl - Responsible for running the various shops around our rescue center, these two are dedicated workers who can always be relied on! They’re always willing to lend a hand, and can be found at their respective stores! Don’t be afraid to say hi or ask for help!

Skeppy - Most definitely cannot be always relied on. I mean, he’s Skeppy, what do you expect? Whenever he’s on duty he’s responsible enough, but when off duty he’s even more of a trouble maker than Tommy! His stand isn’t usually as busy as BBH’s, so he has a lot of free time to goof off. He uses most of that time to plan pranks or tease BBH, much to his annoyance. Despite Skeppy always teasing him, he considers BBH his closest friend and would do anything for him. He’s faced his fair share of consequences and punishment, but he’s always managed to weasel his way out. He’s crafty and a troublemaker, but he’s also a good friend and a loyal worker when it counts.

BBH - One of the most loved members of staff, he gets along with everyone he meets. He’s kind beyond measure, and never hesitates to help. Pretty much the opposite of Skeppy, who often annoys everyone. But opposites attract, maybe that’s why they get along so well! Whenever Sapnap and George are busy, Dream usually turns to BBH for help and advice. Since the stands aren’t busy all that often, BBH usually helps out wherever he’s needed, he especially loves helping Wilbur with the butterflies. Like Sapnap, he also gets along great with the little kids, who love to hang out with him! Because of Dream’s soft spot for him, he managed to get permission to bring his dog, Rat, into work to ‘help’ him at his stand.

Alex - Alex is our responsible janitor and handyman, always ready for anything that could happen! He’s hardworking and kind, with a good sense of humor! You’ll find him wherever he’s needed, always willing to help!

Quackity - Like I said, Sam is more of the resident handyman, so Quackity usually handles the cleaning. He tried to fix wiring on the meat freezer one time because Sam was busy, but it did not… end well… he somehow flooded the whole room. The introduction isn’t entirely wrong, he is responsible and hardworking, but he’s not exactly ready for anything that could happen. It’s not his fault, it just seems that no matter how much he prepares some new problem he’s never dealt with before comes up. Like when the peacocks escaped, or the infamous Tiger incident. (When he saw the destruction that caused he just dropped his mop and said “I’m taking my vacation time now, fuck this”) He still has his sense of humor though, he enjoys yelling at Karens in Spanish to scare them off. He’s yelling about the weather, but they can’t tell the difference.

Karl - Our fantastic admission worker, he’s the first face you see when you walk in! He’s in charge of admitting all of our guests, and to answer any questions you have before entering! He can be found at his booth helping anyone and everyone!

Karl - Still had his signature good attitude and positive outlook, he’s probably the most willing to help people. Since he’s the only admission booth worker (Schlatt occasionally takes over, but he’s usually busy with his own stuff) he doesn’t get much break time in the busy season, but when he does he usually spends it with his friends. He’s goofy and kind, with a giggle that quickly got him loved by the regulars and everyone else he meets. On the slower days, usually in winter when the tourists aren’t around, he likes to sit everyone down in the break room and tell grand stories about different points in history. These tales quickly became enjoyed by even the most reluctant members, much to his suprise. He’s a very skilled storyteller, but he’s also very humble and insists he’s mediocre. He’s a great guy and loved by everyone around him, the perfect first face to see when you enter LARC. Recently, however, people often catch him stealing glances at two certain individuals throughout the day…

Johnathan - Our loyal help desk worker, he’s here for any issues you may have during your time at LARC. He’s here for anything you need, from booking tours to answering questions. Johnathan is in charge of making sure your stay runs smoothly and is as enjoyable as possible! You can find him at his desk all throughout the day!

Jschlatt - I have no actual reason for why he has this job I just thought it would be funny. Out of all the members of the rescue center, he’s the one who’s mastered the customer service smile and voice the most. He’s kind of had to, considering what his job is. Surprisingly, it isn’t as hellish as it would seem. Most of the time it’s just people booking tours or asking simple questions, which doesn’t require that much interaction. Dealing with Karens is a rare occurrence, but not unheard of. He just hits them with the “Lady, I am not paid enough to deal with this. Either go talk to the manager or ask Karl for a refund, now at least move aside so I can do my damn job.” He has a lot of free time because of this, but he’s not allowed to leave his post so he just plays Solitare on his computer and chats with whoever’s nearby. Even though he’s sarcastic and reluctant, he is a good worker and gets the job done. He rarely shows it, if at all, but he does care for all of his fellow workers and enjoys his job because he gets to be around them.

Phil and Liam - Our specialized veterinarians are equipped for any animal that needs their care, from elephants to bats, scorpions to dolphins. They’re both capable and experienced, and can be found wherever they’re needed to do their jobs!

Philza - Definitely a capable vet, he’s probably people’s first choice when they need help. He’s worked at a few other places before LARC, but he insists that this is his permanent job until he retires. Although he tends to focus purely on work when on the clock, when he’s off duty he opens up a lot more. He enjoys out with everyone in the break room, most of all Wilbur, Tommy, Techno, and Ranboo. Sometimes his wife comes in to volunteer for a day, much to everyone’s enjoyment. Since Phil is the resident dad, she was named the official mom of LARC and was given a very fancy cardboard crown. Despite his reluctant behavior on the surface, he can be passionate at times… rarely. Very rarely. He once chugged one of Ponk’s concoctions from hell and walked away unscathed, mumbling “I drink more caffeine on my good days, try again with an extra 10 energy drinks mate.” Ponk has practically worshipped him since, no one had ever been able to take any of his drinks before Phil. Overall he’s a good natured guy who loves both animals and people, but tends to avoid the public paths because it’s so crowded.

Hbomb - More of Phil’s understudy than an official vet, he’s still learning quite a bit. That doesn’t mean he’s not capable, he’s great when he’s working on animals he’s familiar with or illnesses he’s dealt with dozens of times before. This is his first job as a veterinarian, and he found it quite overwhelming at first. Despite this, he quickly won over his fellow staff with his charm and humor. When asked who his best friend is, he jokingly answers “Fundy!” While Fundy violently shakes his head no in the background. He’s relatively carefree, but he can absolutely get serious when his skills are needed. He’s fine with not being the go-to guy to help with the animals, he’s content with helping Phil whenever he’s needed and sticking to the sidelines.

Niki - Our lovely Marine Biologist, she keeps the aquarium and other aquatic exhibits running smoothly. She’s an expert in her field, and we can go about our days knowing she has everything under control! She can be found most often in the aquarium, but keep an eye out for her around other exhibits!

Nihachu - Because the aquatic exhibits are the smallest and have the least amount of animals, Niki can usually run it smoothly. She’s passionate about her job, and has loved animals since she was very little. She originally joined LARC purely for experience, but as time went on she just… never left. She has no plans to either, she loves the strange family she’s found, and the constant flow of new animals keeps her on her toes when it comes to her passion. She never really wanted fame or riches from Marine Biology, she chose to do it because of her love for zoology. On her off time she usually hangs out with Puffy or Wilbur, since their jobs place them near her area. She’s a lovable and soft spoken, but can be serious when needed. She more than pulls her weight in LARC, and has proved herself many times over.

Dave - A spectacular zoologist who specializes in predators and their behavior, Dave handles even the most deadly of animals with calm mannership. He has experience with every apex predator, and treats every animal he cares for kindly. He may seem unapproachable, but he’s willing to help anyone who needs it. He can be found all around LARC, but most often by the big predators.

Technoblade - He has proved the statement “Technoblade never dies” many times over. Many. Times. Over. He’s faced bears head-on with no safety equipment (which is not good, please use safety equipment when around wild animals) and come out unscathed. All of the permanent predators at LARC that can’t be released have acknowledged him as an equal, and accepted him into their hierarchy. Even the most aggressive of the big cats hold respect for him, but not through fear. Techno refuses to ever, ever use fear as a tactic to win over animals. He claims it’s not right to rule over other beings through fear, especially such regal ones. He takes his job very seriously, and hates his interactions with animals interrupted. (Tommy did it once and he swears to never do it again.) He’s very skilled, but he often gets put aside when the inspector comes around every 6 months because of his refusal to use required equipment. He may still be as serious and no-nonsense as ever, but he holds his friends close. He doesn’t like to be in the public eye, so he stays as behind the scenes as possible. Like Jschaltt, he doesn’t show it much, but he cares for everyone in LARC.

Wilbur - The counterpart to Dave, Wilbur is our herbivore specialist at LARC! He’s responsible for the majority of the herbivores in our institute, from gazelles to horses! You can find him all around our facility, and if you’re lucky you might catch him feeding the animals!

Wilbur - He’s the opposite of Techno in a lot of ways besides just his job. Will actually likes to be in front of a crowd when doing his job, and even got Dream to add an official feeding time for the popular animals so people could come see. His intentions aren’t vanity though, he just likes seeing how happy it makes everyone. Because he cares for the majority of the animals at LARC, he can often be found with Phil and the other animal caretakers. He’s especially close to Phil and Tommy though, and Tommy often finds ways to change his schedule to be closer to him. (Tubbo usually follows Tommy, and then Ranboo follows Tubbo, it’s a whole chain reaction.) On his off time he occasionally causes mischief with other staff, but he’s chill most of the time. He cares a lot about all of the animals he cares for, and makes sure to form a bond with each and every one. Every now and then he brings his guitar to work, and can be found quietly strumming it and humming along in secluded places. Sometimes he even plays it in front of the animals, much to their confused enjoyment. He might be carefree most of the time, but he takes his work seriously and has a close bond with everyone at LARC.

Floris - Floris is our resident field specialist, here to use his experience to help wherever he can! He’s often one of the first to see new animals or release old ones, and always does it with a smile on his face! You don’t see him as often as the other animal caretakers, but he can be found throughout LARC!

Fundy - He’s been all over the globe since he graduated, since he got to study under a rather eccentric zoologist. No one knows why he decided to work at LARC and not somewhere more recognized, but they’re not complaining. Whenever he’s on break, he likes to retail all of his adventures in a dramatic manner, but no one knows if they’re true stories or not. Sometimes he shows proof of his escapades, but most of the time he leaves it up to everyone to decide for themselves. But whether his stories are true or not, he definitely has the experience of someone who’s travelled the world. No matter the animal, he seems to know how to predict their behavior perfectly. He’s as excitable and loud as ever, but he loves his job and all the creatures he’s gotten to work with. Oftentimes he’s in charge of keeping tabs on animal behavior, so he’s the first to note when something changes or goes wrong. He has journals full of notes on different animals, both from LARC and his time traveling. He’s definitely passionate and dramatic, but he’s also a good guy that just wants to help animals.

Antfrost - A fantastic mammalogist, he’s been at LARC for a few years now and has proven himself as a great scientist. He knows how to deal with a variety of mammals, from the tiniest bumblebee bats to the biggest elephants! If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask him!

Ant - Like Niki, this is his first real job in zoology. He was out in the field for about a year and a half, but he was basically an errand boy for the bigger names he was working with. That’s not to say he’s not skilled though, he’s fantastic at what he does. He often asks Fundy for his notes on the various animals to get to know them better himself, and has read the majority of his journals. He was timid around everyone at first, but he gradually got close to his fellow staff. It was the same when it came to big animals, Wilbur had to help him during his first time with the elephants, giraffes, and other large mammals. But soon he got used to them, and now he spends most of his time with animals. He has no plans to leave LARC, he’s found that this job is more than enough to keep him busy and happy. He’s a bit shy, but when he opens up he enjoys being around everyone.

Jack and Noah - These two, although not often seen, and essential for keeping everything running like a well-oiled machine! From lending a hand wherever it’s needed to helping prepare food, Jack and Noah work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure everything is a-ok! If you ever do spot them, they’re ready to help with whatever you need!

Jack - The more experienced of the two, he’s been working at LARC for a long time now. He can be mischievous at times, but he’s responsible and knows his job is important. He struggles a bit to be close to everyone, despite the fact he’s been at LARC for a long time. He’s acquainted with most of the staff, but he’s not sure if he can really call anyone a close friend. He does have a good relationship with Tommy and Niki, but they always have so much going on and often overlook Jack. He grins and bears it though, keeping his loud and comedic attitude. He’s often all business and work, but there are times he wishes he could just be friends with everyone, and envies the very social members of staff like Quackity and Tommy. He may be a bit distant from everyone, but he still gets along with them… at least that’s what he always tells himself. He’s a bit stubborn, but overall a good guy who’s willing to help

Foolish - Foolish has only been working at LARC for a few months now, but he’s already made quite a few friends, both animal and human. When he’s working he tends to stick to himself, but when on break he enjoys hanging out with others and having casual conversation. He actually has a little corner of the break room for his hobby, making mini-models! He’s very good at it too, he has an intricate Egyptian setup that everyone likes to ogle at every now and then! Every so often he stays after for a bit to work on them, and no one has the heart to disturb him when he gets into it. He spends a lot of time with the animals, especially the aquatic ones. He seems to be drawn to the aquarium, and he’s often caught staring at the ocean tank. He’s positive and high energy most of the time, but he’s not to be underestimated.

Our Volunteers!

Volunteering is open for anyone interested in working at LARC non-officially, as long as you follow our rules and are 15 or older! Our current volunteers are

Toby

Tommy

Grayson

Ranboo

This is subject to change at any time! If you’re interested in signing up to be a volunteer, contact us either through our official website or our in-person help desk!

Volunteers aren’t allowed to be up close to any of the large or dangerous animals for their own safety!

We hope to see new volunteers soon!

Tubbo - He breaks. Everything he touches. Much to Quackity’s dismay, who’s often stuck cleaning it up. He doesn’t mean to break things, he just… does. Despite being quiet and even shy at times, Tubbo is without a doubt the most chaotic person in the entirety of LARC. He doesn’t pull off jokes or pranks like Tommy and Skeppy, he just subtly radiates chaos wherever he goes. He and Tommy are in charge of helping the westward wing (The area with the Africa, North America, and Insect House exhibits, as far away from the Aquarium as possible because Tubbo will break everything) and occasionally the Reptile House. A volunteer’s work isn’t exactly exciting, they mainly cut up and prepare food and do whatever Jack and Foolish are too busy to. Tubbo doesn’t really mind though, he finds the work rewarding and even fun at times. Even when the food he has to prepare is especially gross, some time helping Wilbur with the beehives always makes him happy.

Tommy - Oh man, Tommy… what problems hasn’t he caused? It seems that everywhere he goes he can manage to cause trouble, often roping Tubbo and Wilbur into it. It’s a miracle he hasn’t been fired yet (can you fire a volunteer? I don’t know) despite everything he’s done. He did get suspended for a long time after the Tiger Incident, but that’s the worst punishment he’s faced. He’s also not allowed to be near any of the people that come to LARC because last time he went “Vlogging” and scared away multiple guests. That was Jschaltt’s busiest day and he still has not forgiven him for it. He’s often stuck behind the scenes with Tubbo preparing food, but every now and then Wilbur, or even Techno if he’s lucky, lets him help feed the animals. When he’s off duty he can be found pestering Wilbur, Phil, and Techno or getting yelled at by Dream for causing problems. Despite being nothing but a troublemaker, everyone around him can’t help but have a soft spot for him. And on rare occasions, you can catch him leaving gifts for people to show his thanks for dealing with him.

Purpled - Probably the most laid back of the Volunteers, he’s actually allowed within 40 feet of the Tiger enclosure. (Although he has been known to solve problems by chasing people with a foam sword and yelling “Bedwars!!”) Since Tommy and Tubbo are usually on food duty, Purpled’s the one who delivers stuff to various places around LARC. This results in two things, no one ever being able to find him when they need him and him randomly appearing behind people when they least expect it. Seriously, he’ll just appear out of thin air to scare the shit out of you 5 minutes after you need him. He doesn’t even try to do it, he just… does, somehow. He’s a good worker though, and doesn’t complain much. He somehow managed to convince Dream to get an Xbox for the break room, and every break he gets he challenges random members of staff to a game of bedwars. He beat almost everyone without a hitch, except Technoblade. Currently they’re tied at 38 wins each, and Ranboo brought in a whiteboard to keep track. He may be a bit reluctant, but he likes LARC and can’t see himself leaving anytime soon.

Ranboo - Probably the most shy of the Volunteers, he tends to keep to the background and avoids the big, public areas. Because he’s the gentlest (and the most trustworthy) of the helping staff, he’s usually the one who gets the jobs involving animals. This usually includes helping Niki give the ducklings baths and feeding the deer with Wilbur, but like it says he’s not allowed near any potentially dangerous animals. He’s the tallest person at LARC (but by far the kindest) which results in him often scaring the animals at first, much to his dismay. Because he’s also on the taller side, Wilbur taught him a few tricks to seem less intimidating, which helped greatly. When he does open up a bit (usually around Tommy and Tubbo) he can be a bit mischievous and chaotic, but he knows when to stop. He hopes to become an official member of LARC one day, but for now he’s content with being just a volunteer.

Remember, LARC always welcomes guests, new or returning! We hope to see you soon!

Thank you guys so much for reading, this AU took me waaayyyyyy too long to write, and I’m psyched to finally have it done! I’d be super happy to answer any asks you guys leave, or any questions you have in the comments! Again, thank you so much, and I hope you enjoyed!

-Liv 💫

36 notes · View notes

windblooms · 3 years

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matchups.

hihi :’) way overdue – but here are the matchup requests that i received. please check for yours below if it was sent in! ctrl+f on desktop for your mbti/zodiac, or something you remember adding in if the post is too long to scroll through.

Hello! I'm INFP and 98% Type 4 & 92% Type 9. I'm a sun Pisces & moon Aquarius. I'm fairly introverted but can be kinda silly if I'm trying to be social. I'm also empathetic & sympathetic with plenty of self-confidence issues. My main hobbies are playing games, looking into social issues, thinking about game characters,etc. I keep bouncing between visions but Geo might be fitting since current Geo characters are a little more on the introverted side. Not sure if I'm late but wanted to try <3 I'm the INFP Pisces & Aquarius Geo asker and forget to mention that I'd like 1 platonic and 1 romantic!

romantic match-up: kaeya.

although it might be odd at first to pair him with a sensitive and introverted soul such as yourself, on the contrary, kaeya won’t have any issues relating to your emotional nature, even if outwardly it doesn’t seem so (behind his light-hearted and diplomatic dialogue, he’s got a transactional relationship with the knights he’s “loyal” to; his own brother is distasteful towards him; and he’s got an agenda that goes against everything he currently lives with.) he’ll get a knack out of teasing you when the mood is fitting, and while he may not be the one to give you the best of pep-talks, his self-assured disposition does have its uses: confident words soothe over the creases of your worries and troubling thoughts, and when things are more light-hearted, the two of you will bounce off of each others’ playful mannerism.

platonic match-up: barbara.

barbara is a sweetheart who’s incredibly devoted to both her companions and her aspirations. wholesome and energetic, she’s sure to keep you on your toes dancing, whether it be about how beautiful it is outside or the potential of a rainbow after a storm. while she’s a clear extrovert, barbara is also insightful to the feelings of others – after all, an idol must understand her crowd! – so she’s sure to dial down the energy if you’re ever feeling weary that day.

hihi !! can i please submit myself for the matchups ? i'm intp-t, scorpio sun and leo moon. i'm 5'11, female, and am described to be a very energetic person. i like to think optimistically and have a special love for philosophy and chemistry !! my hobbies include reading and writing - i've also recently picked up baking. i think i would have a hydro vision in genshin - hydro users tend to be healers, and i think that's something i would specialize in. can i please have 2 romantic matchups 🥺

i'm the scorpio sun leo moon intp matchup ask !! i forgot to mention that my enneagram type is seven, sorry 😔

romantic match-ups: childe/tartaglia and jean.

childe hyperfixates on individuals he deems strong. while this usually translates into people who have experience on the battle field, in your case, he finds it admirable that you’re able to keep up with so many hobbies and interests. your thirst for new experiences and stimuli is akin to his own sense of adventure, and your devotion to each and every one of them resonates with his own conviction to his aspirations. you’re strong mentally, and when you interact, he always has to dedicate himself to you fully in order to keep up; there’s never a dull moment when you’re around him.

a workaholic in denial, jean’s position as acting grand master never gives her a break. she’ll insist that she’s fine, that she’s content with her oversight of the knights, that they are her priority. and while this is true, when you talk about how your interests range from chemistry to baking, it’ll remind her of the time she doesn’t have to do “normal people things.” again, not that she’s miserable with the knights, far from it – it’s just that your life and spontaneity reminds her of the things outside of the knights that she wishes she could do, too. your genuine energy never fails to make her smile – perhaps you were who she’s been waiting for.

hi, congrats on the 1k followers! i really enjoy your writing and i’m glad to see that you’re doing well! i hope the rest of 2021 goes well for you!

for the matchup event, i’d like one platonic and one romantic relationship. i'm an infp, 6w5, scorpio sun and virgo moon. my attention span isn’t the best and i’m an impulsive dumbass, but i still manage to get good grades somehow. i try to be sociable, but i have a habit of clamming up so i usually just end up sticking to the people i know. i’m kinda all or nothing with the effort i put into things; i run out of steam pretty easily so i tend to leave things unfinished, which i hate, but sometimes i’ll go wild and finish a semester-long project in one afternoon. overall, i really like helping others and being seen as reliable! i was really dependent on others in the past, and although i still kinda am now, i’m trying to be someone others can depend on.

as for hobbies, i mostly just play video games and scary stories. i’m also into a lot of crafts, particularly knitting and bracelet-making. i find the motions relaxing, but i enjoy it the most when i have someone to make things for.

as for my vision, i think hydro suits me best because it seems more support-oriented overall, which is the kind of role i’d like to have. however, that doesn’t mean that it can’t be used to do some serious damage if needed.

has lots of energy that’s hard to direct, but can plow through things they set their mind to. likes security of things they know, and wants to give security as well. creative outlets. seems a bit finicky? but insightful with their own emotions.

romantic match-up: mona.

outwardly stubborn but inwardly self-critical, mona has dedicated her entire life to the stars, and it shows: her masterful grip on astrology is nothing to scoff at, and she’s arguably the most practiced mage in all of teyvat. at first, she’ll be baffled at your impulsiveness and “lack of focus”: how will you ever get anything done? she’ll wonder. but when you prove her time and time again that you can plow right through an obstacle just like scissors through paper, so long as it seizes your interest, she’ll take moments to think about her own outlook on life. when she realizes your comfort in abstract, artistic past-times, she might ask cutely for you to teach her. surely, if she can talk to the stars, she can make bracelets . . . ? o-of course they’d be for you! who else would they be for, if not someone she deems endearing.

platonic match-up: beidou.

the personification of a tidal wave, beidou’s ferocity hits hard and leaves a mark. the two of you will find it easy to bounce off of each others’ ideas – maybe even concerningly so to the rest of the crew – and hell, she might even sway you to sneak into a hilichurl village to steal some carrots if it’ll provide for some overdue fun. lots of pats slaps on the back, and she’ll always beckon you over when she learns about something new, thinking that you might find it interesting, and when she wants someone else’s input. she trusts your judgement like family, and knows that you’ve always got her.

hi! i would like to request a genshin character matchup (2 romantic). my mbti is infj and enneagram 2. i am a cancer sun and aries moon. i am calm and reliable, but i do have a mischievous side and use a lot of dry humor. when it comes to having fun, i like to enable others! i am also deeply passionate about community service. my hobbies include yarn crafting. my genshin vision would be cryo because i am highly motivated by love/emotion, can come off as cold, and love the ice aesthetic! tysm!

romantic match-ups: diluc and lisa.

often broody and contemplative, diluc has a whirlwind of thoughts in that hard head of his. through your first interactions, he’ll piece together your intense devotion towards your loved ones and willingness to help others. he’ll warn you that you should take time to consider yourself, too, and that it shouldn’t always be give, give, give, but those same traits in you that he worries about are the same qualities that draw him in. once, too, he was as uninhibited as you, had the same energy. perhaps it’s because you’re both so similar, both in internal hopes and mannerisms, is why he finds it easier to loosen up – even if he doesn’t immediately let go of that deadpan attitude of his when he knows you can come back just as hard.

she’s enthralled by your willingness to engage in her banter. often, those she teases (flirtatiously or otherwise) leave with a red face and an adorable stutter, but it just so happens that you’re one to fluster her instead. it’s been a long time since she’s met someone who can keep her guessing, yet is incredibly insightful to themselves and those around them. she finds your qualities of fun and sincerity to be charming. you’re a breath of fresh air compared to the stern knights she’s around all day, and she looks forward to meeting you after work, conversing with you as you walk down mondstadtian streets and eat over dinner. there’s never a dull quip from your lips, and she’d love to hear everything on your mind.

hii hope I'm not making this too hard on u lol one romantic and one platonic please! either gender is fine I'm bi as Hecc mbti: enfp-t sun taurus moon aries I think my vision would be cryo because people say it's connected to loss and I've lost some pretty important people to me and also. I hate the heat I really like cards, wolves and the stars, my hobbies include working with robots and the general aesthetic of the mid 2000s, my favorite season is winter and I love buying ppl gifts ♡

platonic match-up: chongyun.

immediately, your avoidance of heat and affinity to the calm will give him someone to relate to, and your attraction to the abstract will pique his interests. (perhaps, once he’s become more confident with his exorcist abilities, he could pick up some of your hobbies?) your practicality, in contrast to his often self-critical mindset, will ground him in times of need, and he’ll always ask you if he can help you out in return. while he looks up to you as an individual, he’s honored to also be your friend, or at least someone you devote time to.

romantic-matchup: ningguang.

you both understand sacrifices and loss. while it’s a rather bleak realization upon getting to know each other, your rationality and perseverance despite the past stirs her respect for you; your mindsets are incredibly alike, and she’ll often input your reasoning into her plans, and deem you a trusted associate of the liyue qixing. in her demanding position, you are someone she can readily relate to and rely on. in times when things are less hectic and the two of you can more freely relax, she’ll indulge in a shopping spree with you. as someone who’s intimate with her in both profession and emotional relations, she’d love to show her gratitude.

hi! i'd like to participate on the match up event!

i'm an infp, and also type six on the enneagram test, my sun sign is aries and my moon sign is pisces. i like arts in general with my favourite ones being music and painting, but i also enjoy writing and i spend a lot of time songwriting! also as a person i'm rlly clumsy and i kind of look mean bc of my resting bitch face lol. i think my vision would be anemo because i think it can be really useful in many ways and i like the reactions it has with other visions. i'd like two romantic match ups! i hope this was understandeable, as my english isn't the best. thank you! 💌

romantic-matchups: mona and zhongli.

mona will find your interest in the arts intriguing. you always seem to get ideas at the most random of times, often startling her with how active your mind is. and despite how she doesn’t reply much in return – she’s not versed in words or drawings, even if she won’t verbally admit it – you seem to be satisfied with her . . . reactions? even if the most she can relate them to is astrology, it seems to be enough for you, so long as she isn’t uptight that day. your creativity and attraction to the abstract gives her comfort: there aren’t many people in mondstadt who appreciate her profession, so even if you aren’t into the exact same things, she’ll at least know that there’s someone who looks forward to seeing her.

on his quest to “learn what being a human” is, zhongli encounters a myriad of occupations. typically, the people of liyue are wound up with economics and realism, but your joy in the possibilities – how you can convey your emotions, through what mediums – of life has to offer reminds him of humanity. with you, he’ll explore what mortals call “the small things” in life: akin to the spark of appreciation for flying lanterns, autumn-colored lights at night, feelings of wonder – that’s what you instill in him.

hello!! id like a matchup please!! im an INTP-T and im Type 5,, im capricorn sun and libra moon. im a reserved person and kind of angry all the time,, and i get overwhelmed easily. im not that good with affection,, but me actually welcoming you into conversation or my room or smthn, or actually responding to you means something. im just scared to be open with affection because its always done me wrong in the past. anyways,, id like a platonic matchup and romantic matchup please!! thank u and congrats!!🥳🥳❤️❤️

hello,, im that Capricorn sun libra moon anon,,, very sorry to disturb you,,, but i didn’t mention what my vision would be!! i think id be pyro,, ive always been a bit cold or i usually shun people away,, so i think id be cryo!!!! or maybe hydro because im constantly having a mental breakdown LMAO(but i fr think id be cryo)

platonic match-up: sucrose.

while she’s constantly on-edge from work, sucrose will always make time to check on her dear friend. after all, you do the same for her, even if you insist that you might not have the right words ready. “partners in stress,” kaeya would teasingly dub the two of you as, but you don’t pay mind to him. as quiet and reserved individuals, you find tranquility within each others’ company.

romantic match-up: venti.

whimsical and regarded as a mere bard by most, venti puts up a convincing front. but it’s just that: a front. the real venti is concealed by a chipper voice and mercurial agenda, when underneath, there’s a solemn musician who’s burdened. you’ll most likely be off-put by his facade, as he’s trained himself to constantly be lively – comes with being a performer – but will soon find that he understands your turmoil. he’s not the best with sentimental words, but will instead convey his sympathies through strums of his lyre. while it isn’t obvious that there’s security in freedom, he’ll be sure to encourage you that there’s a way.

Hello Al! For the match-up event would it be possible for me to ask for 1 romantic and 1 platonic? As for my MBTI I am an INFJ-T. As for the ennseagram I am 98% type five and 90% type 6. I am a Taurus sun and an Aquarius moon. I tend to come off as polite and often times a bit shy/reserved irl. I love learning new things. Conversations that have all parties thinking critically are definitely my favorites. My hobbies are writing, drawing, learning new things, reading, and playing video games. As for Genshin vision I'd have to say cryo. I've taken a quiz on quotev and got a tie between cryo and anemo. Cryo's description seemed to fit my personality better. I also seem to have a connection with the cold. Let me know if you need any more info. Remember to take care of yourself. ~Taylor💙

platonic match-up: albedo.

you both have your inquisitive sides, and albedo is more than willing to talk to you about his discoveries. while he might not proactively reach out to you – more like, if you’re nearby, and he happens to catch you peeping at his work, he’ll engage with you. he finds your takes thought-provoking and your candor respectful; a fellow of agreeable disposition, your calmness and supplementing nature also makes it easy for him to work.

romantic match-up: zhongli.

both intuitive and practical in your approaches, zhongli’s given a new perspective when you converse, or at least, a new thing to ponder over. many regard him as stiff besides his gentlemanly disposition; your focused and insistent care will enrapture him as heartwarming, that there are “acceptable” vulnerabilities, but they’re not weak points at all – far from it. your security and assuredness is harmonious with your emotion insight, making for a stable lifestyle that he easily molds into. the conversations that the two of you engage in are nothing short of provocative. just as much as he learns from you, he also provides with tales of the old days.

Is - is the matchup thing still relevant? If not you can just ignore this message - its ok, i know ur busy :)

If it is still on tho, i wonder if i could get a platonic and romantic one?

Im a INFP-T(??), Type 4, pisces sun sag moon.

Im a dumb nerd with big glasses who loves t shirts with puns ot jokes on it. Im not sure about my hobbies, i just like anything that can make me think - memes, books, music, games with lore. I dont like boring, overly normal stuff. I have shitty sense of direction and i suck at math.

I think that my vision would be anemo since thats (i think) an element that requires both creativity and knowledge to work with, which is very special and interesting to me.

Thank you so much in advance! Or sorry if i sent this too late 😅

platonic match-up: xinyan.

both of you are free-flowing and seek excitement. you’re the gasoline to xinyan’s match: you both feed off of each others’ knack for new things, stimuli, and the bold. you could be walking down the streets of liyue, eating bags of mora meat, and then suddenly run down to the northern wharf to catch passing boats and playfully debate over which snobby aristocrat is being shipped off. there’s never a dull moment between the two of you, and the plan is always no plan. spontaneity is the name of the game, and it’s one that you can go at for ages.

romantic match-up: beidou.

there’s hardly a moment to breathe on the crux fleet, that’s for sure. be prepared to explore the entirety of teyvat with beidou, because she’s got you covered with all of your “new thing” needs, alongside your ocean-borne family. she’ll find it humorous that you’re not practiced in navigation – ironic for a seafarer. but steering is complex, and she’d gladly help you out in learning, just another thing to do in a day’s work.

Hi! For the match up event, I'm 98% type 3 and a 97% type 7, I'm am Intp and my moon sign is scorpio, my sun sign is Pisces. I'm above than average in math and I like to draw from time to time, I've tried to learn the ukelele but ultimately failed. I'd like my vision to be an electro cause my fav color is purple and I like how the electricity sparks and stops my enemies, I'm also a fan fic writer and love manhwas

Hi! I'm the last anon that you reminded that should have put 2 romantic in the ask! Sorry about that, it just completely flew over my head

romantic match-ups: ningguang and childe/tartaglia.

your ambition knows no bounds, and your drive is a force to be reckoned with. some may call your approaches headstrong, but your ability to take initiative is something that ningguang greatly admires. it’s something she professes that you two have in common – granted, even if her economic tendencies are more cutthroat. while the two of you have incredibly firm opinions that might send shocks across the room you’re debating in, ningguang trusts your rational thought and explorative mindset. your like-mindedness, in this instance, brings great relief to her in her position.

childe is also someone who would take interest in you. he’s not one for schemes like the rest of the harbingers, and would appreciate your straightforward approaches and the focused energy you put into each project/obstacle you face. it makes it easier for him to speak his mind, and he’ll find comradery with you fairly easy to come by. gradually, the zeal the two of you share can draw you into more adventures, and he’ll have someone he can call a trustworthy partner.

Hello! For your generous match-up event, could I request two romantic matches please? My MBTI type is INFP and my enneagram type is four. My sun sign is Aries and my moon is Gemini. I am a quiet but curious person who can be really flirty and sarcastic in private. I am very caring to those I love. My hobbies including writing and drawing. For my vision, I think I would be cryo? I’m a secretive person who has trust issues and can be cruel. I love your blog, you’re so skilled! Thank you so much!

romantic match-ups: kaeya and jean.

you’re a trusted soul by all, even if many also regard you as reserved. kaeya isn’t one to grow attached (it’s hindered him in the past), however after being paired with you on multiple missions, he’ll feel more at ease around you due to your good nature. your duality is also a breath of fresh air, and each time he talks to you afterwards, he’s reminded that there are individuals who have others’ best interests at heart. many knights will catch the two of you tossing jokes back and forth at each other, but for once, kaeya isn’t trying to swindle anybody.

the acting grand master has a lot on her plate, but she finds that when she’s in your company, the tray is a little lighter. she relates to your sincerity and good intentions, a welcome refresher in the world of forced diplomacy and tedious hours. you also seem to know just the right things to say to lighten the mood, with a cute smile to top it all off.

hello! Could I request 2 romantic match-up? I'm ENFP, enneagram 2w3. Sun Sagittarius, Moon Scorpio, Asc. Virgo. My hobbies consist of anything generally creative, gaming/anime, hanging out with friends esp!! I'm the type of person to show affection by physical touch and by gentle ribbing-- I love making other people laugh. I'm always down to do things, new or not, and an honest and easy-going person. My Vision would be Geo bc I think it reflects how I am as a person-- stable n loyal :) thank u!!

romantic match-ups: venti and beidou.

no one would’ve thought that you and venti would be a pair – then again, when they consider your tendencies for jokes and charisma, it’ll all come together. wherever the two of you go, laughter follows, like dandelions in the breeze. venti hits it off with you almost immediately after you meet, your natural social nature enabling easy conversation. you’re also very zealous with topics that pique your interest. it’s a genuine, eager curiosity that he can’t help but consider endearing.

the two of you are always searching for new things, be it small islands in the horizon or neat little specialties that you manage to catch in the corner of your eye. there’s never a dull moment when the two of you get going on ideas, and while you may be the more rational, beidou will always insist on adding some more “zest” into whatever you come up with. if you push her, she might accidentally shove you off the boat with the playful enthusiasm of a golden retriever.

Hiya~! Thank you both for doing this! For the character match-up, I'd like to request two (2) Romantic please lmao, with a side of French fries.

I'm an INFP, Libra sun/Scorpio moon. My external personality might lead ppl to think I'm a charismatic extrovert, but that's the face I show for the 5 whole minutes I'm socializing, and then return to my introvert turtle shell for the next week. I cycle through hobbies since I get bored quickly, but I always come back to music since singing is my passion. I know for sure my Vision would be Anemo bc I need to be free to feel comfortable and tend to react rather aggressively when I feel restrained 🤔

I'm deeply emotional, sometimes impulsive, and dislike relying on others. I tend to be cat-like in my affections... sometimes I Love, other times Do Not Want. Except for animals, they always get my love ❤ ehehe....

romantic match-ups: mona and kaeya.

mona considers your nature incredibly easy to grasp. but don’t take it as an insult or offense – in fact, your simplicity is a constant in mona’s life: you like time to yourself, and when you’re alone is when your energy comes out. she doesn’t have to worry about reading too much into your feelings when she can see that you’re independent. your interactions are calm and reassuring; she doesn’t have to be uptight around you, because she knows you trust in her abilities and lifestyle, and security with herself and those she cares about is her top priority.

kaeya’s able to relate to your social tendencies. there’s a front that he puts up in front of his colleagues (purely for professional purposes) before reverting back to his natural state of mind. he finds your distance understandable, and considers it something the two of you have in common. when you talk one-on-one, it’s easy to bounce ideas off of each other about mondstadtian culture and other topics of interest; while your independent natures may lead to some time apart, there will always be fresh experiences waiting when you do meet again.

#matchup reqs

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tsuki-sennin · 3 years

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Mina-san, bonne lecture~! (Tsuki recaps his feelings about Kamen Rider Saber, a personal essay.)

So, Saber... what a wild ride it's been, huh? Just a quick heads up, this is very long and rambling, and also contains spoilers for everything in Saber. It's fine if you don't wanna read all this, but I just wanted to get my thoughts out there.

TL:DR, Kamen Rider Saber's an undercooked hot mess I absolutely adore, warts and all.

Speaking as objectively as possible, it's a 6/10. Probably closer to a 5 than a 7... it's not great: All the different plot elements are cluttered and weirdly paced; character focus is disjointed and clearly biased toward certain characters, leaving great ones like Kento and Ogami, interesting ones like Kamijo and Hayato, and underdeveloped ones like Sophia and especially the Shindais in the dust; not to mention its balance of comedy and drama is off, and while both are very effective, there's a lot of mood whiplash that can take you out of the story. I also feel like a lot of the easily avoidable character conflict could've been easily resolved, even in universe, by simple conversations. Be careful Fukuda, I think Inoue might sue you if he finds out you've been biting his style and doing it worse.

Rider shows have a very frustrating tendency to drop cool form ideas and not do anything with them, and I don't think it's ever been more the case than with Saber. There's a similar argument to be made with the majority of Heisei Phase 2 after Gaim, but wow. The suits are expensive to make without just straight up recycling everything, I get that, but man, I really wanted to see more Wonder Rider forms. How come Touma got all the fun, eh? Of note are the Blades King of Arthur forms (which look amazing by the way), Espada's Jaaku Dragon forms (one of which I even drew last night), even the non-elemental random Wonder Ride Books all have awesome design elements that go tragically unused. Even if the other Swordsmen just kinda have the ones they do get to use slapped onto them, that's at least something. Touma also just straight up only uses Diago Speedy twice and never again. You have cool props guys, don't waste them like that!

Speaking of waste, Espada, goddamn. Since most of the Wonder Ride Books are Story Type and he needs one very specific Story Book to transform, he doesn't get much of... anything, really! No Wonder Rider forms like Blades, Lamp Do Cerberus being exclusive to Ganbarizing, only getting to use the Ride Gatriker like once, he even spends the second and third arcs as a completely different Rider, then once he comes back he doesn't get a King of Arthur-granted upgrade or even a Necrom Espada form. ...at least, not yet anyway. I'm holding out hope for Espada x Necrom and the eventual Saber V-Cinemas. Extra Rider stans, we will be well respected someday.

The Unreal Engine CGI used for fights in early Chapters was pretty good but wow it feels disconnected and they really drop it quick. I feel like if the animators had more freedom to use as many forms as they want, we'd have gotten a lot more mileage out of the books beyond... decoration basically. I actually really liked the CGI sequences, they felt creative and were fun to follow along with.

The soundtrack is pretty great on its own and conveys what it needs to, but they seriously overplay the orchestral themes. It honestly feels kind of... stock at times. I think my favorite parts of the score are when it winds down, since it feels a lot more natural and lets the cinematographers and actors speak for themselves.

As awesome as I think Falchion's design and the Mumeiken Kyomu are, The Phoenix Swordsman and the Book of Ruin comes up short as its own standalone thing. You'd think 30 or so minutes of non-stop action would be awesome, and it almost is? It's as good as a typical episode of the series with a higher action budget, but it kinda drags on a bit too long; and although I think Emotional Dragon looks cool, it feels a bit tacked on. Coming off of the incredible Zero-One REAL×TIME, it doesn't give you much room to breathe, which Rider films are typically great at handling. I also thought the resolution for the kid's subplot was kinda forced. He does an okay job at acting considering his age and doesn't overstay his welcome, but I really don't see how 20 minutes of violence and action is enough to convince him to be brave enough to go play with the other kids. 5/10, it's closer to a 4 than a 6 and I think that maybe Zero-One should've stood on its own if they really had to push back Kiramager Bee-Bop Dream because of the pandemic.

Alright, with all that said... As imperfect and undercooked Saber was, like Ghost I can consider it a personal favorite, 10/10. Call it a guilty pleasure if you want, but holy hell it's just the show I needed. Takuro Fukuda has a talent for creating fun, wonderful characters and utterly fascinating worldbuilding and concepts. It's a shame he doesn't utilize them fully, but hey!

The action and fight choreography are pretty top notch as usual. Lots of beautiful shot composition and set pieces, and plenty of great angles to help keep up with the extra busy action. I love watching the suit actors perform and they deserve all the respect in the world for their hard work in those hot, sweaty, and heavy costumes. Their visual design is also top notch, with lots of unique and fascinating forms and cool weapons I desperately want to play with despite being broke, all with spectacular finishers and hype jingles with the voice of Akio motherfucking Ohtsuka calling them out. A real feast for the eyes. Not a single bad suit among them, yeah I said it, fight me.

The crossover specials are soooo good too.

-I went over my feelings on the Zenkaiger crossover episodes in a separate post (good luck finding that btw), but to sum it up, they were great character moments for Zox and the Shindai siblings with lots of great screwball comedy and some good old fashioned meta humor.

-The Ghost crossovers are great little side stories all about how Daitenku Temple somehow had the Ghost Ijunroku Wonder Ride Book? I genuinely have no idea why it was there, or how Makoto had the Specter Gekikou Senki, and as far as I remember neither of their origins are explained. Did Luna or Tassel hand them off to them and told them to wait for a sword guy? And why do these generic French Revolution Gamma villains working for Danton get their asses handed to them so easily by Kanon, who literally just became a Rider? I thought that Makoto deciding to adopt all the Kanon clones into his family was both hilarious and adorable though; considering all the crap they went through, I think it was a good ending to this plot. Gimme Espada x Necrom already Toei/Bandai/Fukuda/whoever I need to yell at, give Kento things to do, I beg you.

-I haven't actually seen Super Hero Senki since it's not available for subbing yet, but apparently there's a Journey to the West plot starring the Taros and Ohma Zi-O and I want to see that so badly.

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra? Yoohei Kawakami? A match made in heaven, that's what they are. All of their themes are absolute bangers. All of them. Almighty, Kamen Rider Saber, Sparks, Taju Rokou, all excellent and empowering pieces. Rewrite the Story, Will Save Us, and The Story Never Ends are all amazing inserts done by the cast, and it makes me wish we had even more of them to help break up the monotony of the score.

The characters are what easily make this show such a great watch though. For the most part, they have great personalities and chemistry, consistently fun and interesting scenes, well acted and... sometimes well-written development, and deeply investing personal stakes.

Narrating it all is the delightfully eccentric Tassel/Viktor, portrayed by Romanesque Ishitobi "TOBI" of the Paris-based Les Romanesques. I was utterly confused by his presence at first, wondering why there needed to be a narrator when the story would've been perfectly fine without it. He even got a special spot in the opening despite having no stake in the plot despite seeming to live in Wonderworld, who the hell is this guy? But then I thought "OH MY GOD, HE'S THE MAIN VILLAIN USING TOUMA AS THE HERO IN HIS OWN TWISTED STORY, THE BASTARD". I thought it'd be some subversion of expectations, true form, "That Was His Mistake!" shit. Trust me, it made a lot more sense in my head. I'm very happy that they didn't do that, as I grew to love having male Yuuka Kazami as my narrator, and when he was shown to be actually important by being friends with Yuri my mind was blown. And doubly so when I realized just how deeply necessary to the plot he really is.

Rintaro/Blades is up there as one of my all time favorite secondary Riders, since his curiosity is always consistently funny and adorable, his forms are all gorgeous and impressively designed, his relationships with Mei and Touma are absolutely sweet and compelling to see unfold, and his arcs about becoming willing to call out those he views as family and coming to terms with his feelings of inadequacy and both moving past and using them to strengthen himself are always great lessons to pass on to kids. ...even if they took like 10 goddamn episodes to be conveyed in what could've been 5, but hey, Takaya Yamaguchi does a stand-up job all throughout. Rider veteran Eitoku's refined, almost logical movements with the Suiseiken Nagare absolutely beautiful to see in action, and his final form having the same white and blue color scheme as Zooous's base form is an amazing touch I don't see appreciated enough.

Mei Sudo's also absolutely wonderful, serving as the perfect emotional core of the story, responsible for most of the funniest lines, sweetest character moments, and some of the most deceptively compelling drama. Asuka Kawazu brings the perfect energy for such a dynamic and well rounded character, and absolutely nails her scenes of quiet turmoil. As much as I would've loved her to become a Rider, I don't think she really needed to. She's already done so much to help, and as cool as it would've been to see her pick up a sword and fight alongside them as Espada, Calibur, or Falchion she's already endeared herself to me as one of my favorite supporting characters in the whole franchise.

I can't get enough of my homeboy Kento Fukamiya/Espada. Like Rintaro and everyone else for that matter, he also suffers from Saber's pacing issues; and like his predecessor Valkyrie from Zero-One, he doesn't get a proper upgrade aside from his Wonder Combo, instead becoming an anti-villain using a completely different powerset and shifting the Raimeiken Ikazuchi out of focus for the Ankokuken Kurayami, and I feel there's a serious missed opportunity to see him use Jaaku Dragon with Alangina. However, Ryo Aoki's performance is probably among the most easily praiseworthy in the whole cast, managing to convey both Kento's kind and knightly stoicism as Espada and his emotionally unstable despair as Calibur perfectly, in conjunction with Yuji Nakata's experienced and expressive stuntwork.

Ren Akamichi/Kenzan's a dark horse favorite for sure. I remember back when Saber was first picking up, people hated this breezy mad lad for being such a simple character at first. Overly concerned with strength? Black and white world view? Annoyingly energetic? Agh, real-feeling character flaws, I hate them, get him away from me! But then y'all came crawling back. Eiji Togashi's apparently a bit of a rookie actor, and it really shows with some stilted delivery and the way he sometimes bobs his head when giving his lines, but man he improves dramatically as the series goes on. His inexperience ironically ends up really selling his character development, and his unexpectedly beautiful relationship with Desast is special evidence of that. The Fuusouken Hayate's three modes and Satoshi Fujita putting them to excellent use through his stellar acrobatic movements are also really cool.

Why did Luna have to be a child for so long? Does Wonderworld not age whoever inherits its power? Well since Luna randomly becomes an adult in Super Hero Senki and some of the final episodes, I guess so? Miku Okamoto does a fine job for a kid actor, but she's basically done all the heavy lifting for the whole series and doesn't give Mayuu Yokota enough time to get a feel for her character as an adult. How did she choose Touma to inherit the power anyway? Does she just subconsciously decide to trust him with it upon seeing how kind and passionate about storytelling he is? Well if that's the case, why didn't Kento get at least some of that power too? He's just as important to the merchan- I mean Luna-chan, isn't he? Why did Tassel pick her over someone who isn't a literal child who'd be understandably terrified about basically becoming an embodiment of storytelling?

Sophia also kinda suffers from the same problems. Rina Chinen's voice is very pleasant to listen to, but she doesn't really do much beyond serving as a source of exposition and support. I think her dynamic with Mei's adorable, and given her kindness I can certainly understand the respect Northern Base has for her, but she doesn't really contribute a whole lot. If she could use the Kurayami and become Calibur all this time, then why didn't she take it from Kento and Yuri and do so earlier when Kento decided to go back to being Espada? I know she's not much of a fighter and as the closet thing the Sword of Logos has to a leader after Isaac's death I'd understand not wanting to put her at risk, but considering Storious is destroying the world, and she's very evidently kicking a lot of ass in the first part of the final battle even in the basic Jaaku Dragon form, I think it would've helped a lot, just sayin'. Tassel at least has the excuse of being unable to interact with the real world, but Sophia obviously didn't just be put in charge of Northern Base just because she's a pawn in Isaac's plans right?

Ryou Ogami/Buster is also a victim of the disjointed character focus. I have no problem believing he's an excellent father and fighter thanks to Yuki Ikushima and Jiro Okamoto, respectively, but he feels a bit flat and simple in comparison. His rivalry with Desast is randomly dropped, his wife doesn't even show up until the final episodes, he's kinda sidelined in terms of action a whole lot. I imagine that must've sucked for the Rider Dads out there. He does get to star in his own manga, and that was pretty good, so I guess I can't be too mad.

Tetsuo Daishinji/Slash fares better though. Hiroaki Oka, being a Kamen Rider fanboy himself, manages to make him among the most relatable characters in the series. Not only are his hyperfixation on swordsmithing and anxiety played surprisingly believably, Hirotsugu Mori letting him cut loose is extremely cathartic and hilarious, and you really feel for him when the Onjuuken Suzune becomes the first victim of Calibur!Kento's sword sealing.

Yuri/Saikou's another dark horse favorite, for me at least. "Oh great, Avalon guy's got even more merchandise to sell, I wonder what his Sword of Light is- it's himself. Well... that's different." I admit, I didn't like him at first. He felt like he was there to fill out character dynamics in the absence of both Rintaro and Kento, I thought his gimmick was too silly even if his design and jingles were bangers, I didn't particularly care for his power set. But then XSwordman came around I totally got it. He's an endearing, hard-working man trying his best to catch up on all the cool shit he missed, unafraid of experimentation, ready to throw down at a moment's notice, serving as a wonderful bit of consistent support for our heroes, a truly knightly individual, an absolute Chad. and goddamn does he make me worry. Tomohiro Ichikawa, I salute you good sir.

Even if they fall short compared to the rest of the cast, the Shindai siblings are at least cool enough to not wanna write out entirely. They kinda devolve into comic relief after they become allies, something that villainous Riders from Chase onwards are very prone to doing, and it's especially awkward in their case because I think that they kinda get off scot-free for obeying the obviously sinister and crazy Isaac for so long, as well as driving a wedge between a lot of people and threatening children in Reika's case. I think their sibling dynamic is nice though, even if Fukuda recycled it from Makoto and Kanon and has some... questionable possessive undertones as a result. It's cool how they're basically foils to Touma and Rintaro though. The dispassionate and methodical Reika/Sabela is beautifully played by Angela Mei and her moments of emotional depth are fascinating to watch. Her Rider form is a thing of beauty, and its use of literal the Eneiken Noroshi's smokescreens and Yuki Miyazawa's precise and deadly stinging strikes are a joy to watch. And while Ken Shonozaki's not given the best direction as the undercooked plate of 7-Eleven fried fish that is Ryoga/Durendal, he manages to sell him as an experienced and hardened warrior with an awkward side that's especially evident in the Zenkaiger specials. His goddamn RWBY weapon that is the Jikokuken Kaiji is absolutely sick, I'm a sucker for transforming weapons and its combination of time and water powers is really cool, especially with Yasuhiko Amai's deliberate and forceful acting in the suit.

Daichi Kamijo/the Second Calibur, for as brief as his story was, was a pretty cool starter villain. Hiroyuki Hirayama brings this poor bastard to life in a genuinely touching way. I love how as Calibur he goes full force on his creative use of Wonder Ride Books for attacks, and his debut as Jaou Dragon got my blood pumping. His end is also deeply tragic, and I really felt for him when he realized just how badly he fucked up. Hayato Fukamiya also does wonders for the backstory, and while he also doesn't get much to work with, Mitsuru Karahashi makes his regrets and love for Kento feel genuine.

Legeiel and Zooous are both very intimidating and entertaining villains. On top of being just the right balance of goofy and threatening, Kairu Takano and Koji Saikawa's stage presences are both very strong, and their mixture of camaraderie and in-fighting is extremely believable. Zooous's rivalry with Rintaro feels incredible to see through to the end, and although Legeiel doesn't get quite the same treatment, Elemental Dragon had such a cool debut that it more than makes up for it. Their final fights are also absolute spectacles. I don't think their sympathetic angle works even close to as well as it does with MetsubouJinrai or even the Gamma, but I get it, power corrupts, and you probably feel a lot of sadness and regret for things you've done when you die unless you're a right bastard.

Isaac/Master Logos/Solomon is kinda generic. As wonderful as Keisuke Soma is, he doesn't get much dimension to work with. The result of that is while he nails being as smug and punchable as possible, he feels almost... comically generic. Genta Umemori from Shinkenger was full of personality! He was also basically some guy, but he was fun, he felt connected to the rest of the cast! Meanwhile the only real time we get to see Isaac's depth is when we see him crying over his failures. I almost appreciate him being unapologetically evil though, since I've seen way too many shows where redeemed villains get off scot free for way worse things, and some where they outright demand you to sympathize with them despite them doing nothing to warrant it.

Bahato/Falchion surprises me by not just being a movie villain whose actions affect the main plot, but also being a movie villain who actually gets to appear in series as a recurring threat! ...and it's not a particularly great showing on his part, sadly. Masashi Taniguchi does a wonderful job with what he's given, but his character feels like a retread of Eternal without any of what made Katsumi Daido a compelling and frightening villain. I'd like to believe Yuri when he says that he used to be a good person and a hero to the people, but I can only hear so many anime villain monologues about the pointlessness of life and the beauty of destruction before I can never take them seriously again. ...I think that's his biggest problem, actually. I thought he was an overall uninteresting and generic villain in the movie, and the cartoon nihilist he's shown to be in series is only a small step up. He still feels like filler. If only there were a far better written and much cooler villain who takes on the Mumeiken Kyomu after his de--

Desast is probably one of the finest anti-villains I've ever seen in recent years. On top of an absolutely badass character design and the excellent combination of Kazuya Okada/Danki Sakae's suit work and Koki Uchiyama's stellar voice acting, his story being so thoroughly intertwined with Ren's makes their shared journey and bromance a borderline Shakespearean tragedy. His struggle for identity despite Storious treating him as nothing more than a failed experiment and the Sword of Logos treating him as a mere monster really gripped me, and the way he uses what little time he has left to encourage Ren into blossoming on his own is absolutely beautiful. I think his enmity with Ogami is criminally underexplored in series, considering he killed several of the previous Riders and how Ogami's in desperate need of screentime.

Then there's our main villain, Kamen Rider Storious. Robin Furuya brings an incredible amount of charisma to this character, expertly portrayed as both a sinister, manipulative bastard , and as a lonely, tragic figure that arguably makes him feel even more villainous. Speaking as a struggling writer myself, it's easy to feel stuck in the idea of "fuck it, who cares, maybe everything is predestined", but I can't imagine what it's like to know that as the truth and carry it with you for all that time. All of your grand ideas have roots from your experiences, and you're not the only one who even could have those experiences. It's easy to just fall into despair and give up trying, but would that make you happy? Sure, Storious is sadistic, he may be fulfilling his goals, he may be ungodly powerful... but it's not enough for him, is it? All of his friends are gone, one of them even at his own hand, he probably doesn't have any idea what to do after he destroys all the world's stories, Touma even reached his full power before he did, and his downfall is so predictable that even a blind person could see it. He even seems to welcome it, what's up with that? But then I realized... OH MY GOD, HE'S THE MAIN VILLAIN USING TOUMA AS THE HERO IN HIS OWN TWISTED STORY, THE BASTARD. He's so far gone, he's so desperate to stick it to the Almighty Book, he's willing to twist the archetype of the Hero's Journey so hard, it snaps in two. What I think is interesting is that he's ironically trying to chase the trend of "edgy superhero story" that became super popular in the 21st century. The Boys, Brightburn, Kamen Rider Amazons, The Sentry, No More Heroes, Magical Girl Site, even mainstream comics from DC and Marvel... Surely Storious must've seen the cruelty and tragedy these stories are filled with, but he chooses to go through with trying to force the world into this direction anyway. Did they, along with seeing the ever-popular tragedies of legendary playwrights and bleak satire of the twentieth century fuel his despair?

And yet... there's one who stands in determination against his ideals.

Our hero, Touma Kamiyama, the titular Kamen Rider portrayed by Syuichiro Naito and Kousuke Asai, he speaks to me on a personal level. There're plenty of jokes to be made about his procrastination in early chapters, his godless fashion sense, and him doing the funny run up the slope, that's all fine and dandy, but I rarely feel so connected to a character the way I did Touma. The struggle to create, find companionship, live your life, reach out to others... these're things a lot of people struggle with, and of course you see them depicted a lot in media about creators, but Saber gets to the root of what the greatest thing about storytelling really is. Giving people hope, while using the pain of the past as fuel for the future. Sure, Storious may be right about how every story has been done as far back as human civilization gets, he may even be right about how any spin or creativity humanity has is outright predestined. It should be pointless to even try, right? That's where Touma Kamiyama disagrees. He didn't spend all that time fighting and creating just to give up at the idea of predestination. His novel writing-fueled creativity in his early training, his devotion to his friends that let him surpass Kamijo as Dragonic Knight, his compassion for the Primitive Dragon that let him combine their powers to destroy Legeiel as Elemental Dragon, his resolve that let Xross Saber dethrone Solomon, and his passion for the craft of storytelling that let our heroes channel their wishes into Wonder Almighty... all stemming from the belief imparted onto him by his predecessor that "Hope lies beyond your resolution." And that you decide how your story ends. He may not be the greatest Rider to some, he may be as lame as others think he is, he may not even be my favorite, but I have no issue calling Touma Kamiyama... Kamen Rider Saber, one of the all time greatest carriers of the Kamen Rider name.

The final chapter's definitely not as great as some other Rider finales, but goddamn. Primitive Dragon consciously choosing to save Touma is so sweet and such a great emotional payoff, I loved jamming out to the opening theme while our boys lay the smackdown on Storious. Wonder Almighty's a fitting final bit to close the main series out with, if not exactly a great one. I think the cover is great, and the book's body is a lovely shade of candy apple red, but I really don't like how its pages are just the covers of the other books copy-pasted onto onto the pages, that feels lazy. Maybe if it were a panorama of all the books' characters, I'd like it a lot more as a symbol of how unified the Swordsmen are, but eh, what can you do? On a related note, does this mean all the "last episode extra final forms" of the Reiwa Era are gonna be named after their series's opening? That's a neat idea.

I felt a lot of feelings seeing all those video messages of Rider fans all across Japan talking about their favorite stories, and how their passion and fond memories help reshape the world. Mei's monologue at the ceremony about is also really touching and- IS THAT A HUMAGEAR!? :O

Y-yeah dude, it is! Wow, where have you guys been for the past 48 episodes?! Are you guys doing okay? How come you're like... the only one here? Is the technology of Hiden Intelligence only really that prevalent in that very specific metropolitan part of Japan and they're just not coming around much over here? Is it like Dragon Ball where anthropomorphic animals are just vibin' with humans while the heroes are off kicking ass? Apparently he's played by Hasegawa Keiichi, who wrote this episode and had the award ceremony named after him. ...is Hasegawa Keiichi a HumaGear in this universe then? Did he set up this award ceremony in Touma's honor? If so, why is it named after him? Did reading one of Touma's books lead to his Singularity? I know this is just a cameo, but... god, I have so many questions that probably will never be satisfactorily answered.

Overall, if I had to compare Saber to anything, it'd probably be Sam Reimi's Spider-Man trilogy. It's awkward, stupid, overwrought, undercooked, illogically written, scattershot, cheesy as fuck, and has a tendency to squander its otherwise fine execution; but the sheer passion for storytelling, sense of spectacle, deeply fascinating characters, and belief in the ideals set forth by the cast, crew, and fans are absolutely admirable. Improvements would certainly make it an overall better experience, to be sure, but there's something deeply captivating about how wonky this series is. Seeing everybody get their happy ending after all they've been through felt extremely gratifying though, and I may have to wait another for the epilogue to and then wait for Revice, but... man. I'm hella proud of our awkwardly-emoting, fashion disaster novelist and all of his heavily flawed friends for carrying the Kamen Rider name on to the future. Here's hoping Revice will keep it going.

Alright, that's everything I wanted to talk about. Sorry this was so long and ramble-y, I had a lot to say. I'll probably be liveblogging Revice as episodes of that come out, so... look forward to that, I guess. See ya.

#kamen rider saber #long post #tsuki talks #personal #kamen rider #whew #ok bye have a nice day

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ladyloveandjustice · 4 years

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Winter 2020 Anime Overview: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun

Ok, so let’s get this out of the way first, 1. I adore this story so much and 2. Toilet Bound Hanako-kun has a horrible, horrible English title that is not actually at all representative of the story’s content and I have no idea what happened when it came to the team choosing that name. To the average English-speaking viewer/reader, this name 100% implies gross stuff and bathroom humor, and there is none in this show.

A Japanese reader on the other hand, would be more likely to recognize the name Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun as a spin on the classic ghost story “Hanako-san of the Toilet” only A BOY THIS TIME WHHHHA?” Basically, the story goes that a girl named Hanako in a red skirt haunts girls’ bathrooms in Japanese schools and if you knock on the third stall and call “Hanako-san” three times, she’ll appear. She might grant you a wish or pull you into Hell or something else, it varies.

(Her Wikipedia image, aww.)

Anyway, I dunno why the English title didn’t at least go with “Toilet Ghost Hanako-kun” or something that would have gotten the premise across even a little better (HE NOT TECHNICALLY BOUND BY THE TOILET EVEN, HE CAN GO ANYWHERE IN THE SCHOOL GROUNDS THE BATHROOM IS JUST HIS HOME BASE), but our boy Hanako haunting the girl’s bathroom only leads to broad jokes about our heroine being tasked with cleaning the bathroom and “dude you really shouldn’t be in here” comments, it’s pretty incidental.

Now that THAT’S out of the way, let’s talk about my LOVE FOR THIS STORY

Hanako-kun tells the story of a “regular” high school girl named Nene Yashiro, the mischievous and mysterious school ghost she befriends, and all the other weird monsters, exorcists, spirits and curses they encounter. It’s got a gorgeous, colorful bold aesthetic and art style that combines gothic and cute! It has a great mix of humor, intrigue, angst and fantasy action. basically if you love ghosts, monsters, Japanese mythology and legends, supernatural-human relationships, supernaturally fueled angst and drama, stories about trying to fix an unfair system the world has set up, wistful romance, a good shoujo manga with a Lot of Feelings (yes this is a shonen technically I’ll explain that later), weirdo dorks becoming friends AND MUCH MORE...this story will have something that will resonate with you. It’s got a lot going on, and it’s a ton of fun.

Hanako-kun is really one of those surprising stories that fits right into a hole in my story-loving heart I didn’t realize was still there, or that I’d actually been carrying since childhood. I love ghosts, see, and have since I was a kid!!! I knew this, but I kinda forgot how intensely I love them until this show reminded me again??? That’s because regular ghost stories/mysteries/whatever- I like them, but they don’t quite do it for me in the way more character-driven ones exploring the nature of being a ghost and humans and ghosts trying understand each other etc do. Stuff that really gets into the tragedy AND the fun fantasy aspect of ghosts, and plays the long game with it- and Hanako-kun scratches that itch perfectly.

Getting a little bit deeper into the premise of Hanako-kun, Nene is a very brave and sweet but not-all-that-bright girl (or, to put it more bluntly, she’s an idiot in the best way) who has a lot of romantic fantasies and insecurities and is VERY focused on them. After hearing a rumor at school that “Hanako-san of the bathroom” will grant wishes, she wishes to be able to confess to her crush and finds out its actually a weird ghost boy her age named Hanako haunting the bathroom! A lot of things happen, and she ends up cursed and bound to Hanako-kun, but also ends up slowly forming a friendship.

Turns out Hanako is the ghost in charge of the “seven mysteries/wonders” aka seven powerful supernatural entities that haunt this school (he’s number seven). These apparitions only supposed to terrorize students a LITTLE, because apparitions need to have rumors spread about them to remain in the human world.

(‘HAVE YOU HEARD?’ Oh hey shadow girls from Utena see you’ve moved to a new school.)

The rumors also generally dictate how powerful and dangerous the apparitions actually are- but SOMETHING MYSTERIOUS is changing the rumors around the school and making the apparitions go berserk and actually harm humans. So Hanako needs a human assistant to change the rumors and help him calm and seal the apparitions! That’s where Nene comes in.

Hanako himself is a very fun character- he’s very chaotic and revels in his whole “ gremlin ghost” persona, and is upfront about being a bit of an asshole. BUT he also makes his kindness, often good intentions and the fact he’ll have his friends back when it counts obvious from the beginning. B U T! He’s also got darkness and hidden depths to explore, and a lot of his persona is affected and masks deeper issues!

Our ghost boy is genuinely A TAD unstable deep down (as in he straight up has several untreated PTSD symptoms and that’s as disastrous as you’d expect) and packing some serious tragic backstory, as you might expect from a kid who died young and carries around a butcher’s knife, and it’s gonna come back to bite him and and all who care about him hard.

Especially when an overly enthusiastic exorcist named Kou Minamoto shows up! Kou is another one who’s very dumb and very good, a wannabe-shonen-protag with a heart of gold and strong sensitive, domestic side. He rounds out our main trio. Also he gets a tragic, emotionally intense relationship with yet another ghost boy that sings to my heart.

(Yes Hanako’s helping Nene to do the thing)

You may be able to tell, this story has INTENSE good-shoujo vibes despite technically being a shonen in a way that I love- it’s story very driven by big emotions, a variety of fucked up and tragically complex relationships, teen hormones running wild, etc, and it’s just delicious.

Nene is the normal-person-audience-surrogate-girl in a way that is more common for a shoujo protag, and the way her emotional connections to everyone, her sweeping romantic fantasies and her interiority are consistently in focus when she’s there- yeah, she’s definitely a plucky shoujo protag, 100%. And I’m all about that!!!

One thing I especially appreciate (though this comes across more strongly in the manga than the anime thanks to the anime rearranging things) is when Nene finds out about Hanako’s Heavy Baggage, she actually takes some time to herself to consider whether she can handle dealing with someone with these intense issues as a kid who’s never encountered stuff like this before- it’s not assumed by the story that the Sweet Girl is Obligated to help the Tragic Boy. I go into more detail about this part in this part here, but it’s that kind of attention to Nene’s needs that makes her role in the story work. Hanako and Nene and everyone’s struggles to get the hang of and properly navigate honest communication and mutual support in relationships are often really great and real-feeling

The story has a lot more things I love packed in to it- a dorky-but-still-deeply-unsettling villain gang who’s screwed up interactions are just as fun as our protagonists, yokai, A CURSED LIBRARY, some great ladies in addition to Nene, meditations on the nature of life, death, themes about fighting nihilism, and so on...I could seriously go on forever. It’s good stuff, and there’s lots of good weird supernaturals to meet.

The story’s also got tons of intrigue! The overarching plot and Hanako’s Mysterious Past is still in the process of unfolding, but it’s been great drama every step of the way! As mentioned before, the story also really relies on funny character dynamics, interaction and development to carry the whole thing and balance the drama.

The anime itself does have some pacing issues bc they crammed a lot into the first season and rearranged some stuff- an entire two chapter arc was skipped and was unlikely to be covered in the anime and some parts are noticeably rushed. I still really like the anime and it’s a solid adaptation. I love how much of the manga’s detailed aesthetic it managed to keep as well as the amazing voice acting and it made a few small but important additions. But there are some notable bumps- of course this just led me to go binge the manga (up to volume 12 is legally available digitally) and BOY DO I NOW LOVE THIS STORY EVEN MORE.

Now obviously, just because it is Exactly My Shit in a lot of ways doesn’t mean Hanako-kun is the much quested for “unproblematic fave”, there’s several caveats you should probs be aware of- its shoujo vibes also mean some classic shoujo ~Problematic tropes~ and a couple shounen ones.

THE LIST:

-Just as a general content overview thing: if this wasn’t clear the show deals heavily with death, body horror and other horror aspects. There’s heavily implied suicide and abuse and so on- as mentioned, the main character is traumatized and shows a lot of symptoms of PTSD, and Nene has to struggle to navigate her relationship with him because of this, as does Kou.

-Hanako himself has the whole ~loveable pervert~ and ~slightly possessive shoujo bad boy~ schtick going as part of his mischevious persona. In the anime so far, he never actually gropes or comments on not-in-his-naughty-mags-people’s breasts or anything of that level thankfully, but he’s very flirty, clingy, will loudly bring up porn, fond of the ol’ *says something that purposefully sounds sexually possessive* HAHAHA U THOUGHT I MEANT SOMETHING DIRTY RIGHT LOL ACTUALLY I DIDN’T.”

(My unnecessary ‘this part is kinda interesting!’ ramble: Nene always lists “sexual harassment” among Hanako’s flaws (she loves listing them), but doesn’t get visibly uncomfortable with his flirtiness or seem to mind it most times, which at least makes the whole thing more tolerable for me.

(since she doesn’t seem to mind that part and its clear he does it bc of actual affection for her, it’s actually p. cute how huggy he is.)

The one time it does cross the line and genuinely upset her, it’s treated seriously, Hanako is genuinely regretful and apologizes. That’s one of my fave moments in the story and the way it’s handled is well done.

This incident that he’s honestly pretty socially clueless as kid who died young and a lot of his bravado is to cover that up and keep people at a distance- this is a trope into itself that can use unpacking but I do at least appreciate that this is a considered character trait that’s part of his whole messed up package rather than something that thrown in there Just to Be a Fanservice Trope. (Especially since the manga confirms he never acted particularly pervy while alive, further cementing this is an affected persona).

-There’s a running gag around Nene’s insecurity over her thick ‘daikon shaped’ ankles and boys treating her badly for it.

One one hand, her body image issues are relatable, on the other, it feels cruel and annoying just how much the show finds ways to bring it up and humiliate her over and over again.

(My unnecessary “this is part is kinda interesting” ramble:The one thing i did realize that despite bringing it up constantly, we at least have no “i’m going to do this to lose weight” or “go on a diet” rhetoric,like this is just part of Nene’s body type and she knows she can’t change it? Which is kinda interesting. And I’ve spotted what might be foreshadowing something plot relevant’s going to happen with her ankles (I DON’T KNOW HOW, BUT GOD I PUT NOTHING PAST THIS STORY) so uh yeah??? either way it’s not good tho)

-”Obsessive and twisted love” is a running theme in this story, and while it’s generally acknowledged as unhealthy, it can be played for comedy in a way that could make viewers/readers uncomfortable. There’s a couple characters who’s entire thing so far is “obsessively in love with this one person” (and the one only focused on in the manga so far is one of the least interesting characters tbh ugh)

-The antagonist of the show is a member of a main character’s family, and the manner he acts towards pretty much everyone, including (and really especially) his family member, verges on seductive. This is presented as deliberately unsettling and treated as a marker of how unstable and scary he is- and though the backstory between them hasn’t been fully delved into, it’s pretty much all but confirmed he abused this family member physically and emotionally.

-The story has like, A LOT of queer subtext and pretty-heavy queer coding for one character especially, but the few times queerness blatantly comes up in the story, it’s played as a joke in the “haha that’d be kinda weird” way (aside from the rando boys who have a crush on Teru, handled pretty neutrally). It’s not as malicious as a lot of animanga can get (ONE MANGA INCIDENT ASIDE), but it’s something to Be Aware Of, and it makes it clear we’re unlikely to see subtext rise to text and makes some moments feel baity.

-And probably more I might have missed! The manga also has Some Shit in addition all the Good Shit that hasn’t been adapted yet, an early arc has Hanako crossing a serious line etc.

BUT despite how messy it is, I think it’s clear I have a lot of love for this story. In fact, I wouldn’t trade away a good chunk of its messiness (DEFINITELY SOME JUST NOT ALL), it kinda works for the characters and works in the “this story really feed my inner teen” way. Some of the trashy parts are exactly My Trash, basically.

So, I knew I’d ramble on for a while when I talked about his show, but if you’ve read this far, thanks, and I hope that means you’re gonna check out and maybe enjoy this story, bc i need more people to join me in Hanako Hell.

#toilet bound hanako kun #jibaku shounen hanako kun #jibaku shonen hanako kun #winter 2020 anime #anime overview #hanako kun #nene yashiro #yashiro nene #kou minamoto #minamoto kou #yugi amane #amane yugi #my reviews

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mochuelovelli · 3 years

Note

Lilith for the character ask?

Oh boy, a controversial character! Gotta say, I stan James Charles /J

How do I feel about this character?:

On a real note, I do like Lilith as a character. When we first meet her, she's pompous and proud. Oozing with entitlement, she's easy to route against and you like to see her get worked up and "brought down" to Eda's level as the wild which so eloquently put it. Later on, but not too much later that it feels disingenuous, we really get to see her show that she cares for her sister. One might believe it is *Eda* being ridiculous, as far as the audience is aware, Lilith's offer holds little downsides. Eda would be cured and be afforded the luxuries of the upper class AND keep her magic. All she had to do was be the Emperor's soldier.

As to not get off track by talking about Eda, (im sure Lilith herself would loathe that lol) Lilith's reveal to have cursed her sister over a spot in the emperor's coven was...controversial to say the least. I don't think it's unpopular to voice that, yeah. It could've been communicated better to the audience since I saw plenty of commentators and regular fans themselves either thought Lilith cursing her sister was *needlessly* petty and not at all thought out (which yeah it kinda was).

From where I stand on that issue is, yeah, Lilith's whole reason to curse her sister could've been avoided by just talking to her sister and asking her to let her have this. BUT, I think a lot of people forget that the Emperor's coven would want to limit the number of powerful witches in their coven. Sure, Belos would want to be protected by a bunch of loyal soldiers, but he wouldn't want too much of the population to ever have a much power as him. So limiting the number of members in not just his coven but possible in the other major covens, would aid in controlling that population.

This might be pure hogwash but like, there are a ton of other "lesser" covens. So in my mind, it's more likely that the general population of witches gets sorted into one of the various miscellaneous. If you think limiting yourself to only practicing Illusion magic sucks, imagine only practicing whatever the fuck the "swag coven" does.

Lol gonna add a page break this shit is getting too long

Romantic Ships for this character?:

Hm, it's only s1 and we haven't seen her interact w/ many characters outside of her fam/Belos/actual children. I kinda jokingly ship here with Steve lol. Kikimora and her also have a funny dynamic but in all actuality, I don't ship her w/ anyone rn.

Non-Romantic Ships for this character?:

Her and Hooty lol. I mean Eda is an obvious answer but like, Hooty fucking with Lilith is too funny to not want to see. Her and King would be great too, probably get some good B plots out of it. It would be a good contrast since they both can be petty but in different ways and I think that would help flesh out their characters a bit more and maybe cause some introspection (at least on Lilith’s end lol)

Unpopular opinion about this character?:

Lol. I feel like she is such a divisive character in general that most opinions about her aren’t too out of the main stream. I guess a more meta take is that when she’s portrayed in fanworks, usually fanfic but not exclusively, very...one note lol. She’s usually a pretty flat, boring character in an attempt to highlight the contrast between her and Eda. She’s the straight-laced, “responsible” sibling who has a chip on her shoulder. In fanon, that equates to her characterization to either be like, completely and utterly apologetic to the point where it becomes unbelievable for any person to do. Her apologizing or making amends is usually quickly forgiven by Luz/and or Eda. Sure, Luz is very forgiving person naturally but like?? She’s wasn’t mad in canon too much about THEIR well being (almost getting impaled), she was specifically pissed about Lilith betraying Eda.

So, if Lilith is a big part of your story (and it’s working in the realm of canon), then this should be a problem which doesn’t get resolved by just ONE big action. I also feel like her being on better terms with Eda would come BEFORE Luz since Eda’s main gripe with her would be about her being annoyed by Lilith’s controlling nature and the fact that she didn’t trust her enough to talk about her feelings back when she was first cursed (also her using Luz against her but I feel like that would probably be a hurdle that wouldn’t really be over come until Lilith in turn would be willing to sacrifice herself for Luz while also making an effort to care for Luz as a person not just see her as a “pet”). Hhhh this section is so long and its kinda bleeding over in the next question so-

Something I wish will happen or would have wanted to happen in canon?:

yall if you are still reading I am so sorry sksk

I want Lilith in general, not to be forgiven by either Luz or Eda. Eda probably early on stating about how she is unsure if she could EVER forgive her sister for what she has done. BUT, critically, Eda would see that Lilith is trying and she is willing to work with her (with a unhelpful dose of teasing) because at the end of the day she still loves her sister. For the relationship they had before everything with south, for knowing her side of the story even though she believes it doesn’t justify her actions. She understands and sympathizes, she’s grown a bit softer thanks to Luz, which is very funny since I want Luz to be the one who is the hardest to convince Lilith actually had a change of heart but more on that later.

Before I move on to what I want her path towards forgiveness with Luz looks like, I want to bring up a parallel that I haven’t seen many people make. Fans always talk about the parallel between the Clawthornes and Luz/Amity, and rightly so because there is a lot to extrapolate there, but I think another interesting dynamic that might be interesting to see in s2 would be an episode that focuses on lost friendship/sisterhood with the Clawthornes and Amity and Willow. It’s kinda funny that Amity and Willow’s friendship was ruined because Willow was too “weak” while Eda was too “powerful”. In a potential episode, it can show the progression both Eda/Lilith and Willow/Amity are making in rekindling their relationship with each other. For Eda and Lilith this would be a lot more rough around the edges since it both be either the first or one of the first attempts at doing so while Willow/Amity would maybe be further along yet still have some major/minor hang ups with one another. With Willow/Amity, their relationship would either be rounding the bend of fully moving past the “idk how to feel about you stage” or it is stated outright that Willow forgives Amity, (and by forgive, I mean in the “we both know what you did, you’ve actually changed. we won’t have the same relationship that we once had but I’m okay with trying again”). In contrast, Lilith and Eda would reach a understanding and come up with some ground rules on how to handle each other (Eda’s main take away from this “episode” would be what I previously stated in the last question), ones that will be more like guidelines cuz its Eda lol. Also what separates the Clawthornes conflict from the Willow/Amity one (besides the obvious) is that the Clawthornes both know how the other works. Which buttons to push and all that so both of them are going to have to learn to resist doing that, at least a bit, in order to actually progress.

ANYWAYS, I also want Luz to be the one to regard Lilith the coldest. Luz refusing to let Lilith teach her anything despite probably having more practical/book smarts knowledge on magic theory than Eda because she doesn’t trust her. If they are gonna use that masked dude as a spy, I want Luz to assume Lilith is somehow a coconspirator. This plot thread doesn’t have to be going at 100% the whole time, (in fact I would want it to be a temp thing maybe lasting a couple eps at most or like, just something that is hinted at but not dived deeply until the second half of the season). Really, Lilith has a hard time because Luz straight up doesn’t give her the opportunity to really express her regret/remorse. Lilith probably won’t at first give her a ton of reasons to forgive her as she usually attempts at coming back at Luz’s snide remarks with her own quippy comebacks. Sksk a really angsty end to an attempt could include Lilith saying something to Luz after going on a small talk with her (where yeah Lilith has improved but still needs noticeable work) that she “reminds her a lot of Eda” and Luz bites back with something like “Oh yeah? You going to curse me too? You want another person you can force to do what YOU want?”.

Hell maybe “parental problems” could have Lilith poke at, either on purpose or accidentally, Luz’s feelings about going back to the human world and Camila. Lilith reminding her, maybe unknowingly, reminds her a lot of her mom and that causes her to blow up on her. Luz would hate that comparison, thinking about how similar her mom and Lilith are to one another. That because she still has such a strong dislike of Lilith, it bleeds over into how Luz views Camila and vice versa. In that, both Camila and Lilith value respect, an adherence to the rules, have a great sense of wisdom (arguably for Lilith lol /hj), and (eventually for Lilith once she gets to know Luz better) a genuine want for Luz to succeed and belief in her even though they are critical of her actions at times. Sure Eda reminds her of that more, motherly protective kind of love, in which she would do anything for her to be happy and healthy. Lilith can be the other side of that, the worry and slight doubt. That familiar way they each go about trying to understand and get close to Luz yet not quite getting it yet would still do whatever she’d ask for her sake. Luz at first would take Lilith being disappointed in her actions as an accomplishment. As they grow closer and the more Lilith reminds her of her mom, it becomes scary. The disappointment hurts and in an effort not to feel like that again and to not want to think about the comparison between Lilith and her mother she will snap back at her. Eventually Lilith would then have to change again and reassure her that she cares and by extent, her mother cares to. It is here Lilith is willing to let go of being so constantly controlling and learns to encourage first (or do some form of the compliment sandwich) and Luz comes to peace with her feelings about her mother and understands her position better. To be able to love herself even if she knows that she will always try to do her best.

oh my fucking god you made it im so sorry i guess i had a lot of thoughts. fffffff

#TOH #lilith clawthorne #the owl house #character ask meme #luz noceda #edalyn clawthorne #yall im so sorry #this is very fanficy an long rip #if you read all this you are a champ but also no i cant cover your insurance lol

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patrocles · 4 years

Photo

HISTORY CHANNEL’S VIKINGS AND MICHAEL HIRST HAVE A WOMEN PROBLEM. A RUSHED HEAT-OF-THE-MOMENT-THREAD. (x)

Additional Thoughts:

(further TW for rape and assault mentions)

I don’t ever post my twitter rants on tumblr but I thought this warranted an exception. This thread is super messy, but I think it kinda illustrates my point on what a goddamn misogynistic mess this show is, and has been. Even though I’m not ~really watching this last season, I know for a fact that none of the standards that Hirst has established has changed.

Repeatedly this show tells its viewers what it thinks of women, of disabilities, of the small amount of LGBT that’s been allowed to exist.

The formula is really simple. Women in Vikings exist to be love interests or otherwise have their arcs revolve around their relationships with men -- and even if they don’t for a minute, they soon will. This show pits its female characters against one another in petty made-up feuds that exist only for ~Conflict and Drama~ but don’t actively further anyone’s character development and usually makes everyone involved incredibly one-note and tiring.

Women in Vikings are often reduced to an eventual Dead Daughter or Love Interest that will eventually either be Murdered or will go CRAAAAAAAAAAAZY and will be killed off anyways. (And completely and entirely forgotten in about 2 episodes) The only way a woman can get any sort of advancement in the storyline is through marrying a Main Male Character until he decides he’s bored of her and will move onto the next female character. OR if she’s Lagertha (But don’t worry, Hirst managed to make her all about the Rags again)

This show treats CrazyTM as a woman’s default setting, as if at a certain point, all of them are secretly unhinged and are on the cusp of ruining a man’s life. Which is…… a fucking take. Very…… Lars von Trier, if I dare to make that jump.

They are depicted as master manipulators manipulators, using their Feminine Wiles to weaken the men for their own gains and must eventually be punished for their ambition (Freydis, Margrethe, Judith). They are deeply unhinged, delusional, and in Margrethe’s case, are eventually reduced to a wild dog. They are the root of men’s undoing, which is a trope that dates back to Samson and Delilah

The men are always seen as just and right in their actions, even if they “lose” kinda, they never suffer similar indignity, they never suffer social power and recover quite quickly. VIkings shows us that womenfolk just cant handle being in a man’s world. Like, unless you’re Lagertha who’s just the Most Specialist Bad AssTM Woman Because She Fights With Big Sword or whatever

It employs gratuitous depictions of rape and assault for no other reason than to knock a her down a peg or two and to show how No One Is Ever Actually Really Safe No Matter How Much Power She Thinks She has. It’s not even about preserving “historical accuracy”, but just to fill air-time. Because what ELSE could one possibly do to further her storyline before she’s killed anyways? Or, in Lagertha’s case, it’s used to show how its the only way for a woman to become “Stronger”. Sure she may get hers in the end, but first she must suffer the Tragedy Porn to become worthy of succeeding in a man’s world. Which, again, is a HOT fucking take.

It’s worth noting that at the time of the posting my original thread and writing this, I hadn’t seen the S6 mid-season finale, and in 1 episode we see Gunnhild miscarry and Ingrid is raped by Harald. It’s almost like a right of passage for female characters to suffer gender-specific sexual or physical trauma.

It doesn’t matter how many female characters you cram into a season, it’s been proven that she won’t matter past the end of the season, and if she does, she’ll probably be married to a son of Ragnar. And then die the next season. Or move onto the next Son.

The fact is, Hirst isn’t unique in this style of Male Generated FeminismTM. He is, of course, a product of the industry that allows him to keep this up. It’s like male writers have a pool of Woman Tropes to choose from and just recycle the same ones over and over. Anything that could be unique and dynamic QUICKLY slides into the absolute bullshit of cringe and misogyny to the point where it becomes incredibly predictable.

This has nothing to do with the actual “history” of the show, but rather that Hirst just doesn’t CARE about doing the work, and this goes for a LOT of things. It’s too much work to write women as whole and complete people and critically examining their social stations of Viking society outside of their relation to a male character and without killing them or making them chug the crazy juice, it’s too much to write Ivar as a disabled character and just magically fixes that little hiccup with leg braces, it’s WAY too much work to established BASIC character-continuity between seasons. Are you an established gay character or heavily queer-coded largely on the part of the actors? L-oh-fucking-L

And it’s a real shame because with all the money and resources History Channel has consistently poured into the show, and with how the show constantly looks amazing (between production design and cinematography) and fantastic actors that try their goddamn hardest to breathe SOME sort of life into these lifeless blobs, it could have been so much better. But THIS shit show is what happens when you let 1 man run the whole fucking operation without other female directors and writers. Just look at sons of anarchy, same trends of misogynist bullshit.

#Vikings #history vikings #tw rape mention #long post i'm SORRY #i really debated on whether or not i wanted to post this but i figured someone would find it interesting

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inspector-montoya-fox · 4 years

Text

#9 - The Predator Awakes

Setting: green! like, dark, sappy, jungle green. it’s been a while since i posted my take on A Starry Eyed Encounter but, basically i theorized how that episode reflected Rajan’s low temper and his grand facade whereas The Predator Awakes shows the beast within - and boy, what a beast it is. the vines, the towering trees, the decrepit ruins: they all show how Rajan isn’t holding back anymore. after completely and utterly humiliating him at his own party, he’s ready to destroy anyone who comes in his way. the episode’s nature presents that. supporting this theory is the fact that any signs of grandeur are rotted down remnants of a forgotten time. Rajan has shed his faux majesty and thick vines have grown all over his once stable foundation. like his ancestral temple, he’s a fucking wreck. the jungle is an intricate mess. i’ve played the game i don’t even know how many times and i still don’t know my way around this level. but it’s beautiful. she’s serving some Cambodian palace, some long lost ruins of time - she’s really killing it on the runway! especially with the contrast between the stubborn lifelessness of the jungle, its aged disorganization and the motion of the rocking temple parts (that higher floor where you start Water Bug Run or the tower where Bentley hides out the operation). i would honestly go on a vacation to a place like this. the missions further establish the temple’s mysterious nature by having us explore its rooms in detail (all hidden behind trap doors, no less). Rajan’s office, that huge water room where half of the heart is being kept, and the spice grinding facility are all great examples. also, the way in which the main temple building is supposed to represent an elephant by having those huge tusks come out is genius. it’s the only structure that grabs the player’s attention because the rest blend in with the nature beautifully. even the safehouse (one of my favs) looks like a freakin’ tiger.

Characters: well, cordial Rajan’s gone. he’s in full-on beast mode now, kinda like the rabid animals in Zootopia. even so, the gang manages to spook him out and he spends most of the level MIA. it’s mainly because of Bentley, who invades the tiger’s private space by drugging him and stealing his blueprints. that mission still creeps me out like hell, i can’t imagine how Bentley felt approaching someone who could carve his little heart out in a second... yikes. but even though he spends most of the level in hiding, we get some really good lines out of Rajan towards the end of the episode when he goes all thunder god. he really showed us how he’s both brain and brawn by using half the Clockwerk heart to summon lightning. his plead for higher power on the other hand, shows how he’s either deeply religious or a complete lunatic. either way, Murray takes him down and proves Rajan wrong once and for all. The Predator Awakes also sees Neyla pulling off her second backstab (her first being going behind Carmelita’s back to help Sly and the gang). ooh, that must’ve really burned. i really wanted to see the good sis go on a date with Sly in Bombay but i guess the Clockwerk parts are far more important. talk about a memorable twist - her saying ‘Happy day’ will forever be engraved on my brain. although it comes right at the end, she pulls a 180 and double-crosses both the gang and Carmelita. it’s enough to make this episode amazing. the story really takes a huge turn from this point on, as the characters we thought we knew turn out to be faux. Rajan did show his might but got bested by Murray and spent most of the level cowering inside, and Neyla showed her true colours as a true villain. also, this is the first and only appearance of those hooded treasure dealers with the raspy voices. love them!

Themes: hmmm......... maybe like revelations? how A Starry Eyed Encounter had the masks theme, but now everything’s supposedly revealed, or at least starting to make sense. there’s a sense of a greater plot at play and we’re caught right in the middle of it. Neyla backstabs the gang and shit hits the fan after that. revelations could also refer to Rajan’s “spiritual” awakening. like i said, he’s shed his faux persona and is now true, as ugly and non-regal as that is. that’s how he manages to control thunder - he ain’t holding back. this episode is so setting and character-oriented so i’m scrambling to think about the themes. there’s definitely something to be said about the Clockwerk heart and how it helped ramp up spice production. a nature theme. of course, the episode’s nature is predominant as discussed in the Setting section. but i’m also thinking about how Clockwerk’s heart gave life to the dead temple. it gave it a heart (literally) and turned it from a “corpse”, a set of delapitated ruins into a living work environment for the spice production (it’s quite interesting how Rajan got the best parts btw, like maybe he was the leader of the Klaww Gang even though Arpeggio was the criminal genius. without a heart and wings, Clockwerk would be nothing. like who wanted the talons and the fucking tail feathers? lol). the nature theme also refers to Rajan’s primal state. he’s a wild animal, a vicious feline. it’s better represented by the setting, but it supports the theme nonetheless. also, a fear theme. there’s other episodes where the gang’s confrontation of its fears is better explained and shown (mainly, the next one) but that doesn’t invalidate it here. Bentley goes from a trembling coward at the disco to pickpocketting the main baddie, Rajan is lowkey a scaredy-cat, and Sly’s biggest fear comes true - getting caught and arrested. hell, most of the missions and especially the boss fight scarred me as a kid. this is definitely a new low for the gang. lastly, a water motif and how it’s connected to the revelations theme. how water showed the truth. the temple’s first secret entrance is hiding behind the waterfall, and then water is used to flood the area and show Neyla’s true self. water also forces Rajan to end his hiding and come out, so there you have it.

What I Like: this episode is great. i’m overall happy so let’s focus on the details i like the most. Rajan’s office is amazing. something straight out of an interior design magazine. and that view, big ooff. i also particularly like the Contessa showing up at the end. like, when does that usually happen? a future villain showing up somewhere apart from their own episode(s)? lastly, having the whole hub flood is so satisfying.

What I Don’t Like: maybe how we can’t enter the main temple building. i always wanted to enter that door under that red ruby. oh and getting all the clue bottles in this level was a bitch. climbing those vines for like the 100th time is infuriating.

Quote: when Rajan says Who's "The Murray"? All I see is a fat, pathetic weakling. and Murray replies I might be big and not as smart as the other guys... but one thing I'm not... is weak!

#she's baaaaaaackkkkk #guess who's back - back again - episode project's back - tell a friend #TWO ESSAYS IN ONE NIGHT #i'm spoilin' y'all #even though the apollo justice essay got like 0 love #:)#sly cooper #episode project

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atlas-of-a-human-soul · 5 years

Text

Girl you need (G.D.)

Summary: Best friends to lovers don’t always work out in your favor.

Warnings: angst, swearing, implied smut

Word count: 3200

Part 2

What’s that saying? Friends to lovers is the best way to build a lasting relationship? Maybe it’s just what I’ve been saying my whole life in an effort to convince myself the feelings I’ve developed were a start of a fairy tale and not a tragedy.

It seems as if every time I had feelings for a guy, they remained unreciprocated. I’d get the textbook line: you’re too perfect to end up with a guy like me, or the occasional: you deserve the world, but I can’t give it to you. Whichever excuse they used, the end result never changed: I wasn’t good enough.

I was never the girl the guys choose and whether I liked it or not, it started to truly affect me.

Confidence slowly dwindled, my beliefs about love faded and worst of all...I stopped letting people in. I’ve shut my heart inside a treasure chest like a precious gem, locking it and forgetting where the key is. A small part of me knowingly lost the key, because if you don’t let people in you won’t get hurt. And I was tired of the hurt.

But then he came into my life.

I found that every question I had, he became the answer to it. The key to my treasure slowly came out of hiding and he personally dusted it off. Now he holds it in the palm of his hand and I am terrified just as I am excited about the prospect of finally being the one.

Grayson...

He is an ambivert, a social butterfly unlike me. He commands every room he enters, while I’m usually hiding in the corner. His aura attracts people by nature and I’m not even sure he understands how powerful his charisma is.

He is intuitive, but he doesn’t let his mind rule, rather his heart. He likes to listen to his heart instead of logic, which is why he gets hurt more often than he’d like to admit. Wearing his heart on his sleeve has marked him a target for those who have anything but good intentions in mind. I know he suffers for it, but I’m always there to make him laugh. Regardless of what I’m doing, I drop everything and help him nurse his wounds. I’ve always been the type that followed my heart, until I forced my brain to step up to protect the weak muscle inside me. He taught me to listen to my heart again, but to bring my brain along for the ride as well.

Grayson is an open book, pages filled with stories I ache to read and a main character I could never get enough of. He’s the type that inspires, bringing out the best in people. Instead of overthinking he overfeels, he’s determined and passionate, altruistic, but he burns out easily. I’m there to help him heal when that happens, whether it be a movie weekend in or a wild adventure where I’m a 100% sure I’m going to die most of the time.

He’s very determined and passionate about things and people he loves. I’ve felt it first hand. He’s got so much love inside him that it’s bursting out the seams, but most of it goes in vain. I tend to be the one to grab any leftovers and bask in his caring nature.

Grayson and I have a connection that surpasses the physical, a deep emotional tether that I’ve been relying on heavily. While we’ve never been more than good friends, the lines between friendship and love have been blurred for the longest time now and I no longer knew where the scale will end up once its tips over.

Sometimes it’s his arm around me, resting on my shoulders casually or his hand on the small of my back that remains in its spot for so long I feel his touch turn to fire. Other times it’s his fingers trailing up and down my spine as I nestle in his side, my head on his chest and his lips ghosting my forehead as his breath moves a few stray hairs out the way. Maybe it’s about the look in his steadfast brown eyes that seem to soften whenever they rest upon me, or the striking smile his lips spread into whenever I walk into the room. Perhaps it’s the warmth of his touch and how I’ve never felt safer than in his embrace, but most of all, it’s about the way he didn’t pull away when we accidentally kissed.

Both going for a cheek, Grayson and my lips connected and although I felt my brain falter and my heart jump, I was sure he’d step back and rub the back of his neck nervously as an awkward chuckle graced my ears. But he didn’t. He barely even flinched before his lips lustfully captured mine for a deeper kiss and his eyes closed as we got lost in each other. I nibbled on his bottom lip tenderly, dragging it between my teeth to assert dominance and the moment his soft flesh escaped my hold, Grayson made sure I knew he was the dominant one. He gripped my thigh tightly, turning needy and every move I made that resulted in our lips parting was a new groan rolling off his lips. We became a mess of tangled limbs, sweat and heavy breathing, moans I’ve stifled by biting into his shoulder as each of his thrusts made me feel like I’ll unravel. It was perfect.

If I knew what I know now, I’d never let it go down.

“I’m just so tired.” I mumble into the phone, making up an excuse to ditch my nightly outing so I could spend the night with the guys, hoping Grayson and I can talk about what happened that night.

When I woke up the next morning, all I found of him was a note on the pillow where his head used to be, the sheets on his side of the bed cold and empty without him.

Last night was just what I needed. It was perfect.

Not exactly the most romantic thing he’d ever said as I’ve seen and heard him flirt with girls. The note just didn’t sit well with me. Knowing him, I half expected to wake up to banana pancakes and a big cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. A part of me truly believed this night would make him want to bridge the blurred lines between us and finally try and see if there was something to explore at all.

Before last night, I had never let myself feel anything for him no matter how hard my very soul wanted to give in and love him with every fiber of my being. Last night all my doubts have gone, all contingency plans ruined and my damn key was no longer mine.

But Grayson always says he’s not looking for something serious right now. He keeps saying he’s had too many relationships that poisoned him from start to finish and he needed some fresh air and fun.

Was I that fun? Would he do that to his best friend?

After not hearing from him at all, I decided to drop by and initiate the talk myself. I need to know where we stand.

“He’s not home.” Ethan shrugs, letting me inside and I bite my lower lip.

“Thought he’d be here.” I mumble to myself, wondering where he went. I didn’t have to wonder for long as Ethan had the answer prepared for me.

“He’s out with his girlfriend. Tessa, remember?” Ethan raises a brow in question, looking at me a little more intently than usually. His brown eyes scan what’s most likely a shocked, hurt look in mine and I see his frown form slowly and deeply.

“He, uh. He didn’t say they were official. Or anything really. Thought she was just a friend.” I stumble over my words, unsure what to say when my brain feels as if it’s just been drained of any shred of intelligent thought.

“They’ve been dating for a month, Y/N.” Ethan informs me and I find my serious demeanor change into a hurt, almost panicked, high pitched giggle followed by tears in my eyes.

“You good? Kinda scaring me there.” Ethan takes a step closer, pocketing his phone for the first time since I came in. He’s always on that damn thing. My outburst must have truly scared him. I’m never the one to lose my composure.

“I. I’m fine.” I manage to slip out between the giggles, placing a hand over my chest as a ragged breath comes through to my burning lungs.

What the hell am I supposed to say? I think I’m in love with your brother who is also my best friend but he also never told me he’s official with someone and we had sex last night? I don’t think that’s a good idea.

“If you’re so fine, then why are you crying?” Ethan counters, outstretching both arms, leaving his chest wide open for me to fall back on.

And I do.

His arms wrap around me in a protective way, his chin resting atop my head as he listens to my giggles turning into sobs. The strength he holds me up with is enough for me to feel the uncontrollable trembling inside me had now become evident outside as well.

We moved to his bedroom, lying in bed in embrace as I soaked his shirt and smeared make up all over it. The very make up I put on to look cute for his twin.

He waited patiently for me to run out of tears to cry, slowly until my sobs stopped and my chest hurt with the ragged, sharp, pained intakes of breath that came erratically in comparison to his even breathing. My head hurt, my sniffles forced me to blow my nose multiple times and now I had no more in me to move. So I allowed myself to close my eyes and rest on Ethan’s chest as his hand rubbed my back gently, moving in soothing circles.

The door swung open, startling me into opening my eyes and I quickly sit up and face the source that was blatantly unaware of my presence and blurted out a request before focusing on me with widened eyes and parted lips.

“Ethan, turn up the music cause I’m about to f - Y/N?!” He says my name like it’s the most natural thing in the world, like my eyes aren’t bloodshot and puffy from crying my heart out, like he wasn’t about to just say he’s about to fuck another girl. His girl.

“I’m gonna go.” I wipe the nonexistent tears with the back of my hand and move to stand, finding it hard and disorienting for I stumble forward and almost fall into Grayson.

Ethan jumps after me, trying to stop me from leaving while Grayson reached out to grab me and... I don’t know what he wanted to do...steady me? Stop me and ask me not to tell his girlfriend he cheated on her? Whatever the reason may be, I slapped his hand immediately, on instinct. I couldn’t handle his hands on me right now. The thought of his touch made my physically ill.

“What the fuck is going on between you two?” Ethan whisper shouts, peering over Grayson’s shoulder to make sure we’re alone and he can speak freely.

I wrap my arms around me, avoiding their gaze at all costs as my attempt to bypass Grayson once more fails.

I push him back, growing aggravated with him and the pain I’ve held inside quickly turns into anger.

“Will you stop trying to leave and talk to us like a normal human being?!” Grayson shouts and I flinch, taking a step back in genuine fear. He never yells at me. Never. It’s the first time I haven’t felt safe nor happy around him. The first time I wanted to be as far away as possible. I can’t say I’m afraid he’ll hurt me, because there’s nothing more painful than what he already did, but I’m not good with angry outbursts directed toward me. I’ve never been able to handle people yelling at me and he knows this.

He tries to touch me again, but Ethan steps in this time around as I recoil from his brother like a wounded animal.

“What the fuck did you do, bro?” Even in my state, I could hear Ethan’s voice lower and his tone darken with a looming threat as if he’s speaking through his teeth.

“I - We made a mistake last night, okay?” Grayson whispers, making sure his girlfriend can’t hear as his eyes meet mine with the statement.

“Wow.” I scoff, shaking my head. Ethan turns back to look at me, his confused eyes flickering between us, awaiting an explanation.

“Nice to know that’s what you see me as.” I sneer, allowing the anger to fill me once more and the poison spread through my veins.

“I have a girlfriend.” Grayson insists, pressing his lips into a tight line and I nod to myself, pursing my lips.

“Didn’t seem like she crossed your mind while you were balls deep inside me.” I’m a lot of things, but crude has never been one of them. Until now. Even I’m surprised with the venomous words spilling from my mouth, noticing how Ethan’s jaw dropped to the floor with my statement.

“So why did you do it? Huh? To fuck with me and my feelings? Or is it to sabotage not only what you have with the clueless girl in your bedroom but also whatever the fuck connection we had?” I feel myself growing frustrated with him and the silence that hangs in the air as he looks anywhere but in my eyes. He never avoids eye contact, insisting it’s the proper way to talk to someone. I see his jaw clench and his face twist in an almost pained grimace and I know I struck a chord.

“What was last night to you? What am I to you?” I hit my palm against my chest in affect, not feeling but hearing the thud that comes with it.

“I’m not trying to hurt you Grayson, like you’ve done to me. This isn’t a quid pro quo thing. But after everything you’ve learned about me...after all this time, can you honestly tell me you didn’t do what you did because you actually live for the drama and pain in your life? Is this who you’ve become, because it feels like it is? Your life was doing so well that you felt the need to sabotage it so you can revel in the pain of losing not only me, but possibly the girl you came home with?” I know I’m right. It’s because he’s become who I used to be and who he just turned me into once more.

“Fuck you.” Grayson writhes, rage taking over him as well and I see his arm muscles contract under the pressure of his self-imposed control.

“I want her. I want HER.” He repeats, emphasizing and I chuckle dryly, putting my hands on my hips as the last shred of my heart shatters and I remember why I kept it hidden for so long.

“Ever heard of that saying...Don't leave a girl you need for a girl you want.” I remind him of the word he wrote himself, one that I hoped would be a powerful blow to his heart as it is to mine.

“You know...All my life, I’ve tried so hard. And I’m never the one. I’m always the second choice...third choice even! And you say fuck you....well, someday someone will. I can assure you it won’t be you. Ever again.” I run a hand through my hair, moving toward the door he’s no longer blocking and I find myself locking eyes with him for the first time since we started this talk.

“This...whatever it was..” I gesture vaguely between us.

“It’s over.” I swallow thickly, praying I keep it together for a moment longer.

“I’m so stupid for even allowing myself to think you might be different from all the other guys I had feelings for. I thought you’d realize that last night actually meant something to me. That you’re the only guy that’s ever made me fall in love and open my heart to someone again, but in the end it only made the heartbreak deeper and so much worse than anything I’ve ever felt.” I take a step into the hallway, feeling like my chest is about to cave in as the emptiness inside is now a hollow chasm where the bad outweighs the good and everything I wanted to believe in again is lost in the darkness once more.

“Wait.” Grayson grabs me by the arm, pulling me back and around to face him and I use both hands to stop myself from plummeting into him. Palms pressed against his chest, I push back, but his hold on me grows so much stronger that I’m sure I’ll have a bruise to join last night’s collection with a single, but major difference in its inception - last night was passion and this is desperation.

“You felt something for me?” The incredulous look in his eyes is enough for me to be sure he was blind to it all, like I’ve just opened his eyes to a whole new world of possibilities he could have never anticipated.

“Grayson?” A voice sweet as honey comes from across the hall and I can’t help but turn in its general direction. I follow the voice to a stunning girl whose curly locks fall across her almost bare chest, the rest of her body on display in the skimpy underwear she stripped down to.

I bite the inside of my lips, trying to hold myself together as I turn my head back to Grayson who didn’t move his eyes from me. He’s waiting for my answer, but I already gave him one. He chose the girl he wanted over the girl he needed...he can suffer the consequences for all I care.

Tapping his chest lightly with my right palm, I push away from him again and free myself of his relentless hold. His lips part and his eyes water as I take a couple steps back, my own vision turning blurry with the scene. In this moment, both our hearts broke, I could tell. But once I turned my back on him, there was no room for looking back. Not even when Ethan called after me, begging me to stay and talk through this. Not when I heard a thud as if Grayson’s legs gave out and he fell to the floor. Not when Tessa asked for an explanation, half screaming at Grayson.

I can remember being nothing but fearless and truly happy with him by my side, but we’ve become echoes and echoes, they wither, fade away and die.

Tags: @xalayx @fallinginlove-16 @accalialionheart @heyits-claire @daddygraysonsbitch

#grayson dolan #grayson dolan x reader #grayson dolan angst #dolan twins #grayson dolan fanfic #grayson dolan imagine #grayson dolan fic #grayson dolan fanfiction #ethan dolan

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ivory-haired-queens-blog · 5 years

Text

So, as season 6 ends, these are my top ten favorite characters after the season. This is based purely on how I personally feel about the characters, so yeah.

(By the way this only includes people who were ALIVE at some point during this season. Sorry Monty)

10 - Madi

While Madi May have been an interesting and good addition to season 5, I feel like the conflict with shadeheda had been rushed into the writing for one reason or another. I feel as is you can’t even consider it a B plot line, it’s more of like a D or an E plot line due to its irrelevance.

Still, Lola Flannery’s performance this season is enough to give her character the spot of number ten. She played a convincing bad guy and I give her major props.

9 - Diyoza

Ah, poor Diyoza. All she wanted was a life for her unborn child, only to be fucked over by the Anomaly.

The major point of her character this season was to show how Octavia is learning from her past, and how she’s changing.

I think that the reason Diyoza doesn’t place higher on my list is because she was “killed off” so early in the season, but I have a feeling we haven’t quite seen the last of her.

8 - Jackson

A strange choice? Yes. A good one? Also yes.

In a show as wild as the 100, the one thing you wouldn’t expect is for things to stay the same. However, throughout the entirety of the show’s run, Jackson has been a silent but unchanging character. He cares about others deeply, and is all around just a good, simple side character over all.

7 - Kane

Kane, the moral compass.

Kane has been a pretty solid character throughout the show’s run, and I’m glad the writers respected his actual character’s morals.

Though I’m sad to see Henry Ian Cusick go, I feel as though if they’d kept Kane in his new body it would be throwing away everything about Kane’s character from the last seasons. Though I found him whiny in the last season, his character really stayed true until the very end.

6 - Joesephine.

This one is a Hot Take™

Just because a character is a Villain doesn’t mean you can’t like them.

Joespehine was WRITTEN to be likeable! That’s the POINT! She’s genuinely funny, charming, and a bit of a sociopath! What’s not to love? Sure, she tries to kill Clarke and everything...but that’s not important.

She kinda reminds me of the Joker, a villain that everyone LOVED. Though she’s a bad person, she still ranks #6 of my list.

5 - Gabriel

Okay first off...Chuku Modu is FINE.

Secondly, his character is so unique yet realistic. Eventually the guilt of killing hundreds of people to live forever would weigh on the primes, but it didn’t take long for Gabriel to feel guilty. He knew what the primes were doing was wrong, so he stood up against it.

Just overall a good guy. Not much else to say about him lol.

4 - Bellamy Blake

Though Bellamy may have ranked #1 in previous seasons, this season wasn’t about him in the slightest. In fact, it was more about his relationships with Clarke and Octavia than it was about HIM.

Still, he’s still likeable. And he’s a main player, if not THE main player in saving Clarke. Plus Bob Morley always equals brownie points. Always.

3 - Clarke Griffin

The queen of the show herself. This season it was entirely about her, and her face off with Josephine.

Coming in at a strong number three, Clarke is a badass bisexual goddess. The only reason she’s a three and not a one is A) Other characters really shone this season and B) I think we got too much of her. Some scenes (especially ones with Josephine) felt unnessicary and like they were trying to show her off as much as possible. Other than that, Eliza Taylor provides a strong variety in her acting skills with switching from being Josephine to being Clarke.

2 - John Murphey

From the opening episode, I had a feeling this was gonna be his season. I forget which scene exactly, but in the pilot of this season they had him in a scene that could have been anyone else, but they made it a Murphey scene. And then in the second episode, saving Clarke from herself and then saving his friends? This really was Murphey’s season.

Him fooling the primes/believers in the last few episodes was very true to his character, and seeing him continue to flip-flop between being a good guy and a bad guy is always fun.

And that leaves my number one character of season six...

1 - Octavia Blake.

I’ve been the biggest O Stan since I first watched the show. Marie Avgeropoulos is a stunning woman and that’s not a negative in any way.

I loved her switch to evil is season five, and I knew a redemption arc was coming this season. I loved seeing her question her morals when she was deciding the fate of the human race down in the bunker, and how she did the only thing that would keep her people alive. But then, and I’m guessing from the guilt, she found herself being defined by the wrongs she’s done.

This season was her saying “No, I am still Octavia Blake. I am come Skaikru, come Trigeda, come WONKRU, NOT Bloodrena.”

And I LOVE that for her.

#the 100 #Octavia Blake #Clarke Griffin #Bellamy Blake #John Murphey

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larksinging · 5 years

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and for one not necessarily related to rp... who are some of your favorite characters of all time? top 5 or 10 or whatever or if it's too hard to necessarily rank them, just list Some of them

ive been putting this off because i wanted to figure out how to approach this. i have this tendency to click with characters VERY INTENSELY and then kind of burn that out and move on to the next one, so while i remember them all fondly its hard for me to sort whos my favorite at any given time.

soooo instead i decided to go with.... characters who were the most formative for me? or that represent stories that i still hold extremely dearly, so

i need to start with a warriors character because warriors is like, extremely and deeply formative for me. probably more than anything. on the one hand you have firestar, who is.... firestar. though my attachment to him is mostly “yeah he was the arc of the first series! he’s firestar!”. i like firestar and he REPRESENTS warriors in a lot of ways, but he doesnt mean a lot to me. there’s also jayfeather who is a character i hold very dear, especially as ive aged. maybe if a lot of change happened to the denny clans/they fully fell apart id app him, because i just never could justify him alongside mothwhisper....

stitch from lilo and stitch. ive just always adored this movie and it hits a deep chord in me that ive always held closely. i think its the fact that stitch is like... WEIRD and came out at a time in my life where i was still just a WEIRD KID. but then its a story about family and found family and thats always a theme ive really adored. i guess stitch’s mischievousness andrage and isolation and loneliness just really appealed to me, or something.

i don’t wanna homestuck on main but i cant avoid it so ill keep this very brief. my two homestuck phases were during very volatile points in my life and relating to terezi helped me cope. even when i distance myself from it i still remember her.

i feel like i should include an anime character but i cannot fucking think of anyone i still have positive associations with

you know what? ill include laurel on this. i could include both versions but.. e-2, let’s be real. i oughta put one denny character on here because denny was kind of a positive turning point in my life, and laurel represents a lot of that. and shes just... so my type, and in an indulgent way i rarely get to capture.

okay i have to include a rwby and not just because ive been watching rwby lately, but it has kind of followed me on and off for years and its weirdly one of the only things from that era i remember fondly. im tempted to say yang because her arc is extremely meaningful to me, but.... ruby. i love ruby as a character but she also like embodies rwby as a whole to me, like i see ruby and it just makes me happy. theres a metatextual layer to her as the icon for the show that holds me close

aaaand one last one i’ll include tag from the wild road/the golden cat. i dont talke about those books a lot but honestly they had a huge impact on my writing and general aesthetic style. and kinda like ruby, i like tag but its more that hes a mascot for those books. i need to keep rereading those but i feel like if i needed to sum up myself to someone i’d hand them the wild road and say “i read this as a kid”.

and illll stop there

#THANKS MEEKS #a very furry list i know #rorykillmore

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comicteaparty · 4 years

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November 20th-November 26th, 2019 Reader Favorites Archive

The archive for the Reader Favorites chat that occurred from November 20th, 2019 to November 26th, 2019. The chat focused on the following question:

What main character do you relate to the most? How relatable does a main character have to be for you to like them?

Capitania do Azar

You know, relatable is simultaneously a very strong and very week word to describe how I see main characters. Sometimes, the MCs I like the most are those I can't relate to in any way, when their actions are so out there and wild that I cannot for the life of me seeing myself doing (regardless of weather I understand their motivations or not). I tend to find secondary characters much more easier to relate to, since they're not so much under the spotlight and get to have personalities that are often less directly connected to the plot, and creators get to have more freedom. That said, on the top of my head, one of my favorite protagonists is Trigger, from Ghost Junk Sickness, https://www.ghostjunksickness.com/, who I cannot, for the life of me, relate to, but whose horrible decisions I find absolutely amusing.

Now, for side characters who I can definitely relate to, I'm gonna go with Aaron from XIIComic, https://xiicomic.com/magic-and-muses/, because that one was love at first sight, eheh(edited)

FeatherNotes

I agree with @Capitania do Azar-- For me, main characters are the ones who would be written with the themes, and the backstory that make them unique enough for a singular experience so i would often find it most difficult to 'fully relate' to them. That said, characters don't have to be very much relatable at all for me to like them , and that most MCs with flaws that are beyond me are who i mainly like bc of their potential complexity! Secondary characters are my go to's, and i relate to them much more quickly! With that said, i def have vibes with Sanna and Dizzy from Startrip http://www.startripcomic.com/cast

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I rarely find main characters "relatable", but if they are well-written enough I can like and root for them no matter if I think they are relatable to me personally enough. @Capitania do Azar and @FeatherNotes made really good point as to why this is the case. Anyways a character I still really relate to is Rafael from Superpose (https://superposecomic.com/). Painful gender feelings, people being dismissive of ones gender, the overall feeling of being stuck and not knowing what the future will bring really speaks to me, so reading Superpose I got especially invested. Another character would be Nikita from O Sarilho (http://sarilho.net/en/) and he's very interesting to me because there is a lot about him that feels deeply relatable and familiar but then so many things that are absolutely alienating. I think that makes him an especially alluring character to me.

Cronaj

I agree with the everyone else. I don't really need to relate to a main character to like them. In fact, I just realized on my search through the webcomics I read/enjoy that I don't relate to pretty much ANY of the characters. This might have to do partly with the fact that I read a lot of fantasy, sci-fi, and historical comics, so the issues the characters face are very different than the ones I personally face. That being said, there is one comic where I relate to one of the main characters so much, I actually cried. This is the character Taesoo from the webtoon The Lady and Her Butler. (https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/ladyandbutler) He is a struggling artist with low self-confidence and the after-effects of a bad relationship with someone who didn't appreciate him. His scars from this situation have remained with him and made it difficult for him to love again. I know this sounds like something straight from a drama, but this legitimately happened to me. (On a side note, I relate to my own characters, but that's because I subconsciously created characters a lot like myself.)

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Like others have said above me, I don’t really need to relate to a main character to like them. If they’re well written and receive good development, I’ll probably like them on some level. I do tend to gravitate more towards roguish and morally ambiguous characters, and my favourite is usually an outrageous villain. As for my own characters, I put a bit of myself in all of them, but probably none more so than Anor from Children of Shadow. I hadn’t meant to mirror so much of myself in him, but my characters tend to act and grow independently of me. He struggles with depression, PTSD, feelings of isolation, and has a similar queer experience / identity as me. He isn’t me, however, and differs in a lot of ways, too. But I can identify with him probably more than any other character I’ve written.(edited)

Batichi

I feel kinda narcissistic saying so, but the character I do relate to is my own protagonist, mainly because the point of the character was to have one that was more like me I guess. Low energy, unable to feel like they progress, never knowing if points of trauma are growing or hindering being a full person. I never intended a 'full insert' but a lot of their personal journey I feel gets pulled out of my own head since it's where I can pull from. I don't know if that counts or not xD I don't need a character to be relatable for me to be interested in them, but I do need to understand them. 'Defined' feels like too broad of an answer, but when I can be interested in both heart of gold protagonists and drug dealing warlords that's the best I can come up with.

spacerocketbunny

I may not need a character to be relatable to like them but it definitely does make me soft when I can. I think a character I can relate to would be Satinder from Shaderunners http://shaderunners.com/ I think she's a lot more outgoing than me and generally just more jovial and sweet but I relate to her struggle with her relationship with Ivo the most. Pining for someone who doesn't want to settle and just wants to move on bigger and better feels pretty real to me! Other than that I'd say Vic from Inhibit http://www.inhibitcomic.com/ while again I don't relate to his personality or much of his situation, I feel for his struggles SO MUCH. Stuck in that awkward, can't do anything right and just exists in the mediocrity of his situation just gets me all the time.

eli [a winged tale]

I think I relate with main characters who are competent in their own way but FLAWED, and are shown in the story to be facing a struggle. They may not have to make the right decisions or be the most clever, but their reasons are justified (via history, development, relationships). So ultimately it really comes down to the creator’s execution. I’ve been thinking about this question for a while and I think the best example is liking Kushana more than Nausicaa in Miyazaki’s graphic novel (you’ve watched the film, now go read the epic graphic novel!). She is presented as an antihero and a foil to Nausicaa and we see her struggle against how she was raised to the ideal way of dealing with the world presented as a possibility. Edith is also one where you see her being put together on the surface, but hiding deep insecurities inside. Yet she continues to grow, face her fears and maybe make the mistake of being on the wrong ship I jest, but working hard to solve her problems. I find static, good influence characters to be a little bit harder to relate to but if the story is good, I can invest in it.

GGY

Most of my characters stem from small pieces of my personality and experiences. Some of those personalties are exaggerated a bit to drive the plot and explain a few things going on with the characters. I don't have to relate to a character to like them but it is always interesting to see that side of a character that the other characters don't get to see as often or its not apparent. Not that the character is leading a double life or anything but that there are reasons why characters act the way they do and those reasons are either presented in a back story or from that character's perspective of the world. Anyways if I had to bottle it down to one character I think I relate a lot to would be one of my main characters Bridget Killigan of Over 8 Miles mainly because she runs by her own logic of how things go wether or not they are wrong. However this is only because of the result of circumstance, which I can relate to all too well XD(edited)

DanitheCarutor

I don't pay attention to relatability when reading a comic? Like I have no idea what characters I can relation to outside of my own since mine were sorta made to vent my experiences and issues. It's like gender and sexuality, as important as those details can be, I don't actually notice those things unless they're blatantly pointed out. Given that, not a whole lot of people can relate to me personally (I'm a weird person with weird opinions and views), so relatability in characters isn't totally possible and isn't important. Sometimes they can relate in life experiences, or a mood, but that's about it. Character(s) who are fleshed out, growing, and/or who are interesting is what matters most. So I guess I'm kinda parroting what other people have already said.

AntiBunny

Relatable? That's a bit of a tough one. I can care about a character without relating to them. In fact to answer last week's question, having characters I can care about is probably the most important thing to hook me into a webcomic. But relating to a character is different than caring about them. I would at one time say Riff and Torg from Sluggy Freelance, a couple of irresponsible guys getting into hijinks, but I've changed as a person over the years.

I suppose the most relatable character, might be Rhea from Slightly Damned. I say that because she's the one who has to be the responsible one now. She's the oldest of the 3 main characters, but still basically a kid herself. She has to protect and guide these two oddball teenagers, even though she's not even sure of her own place in the world.

I guess as you get older, people start looking to you as a protector, and as a guide, even though you still very much feel like a child wearing an adult suit. So Rhea is someone I can relate to in that regard. She's from http://sdamned.com/

Akreampuff

Sometimes I find I relate to elements of a character - Like when they comment or express an opinion on something - But having a character resonate with me isn't something that really happens often. I can't remember the last time it did. For me to like a character though, they just have to not be a shitty person. Flaws are fine - Flaws are great - But if they are just a horrible person or a flat bleh character then I lose interest very quickly.

kayotics

Karkat Vantas

RebelVampire

One character I relate to immensely off the top of my head is Shy from Radio Silence http://www.radiosilencecomic.com/ There have been a lot of moments in that comic, especially related to social anxiety, where I have cringed super hard along with Shy because I knew exactly what it was like to feel what he was feeling. It actually makes the comic difficult for me on occasion just cause it brings flashbacks. In terms of the second part, that's a difficult question. I feel like it's super easy to relate to at least small portions of every main character, since people are complex and have a million different sides to them. So, for me at least, I can always find at least a little something I can relate to. But overall, that usually doesn't determine if I like them or not. I'm more concerned about whether I'm invested in their goals and want to see them succeed or suffer for their pursuit of those goals. To me that's what makes a character likeable. So in the end, it's not a question of how much, since I'll always relate in some way. It's just also not important.

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