#the sacrifices kinda make sense as well even if i'm against them

[danwhobrowses]

So a thing happened on Critical Role this week (campaign 3 ep 91), we're gonna talk about it - a long talk - so if you haven't been caught up and don't wanna be spoiled don't keep reading okay?

One of the disadvantages of being in a different time zone is that after fretting all morning, going to work, thinking 'it's 7am maybe it's done now' I had to sit in my office for a stressful final half hour murmuring don't do this don't fucking do this don't you dare fucking do this!

I already was worried for everyone given the cliffhanger last episode, and the 5 hour length made me further worried as players kept being knocked down by Otohan Thull - already frightening in base form but now with an even higher AC and empowered. Then Sam Riegel had to do what he does best, a devastating sacrifice where FCG blows himself up to take down Otohan - Ludinus' No. 2, harrowed for being proficient in slaughter, defeated by no assassin or warrior but a cleric saving their friends. We've been well past 'get off the moon' hours with this one, but now there is an impact on every one of the Hells to think about, which is what this will be about.

FCG Though he is dead there is still stuff to talk about with FCG's death. A common debate right now is the potential of the Reincarnate spell; while the wording of the death implies that FCG's current body is irreparable there is a chance that a 5th Level Druid Spell can fashion him a new body, one of flesh, bone and tongue. The body itself needs to be dead for less than 10 days so there is wiggle room to gain the necessary components too if the top brass of Exandria turn it into a fetch quest. There is argument on both sides though; if FCG comes back does it undermine his sacrifice? Perhaps, but there's no incentive for the Hells to not try. Reincarnation hasn't quite happened in Critical Role yet - Since Molly/Lucien/Kingsley was kinda different, he kinda had the opposite, different mind same body - so it'd be a refreshing new option and also a way to redesign FCG without having to create a whole new cleric (because they definitely need a cleric) with a whole new skillset that the Hells will need to warm towards before the final battle. But at the same time, the soul has to be willing. FCG was content with his sacrifice, and in the arms of the Changebringer would he go back? I'd like to hope so if it's an option, it'd also entertain a whole new character arc for him as a 'real boy' - plus Matt and Sam don't have to fully abide to the D100 rule of what race he turns into. Of course, I like this angle more than needing a new character, because I like happy endings and it makes narrative sense that the Hells would claw and bite to pull him from that sweet goodnight. It would also validate a reason for the Hells to align with the gods, because if divine favour comes into play and the Gods decide against helping Bell's Hells' greatest advocate for saving them then they are foolishly and callously forsaking key players to their survival, FCG reincarnating with the help of the Gods would play a big part in the Hells standing with them rather than losing faith in them, and even with friction between the Titans & Temults and the Gods from the past they would have a common enemy. Still living or dying can have varying effects on the other characters.

Ashton From the moment Ashton met FCG they wanted to make sure this little bot would be okay, that they'd learn to value their life and be able to thrive. While part of that did happen, Ashton is likely going to feel like nothing's changed since Bassuras; knocked out by Otohan and when awakened a friend is dead, another person they couldn't protect.

Before the shard, I think Ashton would very easily fly off the handle, in their anger they'd blame everything including themselves and maybe even consider leaving themselves, it probably have made them more self-destructive too. Now though I'm not so sure, nobody would hold it against them to waver a little on their promise to take care of themselves in a burst of grief, this was after all their best friend someone they looked after like a little brother, and while I can see Ashton quietly and angrily grieving I can also see Ashton double down on trying to keep their promise, making sure that FCG didn't go out like a martyr and that it won't be in vain. FCG reincarnating would assist in Ashton's character drive too, since I feel like they would detest any replacement cleric because it's not FCG, they may also be less abrasive towards the gods if they came through for them and proved that they care - at least to the Changebringer, think they'd still throw copper at the Dawnfather given the whole Angel incident.

Imogen As the nominated leader of Bell's Hells, many will probably look to Imogen Temult for action, the problem is she has her own mother issues to deal with too - and I'm not entirely sold that Liliana has fully made a turn just yet, only that she won't hand over the Hells to Ludinus. FCG's death is gonna produce a lot of guilt from Imogen though, she was detesting the fact that she had to play dead at 1HP while Otohan cut down her friends again, she will likely blame her inaction which in turn may push her to be more aggressive in combat.

At the same time, I can see her being one of the more gung ho characters to push towards the Reincarnate option, perhaps even going as far as to accost or lambast anyone regardless of alliances or rank who she feels isn't as committed. Imogen has been in the position of loss before, and knowing that FCG had a connection with FRIDA she would likely compel herself to fix it rather than have to deliver the bad news. Regardless of whether he reincarnates though I feel like Imogen may look towards some more defensive spells, and maybe through Liliana try to tap into the powers of an Exalted to try and match the power she saw from Otohan, a risky endeavour for sure but FCG took an even greater risk for them.

Orym Orym is probably the toughest of the Hells to read when it comes to FCG's death. There will of course be a deep sadness at the loss of a friend, but I would also sense a...not bitterness but discontent that this is how it went down. Otohan killed his family, he kept fighting her until he could no longer stand because that's what they would've done, and now she's dead but it doesn't make it better, he wasn't the one to do it, he didn't even see it, and the one who did is gone with her. When Bor'dor was killed, Orym coldly reminded himself that 'we're at war', but I don't think he can justify that way with FCG, the loss was greater than the catharsis.

The death also has to turn attention to his deal with Nanna Mori. Many have pointed out that there is a lot of technicalities that may prolong, void or complete the deal; it was never specified how many times the Hells could return from the moon to continue the deal, but at the same time they did technically return from the moon to Exandria safe and sound via the Secret Backdoor. Still, Mori is his best friend's grandmother, there could be leeway on that matter too and even if he does have to commit to the deal (which I call 'Fatekeeper Orym') it's never been explicitly said that Orym needs to constantly attend to Mori in the Feywild, only that he has to be her caretaker and answer her beck and call. However, FCG's death will likely provide a sobering thought that his deal with Mori was perhaps voided, unless there is one more thread he can have her pull. When it comes to seeking options to bring a friend back, I would keep a close eye on Orym - it's not the first time Liam's resolved himself to be damned before.

Fearne Fearne will likely be a linchpin if the Hells seek out Reincarnate. The spell is exclusive to Druids and if Keyleth isn't on hand to do it the task and pressure will fall to her. It'll be interesting how she reacts, I don't wanna say she'll be the most positive of it because she'll certainly be upset, but I can see her being optimistic even if it's to also convince herself, the one who is most encouraging to find a way. As a shipper I of course want her to be the one who comforts and gets through to Ashton while they grieve but if she also is key to his reincarnation that also adds to their slow-burn. Outside of that, FCG's death may also lead into learning about Mori's deal with Orym, which will probably anger her that Orym kept it from her, there is also the fact that having FCG's life in her hands may bring back bad memories of Bassuras and Whitestone. One must also especially worry about her Asmodeus calling card, the Prince of Lies does nothing for free and I still feel like Klask was planted in her path by Asmodeus' (and maybe even Athion's) titan-seeking design.

If FCG does reincarnate though, I could see her friendship with FCG being even greater than it was, since they'll both feel a greater zeal for life - it may also make her feel further distant from her Evil vision, since she will have saved half her friends rather than risked killing them. If not though, Fearne may have to play mediator for the new cleric and may also be pushed towards freeing up more slots for healing to provide more support for the Hells in future battles.

Chetney It's gonna be an interesting one for Chetney too, from one perspective you could see him thinking that FCG traded their life for his; he died, he made peace with that, but then the one who revived him died. Chetney's more personal mindset has often been cloaked in secrecy, perhaps as one of the least open of the Hells despite many claiming him as the Heart of the group, so I wonder if Chetney may harbour some Survivor's Guilt for what happened.

I can see Chetney being the one to keep his emotions close to his chest, even if FCG were to reincarnate he would perhaps try to shrug off that he always knew it'd happen anyway. That being said someone who remains stoic and unwavering may prove a positive or a negative to the group, depending on the person or their interpretation of it. If a new cleric comes along though I could see him being additionally protective of them, having been the new guy before.

Laudna We should all be worried for Laudna right now. The recent 4SD already revealed that Laudna's 'close to the brink' and I'm pretty sure this is the brink. The aftermath of the Otohan fight will likely push each of the Hells to get stronger, since had they hit harder or been able to take stronger blows it wouldn't have come to this, but that will mean bad things when it comes to Laudna, as she may seek to gain power the only way she thinks she can - through Delilah. After all her last two levels went to Sorcery and did little in the fight, whereas her Warlock class Eldritch Blasts hurt Otohan fairly decently, such a thing can linger in the mind for Delilah to manipulate.

It'll be telling if they do try to Reincarnate him whether the damage will have been done already to Laudna, and that the joy of bringing him back turns to tragedy of Laudna losing herself further, as it often does it will fall to how she leans on Imogen, and how open about it she'll be to her. If FCG is lost however, we may have to keep a very close eye on Laudna being next.

Bell's Hells As I mentioned with Laudna, FCG's death will have made something apparent and clear; despite everything Bell's Hells need to get stronger. Even at Lv13, even with Exalted powers, Fey bargains and Titan shards they still just barely escaped a TPK, and granted they were weakened and worn out but no fight is guaranteed to ever be fought at 100%. Otohan may've been the toughest General of the Vanguard but the other Generals - the Weavemind, Zathuda and the Dominon of Cruft Commander - are still not ones to take lightly, Ludinus is still not one to take lightly, and if Liliana is going to be used by him to become a vessel for Predathos, that cannot be taken lightly. Bell's Hells may need to look towards enhancing their stats as well as their equipment, the harness is still a factor too which can boost them all with enough enchanted items at their disposal. An interesting one would be if Otohan's backpack ends up in one of the Hells' hands; many beforehand have talked about Orym being an Echo Knight but I would personally like to see Ashton take it, since it is powered by the Potion of Possibility like their own Dunamancy powers, it's possible (eheh) that they may align in some manner and could you imagine Ashton + 3 Echoes all raging to get All 4 Dunamancies? Otohan's swords may also provide unique properties for Chetney and/or Orym to use. Reincarnation or not I feel like that may be the Hells' next plan once it's discussed whether to attempt Reincarnation and they're off of Ruidus, gathering allies will likely also be something to prepare for for the final battle given how Otohan stated that they have 'enough Ruidusborns' for their plan. As a group it is difficult to tell if this will strengthen or weaken them, it could strengthen them in a 'never again' way like the Nein, but they were also very enthusiastic about bringing Molly back - it drove them through several arcs - FCG however often was the Hells' beacon of hope and the self-imposed attempted therapist, without that the Hells will either have to put it upon themselves to go the extra lengths or they'll close further in on themselves. If FCG does reincarnate I feel like it would definitely strengthen them mentally but if not I am not so sure.

It shouldn't come to a surprise that I will hold onto the Reincarnate potential so that the Hells can get back their friend, but rest assured I'm worried for all of them right now, there are crossroads ahead.

#critical role #critical role spoilers #cr3 spoilers #cr3 #cr3e91 #cr spoilers #bells hells #bell's hells #ashton greymoore #fearne calloway #orym of the air ashari #chetney pock o'pea #imogen temult #laudna #fresh cut grass #fcg #sam riegel #matt mercer #taliesin jaffe #ashley johnson #laura bailey #liam o'brien #marisha ray #travis willingham #needed to get it out of my head so you get two posts! #we all had a cry now Matt can we have a little reprieve where we're not losing our minds over the safety and relationships of the group? #we're not meant to stress this many years off our lives we already work too many years for low pay #Matt you can't let him die believing Exandria was flat c'mon!

[daryfromthefuture]

Marty McFly: A character analysis

I might make this a new series. I'm really into analyzing them rn (only because a youtube video said that Marty McFly is a flawless character, which I have. Objection against) (I watched this video just before writing this and now I'm committing myself to writing about the characters).

ANYWAY here we go

So. Marty, am I right?

The protagonist of the back to the future franchise. Which is funny, because I read that the movies aren't about Marty at all: The first film is about George, the second about Biff and the third about Doc. And that kinda makes sense. That's exactly what causes people to see Marty as just a flawless, "hero" type character, only there to solve problems with his confidence.

If people are saying that Marty is flawless, what is his role then? (Also, what confidence???)

Let's break Marty up into his good traits and his flaws for this.

Good traits:

I'd say that Marty's most important, good trait is his loyalty. Be it to Doc or his family, during the trilogy, we see him putting the people he cares about over himself - he goes to save Doc in Part III even though Doc told him not to come back, he burns the almanac even though he could have very well kept it for himself and made money off it but didn't want to risk it after what he's seen. He does solve the problems by looking at his loved ones and finding the determination to actually do it. Even though he could have died in the process, or become stuck, or whatever. We see himself willing to sacrifice the entire universe just so Doc survives the shooting at the mall. He stands up for his young mom in 1955 even though that could mean that he worsens the situation with the whole "lorraine has the hots for him" thing. If that isn't loyalty, I don't know what is. And it helps him get through all the insane shit that he experiences, and always pays off at the end. Except when Doc leaves him at the end of part III, but that's on Doc. Booo. Not nice.

Marty is also brave. You might think, "Ah, but Dary! He literally was too chicken to send his recording tapes in. This is not something that makes a character brave." Maybe. But in my opinion, him being brave is partly linked to his loyalty. Which may be me cheating a little, because I have the loyalty thing covered already and now I'm bringing it up again lmao. But hear me out. The situations that require him being brave are the ones he gets into because he's loyal. For example, the rooftop of Biff's casino in Part II. The only reason he's up there is because he needs to know more details about how Biff got the damn almanac just to set the timeline straight. Not for himself, no. For George. For Lorraine. For Doc. Because they met worse fates in that timeline than he did, and that's his priority. The first thing he does after burning the book is check the newspaper about his father. And Marty would jump off a building to make sure his dad's alive in the right timeline. Another, simpler example is him jumping in front of Sam's car in Part I. Why does he do it? To get George out of harm's way. And it was brave. I would have never done that. BUT (here it comes, the actual point of him being brave being a good trait for himself!) he also is brave outside of standing up for or protecting somebody. In the skateboard chase scene in part I, he's protecting himself from being crushed between a 46' Ford and a manure truck, so he performs the arguably coolest stunt in film history and walks over Biff's car. Just like that. He also does the whole hoverboard chase thing in Part II to protect himself from Griff, even through Griff crashing into the courthouse mall wasn't part of his plan at all. Marty is a brave boy and, despite his insecurities, proves that over and over again.

Being inventive and creative is also part of his personality. From the basics like playing his guitar with passion, being the one to jump in when Marvin was unavailable and playing a rendition of the "Greatest 80s Hits"-CD on the school dance stage from basically scratch to coming up with bizzare plans to achieve his goals. Making out with his own mom so George can play hero? Yes. Throwing a literal pie plate at an old west outlaw to save Doc's life? Also yes. Writing Doc a letter when the dude refuses to listen to Marty's warnings? Absolutely. Saving Doc and Clara with his hoverboard, stealing some kids' skateboards/hoverboards to help him out (which is. morally questionable but inventive and helpful for him), all of these things prove that he's capable of thinking on his feet and has the drive and creativity to get him out of every situation.

Alright, to counter that, let's have a look at his rather bad traits.

Flaws

Everyone who has seen the trilogy at least once is familiar with Marty's chicken complex. Strangely, that only appears from part II and onward, which is. Weird. But I can see where that came from - not wanting to stand in George's shadow, being able to prove that he isn't a chicken or a wimp now that his dad isn't. He wants to show everyone that he's not like the original George, not like the family line of his that "never amounted to anything in the history of Hill Valley". Not only is that a flaw in itself, it also gets him into dangerous and even potentially life-threatening situations (e.g. the duel with Buford). I don't know if there's a word for that, but this is his major problem in the sequels.

Connected to that and the root of the chicken thing is Marty's insecurity in himself. And that definitely starts out in Part I. He's scared of rejection, which is why he doesn't even consider sending the tape with his music the record company. This hasn't anything to do with being brave, this is about how Marty perceives himself. And as we see, he doesn't have very. High views. And here's the thing - he actually learns to be less insecure in himself in Part I, by teaching George to be more confident because his literal existence depends on it and he's basically forced to teach George the things he was never taught (well, unless maybe by Doc) and never believed in. After seeing that this has saved himself and his parents' romance, Marty sees that "hm, maybe I should try this for myself" and actually grabs the tape on his way to the dining room to eventually send it later. Then, we dive into Part II and someone - Griff - directly insults his newfound confidence. Boom, cue the chicken complex (which is, by the way, the reason for the entirety of BTTF III lmao).

Marty is also reckless as hell. Not saying that's it's a bad thing to want to keep your loved ones alive, but there is so much that could go wrong and Marty could potentially destroy the world. Well, now he knows how Doc must have felt since 1945 (Yes, this reference was necessary. Forshadowing for my Doc character analysis post <3). He also tends to get in danger because of unfortunate results of a spur-of-the-moment decision, again bringing up the skateboard chase here. He could have died in this and it's not talked about enough. Marty also offended Mad Dog which led to him almost being hanged. Same movie, Marty could have been shot in a duel. Buford could have gone for the head, you know? Marty didn't have a helmet. I wonder how Doc hasn't lost his mind with that boy yet. He's awfully calm throughout all of this. Maybe I should thank Clara for some of that.

Back to the question: What role does Marty play in BTTF?

Well, there's two things: He creates the problems but then also solves them for everyone around him. He learns things for himself. The first movie focuses on George's character arc, leaving Marty's seemingly nonexistent arc in the shadow. But he did get inspiration to get his tapes listened to. Part II, about Biff. Marty learns that being successful easily doesn't mean you've done things for yourself and your own growth, and that it can harm those around you if you're careless, all while the asshole Biff is in the forefront and we see how cruel he can be. Third movie, about Doc. Marty is the one seeing things through Doc's usual angle and he has to make sure Doc gets home (I'm still sad Doc didn't come back with Marty. Like what the fuck :( ) all while dealing with his own problems, and without Doc being here to get him out of that he finally realizes that dying because someone called you yellow isn't worth it. Marty is the protagonist in the "shadow", the hot dude that has the most screentime but is also important to the plot because of his imperfections - which allows us to explore other characters' arcs and personalities. Thanks, Marty.

Marty isn't a flawless character. His flaws are the reason for the damn threequel and 70% of Part II. He's your average, reckless teenage boy who values his friends and family and would do everything for them.

I love that guy.

PHEW. I truly hope all of this makes sense lol I'm writing this at 11:30 PM because, again, this one video pissed me off by saying that Marty is just a flawless, "perfect" hero character.

JOIN ME SOMETIME THIS OR NEXT WEEK FOR DOC HEHE

these are surprisingly fun to write

#bttf #back to the future #can't wait to wake up tomorrow and decide that this is a bunch of nonsense /j #marty mcfly #character breakdown #if you have anything to add. feel free to do so #call me out for my awful awful takes idk im tired #it's late and i have yet to do a pic for mjfs birthday #this is hell but like in a good way #character analysis

[shiyorin]

What kind of dog breeds are primarchs?

I'm in my freetime :v

Lion El'Jonson is a German Shepherd. Big, strong, and serious. Just like a German Shepherd, he has an almost supernatural intuition that allows him to understand how people tick and what they feel through a mere glance at their eyes. He's a bit more cold and logical, though while he has an extreme sense of honor and loyalty, he's willing to sacrifice for it, and to sacrifice others for it.

Fulgrim is an Old English Sheepdog since he's proud of his pedigree and he places a lot of emphasis on aesthetics. He's got a pretty face and big fur, and like a lot of Old English Sheepdogs, he's extremely aloof, he refuses to do anything that would get him messy or dirty, like rolling around in the mud or swimming through a lake. He's a primarch, after all. He has standards to uphold.

Perturabo is a Boxer. Big, stocky, and kinda dumb (he'll never admit it himself). He's extremely stubborn, refuses to listen to anyone, and only ever listens to himself. Just like a Boxer, he's far more capable than people give him credit for. He's just very bad at using that capability effectively, so he has a reputation as being stubborn and stupid (or even downright petty).

Jaghatai Khan is a Greyhound. Big, tall, strong, and extremely fast, he'll never hesitate to race forward and fight whatever opponent is in his way. He'll race past everyone else and not even wait because he's so fast. He's the kind of person who knows exactly when a conversation has lost its meaning and won't hesitate to get to the point, much like a greyhound. He's blunt, but not quite rude.

Leman Russ is a Husky, and he's a great example of the breed on two levels. He's incredibly friendly to those he knows, but will not hesitate to challenge anyone else to a fight for the slightest provocation. He's a warm person, and is a very loyal friend, but is perfectly willing to go to violence without warning. He'll do whatever it takes to protect those he likes without hesitation.

Rogal Dorn is a Doberman, he's very capable, and he's got a certain sense of nobility to him unlike many others. He's got a deep sense of honor and duty, and will go into any battle knowing full well that he'll win it. Just like a Doberman, he's serious that stoicism can be intimidating and make him difficult to crack. But he'll always do the right thing, no matter the personal cost.

Konrad Curze would likely be a Dalmatian since he's got spots and he's a little crazy. However, he's also not the kind of guy who's too crazy to understand what's going on. He's fully aware of his actions, he just chooses to do bad things. He's got self-awareness but instead of changing his ways, he uses it to justify continuing his reign of terror.

Sanguinius would be a Golden Retriever mixed with a Saint Bernard—he's got all the good boy energy of a Golden Retriever while also being a massive floof. He's extremely warm, kind, and just a good guy—he's always on the side of good. But when it's time to fight, he gets very serious, especially in response to a threat against his people. His rage is an awesome and terrible thing.

Ferrus Manus would be a Bulldog since he's big, stocky, and very stubborn. He'll often take on a leadership role and he's got an iron will, but those qualities can also make him cold and harsh. He's a very serious figure, he'll listen to others if he finds them important, but generally, he'll just go the logical and most efficient route.

Angron would be a Pitbull. Big, strong, and full of rage, he's got a bit of an anger problem and tends to take his hatred out on whatever's nearest. He's also very protective of his people even if nobody's trying to hurt them, much like a pitbull, Angron's a big guy who doesn't take kindly to people hurting those he loves. He's quick to anger and will never apologize for it.

Roboute Guilliman would be one of the larger breeds of Labrador since he's very intelligent and surprisingly gentle for one of his size. He's got a strong, firm hold on what his people need, especially because he knows how to play the political game and make the smartest move in a situation. He's also got a friendly smile that can convince almost anyone to work with him. He's got a lot of qualities that make people like him, much like a labrador.

Mortarion would be a Mastiff since their very presence and very existence seems to irritate everybody else. He's got a tough, stoic exterior, and he's pretty stubborn—he refuses to change his tactics for anything unless those tactics have proven ineffective. Mortarion would be the kind of guy to look down on people who use any other strategies. Just like a Mastiff, Mortarion acts as if he knows best. Also, Mortarion is a little bit stinky.

Magnus would be a St. Bernard because he's a massive floof. He's intelligent, curious, maybe a bit too curious and has a very regal look to him. He's a tall guy, much like a St. Bernard, and is pretty good with people and the sciences. He's got a kind of charm that can be hard to deny.

Horus Lupercal would indeed be a Great Dane. Extremely imposing and strong, he can be very intimidating with just his figure alone. He's got a bit of a pride streak and a natural confidence that comes with being in power. He's a very good leader and a natural strategist, and he can even be friendly when he's in a good mood. He's a natural ruler and he knows it. But Horus isn't a good boy.

Lorgar Aurelian would be great fit for a Border Collie, he's very intelligent, very religious and reverent. He's a firm leader when it comes to a group of people who all share the same beliefs, much like a Border Collie, and he's willing to go to nearly any lengths to get his followers to follow him. He's a firm idealist, and he's more of a visionary than a warrior.

Vulkan would be a Newfoundland because he's big and friendly. It's extremely difficult to dislike him because there's not a person around who would ever speak ill of Vulkan. He's tall, burly, and incredibly strong, just like a Newfoundland and that is a good thing. Vulkan is more than willing to give his all to the Imperium if he believes in the cause. He's a walking tank who just wants to be a good person.

Corvus Corax would be a Basenji since he's quiet and he's got a mysterious quality to him that can be difficult to pin down. He's the quietest and like a Basenji, he's got a soft appearance but he can be surprisingly formidable if riled. He can blend into dark environments and disappear almost immediately, much like a Basenji. He's incredibly elusive which is impressive and terrifying all at once.

Alpharius and Omegon would indeed be two Chihuahuas. They're very fast, intelligent, and they're easily the most elusive of their siblings. Like most Chihuahuas, they're not very strong, but they're incredibly fast and capable... and they're always hiding something.

#warhammer 40k #primarch #shiyorin's writer #lion el'jonson #fulgrim #perturabo #jaghatai khan #leman russ #rogal dorn #konrad curze #sanguinius #ferrus manus #angron #roboute guilliman #mortarion #magnus the red #horus lupercal #lorgar aurelian #vulkan #corvus corax #alpharius omegon #I rate primarchs :v #good boi

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

This might be a bit odd, but do you think MXTX left the ending to be interpreted openly across adaptations re: JC and WWX? Wei Wuxian has let go of a lot of his pride and learned some hard lessons about self-sacrifice and protecting people, and the younger generation is making so much room for nuance and kindness and thereby challenging society. I personally assumed they’d have that conversation eventually, but we didn’t need to see it to assume it would happen.

However, reading your translating of the phrase kinda made sense to me as well. Not all conversations, even if's about JC sacrificing his own life to save WWX from the Wens, need to lead to a point of reconciliation. Sometimes, we can acknowledge that we've come too far to restart or rebuild. It's bittersweet but I'm feeling conflicted on either end.

I honestly don't think she left it open ended at all, for either characters.

Simply because, that conversation doesn't matter anymore, what does Jiang Cheng's sacrifice matter after the extent of what they had gone through? Jiang Cheng built up a hate against Wei Wuxian because he viewed Wei Wuxian as ungrateful, and used that idea of debts to continuously cast Wei Wuxian as selfish and a martyr to show up others. Wei Wuxian hid the truth simply to coddle Jiang Cheng's pride and let his own reputation be besmirched because as he had said, it would seem as if he was using his sacrifice as leverage to downplay his own responsibilities for his actions. What is Wei Wuxian to say that Jiang Cheng will take well, he already hates that he has Wei Wuxian's core and his own hypocrisy about his own tantrums. Wei Wuxian tells him to take it as repayment, as Jiang Cheng had insisted he was owed since Lotus Pier's attack, which only goes into the same circle that neither can think of the other without debts having forced them together as friends to begin with.

Wei Wuxian's core and that reveal didn't stop Jiang Cheng to get over his jealousy of Wei Wuxian being kind enough to give his everything to make other's life easier. He doesn't like that part of Wei Wuxian, and doesn't understand it, his own "kindness" is reserved for himself and those he does love to an extent, but he is still resentful of unconditional equality and suffering that he may have to deal with. Note that he is still harassing Wen Ning despite the former saving his life multiple times already, the lesson did not extend to leave others be aside from Wei Wuxian.

Jiang Cheng said his "good bye" by letting Wei Wuxian walk away to his own future. That's not a bad way to close a relationship, is it satisfactory? Maybe not, but when you have nothing better to say, other than letting someone go, it's not supposed to feel like a victory for you. Letting go of hate isn't always cathartic, and it's something that you don't always have the easiest time ever getting rid of. You do not change your whole self when you just can't or want to, despite letting another person make their choices without your say. Jiang Cheng doesn't expect anything more, and it's why for the first time in his life, he doesn't try to have the last word in on what Wei Wuxian is doing.

Does Jiang Cheng seem upset post-canon? No, as Lan jingyi says he is the same nasty person as ever picking fights, and that's all the confirmation that Wei Wuxian needs to know that he's living and having his own life. Those sort of relationships always feel anticlimactic with resolution, but it is what it is, especially when no one needs to feel entitled or guilted into rebuilding something that neither of you really want to when you just don't get the other anymore or, only maintained it out of obligation despite having different wants and morals.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #canon jiang cheng #he does not get inherent kindness in others #that's his problem despite what he may love or try

[wouldntyou-liketoknow]

Cruz

To whoever is reading this: I hope whatever holiday you happen to celebrate this time of year is going fantastic for you! Best wishes, and Happy New Year!!!

I personally celebrate Christmas (and even if I didn't, gift-giving would still be my primary love language to friends and family), so I figured it would be fun to create a fanego as a present for my amazing buddy @sammys-magical-au! Just a little something to show my gratitude for all the times they've helped me brainstorm for my stories!

(I might try to do this for more of my Tumblr friends next year; I'll admit that this instance was kinda last-minute 😅)

So, since this character is for Sammy, he's obviously a LixianEgo

Cruz is basically my headcanon name for the character that Lixian voices in Late Night Mop. (I actually brought up the idea of making said character into an ego in an ask I sent to Sammy a while ago.)

When I watched the Let's Plays of LNM roll out, I grew attached to the theory that the whole last-minute cleaning job was actually just a trap/long-con to appease the demon that had been summoned.

So. . .yeah. Cruz may not be part of a cult, but he's still what most wannabe cultists like to pretend they are. As for why Cruz chose to make a hobby out of summoning horrific abominations. . .well, I'm not really sure, but I know he's not gonna explain himself anytime soon.

I won't say Cruz isn't a bit of a misanthropist, but he still knows how to interact with others. I.e., how to put on a personable facade in order to "make friends" until he's gained enough of their trust to lure them into his escapades. You can't just mingle with outer monstrosities without making a sacrifice or two, after all.

On the other side of the coin, Cruz has a shocking knack for taking mind-melting eldritch vibes in stride. Honestly, he's way more casual and collected when hanging out with atrocities against nature than he is around his fellow humans.

He's grown a decent collection of occult books/artifacts over the years. Most things in this collection have been acquired through less-than-legal means, because duh. Cruz has long-since learned to navigate the more paranormal side of the Dark Web/Black Market.

He's picked up several languages in order to translate for his projects. Some are human (such as Latin/Pig Latin). Others. . .not so much (the pronunciation is difficult for someone without multiple forked tongues, but Cruz is nothing if not a determined bastard, so he manages).

He's also musically-inclined (inspired by the fact that there's a violin hanging on the wall in LNM's master bedroom). The majority of summoning rituals don't require music, but he'll be over the moon whenever he manages to find one that does.

If LNM didn't make it obvious, Cruz isn't phased by gory stuff. Hell, the bloody mess in that game is small potatoes compared to some of the other offerings/rituals he's set up in the past (and in the future. . .😈)

That demon from LNM wasn't the first ungodly creature Cruz has summoned, and it certainly won't be the last, either. In fact, his latest schemes may or may not involve. . .ah, what's his name again? Oh yeah! The terrifying EldritchPlier himself, as well as Lunky and Co. (*cough-cough* Cruz has also probably entered a contract with my very own LeviathanPat on the side *cough-cough*)

Thanks to all the surreal shenanigans he's experienced, Cruz has developed a literal sixth sense. Though it takes concentration/mental strength, he can see/hear/feel/smell/taste all kinds of things that most people are better off not being aware of.

While Cruz operates with little regard for his own sanity or the well-being of other people, he still has enough morals to not sacrifice babies/kids.

Happy Holidays, Sammy!!! I know this isn't much, but I hope you like this guy! Please feel free to write about him whenever you want! (No pressure of course, but still!)

#happy holidays!!! #sammy's magical au #friendship #my characters #my writing #my fan egos #fanmade egos #cruz the semi-cultist #lixiantv #luis costa #lixianegos

[blindswandive]

Belatedly: Bones, bones, bones

With Masquerade on the way again (OMG OMG OMG IT'S BACK IT'S BACK) I thought to check and see just how far behind I am at sharing previous rounds of porn and bangs and it turns out I am The Fuck Behind.

So here is something I am quite proud of that was a gift for @monicawoe at Christmas in... 2020. o_o At some point I'll maybe add more blood dripping and, y'know, shading, but I'm awfully proud of all the pointy bones as it is.

For process and headcanons check below <3

Process/headcanons/ideas on the throne (C&P'd from commenting on LiveJournal in 2020): Okay SO. The throne. I remembered Monica's prompts here and in AntiXmas about Sam meeting other Sams and also the throne of Hell shaping itself for the new king. The longer I worked on the bones, the more I thought about the sizes of the bones and judged them against Sam and whether some would be a little big even for him, or would be small as from a child or teen, and the more I thought about the source of the bones. I wrote a non-con porn this summer which I know wouldn't be up Moni's alley, but the pre-porn part had Dean in hell cataloguing all the time he'd spent with his own removed bones (before Sam shows up and they just. Take over. <3 ). So I thought maybe part of taking the throne would be building the throne - either the throne builds itself from the tribute pieces brought by the prospective King or a silent thronemaker does as the pieces arrive, and you won't know it's done until it decides it's done. There are about thirteen bodies here, and I thought either: 1) these are various Sams either from different eras or different worlds, possibly including young Sams, who the BoyKing has had to take apart (not sure if it's Sams that exist out in life or Sams produced by Hell) as part of the process of his Becoming and the throne's Becoming, or 2) because Hell puts you back together post destruction, he's taken the bones piece by piece out of his own body. Or some of each. (He or Dean or the thronemaker can shape the bones as needed, as with the fibulae becoming sharpened spikes.) Of course building it from the bones of non-Sams conquered would work too but I kinda loved the self-version. Making his power from his own self and his own sacrifice, and in a way that's appropriately destructive and terrible and torturous for, well, Hell.

All that of course would mean the throw he's on is also leather from his skin, dyed with his blood, as is the cushion (stuffed with hair??). Whether that's his own blood he's drinking, too, or what he's taken in tribute from demon minions, his brother, or demons he's destroyed, I'm not sure.

I feel like the yellow stones in the goblet that match his eyes are important to all this too. Perhaps the throne or thronemaker can turn eyes into precious stones?

Basically, if I weren't already braindead and late, there'd have been at least a ficlet for this. 

(Fun fact: All the bones are modeled on real human bones and I know which each piece of the throne is.  Also, there are approximately thirteen skeletons represented here, though not all pieces are used from each and some have been carved and shaped.)

More process:  When I got Moni's signup asking for no porn, I panicked.  Naturally there is a ton of id overlap and clearly I am happy to make non-porn, but I initially pulled one giant blank; my sense of identity of self as porn-creator is apparently stronger than I realized.  But Sam drinking demon blood is one of my favorite ever things and plenty pornographic, so I got really excited about that.  

It wound up leaving me rushing to finish all of the bones last minute (okay last several hours) but I did my posing and likeness from scratch, without tracing, the modeling program I usually use, reference photos, etc.  Well--not entirely true, I was partway into the pose and the wonderful @amber sent me a great reference from the Sims of a guy lounging on a chair one leg up that was super useful for finishing out posing him.  I got very kind and encouraging betas from both amberdreams and @quickreaver who held my hand and helped with the panic that kept flaring up.  Turns out when you're already indecisive, this year and a free hand makes decisions, uh, impossible? ^_^; So their patience and encouragement I was on the right track was huge.

Digital format meant I was very lucky and could mirror while I was working on the throne, copy chunks, layer in ways that made erasing conflicting lines easier, etc.  I love the tablet so much, y'all, I can't even say.

What else... ah, we'll call that enough for now.

Feedback is love! <3

#lovemelovemypraisekink #supernatural #boyking!sam #bones #lots of bones #why do I love bones so much

[gcldfanged]

3, 6, 18, 21, 24

3. Are there other characters you’re interested in rping or wish to?

The characters I'm obsessing over now are all Tokyo Revengers muses (as you know, LOL), so I'm trying to write down little notes in gdocs when I get ideas. But yeah I think I just might end up playing everybody at this rate.

Maybe Tifa???? I always felt like she had so much untapped potential considering what she survived and went through, like it would make more sense if SHE was the MC of FF7 over Cloud if someone really hates Shinra and has actual personal beef against Sephiroth. I actually thought her Remake personality was pretty lame in that respect, like "but but but i durn wanna hurt ppl :/ uwuwuwu", given her history it would make TOTAL SENSE that she'd believe even Fuhito's book of crazy is the answer to the Planet's ills.

Her dynamic is Cloud is pretty weird and toxic as well, so I'd be open to like exploring that and just seeing where it goes and if they can somehow move beyond it or what??? I never really see people acknowledging it's a thing, it's like the elephant in the room that everyone ignores because then it gets in the way of their 5evur tru otp.

6. Other characters/muns you’re interested in roleplaying with?

I kinda want more crossovers or reasons to come up with new verses for Jae, I just like trying to shoehorn him into someone else's lore and see what happens, LOL.

And of course Verdot... There is just SO MUCH to unpack there.

18. Your muse’s theme song.

Toss up between Yuu Miyashita's cover of Kilmaa as his origin story & Gero's cover of SHANTI as his start of darkness.

21. Three big no-nos to do or say to your muse. (their ‘berserk button’)

Call him one or imply that he is coward.

Insult Verdot/his memory.

Bring up his sister and claim he is now 'the same' as the people who kept them captive (rest in fucking pieces, btw).

24. Send ✍ for the mun to take a crack at imitating your muse. Can be a small silly reply or a more in-depth take. ( Add + plus a scenario or who they’re talking to if you’d like to be more specific)

The streets always seemed to be empty during this hour of the day, the occasional beggar shaking a rice bowl for alms. It was to be expected, they were at war and even when the radio promised victory or death for the glory of Wutai, certain sacrifices had to be made. Three dried fish, 1.8 ounces of pork fat, a sweet potato plant taken from the vegetable fields converted from his elementary school's play yard- All to feed a family of four. If they needed more protein, they'd dig through the backyard to find beetle larvae and roast them with horsetail reed. Watery gruel made from rice day after day, soup broth made from boiled sardine and miso. That was their reality.

His mother took him to the black markets in search of sugar and he'd gawked at all of the items their government claimed to have outlawed- Fine bolts of silk, expensive inks and watercolors, luxury seasonal produce like watermelon. He never asked why or how they hadn't all been confiscated, grateful simply to know that such things still existed and were available- albeit at an inflated price.

Their homeroom teacher was arrested a week later for circulating illegal literature. He and his classmates watched from the bay windows as piles of handwritten and string-bound copies of censored material were burned to ash right in the PE field. His teacher had a rucksack placed over his head and was loaded into the back of a covered military wagon. Even after it had disappeared beyond the school gates, they could hear the rifle's gunshot crack across the sky.

One day, he found a cookbook that had belonged to his nai nai and spent most of his day leafing through it's pages, staring dreamily at glossy photos of pan-seared green beans, black bean sauce with kai lan and giant scallop, salted fish and mushroom stew cooked in a clay pot. It became almost ritualistic, reading each ingredient of every recipe and imagining the taste… the texture of each dish. He swore that he would sit down and eat at least one of his favorites picked from the back index- As soon as the war was over.

Once the war was over, everything would go back to normal.

#ceaselxss #◈ ooc #◈ WRITING #wheee that was fun and depressing as hell

[brekker-by-brekkerr]

TF saying he planned the r/g kiss since homecoming just tells me he took a page out of the same book as the HIMYM writers who had a similar sacrifice of character development for a beloved ship and their individual characters (Robin and Barney) all to make the boring main guy “get the girl” it was dumb almost a decade ago and it’s dumb now. Kinda sad how tv writers never change like I don’t have enough fingers to count how many shows have done this. i can sense it coming from miles away. just unfortunate how no one ever wants to go against the shitty writing and actually craft and develop a story that makes sense and stays true to the characters they put in the final cuts of the episodes instead of clinging to a plot idea they came up with in the writers room and cling onto for dear life even though their story went in a direction that clashes with said idea

I’ve never seen HIMYM so I can’t speak on that but i think what's frustrating is that a lot of r*nas say that r*na wasn't originally planned but the car scene led Tim to pursue it, meaning the show plans changed with how good a couple they were/how talented an actress sofia is. I'm just like, why did they not do the same with portwell, considering how well their relationship ended up playing out. like,  tim made this plan in season 1 and decided not to change paths even when portwell ended up being better than anyone could have ever anticipated?

if you get to the point where you sit down and realize, I can’t make this ship seem better than the other ship without destroying one and ignoring what i’ve already established about them, then you switch plans. You don’t destroy the ship. that’s not the solution. it’s lazy writing, and it’s not fair to anyone. could he really not see another way for r*na to happen? 

“actually craft and develop a story that makes sense and stays true to the characters they put in the final cuts of the episodes instead of clinging to a plot idea they came up with in the writers room and cling onto for dear life even though their story went in a direction that clashes with said idea”

this especially. you put it perfectly. 

#anti rina #portwell #hsmtmts season 3 #hsmtmts #hsmtmts spoilers #ej x gina #gina x ej #high school musical the series #high school musical the musical the series

[askanaroace]

i'm questioning whether i'm aplspec - aplspike, i think? maybe - but mainly, i am non-sam aroace, and i don't experience any romantic or sexual attraction. my friends, while acespec, do, and date.

my best friend recently got into a relationship and i feel insane because it makes me feel like i'm being left behind. it seems to be an alloromantic expectation that partners always come before friends.

as silly as it sounds i was listening to a reddit story where op was acting out of jealousy of their friend leaving them after they got into a relationship. while i recognised that it was an excessive reaction, it didn't occur to me once that op was in love with their friend; all of the commenters said they were, and that they were an asshole, because partners come before friends. but if i'm the only one that won't have a partner, does that mean i always come last?

again here - i think i might be aplspec, because i'm not sure whether or not what i feel towards my friends is "love" or not - perhaps some kind of deep attachment? the best friend i mentioned previously helped me through a lot of stuff so it would make sense. at times i definitely feel more obviously apl than others but i've never spoken about this with them for fear of their reaction.

am i overreacting? what do i do about these feelings? even if i don't love them, am i still wrong for feeling like i'm getting left behind? I don't know how to make sense of these feelings, i just don't feel as important anymore and I don't want lash out on them because of my own issues.

Yes, in amatonormativity, people are pressured and expected to treat romantic/sexual partners ahead of friends and friends do become a bit of an afterthought, unfortunately. I'm very sorry you're experiencing this now!

Since your friends are ace themselves, it feels worth it to actually bring this up to them and have a discussion. Before you do, I would consider what actions they've done that trigger these feelings of abandonment/loneliness. Do you hang out less? Do they no longer casually contact you? That way you can have specific things you can ask if they'd be willing to focus on with you.

I think it can kinda be extra tough to date as an ace but you feel really double the amount of pressure to adhere to amatonormative standards in order to be accepted and please your partner. You're already treated like you're somehow disadvantaging or even abusing your partner for being ace, so you can tend to hyper-adhere to amatonormative standards like upkeeping relationship hierarchies. But a conversation might make them realize the harm of this and that they don't have to do this. People worth dating wouldn't ask them to sacrifice their happiness.

As for always coming last, that is going to depend on your circle. There are absolutely people out there being relationship anarchists and working on breaking down these walls! Or maybe you'll happen to find a non-partnering friend or two! It's not an absolute guarantee that you'll always come last. A lot of people will unfortunately probably treat you that way - but there's people out there who won't, as well. I wouldn't just completely give up. Keep advocating for yourself and building relationships with folk who are willing to stand against these norms and value non-romantic relationships more similarly to you! And no, it's not an asshole move to expect to be treated with consideration by your friends! I spend a lot of time on reddit and the aspec communities there are pretty darn good - but by and large, reddit is really a cesspool for some of the worst and most stereotypical ways of thinking. I would not turn to reddit (especially relationship forums) for any sort of reality check or validation.

As for aplspec - there's a lot of different ways to be apl. There's actually two main definitions for being aplatonic, so there's a lot of flexibility in you getting to determine how you feel and if the label helps you or not. Also, if a label even just mostly feels right to you, feel free to use it! Humans aren't clear cut or black and white. There's a lot of room on a lot of spectrums. It's okay to have "exceptions" to the labels you use. I think if apl helps you understand and make room for this difference in the way you feel in regards to friends than other people tend to, then that's what the label is for. Also, aplatonic is about platonicism at its core. There's some aplatonic people who feel like they skip the friend-ness and go straight to being family with some people. They're still apl. You can be apl and have some sort of strong feelings or attachment towards those you're close with.

As for overreacting - feeling feelings is not a reaction. It's an innate response to a variety of internal and external stimuli. Feelings are just information. So having feelings cannot be an underreaction or an overreaction. Feelings are a part of how we decide what actions to take, and it's actions that have positive and negative impacts. So what you need to weigh is: what do you want to do with these feelings? Sit with them and think about them longer? Talk about them? Talk about them to a queer-friendly therapist? Talk about them with your friends? Talk about them with a queer support group? Make changes to the way you build your relationships?

It's okay to feel your feelings and live your life. In general, I hate the term "overreacting". It tends to be a way to gaslight people out of advocating for their own happiness. People are often shamed for "overreacting" by others in their life who don't want to have difficult conversations or take into consideration their feelings. It's always people either in toxic situations or in marginalized communities asking themselves "am I overreacting and being too sensitive?" and never the others asking themselves "am I being too insensitive or even controlling?"

You're allowed to want to make of your life what you want to make of it. That's not a bad thing. Your happiness and fulfillment matters. You should get to build a life with people who want similar things as you. You deserve a place to get to make room for your feelings and make decisions to build your life in a way that would make you happy and comfortable. You deserve to exist, difficult and intense feelings and all.

Having a conversation is not lashing out. It's okay to talk about your feelings with others and ask for what you need. It's okay to walk away from people, too.

#relationships #relationship hierarchy #relationship anarchy #amatonormativity #connections #ask #long post #anonymous

[cosmons]

HAEYN DEFENDER IS BACK!! 👊👊👊

everyone pls open ur eyes and read back all the chaps carefully . when i say minji is just a rebound, i really meant it bcs u can see how yn started doubting herself and her feelings for minji after finding out that hae was back . yn was literally trying to convince herself that she did (which obv she didn't) . i mean, if she really was in love with minji, there would be no room for any doubts and hesitation imo 🤷🏻‍♀️

rn yn is only avoiding hae bcs she's still hurt by hae's action in the past but I AM CONVINCED that once they talk it out, they will resolve whatever probs they have and start being friends again . u can deny that they will inevitably realize their feelings for eo soon after that .

AND

minji being the angel she is, will def see it too. being an observant person, nothing will go unnoticed by her. she will soon see the dynamic between haeyn and notice the little things . ofcos she knows that yn won't cheat on her but she can't deny that what yn and hae have with eo is not the same as what she has with yn . MINJI IS AN ANGEL and bcs she loves yn a lot, she'd prob accept defeat and admit that yn is better off with hae . she's def the type to sacrifice herself for the ones she love 😔✋

ALSO !!

u can't really expect a love to work out if it's only one-sided . love needs to be 50/50 from both sides and from the way I'm seeing it, minyn was def that until hae was back . u can't make ur heart feel something it won't .

yk that quote that goes "if u ever have feelings for two person, pick the second one" ?

yeaa, well in this case, hae is the second person.

I'm not saying that yn doesn't love minji , I'm just saying that her love for minji isn't enough to cast those doubts away bcs she still has feelings for hae . for god sake, even eunchae herself said that yn was head over heels for hae during their time tgt 😌

it's easier to understand once u start asking questions like, "why was yn so scared of letting hae explain?" "why didn't she want minji to be friends with hae?" "isn't it better if yn lets hae explain so that she can finally have a closure?" , etc ..

imo these questions will only lead to a few explanations.

1. if yn knows the real reason why hae did what she did, her views and perspective of hae will change and she will start questioning the what ifs. (it's easier to hate on someone when u dk the reason behind their actions)

2. if yn did move on, she won't really have a prob with her ex and gf being friends bcs hae said it herself that she won't do anything to harm a healthy relationship even tho she still has feelings for yn (she just wants to explain things) . yk unless it's bcs it's a yn problem . seeing ur past and present colliding will def be a prob if u r still hang up on the past ..

there's a quote out there that goes something like exes can't be friends bcs of their emotional history UNLESS they were never really in love with eo or it was only a one-sided relationship.

3. it would be great if yn lets hae explain so she could have a closure...if a closure was something that she wants . bcs from the looks of it, yn just want something to hold against hae to force herself into believing that she had really moved on from hae . again, it's easier to hate someone when u dunno the reasons for the actions 🤷🏻‍♀️

idk if I'm making sense with these . tbh idek what I'm writing bout lol 🤣

Ur my favorite haeyn defender 🤞 this long ass essay is doing justice to them but the part where you said Minji would sacrifice herself for the ppl she loves GOT TO MEE bro like I kinda regret writing Minji as such a sweetheart 💔💔

But yes y/n is defo looking for some closure but will it rlly be enough for her to leave Minji … idk 🌚

#lai responds #i really like this one #haeyn defenders fighting back

[seddm]

What did you think of Amphibia finale? Also, are you a sashannarcy stan?

SPOILERS FOR AMPHIBIA'S FINALE BELOW

(I'll answer the Sashannarcy part of the question tomorrow in another post, because this one is already long enough as it is)

I liked it, some days ago I talked about some of my (largely subjective, based on personal preferences and not the quality of the episode itself) issues with it, but subsequent tweets by the creator largely pacified my troubled spirit.

As for the a more objective comment on the finale, so without going once again over what I talked about in the post linked above, it's a solid finale. All In is probably the better episode, compared to The Hardest Thing, from an all around point of view. The 48 minutes duration allowed it to have a good pacing, fitting in several stories in parallel giving almost all characters involved their moment of payoff. Also, it's an entirely positive episode, by the end of it everyone is better than they were at the beginning - emotionally , can't say the same for the physical part...

This doesn't mean the actual last episode is bad, but it feels more like an epilogue (and it is, after all), with the very first part of the episode rushing things at a breakneck pace. This helps the sense of urgency, but takes a lot out of scenes such as the three girls meeting Valeriana and getting their full powers.

The anime fight is wonderful and the animest thing to ever happen in a Disney show for sure, even if some frames looked sliiightly off model or wonkier, at least compared to the high budget scenes in All In. Still, way above the network standard. You can see how carefully crafted the animatic is here.

The Core's defeat felt slightly anticlimactic, in a way, despite how powerfully emotional the scenes leading to it were. Personally, I don't mind it. By now The Core was little more than a symbol (it had always been but especially after Darcy), a final clash between a force of change, and something that was ready to destroy everything to live forever in its own little digital world. The actual challenge Anne had to overcome was choosing to sacrifice herself and the gems, not the fight itself: the foe becomes irrelevant against the power of her determination.

The god part, a bit weird. The lore surrounding the gems had always been vague, so it fits in a way, but the little references to the olms, Valeriana, the temples spread over the series made me hope for something more "concrete". Still, thematically, the gems being a test fits perfectly, and after all we already knew that the crux of the prophecy revolved around morals more than anything else. And, on this subject, I loved the interpretation of the prophecy as a "call for help", as put by Mother Olm, which explains the existence of the Temples, a way for the warriors to say "no thank you" and give up their gifts and destiny. It's not like the Stones Deity forces anyone to do anything, after all. They're not a jerk.

Also, I don't care for the whole Anne Clone not Clone discourse. If a god tells someone they're sending them back to live their life, I don't ask question and accept they're the same person: soul, consciousness, the whole package.

I'm not going over Anne death, the scenes with Sprig, the goodbyes, because they're all wonderful and excellent and borderline emotional manipulation and I hate it. I would have liked something more between Andrias and Marcy, but finding a good balance was necessarily going to be hard. Can't make it look like Andrias' actions meant nothing to Marcy, can't dedicate multiple minutes to it either. The simple goodbye we got, with Andrias' almost tearing eyes, works very well. I'm entirely satisfied by the way Andrias' redemption and story were handled as a whole, a wonderful character (but I'd have loved him anyway, with Keith David's voice).

Pity the show was kinda forced to acknowledge the lack of Marcy's development outside Anne and Sasha, but that's consistent with her personal flaws, as she herself says. Just makes her relationship with Yunan and Olivia feel less powerful than the others. Guess she gets in complexity (with Andrias) what she lacks in intensity compared to Anne and Sasha with their respective amphibian companions.

I already said what I had to about the epilogues and the timeskips... and that's outdated since, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Matt's tweets seem (keyword, phrasing can be vague and ambiguous) to promise a sizeable amount of sugar in Marcy's soon-to-be-published journal, ready to sweeten part of the bitterness of the finale. But I can already say that the aged up designs are excellent. Polly in particular is fantastic (you can see alternative designs here), oozes personality. As a rule of thumb, I'm not a fan of large timeskips as a way to end a series, "I learned to love the characters with the designs they had for 99% of the show, and then they change at the very end, the last scenes we'll ever see?". But the Calamity Trio adult designs are very good, and I got mostly used to them immediately. Sasha might look a bit older than she's supposed to be, and I preferred Anne with bigger, dumb, expressive eyes, but that's extreme nitpicking.

Most of this post is nitpicking for the sake of it.

All in all, a good and bold finale to a tight series that, even with its flaws (possibly in not small part magnified by the limitations of a Disney cartoon), featured an incredibly likeable cast. And a lot of tears.

#seddm answers #amphibia #amphibia spoilers

[loveoversense]

So I'm reliving my middle school obsession with Vampire Academy with the show and am, honestly, loving it. The more diverse cast? All the queer shit? Absolutely up my alley! More thoughts under the cut because spoilers for both the books and the series so far~ (beware! really long rambly post filled with some oversharing on my part coming up! But if you want to dump your erratic thoughts on the show somewhere, my messages are available! Would love to talk about it and share thoughts with someone lol)

Okay, so mainly gonna be going off about episode 7, might come back later for thoughts on the earlier eps and some are sprinkled throughout this post as well. I saw a post somewhere before about how someone couldn't see how the Victor we'd been introduced to in the first 6 eps could be the one to pull a Natalie so to say and do that to one of his own daughters. And I don't think they necessarily will pull out Natalie, or even if they do, they have now set it up perfectly. Victor will be going through the trials, ostensibly, and now, he's lost so much in pursuit of being King, he's lost his daughter, perhaps his husband too, depending on how this all unfolds. If he feels he will lose his shot at being King, after having lost everything else, I could see it make perfect sense that he gets desperate enough to put Lissa through what happens in the books in order to get her to heal him so he can become King. After all, giving up this? After losing everything else dear to him? Victor is convinced of his cause, and passionate and determined as we've seen so far. He totally would.

Typing this and immediately also felt like adding a disclaimer that I think it is a slightly off colour allegory to real world politics to have the whole 'yes elementalist aka rightwinger extremism is bad BUT ALSO LEFTISTS/UNIONISTS (is that what the queen called them?) CAN BE OVERZEALOUS AND BAD YEAH?' trope like i' m kinda annoyed by the forced centrism we see in media every time they touch on a political issue anywhere, especially because like, Victor/the unionists' 'radical' philosophy is that maybe don't send actual children out to die? And also maybe people shouldn't made to breed like animals against their will? And, and here's the wild part, maybe minorities - I mean dhampirs- are people too who have rights and we've been treating them badly? Right like what part of that philosophy/the current political climate suggests that there are actual people in power who stand for minority rights who are like, torturing people to get the point across? What situation in our society makes you believe that that is somehow a warning of equal footing with the actual, physical, tangible threat from right wing governments-I mean elementalists- that POC, disabled, queer and otherwise disenfranchised communities - I mean dhampirs- experience daily?

Okay I realise I just went on a tangent, but I promise I do really enjoy the show! I just have... Notes.

Adrian! What a guy, loved seeing him pop-up this early. Immaculate vibes. I never got round to reading Bloodlines so I only know the generic lines, but I love how it's a more subtle drunkenness that's being played. Like he's woozy and off kilter but he's not stumbling into every corner. Which kinda fits? Adrian is self-medicating, has been doing so for a while, it's a skill he developed. Drunk enough to take the edge off, not too far gone in moments he needs some clarity, especially on a mission this important. Also, this man's facial expressions are A+. I live expressive faces, I have have it too. Can't way to see him rile up Dimitri as he continues flirting with Rose.

And then, the OTP that got me into fanfiction. No really. I discovered fanfic through Vampire Academy on fanfiction.net (my first ever fic that I wrote was indeed my own rendition of Last Sacrifice when the book hadn't come out yet and true to form, I never finished it and it is terrible, which, it was written by a 13-year-old, so fair enough) , and through there I got to Tumblr, and here we are more than 10 years later. Time really flies.

I also just remembered, and omg what a wild ride this post is turning out to be, that it was a VA fanfic that made me first realise I wasn't straight. I didn't have the correct terminology yet, but it must have been at 14 or so that I read a fic that wasn't centered on Rose and Dimitri, but Rose and Lissa. And I distinctly remember lying in bed, reading this fic, and just going "Oh. I am not straight." mind you this was during puberty which is hard enough as is and I didn't exactly have great queer rep in my life, I believe this was even before we had Glee to watch, so I wasn't as thrilled with this revelation at the time, but none the less, it happened. And the good news, these days I'm absolutely thrilled to be a raging bisexual. Which actually makes for a lovely little bridge back to the actual subject at hand!

The absolutely gorgeous couple that is Rose and Dimitri. All the props to Sisi Stringer and Kieron Moore for their excellent faces and the acting they do with them! You're both very hot and I hope you know it and also you do the acting good! Love the chemistry, the playfulness they gave the couple, the tenderness they introduced and the way they set up the dynamic. Live how they out to words why Dimitri clings to a system that is actually really fucked up. He's coping, in the only way he knows how. He doesn't trust himself, and this system has such clear rules that no matter how fucked up those rules are, he knows where every line is, and thus he can stay far far away from them and beevr even risk crossing them. Until of course he meets Rose, and suddenly he wants something more than not to cross the line, he sees that crossing those lines might actually give him good things as well. Ugh.

Also saw another post, not that I don't love when my fave characters are happy but also, as any storyteller, I like it better when they suffer. They can be happy later! For now gimme all the juicy drama~ makes the tender apologies and getting back together all the more sweet afterwards.

Also Daniela, love your take on Lissa, just trying to do the best she can for her friend whom she lives more than anyone, so she's pushing her away because she thinks that's the only way to protect her. Ouch. Calling me out there but so beautifully portrayed.

Also am I just terminally pessimistic or was there anyone else that saw the kid with the football and went "Ahh look! Cannon fodder!" (is this a generally known term? I use it to refer to characters, purely created to be killed of at a certain point. Probably not an official literary term, but I've always lived it for its evocative ability).

Also just a lot of love for the political intrigue. Setting this up as a major plot line from the start was smart I believe. I am curious to see whether the idea for the storylines will be that we get the first trials and Tatiana wins, and then she follows her fate in the books, and we get a new round in what would be like 3 or so seasons where Lissa competes in the trials, or if they plan to enter the Lissa/lost dragomir storyline this early on. I don't think so honestly.

Also im betting that season 1 ends with Rose and Lissa making their grand escape which, with Rose and Dimitri being ~entangled~ already would make that reunion even juicier. I really hope they get at least a few seasons to tell this story, I think some really cool things could be done with it!

Also! They curse! Lots! I love it!

#vampire academy #1x07 #Beyond the wards #Romitri #my thoughts #I ramble I'm sorry #peacock #rose hathaway #dimitri belikov #lissa dragomir #adrian ivashkov

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01 - Disc 6

Only 3 more volumes to go! I feel like there's not a ton going on with this plot. It's basically just slowly waiting for Arkadimon to evolve while everyone yells at Neo to stop. Not super riveting, but the art is nice...

Ch. 35

-Man, they're really hammering home the moral quandary thing ("Are we on the side of good?") At first I thought it was kinda deep for a kids' series, but now I'm like "get on with it!"

-Omegamon's sword kinda looked like a lightsaber in this. Plus, it had a "byun" onomatopoeia when it came out.

Ch. 36

-A "talk no jutsu" chapter where Hideto reveals his motivations to Taichi and Taichi gives a speech about digimon being worthy of life/respect. Glad Taichi pointed out that Hideto's plan doesn't really add up and doesn't respect Rei's wishes.

-Zero gains a new skill which is apparently is a thing Taichi can see on his digivice. Doesn't seem like Taichi can select skills from his digivice (like in a game) because he just verbally tells Zero what to do half the time.

Ch. 37

-Damn, that was like a Dragonball Z fight, it just kept going. Glad it's finally over.

-Hideto's redemption felt very similar to Ken's in Adventure 02, complete with partner sacrifice and dramatic breakdown. Hopefully Taichi and his partners' message finally sank in?

Ch. 38

-Well, there goes my prediction that Demon would be the next big bad after Neo, what a twist! It did seem kinda weird that Neo would be okay with being an underling.

-Why would Rei still not have feeling in her legs? I feel like that makes no sense. Besides, wouldn't you struggle to walk if you can't feel anything below the waist?

Ch. 39

-The Alias 3 go against Neo. I guess it's nice to have more kids on the side of good for once. The whole "I only needed the battle power of 3 people" thing felt very contrived.

-Neo basically revealed he doesn't give a crap about anyone, including his sister. He's a boring villain, I gotta say...

Ch. 40

-Not only is Neo a boring villain, Arkadimon is boring too, both in design and lack of any voice/personality (doesn't even have eyes to emote with). I get that most evil tamers' digimon are just soulless killing machines, but it doesn't have to be that way!

-I would say that the best part of this chapter was Rosemon's sacrifice (even though it ended up being kind of pointless). Seeing the Alias 3's love for their digimon contrasted with Neo's coldness is an effective way to set them apart as redeemed villains.

#digimon adventure v-tamer 01 #manga #digimon

[fanfic-inator795]

Adore your writing! Any thoughts on what you think Sho and Yoshi's relationship was like (at any point in time)? How they viewed one another?

Aww, thanks so much! ^v^

Honestly, I feel like it was always kinda complicated. They never completely resented each other, but they were both pretty stubborn in addition to having different priorities that just weren't compatible with each other.

It's obvious that Yoshi's trauma regarding his mother played a huge role in how he saw his family/clan as well as the duty forced upon him. Beyond the general immaturity of a teenager/inability to see the Big Picture, it's hard to truly believe in the 'greater good' when all it's brought you is pain - and if someone only felt like the next link in a chain, only born and trained so they could give their life for 'the mission' or to 'save the world from some boogeyman', it wouldn't surprise me at all if they ended up pushing HARD against that, wanting to not only stand out as their own person but to also just find their own happiness if they felt like their own family didn't care about that. As far as Yoshi knew, Sho barely cared about him and only saw him as another clan member who needed to be molded into what the world needed, regardless of what Yoshi needed to sacrifice to be it.

At the same time though, we know that Yoshi regretted his mistakes - he regretted not giving his grandfather a proper goodbye back when he was still Lou Jitsu, and he regretted not doing his part in defeating the Foot/Shredder once he realized that he inadvertently put his sons in danger. That's something I feel a lot of people forget - once he realized that the danger WAS real and not just an old myth that had no basis to believe in, Splinter IMMEDIATELY stepped up. So, perhaps if Sho had been able to understand where younger!Yoshi was coming from (i.e. incorrectly believing that any sacrifice would've been for nothing) and show a bit more sympathy instead of just scolding or nagging him, maybe things could've turned out differently.

BUT, at the same time, I also can't completely blame Sho for how he handled things. Yes, he absolutely could've been more empathetic and a bit more flexible, but at the same time - Sho was at the end of his life. He KNEW what would happen if he died and Yoshi wasn't properly prepared for the Foot's return - it would literally be the end of the world. From that perspective, I can see why he was so stubborn about getting Yoshi to listen to him, as well as why he didn't see much value in Yoshi's acting - because, yeah, when compared to the safety of the world, he would just be seen as something silly and without value (even though there obviously WAS value). As far as Sho knew, they BOTH failed in their duties and the world was going to pay the price for it. Makes sense that he'd be more than a little bitter about that.

We also have to remember that Sho likely grew up in a time where he was taught traditional, group-focused values while Yoshi was exposed to more modern, individual-focused values. So yeah, between the clashing perspectives/different priorities, the trauma that Yoshi suffered, Sho not knowing any other way to prevent the end of the world, and just a boat-load of miscommunication and misconceptions, it just resulted in a lot of resentment and hurt.

...But I don't think they ever hated each other. Far from it, in fact. I mean, Yoshi wouldn't have cried over Sho's final goodbye if he did hate him. But, unfortunately for the two of them, Yoshi's story is very much 'tragedy with a happy ending', and just given the circumstances, I'm just not sure if it'd be possible for them to reconcile until after the fact - after the Shredder has been defeated for good, after Splinter has gained some additional perspective, and after Sho is able to risk being a bit more flexible and a bit more emotionally available.

[papirouge]

Got a question for you, I saw you had a theory that the Pope and the people in the Vatican are sacrificing people and kids there. I'm a Catholic myself, and well, that's a pretty scary thought. If it's true, what should I do? I couldn't abandon my Faith for God, I believe in Jesus and all he has done. I also have respect and care for the Saints and the Holy Family, such as the Virgin Mary. I've even by their intercession had prayers answered, and I'm active in my Parish community. And before you say it, no I am not worshipping Saints, it's more a call center idea rather than putting them on equal footing with God, I see it as more asking a friend or family member for prayers. I'm just kinda concerned, I don't know what to do. Plus if the Vatican is doing nasty stuff like that and summoning demons, how can the Faithful be doing anything beneficial, such a prayers, charity, helping others, etc.? I'm just kinda lost and confused. God Bless you and your family, by the way I hope your new fashion business is going well.

Yeah I often hear that from Catholics. That they're not "praying" at Mary, just asking for intercession, and you speaking of the Saints you're talking to like "friend or family" member, but....you realize you already have all of this in Jesus, right? so why looking for someone else? what do those saints or Mary that Jesus cannot. Why not talk directly to the decision maker instead of mortals?

You say you believe in Jesus and what He's done so then why don't you respect his words? Jesus said to let the dead bury the dead, so why do you pray dead people? Dead people can't do much for us, that's why Jesus said we should live for the livings. Jesus is the God of life, not death.

Jesus won over death, that's not the case of Mary or any Saints. They obviously are in heaven but they have not resurrected after 3 days. They are not sitting right next to the Father. They can't do anything more for us than the billions of people who died before them. Oh and this "but when we die in Christ we aren't dead but living forever in Christ so praying to the Saints isn't praying to the dead" doesn't make sense ; why aren't you praying to every single Christian/Catholic who died then? Why only a handful of cherry picked European Catholics from centuries ago are chosen to be patron saints?

It's crazy to me how Catholics don't realize how European-washed this 'patron saint' thing is. Like, you're telling me that of all Jesus believers around the world, only a handful of them who *coincidentally* are almost all from a Europe, would become patron saints...? That's why Christianity is so great imo : it transcends cultures. That's why there's no "Christian outfit" "Christian language". Catholicism is an Europeanization of Christianism that cannot translate in other cultures without exposing itself for what it is: a rehash of the message of Christ through the lens of European cultures.

I you follow me for a while, you'd know that I myself a former Catholic (I've been to catechism as a kid, got baptized as a Catholic) but I snapped out of it the moment I realized this whole praying for Mary/Saints thing is NOT in the Bible. Though at least Catholicism is consistent in that it doesn't abide to Sola Scriptura. But preaching things that directly go against what the Bible says (i.e not praying anyone beside God -so not Mary, Saints or dead people-) is where I draw the line. It's lowkey funny to see Catholics pull out their catechism literature (they have written themselves!!) to back up their non biblical beliefs when.... that's literally what Revelations 22:18 warned us against 💀 It's like someone justifying their headcanon with a fanfic they wrote themselves...

THAT BEING SAID, I make a huge difference between Catholics and the Pope. Yes, I'm convinced that the Pope summons demons and that there are black masses in the Vatican undergrounds with child sacrifice and orgies, but that's not remotely relevant to regular Catholics. The way non believers constantly attack Catholics over what the Pope or abusive clergy does is retarded, especially when they are the ones who freak out when we use individual action to diss entire populations (whether it's race, sexual orientation, countries, etc.), but somehow when it's Catholics or Christians that's a totally ok thing to do... Go figure.

Theology aside, I really appreciate Catholics. I've always said that when it came to works, they were more faithful to what the Bible commands (helping the poor, the sick, etc) than protestants who usually freak out at the idea of giving out money to the needy.. They're also less politically driven though it's interesting how in my country, Catholic embrace leftist ideals (charity, helping the poor, social work), unlike (US) Protestantism which is more right oriented.

Just by reading your ask you seem to be a lovely person anon, and as all the Catholic who follow my blog, I just want you to know I don't consider you as an enemy just because you're Catholic. If you are lost and confused about your faith, I really recommend you to seek Jesus (not Mary, Peter, or whomever else 😭). Honestly I can Imagine him being also confused about you not going directly to him when he's just eager to meet you close and personal.

#answered #Christian

[rev3rb]

You’re right it’s not that surprising, but it is pretty bold. He went from spending the last couple chapters fighting for everyone to work together, to deciding against everyone he knows. So I’m super interested to see how he plans to go at it alone given that the only ppl who would be on his side are probably the First and maybe the demons under him. Whom I definitely wanna get back to. I’m curious if Asuramaru’s return might lead to an interaction between him and Krul. Mainly bc I wanna know if the demons being exposed to other vampires might lead them to break away from the First’s plan and messaging.

Which brings me to the thing you brought up about potential ‘programming’. I definitely think that’s likely the case at some level. When there were so many versions of Yu created it makes sense to think that the First was maybe experimenting with him in some way to figure out how to get his desired results. If so, I think it would be cool to see how acknowledging that some part of their bond was manufactured could change Yu & Mika’s perspective on one another.

Also, as far as Yu wanting to save everyone, that would be a very expected goal for him to go after. But I think if he actually did it, that might become what we talked about awhile ago: an unrealistically easy solution. As a character, he has a habit of making up his mind and dragging along other characters with how he thinks things ought to be, even if he doesn’t have a solid understanding of how to achieve that. So, especially with Yu’s past naive behavior about having his cake and eating it too I personally think it would be more interesting narratively for him to take a path of either sacrifice or selfishness.

Although, I’m never truly against a happy ending, regardless of whether I feel it’s well earned or good for the plot. If everyone gets reunited and there’s world peace? Great 👍 lol

Thanks for chatting with me again :)

True, it is really bold. Yu isn't much of a planner. As you sorta say later, he kinda just does things. He's pretty decent at thinking on his feet, but rarely does it seem like he'll come up with a plan on his own, so I think that, at least for now, he plans on winging it. Probably thinks that he and Mika can do anything if they try. Yu's not stupid when he puts his head to good use though, so I guess we'll see. As for Ashuramaru, I wouldn't be surprised if he interacted with Krul soon. We kinda got faked out on that one back in 109 (iirc?), so it'd make sense if that was looming on the horizon.

Oh yeah, it would definitely be that too easy ending we talked about. I'm not entirely against it either, but I'd want it to feel deserved. Yu would need to develop and grow as both a character and person for that to feel deserved to me. If he just continues to pull people along and get his way essentially just because he's the protag, then that'd make for a lackluster ending. Pure speculation, but I could see an ending where, because Yu has some weird unknown power about him, it turns out that Yu can sacrifice himself to help bring back humanity and Mika. I'm personally not too sure how I feel about that atm since it just occurred to me. Don't wanna deep dive on it for length purposes (I could speculate about possible endings all day), but Yu already has no regard for his own life, so you know he'd do it in a heartbeat. What could be more interesting is if that option is available to him, but he's convinced not to. I digress though. We can speculate until the manga ends, but at the end of the day, that's all it is. Speculation.

Thank you for responding to what I said. Always fun to hear what you think about... well, my thoughts lol

#Owari no Seraph #OnS 115 #OnS 115 spoilers #Owari no Seraph spoilers #Asks #Anonysis Asks #My posts