#when you consider . every general factor of my favorite characters

[astrxealis]

i am so obnoxious over bg3 but like. privately. bcs i'm still urgehafsjsh over how astarion is literally everything to me now and i really adore him but hi: i haven't played bg3. anyway. half-elf + bard maybe!

#⋯ ꒰ა starry thoughts ໒꒱ *·˚ #sorry. sorry. sorry to be so annoying but ASTARION..... #mr neil did so good voicing him all lines HIT. not a single bad one. oh man #i adore astarion's character from the outermost layers to the innermost i love his development and all the different scenes your choices #can lead to. how different he can be. how dramatic he can be how sarcastic how soft he can be. astarion. #wtf the obsession kicked in late... #bcs okay i learned of bg3 just. around tumblr. and what got me finally the Nudge to get into it was THE NEWS OF THE BEAR ASTARION THING #LMFAO and then i was like Oh Yeah hm maybe astarion will be my favorite (insert my thoughts here) #and then i learned more abt baldur's gate only Then and then got obsessed whooo but very normal #and sometime there my twin also got interested and whooo normally obsessed w bg/3/astarion and then got insanely obsessed #and here i was a few days ago or last week. normal. then all of a sudden i GOT... obsessed....... #astarion has consumed my every waking moment and i'm also in lov w the other characters. gale... karlach... shadowheart... etc... #and astarion has easily become one of my most favorite characters. which is not surprising at ALL #when you consider . every general factor of my favorite characters #+ how the story of how i came to like him is a STORY INDEED to tell ..... and how i got spoiled a bit too on some stuff but thats ok w me... #and my circumstances w my favorite games are real funny (for a lack of a better word) too i realize. oh man. #anyway. astarion. i adore him #it's unfair too i'm in my hozier era fully rn so. brain consumed #me listening to all of hoziers three albums (i adore hozier) and associating so many songs w astarion :/ like work song #idk. astarion reaaaaaally deserves hugs and love and and and i adore him

[lunamond]

Now that episode 18 of Vinland Saga has aired I can finally talk about one of my absolute favorite character arcs in the farmland arc.

That being Ketil. He is introduced as a "fair" and "kind slavemaster". He doesn't mistreats his slaves, even offering the opportunity to gain back their freedom.

And you can see this in the audience reception of this character. Plenty of people seemed to like him and feel bad for him when he is confronted with challenges.

However, over the course of the season as he gets more screentime, it is revealed that :

Despite Ketil himself being fair to his slaves, his own underlings (farmhands and hired guards) actively mistreat and abuse these slaves. Which at worst shows that he doesn't actually cares about his slaves and at best that he is ignorant to the state of his own farm.

Ketil is scared of his own son (Thorgil). This at first glance might seem entirely reasonable and not Ketil's fault. However, considering that Ketil seems to also fail at raising Olmar it paints a pretty bleak picture of him as a father.

He doesn’t seem to subscribe to the violence craving ideology other norse men do, which by itself might be a point in his favor.

However, the storyline with the kids stealing his grain reveals Ketil is utterly incapable of backing up his beliefs, despite as the patriarch of the family and a wealthy landowner being in the unique position where he actually could implement and enforce his convictions.

Instead he watches woefully his social inferiors (Snake and Pater - his employees, Thorgil - his son, and his wife) decide the fate of these children, a decision that rightfully should be his to make. In the end all of his lamenting about the violence expected of norse men is revealed to being mere selfpity over his own disability to fully embody this social ideal.

This is brought home by one of the mist poignant sequences in the first cours of this season:

Ketil a slavemaster crying in the arms of an his own slave, Arnheid, complaining about his own suffering due to unjust expectations

The young boy he has just beaten brutally to uphold his own fragile image

Thorgil and other man indulging in an excess of food and drink (which is quite ironic considering that the boy was beaten for stealing food to survive)

All of this of course columnates in the most recent episode, when Ketil finally sheds the fragile facade of the generous, jovial Master.

The beating of Arnheid is ultimately the moment we see who Ketil has truely been all along. We seen him obsessed with his own prosperity, continuously seeking to expand it (Thorfinn and Einar's task) and jealously guarding it from outsiders via the guests. He continously buckles under social expectations of what a man is supposed to be and only uses his own distaste for violence to selfishly pet his own ego.

However, in the end he like every other norse men will use violence to hord his wealth (beating a child) and prop up his social standing (story about iron fist). Despite his supposed kindness to slaves like Thorfinn and Einar, he ultimately regards them as his own property.

All of these factors lead to him beating Arnheid, who he ultimately only sees as his posession.

#vinland saga #makoto yukimura #manga #vinland saga season 2 #ketil #arnheid #all slaveowners are bad slaveowners #ketil is a perfect examination of #toxic masculinity

[santacoppelia]

A different approach to narrative analysis model, (over)simplified.

I promised to make a post about “my approach” to narrative analysis. When I say “mine” I mean it literally: a couple of years ago, a good friend of mine (who is a philosopher, with a knack for logical models and maths) and me (I’m sort of a CommSci major, with wide experience in cultural semiotics and directing narrative analysis thesis) were so frustrated by the finale of “Game of Thrones” that we started ranting, which was the natural way at the time.

What wasn’t natural was that we started veering towards the need of a different sort of analysis when talking about “serialized audiovisual narratives” (yeah, series). Because most of the tools you can find out there are:

Derived from literary analysis: where, in most cases, you have only one creator for the entire thing, while in series you have a lot of people involved in what you get on screen: writers, directors, showrunners, actors, editors… If you want to take the "autorial intent" route, you find that there are too many possible authors, each one with a different approach and ability to contribute. Also, there is the question of time, but I'll talk about this in a bit.

Influenced by psychology: which, I admit, is a lot of fun, but it is also speculative at best… because a character, by nature, has “no psychology” or “inner life”. We all love analyzing and overanalyzing this (it is sooooo much fun!) but in the end, in terms of achieving some sort of “objectivity”, it is really difficult to pinpoint and to get with some semblance of certainty. All we have to understand the characters are their actions, really.

Too abstract to generalize: I love narratology, really. The emphasis on characters being sort of “agents” that fulfill actions that are needed to propel the story forward is precious for many things and allows shifts in analysis that can be delicious (“What happens if you make your antagonist the actant?” might be my favorite). However, this tool set works better when analyzing written narratives, for specific scenes, and even when you could extrapolate it to compare or check out entire character trajectories… It is just not the right tool to do it.

Another factor that we considered was that, while books have an inner time that may or may not correspond to any external time logic, usually serialized audiovisual narratives are constrained by other sorts of time: episodes, seasons and such. Characters do not live in reality, but live in a “reality” that needs to create its own inner “sense”. As my coauthor would put it during one of our first discussions: “the main difference between being a human and being a character is that characters have a lot of ellipsis, while us humans have to go to the loo, pay taxes and do a lot of boring stuff”.

If you live in a “reality” where ellipsis are rules and not exceptions, every action counts. If an action is being shown, it is because it has relevance into building the plot. But how can we use this analyze the “probable trajectory” of a plot?

Our first proposal was centering the idea of actions over time. But… We needed something more. If we do not have psychological parameters, how can we observe the effects of actions over time in the narrative? We decided to center in relationships. Those are also “observable”: you can know if an action had an effect on a relationship between characters (usually, and we could also build a “valence” for those relationships: positive (strengthens the relationship) or “negative” (undermines the relationship).

We built this interaction scale, very modeled around the sort of actions you would find in a show like GoT, but that we felt can be easily extrapolated to other narratives:

Therefore, you could see how an action affected the relationship over time, and it also had to “build a trajectory” that had some internal logic in the internal world. A good narrative, we proposed, was not going to take a character from 0 to 100 in a blink, or that would break the verisimilitude of the whole world. Yup, we should remember that the last season of GoT inspired this.

What we were looking for was something as “neutral” as narratology, but that we could also transform into… TA-DA! A mathematical model. That was mostly the work of the other coauthors. They analyzed and programed all the interactions in the first three seasons of GoT… And well, it clicked, and allowed us to understand if a character arc was working in terms of verosimilitude, or not. You can find the whole paper here.

Even when I don’t use the math model for predictability, I usually go to the same basic principles when analyzing media: characters, actions, relationships and if that “makes sense” in the internal logic of the world. That is also why I tend to not invest myself deeply into “symbolic analysis”: it is fun, and it is great entertainment, but I’d bring up a couple of concepts borrowed from Umberto Eco: “obra aperta” (open work), as a finished and published work that becomes a playground for all the interpretations that the reader/spectator wants to superimpose over them (some of them “more accepted” than others, but none of them absolutely right or wrong, disquieting as it sounds) and “infinite semiosis”, the phenomenon through which we connect our references with one another and multiply their meanings. There is a real life complexity built into semiotic and symbolic analysis, in the purest sense of "complexity": too many moving parts, generating emerging qualities that have no clear causality. This is one of the most frequent criticisms received by these models in academia!

That's why, fellow tumblr citizens, I work the way I work... And I loved the idea of sharing this in here. It would probably be one of those posts with 2 notes, but I'm weirdly proud of this "toy" and I wanted to share with the class.

#narrative analysis #academic work #I can't believe they allowed us to publish this #But I believe we did something amazing #serialized audiovisual narratives #analyzing series

[knickynoo]

Hi there! Me again.

I’ve been rewatching Family Ties (thanks again for showing me where!) and noticed something about Alex’s character that i don’t care for/think you have touched upon.

What are your thoughts on his views of women?The advice he gave Jeff on his date with Mallory appalled me. Do you think it’s just a product of the time- how right leaning people were expected/did to treat women? Or is it something deeper? I don’t understand how he thinks this way after seeing how amazing Steven and Elyse are toward each other. (Even if the kids are disgusted every time they kiss lol)

I would love to hear your opinion!

Hello! Nice to hear from you again :)

Yeah, so, a lot of the words that come out of Alex's mouth regarding women are 😬😬😬

I can't recall the exact advice you're referring to, but I do know it's bonkers. Something about how women want a man to make all her decisions or something? Boss her around and take charge? It's honestly not only some of his worst advice, but I also think it's one of the more outrageous things he says in regards to women out of the whole series.

It's especially weird considering he's giving advice on how his sister should be treated by Jeff! And we know that, while Alex isn't always the nicest to Mallory, he loves her very much and wants to protect her. I mean, there's an entire first season episode centered around Alex losing his mind over Mallory going out with a guy who Alex doesn't like or trust. He's so worried about this guy taking advantage of Mallory and not treating her right, then he goes and gives bananas advice to Jeff. So...what's the deal?

Honestly, I don't know, lol. If I had to guess, there are probably several different factors at play that contribute to those moments Alex says Horrible Things.

1. He operates with a set of standards and values from way before his time. The thing is that Alex isn't even a product of his time—a lot of the opinions he holds would be considered outdated in the 80s by the majority of people, regardless of political leaning.

I can't for the life of me remember the episode or the exact quote, so I'm going to butcher it I'm sure, but there's a scene where Alex is lamenting how no one holds the same values he does, and he and Steven have an exchange like this:

Alex: "I should have been born in the 40s."

Steven: "Even then, you'd be a little conservative."

Alex: "The 1740s."

Steven: "....Even then, you'd be a little conservative."

It's something like that. If anyone knows what episode this is from or what the exact line is, lmk because it's one of my favorites.

2. Alex is an extreme black and white thinker. I think this is the number one trait of his that impacts him the most across the board. So many of his problems boil down to him just not seeing nuance. It's not that he's unwilling to. The guy just can't.

It makes Alex very rigid in his thoughts on things, and that absolutely spills over into situations like when he gives advice to Jeff or voices any other wild opinion. He's going to automatically go to the extremes because that's all he can wrap his head around. In a relationship, men should have all the control. They should make the decisions and say specific things and so on. It then leads him to make generalizations about women and their roles.

I think he also finds some security in these thoughts, honestly. Alex clings to facts and things that he feels are concrete and reliable. We also know that he has a very hard time processing and acknowledging his emotions. Putting people into two neat piles is comfortable for him, and anything that doesn't fit into either of those piles is too overwhelming. Alex's world needs rules for it to feel stable to him. Unfortunately, a lot of those rules are...not so great.

3. Shock-value: This is more about Alex the TV show character rather than the "real life" in-universe Alex Keaton, but still. A good deal of his character, especially in the earlier seasons, hinged on him saying or doing things that got a reaction from the audience. You can't have a show about ex-hippy, progressive parents without someone for them to knock heads against. The early episodes in particular seemed to really lean into this, and I feel like he gets toned down slightly as the series goes on? Don't get me wrong, it doesn't go away, but he does grow.

• The "Ladies Man" episode has him realizing that, while he may not support a particular movement, he absolutely respects the rights of the women in the movement. Him jumping up to defend the woman being heckled by a guy, and then his little speech to the women at the end are two of my favorite Alex moments.

• After a very difficult adjustment period when he gets a new job and learns his boss is a woman, Alex ends up really respecting her and becoming friends with her. (Wow, this ep is uncomfortable for the first half, though!)

• Ellen in particular has an impact on helping Alex to see those "in-between" areas, in my opinion. Some heart to hearts with Elyse help as well, and it's clear through the series that Alex loves and respects his mother a great deal.

Idk if this response was coherent, but there you go, haha. Alex is such a complicated character, and whenever I write about him, I feel like I'm trying to untangle a gigantic mess of yarn. But I do love him! Sometimes he is a menace, though!! He should, perhaps, simply keep his mouth shut a lot of the time.

(Also, Steven and Elyse don't discipline him ever, so it's partly their fault if we're being real here)

What? Who said that?

Thanks for the ask!

#asks #family ties #alex p keaton #apk

[deaf-bakugou]

Fully understanding that it is not your job to educate every single hearing person that wants to ask you questions about being deaf/hoh, I totally accept if you don't have the time or energy to respond to my question. If that's the case, I hope you have a great day! I found your blog via you being credited on the fic A Soul's Challenge because I also love the deaf Bakugo trope!

That being said, I'm currently writing an original story where I've decided to include a deaf/hoh character and I'm wondering if you would be able to point me in the direction of any educational materials I can use to write him correctly and respectfully? Or, if nothing else, any of your favorite Bakugo fanfictions that treat his deafness particularly well that I can learn from?

(Okay, I may also just be fishing for fic recs because, well, I do love me the blastie boi)

If you're up to it, I'd be happy to have a proper conversation via DMs! Thanks for your attention either way!

Hey! I'm sorry for the probably late reply. My messages... never tell me when I have them. (I'm told it is a common problem) I am more than happy to chat with you via dm's to help provide information. But let me say now, there is no one solid way to write your character correctly. It will vastly depend on a number of factors. If you are looking for a fun resource book I can recommend a book titled "for hearing people only"

But even this is just a general guide. (I have this book and I am Deaf myself. But not all Deaf experiences are the same. So it was still useful for me)

Factors to consider for you character include,

Us this a fantasy world or a real world. Do their parents know sign language. Do they know sign language? Do hearing aids or cochlear exist in your world? Did they attend a Deaf institute, were the mainstreamed, or fully homeschooled? This plus more factors into your portrayal just to begin. But I can tell you right now, if your Deaf person cannot hear well enough to communicate verbally, do not give them some magical aid that allows them to suddenly communicate perfectly. That just erases the fact that hearing loss IS a disability. (Though we prefer not to call it that. It is a culture.) But in the context here as a hearing person you must be aware of the things that it affects and that you can't magic them away or you will be written off as bad rep. Read through my blog there is a variety of writing advice there. Also, if you can get a copy, I enjoyed this fantasy story of a Deaf medieval character,

It was given to me by my ASL teacher when I despaired over reading material that understood what I was going through. (Bless her) a fascinating look into what it might be like in a fantasy setting. Look for art and stories by Deaf people and read it, look at it. Try to understand the grief and the pain and the struggle and the joy and the delay. Then when you write a scene, ask someone in the community, preferably who is similar to the circumstances you are writing, read over it and give feedback. I've studied Deafness from a medical, psychological, governmental and cultural angle. I know a lot. But not everything.

I have a Deaf Bakugou fic rec list somewhere on my page. If I find it I will reblog it again. But I haven't read any of the current stuff. I'm a year behind! Check out my fic on Ao3 though if you want an insight for disasters! (In America lol)

If anyone wants to send me current deaf bakugou fics please do! I will read and promo some! I would like to see how it has changed in the past year and what's going on!

[solitaire-sol]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

Big thanks to @mycupofrum and @lovelymasks for tagging me!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

29, though all but one are 500-word microfics so it's not that impressive.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

17,377... which is pretty on-par, given the above.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

At the moment, I'm only actively writing and posting Harry Potter fics, though I've written more widely in the past, for many and varied fandoms. Most of it went unpublished, though.

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

All but one are oneshot microfics, and all are Prongfoot, of course. None of them have done big numbers, but I cherish every little heart!

this universe of you and me (we'll make ourselves inevitable) [45]

10. Diamond [41]

21. Deprive [25]

22. Lineage [22]

10. Hope [22]

5. Do you respond to comments?

Every comment! I might take a while, depending on how things are going for me, but I don't get a lot so the ones I have are extra-precious. As a commenter, I love it when the author responds so I know I'm not annoying them with my comment, so that's a factor, too.

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

Um... I guess the second bonus epilogue to 05. North? Since it leads into the canon path for Sirius, which is, as we know, not his best possible timeline.

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

I'm going to go with 16. Cultivate, because it's just kid!Prongsfoot and strongly-implied mutual crushes and nothing bad happens to them after this, okay?? we can pretend, dammit

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, though that's probably due to audience size + wordcount, so not much room to offend or people to be offended. Silver linings!

9. Do you write smut?

Yes! But none that I've published. It's good enough for me, but I don't know if anyone else would like it, and then: Self doubt! Preemptive cringe! And I don't post it.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Not in a "characters from Thing A meet characters from Thing B" way, but I've done some yet-to-be-published microfics that take HP characters (mostly James and Sirius, obviously) and put them in other settings, like Madoka Magica or Pacific Rim. So... Yes, I guess?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge! Honestly, I think I'd be kind of flattered that anyone would consider my writing worth stealing.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not to my knowledge! Although, like the above, it'd be very flattering if it ever happened.

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

Not unless prose-style roleplaying counts as fanfiction! I'd be interested in trying it, but I have no idea how it would go.

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

James/Sirius, Sirius/James, Prongsfoot, Bambibelle, by any other name, they're my overall favorite ship with 99.9% certainty.

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

... Anything that's more than a oneshot, yes. It's so much easier to imagine the perfect fic and watch it play out like a mind-movie rather than hauling it out of my brainpan like a deep-sea fisherman wrestling a trophy marlin onto dry land, all typed and edited and posted despite second/third/more thoughts.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I like descriptions and scene-setting and lore/worldbuilding, and I've been told that I'm pretty decent at this, so I'd say those? The fact that I've written a lot of microfics without any dialogue whatsoever probably says a lot.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue! Especially in HP, because the intricacies of British English and years of seeing British/Commonwealth opinions on Americans failing to write British characters (in fanfiction, specifically) has me too anxious to try. I have so many modern Prongsfoot ideas that I can't bring myself to attempt due to this, leaving them to rot like fallen leaves in the orchard of my imagination. More generally, I'm terrible at longfics or anything that requires extended effort because the number of spoons I have is variable but usually rounds up to "too few." Then I feel bad because I haven't been writing, etc etc, which is why I've only published microfics.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I don't have any problem with it if it fits; I got really into Poe in middle school and he loves throwing in random non-English quotes without translating it, so I can't begrudge anyone who does it now. I only speak/write in English so that's the language my fics are in.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Pokemon. It was based on my first-ever playthrough of Pokemon Blue, but with the "Red" MC replaced by a pseudo-self-insert who spent most of the fic disguised as a boy/her own deceased twin brother whose soul was somehow inside of her for... some reason. (Note: I don't have a twin brother.) I wouldn't learn what fanfiction was for at least a few more years, but I'm pretty sure that was my first.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

I once did a novelization of an obscure JRPG that rewrote huge chunks of the game, improved characterization, closed plot holes and fixed the terrible English translation, as well as expanding the world and lore. It had an actual physical folder dedicated to all my notes and I had plans for an even bigger sequel. Sadly, I only posted the first chapter before my computer died and I lost everything on it (back up your work, kids!), and I subsequently lost most of my notes in a move. I'm not sure if this is a subconscious contributor to why I've only written short-form things since then, but I have fond if wistful feelings about it anyway-- Like my fanfic lost Lenore.

#tag game #writing #fanfiction #fics by sol #well this isn't an actual fic but it's about my fics #prongsfoot #bambibelle

[southieparkie]

Okay, I've seen this discourse going around on my dash because a few of my mutuals have expressed their takes. At first I was going to just. Side eye. And leave it at that. But I actually wanna talk about it real quick.

It doesn’t really matter if Cartman is the star of the show or if he’s the show’s backbone, people are not crazy lunatics for disliking him. A character’s role in a show shouldn’t have to be what dictates whether or not it’s okay for the fandom to hate them. That’s just silly. Let’s use the Winx Club, for example. I’ve seen people say that they hate Bloom, the main character in the show. Without Bloom, there would be no Winx Club. I was shocked by this at first because, hey! She’s Bloom! But it didn’t really hurt me or upset me because, while I personally like Bloom, I’m aware that there are people out there who don’t. That’s fine, preferences exist. I’ll live, and so will they.

Another really popular example that I’ve seen lately is Marinette from Miraculous Ladybug. This one did kinda hurt me a little, only because I really liked her and even saw bits and pieces of herself in me. The most recent ML season, from what I’ve seen and heard, has pretty much Mary Sue’d her in terms of accountability and clumsiness. Hey, shit happens. Although it’s sad that the fandom no longer likes my favorite character, I’m not going to wiggle my finger at whoever posts about how they’re disappointed that Marinette’s character has changed so drastically, and I’m especially not going to justify my finger-wiggling by saying that she’s the Star of the Show and therefore void of criticism. Or just. Immune to the fandom not liking her ass.

I’ve met people who even hate Spongebob. Spongebob Motherfucking Squarepants. Without him, there would be no show! But even then, it’s valid if the little guy annoys you.

All of this can be said about Cartman. I’m personally one of the ones who just flat out doesn’t care about him. I generally don’t feel the need to, like, analyze his character and look into why he does what he does. Not because I won’t benefit from it, I most likely will, but because I simply don’t want to. Drinking a tall glass of lemonade would be more refreshing than studying whatever the hell Cartman has got going on, I’ll tell ya that right now.

So yeah, people can dislike Cartman for whatever reason they feel. One of the most popular reasons being that he’s a shitty person. While I’d argue that this is par for the course considering the overall offensive rhetoric a show like South Park seems to present, you have to admit that the guy can take shit to another level. Also, I hate it when people fire back against that argument by saying “Well, all of the other characters are shitty human beings too!” because, yeah, you’re absolutely right, but I don’t recall Stan starting a Nazi Revolution in honor of one of the most evil human beings of all mankind. I don’t recall Kenny killing an innocent man and forcing a boy to eat Chili made out of his own cooked flesh. It doesn’t matter how you slice it, none of these characters hold a single candle to the amount of terrible shit Cartman has said and done, most of which he doesn’t even feel sorry for.

Even with the shit that the other characters do, they’re easily forgettable moments because the moments are few and far between, a refresher to remind the audience that these characters are in no way completely innocent. With Cartman, being a piece of shit is, like, central to every episode he’s in. Like, damn bitch, almost every episode you’re on some next level shit lmao.

I’d also like to address how fatphobia has come into play here. I mean, sure, yeah, things like fatphobia can and do stand as factors for why people don’t like characters, most likely internalized rather than intentional. And not to dismiss genuine fatphobia in the fandom, because I do believe that it’s there, I truly do not believe that that is a driving factor for the fans disliking Cartman. Like, c’mon. There’s a whole bunch of other shit here, I think his weight is the least of our worries.

Also in terms of shipping I think fans don’t like to ship Cartman with anyone because of the canonical event of Cartman actually getting a girlfriend. He was a manipulative asshole, we all saw it. Even before he and Heidi got together, the way he treats his friends and family is evidence enough. Idk. I don’t think he’d be any different while being romantically involved with any other member of the cast, which is why any ship involving him is, in my opinion, questionable at best and outright anti-semetic at worst (wink wink nudge nudge)

Anyway uhhh take this post with a grain of salt lol. If you like him, great! Just, y’know, don’t shame others for not liking him just because he’s the reason why South Park has it’s fame. Doesn’t matter, ppl are allowed to not like characters.

#south park #sp #eric cartman #tw antisemitism #rahh rahh what da discourse doin #lol im at the beach with my family and after a day of fun at the beach and delicious popcorn shrimp i find myself sitting in my hotel room #writing abt eric cartman #mind you i have long acrylics right now so its damn near impossible to type anything’s

[pansear-doodles]

Your ability to make such great art and great stories so frequently is really impressive :D! Do you have any tips on how to maintain that kind of drive?

Oh boy

my fellow tumblrian followers, its time i give a long tangent of advice when it comes to maintaining a drive

and I mean VERY long so bear with me.

So first off the bat, I'm not the best person when it comes to focus and consistency. You might immediately think otherwise considering what I post as of recent but actually- my Rain World hyperfixation has disturbed most of my scheduled stuff (but I at least maintain some aspect of uniform somewhere such as making sure I have enough sleep and having something to eat, and making sure I attend my college classes).

Aside from that however, there are actually positive factors and outcomes when it comes to this, or well- tangible from the idea of me posting RW content so frequently and everyday.

I'll go over the major ones:

Passion and Motivation I love Rain World so much and I don't even play it, yet I continue to try making fanart, which I enjoy doing. But why do I do it? Why do I continue to draw it? Why do I want to interpret these funky looking characters in my own way and in my own visions? Simple. Because I *want* to. Nobody is subjecting me nor forcing me to draw these characters. Nobody can stop me from drawing these characters because I know whatever the hell I'm doing with them isn't going to harm people. I always have these personalized thoughts of projecting myself into these fictitious worlds... playing with them as if they're barbie dolls... dissecting them for who they really are as a character... wanting to see them be happy or go through experiences I had or emotions that are uncommon in their canon. I *want* to see depressed characters have a fun time and go through the feelings I went through with them, and its not just exclusive to the Rain World fandom- I've been through past fandoms where my favorite characters have depressing lives yet I find enjoyment when I draw them smiling or hanging out with their friends. I generally don't like venting, but the best I can do to occasionally let loose of my thoughts is to translate it through how the characters act. I *want* them to achieve things that I myself easily could not so I can feel a satisfactory warmth for every bit of that I do. (and encourage myself to do the same) Although... I have to iterate that sometimes its not going to be healthy. Like- do I want to be a murderous bloodthirsty war criminal like Artificer? My most favorite slugcat? Of course not. Its always good and justified to differentiate reality from fiction, and if you have that sort of sense you'd be happy if you can express the real thoughts you have through fiction. That's what its created for after all- and its not just to entertain others, but also yourself!

Real life fuel I LOVE music and I am unable to work nor draw without them. It keeps something busy in the background and really sets the mood. But for me personally, I put on music that's appropriate for my situation. It can range from Jazz, Anime OPs, Video Game Music, Rock, etc. If I want to pump out art or feel energetic, I put on energetic music. If I want to think with comprehensive words and not be too distracted, I put on something lyric less and something calm. Music is not the only thing that keeps me going physically. There's food and drinks (the latter I make with most). But did you know... I hate coffee? Yeah that's right. Throw all your tomatoes. I just don't like the bitterness of it. Coffee is a good drink to keep one awake, but since I don't like it- I look for alternatives. Strangely enough, soda drinks both keep me awake and allow me to sleep better. If you have something like that- a strange food quirk or a food in general that will keep you uppity up and motivated, I recommend you consume them (but not excessively- make sure you maintain a balanced diet). And speaking of the such- make sure to keep your body moving. I do take walks and breaks from the computer. It does help with generating ideas (you have no idea how many ideas that pop in and I immediately make them to a reality), so make sure to write them down so you don't forget them!

Listen from experience and heart I didn't just become a subjectively good artist out of the blue. I had to work my way up here for you to see my content as is. Its not my first time making comics and its definitely not my first time interpreting an existing character in my own way. To tell you the truth... I don't usually have my comic projects finished or at least go through all the way. Its hard for me to be consistent and dedicated to one project. So how did I finish Heist? Calling back to the first factor: Its a strong desire for me to tell this story after all. I want to show the Rain World fandom my interesting ideas (well, interesting to *me*). Heist is not perfect of course. Its borderless, uncolored, sketchy, etc. But what mattered to me at the time is my strong desire of telling it anyway (and I'm still doing it right now with both of my Artihunter-centered comics!). I did the best I could. I tried it. Found feedback to use for improvements. Marched forward! There is always a first time for everything and all it takes is a leap of faith, patience and encouragement, self-confidence, and lots and lots of practice. Your desires are stronger than the placed subjective you are underneath of.

Letting inspiration flow you Nothing in this world is purely original. Some concepts are based from other concepts, even ones where we think is the base concept of those concepts. Usually when there is something I REALLY like, I borrow those ideas excitedly. I embrace these thoughts of enjoying those very ideas and translate them in my own special way. I look at this thing and tell myself: "I really like this thing! Maybe I can expand that." The Rain World fandom is, by far throughout my experiences, the MOST inspirational fandom I've ever been on. People come up to me and admit they're inspired from me, even the subtle ones! (I had people tell me that they've never really seen drawings of Artificer's tail being a fuse until I came in with the idea; they might be coincidences and people can think of it independently, but some are straight up admitting, which is very interesting and nice) And in return, I get inspired by them back! Memes and nods and all. I look at someone's drawing of Gourmand wearing a shirt that says "here for cake" and I do it with my own because I find it funny and cute. I look at someone's drawing of how Hunter holds the spears on their back using rot, and I translate that in my own way combining with what I have: hair that holds it as a result from the rot. I look at someone's art of Artificer X Hunter for the first time, found it a bit funny, turned it into a meme, rolled a bit more with it, found it potentially engaging and emotion-driven, then the next thing you know, everyone's screaming over me saying "you did this! now we ship it too! curse you!" and I find that hilarious and very thoughtful and nice. (and now we have a dedicated tag for it LOL) Influence is a very strong word in the internet, especially between artists. No artist can avoid influence, not even outside of the internet. I embrace said influence and let it go through my veins, mixing and matching and concocting them in my own Pansear-styled tastes. It is EXTREMELY fun and I've been doing it for the longest time! Inspiring each other is so cool and I wanna be in the ride of that!

Freedom

Repeat after me: "I am cringe, but I am free"

But Pansear! You may think to yourself: this phrase has a different meaning and or may be senseless whatsoever. To that which I reply: You're talking to someone who thinks a bit outside of the box and enjoys being chaotic. A funny phrase may be funny or overdone, but there is meaning to some. For me at least, I interpret it as "I may be doing stuff I might regret or might be bullied of, but at least I am having fun."

I think everyone agrees that in the end, we are all internet users of our own right, artists and nonartists, we have our own meanings and own ways of enjoying things. Some people might not prefer my ideas or vibe with them, and I can feel the same. There is no shame in being different. I am guilty of constantly comparing myself to other artists. I get envious, admittedly, of how people can draw the scugs prettier than I could. But I always try to translate these feelings of envy and jealousy into a motivational factor- a positive emotion that speaks "If I can try, I will try harder" or "I think these ideas are pretty neat and I am inspired by them actually" or "everyone's visions are different from mine so I shouldn't bother with trying to be the same with everyone else"

Conclusion/TLDR: It helps to be yourself and have fun! Be passionate! Embrace that chaotic and happy energy and remember to go off with confidence. Keep trying and you'll eventually reach things, even if its going to be difficult. I make it sound easy to do, but I definitely know its not as everyones' approach is different, but there's no harm in just doing it.

#ask #art advice

[todderwodders]

for the character ask!: 4, 24, 34, and J!

Ask me Uncommon Questions about my OCs

4. How easy is it to earn their trust?

For Faline, not trusting people is a point of pride. In her experience, giving trust implicates a certain level of humanity in another person that more likely than not, is an easily changeable node swayed by money, lust, hate, or any combination thereof. People are too inconsistent to trust at best, or too much of a threat to be fit for it at worst.

Alternatively: She's a white girl with a savior complex and all her favorite people are dogs with bite histories.

If one were to insert themselves into her life and are pathetic just enough to sucker her in she'll trust them against her will, after a good chunk of years. See: Enver Gortash

24. Is sex something that they're comfortable speaking about? To whom?

Faline is a former courtesan and sex worker* for much of her narrative. She's done most things, seen a lot more, and generally thinks of sex as damn near boring in and on its own terms. Pedestrian, something only idiots or virgins are coy about because they assign some kind of specialness to the act, when really it is a mechanical function of pleasure for most and reproduction for those in the treaty of marriage. If you ask her a question regarding sex, her sex life, or to speculate on someone else's sexual habits, she'll give you honest, mildly disturbing in their sheer insight, answers. This applies to almost everyone and every situation in her life - only in polite, formal company does she hold her tongue, and even then, she sometimes slips up.

*these two terms should not be conflated irl as the history of the courtesan varies greatly from culture to culture and center to century, and may be considered disrespectful or an oversimplification of a complex socio-economic strata. That being said, with the world building implied in DND material and the canon I have established explicitly for Baldur's Gate in the 1480s, I have established that Courtesans typically do enter into sexual relationships with patrons, some living in hauses or brothels or independently, most expecting great exchanges of wealth and gifts and time before sexual relations are exchanged. The Lotus Eater, Faline's haus, is somewhat more lax on the degree of social expectation and steps required for sexual contact and privileges patrons may take, merging brothel culture with the high end company and entertainment provided by courtesans in an explicitly erotic approach that are not popular with other courtesans or high end sex workers, as it encroaches onto both scenes without consideration or respect.

34. How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt?

Depends. Faline feels almost zero guilt when she is in her early twenties, as she is so focused on surviving - the Lotus, her grandmother, her patrons, and then Gortash - that she was not really able to turn that part of her brain on. It's really only when she's twenty-six that she realizes just how profoundly fucked up what she allows to go on around her is, and even then, the guilt comes and goes. Sometimes she takes on other people's evil deeds by herself, guilty by association. Sometimes she places all the blame on others. Sometimes she even comes close to the truth.

J) Did you have to manipulate or exclude canon factors to allow them to create their character?

Uhhh so I don't think so? Faline existing within the canon narrative feasible up until a point, but her initial existence and influence on the canon story is negligible until you hit act 3. I try my best to insert OCs into plausible situations.

#thank you for sending this ask ahhhh this was fun to write #Faline #bg3 #ask game

[waheelawhisperer]

To be somewhat fair to ironwood and fria he was clearly still giving her medical attention and keeling her as safe as he could which given she seemingly had dementia makes some sense, letting her wander around the city probably wouldn’t have been idea

But keeling her completely isolated from anyone except winter and whoever offered medical attention was still cruel,

Yeah, for me the issue here is less so that Ironwood provided Fria with end-of-life care so much as the reasoning behind it. He's not caring for a feeble old woman in her final days out of the goodness of his heart (or at least not just out of the goodness of his heart; Ironwood is most certainly capable of kindness, but that isn't the primary factor in play here), he's doing it so that his handpicked candidate has ready access to the powers of the Winter Maiden.

Given that Fria is... definitely not all there, I definitely don't think she should be allowed to wander around unchecked with the powers of a fully realized Maiden, but the way the scene is framed doesn't raise this point and focuses on Ironwood keeping Fria contained because he wants to be able to transfer her power to the person of his choosing, rather than because she might pose a danger to others without full control of her faculties.

Nowhere are Ironwood's priorities with regards to Fria more clear than when he sends Winter to murder her for a strategic advantage. Make no mistake, what Ironwood ordered Winter to do was murder. Fria is not so much a person in Ironwood's calculus as she is a resource, and her life and agency become necessary sacrifices in pursuit of victory once Ironwood believes Atlas is sufficiently vulnerable.

This may be a controversial opinion, but Ironwood's decision was correct from a strategic standpoint, if poorly timed. Atlas needs every resource it can get to meet Salem's invasion, and there are few resources on Remnant more potent than a Maiden, especially when you consider the fact that you also gain access to the associated Relic. If employed correctly, the Relic of Creation could have been a massive boon to the war effort, despite its limitations. It could have been used to generate equipment, materiel, defenses, or even robotic reinforcements as needed. It can only do one of those at a time, but even that offers a level of flexibility the hidebound Atlesian military desperately needs to face Salem's forces, and Ironwood has enough troops to use the Staff as many times as he wants - and this is just the most basic, least creative use for the Staff I can think of!

Ironwood absolutely fucked up by sending Winter to claim the Maiden's power as soon as Cinder spooked him and not providing her with adequate cover, but he was absolutely right to try to establish control over the Maiden power from a strategic standpoint, because it expands his options significantly and opens up a number of new avenues by which to attack, defend, and retreat. Unfortunately, he was right kind of by accident, because he sends Winter to kill Fria because he's scared and wants to run from Salem, rather than because he's preparing to fight.

Moral implications aside, and there are a lot of them, I can't imagine that Winter "Solve Social Situations By Hitting Them" Schnee is particularly good at providing care to the elderly, and the scene where we're introduced to Fria heavily implies that Winter is the only one providing that care (because Ironwood can't risk the power going somewhere else).

I do think that Ironwood is genuinely trying to do the right thing and be a good person for most of his run on the show, in his own heavyhanded, hamfisted way, but when I look back on his actions and interactions in light of Volume 8, there's always this sense of "You aren't quite real to me, and I am prepared to sacrifice you (regretfully, perhaps, and maybe even with hesitation, but I will do it in the end) if it becomes necessary" to him. Still one of my favorite characters, though. I love how flawed and complex he is, and his voice and aesthetic are *chef's kiss*. Jason Rose did a wonderful job bringing the character to life.

#rwby #analysis #fria #james ironwood #winter schnee #salem

[kingofthenorth]

Horror recommendations from someone formerly too afraid to enjoy the genre

I spent almost my entire childhood too chicken to watch scary movies, only occasionally trying to brave and get through one here and there. I lost countless hours of sleep over trailers I'd seen on tv for various horror movies, which then went on to shape the nature of my fears--and nightmares--for the rest of my life. But in my late teens I decided to try and conquer my fears by facing the genre head on, and in the process... it actually became my favorite genre.

If you're scared but want to jump in, this is my gift to you, as someone who used to be in your shoes. This list is broken down based on the kind of experience you're looking for, so you can get your feet wet on your own terms. It's not that these movies aren't scary (scary is subjective, after all!), it's that this way you can at least know the general vibe first.

Disclaimer #1: Horror tends to be absolutely teeming with common triggers, so much so that I don't trust myself to individually warn for each item on the list. I suggest using a site like Does the Dog Die? or similar registries to look up anything you might need to filter out. Assume death and violence to be a common theme here. Disclaimer #2: This list is far from perfect. Please don't come into my inbox saying "but what about [insert movie here]?"...

Emotional

If wanting to connect to characters and their situations is a big priority, and you're tired of ye olde "one dimensional teens on summer vacation get picked off one by one" vibes from movies you've considered, here are some deeper, heavier options.

Before I Wake: A couple adopts a child who has been in and out of homes, only to discover the reason why no one will keep him is because he has the ability to physically manifest his dreams as he sleeps... and often has recurring nightmares about a horrible, menacing creature. This movie is an excellent take on the tough issue of how adoption means shouldering a child's baggage, and how difficult that can be, even when you want the best for them.

The Monster: On a long drive through a fairly remote stretch of road, a young mother and her daughter have to deal with both the figurative monster that is the strain on their relationship and the much more literal monster that is the thing hunting them in the woods. For being relatively straightforward in plot, this movie does a lot to tug at the heartstrings.

Train to Busan: A man's train ride to take his small daughter to visit her mother goes south fast when a zombie outbreak hits. Zombie movies aren't for everyone, but even as someone with mixed feelings on the genre, I consider this a must-see that balances drama, action, and fear amazingly well.

Fun

Every horror fan has a different definition of what a "fun" horror movie is, but hopefully you can see eye to eye with me on these movies being a good, entertaining ride.

Nope: Following their father's death, a brother and sister investigate the perplexing occurrences plaguing their family farm. One of my top "go in blind" recs. The less you know, the better. It manages to balance fear and humor while also being a fresh take on a classic concept.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: A group of friends find a book of scary stories, one that's all fun and games until their own names start popping up in the tales. Whether you read the book or not as a kid (which I didn't), this one is incredibly nostalgic. It feels like it belongs at a sleepover, or perhaps retold around a campfire. Perfect viewing for a Halloween party!

Malignant: Surrounded by mysterious deaths, a woman can't help but suspect her childhood imaginary friend may be the one responsible. A fantastic example of a movie where the creep factor is unique and well thought out while also being fun in an almost absurd way.

Unsettling

Sometimes, instead of being outright terrifying, you want a movie that makes you go "hey, what the fuck?"

The Boy: To get away from her own troubles, a young woman accepts a nanny job with strict rules while the parents leave on holiday... only to discover right away that the "child" she must watch is actually a doll. This movie is creepy, subtle, and keeps you guessing. Honestly, it's a great first horror movie if you're looking for something iconic but not so classic you already know the whole plot.

Oculus: A young woman manages to track down the haunted mirror she blames for destroying her family's lives many years ago, and she intends to prove that supernatural forces are behind it all. This remains one of the most interesting horror movies I've watched, combining past childhood terror with an investigative spirit in the present as it jumps back and forth in the story.

Savageland: This mockumentary the trial of a man charged with slaughtering an entire small town because he walked away the lone survivor. Another "go in blind" rec, and honestly a hidden gem. The reflective tone of looking back on the events creates a sense of safety for the viewer, and yet, watching the mystery unfold is positively chilling.

In the Tall Grass: In an attempt to help a boy they spotted from the side of the road, two siblings enter a disorienting field of tall grass. Arguably a bit more "advanced" in its creepiness than others in this category, but I feel like I'd be amiss not to include at least one Stephen King adaptation, and this one makes the cut by not bearing as much pop culture baggage as his better known works.

It's Not That Deep

If you don't want a heavy, involved plot, and would rather focus on the scares, then these movies have you covered!

Sweetheart: A young woman shipwrecked on an island must survive not only the wilderness itself, but the strange beast that wanders onto land at night looking for a snack. If the first episode of Lost set your hopes high for a more creature feature vibe, then this movie will scratch that itch nicely.

Dark Skies: After repeated unexplained occurrences in their home, a family begins to accept that their problem may be extraterrestrial in nature. A fantastic and spooky alien horror flick for both UFO buffs and casual viewers alike.

Willow Creek: While filming a small documentary about the famous Patterson-Gimlin bigfoot film, a couple realizes they aren't alone as they try to reach the site of the film itself. As silly as it starts off, this one captures the simple but powerful fear of not being alone in the woods at night, and is to bigfoot what Dark Skies is to aliens; perfect for both cryptid fanatics and those unfamiliar. Also, it made me hate sleeping in tents even more than I already did.

Staples of the genre

Popular movies are popular for a reason. Here are some ones you've undoubtedly heard of (and maybe even seen parodies of) but get a spot on this post because they're Just That Good. No plot summaries on these, as you likely already know more about them than I could say in any brief description. Just pure opinion from here on!

Ringu/The Ring: Whether watching the original or the American version, this one is a must. I say this despite it being the movie with the trailer that scared--and scarred--me the most as a kid. Onryo are among my worst fears now. Enjoy!

Paranormal Activity: Despite people making fun of it, this one (and its sequels) actually makes amazing use of subtle-but-realistic effects. When I finally watched it, I was shocked by how simple yet high quality it was. I think everyone should watch this at least once.

The Woman in Black: One of my first serious attempts at getting into horror. It's everything you could ask for out of a haunted house movie, hitting all the classic elements without feeling too predictable.

The Blair Witch Project: You know this one. Everyone knows this one. It was THE genre defining found footage movie, so go watch it!

The Conjuring: Yet another great haunted house movie, and one that scratches that "based on a true story" itch to boot! The trailer for this one also scared the snot out of me, except that I was already an adult (I think?) by then. Somehow, it's practically an old friend to me.

Midsommar: As much as this one dealt a devastating blow to critical thinking (particularly of white women), it really is a good movie. Just... please try not to miss the point.

The Ritual: Okay, not quite as iconic as the others in this section, but any creature design fanatic can tell you that this one holds a special place in the hearts of many horror fans. No, it's not one that anybody and everybody has heard of, but it's very well known inside the broader horror fandom.

...And that's it for now! I might edit it to include some others, though, since I had to leave tons of ones I dearly love out, and my willpower to resist mentioning them is not strong.

#horror #horror movies #movie recommendation #yes I ran out of my adhd meds and wrote this on a wild fucking whim #long post

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

hello. sorry if this been asked before or if its too personal, but what are your opinions on the different content hypmic has to offer, like the anime, the tracks, the manga, the merch, etc.? is there one you prefer most or least?

Some people are out here asking my social security number, so don't worry, this isn't too personal.

Anime: Feels light and silly. I think its strengths are mostly in the earlier episodes, because it nails the wacky, character-driven factor of Hypmic oneshots. I personally am least fond of first DRB arc content, since it's mostly introductory work necessary to set up the character dynamics, and I'm already very familiar with them. The battles and overarching plot struck me as somewhat lackluster. I enjoyed watching it but probably won't watch it again.

Drama tracks: I don't listen to most of them because of audio processing issues. On the rare occasions when I do listen to them, I find the voice acting and sound direction impressive. The writing in drama tracks is where Hypmic's writing shines best. I do have some minor nitpicks with small details of the writing, but they're the kind of nitpicks that I think of as a translator, not an audience member. For example, I dislike the way "Chaser from the Past" jumps from topic to topic so abruptly, but that's because the transitions (or lack thereof) would be a hassle to translate smoothly.

Manga: My wheelhouse. I read every chapter that comes out, usually several times. While it had a clunky beginning, the manga is my favorite part of Hypmic by a long margin. The writing is consistently strong in both oneshots and the longer arcs adapted from drama tracks. Some lines are cut in the adaptations which can make the manga read slightly choppier, but this is the same sort of minor nitpick I mentioned above. The art is truly the highlight of the manga, with each artist adding in so much additional characterization and flavor with the facial expressions, body language, and paneling. For those who want to enjoy the main story, the drama tracks and/or manga is the way to go.

Merch: I don't really buy merch (apart from a pair of underwear I bought once because I thought it'd be funny. I was right; it was funny) but I mean... if it makes people happy, then hell yeah. Merch. Hypmic gets enough of my money as is from buying the manga and occasional other things (like stageplay viewing tickets on Abema) that I don't feel the need to give them more of my money.

Lives: They're fun, but they tend to be at awkward times for my timezone, so I don't watch them unless someone is hosting a watch party. I'd be more into them if they had the same level of dancing and production as the stage plays.

ARB: I don't play ARB, but I sometimes watch events on Youtube or read summaries on Twitter. I don't have the foggiest idea what's going on in the main story any more, but the event stories are so delightfully whacky and fun. Writing and voice acting are top tier. The art was a bit uninspired to begin with, but I think they've upped the ante recently. Whatever the fuck Juuto's got going on in the latest fantasy event... that's what I'm talking about.

Stage play: OHHHH BOOOOOOOY I'm really into choreography and theater in general, so the stage plays are RIGHT up my alley. The stories they tell are usually p. simple, but this is a given considering their short runtime. Songs are awesome, my favorite in Hypmic. Actors are consistently killing it with body language and voice work. I'd love to buy the DVDs to watch on my own time, but they're so damned expensive.

#not a translation #asks #personal asks

[chainofclovers]

dear creator letter - femslash exchange 2022

Hello, dear Femslash Exchange writer! 

This exchange is one of my favorite fandom events every year, and I’m so grateful to you for writing a story for me. First and foremost, I hope you feel all the liberty in the world to disregard my prompts (so long as you adhere to my Do Not Wants) and write the story you most want to write. There’s nothing better than diving into a story that only that particular author could have created, so I’m here for all of your niche interests and obsessive characterizations and experiments with a form you’ve always wanted to try. 

Overarching Do Not Wants

Non-consensual sex

Substance use leading to impaired decision-making re: sex (I’m completely fine with substance use in a story, and even with sex that isn’t completely sober, but I would strongly prefer to avoid stories in which drunkenness or other drug use leads a character to be unable to consent or to make choices they wouldn’t have made otherwise)

Major character death

This is suuuuuper specific but I’d prefer not to read a story involving nipple clamps?! 

Stuff I Love

I’m very into stories with a strong sense of place. I believe a story can take place entirely on a couch and still reveal tons about the characters through their groundedness in their setting. I love stories about travel and stories about home and the search for home and queer time and all that stuff.

I also really love stories that dive into the many ways of being queer that exist! I love narratives that center queerness, even—or especially—when they aren’t just about the question of coming out but about sexual experience or lack thereof, and the way connecting to one’s queerness impacts a character’s relationship with themself and with other people. 

I will happily read stories ranging from the very chaste to the absolutely obscene, so no pressure to write more or less sex than you’re inclined to write. I love stories about sex and sexuality and love and lust, but that can take many forms.

Fandom Specifics

A League of Their Own (2022 - present), Esther/Max

Max’s trajectory is my favorite part of the show, and this moment when Esther checks in with her before she gets on the team bus is my favorite scene in the show. I’m just obsessed with all the queer possibility in Max’s life, and with the generous and challenging and erotically-charged yet protective yet competitive yet nurturing way Esther opens up new doors for Max. 

No pressure to go with any of these prompts, but I’d be super into a story about the literal “there was only one bed” situation and about what life is like on a traveling team. How does Max stay in touch with Clance and with her Uncle Bertie? How does Max’s relationship to baseball change now that she’s finally part of a team and, for the first time, has what she wanted? Do she and Esther commit to each other, or do one or both of them want their travels to include some wandering? How do they navigate a secret relationship?

Abbott Elementary (2021 - present), Barbara/Melissa

The work wives! I have not read much fic about these two, but this is one of my favorite shows on TV right now and I’m up for reading anything and everything about these characters. Obviously the fact that both characters (especially Barbara) are canonically involved with other relationships is a factor, so let me say that I’d be fine with you handling that any way you prefer. I’m honestly comfortable reading thoughtfully-considered infidelity, or a story about navigating breakups and divorces and coming out, or a story that takes place after all that’s happened, or a story that just handwaves it all and focuses on these delightful ladies. 

As always, no pressure to go with the prompts, but I love how Barbara and Melissa always have each other’s backs at school functions and are very clearly the Old Guard of the Philly public school system. They know they’ve earned every shred of respect they get. So what happens if one of their colleagues needs help outside of work? What kind of team do they make if it’s the middle of the night and there’s an emergency? Barbara and Melissa are both understandably wary when Janine shows up in the teacher’s lounge with one of her big ideas, but what happens if one of them ends up with a big idea, too? 

Ted Lasso (2020 - present), Keeley/Rebecca

I adore Keeley and Rebecca and their completely lovely mutual admiration society. These characters are sooooo fun to write. 

While I’d be okay with a story that takes place during the canon of s1 or s2, there have been a lot of brilliant takes on alternatives to the Liverpool weekend and other canonical scenes already, so I’d be more excited about a post-canon story (I mean, we know s3 won’t be out by the time the exchange happens, haha).

I would prefer NOT to read about infidelity here…would much prefer nothing involving cheating on Roy (or anything that hates on Roy because I love him). Totally good with a post-Keeley/Roy breakup situation, a poly situation, a situation that simply ignores canonical romance by zooming in on the present scene, etc. 

Speaking of poly situations, I’ll note that while there’s obviously no pressure to write anything other than Keeley/Rebecca femslash, my ao3 page is evidence of how much I adore the men of Ted Lasso and stories that explore the possibilities for love between all the lead characters on the show. So if anything like that is up your alley, bringing Roy and/or Ted into the mix is more than fine by me. But I’ll also be genuinely happy with pure Keeley/Rebecca. 

As far as prompts go, I’m super interested in the way these characters’ backstories influence their present-day sexual experiences. I love the way Keeley’s pattern of dating football himbos who don’t challenge her gets broken by her beautifully challenging relationships with both Roy and Rebecca. I love the way Rebecca’s non-linear healing process from Rupert means we get only glimpses of the experiences she had before her marriage. How might these women navigate their baggage and celebrate their future?

.

Thank you again for writing this. You’re the best!

Love,

chainofclovers

#femslash exchange #femslash exchange 2022 #a league of their own #ted lasso #hot dork club #abbott elementary

[uzchis]

getting   to   know   the   mun   :

name:    —  nickname:   esme faceclaim:  dorian wytte from the series hooky pronouns:   she/her height:   5′4″ birthday:   jan   10th aesthetic:   neutral dark,   colorful accents last   song   you   listened   to:  the setting sun by the poles favorite   muse   (s)   you’ve   written:   i like writing all of them , but one of my faves is for sure suen .

getting   to   know   the   account   :

what   inspired   you   to   take   on   this   muse:   i was a pretty big sns shipper back then , and some friends and i would create oc's at the time , too . thus , this boy was formed out of my imagination . at the time , i wasn't set on rp-ing him . he was just this lovechild chara that i wanted to design and draw. what   are   your   favorite   aspects   of   your   current   muse:   favorite ? i'm pretty biased since he is my oc . i adore every part of his journey and the design evolutions i went through with him . i always find myself cringing and smiling whenever i see his older designs. what’s   your   biggest   inspiration   when   it   comes   to   writing:   reading other people's works on here . their passion for their character , as well as outside sources like books , mangas , and shows are large inspirations. one-liners are definitely up there , too . favorite   types   of   threads   :   soft (slow / burn ) angst in the form of any relationship type, the one that builds up and there are numerous points of threads one can reference. silly ones are sometimes nice too. but i think i generally like building bonds very slowly but purposefully and meaningfully. though lately , i've been interested in writing more angst . biggest   struggle   in   regards   to   your   current   muse:  aside from writing in general , i sometimes find it hard to write suen when he gradually becomes to care for a muse . his nonchalance shifts, he's a loose canon dancing between the lines of doing anything for said muse but also making sure he isn't foolish about it . he doesn't trust easily, and as the writer, i have to acknowledge his hesitations and reluctance to open up with others. his moral compass is a bit skewed too so that's another major factor that's hard to consider when writing him. there are other things but i think i'll write about them in a separate post one day.

tagged by: stolen from my other account @/oschvank

#☁ ; ooc. esme talks #games.

[gonemechaniic]

Mobile friendly rules...

BASIC ETIQUETTE .

DON’T BE A DICK! Racism, Homophobia, Transphobia, Sexism, Xenophobia; discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. Don’t come at me, or any of my followers/friends with that hot garbage.

SELECTIVITY .

I will only interact with mutual followers. This mostly goes for IC memes unless tagged otherwise. I do not follow for a follow. It’s nothing personal and intended for my own comfort, to keep me from feeling overwhelmed or if I can’t really see how our muses would interact in the long term. Other reasons deal with not having a tagging system, no rules or muse info present, formatting style or lack thereof; i.e. not cutting posts or more OOC than IC. While I am open to plotting and talking to non-mutual followers in order to start something new, please do not consistently come at me if I'm not interested.

In regards to unfollowing/soft blocking people, I usually filter through blogs that have been inactive for at least 5-6 months unless I personally know them and the general nostalgia factor has a vice like grip on me x3 and I'll try to keep to a 7 day grace period to following anyone back... but don't hold me to that cause I am forgetful AF.

Also, I am variant friendly and freaking adore the idea of twin/alt verses, or just gushing over this ray of sunshine in general, PLS!

GENERAL DYNAMICS .

I can be an impulsive & adaptive kind of writer at times. If nothing is plotted beforehand I'm prone to just wing it and see how it plays out. I’m also keen to follow my partner’s writing length and /or format should the desire arise for thread aesthetic goodness.

I like plotting pre-established relationships/connections. I find it to be a pretty nice immersion factor to basic intro threads/meme interactions.

I will not play favorites with any particular character(s). I may have main baes I feel more at ease freely interacting with and replying to. My character exclusivity is only placed upon romantic ships when it is asked of me.

SHIPPING .

This is a multi-ship blog. Every relationship takes place inside its own verse unless plotted otherwise, i.e; poly-ships. I love shipping! I love talking about possible ships. I love the planning and meme slinging. As much as I enjoy it, that is NOT an ultimate goal with my muse. I also like to get to know my potential ship partner as well beforehand. 

Do NOT follow/interact with me if you’re just trying to ship with my muse!

Shipping requires chemistry. I know Cindy is a super cute, bubbly sunshine gal who everyone wants to smooch (okokok maybe not everyone). But if it’s not there, it’s not there. Please do not force anything on me or my muse.

This doesn’t even have to pertain to romantic ships at all. Platonic, family, rival/hateships or unrequited feelings are all welcomed interactions as well. Also any shippy/nsfw memes sent w/o prior IC interaction or OOC conversation first will be treated as purely platonic or disregarded entirely.

TRIGGERS & NSFW .

All possible triggering posts will be tagged within reason i.e ‘( trigger name cw ) or ( trigger name )’. Considering that I have very few triggers myself ( trypophobia & arachnophobia ), please let me know, either by your rules page or messages, what your triggers are and I’ll be totally fine with tagging them for you. 

I’m fine with n/sf/w stuff ( horror/gore ) I have no problem writing spicy situations, but it will not be a predominant focus on this blog. Overall it’s not a major concern to me. If you wanna take it to disco, skip it all together/fade to black then that’s cool. 

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL I WRITE NSFW MATERIAL WITH MINORS!

ACTIVITY & CONTACT .

I am married to the military, i.e, we move around a bit or have random stuff going down. I have job/home stuff to deal with. I have a life outside RP. In other words; this blog may run off a queue but mainly: I. AM. S L O W. Feel free to remind or notify me if you think tumbles fvcked something up like it do be sometimes, but don’t hound me for interactions.

DMs are open for plotting. Disco is open to mutuals who ask for it, or I might randomly post it. Cindy is on Wire @/topmechanic. Just please keep in mind that I'm a pretty awkward and shy person, even if I’ve known you for a time. I don't always initiate conversations and my anxiety/intrusive thoughts tend to make things worse. It’s something I’m trying to break the habit of but, if I happen to go silent for a while, and this is gonna sound tacky, but it’s not you, it’s me.

aaaaaaaye congrats for making it this far! Here are your complimentary smooches and head pats. Stay awesome, my friends 💛💛

#( rules ) #heckin read them or I'll boop ya one :| #but also considering if ppl can't access the carrd #or the desktop site #...... or my pinned #or if they're just flat out not reading them >.> #like I don't want to seem mean #but ion know how direct I gotta be sometimes ._.

[crystalelemental]

I think now’s a good time to talk Alola Villain Arc.  “But...Kalos isn’t even over ye-” Yeah but this is important.

Friends.  I am officially preparing myself for the worst with Alola VA.

Look, there are a lot of possibilities, and they’re all not ideal.  The one consistency is that so far?  Every region got protagonist alts.  The only exceptions, in a roundabout sort of way, are the Kalos protagonists (who could still get something but god I hope not since they literally just got alts), and Rosa/Nate who are BW2 specifically.  There is a very, very high chance of Selene and Elio alts.

Similarly, most regions (not all, but most) get their Champion in there.  Johto and Unova are thus far the only ones who didn’t.  I feel like there’s actually no chance in hell that Hau or Kukui get alts here.  I don’t think either carries much popularity, which was the defining factor behind Lance and Alder’s lack of presence, while Iris just got something right before.

Antagonists, hilariously enough, have been inconsistent.  Archie and Maxie didn’t get anything new, nor did Ghetsis.  Lysandre remains to be seen, but he hasn’t even shown up yet, so who knows.  The antagonists themselves are not a given, and considering Guzma and Plumeria do not seem to have much popularity...I’m not sure they’re getting anything either.  Which kinda sucks, because I feel like this should be their chance, and it’s just not gonna happen.

Which leads to my biggest concern: Aether Fam.  Listen, they are what Gen 7 is about.  No one matters like they matter.  Lillie has gone almost a full year without an alt, and if you think she’s not hitting 6 with the VA you are out of your mind.  Gladion is a possibility because of the family association, but is far from guaranteed.  I’d just be real mad if he got nothing.  But the big question...is Lusamine.

Lusamine feels like she has at least some popularity behind her.  I’m not gonna say a ton, but at least some.  The problem here is Maxie and Archie.  When villains don’t get a new alt, their Master Fair gets rerun.  Lusamine...has a prior Master Fair.   That has not yet been rerun.  Which means...they could set Lusamine aside, rerun her old Necrozma alt, and call it good.  Which means no Nihilego.

And to be honest, this seems wildly likely, given the direction of Kalos’ VA.  They seem inclined to just...side-step Lysandre’s ambitions.  I’m not even sure he’ll play a major role.  Instead, their focus has been on...Looker.  Who I like!  Looker’s a cool guy, I am 100% on board with Looker-centric story.  Better still, this points to Anabel.  If Emma gets something with Kalos, Anabel gets something with Alola almost for a certainty.  Which is sick.  But also means...story-wise, the focus is going to be on just the impact of the UBs as a threat to Pasio overall, with Lusamine being incidentally associated as an expert.  They’re not going to focus much on her as a character, just like they’re not with Lysandre.  And that...sucks.

Because it paints this idea that the VA alts are going to be protagonists, Lillie, Lusamine rerun, introduction of Anabel as a general pool.  Which isn’t a terrible spread, but once again sidelines the villains in their own stories.  And I’m kinda bothered by that?  I don’t like that Ghetsis didn’t get anything with Unova.  I don’t like that Maxie and Archie are side-pieces whose presence gets one-upped by Giovanni again.  I don’t like that we’re gearing up for Lysandre to be borderline irrelevant in his own arc.  And if they do it to Lusamine, who remains my favorite antagonist, I’m gonna be bothered.  I just...feel like these arcs could be doing better about emphasizing the villains.

#pokemon masters