#which makes sense when compared to this display I suppose

[ambrosiagourmet]

I want to talk about why I think this is the one of the most important Falin panels:

So, Falin is really nice, right? It's one of the first things we really learn about her. She's kind even to the monsters of the dungeon - choosing to ward the party rather than fight spirits and cause them needless harm.

In the above early flashback in chapter 11, we see Marcille fawning over Falin's kindness, calling her an angel. Namari calls her soft-hearted. We see Falin choose not to fight even when a zombie attacks - instead she resolves the confrontation with a hug. After the flashback, the first thing Senshi says is that Falin "sounds like quite the person," which Marcille strongly affirms.

At this point in the story, all we have seen of Falin are these impressions; she is a healer, an angel, a caretaker with an infinite well of kindness towards everyone she meets - both friend and foe.

And honestly, that remains most of what we have to go by to understand her. The only times we get to see Falin on the page, alive and just herself, are in the opening and closing pages of the story and in the brief period of time after she is resurrected.

Nonetheless, we do have some more details to work with. For one, there is the scene that The Panel is from - a short memory in chapter 75, when Marcille flashes back to while she's dying. In that scene, Falin prepares to teleport them all out, and says that she's sorry "if there is a person at [their] destination." And that's when we get The Panel.

If you teleport someone or something into another person, the person teleported into is likely to be, at minimum, severely injured. They could die.

We can see a lovely little horrifying example of exactly why in one of the Daydream Hour doodles:

So, hmm. That's not... that's not SUPER nice. Certainly not displaying the same "kindness to all, friend and foe included" we saw represented earlier. On a basic level, this adds some nuance to Falin's kindness. We see it break a little, when pushed to the limit. We see her chose to protect the people she loves above all else.

Which makes sense! As Laios says when the Winged Lion accuses him of similarly being motivated more by his friends' safety than everyone else in the dungeon, "...most people, aside from virtuous do-gooders, would feel the same way."

So, we can take The Panel as simply showing a moment of weakness for Falin. A time when she was pushed to her limits, and that "most people" selfish side of her shone through.

However... I think there's a little more going on with Falin than just her being an angel 99% of the time, except just that once. I love The Panel because I think it helps us understand that Falin isn't just motivated by kindness - she also has a desire to avoid seeing people in pain.

Isn't that the same thing?

No, no it very much is not.

Let's look at a short comic from the Falin section of the Adventurer's Bible, because I think it illustrates this point perfectly. The group is complaining about how much Marcille's healing hurts, and comparing it to Falin's, which "doesn't hurt a bit." Marcille retorts with the following:

Now, the punchline of this comic is that, despite Marcille's sentimental assertion that she's "thinking of [them]" by letting her healing magic hurt, they all still prefer to be healed by Falin.

But hey, this wouldn't be the first time that Dungeon Meshi hides a very real character beat or insight in a gag, so let's think about this somewhat seriously.

If Marcille is right (and she knows a fair bit about magic, so we can assume that she has at least somewhat of a point), then what Falin is doing isn't kind. I suppose if someone specifically requested to not feel the pain, it could be kind, but that's not really what happened here. She is the one who felt badly about the others being in pain, and she is the one who decided, without telling them or giving them a choice in the matter, to take away that pain.

Both Marcille and Falin are healing the party, but Marcille is doing it in a way that accomplishes the task in the most straight forward way, without any additional interference. Falin is going out of her way to perform the healing in a way she is more comfortable with. A way that avoids pain.

Going back the The Panel, I don't think its a coincidence that the only time we see Falin (well, non-chimera Falin) willing to do something that could hurt someone is when any potential pain will be far away from her. If she got someone hurt or killed by teleporting the party to the surface? Not only would it be far out of her sight, but she'd be dead before she had to deal with any consequences of that action.

Falin is not a confrontational person. She doesn't push when Marcille won't tell her the truth about the resurrection, and she comforts Laios about her own death - both of those things happening in the only full chapter she is alive and conscious in the whole story.

We also know that she considered accepting Shuro's proposal, despite not having any special feelings towards him, and that Falin never explained to Marcille that she wanted them to share a meal together. When she brought Marcille various foods at the academy, she just accepted Marcille's confused rejection and gave up.

And lastly, we know that she is still in contact with her parents, despite the neglect and abuse she suffered at their hands. Although the way someone chooses to handle contact with abusive or bad family is a complicated topic, which I don't want to overly simplify, I do I think this fact gets at the heart of how she handles conflict.

So many people that Falin loves have hurt her. There are understandable hurts, like Laios leaving the village, or Marcille not understanding the food. And there are bigger, far less justifiable hurts - like her parents neglecting her throughout her childhood, and sending her away to be alone at the magic academy.

It doesn't seem like Falin has ever confronted any of it directly.

And the unhealthy aspects of this kind of avoidance of pain and confrontation is one of the things that the story of Dungeon Meshi is all about. We see Laios grapple with it before he goes to kill Falin, and we see Marcille acknowledge it at the end of the story, when she tells Laios that she has come to terms with Falin's death:

Eating is a part of life. Consuming other living things is a part of life. It isn't really possible to avoid that pain - you can only hide from the truth of it. You have to be selfish everyday. You have to eat - to choose to live. To choose to take up space.

And this is something Falin embraces, too. She comes back to life, after all.

We see her choose to come back to life.

And how does she make that choice? She eats. She consumes, and then she is asked a question by the manifestation of hunger itself:

Do you want to eat more?

There is a double meaning in the Winged Lion's final words on the next page.

When I first read this, I took it as him saying: life is cruel. You will suffer. You will feel more pain.

But perhaps, especially for Falin, this also means: you are choosing a path where you must cause pain. Where you must consume. Where you must take, and must be selfish. Because eating is the special privilege of the living, and it is their burden, too. In order to stay alive, she will need to keep eating.

And she chooses that. Chooses to be selfish. It's why her resurrection scene is so important, and it's why The Panel is so important. Because Falin coming back isn't the ultimate reward for all of the party's hard work.

It's her choice. Just like it was her choice that started everything in the first place. But this time, she doesn't choose to accept causing pain for the sake of Marcille and Laios. She does it for her own sake.

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #falin touden #dunmeshi analysis #I love it when dungeon meshi says. the trauma was real and it changed you #and the way you are because of it isn’t anything to be ashamed of #but you have to keep living. you have to chose to keep living. #and you can #dungeon meshi spoilers

[nobodyfamousposts]

Scarlet Lady Essay: Frightningale

Yet another essay for @zoe-oneesama. Because you deserve it.

I’m not going to bother with a compare/contrast of canon vs Scarlet Lady Frightningale because Frightningale in canon was a pretty forgettable episode. Akuma was lame. Setup was wasted. And it’s removal from the series would lose nothing of value.

So instead, I'm going to focus primarily on the Scarlet Lady version of Frightningale and what it does that makes it memorable.

I guess to start with, I should make it clear that I’m not a fan of shows being lazy, especially when they display a lack of planning or consideration of their story and characters. And perhaps one of the greater indicators of this issue is when a series suddenly realizes they they neglected multiple plot points until it’s too late to give them all the focus they warrant so they end up shoving all of those points into one episode and try to present it like it’s supposed to be an adequate resolution of all that buildup or in any way intentional.

Penalteam was that episode for Miraculous. They had the “temporary heroes” setup going for them but then wasted so much time on filler like Frightningale that it seems like they honestly forgot about it until they were reaching a designated end point and they realized they still had four more heroes they were supposed to introduce. Whoops? Ah well, just introduce them all at once. Not like anyone will care!

And when you treat most of the cast like they’re all as shallow as a puddle, I guess that’s true.

The thing is, when you have a setup where there is a running theme of every person in a specific group getting their own episode/chapter to detail their issues and how they get a power up, it’s going to stand out whenever one of them doesn’t. Especially when that one or more are forced to share their limelight episode. 

That’s not to say you can’t do it, but it’s bound to get attention if you do. It reflects poorly on the writing. It shows whom the “favored” and “unfavored” characters are. And it displays the issue with pacing—namely that it’s next to nonexistent until it hits you with the force of a freight train.

But can it be done and be done well? Is it possible to pull off such a thing and have it make sense and fit in lines with the characters?

Well, yes. Off the top of my head, I can think of two different ways to do it to make it work.

And Zoe did both of them.

If you look at Scarlet Lady as a whole, you’ll see a conglomeration of characters—each with stories and arcs attached. They have personalities. They have goals and problems and their own highs and lows. One sign of good writing is that some focus is given to highlight these other characters as people. Individuals in their own right with lives outside of the main characters or situation.

Miraculous doesn't really do this.

Scarlet Lady, however, does. Because contrary to the title, Scarlet Lady isn’t just about Chloe.

It isn’t even just about the heroes.

It isn’t just about Chloe being horrible. Or Marinette being in love. Or Adrien being in desperate need of a hug and a nap. Because while the story is centered around them, it isn’t solely about them. Other characters get focus and growth and their own arcs throughout the comics.

But the big two—the BIGGEST two with arguably the most depth and most growth and quite frankly the best storylines out of everyone in the entire series?

It’s Sabrina and Lila. And their individual stories have led up to this.

As such, this episode—which was mostly filler and all around forgettable in canon, matters here.

It’s where Sabrina and Lila reach the culmination of their respective character arcs. 

Yes, it’s when they both get to become Miraculous Heroes and meet their own kwamis, but it’s more than just that! They both hang out with the girls group as full members of the crew, getting to take part in a music video together. It’s also where they both get to stand up for themselves and the city at large while calling out Chloe and Scarlet Lady. This is what their storylines have been building up to and where their growth really shows.

Sabrina started out as Chloe’s minion same as canon—albeit with more attention to her feelings and her responses, no matter how seemingly small, allowing her to feel more like her own person. And through this focus, we got to see her open up more, pull and eventually break away from Chloe and her influence, and over time stand up for herself and try to establish herself both with the class and as an individual.

Lila started off as a liar and manipulator, selfish and self centered, much like canon. Unlike canon, her lies are tied to her issues, noted to be poorly thought through, and give her more introspection as a person. After the lies are revealed, she’s not “redeemed” so much as she is “accountable”, and it doesn’t change who she is. She remains selfish and certainly far from being considered “good”, but she’s letting people in past her walls and masks in a way she hadn’t been able to before.

Both of these things? Figuring out who you are and letting people know you for who you are? They’re incredibly hard. And a lot of time was devoted to both of their journeys along the course of the comic.

Sabrina’s arc was about her figuring out who she is on her own. Outside of Chloe and her previous role of being a follower and lackey. And sometimes it feels less scary to stay with someone toxic than to be alone and facing the unknown. We see it in the way she tries to put herself out there afterwards, reaching out and risking rejection and just figuring herself out. Even or perhaps especially with those she already knows and has a less than positive history with.

And we still see the struggle of her view of herself in this episode. It was in the way she was upset that she legitimately tried to help and it still resulted in bad things happening. And it was also clear when she calls herself a “sidekick” to Marigold after the day was saved, as if it’s a role she still sees herself as and one she struggles not to fall in to. Over time, we’re seeing Sabrina learning that she doesn’t have to be attached or subservient to someone else to have an identity or be accepted. 

Lila’s arc involved her figuring out who she is with people. Outside of the lies and manipulations she creates, the masks she wears, and the identities she crafts to make people like her. The “real Lila” is far from the best person and arguably not even a good person, but she also doesn’t have to be for the others to accept her as the still somewhat bad influence she is. She’s still very much selfish and flawed, but she’s less inclined to hide it or treat it like something that needs to be hidden. And isn’t that a common lesson? That it’s better to be liked for who you are than to force yourself to be someone else to be liked?

And at the same time, even with being less than a fully good person, she’s showing that she can still find better ways of acting that allow her to help others rather than hurt them or serve herself. She still hates Scar, but rather than working with Hawk Moth to kill her and risk dooming Paris and the world, she’s instead working with Alya through more legitimate (and legal) means…and hitting Scar where it hurts most. She and Adrien may not be friends, but rather than try to punish him for not going along with her, she’s instead rescued him, putting herself on the line—something that the former Lila wouldn’t have considered doing and one that canon Lila wouldn’t be capable of. Even if she’s motivated by pettiness or self-interest, what would have been straight up revenge on someone who upset her has grown to be something that is working in everyone’s better interests.

Both Lila and Sabrina hid themselves in different ways and for different reasons. So having them both assert themselves and call out both Chloe and Scarlet Lady is a show of their growth and overall a huge deal. It’s not something either of them would have done at the start of the series. Sabrina, because she was a “yes man” who wouldn’t dare to argue with Chloe and Lila because she wouldn’t risk openly doing something to make herself a target. 

And now boom! Look at them both! Lila stepped up to openly and publicly denounce Scarlet Lady as not being a hero for real reasons that aren’t just about herself or her feelings—complete with receipts! The girl did her research, noting incidents from before she even came into the picture. Then follow up with Sabrina standing up against Chloe’s machinations and dismantling Chloe’s main source of power: her father. Even better, she’s using logic and knowledge she would have as a former ally of Chloe’s who would know her tricks, taking her former friendship with Chloe and using it against her.

And on top of that, each of them are given the Miraculous by the person they wronged in the past. Marinette to Sabrina and Adrien to Lila. Especially in Lila’s case, it says a lot that they’re trusted. That shows narratively that even with their mistakes and bad choices and continued struggles, they still can move forward—not necessarily to find redemption, but to find themselves and be their best selves.

This is why it makes sense for them to share this episode. It’s also why both of them speaking up matters. They are both publicly confronting their greatest foe, and the fact that their foes are really two faces of the same person further highlights this. 

So they both have issues with the same person, are dealing with forming their identities without catering to others, are working out how to have/be friends, were formerly not the best of people, and have a fear of rejection. As such, this isn’t just their obligatory hero episode, this is what their individual stories have been leading up to. Almost like they’re two sides of the same coin. And the comparison between the two helps them both shine.

And speaking of shining, does anyone remember how the all girls team up didn’t get a chance to shine in canon? Zoe sure did.

I have a whole list of problems I have regarding Party Crasher, but perhaps number seven on that list is that the boys got to have an all male temp hero team up episode while the girls didn’t.

In fact, by this episode in canon, only Alya, Chloe, and Kagami actually got to be temp heroes.

To be fair, only four of the guys out of seven in canon got to be part of their particular event in Party Crasher, leaving out Ivan (who often tends to get overlooked) and Nathaniel (who has had a precedent of just literally disappearing from the episode). But originally, part of the appeal of Party Crasher was that the focus was supposed to be on the male classmates and getting to see at least some of them being part of a team against the akuma.

Why then didn’t we get an episode like this with the girls? Or at least something LIKE this?

Frightningale became that episode. And if any of the episodes were to do it, it makes the most sense for Frightningale to be the one.

All of the girls were together to take part in this event. So Zag would have had the perfect excuse to include them all in the fight or just have the girls do something to help even as civilians. I mean, we’ve had episodes do this before. Max in Robustus. Nathaniel and Alix in Reverser. Luka in Captain Hardrock. Let the civilians show their heroic traits even before they become heroes. It’s not a Miraculous, but it’s still giving them focus and expanding on them as individuals.

Instead, canon Frightningale was a filler episode. And not even a good one. For an akuma who forces people to sing or dance, it’s a waste that they just had the heroes spend the whole time rhyming. A waste of writing and talent. I mean, have you heard Christina Vee sing? If there needed to be a musical episode, I would think that the akuma who forces people to sing would certainly warrant it! At least more than it’s Christmas and they sing just cuz.

So this is yet another thing that Zoe improves with the Scarlet Lady version of this episode. Giving us the all girl team up episode so many of us have long wanted and getting to see all the female heroes together at last. 

And with this, we get the full roster of friends-turned heroes.

Except for Alix. Poor, poor Alix.  ;_;

Your day will come.

In this way, the end where Clara goes a different direction with her music video feels less like a half-assed fix to a half-forgotten plot point and more like something that was built by everyone involved. I don’t know about the rest of you, but given Clara’s excitement over the all girl band playing and Pigella’s gift showing Clara an idea for her video, it highlights the focus on EVERYONE being part of this—both the video and the episode itself. It kind of comes off as a lesson of its own about teamwork and giving everyone a shot rather than focusing specifically only on one or two specific individuals.

And isn’t that what separates the heroes from Scarlet Lady?

But there’s a third important aspect of this episode.

This is the episode where Chloe is smacked in the face with Scarlet Lady’s falling popularity. 

Let’s remember that at the start of the comic, Scarlet Lady was fully and widely considered THE Hero of Paris. She was beloved for doing nothing and it was a point of frustration for Chat, who actually was having to pick up her slack. Initially, there was nothing he could do because him being the only real hero among the duo meant he often couldn't stick around after akuma fights to prevent Scar from telling "our story". In addition, he didn’t know who she was or who chose her and why. Then even when it was clear her getting the Earrings was a mistake, for a lot of the first couple seasons, she was so popular that they couldn’t just take the Earrings away from her lest they risk backlash from the rest of the city. It’s a backlash that seems increasingly unlikely as more and more people get to see her behavior and callousness firsthand.

We’ve seen hints of it in other episodes, but none of them were so blatant to Chloe that she couldn’t ignore it or shrug it off or otherwise make excuses to protect her ego.

Prime Queen wanted to focus on Marigold and Chat Noir for their “romance” to try and boost ratings. Alya and Lila made some snarky comments, but Chloe could easily dismiss them both. Nadja also made a comment that nobody cared about Scarlet’s love life, but a lack of interest in her love life isn’t a lack of interest in herself and Chloe despises both of her “sidekicks” and wouldn’t want anyone trying to pair her with them anyway. And Nadja reassures her that they’ll focus on her after they’re done with Chat and Marigold. So yes, she can dismiss that as well.

Reverser has Chloe faced with both of her identities are made as villains in art and a story. However, she clearly looks down on Nathaniel and Marc barely registers to her. So she can dismiss them.

Look at Despair Bear, the Intermission, the interactions with the various other heroes, and the fact that only Chat Noir and Marigold are privy to the Guardian’s secret existence and allowed to pass out other Miraculous. Much has been shown of the other characters being less than impressed with her, snarky towards her, or showing the process of how they discover the truth about her and how she actually handles akuma attacks…namely in that she doesn’t. And Chloe can dismiss all of that because to her, none of them really matter to her.

But Chloe can’t dismiss the fact that a renown celebrity dedicating a music video to the “Heroes of Paris” isn’t including her. Bad enough her sidekicks are taking center stage but she’s not even in the music video at all?

And when someone she despises calls out the reasons why she’s not a hero in an openly public setting surrounded by a multitude of people who all agree with her? You could say it’s insult to injury. But some would say it was a long time coming.

Some Rando: Scarlet Lady sucks! Alya: Marigold and Chat Noir do all the work, not her! Kagami: She’s barely even necessary at this point. Clara: This video and song are to celebrate hope and love. And Scarlet Lady lacks both when push comes to shove. Chloe: ARGHHH! WHATEVER!

It further shows the turning tide of public opinion against Scar. What was once a trickle has grown into a wave, and now Chloe is forced to acknowledge her image and status aren’t as ironclad as she thought. Sure, she could denounce Lila as a liar like she’s done before, but Lila is bringing up instances that Chloe can’t deny: being late (as she’s just plain been a no show to several fights), endangering civilians, and being caught live on camera being willing to let someone die in a particularly horrible way because it’s easier.

This is the episode where it’s not just people seeing Scar is horrible, but acting on it and letting Chloe know they know she’s horrible. It’s reached the point where Chloe can’t just disregard the claims or discount and ignore her critics. And we’re seeing Chloe starting to lose control as a result. To the point she has to force her dad to ruin a previously sanctioned event in what has to be one of his most flagrant displays of abuse of power to date just to shut down her detractors.

And even that would come with more consequences for Chloe if it had been allowed to continue. Sabrina herself points it out that Clara is very popular with a lot of fans—people who would be aware she’s making a music video and whom would be very disappointed if word got out that it was cancelled due to an issue with the Mayor. And given all the very unhappy people we see in the comic in question where she points that out, it stands to reason that the word would get out. Heck, I’d be surprised if someone wasn’t recording it.

Then there’s the love square/hero shenanigans.

Remember how in canon, the whole “playing themselves/risking identities” bit kinda just dropped out halfway in? The kwamis were the only authority figures involved to call out on the risk and of the two, Plagg didn’t care and Tikki gave one knowing stare at Marinette before turning around to gush about the suit. Even though Marinette offers the alternative idea to the music video by the end, there’s no further comment or notice of how she and Adrien nearly blew their identities….or alternatively a comedic take where nobody recognizes them regardless and they worried for nothing. Honestly, I would have taken either setup.

Having Fu present to call them both out shows there is a responsible authority figure watching, makes it clear there are rules they are expected to follow, and reinforces that this was, in fact, a horrible idea. Sure, Marinette and Adrien worried enough to hide their masks, but it should have been obvious that wouldn’t work long term. They are risking their identities, not just to Paris but to each other. And he calls them out for doing it on purpose.

Then there’s the beautiful crescendo of the love square dance in that the two both pretty much have figured out the other’s identity and just want an identity reveal to make it official—which Fu won’t allow. We see it in their playful banter that gets mistaken for “getting into character” and in Adrien in particular pushing Marinette to take part.

This is a point where we are seeing them be teenagers. Foolish of them? Yes. Should they have known better and not done it? Yes. But is it in character and the sort of teenage shenanigans we would expect of teenage superheroes? Definitely. And that’s part of the point. Because they are teenagers. Teenagers in love, no less. Teenagers in love with secret identities to dance around. Which is half the fun of secret identities!

It’s just another aspect to this episode that makes it enjoyable.

So overall, the episode matters in ways that the canon version didn’t and was fun in ways that the canon version wasn’t, making it stand out not just as an episode or a remake of the canon episode, but as its own standalone episode AND a noteworthy point in the overall story.

#scarlet lady au #scarlet lady essay #scarlet lady is better than canon #for zoe

[aihoshiino]

Can you tell us more about what you think of real Nino vs script Nino? I think it's so interesting that you said Nino's timidity might be an act (or a choice) on her part... I find her so so interesting, in the sense that (at least in the script) she considered Ai as someone who took away things that were "hers". And that included fans and interestingly, Takamine's attention. (cough lesbian cough) But then that to me at least doesn't really fits into what the actual Nino said (ie normal jealousy vs thinking so highly of Ai but also resented her...?) Nino definitely has a lot of pent up emotions, and unresolved feelings, I think.

Script Nino (& Script Takamine to an extent) both definitely feel like caricatured, exaggerated versions of the girls as they were back during the movie's time period, so while the details are blown up and hyper-saturated for Movie Drama and should be taken with a grain of salt, the emotional broad strokes are probably true enough. We sort of get a tongue-in-cheek nod to this idea with Takamine being all omg was i really like that no way!!! and then immediately codeswitching and barking orders at Nino who just goes along without protest LOL

Seeing that interaction repeated with the real Nino and Takamine feels like a soft confirmation that their dynamic was more-or-less what was see in the movie though probably without as much overt hostility. Takamine definitely gives me the energy of a person who means well but has a really 'my way or the highway' approach to things which manifests in her being bossy and controlling and Nino is comparatively more of a passive person, both in the sense that she prefers to keep her head down and not rock the boat and that she's passive aggressive, the type to just stew in all her negative feelings rather than voice them or do anything productive with them. 45510 lays her feelings out in a little more detail, where she seems to have some self awareness about her behaviour but surrenders to it regardless, recognising Ai's talent and charisma even as she hates her for it. So she was already sitting on a bunch of really complicated feelings even before Ai died.

There's also the complicating factor that, like you said — I do genuinely think and have for a long time that Nino probably has some sexuality hangups that she has not started working through and is probably pretty deeply closeted. 45510 is where this initially jumped out at me - her going on and on about Ai's beauty, her "complex feelings" when Ai dismisses the idea of her being in a relationship that are left suspiciously vague, her possessiveness... Hell, even the hostility she displays towards Ai; it's an unfortunate reality that a lot of closeted women will excuse away or express their attraction to other women as dislike and hostility to try and ""explain"" the nature of their supposed fixation. Nino is this to a T for me.

So imagine all this already cooking your brain and then the woman You Definitely Hate And Are Not In Love With gets brutally murdered and you suddenly have to try and untangle and unfuck those feelings all on your own, dealing with the guilt of how you treated her and knowing that you'll now never be able to make up for or take any of it back while going through the process of grieving for her and scrabbling to keep your career afloat in her absence and your boss has just vanished... no wonder went full Toxic Lesbianism about it all.

#oshi no ko #onk spoilers #b komachi #oshi no posting

[millenari]

you ever think about the difference in how bomba and demeter talk about Macavity in his song and just OOUUGGHHHH

Look. Listen. When Demeter talks about Macavity in the song she mostly touches upon his abilities and achievements to describe him. It almost sounds like she's bragging about him- she mentions twice that he can outsmart Scotland Yard and refers to his reputation as a criminal and also a magical cat. The only time she refers to his appearance is when she says he is 'outwardly respectable' which -as we all know- is either totally untrue or, at the very least, not true anymore.

Meanwhile Bomba focuses on his physical appearance, and when she describes him it sounds like a completely different guy than Demeter's supposed 'respectable' criminal mastermind: he's unkempt, he's uncombed, his eyes are sunken in, etc. Also in almost direct contradiction to the 'outwardly respectable' line, she additionally claims 'you'd know him if you saw him'. She compares him to a snake, an animal most cats sure as fuck don't like, and calls him a 'monster of depravity'. I'd say her descriptions lean towards accusing him of being inhuman, but these are... you know. Cats. None of them are human. But either way she certainly labels him as completely 'other' than the rest of them: he is a 'fiend in feline shape'.

(And certainly this can be explained away as the two of them just having difference preferences. Bomba, as we know, likes Tugger, and she describes him as a 'curious beast' so clearly she has a type here. Meanwhile Demeter is sometimes depicted as having some kind of love affair with Alonzo, but nowadays she's usually paired up with Munk, a guy who doesn't really seem to display much sexuality in comparison to the other male cats, and demonstrates a lot of competence and emotional intelligence throughout the play. So it does make sense that these two specifically would fixate on these two different aspects of the same man.)

However they almost seem to be in conflict about their hot takes on Macavity. Take the middle section I marked off for example: the first time that 'there's no one like Macavity' bit is sung, Demeter sings it. Then later on, Bomba sings it. But when Bomba sings it she changes the second line, which goes from 'He's broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity' to 'For he's a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity'. She also mirrors Demeter's choreo from the same section as she sings it.

That makes her slight change feel very pointed, especially with the how she gestures towards Demeter during that line.

Demeter, fundamentally, is saying, 'there's no one like Macavity, he can do all of these insane things', and meanwhile Bomba is saying, 'there's no one like Macavity, he's a fucking monster' and she makes sure Demeter knows that's exactly what she's saying too.

& on that note there's even more context there when you look at their demeanor. Demeter seems to have a lot of conflict about her feelings, which is portrayed through her expressions mostly, while Bomba remains almost kind of playful and certainly enthusiastic through the whole song. Demeter --who is vastly conflicted-- tries to talk about Macavity's achievements when describing him. Bomba --who knows exactly what Macavity is and was and feels no shame about it-- is happy to talk about what an abomination he is and how attracted she is to him anyways.

And that makes the 'outwardly respectable/cheats at cards' moment feel really important, because Demeter tries to claim something that may be one thousand percent not even remotely true, (potentially to justify her attraction to Macavity), and Bomba cuts in --sometimes with amusement, sometimes with annoyance, sometimes without particular tone-- and retorts, 'i know he cheats at cards'.

Which regardless of if you interpret that line in the manner that seems most obvious: 'I know he cheated on you' (especially when there's a loaded pause between 'cheats' and 'at cards'), or if you take it to be more general ('I know he's more nefarious than he seems' for example) that line very much seems to be Bomba cutting in there and essentially expressing 'girl, give me a fucking break'. And well, one of Bomba's character words isn't 'frank' for nothing.

I also don't have it pictured in the screenshot, but the third time that 'there's no one like Macavity' bit is sung, it's sung by them both at once, and that notable second line that keeps changing says 'There never was a cat of such deceitfulness and suavity,' which labels Macavity as 'deceitful' but also 'suave', almost as if the two of them decided to compromise on their respective perceptions of the man. Which matches how they, by that point, have begun to dance in sync as well.

#cats fan on main #cats the musical #this is just one interpretation of many of course #tho if you stack on that almost competitiveness that they might seem to have in their descriptions of him #(or how demeter sometimes seems to be surprised or annoyed by bomba's additions) #(or how bomba sometimes is sort of playful or even mean with her delivery of the lines where she contradicts demeter) #(while keeping in mind at the forefront that these two characters obviously love each other and share a deep and protective bond) #then at the end of it all you have a relationship that seems very layered and complicated and dynamic #makes my brain go brr #demeter: macavitys a ~mystery~ cat-- #bomba‚ cutting her off‚ hands cupped around her mouth: BOOO HES A FUCKING GINGER #jelliclerants

[gatalentan]

oh my god the way you view the WW dynamics literally gives me chills! i’m going to steal anon question and change a little bit: who gets more jealous

sorry this took me so long to reply to! life got in the way. i'm glad my insane rambles occasionally land kfjsnjkgrn i have a lot of thoughts and i'm never sure if they make as much sense as they do in my head.

my tl;dr answer to this is barbara. but as usual i have too many thoughts to just keep it to a one word response.

the thing about barbara is, her image, how she appears to others, is so fundamental to her that it's what propels her. she's always conscious of it, all the time, and the cameras have only exacerbated it. it's like that adage about swans, right? she appears so graceful and put-together and effortlessly perfect on the surface, but underneath her legs are kicking like crazy. she thinks everything through, she isn't spontaneous, she isn't off-the-cuff, she doesn't go with the flow, she commands the flow, the flow follows her, thank you very much. in conversations you can see her go through her mental flowchart of responses to things to figure out which will paint her in the best light. during talking heads it's almost like she's reading from a script, compared to everyone else - she's thought it all through, and has an Exact way she wants to present herself. so much of her brain space is dedicated to keeping up this image of herself as the perfect, dutiful, responsible, dependable Everything.

but melissa is a chisel, an ice pick, a jackhammer, could be her undoing so easily, ruin a lifetime of building a reputation. she's not supposed to want her. she has it all, right? a devoted husband, two beautiful daughters, a career where she's looked up to and respected.

to want more is greed.

thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife.

but she does. and that's terrifying. and thrilling.

but she wants melissa to be happy. melissa doesn't belong to her, as much as she might want that. melissa deserves to be loved, the way gerald loves barbara. she watched as a bystander as melissa's relationship with joe crumbled, and the way it devastated her, and the way melissa undervalues herself, gives up on herself sometimes, the way she thinks herself totally unworthy of love or tenderness, makes barbara want to ride in on a white horse and show her how she could be loved, should be loved. but she can't. especially now, more than ever, when there are eyes on her all the time, waiting for her to slip. she can't slip.

it's not even just that she's a woman, it's that it's melissa. sweet melissa, from the wrong side of the tracks, with a rap sheet just this side of being able to keep her career, with a sordid history of shady doings that would have her congregation scandalised. even if she was a man, even if gerald was out of the picture, melissa wouldn't fit the image. even just being melissa's friend is a constant challenge because she's always testing the boundaries of what is acceptable or appropriate behaviour. some of the things she says are terrifying and illegal. and deep down, it makes barbara feel alive, that she's some sort of accomplice. she's jealous of her freedom, she's jealous of how she lives her life out-loud, how she takes life by the balls in a way barbara never could. if people only knew. if people only knew that she'd turn her whole life upside down for someone like her -

(as much as the her of melissa schemmenti is also an image. a carapace. a threat display. keeping people out, so they don't see the soft belly that barbara knows probably better than anyone, and cherishes the trust of being given it)

- but she wants her, and she can't stop it. and if she keeps the thoughts inside her head, then she's not hurting anyone, right? and nobody can judge her, only God, who hates the sin, not the sinner. and it's not a sin, if she does not act on it. it's a fantasy, make-believe, like the stories she reads to the children.

she can read into their relationship anything she wants, the looks, the touches, the what-could-bes, those drunken... near-misses. and picture the life they could have, in a different life, to her heart's content - without any damage to her image because it's hidden under all the layers of carefully applied paint.

she has to swallow everything down and push it out, into pushing melissa into the arms of somebody else.

what greater expression of love is there, than steering them towards it elsewhere, at the expense of your own happiness?

plus, if she can't have melissa, then somebody needs to, because otherwise the temptation to bite the apple is too much.

barbara howard loves a boundary, loves to follow the rules.

melissa in another person's arms is a boundary that should keep her out.

but she can't help but think she could do it better.

she can dream about how she'd do it better.

a person can like two people at once.

she does, whether she likes it or not.

------------------------

but scottie, what about in that other life, where they get together?

i still think it'd be barbara.

melissa, i think, or how i picture her, is that she's had decades of coming to terms with the fact that barbara is out of bounds and that she cannot have her. and so she's just had to learn to be satisfied with what she does have. i think she does get jealous, and i think it was probably worse when they were much younger, but now she's just sorta. coasting. leveled-out. done enough crying. figured out how to cope with it. knows what she can and can't do after years of feeling out where the boundaries are. so when she actually gets the girl in the end? i don't think she'd be jealous of other people giving barb attention, i think she'd be peacocking around, because nah, that's my girl, can you see her? isn't she gorgeous, stunning, amazing, wonderful? yeah i'd hit on her too, i get it, i hit on her for years. but it's me she's coming home to! aren't i lucky? do you wanna see our wedding photos? she looked so beautiful. no? ok, bye.

but barb. oh ho ho. i think barb would get the green-eyed monster something fierce. i don't think it would go away even after they got together. i think she'd become very territorial, because if she had to risk it all to get the girl in the end, she's not going to let that slip through her fingers. she didn't repress herself for all those years not to absolutely devour melissa once she finally could, for the rest of her days. she'd finally get to say all those proud, loving thoughts about melissa out loud that she couldn't let slip. the way she talks about gerald in the show? that would be her with melissa. talking about her like the cat who got the canary. melissa this, melissa that, she'd be so annoying about it. there would be no doubt to anyone in earshot who melissa belongs to, are you listening? that's my wonderful wife. mine. so anyone else flirting with her? they'd learn, pretty damn fast, in that understatedly terrifying way barbara has when she gets Serious. and ok, maybe sometimes melissa gets a little deliberately handsy or looksy with other women. pokes the bear a little. just so barbara feels compelled to remind her who she belongs to when they get home... hehe. but it's ultimately about finally being free to love each other and not wanting anything to ever come between them ever again, more than anything else. they did enough waiting.

#work wives #barlissa #chatalentan

[a34trgv2]

The Problem With Animated Shows Today

I shouldn't have to make a post like this because I know there's so much more animated content now than there was when I was a kid. Yet for the better part of a year, I've sat through one abysmal failure of a cartoon after the other, and I just can't stand it anymore. I'm aware the title might come off as pretentious, but rest assured I'm not a pretentious person nor to I view this post as objective fact. I'm just here expressing the common problems I have with cartoons recently and what I feel are the best steps to avoid them.

A common problem I have with cartoons recently is the awful writing on display. Shows like Samurai Rabbit, Hamster & Gretel, Ollie's Pack, and Mech Cadets all have writing that at best very underwhelming and at worst inexcusably amateurish. Scenes would go on for minutes at a time delivering boring exposition, unfunny gags, and very unnatural dialogue. It very much feels like the creators don't understand the value of basic writing principles such as "show, don't tell" "less is more" or "do much, speak little." Rather, they often go through the motions of a typical show so they can meet the given runtine and stay underbudget. For example, an episode of Centaurworld is around 26 minutes, which should be more than enough time to develop the characters, explore the world, have a good amount of funny moments and intense action scenes. What they choose to spend that runtime on instead is one note characters standing around arguing with one another, exposition dump upon exposition dump, unfunny gags, and underwhelming at best action scenes. This in turn makes the premise of the show feel wasted, like the creators only gave a successful pitch just to make something digestible to put bread on the table.

It really does feel like characters in cartoons these days are one of 2 archetypes: the annoying chatterbox and the moronic dirtbag. Let's compare 2 characters that have the same idea but vastly different executions: Eddy from Ed, Edd, n Eddy, and Ollie from Ollie's Pack. Both are outcasts who aren't good role models, but we're supposed to find them entertaining and funny. Despite those similarities, Eddy is clearly the superior character in this scenario because he often gets his comeuppance for almost immediately, and he actually does care for his friends. Ollie, in contrast, is just a selfish brat who sees his friends as expendable and doesn't get his comeuppance as quickly. Not only are the main characters detestable and annoying, but the supporting cast isn't much better as often they're either underdeveloped and unfunny or they're just parrots that always share the same thoughts as the main character. And don't even get me started on how incompetent, pathetic, and annoying the show's villains can get. Seriously, I defy anyone to make a good case for characters like Lloyd Garmadon, Jamack, the Yokai from Samurai Rabbit, or any of the villains from Hamster & Gretel.

An important aspect of animation that not many people bring up in conversation is voice acting. Voice actors are essential in giving life to characters in animation as they're able to make them sound believable and authentic. Or at least, that's what good voice acting should be. So many of the animated shows I've watched have such underwhelming or otherwise terrible voice acting that make the characters sound fake and kill my suspension of disbelief. Some of the worst vocal performances I've heard in recent memory come from Chris Houghton as Cricket Green, Meli Povenmire as Gretel Gomez, Allyn Rachel as Bee, and Danny Pudi as Tiny. They all have very terrible range, no sense of urgency in their tones, and don't sound the least bit believable as their characters. It's also frustrating to hear veteran actors give lackluster performances such as Aulil'i Carvalho as Hailey Banks, Chris Diantamopoulos as Thunder, and Karen Fukahara as Kipo. It's not entirely the fault of the actors for giving lackluster performances, as often they're at the mercy of bad voice direction who doesn't do a good job bringing out the best in their actors.

It's a given that animation on television has more limitations than big budget animated films. The best animated TV shows ever made, though, are able to work around those limitations and provide some excellent visuals that make the world feel alive. Recently though, I've notice a common problem when it comes to the animation in shows like Mech Cadets, Super Giant Robot Brothers, Daniel Spellbound, Hailey's On It, Bee and PuppyCat and My Dad The Bounty Hunter. All of them look good from a design standpoint, but in actual animation, they look choppy and stiff. This is because these shows have bad animation direction. Most people don't think about animation direction when watching a cartoon, but we can definitely tell when animation looks good versus when it looks bad. Bad animation is not just what's being shown on screen but also how it's being presented. In Mech Cadets, a character is giving a backstory to another character in a dark control room, and the camera moves around the room, showing the walls while the character talks. This is beyond inexcusable as it showcases the lack of appreciation for visual storytelling and is a complete waste of resources. Other aspects of bad animation include choppy character movements, a lack of mass on the character models, disorienting cinematography, and poor use of lighting and shading.

What can be done to avoid these shortcomings? Well, it starts by having good scripts that value showing over telling. I can't recommend Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling enough for aspiring writers who want to make the best scrips they can. I also think having your characters be likable and well-rounded will help a ton, especially if they're in a show about good triumphing evil. Having good actors is one thing, but it's equally important to have a very good voice director with years of experience bringing out the best in voice actors. Finally, collaborating with a skilled animation director or a very well established animation studio would do wonders. And don't be afraid to speak up and communicate with the producers on how to make the show bettee while staying within the budget. Animation is a collaborative medium and animated series today should do a better job reflecting that.

#reblog #share #like #follow #animation #comedy #rant #storytelling #disney #netflix #nickelodeon #mech cadets #hamster and gretel #big city greens #ollie's pack #kipo and the age of wonderbeasts #bee and puppycat #hailey's on it #samurai rabbit #action #cartoons #modern cartoons #voice acting #animation direction #writing #visual storytelling

[datusaguy]

All TMNT Shredder’s Revenge Color References - Karai

Been playing Shredder’s Revenge recently due to the new dlc and since I haven’t seen much discussion in terms of references the new dlc, I decided to look into a lot of it myself. This is just Karai’s colors for now and definitely isn’t complete (updated: I have done all the characters by now, check out the bottom of my post for links to all the other posts), but feel free to give me any additional info you might know and I hope you enjoy checking this out.

I wanted to add numerous move references as well, but I don’t think I’d be able to put enough pictures for that and colors so it’ll probably be a different post.

# 1 - Default - AFAIK, Karai hasn’t actually appeared in the 1987 show nor related media (besides Tournament Fighters), so I think this is a new design.

# 2 - Mirage Shredder Outfit - In the mirage run, Karai at one point did don the Shredder outfit which shares a similar color scheme in colored depictions of Mirage characters. Since practically every version of Karai also having some heavy links to the Shredder story wise, it makes a lot of sense that she would have a Shredder pallet.

# 3 - 2007 Movie? - There’s a lot of different things I think this could be a reference to, including Foot Soldiers in general, the IDW design, the 2014/2016 movie Karai, the older 2003 design etc. Slot 3 seems to be for the 1990 movie designs for most of the cast, so as the 2007 movie debatably shares the same universe as the 90’s movies, I think that would make a lot of sense, although she has even less red on her than this in-game color.

# 4 - 2003 Show - This slot seems to be universally for the 03 show and it appears to also be the case for Karai. The blue is quite pronounced compared to Karai in most of the earlier seasons she appeared in, so either it’s supposed to be based on the S7 design or they just wanted to make it more visually distinct.

# 5 - 2012 Show (Mutant) - This one was confusing me for a while as I haven’t actually watched all of 2012 yet, but I have seen enough to recognize her standard design which this almost definitely isn’t. Slot 5 seems to be mostly for the 2012 designs however, so I looked more into it and found out she did turn into a purple and white snake which seems to fit.

# 6 - Tournament Fighters Genesis - This slot seems to generally be reserved for the Rise variations of characters (specifically the turtles, Splinter and Casey), but Karai’s surprisingly isn’t (nor does that color seem to be anywhere in this game). I do like this color variant though.

Also worth noting that I don’t think any of her colors reference the alternate pallet for the Genesis Karai. While an alternate pallet exists, from what I know, she wasn’t playable in the original release of the Genesis version so I don’t think there was any way to see the alternate pallet legitimately (it is available in the Cowabunga Collection however).

# 7 - Tournament Fighters SNES (Alt) - Don’t know why her Alt is listed first when you have all the colors, but it seems to be.

# 8 - Tournament Fighters SNES

# 9 - Aska? - This is by far what I’m most stumped on. The red and gold seems close enough and I can kinda see the blue/purple on Aska as white for her gameplay sprites, but a lot of other art involving Aska tends to display that clothing as a clear purple or blue. I haven’t been able to figure out any other potential reference for this however.

# 10 - Mirage Comics - The original TMNT Comics produced by Mirage were produced in black and white, which this design reflects. 

If you have the dlc, this is quite clear given that the survival mode included a “Mirage” dimension which is black-and-white, alongside many waves having comic book panels.

# 11 - NES (General) - AFAIK, Karai never actually appeared in a NES TMNT game, but the simple color pallet and the fact that other characters have actual NES color pallets they’ve used before in their 2nd-to-last color slot.

12 - Gameboy - Essentially the same situation as the NES color.

All other (currently made) Color References posts:

1. Karai

2. Leonardo

3. Michelangelo

4. Raphael

5. Donatello

6. April O’Neil

7. Master Splinter

8. Casey Jones

9. Usagi

#TMNT #teenage mutant ninja turtles #Karai #oroku karai #shredder’s revenge #TMNT shredder’s revenge

[jelloduckie]

I aggressively read and looked over The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde just so I could draw them so hello!!! Here's my take + notes Jekyll ~

Here's all my notes from the book (thank you Mr. Utterson): - a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty - something of a stylish cast - every mark of capacity and kindness - large handsome face His hands brought to you by the man himself: - professional in shape and size - large, firm, white and comely Misc notes: - elderly and discontented doctor - imperfect and divided countenance And that's all we got... we have Hyde's differences that kind of display what he at least isn't. But anyways my dears! With this info I decided his clothes would be well fitted and move with him. Dignified air to him with a soft smile. He's larger in size but fit/tall, lovely big hands too :3c I took the liberty to make his eyes green since the potion he took to turn back into Jekyll was a "watery green." I also thought a dimple would suit him (completely indulgent). He is aged but I assume not many wrinkles, kind of baby faced for his age, whitening hair and wrinkles by the eyes will do (I don't want him to look young). I actually couldn't help myself but have a similar hairstyle to Fredric March (no description of hair in book). Brownish hair since it seems popular with his character but a lighter shade from the "younger" Hyde. Speaking of! Hyde ~

I actually drew him before Jekyll. He is quite easier to envision with so much description in the book. I perceive I'll draw him more accurately to my notes the more I draw the fellows (I couldn't bear to fix this already good sketch).

Physical appearance: - smaller, slighter, younger - lost in stature / shrunken limbs - pale and dwarfish - evil written broadly and plainly on the face - livelier image, more express and single - imprint of deformity and decay - deformity without any nameable malformation - displeasing smile - ugly idol His clothes: - rich and sober fabric - enormysly too large for him in every measurement - trousers hanging off his legs, rolled up to keep them from the ground - waist of the coat below his haunches - collar sprawling wide upon his shoulders - clothes hung formlessly - very plainly dressed His hands: - lean, corded, knuckly - of a dusky pallor - thickly shaded with a swart growth of hair - corded and hairy (again, seems like a hyde trademark) Misc notes: - husky, whispering and somewhat broken voice - comparative youth, the light step - murderous mixture of timidity and boldness - troglodytic

So, Mr. Hyde is definitely not deformed physically, it's more of a personality deformation that people can just "sense." His smile is striking, so the best way to portray his evil would be with how his face contorts when making expressions. His timidness is important, he'd most likely be hunched over, reclusive yet have an air of boldness, which is equally as important. His hair unkempt and wild in comparison to Jekyll for his "livelier" image and darker in color for a youngness. I didn't portray his clothes correctly in my sketch but it's alike. To add a pinch of difference in character I made his pant stripes green, to contrast Jekyll's red. To hammer this in I made Hyde's eyes red instead of green to tie them together completely. His boots have a red shine, Jekyll's would have a green if I had drawn them. Why red? "The mixture, which at first of a reddish hue-", "compound changed to a dark purple, which faded again more slowly to a watery green." To me this clearly demonstrates the change from Hyde to Jekyll (which the potion was for).

I was originally going to draw them side by side for a better comparison, but Hyde is supposed to be considerably short while still being very thin (not lanky). I also would say his boots would be too big for Hyde (which I didn't draw here).

Thank you for reading my observations *bows gayly*

#my artwork #the strange case of dr jekyll and mr hyde #a insane amount of words #dr jekyll and mr hyde #henry jekyll #edward hyde #my take on it

[sixofcrowsxzoya]

fic for @grishaversebigbang's mini bang word count: 2k with the lovely artwork from @jellythefishhh here and @fayrism here fic summary: zoya has to go to an event in ketterdam, but she can't very well go alone, can she? accompanying her is her least favorite pirate (privateer). Kisses Over Crowns

“Zoya? Are you nearly ready? We’re comparatively later than usual.” Nikolai’s voice drifted in through the door.

Zoya assessed herself. The gown stuck to her body, displaying it. The neckline dipped to her cleavage briefly, hinting, taunting. It was blue, flashy and shiny material with gold and gray accents. It clung to her hips especially. It would do. The Kerch would love it. She barely wore any jewelry, just small diamond studs, a gold chain with the Ravkan symbol pendant and of course, the new Ravkan crown, silver and light, shaped like an approaching dragon. 

She sensed Nikolai as he entered the room. She turned around and raised an eyebrow impatiently. “Well? What are we waiting for now?”

He snapped his gaze to her eyes, not lingering where it should never have been in the first place. "I'm reconsidering going to the event at all.” He stated, in a strangled voice. 

“You’re being ridiculous, Sturmhond.”

“I'm always ridiculous. There are just sometimes you like it more than others." He grinned.

“Let’s go,” She strode forward and took his hand, leading him out of the room. He allowed himself to be led. 

Although the function celebrating the anniversary of the Council was in their wing, Zoya could not help but feel offended at the lack of acknowledgement whatsoever. They were not given directions or guidance, and their entrance into the hall was ignored. She told herself she was thinking too much. 

"What are we even supposed to do?" she asked Nikolai suspiciously under her breath, awkwardly coming to a stop in the middle of the hall. Sturmhond, she corrected herself. The Kerch were furious enough at Nikolai as it was, and she didn't like making a public appearance with a privateer (pirate), but it was the best option they had after receiving the deliberately ill-timed invitation to Ketterdam. 

"Talk, sit. Listen to very long, boring and possibly fatal speeches. Pretend to eat. Dance, perhaps.  And go back to our rooms."

Zoya batted his words away and focused on her surroundings. 

The hall's walls were grey marble, made from helpless indentures' hands, and the dome was grand and high. But it was a closed venue and there was no way for Brekker and his barrel rats to break into this place. Or at least she thought so. She wouldn't put anything past that rat. The place was hung with white banners saying things like "The spirit of profit and trade lives on!" or "Ghezen continues to bless us with prosperity!". 

He hummed to gain her attention. She looked at him questioningly, desperate to limit contact between them. "What is it, my love?" he asked. 

"I don't like making a public appearance with a pirate. Privateer.", she automatically self-corrected, much to his amusement. "And don't call me that." 

At that, he tilted his head, resumed his most mournful, confused expression, which rather looked like a sad puppy. She couldn't help but smile a little at that absolutely ridiculous face. His face broke into a grin which was so much more Nikolai than Sturmhond. She had to look away so she wouldn't kiss him. 

"Ah, well met, Your Highness, well met." a smooth voice distracted her. As she attempted to maintain small talk with the Zemeni ambassador, Sturmhond larked away, being no help at all. She suspected he was enjoying the opportunity to be carefree in front of people he usually scraped to, a little too much. 

When the Zemeni ambassador had had enough, Sturmhond steered her around the room, making it look like she was the one doing the steering. "There's that pair of awful, stuck-up Fjerdans. Saints, I think they're approaching. Quick, sweep me away to the dinner table." 

They tried to speed walk to the massive dinner table in the center of the room without attracting any unwanted attention. Sturmhond stopped a foot away from the nearest chair. "What is it now, privateer?" she impatiently snapped. Then she saw the problem for herself. There was only one seat for the Ravkan delegation. And it was labeled Privateer Sturmhond. 

"Please sit, Your Highness. I'll get them to correct their mistake immediately." he reassured her. Zoya was sure that this was very intentional, but she took her seat and waved him away nonetheless. 

The Fjerdan delegation they had tried so hard to avoid swept into their seats next to her frostily. Internally already asleep, she engaged them in small talk, doing her best to avoid tense topics. Leave the important issues for after the meals and the drinking, Nikolai had told her. She hardly thought the Fjerdans would indulge in alcohol, but she managed to steer them away from intense matters.

"General Nazyakensky! Ah, I suppose it's Queen now." came Hiram Schenck bustling into her. 

She only stared at him unflinchingly. "Those are the kind of errors which make for war offenses. It's been a year of you forgetting my title? Kindly correct this seating arrangement." 

"Of course, of course. We just kept in mind that no Ravkan monarch has ever visited Ketterdam before. Except His Previous Highness Nikolai when he was young, of course." he replied, not taking her threat of war seriously. But he should. Fjerda and Ravka had made their peace, and Ravka and Shu Han were well on their way to peace as well. Novyi Zem was already their ally. That made Ravka out to be quite the strong nation, what with the trade reforms. 

And there came Sturmhond. "Ah, has the seating arrangement been revised yet?" asking as if that weren't the very reason he had gone away. 

"Of course, Privateer Sturmhond. Right away." Schenck bowed and went away. She watched the astonishing exchange with wide eyes. 

"Is he scared of you?" she whispered conspiratorially. He grinned down at her from the back of her seat, but she refused to twist around. She settled for a few glances with her craning her neck. 

"I made sure he heard a lot of gruesome stories about Privateer Sturmhond." he murmured back. 

"Also, does he think that's a title or something?" 

He shrugged. "Or something." 

They were interrupted by a servant hastily dragging a chair towards them. “Thank you,” Sturmhond said. He sank down in his chair, groaning and working out the kinks in his neck. Zoya marveled at the sight. Nikolai could never have done something like that. He would have to sit, straight-backed, stone-faced. She supposed there was some freedom in having a privateer alter-ego. 

“Ahem! Now that we are seated, all of us,” Jellen Radmakker spoke up, standing at the head of the table, “I would like to propose a toast.” 

Sturmhond leaned closer to her and commented, ‘This is probably the best time to take a nap. I’ll wake you up when it ends.” 

Usually she would have ignored him, but as Councilman Radmakker started his speech, she half felt inclined to take him up on his offer. After an eternity, during which she could neither nap, nor talk to Nikolai, Radmakker deemed it the appropriate time to start eating. 

The food was brought in on silver plates, and served to everyone but her. Sturmhond tensed his jaw and pushed his plate toward her. “Eat. I’ll sort this out.” 

She raised her eyebrows. “Like you sorted it out the last time?” Scoffing, she pushed the plate back to him. “Sit, Sturmhond. The food’s probably poisoned anyway.”

Shrugging, he sat down. Then he waved a server over. “Ah, my good mate. Y’know who I am, righ’? Can I have another plate? Mighty good food, m’lad, mighty good food.” The server simply nodded and hurried away. 

Zoya looked at him for a long time, picked a stick of sugar up and stuck it in her mouth. “What are you, Sturmhond?” 

Instead of grinning, or offering any other snarky reply, he leaned closer and closer to her, until she felt his breath on her cheek. “Yours.” 

And that was the moment the server chose to bring another plate to Sturmhond. 

~

Everyone was done eating, and people were milling about, sweet-talking each other or just finding the way to their rooms. Nikolai would have seen this as an excellent opportunity, but Nikolai was not there. Sturmhond gently prodded her once, if she was feeling up for it. Zoya was not. 

They decided to stand there aimlessly, just to see if anyone would make overtures. A minute later, Zoya could not bear it and pulled Nikolai away, to their rooms. She bumped into something hard and …bony. 

“Watch where you’re going, dragon wench.” came the harsh scrape of, unmistakably, Brekker’s voice. She grated her jaw and slowly took a dignified step back. 

He was wearing a black suit, and an oversized black trench coat. His haircut was astoundingly bad. His skin was paler than ever and he clutched his cane in his right hand. His dead shark eyes were irritated and a little wet. 

“Mr. Brekker! How surprising to see you here!” Sturmhond calmly stabilized her and snaked an arm across her back. 

“Isn’t it? I must say, it is not at all pleasing to gaze upon your face. It’s extraordinarily ugly.” he replied drily.

“I would prefer it to have you eradicated from the earth, but who knows? That might just be the thing that brings Ravka and the Council close.” Zoya snapped. 

“A very noble endeavor, I’m sure, Your Highness, but you’ll find that the Merchant Council is currently inebriated and absolutely hates you.” 

“Indubitably, you're right, Mr. Brekker. How has Captain Ghafa been faring?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye. 

“The Wraith is doing just fine. And it better continue that.” 

“Ah, Mr. Brekker, your thinly-veiled threats are always delightful. A true pleasure partaking in conversation with your esteemed self.” 

“I doubt Her Majesty feels that way.” 

“What social intuition you have,” Zoya said in an acerbic voice. She really hated him. Saints knew why they were bothering to talk to him anyway. You know what, she would remedy that. “As truly enjoyable as your company has been, we would take your leave now.” And she whisked Nikolai away. 

She struggled to find their rooms in the sparsely-lit corridors. “What simulating conversation we just ha-,”

“Oh, shut up, Nikolai.” she lashed out, stopping and pushing him up against a wall. Zoya looked into his eyes, Sturmhond’s eyes, an odd greenish color, and only saw Nikolai’s. 

“My Queen?” he mumbled nervously. 

She shut him up with a kiss. Softly pressing her lips to his, she parted his mouth with her tongue, and her reward was hearing him moan spectacularly. Saints, she was done. Zoya pulled away. 

Sturmhond was breathing hard, looking surprised and … was that a blush she saw on his cheeks? “Nikolai…”, she teased, “Are you blushing?”

“Can we please go to our rooms, Your Highness? I’m positive they were just here.” he almost pleaded. She let the poor man drag her to their rooms. 

~

She blinked blearily. Looking around, she tried to remember where she was. Stone walls, white bed. And a solid warmth next to her. She turned around and looked at Nikolai. His red hair, his pointy chin. Nikolai, yet not. She sighed. Zoya could’ve stayed there forever, regardless of the fact that this was Ketterdam.

Slowly, she sat up, because duty called. She had slept in her clothes and jewelry. She took her diamond studs off and kept them in a pouch. Off came the pendant. She carefully reached for her crown, but her fingers just touched… empty air. Space. Nothing. Oh, she swore to all the Saints and their ugly mothers- jumping from the bed, she looked at herself in the mirror. No crown on her head. Her movements woke Nikolai, and he gazed at her sleepily. “My love?” 

“That little cockroach Brekker. He stole my crown. I’ll… Wait. Was it on my head last you saw me?” she fumed. 

“You mean in bed? Yes.” 

So… how did he? “Did we lock the room?” she asked, fear creeping into her voice. If Brekker had seen them… entangled, he could leak that for millions of kruge. 

“I… I don’t think so. Check, my love.” Urgency filtered through his words as well.

#zoya nazyalensky #nikolai x zoya #zoyalai fic #grishaverse #queen zoya #zoyalai #nikolai lanstov #gvmb2023

[smolghostbot]

Patchwork Melody Snippet: Observations

I still haven't really had the writing brain cell, but I have had the editing brain cell and have actually been making decent progress on my silly little blorbo's first meeting story. And I figured, "Sure, it's been a hot minute since I posted writing" so... here's a very small snippet of the absolute first chapter of the story when Patch and Melody are first observing the oddities that are each other, pretty much just a physical description of each of them plus some size comparison for funsies.

Word Count: 500ish Character bios in my pinned post

CW for G/t First Meeting-typical accidental dehumanization, and mentally using it pronouns for a character who does not use them.

======

"Hey, don't be afraid, I don't want to hurt you, just know what you are," said the human. At least, the terrified sprite thought the being was a human. It had the height and weird rounded ears, but its eyes were a bright red, and its hair seemed to be a greenish… blueish… a color that human hair is not, at least as far as they knew.

Even aside from their hair and eyes, the human was definitely an odd-looking one, being rather tall and lanky, even by the standards of humans. They were wearing a simple gray shirt, with some sort of figure on the shirt that the sprite couldn't recognize, and a denim jacket with matching pants. Their face, staring in wonder, was somewhat pale, with a light dusting of freckles that matched the sprite's own. Their face was outlined by a fairly chiseled jaw, more so than most female humans the sprite had seen before. Round glasses were perched on their nose, causing an odd distortion on the giant creature's eyes from the sprite’s perspective. The human was staring them dead in the eyes and leaning down even closer, before they spoke again, their voice a soft whisper, as if afraid to hurt the sprite's ears.

"Hello? I'm guessing you're either ignoring me or can't understand me. I promise I mean you no harm, little cutie. I just want to get a closer look at you real quick... I'll let you go on your way in just a moment…"

-

Melody bent down to lift the adorable tiny thing, to investigate it more closely, and immediately noted just how small it was. Held within her loose fist, the tiny thing's squirming legs didn't even reach her pinky finger. Her comparatively massive red eyes, the result of her decorative contacts, gazed at the tiny creature with fascination, watching it flail about in her hand with a raw curiosity. Despite putting almost no pressure into her grip, afraid of hurting this small creature, she couldn't even feel the struggles of the little thing. Now that it was closer and (slightly) more still, she was able to get a more detailed look at its features. Its skin had a grayish pallor that Melody wasn't sure was natural for whatever it was. Its eyes were a vibrant purple, offset by the duller purple of the bags under them. Purple eyes would help the theory that it has magic… maybe. Aside from the backpack, which she now noticed was denim, it seemed to be wearing a loose-fitting brown cloak or tunic of some sort, with one shoulder exposed, and a small green scarf around its neck, both made out of some kind of fine fabric. Definitely not silk, but not any fabric she recognized. The scarf was a bit odd, given the spring weather, but maybe its body is supposed to be as cold as it felt in her hand. Something cold-blooded? Layers would make sense, then.

The creature's squirming slowed down, as it seemed to realize the futility of its motions. Its long ears drooped down in a clear display of sadness, and its vibrant purple eyes closed. Melody attempted once more to communicate with this tiny thing in her hand.

"Are you done, little cutie? No more thrashing around? If I let go, do you promise to not try to, like, jump or anything? You would probably hurt yourself falling from this height."

#i've described early mel as 'treating patch like somebody would treat an interesting ladybug'. and i have such fun writing with that energy. #mel's not malicious or anything just a (literal) massive thembo with personal space issues. #also no. patch is not cold blooded they are just extremely healthn't right now #g/t #giant/tiny #g/t writing #g/t fearplay #g/t ocs #oc tag: patch #oc tag: mel #patchwork melody

[neptune-ian]

ik most idols not going to date non fans but for those that have their fs as an idol it must be awkward to have ppl doing readings on them? like im thinking if bts members know about it and their fs isnt it just supposed to then happen at some time in their lives? like ppl who were panicking that it isnt themselves well ofc it wasnt going to be...

can you do a reading on how would bts fs first felt when they knew they were an idols fs / what they think of armies overall and if they pay any attention to bts music cause i feel like if they arent fan of their music then what would they want to be with the members for?

you would have to like them for their music or at least somewhat be a lowkey fan otherwise it would also be awkward than anything else cause a lot of armies would probs want to be with the idols for other aspects like the attention theyd get (both good and bad) money is another reason someone would want to be with bts but not for the genuine relationship and i think the stans that fangirl about it being themselves well they arent going to have genuine relationship otherwise bc a lot of stans might cross the line

honestly id be so curious though for when bts do go publicly in relationships (IF they ever do) cause if ppl are already freaking out about jks fs and now yoongis its surely going to be a dissapointment to many? so i dont blame bts for never speaking about their personal lives outside of the group itself cause they know how quick armies are to overreact to such news of them dating, in fact wouldnt be surprised if a member or two got married without telling fans and one day theyd be like hey btw they just got married not that long ago

and as much as i love kpop music and overall groups i dont think i could cope with it without feeling not trapped but kind of caged in by not being able to be open about it but also their fan bases, like im sure some idols like their western fan base more so bc theres different behaviours they display compared to knetz yet when they are grouped into one huge online "community" i think thats when things get out of control like it did for jks fs

idk these are just my 2 cents on the whole fs thing, sure some people would be idols fs but how can they truly know without being delulu? cause some idols are going to be like eww they wouldnt date a fan due to their fan base or they would maybe date within the safetynet of the industry and just not bother looking elsewhere, foreign idols most likely probs want to date other foriegn idols so the margin is kind of slim or somewhat limited in that respect as to who actually would have chance to date idol

Hi anon!

What you say is interesting and right. However I don’t read of the FS because some can be aware of me reading them which I do not want them to know.

What I know from my pov is that people connected to celebs (me for instance) we have HUGE mental breakdowns because of it, we doubt it everyday, find reasons and ways to say « well no, it was all in my head I’m fine » whereas the proofs are in front of us lol. So for the FS it must be WORSE than what we go through.

The delulus thought are not connected and misjudge their wishes as a connection. They have nothing because if you asked them some proofs where there is a connection they won’t give you anything. Saying « yesterday I thought of eating an apple and Felix ate 3 in this live » or « I wished to see Jay’s abs and he showed it » it doesn’t work like that. That is not a connection let alone a real sign.

I can’t talk for the FS because I am not them but they must have felt like a delulu too. They must have felt like they are/were obsessed over their future husband and if they have a good mental state then they may or may not have suffered from this. That’s not easy to know that you’re a celeb spouse with all the pros and cons.

If one of the FS is really lurking there on Tumblr trying to make sense out of their situation they may know deep down the truth but still reject it as they stay silent 🤷🏽‍♀️ if one had interacted with readers then they may like the readings and/or are curious about what is said. I can’t tell 🙃

But for those that are aware let’s greet them and show them how we respect and value them for who they are and not because they are someone’s spouse, have a curvy body, are known, rich, independant and stuff! They deserve love just lile they will give love to their partner ☺️

#tarot blog #anon ask

[kobithedragon]

SO, @cyle , I've actually started using Twitter properly for the first time ever (not cuz Elon, I just hit the daily like limit here too often) and honestly I understand the hate but at the same time I love the tabs each user gets on their own Twitter page.

Specifically, replies.

I love how twitter replies work, I think it's really cleverly designed.

Quote tweet is essentially reblog - it's literally the same thing but stripped down: without showing the via, without being able to see all of the previous comments. So of course it's not feasible for conversations like how tumblr's reblog is, and in general retweet is just awful for content curation, but anyway that's besides the point.

Reply allows for nicely layed out conversations. It fixes the issue of recursive indentation to show consecutive replies to a specific comment, it fixes just tagging the person you're replying to and hoping they know which comment you're replying to, it fixes major platforms (Instagram, tiktok, YouTube, Facebook)'s unhelpful hybrid of both. Tapping through reply tweets, retweeting them, replying to them, it all just makes sense, to me anyway.

Now, if we somehow display reblogs as if they were reply tweets, we'd be implementing replies in the tumblr way! We'd be introducing reblog replies - or something like that, for the lack of a better name.

Reblogging as a user experience would remain exactly the same. The user would be presented with the familiar Tumblr "reblog chain" post, and can reblog it normally, either adding their own text/media or not , along with their reblog.

BUT, the reblogs tab for each post would act like a twitter replies interface - where the user is presented with the most reblogged (with text/media) or liked reblogs (with text/media) first, and then expanding each reblog to reveal more and more reblogs that act in exactly the same way as the one described.

Tumblr and Twitter are vastly different platforms. I love the current way reblogging for conversation works. I think it's just as unique and brilliant as Twitter replies. And it reflects the vastly different nature of the way tumblr is supposed to be used compared to twitter. But , as we all know, Elon happened, and even Duolingo tweeted about returning to tumblr, so there is a very high interest right now in making tumblr at least a bit more like Twitter, so as to accelerate the adoption of ex tweeters. So that they feel a bit more at home here, feature wise, whilst knowing the platform they're on is in safe hands (big up Matt🙏)

I'll add that it is smart to take features from rising platforms such as tiktok as opposed to declining platforms such as Twitter. And Tumblr is way more art & media focused than Twitter - so seems more attractive to the likes of Instagram and tiktok and Pinterest users when Twitter doesn't as much.

But even Matt himself said in an interview, Tumblr could easily be a bigger and better twitter than Twitter is! It already is better in many ways, and bigger because it FEELS bigger because old posts recirculate, nothing has a expiry date!! But yeah it just needs something for the ex tweeters. And me. I love reply tweets٩(♡ε♡ )۶

Those are just my thoughts on one aspect in particular. I hope this can be useful to consider. All the best!! Posting here as opposed to feedback support request because it may need some debating amongst the tumblr users.

#tumblr

[reilliane]

Halo ★ Childe

— ★ Scry: Ecliptic Umbra + Borealis + Childe + Absconder AU — ★ Genre: Romance + Fluff & Angst + Waiting for the inevitable time when paths will diverge — ★ Concept: He can never forget that one shred of mercy he's been shown within the nightmares of the Abyss. — ★ Words: 4k A/N: Aaaah this ties in so well with Absconder AU! Given that MC resides in the Abyss with Aether, aaaaAAAAHH BIG BRAIN, REQUESTER DEAR!

Without any sign of future repose, taut limbs begin to quiver. An unwanted display.

In the stygian environment where one has to rely on various other senses to see, resounds a scoff. It is mellow compared to the dangerous growls from all around the place.

“Raise your sword, do not waver.”

A boy no older than fourteen widens his stance, flexing his fingers around the hilt of his weapon.

“Strike.”

He obeys without hesitance, swinging his sword with all his might towards the direction where he assumes is the location of his chained enemy.

Though his vision is yet to fully adjust to the darkness, he’s beginning to adapt.

And, judging by the cry of despair from what he can tell is some kind of rifthound, he’s succeeded in his slaying endeavors.

“They must fall before you ever can.”

He’s not adept by any means—at least that’s how he views it—but according to the swordswoman, he’s starting to be polished out of his rustic overture.

It’s a rewarding compliment, indeed, for someone like him.

A little douse of color in a life of black and white. If he keeps his head wrapped solely on the weapon in his shaking hands, he will eventually forget what led him here in the first place.

An abysmal place, unreachable with the light he so desired to see once more. How long has he been here?

He hears fading footsteps and tenses, “… Master.”

You’re leaving again? It really shouldn’t be surprising anymore.

“Only for a moment’s time,” the swordswoman he knows not the name of reassures, “Sustenance is well-needed. I’m certain you can hold your guard with what I’ve taught you the past two months.”

That ‘moment’ certainly will last longer than an actual moment.

The child can’t help but think that this is just another test for him to take, which it isn’t a bad thing, per se, since it does examine his capabilities.

So, it’s been two months, he notes to himself after sensing the disappearance of his mentor’s presence.

How strange, it feels like he’s been in here for longer than eight to nine weeks.

The place does not allow him a respite. Distant sounds of incoming monsters enter his hearing and, without the intention to face death, he adjusts his grip on the sword.

Crossing vision making a mess of his balance, the boy attempts not to tumble over and be fodder.

He’s made it this far surviving only with the rudimentary necessities, he’s not going to disappear off the face of the surface world and not return.

His escape from a life so monotonous will cease and he will return rekindled with an ambition.

The end is not his to meet, at least not now—and certainly not here.

His shortsword is swinging before the rumbling growl to his right can fully escalate.

There’s a burst of gold and violet following his attack, cutting into another rifthound that lights its entire body for him to see—and discern that this monster is much bigger.

Much, much bigger than what he’s seen so far.

Its floating form coupled with its size only proves to be intimidating with the way it towers over him, so short—so small. The juxtaposition is notable.

Hesitance delays the supposed order he meant for his limbs to follow, to attack—to strike first like his mentor said before he can ever be the first one to fall. But even a single second is a second too late.

The enormous wolf with golden streaks roars, its equally enormous claws rising with the intent to cut and rip through him without mercy. All in probable turn for its slain brethren.

I won’t die, is what he affirms to himself. I won’t.

So, despite the lethargy in his body and the dread in his chest, he lets out a battlecry—and thrusts his sword straight into the wolf’s chest. Just as he feels its claws dig into his own torso.

There’s a rupture of intense pain in his chest and for sure, the black he’s seeing turns into dangerous red, but that all is insignificant when he’s already falling unconscious.

Maybe he overestimated himself.

Maybe he’s being too ambitious.

Or perhaps complacent, thinking that he’d last long enough in this place after learning how to use the sword and be proficient in it in two months.

Will he breathe his last here after all.. ?

He doesn’t want to. He can’t—he won’t.

Though that distress is seeped and registered by his head, it refuses to be acknowledged by his flaccid limbs. Beyond torpid as if it’s disconnected from his control.

I mustn’t, the boy demands, but his vision is already fading. He’s beginning to get numb.

What is there to do but await death’s embrace?

He breathes out, consciousness dissipating—but he swears that he sees a flicker of light, like a delicate flame, flicking inward in its white splendor.

Then lays a soft touch on his hand, followed by a whisper intelligible to his ears.

What he can say, however, is that touch… oh, how comforting that is.

Icily cold—but gentle.  

The darkness he’s seeing turns blinding white, and he loses grip of his responsiveness.

Knock, knock

When the man bearing abysmal hues of blue opens his eyes in response to those knocks, he’s no longer in that black, otherworldly chasm.

Instead, he’s in his office, sitting straight behind a desk with completed paper works.

The white candles in golden candelabra shed the same flickering light he’s sustained in his nostalgic recollection a few seconds ago.

Knock, knock

A shame he can’t continue visiting that memory now. Ah, maybe later, then?

The color of the of sky outside implies that it’s an hour or two before dusk—and three or four before nightfall.

“Enter.”

If he finishes another set of work early then he would be able to go out for tonight.

“My lord, Tartaglia, I’ve procured the reports from the reconnaissance stationed at Sumeru,” informs a masked man as he steps in after a bow and a salute.

Come to think of it, won’t it be a full moon later?

The Harbinger beckons to hand the papers over so he can get started right away, the plan to finish early already set into motion.

He’s not about to miss such a sight in the night.

With a contented hum and a wave for the officer to leave, he makes himself comfortable on the chair and begins to read over the report.

It is a little difficult to concentrate, though, not with the flickering candlelight persistently endeavoring to capture his attention from his peripheral.

So, with a small frown—he truly doesn’t wish to put out what reminds him of ‘her’ but alas—he leans closer to the candelabra.

Then ceases the flames with his fingers.

The hot sensation lasts for but a moment.

“It’s you.”

He awakens to the warm—almost searing—touch on his chest.

It hurts, but the pain is dull when compared to the claws that sunk and ripped through him.

Through his daze and blurred sight, he’s able to discern a pair of [c]s looking down at him, muted with concern. There appears to be some circle at the back of her head, a pronounced element against their dark surroundings.

When his vision regains clarity, he realizes it to be the same light he witnessed just before losing consciousness a while ago.

It’s a halo of glowing stars, ethereal, well-nigh elysian.

Befitting for a lady who’s come to grace him with her presence each and every time his master departs.

This person always seems to carry a light of her own.

Not literally, for she has no lantern or anything remotely similar. She simply appears to glow, thus making her standout amongst the black.

It’s enchanting.

“Bethink yourself of times before, one when you once were afeared by the mantle of this abyss,”

She’s always had such a gentle yet firm voice as if she’s royalty.

“In sooth, after hearing your faint orison, it became a plan of mine to take you in … care for you, but that was thwarted by that woman. Not like it begot a quandary.”

She helps him sit up.

His injuries are treated and bandaged without a single stain of blood in sight. Even the weapon he’s brandished for months is now untarnished with the rust of carmine.

“She taught you the convolution of lusting for battle, honed you the finesse of a blade, wherefore you’ve changed in a month’s time.”

She then lifts her hand to brush it through his ginger locks, like she’s trying to get a proper view of his face. It’s reminiscent of what she did the first time they met, only this time his hair has gotten longer.

Her touch is warm as always.

“The guerdon for falling into a place untouched by the faintest of light, is this it? Are you gratified, Ajax?”

Is he?

Is this what he sought for when he fled from his home—into the snowcaps of a mountain, and fell into a fissure in the earth where he’s being taught by a swordswoman to indulge in his bloodlust?

A strike of color in his monotonous world; a splatter of red and a bloom of [c].

Some warmth in a life where all he’s known is the cold.

“You know, miss,” he responds after a minute or two, “I don’t follow you at all.”

With the way the mystifying lady carries herself around him along with her choice of words, he’s really about to liken her to someone belonging to a royal lineage.

Most of the time he can’t understand what she’s saying.

Hearing this, [c] eyes blink, then an abashed sounding chuckle echo.

“Mayhap I’m a bit too fixated on the archaism I’ve been used to.”

“Probably,” he finds himself smiling.

At least, before that’s whisked away by a thorough chill that has him shivering. He sometimes forgets how mercilessly cold the abyss could be.

The darkness and the cold can only be precluded if one alights a fire, which although a little difficult, isn’t entirely impossible.

What comes to mind when the word ‘abyss’ is mentioned is self-explanatory; barren, devoid of any light.

It is partially true, but this abyss is far from being stereotypical. This is a place of its own, with monsters and materials and probably a whole lot more if he chooses to venture further.

He doesn’t, though. Perhaps not now.

He sees the lady moving away after his faint tremor.

She scoots towards the arrangement of firewood nearby. Ah, will she light it up with a flame? That will be nice.

The boy waits eagerly for a burst of orange and red—but instead, he’s faced with a smile, an open palm, and no flames.

He is just about to question it when all of a sudden, a rhombus appears to float above the palm.

Then from it blooms with starry design, the blazing element he’s been looking for.

The reds, oranges, and yellows of a flame return to the candles in the gilded candelabra following the lighting of a match. The matchstick is then discarded in the trash.

A warm tint envelops the previously dim room.

The abyss held no light—or so they say.

Childe begs to differ, not like it’s something he would admit, for what has transpired underneath the surface world is a matter he’ll keep to no one but himself alone.

Without the pressure of reconnaissance reports weighing him down, he stretches his limbs with a yawn. It took a lot of time—it’s already evening—but what’s important is that he’s done.

Maybe he could’ve finished earlier if he wasn’t being sidetracked—in other words revisiting his memories—every ten or fifteen minutes, but what’s done is done.

The night is yet to end and that’s all that matters right now.

After leaving the papers he’s arranged to be picked up, he makes a beeline towards the door.

The presence of his smile isn’t something that he has to hide despite being stared at incredulously by his underlings.

Well, though their eyes are veiled by their masks, he has a feeling they’re looking at him in bafflement. It isn’t so often that he goes out of desk duty with a smile on his face.

Have they always been so fixated on him?

“My lord, are you not going to dine first?” questions Ekaterina.

Always concerned, even? Hah.

“You remind me of my people, who I wanted to keep safe and be loved. Perhaps that is the reason,” is the answer given to him when he asked why he’s often visited.

“Or maybe you’re just fond of me!”

Recalling the hearty laugh in response to that bold statement of his—he really wasn’t jesting then—lifts the corners of his lips. The sight has the receptionist at Northland Bank tipping her head in surprise.  

Childe shakes his head in dismissal, answering, “I’ll get something on the way. Don’t forget to advise Vlad when he returns from his own affairs later.”

“Understood, my lord.”

Liyue’s chilly night air is a wonderful element to come across after being cooped up in the office, continuously drained of the energy he’s supposed to exert in battles. Not papers!

The Harbinger takes a deep breath in, relishing in the wind that’s evocative of Snezhnaya’s own icy air. It doesn’t match the frigidity of the faraway nation, but the cold is always something he’ll welcome.

It, after all, reminds him not only of his nation—but the very stygian world that pivoted an angle in his life. Along with it, his mentor.

“Fond? Maybe I am. But don’t be misled, you are still but a young boy.”

“I’ll grow…”

“I’m aware.”

And that lady.

As Childe proceeds to hike up the path towards the pavilion—the perfect spot to gaze at the full moon—he wonders why he wasn’t given the blessing of learning her name.

Well, it might’ve been too selfish of him, maybe, since he’s always being nursed back to health during that woman’s visits… and he hasn’t given her anything in return…

He’s but a youngster then, seeking for colors, for excitement. Who would’ve thought that all those would be found in a place so detached from the quotidian norms?           

  

“Perhaps our interaction was all for naught, for even if I endeavored, I failed to keep you in your nest of innocence.”

She did look upset came the third month of his sojourn in the abyss. Maybe he’s too childish for her tastes? He was fourteen. Ah.

“The light in your eyes have gone, Ajax… but perhaps this is what you needed before returning to the surface? The darkness of the abyss..”

Oh, yes, how can he forget.

That person’s objective has always been to try and keep the luster in his pools of blue—to have them unsullied by the horrors of that place. Protect him, she tried, but failed.

He’s played a part in that failure, for in the horrors of that world came the urge to rid it, to slay, to battle. And in those battles, he found the sparkle of joy, genuine fun.

So perhaps that is the reason why she did not give her name? Was she malcontent? Disappointed? It’s a little unfair. He gave her his name.

Why couldn’t she give hers? Oh, he’s still hung up about it after all those years—maybe within, he’s still the fourteen-year-old boy then.

“That’s not right,” he recalls saying without a beat of shame, “There is some kind of light in this place. It can’t be seen often, but it’s there.”

“That’s you,” Childe mutters the words he wasn’t given the chance to utter.

‘You’, because he knows not a letter of her name. He directs this statement to the full moon—the moon that lady’s always speaking of whenever possible.

She says that it’s because it is only when the moon is at its whole does the beauty of her ruined beloved shine the most in her memories.

What that beloved could be, he doesn’t know for sure. When he asked, all he received was an answer so vague he wasn’t even able to pick up the puzzle pieces.

So it can be someone, or something, or someplace.

A lover… or a heart… or a home.

When he said that he’ll do his best to help restore whatever that was into its golden state—that is, assuming that ‘beloved’ is concrete and not abstract—in turn for all her darling company, she only smiled.

He wonders if she thinks that he’s incapable of doing so. To the present, he’s still mulling over the plan to restore something he doesn’t even know.

And it’s amazing how several years have passed yet, all their conversations are untouched by time.

Until now, when he’s no longer fourteen, he can remember her words with ease.

“Then I am happy that I’ve been of good company until late, but do listen to this rede of mine.”

“Once you are at the surface, omit your memory of me. I do not wish to see a familiar face be dolorous when the loom of fate has begun and the war against the celestial arises, with me being the progenitor of such a cataclysm.”

He really thought their separation would be more mellow. He had hoped for a sign of future meeting, but was given nothing of the sorts.

“Farewell to you, Ajax.”

Instead of an assurance to reunite, he’s handed the request to leave what he saw in that world in the dust.

To forget the very light in the abyss that would’ve driven him to insanity had it not been for the bearer of that halo, doesn’t it sound so mean? How can he possibly…

But oh, she mentioned that it was because she did not want him to feel betrayed, for a future war that will damage Teyvat will be caused by none other than her and her order. An understandable thing.

That does not matter though, does it?

He has come to walk upon a path that mirrors the hadean atmosphere of the abyss itself, has strung upon lives and hearts for the fruition of a plan of the leader he’s devoted to.

If anything, he has become someone as twisted as that warped halo.

To be able to show mercy… yet at the same time have motives.

Oh, what would she say if she saw him now? He was but a child, then.

A child who lived a life of black and white, who found crimson in the crevasse of an ancient world—and a multitude of colors through that transient companionship with the lady bearing a halo of stars.

The mass of war has dimmed his own light but in contrast, he’s found strange euphoria following that lone ‘adventure’.

He wonders how he, a fourteen-year-old child, was able to smile in that abyss despite being beaten half to death.

Was it because his growth was complimented by his mentor?

Because he was shown that there was some kind of beauty in the abyssal stars?

Or maybe it was because it was there that he discovered something inside him that would be impossible not to unveil in the surface world?

… Or, was it because he found the idea of that strange lady with the light of the stars and the dark side of the moon so mystifying?

Intriguing?

Childe will be lying if he says he didn’t actively try to find a way back to that realm years afterward, when the urge to meet her again bugged him for days on end.

Because he did try, though it’s become an unfortunate endeavor—because he couldn’t find an entrance anymore.

He has already forgotten what that person looked like, alongside his master who taught him survival and battle. But he’s certain that if he ever crosses path with either two, he will remember.

The question is if he will meet them again.

They both conferred no positive answers.

Was it meant to stay like that, then? The thought is tart to taste. A dark fairytale like memory of a boy who fell in the crater of Teyvat?

The boy, now a man, a Harbinger telling of doom, can only wait—and maybe hope. Until then, whenever night befalls upon Teyvat, he’ll take a moment of time to gaze at the moon.

Because much like the luna and its glow within the dark sky, it reminds him of her.

The evanescent halo in an empire overruled by twilight.

Just reliving those memories swells his chest with a peculiar warmth, fuzzy despite the macabre environment it bloomed in.

Ah, he truly does wonder if he’ll see her again.

“If it’s within fate’s design for us to reunite in the surface world… well, we’ll just have to see, no?”

He hopes so.

Meanwhile, over looking the entirety of Liyue, atop the peaks of a cliff stands the same person alive in the memories of a now battle-scarred Harbinger.

Near to witness his moment of solitude but far enough to go undetected.

Who would’ve thought that he’d cling onto those three months in the past? Aha, well, he’s always given off a stubborn vibe.

“Princess… you were acquainted with someone like him?”

The befuddled tone of the Abyss Lector at your side has you laughing.

That surprise is well placed. No one knew of your relation to the man who hailed from the nation of ice and snow. Until now, that is.

“Is it that surprising?” you muse, smiling as you continue to observe the distant figure, “It isn’t just him that I’ve monitored over the years. There is also a certain Captain… and I’m delighted to see they’ve gone so far.”

The Lector lets out a low grumble. One of distress.

They’re probably worried—they’re assigned to watch you, in particular. Not knowing of the people you’ve approached and observed until now puts him in jeopardy.

Unfitting for a guard.

You simper, “Concern yourself no further. I will speak on your behalf.”

“My sincerest thanks, your Highness.”

The smile on your features grows fond the more you overlook the figure of the Harbinger.

Ajax, who’s stargazing in his leisure time. Oh, how he’s come to grow into the man he promised he’d be.

You almost feel bad that you didn’t give him your name—but it had to be done. Whatever ties you’ve made to someone not a part of the Order must be buried in ash.

For in the surface world of Teyvat, you are deceased.

At least, that’s what those who knew of you thinks.

The small cough erupting from the Lector has you humming, “Is it time already?”

“His Highness, the Prince, will worry…”

Ah. Understandable. You mustn’t stay out here for too long, anyway.

“Then we shall be off.”

The Lector parts open a rift in the space, revealing a portal of black and blue, bespeckled with the abyssal stars you’ve come to call a second home.

Wind gusts from it, cold and inviting.

Before you take a step inside, you glance back at the Harbinger who remains unaware of your faraway presence. His voice resounds one of the last statements he’s ever said.

“When I see you again, prepare to witness me in all my glory!… But will we, miss?”

You turn around, walking into the crevice of onyx and azure.

“Will we, indeed…”

The portal closes.

A huge gust of wind coming from the back prompts the Harbinger to swivel, finding that gale to have not come from simple nature.

It felt unnatural, actually, almost familiar, even.

But when Childe looks back, all he sees is the empty pavilion, the looming cliffs-

His eyes widen for the briefest of moments—then he blinks.

It’s gone, the thought passes. Maybe I need to call it a night.

He could’ve sworn that he saw a tiny halo in the distance.

a/n: And thus, the beginning of Childe's part as a special LI in the Absconder series. Talk about being hung up on your first crush aeeaeaeae - also, it's only mentioned that he was trained by a 'swordswoman' in the abyss, so i went with that!

Also tested writing the transition between scenes again w/o a divider in preparation for future comebacks (coughsmitecough)

@cherryflushz @e7t3 @scarlet-halos @lordbugs @nebulaera @annoying-and-upset @hanniejji @applepi1415 @tjjjrsj @azirajane @hey-comrade-hold-still @limelightsuperhero @chloeloe @loptido @windyventi @nejibot @ganyuqrt @justrinnn

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭'𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬

#m-event #childe fluff #childe angst #childe x reader #m-absconder #reader insert #genshin impact x reader #genshin imagines #genshin fluff #genshin angst #female reader

[deanismysavior]

Mike has no personality at this point in the show and he's like an empty shell now compared to S1 and S2.

Compare his character to all the other characters on the show, it's glaringly obvious that his character has gone downhill. All the other characters have nice dynamics and development, whereas Mike has lost all his personality and soul. Are the duffers trying to make him only El's boyfriend now? But that doesn't make sense because he's a terrible bf as well, and Mlvn is so badly written in comparison to other relationships like Lumax, Jopper and Jancy.

I cannot believe that the Duffers would just suck at writing Mike's character so bad in comparison to all the other main characters while f-ing up with Mlvn this much at the same time. So, it has gotta be intentional that they're writing his character and Milkshake's relationship this way. If not, I'm sorry but it's just bad writing.

I'm actually going to give a hot take and say that I don't think Mike has less personality this season, I just think that we get to see a bit less of his outward emotions. In s1, Mike was loud and obnoxious, made jokes all the time, and fought with Nancy. In s2, we see him take on this more protective role over Will where he's spurred into action to protect the people he loves. In s3, we see him going through the throes of puberty, and in an attempt to declare more independence and autonomy, he acts like a brat and throws himself head-first into his relationship with El because he fully wants to experience being a teenager. In s4, I think most people are confused because we're not seeing this reactive and impulsive Mike that we're used to, at least, not to the same degree. We're presented this subdued and internalized version of Mike. He's not so expressive with his language in the ways that we've seen him in the past, which for someone who is characterized as a chatterbox throughout the show, we see that this isn't normal behavior for him. But what leads me to believe that this is an intentional choice and not just a failure at presenting Mike's character is that his moments of passive aggressive behavior directly mirror his father. Mike is not generally a passive person, but do you know who always has been? Ted Wheeler. And I think it's really important to take note of this in the context of his relationship with El. This season, Mike's arc has been about the strain in his relationship with El and about how he feels inferior to her, so by showing us a Mike that is passive aggressive or just plain passive in when it comes to El, we're being shown that he doesn't feel like he can be his authentic self with her, and therefore we see him reverting to the same roles that his parent have displayed to him his entire life, ones that lack empathy and mutual understanding. But then we have this juxtaposed to the moments that he shares with Will, and we start to see some of that same jokiness and expressiveness that we know and love Mike for come back to him. When he's speaking to Will in the van, we see chatterbox Mike again, which to me, signifies that he's only started to become the old Mike again around people that he really trusts. This tells us a lot about what has been going on behind the scenes with Mike, and I'm betting that he's likely had to do a lot of hiding, faking it, and performing in order to get through this period in his life. I really don't think that the progression of Mike's character is bad writing, I think we're supposed to know that something is not okay with him.

#mike wheeler #byler #byler endgame #byler nation #ask #will byers #el hopper #st #stranger things #will x mike #mike x will #will byers is gay #mike wheeler i know what you are

[enarei]

it's funny because e-readers occupy this category of computer that currently fills a use case niche enough that not many people mind its limitations, but that statement is circular, people accept that this device will only ever be able to fill a small niche, in this case, serving as a compromise between a physical book and a full-blown tablet/computer w/ touchscreen, because there hasn't been any effort into expanding what that compromise means. and imo this sucks because it really limits the potential of people leveraging the things e-readers were originally touted for, namely the non-LCD screen and its relative robustness compared to a traditional smartphone.

part of it could be attributed to how the primary drawback of the screen technology only made it suitable for a few things smartphones didn't excel at around the same time, it became stagnant as something that solved a few problems (LCDs) with something that solved a lot of other problems with something else (desktops). despite a phone or a tablet being a lot more practical than a book, they're also inherently distracting to a lot of people, there's always a dozen apps running in the background, it rings, it flashes notifications, it vibrates, and of course, the screen causes eye-strain after long periods. e-readers were popularized as something that married the "dumbness" of paper, and the practicality of digital media, online connectivity, storage, weight, and so on. in its infancy, there was legitimately no point in making a device capable of handling complex media or applications that would make it more comparable in function to a smartphone or tablet, because the screen simply couldn't refresh quickly enough to display it. marketing those limitations as something that aligned it further to a real book made perfect sense, as if you tried to use it for anything else, you would be frustrated by its sluggishness, but more importantly, it helped to distinguish it further from things people already owned.

but like, 15 years on from when the first Kindle was released, the hardware limitations that might've prevented them from having some manner of flexibility that might've brought them closer to other mobile devices at the time, the ability to browse the web, or install third party applications, are mostly irrelevant. the relative uselessness of most e-readers is not because e-ink technology is still too finicky to make consuming anything other than ebooks a pleasant experience, but because the concept of the "e-reader" itself has shifted from a media device with a specialized screen, designed for document reading in general, to solely being an entry-point to a particular storefront.

(like, I realize the tone of this may sound almost conspirational, but consider the first e-readers also doubled as music players. sure, the resolution was SHIT, but they often had more features than what is available today, more than two decades later! it would only be more recently that them being "dumb"/exclusively capable of one thing would be touted as a feature.)

even if more people might be interested in the devices themselves if they were capable of more, say, downloading manga scanlations, reading dynasty-scans without hassle (telling that this is the demographic I first think of), if they allowed more user freedom, easier connectivity and means to fetch files from the internet; treating it more like an actual computer, which it is, might harm long term sales on the proprietary storefront. to Amazon, which practically holds a monopoly on e-readers, the Kindle is a medium for selling books, it doesn't need to be capable of any more than that, the user interface being incredibly anemic, the browser still being experimental after a decade, the inability to export highlights, the laughable epub/cbz support, these are conscious design choices, rather than technical compromises. and they unfortunately exert enough influence on the concept of what an e-reader is supposed to provide that the drawbacks of using Kindles for reading comics, PDFs, or other non-DRM documents aren't apparent for most people, and this is reflected in nearly every other manufacturer (Kobo is barely better)

and it doesn't have to be that way. obviously. obviously this is the point of the post. e-ink is such a cool technology. there are android based e-ink tablets but they cost like $600 dollars for no reason. but more importantly, a middle ground between a full-blown android OS and a lightweight linux interface that doesn't suck is totally possible. please hack your Kindle if you can. install Koreader. read yuri doujin for hours without getting headaches. do it now.

[nuppu-nuppu]

What helped me be less distressed about the whole manga situation is like... How many themes are left if Bakugou doesn't make it? Save to Win/Win to Save is literally one of the biggest major themes in the series, and that's only possible with Bakugou.

From the very beginning, Bakugou and Midoriya have been used to show the neligence of Hero Society and Hero culture, which really sucks for him, sob because he's always in danger and always getting shit. Which like, I know I got pretty upset the past two weeks at everyone cheering for Midoriya to come and help Bakugou, just because he's been helped so many times. He deserves to stand on his own and fight this battle-

Especially given the fact that Shigaraki was the one who kidnapped him.

Another reason why he's not going to die, because that would just be so severely underwhelming on so many parts; in addition to just... genuinely not adding anything to the plot. What? Midoriya sees him dead and rages against ShigaAfO? Ignoring the 'control your heart' thing he's got going on (also related to Bakugou, as it came up during Black Whip's reveal) AND the "Don't go playing Hero on your own" line (also said by Bakugou and brought up again during his apology).

Horikoshi has been so careful interweaving Bakugou into things from the beginning- and like... I won't say they've been good to our boy, because seriously the dude can't catch a break (which is so astounding when antis say he hasn't suffered enough, because he is like?? Literally always suffering sob), again, another reason why it doesn't make sense to kill him off.

What? Is the message supposed to be that if you try your hardest and do your best, that you will still fail always?

One of the other main themes in the series is redemption and atonement- it's about not judging people by their past actions, and killing Bakugou off before he finally gets that atonement recognized... Again, it kills one of the major themes.

None of the villains can hope to be redeemed if Bakugou doesn't make it out of this (also Shigaraki can kiss his redemption goodbye because there's literally no way that Midoriya would forgive him after that, possesssed or not). Bakugou is the foreground, the basis of all redemption. If they don't redeem the dude who was kind of an asshole in middle school, how are they going to redeem literal murderers?

Not to mention the sheer work put into his character- what author would willingly throw all of that away? For no reason, even, like??? What would Bakugou's death add... to anything?

The Heroes failed to protect an innocent person yet again, Midoriya loses his inspiration and closest person, Bakugou's narrative is forever incomplete and staring lamely into the void.

There are things to worry about. I worry that Bakugou's moment will get overshadowed, yet again, because he's written as and displayed to be strong; but most of the time he fights it's with someone "out of his League" or his strengths are immediately washed out by some other character.

I'm honestly tired of him always needing 'saving', because it's been ages since he came to terms with his own weakness. The War Arc seemed to be a turning point in his relationship with Midoriya where Bakugou took the lead. Bakugou saved Midoriya. Bakugou hunted down Midoriya to take him home.

I'm worried about this comparision being stuck in canon (Bakugou's only worth being Midoriya, the fact that he's compared himself to Midoriya from the beginning, and I'm not sure of the connotation behind 'Can I reach you' (whether it's a call to their childhood and his regrets over not taking Midoriya's hand or him comparing himself to Midoriya again), but, even as excited as I am for these BakuDeku crumbs, I don't want all of Bakugou's hard work and dedication to just be attributed to Midoriya. HE'S the one that put in the hard work to and to be better. Even if Midoriya inspired it, the only one guiding Bakugou's redemption and his journey was himself.

A lot of the fandom seems to have forgotten just how double sided BakuDeku's relationship is now that we're finally getting Bakugou's side of things (over Midoriya's, even), but Bakugou has been such a huge inspiration for Midoriya- yes, he is Midoriya's closest person, but we tend to forget why, how much Midoriya cares about Bakugou even in non life threatening situations.

Bakugou and Midoriya both believed in each other when no one else did...

It's reasonable to feel distressed or upset, but Horikoshi has put so much time and effort, love and care into these characters... Why do all that work to rip them away?

At least, these are the things that I remind myself as I try to avoid the echo chamber that is the fandom right now. Seriously, it's either get rid of all Bakugou/BakuDeku conent from my dash or see leaks and 'he's dead' posts everywhere. There's no winning.

It really is up to you on what you want or need in the future, but it's important to step back and realize where this distress is coming from. If you need to step back from the fandom do it. Try to dig up some old conetent you used to enjoy.

Only you can tell if thinking about him More or Less would help (if you can break away from this distress, do so, but only if it won't make things worse)..

Woah I’m speechless please everyone read this!!!!!!

First of all your analysis makes so much sense and you’re like a god with all this writing you’re so smart

I also feel like it would be a disservice to Bakugou’s character if they killed him off now and so many things would be left hanging

He is occupying 90% of my mind right now I can’t stop thinking about him

I think after all he’s been through it would be cruel to just kill him. He deserves kindness and gentleness ;;;; my babyyy

#i feel like my answer is not enough since you wrote so much #thank you for writing this #it makes me feel better that I’m not alone in this #<333 #our katsuki ;;; #bnha 362 #bnha manga spoilers #mha manga spoilers