How dare Spotify make me listen to a long-ass advert for Elton John while I’m writing drafts for Alexsander, don’t you know they’re mortal enemies??????

idk why my brain is suddenly hung up on torturing dism but i'm here for his fraught and tortured questions :)

Maxie Infodump #1 - Little known character details from official media

I promised to post some of my maxie infodumps and headcannons, and I think I'll start it off with something simple. His official character bio that was hosted originally on the first release of ORAS (this will be ORAS Maxie focused)

here is a transcript for easy reading: "Maxie is the leader of Team Magma, the team seeking a world ideal for humanity. He pays attention to even the smallest of details, and is quite sensitive in some regards. He has a habit of describing situations in numerical terms. He possesses a cool-headed outlook, thinking that some sacrifices cannot be avoided if he is to achieve his goals." Okay, so first, after looking at the original japanese version of this page,

小さいことまで細かく気にする、神経質なところがあり、さまざまなことを数字を交えてあらわすのが口癖。 目的を果たすためなら、犠牲が出ても仕方ないと考える冷徹な思想の持ち主でもある。 The one word in here I wanted to be sure of was 'sensitive' since it can have many meanings, and the original japanese gives us some possibilities with:

Personally I think (being) highly strung is the most likely option here, but either way its an interesting character trait. And we all know he certainly builds up frustration and tension and explodes a bit like a volcano. Even if he does manage to correct himself afterwards.

~ ANYWAYS ~

Now that we have the bio, let's break it down a little and look at some fun examples of it in action! Maxie has a habit of describing situations in numerical terms. This typically comes out more when he is nervous or stressed. Here are some examples: Ill just take ORAS as an example here since this is already getting pretty long... In ORAS after fighting him at mt chimney, he lets you know in a specific numerical way, how much he fell behind:

And then again, when you battle with him and lose in the Battle Resort where he just has to let you know the situation in numerical terms by giving you the exact lose chance according to his own calculations of course:

"So the great Maxie has fallen, even when battling alongside your team... I shall commit this curious phenomenon to memory. It had less than a 1 percent probability of occurring, you know."

this culminates in a really interesting interaction between him and courtney after the delta episode. While It's pretty clear that Maxie cares for his team and especially his admins, he definitely struggles when faced with his crying admin, and being unsure of what to say, he settles with a numerical quantifier again.

He assesses the situation, and decides to comment on how MUCH courtney is crying. His "paying attention to even the smallest details" trait also ties into this habit of his, and is probably why he jumps to conclusions a little too early because of small things he's noticed. Accusing Tabitha of wanting his spot as leader, just because he disagreed with him is one of those situations.

Pokemon Masters EX has a lot of new scenes with Maxie, and I would love to talk all day about them, but I'll just pick out one here, and that's from the "A pasio Spectacle" event. In this event, Maxie overhears team break members simply say the word 'glasses' and instantly jumps to the conclusion that not only did they want to talk to him, but that they noticed his "magnificent mega glasses" and would like to hear a lecture on how they were scientifically made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZmmaf9bhD8&t=144s here's a link to watch it, its worth it :D He certainly picks up on small details, but tends to miss the bigger picture sometimes, which is fun because I believe archie tends to do the opposite. Perhaps his mega glasses are actually designed to reflect this, because they work like horse blinders, and keep maxie looking straight ahead (trust me, I've made a pair of these, and you cannot see someone standing to your immediate side). Looking straight ahead is also relevant to his life goal, of ensuring the bright future of humanity, and as he says: "propel humanity to greater heights of progress and evolution." And that concludes my infodump regarding this one little bio that is no longer available without the wayback machine, and I just wanted to share it with any other Maxie fans out there :D Next I think I might tackle the bigger topic of how Archie and Maxie have so many fun contrasts in personality and more. and then maaayyybe I'll feel comfortable enough sharing my headcannons and theories. But only if people want more lol, I am not good at writing big posts :>

Okay, so... I have some not-so-positive thoughts about Olu/Zheng and Jim/Archie.

So, I'm supposed to believe Olu talks about Zheng all the time etc etc but we haven't seen any of that. I knew it was gonna happen but there was honestly no buildup. I wish they had at least shown some of that so it would feel a little bit better.

I understand that they wanted to add more female characters and I love that but why do they have to break up Jim and Olu to put them into relationships with said women? That I don't exactly understand.

If they wanted relationships for Zheng and Archie, there are plenty of other characters. But also, they could just exist as fun, interesting characters on their own? I think s2 is already too packed with storylines, so now we have this in my opinion pretty half-assed romance and no explanation why Olu and Jim suddenly apparently fell out of love. I think they are trying to make it sound like they were pretty platonic but happened to fuck and it's kinda weird and kinda hurtful and in my opinion makes zero sense bc there was a whole story arc in s1 of Olu and Jim being in love, pining for each other, etc. It wasn't just a random fuck. And then they got separated unwillingly, and may have thought each other dead. But still their reunion didn't have much emotion. But I doubt your feelings would just die away in that time especially if you thought the other was dead and then they turned up?? I know they talked about Jim kissing Archie and such and Olu didn't mind but as a viewer who loves Olu/Jim and loved their arc in s1, I do feel disappointed. And honestly kinda betrayed even that all that development and stuff was seemingly swept under the rug. It feels rushed and disingenuous and wrong in the eyes of someone who really loved these two and was looking forward to seeing them together again in s2.

In my opinion, ir doesn't make any sense to rush Jim and Olu into new separate relationships after putting so much focus on theirs in s1. Why waste that? And why think I would care about Arcie/Jim or Olu/Zheng nearly as much when they haven't had all that development together? Idk, it feels to me like they just threw all of that beautiful storyline from s1 in the drain. And I know people change and stop loving each other (romantically, in this case) and that's life but idk in these circumstances it kinda makes no sense to me. And especially since it feels so rushed and not satisfying at all as there was - like I've said - zero buildup, we barely even know these new characters. And like I said, s2 is already too short and too packed with conflicts and storylines so why did they have to add this?

I wouldn't mind poly. I think that would be amazing, actually. I'd love it!! Some people say they already are in a poly relationship but... Idk it's kinda vague? And Olu was like "I'm gonna go on Zheng's ship :D" and why would it be such an easy decision if he was together with Jim/Jim and Archie? And I don't think I would mind Archie/Jim and Olu/Zheng this much if it wasn't for the fact that Olu and Jim had a pretty big and solid storyline in s1 and now I feel like it's being dismissed as them just fucking. They clearly weren't just platonic besties who had a crush on each other and fucked like once. I feel like I'm going crazy when people and the show seem to insist that to me as if I haven't seen the first season where that clearly wasn't the case.

I don't know if this makes any sense, I have a hard time writing things out neatly lol. But... Some of my thoughts.

What are some good PI/mystery novels you enjoy that you can recommend?

When I felt in the mood for a comfort read, I’d often turn to Lawrence Block’s Matt Scudder novels or his Bernie Rhodenbarr series -- the Scudders are dark, the Bernies are funny, but a stack of those would keep me reading not just for the plots but to see the leads and the ongoing supporting characters interact and develop over time. Others that work well for me: John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport novels (and his Virgil Flowers novels, which are sort of a second-track for the Davenports, interacting often) have a very satisfying sense of work-related bullshitting -- the mystery always gets addressed, but the crime-solvers have a great sense of co-workers who’ve been together for long enough to comfortably banter back and forth. Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller novels work very well as series reads too -- it’s actually worth reading Connelly in publication order, because even when he starts a different series or does a standalone novel, characters from those books wind up showing up in other series books, so it’s rewarding to take in the whole universe of Connelly crime. [Sandford does this too -- there are a few novels that focus on other characters and then they show up in the Lucasverse, which is enjoyable.] Robert Crais’s Elvis Cole mysteries are not only enjoyable reads, but the characters and mood develop a lot over the series, so they make good multi-book reads, too -- and again, there are characters who start out in their own novels and then feed into the Elvisverse. The standalones that don’t connect tend to be extremely good, as well.

Donald E. Westlake’s Dortmunder series and his Parker series (under the name Richard Stark) are very much not PI novels -- both characters are professional thieves, though Dortmunder’s world is one of comedic disaster and Parker’s is tough and spare and mean, and both are great. There’s even one book (JIMMY THE KID) where the Dortmunder gang decides to follow a crime plan from a Parker novel and the chapters alternate between the tough-guy procedural and the comic everything-goes-wrong. Dick Francis’s racing mysteries rarely have series leads (there are a couple of leads that recur here and there), but the novels all take place in the horseracing world and the leads tend to be similar, so reading through a stack of them can be a lot of fun too. I’m sure there are plenty I’m leaving out -- I like the first 13 or so Spenser novels by Robert B. Parker, but think that after that they largely get less and less interesting, though the banter is always readable. Laura Lippmann’s Tess Monaghan novels have a lot of engaging growth and change to them, too. Chelsea Cain’s Archie Sheridan/Gretchenn Lowell serial-killer novels are unsettling but, again, have change and growth over the series. When I was younger I loved John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee, but I fear those haven’t aged well. Hammett and Chandler are the classics of the form, but the Continental Op doesn’t change or grow, and I never read Chandler’s novels in chronological order. I also remember scarfing down Leslie Charteris’s Saint novels and Manning Coles’s Tommy Hambledon, but haven’t read either for years. I’m still sure I’m forgetting series I love, but that ought to be a respectable list. As for where to start in all these series, I’d say start at the beginning for most of them. Maybe start four or five books in with Lucas Davenport, because he got more interesting as he went. The same might be true for Elvis Cole, and with Robert B. Parker I’d say start with MORTAL STAKES. If you like them you’ll eventually want to read the early ones, and they’re not bad, it’s just that the series kinda rev up a few novels in as the writers find their footing.

Saw some terrible takes about Silver, but it got me thinking: for all the fuss raised about how issue 63 and 64 would be centered around him, the actual events had zero bearing on what would come after. Despite the fact that everyone in the Restoration was all startled and spooked by him dropping Duo an entire life-threatening one meter (😱), everyone is totally cool with him coming right in with his daaaaaangerous powers he absolutely cannot handle responsibly lifting a whole-ass metal container around in issue 67. And not a single cool OC who needs to keep an eye on him because he's too much of a loose canon otherwise in sight! It does not decrease my suspicions that the entirety of Silver's involvement with the Duo plot was put in only as a cheap rehash of the traiter plot from Archie, but this time with a "fun" "twist" that still paints Silver as an OoC fool. And that honestly makes me peeved: of course, I'm glad they've dropped the "Silver is too irresponsible with his powers and needs to be kept an eye on" bs (for now...), but in the same vein, why include him in a story at all if he's only there to get the piss taken out of him for two issues and then continue on like nothing happened? He barely even cared about what happened with Duo anymore in the second half of issue 64, almost all his angsting there was about what his purpose of being in the past is instead! It doesn't reek of the slightest form of plot or story consistency to me.

Yeah, you're right. Lanolin made that whole fuss about kicking out Silver from the DCs because he caused nothing but trouble, but then he's still allowed to do his thing in an even more delicate environment?

I'm sure you do. Especially when you get humiliated in front of the whole Restoration because now they believe you to be insanely dangerous to common citizens :)

Oh look, Silver is fooling around in the warehouse, so goofy :D

hey remember when Lanolin treated him like a child because she believed that he couldn't even move some rocks

I guess he got over that injustice very quickly, huh.

I agree with your feelings on this. I don't want to see this plotline ever again, but at the same time, it highlights how episodic and inconsistent IDW's story is. Silver had his angst time, now it's time to move on like nothing happened. Huh, the same thing happened with the MV arc.

The only one who has to continuously suffer is Whisper, I suppose :)

2,7,8, and 12 + Olu for the character game!

Olu!!!

2: favorite canon thing about this character?

I love how Olu is generally a very competent, reasonable type of person until he has a crush and then he just becomes A Guy With A Crush and gets all adorably shy and awkward. All his cute awkward moments with Jim in s1 and that moment where he's shyly sliding his hand towars Zheng across the table - all so precious and relatable.

7: what's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I actually adore how we all talk about how hot and cute and desirable Olu is (I mean look at him!!!) because it's so so cool to see a fat Black man be seen as so desirable by a fandom!

8: what's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Thank fucking g-d I seem to have cultivated my fandom sphere well enough that I practically never see Olu slander cross my dash. I did see a few people in the tags once wondering why Zheng was attracted to Olu and I still see red when I think about that tho. Absolutely shaking with rage like a chihuahua.

I also do think there's a bit of a tendency to make him into too much of a straight man in fics, because yes while he is often a voice of reason he's just as muppet-y as everyone else. My guy is the sweetest character on the show but just told the Swede to go for a run when he had scurvy. The beanie stays on during sex. He had a great time playing drown-the-mops with Jim and Archie. He's fun and he seems kinda boring in fics a lot and that makes me sad!

12: what's a headcanon you have for this character?

I think he's a polyglot! We already know he speaks Spanish but some people just have a Vibe of being good with picking up languages and Olu hits that vibe for me. He's just a really good communicator in general so I headcanon him as that guy who knows how to at least hold a basic conversation and ask for directions in a bunch of languages.

Send me a character and questions!

Omg your Numel nonsense fic was so precious and cute! I would headcannon that Archie pulls this prank once more on his husband, not learning his lesson. so Maxie finally keeps his word and fills Archie’s swimsuit with bait, allowing a group of Sharpedo to nuzzle him silly! Perfect revenge for Maxie

{Headcanons to Dabbles: CLOSED!}

*squeeee* I love this so much!!! I almost forgot about Numel Nonsense- thank you for the kind words! One sequel-ish dabble coming right up, anon! :D

“I warned you, didn’t I? I did. I did~” Whether Maxie was aware he sounded like an evil sorceress right now was hard to say. It didn’t matter in the end as he carefully rubbed a frozen block of bait across the front and back parts of Archie’s rash guards, putting extra emphasis on specific parts of the suit. “Now you will face the consequences of messing with the great Maxie!”

~~~

“Whooooo!” Archie cheered as he leaped into the ocean, laughing when he resurfaced. “Ay, Maxie- get in here! The water’s not that bad!”

“No thanks- didn’t you hear? There’s Sharpedo about. I don’t want to get nibbled on.” The redhead was a picture of calm as he sat on the pier, feet kicking back and forth against the rippling water. “You have fun though- I’ll just watch you get eaten.”

“Pfft- how heroic of you.” Archie grinned as he slashed his husband, just missing the small family of Sharpedos making their way over. “Oh, Maxie! Save me-Ehehehe!”

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Maxie blinked, tilting his head. Archie- who was momentarily waving an arm at him, suddenly shot it down with a chortle. Then he was squirming about, twisting this way and that with his arms pressed against his sides. “Archie?”

“Ah! Ahehahahhahaha! Nohohohoho- oh nohoohoohoho! Thehehehy’re bihihihihiiting mehehehehehe!” The sailor cried, giggling up a storm as the various Sharpedo’s bumped and nuzzled into his body, some going for a nibble. “Mahahahhxie, whahahhat did yohoohoohu dohoohohoho?”

“What? Me? I didn’t do anything!” Maxie gaped, irritated. “Well…actually, I may have coated your suit in bait…”

“AHHAHAH HAHAHAHA! I knehehhehehw it was yohoohoohohu!” Archie tried to point from the water, but the Sharpedos were determined to get under his arms, making him scrunch and chortle. “Yohohohohoohu’re a dehehehhehevil!”

“So are you, Mr. Let’s Put Pokemon Food In My Pockets.” Maxie was about to kick some water and scare off the sharks when they ceased their attack, bumping Archie a few more times before swimming away. “Aww, it ended so soon.”

“Not at all. Are ye pockets empty?”

“Of course- ARCHIE!” Maxie squawked as Archie grabbed him by the ankle, pulling him down into the water. With a flick of his wrist, his glasses were safely tossed back onto the pier.

With another flick of the wrist, Maxie was laughing hysterically, punching at Archie’s chest as the other tickled him in return. “Ahahahhaharchie, dohoohohohohn’t!”

“All’s fair in love and war, Maxie! Hehehe~”

Some head canons for Falke Wulf in the modern/classic canon because I'm a loonatic and there's no stopping me Part 1?????

( Mostly inspired from Archie and IDW as well as my own ideas )

⭐ FALKE WULF

Age : 17

🔹Has cursed pyrokinesis that are purple and pink flames

🔹 This is due to his father being a minion of Dark Gaia ( and one of the highest ranked, like as high as the bosses from Unleashed ) So basically he has Dark Gaia blood in his genes as well as regular wolf blood

🔹He's got the BIGGEST ego, like he truly believes he's got a natural genius of outsmarting the opponent. Full of pride and has little to zero regard to those he deems small and weak ( a lot of his ego problems is also due to insecurities and self hatred BUT LET'S NOT WORRY ABOUT THAT :D )

🔹  Has sharp teeth and will bite and chew anything and everything, whether it's his nerves, a thirst of blood or being so pissed off ( Normally seen biting Bearenger's arm in frustration, but the arm as thick as a log and for Bearenger it hurts just as much as a someone poking you with a dull stick ) 

🔹Oh yeah, Falke does have a really bad temper that comes out if he loses or if he's outwitted. This comes courtesy mostly from Tails who shows more of a genius wit, humility and skill , so he can easily be two steps forward. Because of his ego, Falke can also be very stubborn to admit he's wrong and apologizing in sincerity or admitting who really won is the equivalent to pulling teeth   

🔹Deep down, Falke's biggest fear is loneliness and the lack of self confidence. This is because as a child, he was bullied for looking like something that came from a dumpster and for his pyrokinesis being considered a curse. He also lost his mother at a very young age (  who was the only person who believed in him and showed him genuine affection ). Wendy manipulated him into believing that he was a monster meant to kill and make others suffer  and if Falke questioned anything of her authority or his past, then Wendy would resort to brainwashing over and over and over again ( picture Falke like a toy that would do the opposite of  what it was '' designed '' to do and wants free will but you keep twisting and smashing the toy to work properly with no remorse for the feelings of the toy ) The more brainwashing he receives, the more of what he truly is becomes lost and full of anxiety of the witches wrath. Every memory becomes fuzzy and unrecognizable   

🔹So anyways, Falke suffers a lot of migraines and nightmares GEE I WONDER WHY

🔹Even though Falke may look stupid, he really isn't. There have been countless times where he can outsmart and come up with a brilliant plan to any situation that calls for a rescue or a battle technique. So he is competent, just not around Tails LMAO

🔹 Enjoys pranking and teasing his sibli- UH, teammates to drive them nuts. Carrottia mostly is the one who can be the BIGGER nuisance ( and girl ) and can drive Falke nuts. Usually making fun of her brother's ego or when he gets metaphors wrong :)

🔹 THIS MAN CANNOT COOK, YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM

🔹LOVES homemade sweet desserts for a sweet tooth like him, pastries and pies especially ( mixed berry pie is the best I guess because it looks like blood lol )

🔹Suffers from messy bed hair and refuses to brush it out

🔹Undertale Bonetrousle is his main theme, that's the law, I refuse anything else ( listen to the Trombone Champ remix in particular  )

🔹He may be cringe but he embraces it and thrives being the biggest and coolest jerk 

🔹Aesthetic Songs such as The Main Character by Will Wood, I'm Sane by Axie Music, Turn of the Lights by Panic! at the Disco, The Wrecked and the Worried by NateWantsToBattle and The Mind Electric Cover by Darth Calculus Music as some examples

Uhhh if you want any more of my ideas let me know lol. I have been building this up for 7 years and I don't have a cure for that

Thoughts: Impossible Birds

Okay, to hold me over until Thursday, I'm going to rewatch and blather about each of the existing three episodes, one each, today tomorrow and Wednesday. It won't be true "reaction" because I'm on...oh, the 6th rewatch? But I'll try to cover the stuff I know I was thinking when I watched the first time.

Action right out of the gate. Love a good dream sequence. Rhys looking alarmingly Branagh-esque.

First lols of the new season: "You absolute twaaaaaaaaa..." and the tackle hug. That just looked like it hurt.

More on this bit in the previous post, where I wrote about "I Love My Baby."

This scenery was well worth the wait, goddamn

Not gonna lie, I'm not a fan of fart jokes, but it got them back to reality pretty quick. So I guess I have Wee John's farts to thank for the outstanding pacing so far.

THEY PIMPED THE SWEDE OUT TO JACKIE, omg, I fucking DIED at Roach practically pushing him into her lap. "He's single!"

Also lmao at Buttons' plaintive "May we go back to the sea now?" The flip side of "Are we there yet?" They really are just little children.

I know I'm supposed to be caught up in the "Trust No One" tattoo but I'm distracted by Taika's waist

Jesus Christ there's a lot to unpack in that wedding officiant's speech. "Elevate the common human rabble," yeeesh. I mean, I know that was a thing, like, "people of our standing" or whatever. But yeesh.

That close shot of Ed's eyes when he says "I'm the fuckin' devil"--that's something that grabbed me when I first watched the trailer. Or teaser, whichever it was. There's not a single glimmer of light there. He's so tired and broken and it's all there in his eyes.

The wedding raid is probably a vaguely inappropriate time to mention that Vico is still, as I believe Nathan Foad put it, the hottest human being on the planet

Obsessed with Archie

Obsessed with Susan/Zheng Yi Sao

Obsessed with Auntie

I'm not going to analyze the Izzy stuff much at this point because there's already been a lot of that and I haven't fully processed my feelings so right now I'm just going to leave it at, Con O'Neill is fuckin incredible

Swede has assimilated well, I see

Firm believer that everybody looks cuter when they're wet. Stede looks cuter but mostly sadder

"Could be, could be, mate" - I screamed

Ricky is obviously ew and I hated sitting there helpless while he played Stede like the proverbial fiddle

Stede's look when Swede says "husbandly duties," equal parts Oh no, TMI and Aw, that's our lil boy

Feels wrong not to say anything about Izzy's sort-of confession to Ed, but like I said, I'm still processing. Did I mention Con is incredible?

Taika is scary in the scene that follows, it's actually kinda hard for me to watch, but goddamn he nails it. When can this show win all the Emmys it deserves?

Fun fact, the lime rickey was invented in 1883 :D

Leslie Jones is awesome and gorgeous, and I love Jackie and Susan squaring off in this scene

I absolutely love that Jim, the orphan raised by a nun to be a killing machine, is the character that has made me laugh the hardest, like until I literally cried, on every single viewing of this season so far. And Fang and Archie laughing at Jim's telling of the story just adds to the moment, there's so much joy in the middle of that awful, awful situation they're all in.

And on the other hand is Ed's speech about the bird, just heartbreaking, especially the way he's gasping his way through it. Treading water, waiting to drown.

The song here is fucking gorgeous too, they just keep hitting the soundtrack out of the park

I love soup too, friends.

And here endeth the episode, not including the extended bit of Jim's Pinocchio story, but I've said all that needs saying about that.

Stay tuned for Episode 2 tomorrow!

hello :D! i have tdso questions with me here. where would you place this story in the sonic timeline? it doesn’t have to be exact but it’d be cool to know roughly where you think it’d be? tbh since hope is there, and from the general vibes of tdso, i feel like it fits in with the archie sonic universe more than sonic mainline. but i tried to see if there’s anytime eggman is not around fighting sonic in the games and it turned out to be satbk lol so maybe tdso could fit in that timeframe?

i’ve been loving all of the characters’ relationship dynamics so far, my fav ‘bonding’ moments have to be shadow and metal, i hope metal would accept shadow’s request on teaching him asl down the line <3

oh yeah,, i get the vibes that the message gerald left for shadow was way before him spiralling and planning revenge? he probably forgot he had it recorded :’(? and i didn’t know that maria is literally haunting the place before i came across an old ask, that’s such a sad thing to think about o)—<

I've some extra info about TDSO on the actual like website url on desktop and not just viewing the blog from Tumblr, but the story takes place after Sonic Unleashed and branches off from main game canon there! There's some elements from loads of different parts of the series though, its not really a set canon I'm following.

You'll be seeing more Metal and Shadow together this issue! They're off on their own for a little while so hopefully you enjoy what's next!

Yeah the Gerald message was recorded after the one from ShTH and before the SA2 one, I wanted to show the difference in his mental state. In the message he's still hoping to have Maria cured and sent to earth, he still needed Shadow to stay on earth to fight the Black Arms so it was set to unlock after over 50 years had passed, but after that this was his last gift to Shadow after he assumes he'd outlive everyone and he assumes Shadow might be interested in space again after finding out he was partially alien. I think by the end Gerald forgot he had recorded it, he was just too obsessed with enacting revenge not really thinking of what came after, but maybe he would have left it to him regardless.

I don't wanna confirm or deny that Maria's still haunting the place it's fun to have up in the air haha, but the brief glimpse of her was supposed to be symbolic. It's Shadow still seeing her in memory but also trying to look past it now, she doesn't have much to do with the story from now on.

4, 39, 40 :D

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

The first one is obvious… Sonic himself! Wouldn't make sense to spend so much time on a Sonic fic if I didn't care about his universe. That said, I don't intend to pull an Archie with the lore. Stellar focuses on its own story and setting that just so happens to partially incorporate one previous bit of lore, in a similar manner to what SA1 did with the backstory introduced in S3&K. There are some mild references to other lore, but never in a way that tries in vain to wrap it all together in a neat little bow.

The environments are also largely inspired by that of previous Sonic locales. Mostly from non-mainline installments, since for various reasons (being on a handheld ala Advance/Rush, being a racer ala Riders/Rivals/Sonic R, being on motion controls ala Storybooks), they didn't have the same level of freedom as those in the main games, meaning there's a lot to expand on and make something new out of.

The other major influence for environments and aesthetics is, you guessed it, Spyro. I make no secret that le purple dragon has helped shape up the world of Viridonia aesthetically, but unlike fans who think Sonic should be little more than Furry DBZ, or IDW making random anime references that don't work, there is some thought put into it, and never at the expense of the Sonic universe's own identity. I think both worlds are very similar in aesthetics anyway, so if I see something in Spyro that makes me think "Wow, that would be so cool to see in Sonic!", I then think of how to translate it in a form that benefits Sonic's world, as opposed to wondering why the square doesn't fit in the round hole.

For the mystic entities that are tied to the Ethereal Zone, since they each have different powers, shapes and colours, I got the idea to base each of them on a different mythological creature for a subtle thematic resonance despite how otherwise different they are from each other. They're not one-to-one like the creatures they're inspired from mind you, they're definitely Sonicy interpretations (eg: the fire-themed one is a mix between a phoenix and a feathered serpent ala Quetzalcoatl, since I wasn't sure if making it a phoenix straight-up would make it sound too similar to Ifrit from Rivals 2), but I thought it'd be a fun twist on the giant monster schtick… though it helps that all of them are controlled via Time Eater-esque cybernetics by a certain round chum. Going out of control? Upstaging Eggman? In a Crusher fic? Not happening, son.

And speaking of the doctor, obviously I've took notes from many of his game portrayals, with S3&K's determination, SA1's dickery, and Forces' cunning being three of the biggest examples. But another influence for my interpretation of the doctor is the Mother 3 portrayal of Porky Minch: specifically, how he is clearly working towards a big end goal, yet is also simultaneously setting up seemingly unrelated projects all over Viridonia, playing its population (save Trudy) for fools, and overall treating the island as though it's his personal playground. This is not a Mephiles situation however: all of this does turn out to play a part in his endgame. He just happened to plan it out in a way that can also feed into his ego and hedonism in the meantime.

And Trudy… is Trudy. There were some mild influences for certain aspects of her design, but her personality pretty much grew upon itself as I built on her. I wanted to create a character that was mellow, but still fun and quirky, and could still bounce off Sonic and Co without being seen as "the boring one" or "the nag who can't be bothered with Sonic". I also find an appeal in shy characters finding the courage to do things they'd never expect themselves to do, so y'know.

There are other bits of inspiration I could mention, which includes concepts that are neither Sonic or Spyro-related… but I don't want to spoil more than necessary for now. XP

39. Share a snippet from a WIP

Note: This is a slightly older draft of the moment in question, so there might be some minor differences in the final one.

Sonic grew concerned by her stunned reaction, hoping that he didn't offend her. "You don't mind it, do you?"

"No, of course not. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's just…" Her right hand clutched the fingers of the other, subtly squeezing them in the process. Her vision was directed at a nonspecific pile of red leaves not too far away from them. This all seemed so silly. There was really no justification for this. No excuse for her to treat such a thing with the kind of awe reserved for being within the presence of an omnipotent. And yet…

"No one's… no one's ever given me a nickname before…"

Sonic appeared to be puzzled by this, which was then followed by him exchanging a brief glance with Tails. His lifelong pal simply gave him a shrug in response.

"If it's any consolation," the fox piped up, with a faint hint of a smirk morphing on his face. "Some of his nicknames are better than others."

"Hey!" Sonic playfully raised his arms in defense, which did nothing to hide his sheepish grin. "So what if they can get a little simple! If she doesn't like it, I can totally drop it! If I have to get my head around the right pronunciation of her name, then so be it!"

"No, it's… it's nice," she insisted softly. A gentle smile slowly found itself on her face as well. "It's an honor, truly. You can call me that if you want to."

"You sure?"

A simple, meek nod was what he received, and it was at this point that her eyes shifted once more. After what appeared to be some hesitance, they gained the courage to meet with Sonic's own.

Sonic's eyes held onto their shared gaze for a couple of seconds, before he turned to Tails again. The fox only gave another shrug, this time to suggest that there was no further reason to debate the matter. After a silent understanding between the two heroes, the hedgehog nodded triumphantly.

"Well then," he announced, with a wink for his new friend. "I guess it's truly Trudy from now on!" As he gave a characteristic thumbs up, she could only continue smiling at the display, and her ears lowered ever so slightly. This was all so very sudden for her even now, but if they sincerely value her company and assistance, then maybe... maybe... it wouldn't hurt to keep tagging along with them.

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

I wouldn't be fussy, since I'd be grateful for any moments, or environments, that they decided to portray.

But if I had to pick one… I suppose a certain confrontation between Trudy and Eggman would be awesome. Or a certain heart-to-heart between Trudy and Sonic. :>

Is Hardenshipping canonn?

Honestly wanna say no bc. Like. Obviously it's never been explicitly stated. So. No.

HOWEVER it is very fun and personally rewarding to speculate so. Thats under cut

Hehevwgeh they do have a lot of overlapping themes in their characters that i really love pointing out so whhhgh i'll just list them because surprise surprise (not a surprise this happens every single time) once i talk about something i like my brain turns to mulch and i can't essay like i usually do.

So, interesting things (minus images for most bc i dont feel like finding them)

-there's a mention of how they apparently used to be on the same team at some point in the past (i have a funny hc/au for what this "same team" is but i've yet to even mention or draw for it oops)

-the end of the main story where they reconcile. Just that entire scene (i've only really seen the alpha sapphire ver. Of this scene but whatever. Have seen the omega ruby one but i forgor what they say help)

-not really a. Like hardenshipping thing but OUGHGJJ MY GOOODDDD.... the very prevalent parallels between them and their respective legendaries. The constant feud and anger that kyogre and groudon hold for each other- the only break from their fights being brought on by rayquaza FORCING them to stop (the player being the rayquaza in this situation, hint hint). Rayquaza coming down from the sky to keep two idiots from killing everybody. Small child blasting through an entire evil corporation to keep two idiots from killing everybody. Literally the same.

Theres no way this could be just subtext, i feel like they kind of intended for people to make this connection its just one of those things thats SO obvious but still so fun to point out. I love symbolism and subtext and reading between the lines and *explodes*

-Another thing i find interesting is their outer shell compared to their actual personalities and ideals.

Archie seems very friendly and lighthearted (at least compared to maxie being an uppity dick). He uses more kind language when referring to the player- kind being less professional and less detached. He comes off as much more relaxed, but he holds a concerning amount of apathy towards humankind. Team aqua's goal was to drown everyone, thinking that if they did then the world would be perfect for pokemon to thrive in. Archie wanted to flood the world with the wellbeing of pokemon in mind. (Which. How the fuck does that even work) (also opens up the speculation of what could've possibly made him care so little for people's wellbeing, and what made him care for the lives of pokemon so much more)

Maxie comes off very cold. He tries to be professional. While archie saying scamp comes off as playful, maxie calling you "child" just instantly hits as condescending. (Can you tell i love-hate this fucking toxic slutch monster) (another btw, in his defeat animation he loses his cool for a sec and freaks out before composing himself, when you'd expect something like this from archie. Archie's lose animation is leagues calmer. Although this is a really small detail i feel like it gives great insight into their actual personalities. I love small details hoohoo) and even though he acts like this, he cares a lot for other people and made his team's goal to dry up all the water so humans had more land and could advance quicker. maxie wanted to dry everything up with the wellbeing of people in mind.

(Which, again, HOW THE FUCK DOES THAT WORK????? PEOPLE NEED DRINKING WATER???? HELLO???????????????)

-as per previous points, they are both very, very dumb.

-and oh yeah. The model boats. Oh my god. I lose my MIND over this little thing they share in particular because uuoiuuhsaaaaaaaagh. AAAAAGHHH.

Archie having a model ship makes sense, you know? He loves the sea- wants to drown everybody- yeah. It makes sense that he has a model ship.

But maxie. Woagh. Woauagh. Bro. What if we had matching model ships. And we were both boys (i say matching bc the 3ds overworld isn't very detailed so they look the same. Could be different for all we know.)

Why would maxie have a ship? He wants to dry up the sea. It's pretty safe to say he's either indifferent to sea-based travel, or he hates it. Boats, ferrys, ships, those wont be needed in the world he wants to create. But he has a model ship in his bedroom. A model ship that is absolutely spotless, not a single mote of dust.

Why does he take such good care of something that- according to the rest of his character and motivations- he shouldn't care about?

(Could those matching model ships that they have be something significant from their past when they were on good terms? Maybe something to do with that same team they were on?)

-also there's this which is worth mentioning i think because damn.

Theres more stuff that i could mention but paraphrasing is exhausting and my brain has shriveled up.

Shifting experience

N°2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So basically, today i wanna share one of my experience in one of my main DR.

PS :Sorry for not posting for 8 days, i was not doing well, i will try to post more often.

I shift to Riverdale, ik it's an uncommun DR . I watched this show in 2023 and i loved it ( the 2 last season were so weird like...). And if you watched it it's better.

I want to talk about the characters and their personality. We often see our cc ( comfort characters ) on screen but when you haven't shifted yet to your DR, you haven't experienced their real personality and how they act everyday.

And i seen so much people who had shifted for a specific person and their were kinda surprised or shocked of how their cc were acting. I just wanna say that it's kinda of normal because you only see their personality they show and not their personality in private yk? Its not common but not as rare as you can think of. And i wanna share my first interactions with my cc and how i thought they would act and how they really act.

《 PART2 》

THE CHARACTERS:

Veronica Lodge: I thought she was really a bad bitch, a boss and with vibes of independant women. When i first met her i was so surprised ( not in a bad way ) that she is so sweet and actually not so strong. She is soo kind and she have much of a coquette vibes in real life. She cares so much about others people. It's so crazy. Her personality is the same as in the show but she has a side they didn't show in the show. I love her.

Betty Cooper : So basically she is the " perfect girl " and know how to handle every situations. But not all the time. And she is a lot more mean than i thought. Its not in a bad way but sometimes she is very honest. And she does not have have always good grades. She is so bad at science like its really bad. And she is soo funny. She make me laugh everytime. She wears more revealing clothes than in the show. She really has good style and not the style of a 10 years old like in a show. She is not as perfect as i thought ( Nobody is perfect ). She is really provocative and she is not scared of doing crazy things. One time she jumped of a cliff because of a dare ?!??! Happily she have nothing but it was so surprising. She is really cool and has more of a cool/chill vibes than coquette/perfect vibes.

Archie Andrews : I thought he was more serious. But this guy is literally a child. He have a dirty mind, every time you say something than can be related to ... he is laughing and telling a dirty joke. He is so funny! He is the clown of the class and he is the hell for teachers. He cant be serious for just 2 minutes. But he is so focus in sport than his actually grades. He love sport and everytime his team win or he win he is acting like a child a make fun of us... But i really love him. He really wanna save everyone and that's something not really good for him. Ik he is working on that and hope its working. Its really sentimental and he can cry for everything. One time i ate the last ice cream and he cried?? I really didn't know what to do so i just ran away...

Jughead : I dont have a lot to say about him expect he is like in the show. But he is sooo funny and not that serious too. But he is so intelligent. Sometimes he speak and i dont understand because he use metaphores. I dont judge him for that but he really likes using fancy words to impress us ( that's not necessary ). But he is so sweet and he remember every little things. He is always hungry!! Every two minutes he is like " Aargh, im so hungry. What time is it?? " And he really care about his family. He is really sarcastic and its annoying sometimes but that's ok. I really enjoy being with him.

I wanna to say that i take things out because i dont want to be traumatised 😍. And i made their lifes happier because they deserved it. I really like this DR and its the Show where i first shifted in. This DR gave me the motivation to shift and not giving up. They really helped me getting better and learned things from life. I hope you're motivated to shift tonight and be excited.

☆I hope this helped you and you enjoyed it. I really liked making this post. Stay motivated, don't give up and enjoy you're journey. Byye ~♡

Picture of clouds so beautiful ~~~

☆Love you all and Happy shifting♡

Hi! Uh, I want to get into Sonic. Any shows/games you would reccomend starting with? An order? Also!! What's your favorite iteration of sonic (if you have one)

i think this might be THE question every sonic fan is dying to be asked. that is to say, hell yeah it would be my pleasure to make some recommendations >:] 

best things to try as a very first introduction to the hedgehog and friends (that are still relatively bitesized or accessible): 

the official animations for sonic mania, team sonic racing, chao in space, sonic colors, and most recently sonic frontiers. personal favorites are chao in space bc its adorable and frontiers for… obvious (knuckles) reasons (it’s about knuckles). these are short and sweet and absolutely adorable so they’re always some of the first things i recommend :] check ‘em out if you can - you won’t regret it. 

on that topic, Sonic Frontiers is a solid place to start with the games! it’s the most recent release so there’s currently a demo available on switch and it’s also on sale on steam right now (until Feb 13th!). few of the games directly lead into each other so picking specific games to start with is more down to personal taste, i’ll go into more detail if you’d like but for an introduction to the series? frontiers has been very well received and many consider it a return to form after the last few games, so it’s a good place to pick up the series! EDIT: I FORGOT ABOUT GENERATIONS. sonic generations is basically a Best-Of compilation of sonic’s most well known stages and it’s also perfect for a first time player. it was MY first game. how on earth did i forget about it. anyway it’s also on steam and it kicks ass!!!

alternately, much of the franchise was codified in the adventure games, so if you prefer starting at the beginning, they’re big recommendations as well! both Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 are on steam and MANY playthroughs are online. SA2 was also the first of the sonic fandubs, so if you’ve seen any of those memes that’s where they’re from. 

also, if you’re into zelda games you’ll probably love frontiers. but if you prefer 2D/pixel art games, Sonic Origins just came out last summer and contains rereleases of the first four sonic games and Mania is always a fun option! alternately, try here for a taste of sonic 2 :] 

comics!! comics!!!!! the IDW Sonic The Hedgehog comics are killing it lately and double as canon and ridiculously fun. the first arc is issues 1-12 and if that won’t sell you on this funky little guy, well, there’s a lot more options too! you can find the IDW run here - but support your local comic shop if you can! 

for a little more bite-sized try the recent miniseries scrapnik island! it’s standalone from the main storyline and considering you’re a ninjago fan i think you’ll enjoy a fun story about morally complex robots :D 

the Archie series is amazing at times and so bad it’s funny at others - but what isn’t? while i am a HUGE fan it does require quite a bit of time and investment. other recommendations from the 300 issue+ legacy of sonic comics are available on request (i do not know how to shut up <3) 

tv shows!! Sonic Prime just released on Netflix and it slaps. not the most traditional sonic but it’s fun as hell and ongoing - we’re only ⅓ into the first season and there’s at least two guaranteed. the animation is astounding and it’s coincidentally produced by wildbrain just like current ninjago. i edited one of it’s kickass fight scenes here 

this is almost certainly far more than you need but i love talking about this series so thanks for humoring me :] i hope you enjoy them!! hmmm… they’ve all got their own appeal to me but lately i’ve been watching a lot of playthroughs while drawing (and i eagerly await the frontiers dlc so i have an excuse to replay it) and i think atm game sonic’s my favorite! the comics are delightful and the shows always have their own twists but i love good ‘ol game sonic… the others are more than just facets of his character and have their own great stories, but there’s something special about the original. this message brought to you by how absolutely astounding his characterization is in Sonic Unleashed. we missed you big guy. hope you have fun!! 

now that its been nearly a full day since the last fanfest, i'm just gonna put my thoughts on Dawntrail as a whole out.

Jobs

Viper is cool. I like the idea of another scouting class. I'm a ranged phys main so sharing jewelry with another job is a plus.

The aesthetic of Viper is really really cool. I love the swashbuckler look that the AF gear has. I cannot wait to put Marisol in something similar. The twin blades into a double blade is also very appealing. I used to play Sith Assassin and Jedi Sentinel in SWTOR and its like a marriage of the two.

So in conclusion, Viper is just cool and its gonna be a lot of fun to play. Just like how Reaper is pretty fun to play still.

BUT Pictomancer is just more exciting to me. I LOVE RELM so much. Its been forever since I played VI so I might go do that sometime.

AND THE SPELLS ARE SO CUTE. They look so fake and painterly that I just can't help but fall in love with them. The AF gear is also so cute and I cannot wait to put it on Lily.

Archie is also going to main this class (I had decided that before the reveal, when it was still in the air between green mage and pictomancer.) Its so cheesy and cute and goofy and feels like it would fit my Doctor Who-like character a lot better than the raw powerful Black Mage.

Pictomancer is just gonna be good healthy goofy fun and its the job I'm more looking forward to!

Fem Hrothgar

I'm so so so so happy that they went big and buff over cutesifying Hrothgar. Cause we know they could've and it would've not looked good at all. I'm still not the biggest fan of the dimorphism of Au Ra. (even tho I main one. ^.^;)

My biggest complaint with Fem Hrothgar is that their starter gear looks so much better than all the others. Like the wrist guards! They look sooooo good. (I also really dislike Au Ra starter gear, that doesn't help.) But you can see the new graphic update with them and just their general design feels better than the OG 5. I felt this way a little about male Viera, but I was not super likely to make a male Viera so it didn't matter to me that much.

I don't know if i'm gonna make a Fem Hrothgar... They aren't my style per say, but I'm not gonna keep that door closed. I'm not the biggest fan of more animalistic faces, but that's a personal problem.

All in all, they look fucking fantastic and I'm glad they went the route they did.

Graphic Update

It looks great and its gonna be good when we get it. I'm very glad they actually showed us dark skintones this time too. They all got such a glow up! Can't wait for the gear to follow.

Now give us more character creator options for everyone, and hats for Viera and Hrothgar!!

Tural

The areas look really pleasant, I do like the whole brand new adventure feel. Its a lot better than the feel of the start of the void quests, that kinda had the same feel but got a little dreary once in the void proper. I dunno. Even as a fan of IV the Void Arc was kinda, meh. I like Zero and Golbez as characters, but the rest was kinda whatever. The world lore was also good but eh.

The new zone designs are just breathtaking. I'm the biggest fan of the Western town and South American highland zones. They are just so different from what we have currently it will be great. Solution 9 and the cave zone (that appears to be under it) are.... really fucking cool. Its so far away from what we were expecting I just can't help but be estatic. (And I can take pics of the Linnaeas twins' home shard there. Since I headcannon it as a cyberpunky shard.)

The dungeons all look pretty neat, I like the thunder crystal mountainside the most so far.

Its gonna be a fun story I think, a nice palette cleanser from the heaviness of Endwalker.

The Arcadian

I have no idea what to expect from a raid that is taking place inside a graphics card. By name alone and the fact its in the cyberpunk area does give me good hope. :D

Vanadiel

As I haven't played XI I'm indifferent. It'll be a fun raid and I'm likely going to enjoy the fights, but its just another FF in XIV. Pretty standard tbh. It'll be fun and I'll enjoy the story but there is no anticipation for me.

Ultimate Eden

Its gonna be bonkers and I'm gonna enjoy watching the full fight once its figured out. (I'm not a savage raider lol)

Other Content

The field zone has potential. Since we know nothing else, that's all I've got. I did miss having a field zone in Endwalker tho. It was the perfect place to while away hours working on relics. (let's hope the next relic grind is as tedious as just gather tomes.)

Cosmic Exploration is going to look flashy and great, but I don't do a lot of crafting/gathering so I dunno how much I will enjoy it past its story. Its gonna just be relegated to going there once in a while like Island Sanctuary for me likely.

Deep dungeons are only fun the first time solo and ok with friends later. I've completed both PotD and HoH but my friends still haven't finished EO so....

Hildebrand is Hildebrand. Perfection in humor form.

I will likely enjoy the Variant dungeons, I've enjoyed the first 2 (haven't done the newest cause I was taking a break from the game) and I like the lore that comes with them.

I can't think of anything else really rn but those are my immediate thoughts! Its going to be fun and refreshing and I cannot wait till summer to play it. (tho we must)