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yamujiburo · 8 months

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POKEMON SERIES RANKED (IMO)

I get this question a lot and haven't made an updated list with Journeys

Original Series (S1-S5)

Sun & Moon (S20-S22)

Chronicles (S0)

Diamond and Pearl (S10-S13)

Advanced (S6-S9)

Journeys (S23-S25)

Black & White (S14-S16)

XY (S17-S19)

Original Series (S1-S5)

OS had that first season charm. Very unpolished, still finding its footing but super enjoyable for those reasons

Probably the strongest series comedy-wise

That GORGEOUS 90s anime style

Main character dynamics were REALLY strong

Ash's personality felt much more like a shitty little 10 year old which was entertaining

Dub writing was also the best hands down

Sun & Moon (S20-S22)

Honestly tied for first with OS for me

REALLY fun ensemble cast! They do a fantastic job giving each character enough time for you to get to know and care about

Excellent modern anime style that perfectly fit the vibe of the season and allowed for some of the best character animation of the show's run

Finally figured out how to write Ash like a 10 year old again (but in a kind/sweet 10 year old way as opposed to OS)

Very different from previous series in terms of the formula they'd follow. Doing a school series instead of another "8 badges to championship" plot felt new and fresh!

This series genuinely made me cry the most (MEMORIES IN THE MIST!!!!! LIKE ARE YOU KIDDING ME)

Chronicles (S0)

Fun concept! It was really nice to see more of the side characters without Ash there. We get to see more of Misty, Tracey, Daisy, Brock, Ritchie, Oak, Delia, Butch, Cassidy, Jessie, James and Meowth!

Stylistically really nice. Just solid drawings all around and it retained the 90s anime style in digital form more successfully than other digitally done series imo

BUTCH AND CASSIDY!!! Team Rocket centric episodes!!! Training Daze!!!!!!!

Idk how possible it would have been (seems like a TON of work) but it made me want one of these in between each season, where we'd follow the characters that Ash had just said goodbye to for the next region.

Diamond and Pearl (S10-S13)

Series I grew up with! Honestly I was kinda a hater as a kid but having watched it back, I love the series

Love that Ash and Dawn were bros. They had a really fun dynamic.

Debatably peak Team Rocket. They had some of the best Team Rocket centric episodes this series.

Contests were really fun and a bit more figured out compared to the Advanced series

Fun, memorable rivals for Ash (Paul and Barry) as well as Dawn (Zoey, Kenny and Jessilina sometimes)

This is unfortunately where I stopped caring about Ash as much. He feels kinda watered down for the next couple series.

Advanced (S6-S9)

Pretty tied up with DP for me

Really fun series! Still had some of that early Pokémon charm

I appreciated that they put Ash in more of a mentor role for May (but he still had a lot to learn himself).

Ash and May constantly butting heads was really fun

May was a very compelling character to me, being very clumsy, kinda lazy, directionless, not really into Pokémon, etc. But then over time, she comes around and finds something she's interested in!

Journeys (S23-S25)

I love the episodic take as well as the way they let the characters jump around from region to region at random

Goh was a GREAT travel companion to Ash. They contrast each other nicely, have moments where they get on each others' nerves but still get along and have a mutual admiration for one another.

It was fun that they made Goh's thing catching every Pokémon (the motto of the entire series) so they could focus on Ash just training and prepping for Worlds.

Amaaaazing style. Took the great parts of classic Pokémon, roundness of SM and blended em together for a really fun look.

Black & White (S14-S16)

I don't think it's that controversial to have BW this low haha

I did enjoy Iris and Cilan but it felt like the writers didn't reaaally know what to do with them? Also this was their first time in a while not having Brock and it shows. I feel like Brock was successful because he was grounded and lower energy compared to the rest of the kids. Having 3 pretty eccentric characters is kind of a lot. No hate to the characters in the slightest, there was just not as much balance.

I think maybe they leaned on Cilan and Iris for more comedic relief because they killed the comedic relief that was Team Rocket this series. I appreciate them trying something new with Jessie, James and Meowth but I don't think it worked very well lol

XY (S17-S19)

I've ranted about this series a lot LOL. I get the appeal of it, but it just wasn't for me. I felt like it was the weakest comedy-wise and took itself a bit too seriously for my taste

My main gripe is that Serena, Clemont and Bonnie all like,,, worship Ash. By doing so, Ash begins to feel like a side character because we're constantly looking at Ash through their eyes. There's so little conflict within the group so their dynamics feel really flat. I think this dynamic could have worked if they leaned waaay more into Ash being a mentor and maybe feeling the pressure of having to be a role model for the people around him.

Team Rocket very much feels like an afterthought in this series. They did in Journeys as well, but at least in Journeys they were doing something silly and also had a handful of episodes dedicated to em.

Outside of that, the episodes weren't super memorable for me

I think it's just frustrating because there was sooooo much potential character-wise

#long post #ranking

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ofheroesandvillains · 4 years

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Hearth - Geralt OS

Words: 2k Warnings: Uh…nudity? Suggestive themes? Nothing really. Summary: Domestic Geralt with his girl. This just popped into my head a few hours ago and it just ran away from me. Maybe a little ooc, or maybe he’s just comfortable? Who knows?

(Credit to whoever made this gif...good lordy.)

Geralt must have travelled between Ard Carraigh and Ban Gleán a hundred times in his life. It was a long road, a quiet road, trailing through forest and field, with few travellers that never paid him any attention beyond a smile and a nod. He liked this road. He liked what it led to more.

The deep wound in his side stretched with each of Roach’s steps, sending jolts of pain to what felt like every nerve ending he had. Fortunately, the toxicity was beginning to sap what little energy he had left, and soon he’d feel nothing at all. Were he a normal man with a hole in his side and the pain tolerance of a mouse, he would have died hours ago, slumped over on the side of the road for the Nekkers to enjoy.

But, as townsfolk so often liked to remind him, there was nothing normal about him.

A shrill and abnormal shriek sounded, echoing through the forest that loomed far off in the distance. The sky had grown dark little over an hour ago, and though he usually knew better than to travel so long without rest, these were extenuating circumstances. Roach grunted and shifted nervously beneath him.

“Easy, girl.” Geralt gave her shoulder a reassuring pat, the words alone taking far more effort than they should have.

They were close now. To safety, to food, to warmth, to gentle hands and lips that were soft to the touch. Geralt’s eyes slipped shut and he exhaled a long and weary breath. A full moon bathed the road in its faint blue glow and the wind whistled between stalks of wheat and corn that stretched on down a short dirt path.

Even in his current state, he could see a flicker of candlelight up ahead. The small cottage didn’t look like much, but to him it was as close to home as he would ever come. Roach, seemingly realising where they were, hurried along the path in a trot that had Geralt gritting his teeth.

The thick wooden door opened and a black and white sheepdog dashed out with an excited bark, tail wagging as Roach came to a stop. She followed soon after.

Geralt tried to muster a smile, it must have looked more like a grimace because the joy in her eyes dimmed and concern soon replaced it.

“Collie, in!”

The dog stopped sniffing at Geralt’s boots, and did as he was told - in good time too, because the witcher could feel his body slipping from the saddle and into hands too weak to hold him up. But hold him they did.

Somehow he found himself inside as well, resting on soft furs by the fireplace as a damp cloth was swiped over his face. His vision faded into blurs of movement; deft hands removing his armour and cutting through his ruined tunic, a familiar face and soothing voice keeping whatever part of him was still conscious company.

His fingers ached to reach out, to feel her skin beneath their tips, to reassure him that she was more than a hallucination cooked up by his exhausted mind.

She showed him mercy, her hand moved to rest gently against his clammy forehead and he finally allowed himself to let go. Whether it was the words she’d chanted or the drink she’d poured down his throat, he didn’t know. All he did know, was that he was safe.

———

He healed remarkably well. The sutures were tidy, as he expected them to be, and the white honey she’d given him had worked quickly to combat the toxicity of his potions. Geralt’s eyelashes fluttered open and he groaned.

The room was familiar, the scent even more so, and the thought of its owner had him straining to sit up.

A cool palm pressed against his bare chest and he eased himself back down, eyes travelling along her arm and up to meet her own. He heaved a deep breath and wondered if she could feel the way his heart tried to race beneath her hand. The small smile on her lips told him that she could.

“Not just yet.” Her voice was soft and though he fought against it, he found his eyes slipping shut once more.

When he awoke next, it was to the smell of stew and the sound of a rooster’s crow. His hand grazed his side and found a new scar, another to add to his collection - still tender, but healed over during the night. His joints were stiff as he sat up, and he could hear her quietly humming from her place by the hearth.

She felt his presence instantly, casting a smile over her shoulder and eyeing his bare torso. First his wound, then the rest of him.

“What a lovely sight to wake up to.”

Geralt’s lips curled into a soft smirk.

“I was thinking the same thing.”

She placed the wooden spoon atop the small pot and stood. He was across the room in an instant, hands on her hips and forehead resting against her own.

Her fingers trailed across the hair of his navel and up to the fresh pink scar that marred his right side. She stared at it, trying in vain to hide the worry in her eyes.

“Sometimes I think you do this intentionally,” she murmured, “just for the attention.”

He hummed. “A small price to pay.”

The smile his words earned was genuine, if a little exasperated, and she pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. She caught his hands the moment they slipped to the ties of her dress, and he drew back with a frown.

“You’re still healing,” she chided, and he raised a brow.

“That’s never stopped us before.”

He tugged her into another kiss and she groaned at her own weakness.

“You always lose this argument,” he chuckled against her lips and she turned her head away with a smile.

“You smell like Roach.”

Geralt paused, sniffed, and then shrugged.

“Fair,” he conceded. “Speaking of-”

“She’s in the stables with Lucy, fed them both earlier this morning.”

“Hm. What would I do without you?”

She gave him a pointed look. “Die, probably.”

He laughed, and it warmed her heart to hear it after so long.

“Come. You need a bath.”

He begrudgingly let her take his hand and pull him into the adjoining room. The metal tub was already full of water, and he had to admit that it was a welcome sight.

She pressed a hand to the surface, and in a matter of seconds Geralt could see steam rising from within. He watched as she emptied vial after vial into the water, a familiar mixture of scents wafting through the room, but he didn’t care to identify them, not when she made her way back over to him and loosened the ties of his breeches.

She eased them down his legs, and he almost groaned at the sight of her on her knees before him. As if reading his mind, she shot him a teasing smile.

“Off you go,” she gestured to the tub and stood.

Geralt grunted, but did as he was told.

His teeth clenched against the heat as he eased down into the water. She perched herself on a stool behind him, washcloth in hand.

“Lean forward.”

She began with his back, rubbing soothing circles into scarred skin until it was clean and pink. Geralt watched as the filth from his body drifted through the water and vanished before his eyes. Her spellwork had always been impressive.

“That’s new,” he mumbled as her fingers moved to comb through his hair.

“We’d have no water left with the state you always come back in,” she teased.

Geralt smiled, eyes drifting shut as she massaged his scalp and rinsed the dirt that had accumulated there.

“You better not fall asleep, you haven’t eaten yet,” she warned.

“I would have eaten more than just stew if you weren’t so insistent.”

She giggled. “Always so randy after a hunt.”

“It’s the adrenaline,” he said. “And the fact that I know what’s waiting for me under that dress.”

She swatted at his shoulder, and he caught her hand.

“Join me.”

“Will you keep your hands to yourself?”

“Probably not,” he shrugged.

“Well, at least I found an honest one…”

She untied the laces at the front of her dress and stood. One arm slipped out of its sleeve, then the other, and he watched each inch of skin reveal itself to him as she peeled her dress down past her breasts and over her hips. It fell to a heap on the floor and Geralt sat up straighter, knees bent and parted for her.

She settled between his thighs, a hand on each of his knees as she sank into the water. Little waves licked at her skin, and like a bee to honey, his fingers followed, sliding up her hips until they settled at her waist. The tenderness in his side became inconsequential, a minor hindrance as he drew her closer.

There was no elixir that could make him feel this, no mage that could capture in any illusion the euphoria that came with the feeling of her bare skin pressed against his own.

He held her close to his chest, one thick arm framing the underside of her breasts, and his nose nuzzling her hair as it settled into the crook of his neck.

It almost felt sacrilegious to have his fingers, worn and scarred by years of killing, caressing her skin with the tenderness of a healer. He used to believe that his hands, covered in blood and dirt and grime, had no place being anywhere near her. But he refused to imagine that weak, normal man - the one that he wasn’t - holding her like this. He wouldn’t allow it, and she would never entrust her body to a man who didn’t also hold her heart - a man that wasn’t him.

Her gentle fingers entwined with his own, and she pressed a soft kiss to his bruised knuckles. Geralt’s arm tightened around her waist and she sighed contentedly.

“Will you stay for a while, my love?” She whispered, her free hand massaging the tense muscles of his thigh.

His chest grumbled beneath her as he groaned.

“For as long as you need me.”

She hummed, a hint of amusement in her smile when she tilted her head back to look at him.

“Forever then?” She murmured against his lips, and he caught hers in another searing kiss. It had been months, and he poured every last ounce of longing he’d felt into that one kiss. Always was something he couldn’t give her just yet, but forever was hers a long time ago.

His eyes were dark when they parted, pupils blown wide and fixed on her own with an adoration he’d show no other. She traced his swollen lips with a finger and he smiled.

“Just say the word…” Geralt whispered, taking her hand and holding it to his cheek.

“I will. One day, when you’ve seen all of the world and your heart is full. The day you want to stay.”

He frowned, guilt clouding his mind at the very thought of her believing he’d rather be anywhere else.

“I always want to stay.”

“Yes,” she smiled, warm and fond and far too wise for her age. “But this time it won’t just be for me. It’ll be for you.”

---------

Short one, kinda random...hope you liked it? I don't know why I stress so much about writing Geralt, but I do haha!

Geralt Tag List:

@dinchenrockt @notyouraveragemochii @alwayshave-faith @no-shxt-sherl @szhead31

#geralt of rivia #geralt x reader #the witcher fanfiction #the witcher #geralt fanfic

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catherine-sketches · 4 years

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Explaining José Carioca. José “Zezinho” do Patrocínio Oliveira: The History of the voice and inspiration of a beloved parrot.

SENTA QUE LÁ VEM HISTÓRIA (Sit Down, Here comes some History)

In 1942, When he was introduced to Walt Disney in the United States, the musician José do Patrocínio Oliveira immediately started a conversation using his heavily accented English. Upon hearing him speak, Walt recommended: “Don’t try to be American, we already have enough of those. Be Brazilian” And that was something Oliveira knew how to do really well. Inspired by him, Disney created his first Brazilian character: Zé Carioca

But the man behind de parrot... was Paulista!

Fun Fact #1: The word “Carioca” means “Born and raised on the state and city of Rio de Janeiro”. If Joe had being born outside the city of Rio, but still lived in the state of Rio he would be named José Fluminense.

Fun Fact #2: The word “Paulista” means “Born and raised in the state of São Paulo”. If he had being born in the city of São Paulo, he would be Paulistano

(For the people wondering : São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are states, and both have a city which bears the same name

The state and city of Rio de Janeiro

The state and city of São Paulo

So as a rule: Every Carioca is Fluminense, but not all Fluminense are Carioca. Same thing for Paulista and Paulistano)

Born in Jundiaí in 1904, the violinist and cavaquista (ukulele player) Oliveira, Zezinho as his friends called him, had many knacks. “He was all quick, never stoped moving himself or stoped speaking”, says the Tv director José Amâncio, that was really close to the musician. “It wasn't that Zezinho was similar to Zé Carioca.

He was Zé Carioca!”

Many thought that Zezinho was making impressions when voicing Zé Carioca.

“Nope! It was his voice all the way”, says José Bonifácio de Oliveira Sobrinho, Boni for short, show runner of Tv Vanguarda, that had meet Zezinho through his father in his childhood. In 1957, when he was 22 years old, Boni meeted Zezinho again and kept a friendship that lasted 30 years ---- were never lacked histories about how was the life of an animated character.

“Disney even used to say that Zezinho had a parrot nose. Then he would take him to the studio, put a hat in his head, gave him an umbrella and asked him o walk, sambar and rebolar (or as you americas say, shake around the studio)... The animators kept looking so they could make the parrot move in the same way. And Zezinho always joked: “But I don't know how to rebolar, I’m Paulista!”

(this is a Brazilian joke. we say that people from São Paulo don’t know how to rebolar to save their lives.

But as you can see in the movie, Zezinho was both an exception and a liar that lies)

Before and above being José Carioca, Zezinho was a great musician. Since the 30s, he accompanied the singers Aurora and Camen Miranda (the first one appearing in The Three Caballeros) when both of them fulfilled their daily schedule pre-carnival at 7:30pm, in the Record Radio of Rio de Janeiro. In Carmen’s biography Carmen, the writer Run Castro tell us the Aurora and her more famous sister adored Zezinho, thanks for his peculiar personality.

Zezinho, for example, was a former employee from the Butantan Institute of São Paulo, know for its study of venomous animals.

“When he got excited, he talked about snakes by their names in Latin,” write Ruy Castro.

His friend José Amâncio remembers that there was something else that did not come out of Zezinho’s head: all the stations of the São Paulo train lines.

“He used to quote one by one, in the right order”

Zezinho's incredible memory allowed him to decorate practically all Carnival songs ever made. “We used to say the year, and he then listed each marchinha (also know as the carnival marches) and samba. If we asked, he would sing ”, says Boni. In addition to guitar and ukulele, Zezinho was an ace in the mandolin and in more than ten instruments. He went to the United States in the late 1930s, in the wake of Carmen Miranda's success. There, he recorded three albums with Aurora and, in 1942, became part of Bando da Lua (Pack of the Moon), the group of musicians who used to accompany the two sisters.

(Carmen Miranda and the members of Bando da Lua. From left to right: Zé Carioca, Vadico, Nestor Amaral, Afonso, Stenio and Aloysio de Oliveira)

In 1942, Zezinho made his film debut playing with Bando da Lua in the film Minha Secretária Brasileira, starring Carmen Miranda.

Soon after, in Saludos Amigos, he did more than dub Zé Carioca: he appeared playing “Na Baixa do Sapateiro” and “Os Quindins de Iaiá”, by Ary Barroso.

In 1944, he gave voice to Zé Carioca again and acted in yet another combination of film and cartoons produced by Disney Studios: the classic The Three Caballeros. There, alongside Aurora, he played “Aquarela do Brasil”, also by Ary Barroso, and “Tico-Tico no Fubá”, by Zequinha de Abreu.

Brazilian music, which had conquered the United States with Carmen Miranda, gained even more space with the push given by Disney in the cinema. After the premiere of The Three Caballeros , Zezinho played with Aurora in Mexico.

According to Ruy Castro, despite the fame of the singer, her name was the second on the posters of the shows. It came just below “Joe Carioca” - Zezinho had taken on the name of the parrot because of its popularity. The musician played samba until the age of 75, in several American states. He performed almost every night in luxury hotels, restaurants, casinos and at Disneyland, California. His first appearance there was at the opening of the theme park in 1955 - he entered the stage announced by Disney himself.

Like Zé Carioca in Saludos Amigos, Zezinho was a warm host: he insisted on keeping the doors of his home in the United States always open, transforming it into a kind of informal Brazilian embassy. According to Boni, the musician became a co-director of directors who, later on, would stand out on Brazilian TV, such as Daniel Filho and Augusto César Vanucci. “Friends wanted to get to know Hollywood better, to see how things were done there. I arranged with Zezinho and he took us to all the studios. Everyone there knew him ”, he says.

Once, the friend José Amâncio witnessed how the fame of the musician was perpetuated. In the early 1980s, the TV director visited Disneyland for the first time, accompanied by Zezinho. As soon as he arrived at the park, he was amazed to see all the employees greeting the musician, waving and saying: “Hey, Joe Carioca”.

“I knew he was the man behind Zé Carioca, but I didn't think he was recognized that way. That day I found out how dear he was ”, he says.

Zezinho was almost 80 when that moment took place - and the character's debut film was over 40 years old.

In 1987, after much bohemia, Zezinho died. And he left the scene in the best Zé Carioca style. "On his headstone it says: 'Awesome' Because for him everything was 'Awesome'," says businessman José do Patrocínio Oliveira Júnior, the parrot's son. Or rather, the musician’s son.

TL;DR : Zezinho was the most lovable dork. He loved Samba, Snakes and Trains, made fast friend with everyone he meet, travelled the world with Carmen Miranda, was a walking musical encyclopaedia, was a walking snake encyclopaedia, he thought that everything was awesome and through the power of friendliness alone he meet some of the greatest names on Brazilian music, cinema and television.

Truly a legend.

#jose carioca #josé carioca #explaining Jose carioca #saludos amigos #the three caballeros #ducktales #jose do patrocinio oliveira #carmen miranda #aurora miranda #long post #the first voice actor #the man kept rolling 20 in charisma everyday of his life #he was too powerfull #an also can you imagine how cute he was?#him getting all excited and talking about his passions about snakes and trains #he must have been adorable #from now one Joe has a fascination with snakes samba and trains #thats is now cannon #i dont make the rules

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jalebi-weds-bluetooth · 4 years

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ArShi OS: Illusion (Alternate Ending)

Warning: Angst, Mature (18+), Use of expletive

Prompt by S-A (sweet anon)

can you please write an alternative ending to the fake honeymoon night following their sizzling, possessive dance

Illusion

Perception of something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature.

“Now don’t start seeing dreams,” He whispered, her hand firmly in his grip. She looked at him, wondering why he thought she would see dreams about him, about them?

“How can I attach my dreams to you?” She lied through her teeth, praying her eyes didn’t deceive the innumerable nights she spent seeing his face, smiling at her - or God forbid - doing things she could’ve only imagined.

Of course, her dreams, like her heart, belonged to another. Her words went down like a bitter pill, he hadn’t been warning her at all. Arnav only needed to remind himself to not see the dreams he had carefully woven several nights ago.

“I’m doing this-”

“-for Di, me too.” It was moments like this that shut him up. Why would she care about his sister? Slowly, he nudged her to follow his move. She followed him, attached like a magnet. She couldn’t bear to look at his eyes, not when she knew she’d drown in them and he would do anything but save her. Her spine stiffened as her intuition warned her of another pair of eyes.

Disgust crawled her skin. Her grip tightened.

Arnav looked across, and found Shyam staring at the two of them. Even though Anjali was in his arms, he didn’t hide how annoyed he was to find Khushi in Arnav’s. Arnav stopped swaying, a realization settling in his throat like bile.

Oh that explains why Khushi wouldn’t even look at him. Or why she wasn’t even aware that he had stopped dancing.

Shyam had no right to look at his wife. Arnav Singh Raizada’s wife.

Khushi frowned as Arnav lifted her hands, nudging her to dance - with him. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Nor his. That he remembered there was a time when they used to walk the same steps, hand in hand, skin on skin.

With one tug she was thrown back to their historic Teri Meri performance. These were the same steps. It was as if they weren’t even dancing in the same hall. All she could see were him, and his blatant grasp on her body.

Despite her mind’s violation, her body eased with his as if they had never stopped dancing since that night. When he pulled her across the length of the room, she snapped out from the reverie and into a nightmare.

A delicious nightmare. The one that left you soaked with sweat, heart pounding, and a lover’s name on your lips.

It was the same steps, but not the same man. Attraction was replaced by possession, love by passion, harmony by chaos, confession by silence. They were drunk, intoxicated from the memories of the last time they were so close, where his hand had slipped under her saree to feel her bare skin, where her fingertips had brushed against his stubble.

Tonight Khushi had made one mistake, to look into his eyes. Because once she did, she was unable to look at anything else. She was free falling, miles and miles into darkness, and everytime she thought she met death - she was pulled back into his arms.

Arnav gravitated towards her. What had started as possession was slipping into desire. God damn her eyes for latching onto his! He wanted to show she was his, but he only ended up rekindling the memories he thought he had forgotten.

No matter how many times he left her hands, she swiveled back into him, and for a fleeting moment he thought if she could feel the storm in him.

NO!

She crashed into him, hands gripping his shoulder, shaking. He looked at Khushi, confusions and questions pooling in those brilliant, hazel eyes. The eyes that stared at his lips.

Perhaps someone clapped, took them to their rooms - they don’t remember how they reached there.

———

Arnav stopped in the middle of their room. It was dark, illuminated by candles. The moon and pool lights shimmered through the glass windows. Roses filled every corner of the room. And on their bed. He swallowed a gulp, his heart hammering against his chest.

Khushi’s body was ablaze, she couldn’t bear to touch or even see him. He emanated a heat and hunger that had tested the waters of their relationship since forever. Her forehead rested against the cool, frosted glass door. Her fingers fumbled around the door lock. A tingle ran down her spine.

He was watching.

“Let me,” His breath tickled her temples. Her breath hitched, not knowing when he had come so close. His fingers brushed against hers as he turned the lock, and he remained there, pressed up against her.

Slowly, Khushi turned, keeping her eyes fixated on his chest. She wouldn’t, couldn’t, look at him. His hands came to a rest on either side of her face. They breathed, afraid to say a word which could break the trance.

Khushi didn’t take a step away, Arnav didn’t move his hands. They stood, her caged in his arms, with his eyes low on her lovely face, the sides of her anarkali clenched in her fists.

In their minds, the dance continued. When his hand gripped hers against her stomach, a fire coiled in her belly. With each movement, she memorised his sinewy muscles. He lost a breath when her jasmine scented hair brushed against his face. Or when she fell right into his arms, letting her lithe body rest on his.

Were they even dancing?

Especially when he lifted her against himself-

Khushi’s hands flew to his shirt, breaking their silence. She clenched the fabric, her nails scraping the hot skin beneath it. Arnav closed the space between them, keeping her pinned to the wall. His breath was harsh, blood roared into his ears. They could be standing, but in their minds their steps were more frantic, almost scandalous.

Leave his shirt, but she clutched it tighter. Step back, but he only stepped further, leaving her standing in between his legs.

Oh!

“Ar-” She gasped, his name dying on her lips as she looked at him. There was no tenderness, just an aching, raw hunger in his dark eyes. She was so sure everything had died. Except all the longing, desire, and potency had returned. In ten fold.

Her lips parted. His Adam’s apple bobbed.

“Arnav-” She stopped, unable to look away. Arnav let his hands fall and stepped behind. No, he cannot let himself go weak by a pair of pretty eyes-

His thoughts came to a sudden halt when she grabbed his wrist. It had taken every ounce of courage from Khushi to hold his hand, to stop him. She had wanted to do that so many times.

When he reluctantly attended Nani’s call after placing her bindiya on the mirror.

When he left for his home to continue the preparations of the wedding, right after he served her guests as his own.

When he escaped from answering why he had bought bangles for her.

When his lips were just a breath away from her, and stepped back.

It took less strength for her to overlook everything their relationship had become, and hold him back for a fickle dream, than watch him step back and immerse into reality.

Arnav, in all means, had a greater physique than Khushi but her one tug left him powerless. A man could only take so much before he could succumb to the one he loved.

Khushi was so tired of hurting that her pride took a deep fall, allowing her desires, dreams and courage to come to life. It didn’t matter if he was hers for six months, weeks, or days.

And today, he showed it didn’t matter to him as well. Somewhere, somehow, whatever they had had miraculously survived. Arnav turned to face her, searching her eyes for any lie amidst a blaring truth.

She wanted him.

Khushi took a step towards him. Her knees shook beneath her anarkali, her courage could only take her this far. She misjudged her step, twisted her ankle and fell right into his waiting arms.

And just like that, the darkness of the room was replaced by light of the blazing fire in their hearts.

She gripped his biceps, his hands splayed against her back, their lips were too close - yet too far. Neither chose to speak, words had never done any good to them. Khushi could only sense him. His woody cologne, warm breath and solid muscle.

He flicked his gaze to her glossy lips. Her tongue peaked out and swiped against her lips. His grip around her tightened. Whether it was magic, or intoxication, they didn’t know - love and lust had little boundary, especially to them.

Love demanded them to repair their broken hearts, but also seek refuge in those shattered pieces.

On trying to stand on her two feet, Khushi winced as her sore ankle tried to steady her weight. Before her ankle could give way, Arnav picked her in his arms and perched her on the edge of the bed.

Her fingers grasped his collar, refusing to leave it even after he put her down. He tugged her hand away, and bent to check her ankle. But she stopped him midway, holding his arm. The dull ache in her foot was nothing compared to the throbbing in her heart, and between her legs.

Gently, her hand traveled from his arm to his shoulder and she sat up on bed, her face a mere few inches away from his. His fingers loosened its grip from her calf and brushed its way to the back of her knee.

His eyes darkened, but his brows furrowed. Khushi touched his frown, soothing it away with the pad of her fingertips. Slowly, she traced the corner of his temple to his jaw. A shiver ran up her spine as she felt his rough stubble. Arnav gulped.

There was too much love than he could handle.

Forcing her last drop of bravery, she edged forward and brushed her lips against his. Before she could pull back, Arnav grabbed the base of her neck and deepened the kiss.

She moaned his name against his lips. His tongue met hers. With one hand he pulled her right into his lap. Reluctantly, he tore his lips away from hers and pressed bruising kisses to her neck. Khushi unfastened her dupatta and held his head against her neck as he sucked hard and sunk his teeth into the soft skin.

The sting was quickly replaced by pleasure as he laved the bite with his tongue. She threaded her fingers in his hair, and rubbed a soothing hand down his spine. Arnav reached for the zipper of her dress and pulled it down to her breasts.

This was hell.

Unable to bear the pleasure of his stubble against her sensitive skin, she yanked the back of his head for a deep kiss. The anarkali bunched up against her waist. His shirt had come undone. He freed her from her suit. Skin met skin.

This was heaven.

Arnav dragged a finger from sternum to the strings of her churidaar, which hung low on her full hips. He took a moment and brushed the back of his hand against her soft belly. Her eyes fluttered shut. In a few tugs he divested the remaining few clothes.

She opened her eyes to find his, intently watching her as his hands hesitated over the zipper of his jeans. Slowly, she reached for zip and pulled it down - never breaking the eye contact.

They stood on the bed, on their knees.

Her imagination had done no justice to his beautiful physique. Broad shoulders, toned stomach and a dark trail of hair that led to-

Khushi trembled at the sight of him. Naked.

Arnav raked his eyes over her form. She was beyond any fantasy he could ever dream. Her hair spilled over her shoulders like a waterfall. A flush spread throughout her fair, delicate skin.

But the wonderment in her eyes didn’t just convey her desire, but also a lack of experience. Hesitation stalled his hands. He didn’t know what to do. Nothing measured up to what he wanted to desperately do with her, only if she wanted it too.

“Fuck,” he breathed out as her curious hands traced a forbidden path down his body.

“Khushi, I… you,” he broke off, taking her in a swift kiss. Khushi looked up, pressing her forehead against his.

“Hum bhi,” she confessed. His touch was new, but not the pleasure. Her body had long been ablaze from his mere sight.

Emboldened, Arnav touched her, intimately, and she gripped his shoulders in a soft, surprised cry. She pressed moist kisses against his shoulders. This search for pleasure had agonized her for months, the throbbing finally had an answer. A release.

She looked down and found him stroking himself, the cords of his neck standing out as his own pleasure chased hers. A guttural moan left him when she held him, mimicking his pace.

“Khu-shi-” he rasped, bucking against her small hand.

“Arnav,” she whispered, biting his shoulder as her pleasure peaked.

They kissed deep, for a final time, as they desperately whispered each other’s names and saw the stars.

Spent, they finally lay flat on the bed, staring at each other in utter silence. Now?

There was no room for pretense, denial or illusions. A thousand questions brimmed in their eyes. Their unsteady marriage. Her apparent betrayal. His ‘hatred’. The contract. Six months.

But just one certainty. A hope.

Khushi brushed his hair away from his forehead. Arnav could only stare at her. Swallowing a gulp, Khushi leaned into the crook of his neck and closed her eyes shut before she could see anything else that could break her heart.

He did not move. And just like that, her heart, dreams and hope began to crack.

After a long moment, Arnav pressed his lips to her hairline, right where her smudged vermillion lay.

Khushi stiffened at the hesitant, sweet kiss. She curled further into his chest, listening to the faint thrum of his heart. He felt her hot tears against his skin as she tried her best to muffle her sobs. He wrapped his arms around her. Arnav blinked his own tears away.

These were tears of uncertain joy. Like a man lost in the waves of a violent ocean, had finally found land.

A land where no illusion could exist.

---

A/N: Hope you all liked this version of the one shot too! You can read the other version here. Thank you so much in advance for reading :)

#ipkknd #iss pyaar ko kya naam doon #ipkknd ff #fanfiction #Arnav Singh Raizada #Khushi kumari gupta #ugh my heart #sandesh knows my struggles #os illusion alternate ending #kyun dard hai itna

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xtrashmammalstefx · 4 years

Text

Some Day One Day (Gwilym Lee x Reader)

Part 13 of The Queen Repertoire

WARNINGS: Insinuations of suicide and depression, moderate violence (bullying and abuse)

Notes: I may or may not have realized there was a lack of BORHAP boys in my works thus far and have vowed to make more with them. Starting with this piece of angst and fluff sprinkled with smut. Enjoy!

Some day one day I will marry a prince.

That's what I used to tell myself, back when it was okay to dream of fairy tales. As I got older though that silly fantasy faded and in its place was something only I knew to be real.

Some day one day I hope to be alive.

I wasn't the happiest girl at my secondary school. No, that would be my older sister, Y/OS/ N. She was popular, and easily loved. She had a massive group of friends and lads wanting her to be theirs. One of said friends, whom she had fancied, was a lad named Gwilym.

Gwilym was different. Always the one in the crowd that looked like he didn't wish to be there. His eyes would wander as though lost in a daydream. He was also strikingly beautiful. Inside and out.

I only knew him from afar, and only managed an occasional hello before Y/OS/N would take over the conversation.

One day, my emotionally lowest day, Gwil and some of the other kids from school came over to hang with Y/OS/N. I was sixteen while they were seventeen. Earlier that day at school during lunch hour the group had caught Gwil zoning out. I know because I could hear them from table by the window. Apparently this time his eyes were set on me. Y/OS/N noticed this and became irate.

Later that day she cornered me in the girls lavatory and took scissors to my Y/H/L, Y/H/C hair; cutting it all off. “Gwil can't love you if you look like a boy now can he?”

“And you really think he'll love you for looking like a hag?” I blurted out through my tears. To this she drew her hand and slapped me across the face.

I went home early and mum took care of the rest of my hair to make it even, and I wound up with a pixie cut. I went into my room soon after, dug out a beanie, and placed it on my head covering the damage. I suddenly heard the crowd of people come in.

Now I sat on my bed, chin on my knees, as mum yelled at Y/OS/N grounding her for what she did. She then told everyone to go home but unbeknownst to her Gwil had slipped passed them.

I didn't even know he'd come until he knocked at my door. “Y/N?”

“Gwil?”

“Yeah, um, may I come in?” I wiped the tears from my eyes and muttered okay. He opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him.

“Hello,” I muttered. He came over and sat down across from me on my bed.

“I heard what happened...it's disgusting of her,” he said sounding irate at my sister. “Why would she even think to...and to you of all people... what could you have possibly done to her to deserve such cruelty?”

I looked down. “I didn't do anything...I think it's mostly what you did that set her off.”

“What is it exactly did I do?”

I looked back up at him. “You looked at me.”

He sighed as the memory came back to him.

“She completely fancies you,” I said. “So much so I became a threat to her. I don't know why though...it's not like you―.”

He cut me off with his mouth. It sent a shock down my spine, but I couldn't deny how magical it felt.

After a while he pulled back and gasped at something over my shoulder. I look over and realized I'd left my bottle of antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, and Naproxin (for my headache) out on my bedside table along side a letter addressed to my mum.

“Does it really surprise you?” I asked in a whisper. “That I would want to use them all at once? I'm exhausted Gwilym. Exhausted and I just want it all to stop. I want the pain to stop.”

“And it will, but not like this,” he said. He reached up and gently lifted the beanie off my head. He placed it aside and wiped away my tears with his fingers, taking my face in his hands. “I love you, Y/N. I love you so much my whole being has been aching to be with you. I fell in love with you a long time ago.”

“But why me?” I asked.

“Because of the Blue Moon Night,” he said. Blue Moon Night was the title I gave to an old painting I made. It was a night time setting. Two figures sat beneath a giant tree, silhouetted by the light of the full moon. It was framed and hung up on the wall by my bedroom door. It was the only painting I couldn't give away or sell since it was my proudest accomplishment and I never wanted to lose it. I was thirteen when I made it and I remember finding Gwil had been watching me while I worked on the finishing touches. “Because when I saw it, and saw you, a part of me wanted to be in it. I saw us staring at the moon, and spending an endless amount of time together far easier than I could see my own future. It was then I knew I wanted you, and that I wouldn't ever feel like that with anyone else.”

I started crying again, and melted into him as he wrapped his arms around me After a while I sniffed back tears and pecked him on the cheek, trailing down until I reached his lips. We kissed as though we had forever. My hands explored him and his explored me, until, eventually mine started working on the buttons of his top.

After taking care of the last one I pushed the fabric off his shoulders. Gwil pulled back and tossed the fabric aside. I then leaned in and pressed my lips to the skin above his heart. I knew then it was something that would always be mine. The idea made my heart beat like mad. I pulled back and shrugged out of my top.

I had never been like this with anyone, so I was pretty nervous throughout...That is until Gwil was finally on top of me, bare naked, with his tip ghosting my entrance. My body trembled at the feeling, which worried Gwil.

“Are you okay?” I nodded, took a deep breath, and brought my mouth to his. A couple of kisses later he pushed himself in. I gasped and clung to him. He didn't hurt me though. Instead he gave us a moment to get used to the feeling of one another. Once we realized how brilliant we felt to each other he began to move.

I swear it's as if God had made us to be perfect for one another. Our bodies moved together in a perfect harmony I never knew was possible. Gwil kissed me, and placed his hand in mine giving it a squeeze as a wave of passion came over us.

It hit me first. I bit back a moan as my body tensed up tightening around him. Gwil followed his body trembling, a slightly loud moan escaping his lips, as he filled me with his warmth.

“I love you,” he whispered breathless.

“I love you too,” I whispered back.

We laid there for the rest of the afternoon, just holding each other.

“How come you've never said anything before?” I asked. “I mean, for me it was obvious why...but you?”

“I don't know,” he said. “I guess I was just scared. I mean...how was I supposed to go on if...if it turned out differently?” I sighed and pecked him on the neck. I couldn't help but think how silly that fear sounded but... I figured every one must have that fear then. And in that moment the words to one of my favorite songs came into mind.

You never heard my song before the music was too loud But now i think you hear me well for now we both know how No star can light our way in this cloud of dark and fear But some day, one day...

“What's that?” Gwil asked. It was then I realized I'd been singing the words aloud.

“It's one of my favorite songs,” I said. “It's actually one of the things that's kept me going these last few years.”

“It's beautiful but rather sad don't you think?” he asked.

“That's because those were just the starting words,” I said looking up at him. “But it gets better.”

He leaned in and kissed me on my forehead just as Y/OS/N barged into my room. “Hey dumb-fuck mum says dinner's―WHAT THE FUCK?!”

“Christ can't you bloody knock?!” I shrieked at her bringing the blanket up to cover us both. Gwil was already moving to get his boxers on though.

“Honestly you two I have just about had enough of―OH MY GOD!” Mum said as she gawked at us from behind Y/OS/N.

“MUM PLEASE!” I damned near shouted.

She then pulled Y/OS/N out and closed the door.

Gwil and I both got dressed, and laughing made our way downstairs.

“I'm sorry you had to see that Mrs. Y/L/N,” he said to my mum before pecking me on the mouth and leaving for the night.

I turned to my mum and sighed. “How long am I grounded for?”

“We're you safe?” she asked. My face felt almost burning with embarrassment, but I nodded still. “In that case what is there to be grounded for?”

“WHAT?!” Y/OS/N shrieked. Mum then told her it was her night to do dishes after dinner.

The next day at school energy in the lunch hour shifted at her table. When Gwil stepped into the canteen her whole table went silent. Y/OS/N glared at me, and looked at him with whatever hope she had left. That hope was dashed, however, when Gwil came and sat with me, greeting me with a kiss.

Years later we had completely different lives. We married two years after leaving secondary school, and got our own flat. Y/OS/N hadn't been to the wedding and had actually cut ties with my family and I. Claimed she was tired of being treated so 'cruelly'.

Soon after we married Gwil got into acting, while I continued to paint and sell my work (with the occasional piece I simply can't give up). Life was brilliant.

Gwil wound up getting a big part on one of my favorite series, a detective series known as Midsomer Murders. I was happy for him but he seemed nervous about it. Mostly because it required him to travel quite a bit of distance across the country.

“What am supposed to do without you?” he asked. “Or you without me?”

“Gwil,” I sighed. “I promise you I'm going to be alright.” It was night time and we were sat by our fireplace. “You don't have to be like this.”

He sighed. “I'm sorry, love. It's just I remember how fragile you used to be, and I see and love how strong you've been these passed few years.”

“You make me sound like a damsel,” I frowned.

“That didn't quite come out right,” Gwil cringed. “What I'm trying to say is I was fragile too. Almost to the point of breaking but then we came together, and I have been a stronger and better man because of it. How am I supposed to keep that up if your not there?”

“It's easy Gwil,” I said. “You just have to remember what you're coming home to. This house, this life, me...” I grabbed his hand and placed it on my stomach. “And them.”

He looked at me wide eyed. “Oh my God...” he cried. “Oh my God, Y/N,” he smothered me in kisses, even placing one on my belly. “Hello little one. I love you so much already, and am so so excited to be your daddy.”

We then cuddled by the fire for another few minutes, and once again my favorite song came to mind.

Funny how the pages turn and hold us in between A misty castle waits for you and you shall be a queen Today the cloud it hangs over us and all is grey But some day, one day...

“What's that? Another favorite song?” Gwil asked.

“Actually it's the same one,” I said. “I told, Gwil, it only get's better.”

A few months later I gave birth to a baby girl. The first few months were hard but we persevered, and pushed on knowing it was worth it.

Our careers continued and our child continued to grow. I fell pregnant again and again, eventually adding a boy and another girl. Our family became our everything and life was beautiful.

Eventually Gwil got another big role in an equally big film. Bohemian Rhapsody not only changed his life but changed mine as well. One day the kids and I decided to surprise him on set.

“Alright go to daddy,” I said letting my littlest go as soon as we spotted Gwil on the stage.

“Oh my god you are the cutest little thing,” Joe said as she stepped up to her daddy who turned around at the remark.

“Princess what..?” he said scooping her up before he looked up and saw us all. I approached him and greeted him with a kiss. “What are you all doing here?”

“We missed you,” I said. “Besides I wanted the kids to meet their new uncles and Granddad.”

“Oh well,” he turned to the other three lads. “Darling, this is Joe, Ben, and Rami. Everyone, this is my wife Y/N and our babies.”

It's amazing how three little kids could turn three grown men into butter. Joe, Ben, and Rami were practically melting at the sight.

“It's lovely to meet you all,” I said. “Gwil has told me so much about you.”

“You're not talking sh-stuff are you?” Joe said.

“Of course not,” Gwil said rolling his eyes.

“Now isn't this a lovely sight,” said a gentle voice coming up from behind the three young men. It belonged to a tall gray haired man who had me almost losing my mind.

“Brian, this my wife, Y/N and our kids,” Gwil introduced us.

“It is so amazing to meet you sir,” I said holding my hand out for him to shake. He took it and brought it to his lips.

“The pleasure's all mine, dear,” he said.

“BRIAN!” Gwil gawked at him.

“What? It's only fair since you've been flirting with Anita when she's here,” he said.

“Yeah but that was a sort of flirting by proxy,” he argued. “I was dressed head-to-toe in an original Brian May outfit and was donning the signature curls after all.”

“Fair point, son.”

“Anyway I've been a fan of yours for years,” I said. “I even sing your music to Gwil every now and then.”

“You do?” Gwil asked.

“Which song if you don't mind my asking?” Brian asked.

“Some Day One Day,” I said. Gwil smiled in realization.

“The song that brought us together,” he said.

“It's one of my favorites,” I told Brian. “It helped me through a lot, and honestly...these three wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you and your music.”

“I am beyond pleased to hear that,” Brian said. “And I know Freddie would be too.”

Later that night the three lads, and Lucy came around our house for a drink and a laugh. We'd invited Brian, Roger, and Adam too but they had other business needing tending to.

Our party went out into the backyard where Joe taught our oldest how to have fun with sparklers. As my two oldest kids ran around with their uncles and auntie Gwil and I stood under the tree and watched them as they smiled and played.

I looked up for a moment and realized the moon was full that night. Like my heart.

“Gwil,” I said.

“Hm?” He looked down at me.

“It's a blue moon night,” I said motioning up at the sky. Gwil looked up and laughed. “Looks like you got what you wanted.”

“Well not entirely,” Gwil said looking down at me. I looked up at him confused. “You've never finished that song.”

I laughed and cuddled into him.

When i was you and you were me and we were very young Together took us nearly there the rest may not be sung So still the cloud it hangs over us and we're alone But some day, one day... We'll come home

Taglist: @okaykathryn @fairestkillerqueenofall @onceuponadetectivedemigod @boherahpsody @thebohemianpenguin @ihatethespacebars @madsthegroupie @freddie-bulsara-queen @rose-de-jaune @xxkellsvixen19xx @valeriecarolinaw @5sos-wdw @hearttshapeddboxx @spicyarreagaa @fluffffffffffff @pleasingiswhatweaimfor @hatemylifesofuckingmuch @jollyavacado @painandpleasure86 @haileynicoleseavey17 @queenlover1997 @rrogerrz @peachyywine @mrsmazzello @hannafuckingsucks @zwiezraczek @night-writer-writer @theborhapboysawakenedmywhatever @tinywildeace

#gwilym lee #gwilym lee imagine #gwilym lee x reader #BoRhap

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themattress · 5 years

Text

Best Wishes vs. Sun & Moon: comparing the similarities and analyzing the differences

In terms of the three Pokeani shows that have run throughout the last decade, Pokemon: Best Wishes (2010-2013) and Pokemon: Sun & Moon (2016-2019) are a lot more compatible with one another than Pokemon: XY (2013-2016), and the reasons why are worth analyzing.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BEST WISHES AND SUN & MOON:

Ash has a sillier, more immature portrayal and screws up a lot more - In an effort to return Ash to his roots and justify keeping him eternally 10 years old, the writers made Ash act more like a real 10 year old would. After all, his skills as a trainer shouldn’t have to make such a drastic impact on his personality, and their core audience in Japan reportedly found the “mature” Ash of XY terribly boring, which factored into that show’s ratings decline.

Ash travels to the region with his mother on a trip and stays there unexpectedly - In both BW and SuMo, Ash doesn’t set out to the show’s region by choice. He instead accompanies his mother there when she’s going on a trip (in the case of BW, alongside Professor Oak as well) and then stays after finding out about something: for Unova, it’s that it has a League Challenge, and for Alola, it’s that there’s a Trainer School that he thinks is cool.

A Legendary Pokemon takes an interest in Ash and Pikachu at the start - In BW, it’s Zekrom, who lends Pikachu its power, in SuMo, it’s Tapu Koko, who gives Ash a Z-Crystal.

Ash gets a regional starter who remains unevolved and mostly used for comic relief - In BW, it’s the spotlight-hungry Oshawott, in SuMo, it’s the lazy, backpack-dwelling Rowlet.

A recurring Pokemon ultimately becomes part of Ash's team - In BW, it’s a Sandile turned Krokorok who wants to defeat Pikachu, in SuMo, it’s a homeless, distrustful Litten.

Ash gains a main rival with blonde hair and a bad attitude - In BW, it’s Trip, who looks down on Ash for being a foreigner, in SuMo, it’s Gladion, who is an ill-tempered loner.

Ash gains a goofier rival more akin to him shortly before the League - In BW, it’s Cameron, who goes on to defeat Ash at the League, in SuMo, it’s Hau, who Ash defeats.

Ash's companions are all regarded as his equals - In the OS, Ash and Misty were equals but Brock was clearly in a higher position and was their caretaker. In AG, Ash and Brock were now equals but May and Max were beneath them, with May gradually becoming their equal overtime. In DP, Dawn started out beneath Ash and gradually became his equal, but Brock somehow sank to a lowly, almost useless position in the group. And in XY, everyone was beneath Ash from start to finish. BW and SuMo are the only times where Ash and his companions are all equal in their group dynamic, with each bringing something to the table.

Lana and Mallow bear some similarities to Iris - Iris is the heroine of BW, while Mallow and Lana are two of SuMo’s heroines. Like Iris, Mallow has dark skin instead of pale skin, a cheerful disposition, and a detailed emotional backstory. Lana meanwhile, shares Iris’ wild athleticism and prodigious affinity with nature, plus a frequently snarky and teasing attitude.

Kiawe bears some similarities to Cilan - Cilan of BW and Kiawe of SuMo both appear at first glance to be fairly serious and professional in their attitudes, but pretty quickly show that they are far more flamboyant and comedically gifted characters than you would expect.

The TRio is sent to the region by Giovanni himself under a certain directive - In BW, it’s to lead the charge in a large-scale operation to take over Unova, in SuMo, it’s to conduct research on Alola’s Pokemon and capture the strongest ones (and later to master Z-Moves).

The TRio are the stars of their own subplot with their own new status quo - Rather than just following Ash and his friends around all the time like in the OS, AG, DP and XY, the TRio in BW and SuMo usually have their own matters to attend to. In BW, it’s engaging in missions for the Team Rocket organization, in SuMo it’s any number of odd jobs and side exploits. Through most of BW, they stay in Dr. Zager’s mobile research lab, through most of SuMo they stay in Bewear’s cave on Melemele Island which they construct a secret base above.

The TRio don't appear in every single episode - Although XY also kept this trend up.

The TRio are more competent and successful than is normal for them - The TRio succeed at their endeavors just about as often as they fail, and even their failures don’t tend to come so easily as their strategic thinking, technology, and Pokemon power has improved.

The TRio don't do much "blasting off" anymore - In BW, they usually make escapes (often on jetpacks) when defeated, in SuMo, Bewear almost always arrives to rescue them.

The TRio have another mission commander in place of Giovanni when he's busy - In BW, it’s Dr. Zager whom the TRio gets along with, in SuMo, it’s Matori whom they do not.

Giovanni takes up the Big Bad position once again - BW and SuMo are the only other times after the OS where Giovanni is the primary overarching villain who has conceived and is now conducting a master plan to take over the world by harnessing some great power. This transpires during the first and second years of BW, and just during the second year of SuMo.

It's a three-year show with mostly excellent pacing - For the most part, things don’t drag in BW and SuMo, with each stage of the show as determined by the current plot directive lasting precisely as long or short as it needs to. The only exceptions are the entirety of BW’s third and final year, and the middle of SuMo’s (between Poni Island and the Alola League).

The region is faithfully adapted from the games - Although XY also kept this trend up.

The N / Team Plasma arc has similarities to the Nebby / Cosmog arc - Both of these story arcs are similar in length (14 episodes and 12 episodes respectfully) and thus have a very tightly-written, compact plot that plays almost like a mini-series. They are also loosely adapted from the games’ plots: a mix of B/W and B2/W2 for the former, S/M for the latter.

The Meloetta arc has similarities to the Poipole arc - Both are as near cinematic as the previously mentioned arcs but less tight and more open in range, able to be extended through other plot points in the show. They also both feature a cute, rare Pokemon (well, Ultra Beast in Poipole’s case) who take a liking to either Ash or Pikachu and travel with them. Both arcs are also a part of both shows’ second years and conclude at the end of that year.

There are specific callbacks made to the Original Series - The biggest one in BW being the return of Ash’s Charizard, the biggest in SuMo being two guest spots by Misty and Brock.

The pattern of the movies in each year is the same - A well-crafted but notably flawed movie in the first year, an excellent movie that does something entirely different than what’s come before in the second year, and the weakest movie that stars Mewtwo in the third year.

The show's primary focus is on humor, adventure and character dynamics as opposed to shonen-style battling, shojou-style beauty contests, or adherence to formulas of the past - Really not much else to say here. That description kind of speaks for itself already.

The Pokeani fandumb can't stand it - For many of the reasons listed above, especially the previous one, since BW and SuMo both directly followed shows that were fandumb darlings because their primary focus was on shonen-style battling, shojou-style beauty contests, and adherence to formulas of the past: DP and XY respectively. Thus they will not shut up about how much they hate BW and SuMo, especially when compared to DP and XY, and take every opportunity on every platform they get to bitch and whine about how they’ve ruined the anime because they dare to be catered toward kids and not toward them and their entitled desires. But personally, I’ll take a well-made kids’ show over a bland, edgy pander-fest any day.

WHAT SUN & MOON DOES BETTER THAN BEST WISHES:

The animation - Many knock SuMo’s art style and I will admit I prefer BW’s, but the actual animation in SuMo is leagues and bounds ahead of not just BW but every previous series.

The humor - Not that BW couldn’t be funny, because it often could, especially when Shoji Yonemura wrote an episode. But SuMo, under new direction and with a new head writer plus many other new writers, is fresher and funnier in its humor, and it makes me laugh harder.

The worldbuilding - Unova may be rendered faithfully from the games, but Alola is even moreso. And because it only has a limited number of locations to use, it can flesh them out considerably more than locations in previous regions, building a recurring cast of side characters along with it, and as a result Alola feels realer and livelier than any prior region.

The central cast - In BW, the central cast was relatively small as usual: Ash, Pikachu and the rest of Ash’s Pokemon, Ash’s two new companions and their Pokemon, and Team Rocket. Everyone else were occasionally recurring side characters. But in SuMo, we not only have Ash, Pikachu and the rest of his Pokemon, and Team Rocket, but also Ash’s five new companions / classmates, Professor Kukui as the first professor to be a regularly appearing character, Burnet, Samson Oak, Lusamine, Faba, Wicke, Gladion, and each of these character’s Pokemon! And they all manage to be so varied, interesting and enjoyable!

Ash, Pikachu and the TRio’s characterization - Ash may have had a sillier, more childish personality in BW, but it wasn’t done well. He was still written as pretty boring, irritating, and 1-dimensional, with Pikachu still being little more than a parrot who just reacted to everything in the same way Ash did. You can chalk that up to Atsuhiro Tomioka still being the head writer. And as badass as the TRio was in BW, they mostly had to suppress their personalities while on the job in order to get things done, and this rubbed many viewers the wrong way. SuMo, thanks to head writer Aya Matsui, actually writes all of these characters better, with Ash being enjoyable and endearing in the first time since forever, Pikachu actually having personality beyond Ash and even able to do things without him, and the TRio managing to be badass while still displaying their personalities...and it’s their actual personalities from back in the OS days, not the flanderization from AG and DP or...whatever the Hell they were in XY.

The personal arc of the heroine(s) - Iris has one of the better personal arcs of any Pokeani heroine, but it was still notably flawed: in the middle of the show’s second year it suddenly stopped for a lengthy period of time while Ash and Cilan hogged the spotlight, then the writers had to pick it up again in a totally different and bumpier way than intended thanks to B2/W2, and then it got rushed to its conclusion at the start of the third year, with no follow-ups until an episode in the Decolore filler arc and a connected side-story special that aired five months later than it was originally intended to. There are no such issues with Lillie, Lana and Mallow’s arcs, which progress in a natural way, with Lillie’s standing as the best in the whole Pokeani.

The Myth Arc - Wow, was BW’s Myth Arc screwed over! Iris’ connection to it was severed, Zekrom never showed up again after the first episode, N and Team Plasma didn’t appear until the third year and their storyline was drastically altered from what was originally intended, there was a 45 episode gap between events transpiring within it, and just like DP’s it ended in an anti-climactic way and well before the actual show was ready to end...it was just a mess. SuMo, otoh, has its Myth Arc centered around the secrets of Alola unfold from start to finish without a hitch, and unlike XY it actually fully transpires within the confines of the show.

The League Tournament - The Unova League sucked, there’s no way around it. Aside from Ash vs. Stephan, it was a travesty in everything from characters to story to battles. But the Alola League is the exact opposite, being the best League arc the Pokeani has ever had.

The show's structure in general - BW’s structure is solid for the most part, but there are some problems: half of the second year’s story stages (Nimbasa City Tour, The Road to Mistralton, and End of the Badge Quest) are notably shakier in content than the other stages from the first year and other half of the second year. And then there’s the goddamn third year, which not only has the aforementioned Unova League but also is paced like a checklist for the rest of the Unova Saga, speeding through the climax of Iris’ personal arc, the Unova League, and the N / Team Plasma arc that wraps up the show’s Myth Arc, and then wasting the last 5 months on the wildly uneven, passionless Decolore filler arc which was clearly mandated so that early Gen VI promotion could happen that would be certain to air in the US during those games’ worldwide release. SuMo’s structure is almost flawless in comparison.

The “Shudo style” - While both BW and SuMo aimed to follow the style of the OS’ original head writer Takeshi Shudo, the writing team of BW under Atsuhiro Tomioka weren’t quite as properly equipped to do so in spite of director Norihiko Sutou’s best efforts, often coming off as trying too hard. When they nailed it, they really nailed it, but otherwise you could tell it was an imitation. With the writing team of SuMo under Aya Matsui, it feels so much more natural and true. It’s ironic, since all of BW’s writers actually worked alongside Shudo when he was around, but Matsui and her team are somehow more instinctively inclined to Shudo’s style.

WHAT BEST WISHES DOES BETTER THAN SUN & MOON:

The villains - SuMo has a villain problem. Team Skull doesn’t show up nearly as much as they should and Guzma only appears in the third year to be the villain of the Alola League arc, Giovanni and the elite Team Rocket squad of Matori Matrix are great but also very seldom appear, Lusamine isn’t a villain at all, Faba does a good job as the villain of the Nebby arc but he becomes a full-on good guy afterward, a rich asshole named Viren becomes less threatening and more comedic the more he shows up, the Ultra Beasts are just rampaging monsters, even the TRio and their Pokemon sit out of doing evil deeds regularly. BW, when in Unova at least, handles its villains a lot better: the TRio as the regular villains are actually competent and threatening and true representatives of the Team Rocket organization, Giovanni has a constantly looming off-screen presence even when he isn’t showing up in person and Dr. Zager is great at filling his commanding role in his absence, and Team Plasma appears with their own story arc after the overarching Team Rocket arc finally concludes at the end of the second year and, Ghetsis aside, are portrayed very well.

The rivals - The only rival characters in SuMo are the games’ rivals, Hau and Gladion. Hau only appears in one episode before the League, where he loses to Ash in a hilariously cruel way that underscores just what an afterthought he was to the writers, and while Gladion is a great rival for Ash, his personal arc has nothing to do with him whatsoever, it’s all about him and his family. While BW’s cast of rivals weren’t always handled properly, they at least provided a lot of variety: with Ash’s rivals being Trip, Bianca, Stephan, Cameron, and a League-exclusive rival Virgil, Iris’ rival being Georgia, Cilan’s rival being Cabernet, and even Ash’s rival Stephan getting his own tournament rival in Montgomery. It especially seems odd that SuMo has such a larger central cast than usual, and yet only Ash gets any rivals. Wouldn’t it be awesome if Lillie, Kiawe, Lana, Mallow, and/or Sophocles had rivals? Yeah, large casts of rivals didn’t work too well under Tomioka, but Matsui could’ve made it work!

The scenery - The price for such great worldbuilding in a limited number of locations is that the scenery is going to stagnate. You’ll be seeing the same environments episode after episode after episode, and it can get tiring. The benefit to a series where the characters are always traveling is a variety of scenery, as almost every episode has a new location in it.

The dramatic weight - I don’t know what it is, maybe the art style, maybe the constant injections of humor, or maybe just the situations themselves, but the occasional high-stakes events in SuMo just don’t have the same gravitas that the high-stakes events in BW have. With BW, I always felt something serious was at stake whenever a big crisis hit, whether that be Castelia City, Milos Island, all of the heroes’ Pokemon, individual lives, the entire Unova region or, in one case, the entire world. I’ve never felt that with SuMo, all of the big events involving Ultra Beasts and Legendary Pokemon feel smaller in scope and more contained.

The English dub - The English dub of BW gets weaker as it goes on, but on the whole it is serviceable, with a lot of good performances. The English dub of SuMo, otoh, is a disaster. There are very few redeeming qualities to be found. Just stick to subtitles for this one.

#Pokemon #Best Wishes #Pokemon Sun & Moon #Analysis #Comparison

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levelrazearts · 5 years

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Sun and Moon

So, just watched the last episode of the SM series, specifically the subbed cause I was waiting for it to come out so I could write this, making this the 6th fully completed series that I've watched of the pokeani, with XY, OS, Orange Islands, DP, and BW, which is the order that I watched them in cause I am chaos incarnate, but I've got to say, I thoroughly enjoyed every single episode that this series produced, which is a first given how I felt about the previous series, and I'm really glad that I experienced this as it was still continuing and not after the fact. From seeing Alola for the first time to seeing Brock and Misty show up to the Ultra Guardians to the Alolan League, I'm very glad that this series went the way that it went and chose to do things differently than other series did, and that's in part due to how the games had gone so yay. Guess I'll go over some of the highlights now.

Spoilers Below, thoust have been warned.

The characters, my god, the characters really helped this show become an emotional rollercoaster both in joy and sadness.

Ash and Pikachu: The boy and his best friend are back and for the first time is in a mainly non-changing setting, taking a break from traveling while also exploring the Alolan region and all that it all has to offer. His training and experience is still there which was nice to see after XY, and his battling effeciency has definitely improved, with only a couple of loses here and there. Here it's almost as if they're both home, which is what Alola is all about, home and family, which allows them to both grow in ways we haven't seen them grow before. And let me say as someone who is a real big fan of electro ball, electro web is the perfect replacement for it, acting as a defensive move really helped provide some interesting combos in and out of battle, which really helped in the end. And let's not forget, seeing these two finally achieve their dream of winning a League after 22 years, it's a real heart warming moment, especially for those who have grown with this series since day 1 like me (more or less lol). This was a relaxing and reinvigorating journey for them, one they desperately needed and one that they deserved, along with all their accomplishments throughout.

Kukui and Burnet: Sure when Kukui was first introduced, I was a bit iffy on seeing him host Ash and Pikachu as it felt just a little bit weird, but seeing him grow into a father figure for Ash was something that I didn't know I needed, and with the introduction and later marriage of Burnet, it was also a great family relationship between everyone that we hadn't really gotten to see Ash experience due to his absent father and considerable amount of time away from his mother, and to see that just about every other character in the series acknowledge that Ash was a lot like Kukui was really heartwarming, even from people such as Guzma and Nanu. I hope we get to see more of these two and their family to-be in the new series.

Ash's Pokemon: I'm putting this all as one cause really, they were all great and this is the best way to say it, they were his closest 'Mons to date, with Ash putting as much love and care into their training as possible, and the results were a strong and reliable team that were also family. With Rowlet, it was a bond of listening and acceptance, wanting to stay as a basic evolution so he could stay in Ash's bag and sleep, Rockruff having a found a forever home and someone who helped to push him further with his limits and later his troubles in battling, Kitten finding trust again as well as someone with love forever, and being able to evolve due to that love and determination, Piople in a promise to return home, gaining a second home and family, and Meltan finding his place in the world, a best friend in Rolwet, and evolving to Melmetal, pushing as hard as he can for those he love. It really was/is everyone at their best and true-est. You also have the family pets with this setup in a bird, dog, and cat with a beautiful purple birb and metal protector. Seeing them stay in Alola, as much as it hurts, I think is the right choice for Ash to have made, for they're as much of a family to the professors as Ash was, and will continue to be, and I love that.

Kiawe: THIS FIRE BOY IS MY FAVORITE. I can not express how much this character has grown on me, especially within just the first season. At first, I thought he was going to be the serious-stick to the rules kinda guy, and I'm not a big fan of those, but then he started to lighten up, episode by episode, and then came the Dugtrio episode, and from there on out, he was my favorite. He's just written really well, super funny especially with his expressions, and overall a lot like Ash, but more focused on responsibilities. Not to mention, he's loyal to everyone, as seen in the Tapu Fini arc, which is one of my favorite episodes/arcs. All of his Pokemon were great too, Turtanator especially, as much as I love both his Marowak and Charizard, I feel that Turtanator was his best, in both personality and relationship wise, not to mention he was just to cute. Seeing him working on becoming an Island Kahuna is really befitting of his character as he greatly respects traditions and is the perfect role model for any youngin looking to be a challenger or trainer.

Lillie and family: So much growth, and so much more to go I feel, Lillie was a real great character to add in and I'm so glad that they went in a different direction than what the game had held and her overall arch from being someone who was afraid to touch a Pokemon, to now wanting to set off to find her father, truely a beautiful story, and her mother and brother also were great characters in their own right, as both supportive and riverly and both fueling her desire to become better than before, it's great to see the theme of family carry over into what is the supporting cast, making them feel more important than ever and I love it. Her relationship with her Vulpix (Snowy) was really touching and watching them both grow was more so. And seeing her be able to reunite with Magearna and by extension, her father through memory was so heartbreaking, I really hope we get to see the conclusion to their trip. As for Lusamine, I'm again, really glad they went a different route with her, making her a caring yet grieving mother instead of a careless one, and she was a definite highlight whenever on screen. And Gladion was just as much so, seeing him loosen up throughout the series was a blessing and reuniting with his father's Zoroark was just as heartbreaking, but seeing him in the semi-finals of the league, bursting with laughter with Ash at the amount of fun they were having, was really sweet and so in character with who he had become. Again, I really hope we get to see the conclusion to their trip to find Mohn.

Lana: She's the Meme Queen and my second favorite of the cast. Her constant joking contradicts her almost serious tone and allows her to be one of the most humorous of the cast, and I love it. While she didn't have to many arcs throughout the series, she was a strong Battler and fought for what was right no matter the risk, and I like that. Her dedication to making sure everyone was okay and safe while at the same time having fun was a neat touch. Her Poplio was also pretty fun, and seeing it evolve into a Brionne and later Primarima was a great growth to someone who was seen on the lower side of the spectrum in regards to power, and now it holds the spot of one the more powerful Pokemon within the group. And the addition of her Eevee (Sandy) is just heartwarming, and that haircut is to freaking adorable. Time will hopefully tell if it'll evolve or not, and I hope we do see that come to fruition, along with the search for Manaphy. Overall a joy of a character.

Mallow: An aspiring chef while not that much of a goal, was definitely a new direction to go in regards to a menu for both people and Pokemon, but I feel her growth came most in the form of both her Bounsweet and Tapu Fini arc, in how her Bounsweet evolved to help their friends, which is derived from her wanting to help others as much as possible, which I find to be perfect. And the Tapu Fini arc, well I guess it's more of an episode, really explores the trauma that she faced when she lost her mother and her regrets of having said things that shouldn't be said, and later gratitude for her mother leading to a Shamin appearing before her was really one of the most heartbreaking parts of this whole series, and even in writing this I was beginning to tear up. And while Shamin has now left, I do think it's message has remained in that one should be grateful for all that is now in the moment instead of grieving on the past forever, to make amends were possible, and to look to better the future, hence the Human/Pokemon menu/resutsrant she's hoping to bring to life. A great amount of growth in such a short time, this is a goal again I hope we get to see sometime in the future, as she's the only one to stay in Alola (unless Kiawe is as well which not to sure on that).

Sophocles: Easily the most panicked of the group, it was great to see him find his footing whenever he could and stand his ground, and improve his battling skills, which was really a testament to just how smart he his. Little by little, he has grown into a stronger and braver person and I love that. His Togedemaru was also the funniest Pokemon throughout the whole series next to Turtanator I think, and seeing him grow with his Chargabug and later Vikavolt was really something special. Becoming an Astronaut is also something that his growth has led him to be able to do, as the journey to space requires a lot of training to become stronger to overcome the effects of zero-g and as well as bravery to venture out that far, and just like with everyone else, fits him perfectly. And as much anxiety as he has, he's always been able to overcome it, be it with the help of his Pokemon or his friends, it's really admirable. What's more to say about him? He's going to achieve great things just like Clermont before him I believe.

Team Rocket Gang: I think this is the most that I've liked them in a long time, mainly due to them not causing as much trouble as before, and that's thanks to Bewear, who was able to change them into less-troublesome people and I hope we see that carry over into the new series, and eventually see them leave TR for good to start their own lives for better and worse. Mimikyu and Mareanie were also great highlights in both their personalities and abilities, and seeing them be left behind with Bewear and Stuffle feels right even though it hurts just as much. I will certainly miss bear mom.

Rotom-Dex: A character I initially didn't like, turned out to have grown on me, and I'm glad he was there, as he was like a brother to Ash in a sense, and was a bit of comic relief at times, a I enjoy him a lot more than his debut which is good. I'm sad to see him go as I was hoping that was him in the SwiSh promo images, but who knows, maybe it is. I would certainly hope to see him again in the future. As for now, him mapping out a new land is a good fit for him, and he deserves his job.

Honorable mentions

Hau: His voice is perfect. His desire to become better is pure, and while untrained, he's got a lot of potential for sure. I really hope we get to see him again

Guzma: A perfect antagonist, who only appeared in like what, 10 episodes? but I wish we had more of him to be able to grow with, cause there's potential there for it. Here's hoping that we get a more informative conclusion to him in the future.

The stories: From being in a school, to saving a second reality, this has got to be one of the best written series for Pokemon. Starting off in a primary location and slowly visiting each and every other island was a new approach and I'm glad that it was done as such, cause again it greatly highlights the familial aspects of it all, and how much Alola means to the people and Pokemon that inhabit it. If I had to choose my favorite arc, it would probably be the Tapu Fini arc (Poni Island arc, as I'm now remembering what it's actually called) as it greatly highlights all of the characters and allows them to grow in their own, as well as mess with our emotions and I'm all about being forced to cry. That, and the Alolan League Arc, it's just so rewarding to see Kukui's dream come true, and as a result to see one of Ash and Pikachu's biggest dreams come true, not to mention that Pikachu vs Tapu Koko battle is so beautifully animated. Seeing this class become closer and closer was truely something that Pokemon hadn't tried as hard to do before, and I'm really glad they were able to do it here. And again, by changing the format of traveling to staying mainly stationary, you get a sense of home with Kukui's house as resting place, the Pokemon School as a daily experience, the city as a whole as a part of something close. Again, it's something Pokemon was missing and again, I'm glad they were able to do it right by this. If there were any negatives that I had, I guess it would have to be A. The promotional material for when this was first starting up didn't do it justice, as it put me off from watching this, and I hate that, cause this is all great. B. Would have to be that we weren't able to see any of Ash's previous companions return like Brock and Misty or even experience their reactions to Ash finally becoming a Regional Champion, but hopefully we'll be able to see that with this new series.

The animation: OH MY GOD IT'S THE BEST. This is some of the best that the series has ever produced and I'll be hard pressed to say I don't think it can ever be topped. Especially with the final league battle, Pikachu vs Tapu Koko, seriously one of the best fights ever. There are also so many hilarious facial features that this art style was able to pull off and I thank the people responsible for that because I still get a lot of good laughs from them, I really don't think any of it could have been pulled off with the BW/XY art style, as much as I love that one, I feel that this is truely superior.

Z-moves: I was wondering how this would be handled as in the games, the z-crystal acts as a held item for the Pokemon, and it seems to not be the case here, as shown with Rowlet and his Everstone, which I like, along with that as epic as the move name appearing on screen whenever the z-moves is performed, I do like it not being there in the dub. Also seeing that only one z-moves can be performed unless with assistance from the Tapu's was a nice touch too. As far as favorite z-moves goes, it has to be either Gaurdian of Alola, or 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt, my gosh those two are so beautiful looking and good and just seeing them clash was aaaaaaah, the best thing ever. I hope they can treat Dynamaxing right just as they did Z-moves.

Overall: This is my favorite Poke series to date, topping out the previous holder of XY, with how much love and attention was put into it, the overall result is one that anyone can jump into and instantly fall in love with. I highly recommend this series to any and everyone, it's just that good. I also recommend listening to the Japanese songs cause they kick ass so much omg. Like, Type: Wild, is my jam right now omg. A perfect 100 across the board. Really sad it came to an end, but grateful that it happened. Here's to SwiSh, hope you can be just as good.

#Pokemon #alola #gen 7 pokemon #review #long post sorry

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nureyevsbf · 5 years

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first ten for carlisle :3c

i literally almost cried MULTIPLE times while writing this let’s GO

tw for mild internalized homophobia in question 7

sorry if you’re just some rando looking for twilight content who comes across this bc of all the fuckin keywords in it

otp question meme

1. Who is the most affectionate?

does it even count if i say both??? like i have lovey dovey bitch disease and im extremely affectionate but like. carlisle. carlisle who was lonely and heartbroken and crushed by self-loathing for years. carlisle who was touch starved for decades and would probably cry if he was physically capable the first time i touched him lovingly. carlisle who thought he was a monster and damned to hell who finally has someone - someone who's hunted monsters like him before and yet sees this beauty in him and loves him with their whole heart - that looks at him like he put the stars in the sky himself and who loves every part of him and insists he's more human than any of them. that carlisle?????? look me in the fuckin eyes and tell me he wouldn't b the softest most affectionate full-of-love motherfucker on the planet.

2. Big spoon/Little spoon?

im the big spoon just bc i Always am and Am Never the little spoon, but a lot of time i'll sleep on his chest while he sits up doing whatever (since, like, doesnt need to sleep and shit)

3. Most common argument?

hmm. i don't think we would argue very much?? we probably don't argue at all until the other cullens start coming along, and it's more... how to correctly handle them. like specifically in new moon i would Definitely be against packing up and moving out just bc edward's being weird and fucking emo and that would definitely turn into...one of the few heated arguments we ever have.

4. Favorite non-sexual activity?

carlisle really likes cooking, even though he can't eat any of it himself, so he enjoys helping me in the kitchen when i make food. he also likes being with me when i sleep - be it curling up with me and resting his eyes or reading while i sleep on his chest or whatever.

5. Who is most likely to carry the other?

i think i've answered this before and said it would probably b an even split but. yeah normally it'd b me due to who i am as a person so u would Think. but like. he MORE than has the strength for it and definitely loves to just. sweep me off my feet, literally, when the moment calls for it tbh

also, given vampires r like. Basically stone. i think it's very difficult for me to lift him in my human form.

6. What is their favorite feature of their partner’s?

ive definitely answered this one before but. for me, my favorite physical feature is his voice and his eyes. like of course All of him is breathtaking but those two things specifically get my ass. but my favorite non-physical feature - and yes i know i wind up saying this of a Lot of my f/os, im pretty sure this is just my type - is his heart. like....he's such an inherently good person and his desire to do good runs so deep that that's the thing that was amplified when he was turned - he literally is the only cullen who has never taken a human life bc his gift is literally to be able to resist THE most quintessential part of being a vampire. and i RLLY fuckign love that abt him.

he i think also likes my eyes??? there's nothing special abt them like his my eyes are just rlly pretty like irl hjdfghdfjg. he also really just...loves the fact that i'm flesh and blood. like he relishes in my warmth and my heartbeat and the fact that i'm living and it's just made better by the fact that i'm not mortal. like he can still have a partner who's all these things and whose life he can cherish w/o having to deal with me eventually falling victim to this mortal coil that doesn't affect him (and i mean - both of us are not invulnerable but at least it's like. time that's never going to do us part.)

but then as far as non-physical features go, he likes.....ok this is very broad and i do have to explain all the shit that falls under this umbrella. but he likes my sense of good. i'm a deeply, deeply loyal person, and have this very strong sense of morals and a code of honor, and i'm naturally very selfless and giving, and these r all things that made him fall in love w me in the first place.

7. What’s the first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings for the other?

oh this is so so emo and im so sorry for how sad this is abt to get. this is one of the parts that almost made me cry and not bc of how soft it is.

for me it's not too bad i just am very obvious abt how attached to him i am and wanna spend more time w him and really like latch onto him once i realize ive caught feelings. like that's just how i am in general.

but w carlisle. it's so hard for him to deal with. like it's just massive fucking turmoil for him. this affection and adoration he feels and is dying to express but this horrible guilt and his self-hatred getting amplified - like, again, he hates himself and what he is and he thinks he's this awful monster even if he's never hurt a human being and is actively trying to help people by studying medicine, and then there's me who he sees the world in and who he knows has distaste for his kind (bc again has actively hunted his kind) and he's just hit with all this shit like. he's not good enough for me, what if i find out abt the way he feels abt me and i'm disgusted by him, what if i leave and don't want to travel with him anymore. could he take that kind of heartbreak, could he take being alone again, could he take being left because of what a wretched thing he is? (there's also probably. religious panic :\\ im sure like coming to terms w being bi/mlm is NOT easy for him, son of a preacher, and im sure that's a part of it.)

he reacts to this whole fucking chaos of emotions in him by withdrawing a lot, i think? getting quieter and distancing himself from me - he's not even really meaning to, he wants to be near me but it hurts so much he just does it on instinct. which turns around and hurts him more, and hurts me in the process, so really this initial weird period of painful ass angsty pining just hurts us both, like, way more than necessary

8. Nicknames? & if so, how did they originate?

i have Not ultimately though up anything since i was last asked this :pensive: so i think i have to just come to terms w the fact that i don't think we would give each other nicknames. not even shortened versions of our names (outside of me w eli but i literally just go by that normally.) pet names, yes, absolutely; it'd be my standard ones - dear, baby, doll, honey, sometimes love/my love, and if i Really wanna be over-the-top half-facetiously sappy and gross sometimes i'll say "my darling dearest." w him it's darling, dear, love/my love, and his gross over-the-top cheesy bullshit is 100% genuine and absolutely NOT facetious even a LITTLE bit and it DOES fluster the shit out of me when he does super gay ass shit like call me "my heart" or "my light in the dark" or whatever other sappy ass BULLSHIT

9. Who worries the most?

this one i know i've answered before. and like, it's him.... i think he just has a lot to worry abt. im fleshy and kinda vulnerable and that scares him - i think he worries a lot too abt like. what if the nature of our relationship makes me a target. esp with the volturi, who like have it in their rules that vampires are not to associate w werewolves, and that's not what i am but would they be willing to listen to that? especially if aro reads my mind and realizes i've killed their kind before?? the family probably keeps it under wraps tbh, hides me from the volturi, but that's not really a perfect solution. it's probably not till the end of breaking dawn when the volturi agrees to honor the treaties/relationship w the pack that they feel like i'm safe.

he also just worries abt little shit too!! like i can and do get hurt in ways they don't even if it's NOT a big deal. cut myself cooking (which to clarify. my blood isn't an issue bc it smells like shit to them. i think that might have been confirmed for the pack too but. i smell like dog it's Not appealing) or twist my ankle doing some dumbass shit or whatever. and i heal much faster than humans so this shit isn't a problem!! and the rational doctor in him is like this is a very small injury it's really NOT an issue. but the husband in him is like ))))): i don't want him to be hurting

and it just kind of results in him hovering nervously and fussing over me when he RLLY doesnt need to be

10. Who remembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant?

w us it's not exactly a big deal given carlisle can't exactly eat out at restraurants lol. he does remember my favorite restaurants in every town we go to and my takeout order and regularly brings food home for me on his way back from work, though.

#answered #answered meme #ladychraelix #4 -#5 -#carlisle

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zedpercyfan · 6 years

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Sun and Moon’s Problem (An Honest Opinion)

For a while now the current state of the Pokémon anime has been something I’ve had mixed feelings about, and it’s been a far cry from its predecessors for sure in terms of characterization and progression. But what’s been really gnawing at me is the fact that for as bad as I find Sun and Moon, it’s shockingly what is making Pokémon — as far as some people see it — popular with the anime community and the general public! But for as positive as that is, considering that Pokémon is something that is meant to have a wide appeal range, I can’t help but feel that it’s also at the price of loosing what made Pokémon unique.

Allow me to explain, one of the appeals for a show like Pokémon is that it’s an escape from reality where you aren’t bogged by reality where everyday you can travel across forests, mountains, deserts, oceans, and through vast cities collecting badges, meet trainers and Pokémon, and to me that was amazing. Sure the battling aspect was amazing to have, but the adventure aspect of the anime was a wonderful factor to have, on top of the small cast of characters who could have varying reactions and solutions to deal with the issues of day-to-day travel life. But then here comes Sun and Moon and completely messes up the formula, Ash suddenly goes from adventurer to school boy in a matter of moments, which is without a doubt one of the biggest flaws to immediately surface for the show. Ash in all other instances has shown that that isn’t something he’d want to do, most other times he’s clashing with others, and generally it’s clear he isn’t the sort who’d want that kind of life. It isn’t to say it’s the worse thing ever, but right off the bat putting Ash into school just felt like the first mistake, because by taking away the adventure aspect the show now feels as bland as every other ordinary school based show, and hell, it’s only ‘special’ because — hey viewers — there’s Pokémon at this school...! ...Yeah, sure...I’m meant to be fascinated by that?

Another annoying point I’ve seen thrown about is that somehow this is making Pokémon ‘better’, now obviously I’m aware that this is subjective to the individual who is more than welcome to their own opinion on the matter. But what’s infuriating is when these people play these changes off as ‘better in the long run for the whole series’ just solely because it’s less about battling and more about the more slice of life side of the show...but...I really question if that’s beneficial. Pokémon lately suffers from the most mundane filer episodes ever, people say that the filler is ‘part of the story’ but I fail to see that, characters never really seem to get anything out of their experiences, the reviewers make this sound like the story is continuous but I fail to see that, there aren’t the connections established to make it look like anything was gained at all. There’s no progression, and hell, barely any of supporting cast have interesting Pokémon, let alone gags, after Marowak and Poipole none of the characters have really had a notable encounter afterwards, the likes of Mallow, Lillie, Sophocles, Lana, and Kiawe feel trapped in this void of nothingness. Sure Lillie has the most development but I feel she never really goes anywhere with that, and it’s even harder to see her growth when she has nothing to compare it against, she’s not talking over Ash’s battles, she isn’t catching Pokémon, she’s just so underwhelming. Heck, the other characters supposedly according to one reviewer ‘gain more growth in one episode than the original cast did in the entire series’...what? I’m sorry but is that really the case with Sun and Moon?

The characters aren’t a group in my view, they feel more like individuals that are crowded without any real reason to get into each other’s businesses, and they never really have any meaningful conversations with one another, there’s never a change in them or their dynamic. They don’t fight and make up, they don’t go from acting one way to another via any particular event, there’s no change in them. People say the OS group had trouble but at least they experienced change, Ash and Misty went from hating each other to inseparable, Brock went from not confident to stand up for himself to being able to take the lead in his life. With Sun and Moon...you really don’t get that feeling, Lillie’s barely shown improvement aside from touching Snowy and the others, and it’s not like Sophocles is helping others out with their issues of telling the truth...heck, Mallow feels like she’s experienced nothing at all so far.

Another issue is the handling of the Pokémon...it just doesn’t feel right, at all. Isn’t the whole crux of having Pokémon is to have partners who can grow to be strong and have their own quirks? Hell, remember when Togedemaru seemingly had a thing for Pikachu? I miss that now that I remember it was a thing, sure at first I hated it (btw, as of the dubbed Marowak vs. Electivire episode, that has returned) because it kept popping up and ruining the stories flow, but heck, even that every few episodes wouldn’t be bad because these days it’s as if Ash’s Pokémon don’t have any developed relationships among themselves or with any of the others. It never feels like there’s anything going on, they feel generic, they don’t have enough interactions with each other because we seem too focused on Ash and co. instead of equal Pokémon and human moments in the past.

Another thing about the Pokémon anime is the inconsistent idea that Ash is trying to be the best, I’m sorry but Gladion is hard to process as a rival, aside from being strong, there’s not a lot that seems to be driving Ash to call Gladion his rival. Gladion isn’t Gary who Ash just hates because of personal reasons, Gladion isn’t Paul who Ash is trying to prove a point to, and Gladion isn’t even Sawyer, who for as much as I hate, was at least someone tat Ash was showing off too, heck Misty wanted Ash to get stronger...but here in Alola it feels like he’s just goofing around with no one trying to make him improve. In other series Ash was always seen battling his friends and rivals to get better, his Pokémon sparred against each other whilst others watched and cheered, but here there’s something extremely static about it, Ash never battles long enough, nor shows off any skills, instead it’s just an exchange of moves without anything behind it. Maybe I’m speaking into the void, but the lack of this consistent training on screen, learning new moves, maneuvers etcetera makes every battle Ash has seem...not as cool as it used to be, it’s like he only trains when it’s important to the plot according to a case by case importance in each episode, as opposed to the long run. Not only that but it’s like he’s not striving for victory...though maybe that’s just me. Look, I’m not asking for the return of something akin to this apparent ‘Shojo Battling’ theme like in XY, but the least they could do is give us back the relevance of what it means to train strong Pokémon like say in OS-DP. Make the training look good, and show some progress, not simplistic class battling.

I just can’t bring myself to say this series is good. With the changes they’ve made, it feels like Pokémon have alienated their older viewers who liked them back when they were more focused. You see one thing about content making is that, yes sure, try to appeal to a wide range, get the most viewers in, but see that’s the problem, when you try to get out to a larger whole you’ll always miss a few people, whereas if you actually try and focus on a specific cohort, you will see the most success because you are capitalizing on what that group wants, as opposed to try and reach out to everyone. Now I should note that I am by no means a media expert, I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’m a veteran critic or that my words should have significant weight. That isn’t me, I’m not like other people online who act like they’re experts, this is just my a collection of my opinions as a long time fan of Pokémon speaking out to those who are like me. I don’t wish to invalidate anyone over their views on SM, but to me I feel alienated, the show isn’t as good as it could be, there’s an inferior dub, and the dynamics and direction of the show just doesn’t strike me as special.

I’m not asking for hyper focus, but I’m asking for a more quality writing and characterization, something that actually has a cause and effect on what is happening let alone for it to be actually entertaining. I’m not asking for it to reach the point where every episode is a must watch, but I ask for at least dynamic consistency, and a bit more entertainment value and character growth, puh-LEASE!

David, aka zedpercyfan’s ramble over. By the way, I wrote this quite a while ago, and only now am up to publishing it.

#pokemon #pokeani #commentary #opinion #pokemon sun and moon #sun and moon

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thoughtslikeocean · 3 years

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New Orleans

June 23

-This was Rhyann’s last day with me. His flight left Phoenix at 1 PM. We spent the morning together and then I brought him to the airport. I came back home, packed, cleaned up a bit and then head out to catch my flight. Traveling was long. My flight was delayed and also I had a lay over in Las Vegas. Which feel very senseless when you’re traveling to New Orleans. Anyway, I arrive in New Orleans around midnight. Britt picks me up from the airport. Traveling is smooth because I decided I didn’t need to check a bag. I packed two and a half outfits and went on about my way.

June 24

-Britt woke up this morning to go to brunch with her friends. She invited me but I was way to exhausted to go so she let me sleep in for a little while longer. Our plan was to hangout and then meet Jarvis later which is pretty much what happened. Brittany had to bring her friend’s dog to the boarding place which was an entire event honestly. Anyway , we picked up some crawfish and po boys and then head to Jarvis new apartment. It’s super cute and in a great location. He’s spending hella money for it but its a cute little bachelor pad though. It’s nice for the season he’s in. Later on Jarvis’s friend Chad comes to join us. I’ve heard about Chad numerous and times and has talked to him over the phone but this is my first time meeting him. This dude is 45 and looks 25. Legit get like Pharell. It was astonishing to see. We all drank wine and chat for a bit before deciding to head to the roof top. There is when I noticed there was a full moon. I immediately sat down and started to pray and manifest that I have a weekend filled with divine meetings and appointments. I didn’t necessarily have a frame work of what thats supposed to look like but I knew I wanted everything to be intentional this weekend. After that, we all attempted to find a spot to eat but that fell through so Britt Jarvis and I ended up picking up insomnia and then Britt and I headed back to her place.

June 25

-For this morning the plan was to meet Jarvis, Chad and Shay for brunch. We got a bit of a late start but we ended up making it happen. We ate a spot in the French quarter called Stanley’s. Their food was pretty good and it was a cute atmosphere. Shay and the kids dipped once they were done eating and Britt needed to make it back home os she could hang out with her friends later. Me, Chad and Jarvis were left so we went somewhere else to grab a drink This is when Chad and I start hitting it off and I realize this is someone who is going to be very helpful in making sure than I am successful if I decide to set up a practice in New Orleans. It literally felt like a divine appointment. It was solicited when he asked me if I knew Dr. Turshá! I was like uhhhh yeaaaaa duhhhh!!! Apparently they went to high school together! All in all, it was an unspoken agreement that we were meant to meet at exactly this moment in time for a reason. Chad had to leave for work so I asked Jarvis to bring me by my grandparents house so I can spend a little time with them. Jarvis had a therapy appointment so I he did that while I was on Belfast and came back when it was over. Grandpa really just wanted to talk about Lazarus and all the BS but I wasn’t about to do that. I had a little liquor courage of course and I was able to just speak candidly on how I felt about the situation. I wasn’t disrespectful at all but I was really tired of him stressing over this Lazarus situation when this boy is gone be just fine. He just wants other people to stress out with him. Anyway so we leave there and head over to this place called “The Wrong Iron” to meet Greg and his friends. We get there and its such a cute backyard ducked off spot. Nice drinks and cool people. I met Kevin, Gabriel and Justin. All seemingly good people. I order a drink called Strawberry Frozé not realizing that it’s made with Rosé. I Got halfway though the glass and my stomach was hurting so bad. So we all made the move to get wings from a place that I cant figure out the name. But the wings were really good. While we were in there waiting for our food, I caught a timely video of Greg falling through a door but picking himself back up mid air. It was classic. Literally just happened to be recording at exactly the right time. We left there and Jarvis drops me off at Greg’s place. Me, Greg and Justin chill for a minute, take shots, listen to music, smoke a bit before heading back out. Arial worked today but said she would come to NO so we can hang out. So by this time she’s here and I figured I would run into her at some point. Of course once we parked and walked not even two blocks, we happen to be right around the corner from where she was already sitting down having drinks. She came with her girlfriend Payton and friend John (JT). We ate another cute outdoor place called The Yard. Took a few shots, danced and ate fried pickles. We then walk over to a place called Dragon’s Den. It was cool but it was still early in the night os still a bit slow. We left after about 10 minutes and drive to this place that we saw on the way there. It was also outside but a little more (lot more) hood. It looked like it was jumping though. So we get out and somehow just walk in without standing in the line. This tends to happen very often when I’m out with Arial lol So we waltz on in. Music is BLASTING. They playing good stuff though. We head to the bar to grab shots. Arial decides she’s gonna find some weed. Greg goes “no way you’ll be able to do that in here”. Of course she comes back within 10 minutes with weed lol Again, not surprised…it’s Arial. They smoke a bit and I dance a lot. Having a great time! We leave there after maybe an hour and decide to drive back to Dragon’s Den. A parking spot opened up for us in the strangest way. Which you know tryna park in the streets of New Orleans can be real difficult. But we didnt have any problems tonight. Everything worked out just fine. Side Note: We were freestyling in the car which is something I only ever do when im at camp with kids. I forgot how much joy

that brings hahah

So anyway we make out way back into Dragon’s Den, which is popping at this point. Good music, got some drinks in our system. Its all well. I even see Terri and a couple other people form XU in there. Arial and Payton end up dipping out at some point during that time. Eventually Greg, JT, Justin and I dip as well. We bring JT to his car and then the three off us decide we’re hungry again! We hit a place that has good fish, shrimp and grits. We were the only ones in there. It was freakin delicious. Two funny moments happened in there. 1. We were so thirsty so we asked if we could all get water. We’d been drinking all night so thats definitely what we needed. I guess the man was trying to be nice ad gave us all free sprites. You want to be grateful but at the same time we def dont need sprites. We laughed about that for like 30 minutes. Cause of course we never went back and asked for the water. 2. Three young white boys walk in. By young, I mean no more then 14 years old trying so hard to act cool. Young dude walk up to our table to tell her, unprovoked, that hes been smoking since he was 12 and some other BS that none us cared about. All three of those kids were weird. Also it was like 4 AM so who’s idea it was to take mom’s car and head out in the middle of the night I have no clue.

At any rate, we leave there and head home. It was 5 am by the time I showered and laid down. WHAT A NIGHT!

June 26

-At some point throughout the night we’d decided to do brunch this morning. I knew Justin wasn’t going to be able to make it because he said he had a funeral to attend. We woke up, sat on the porch and smoked a bit before getting dressed. It was a beautiful morning. We got dressed to a little praise through the speakers and decided on Ruby Slipper. Arial made it there first and called to let us know that the wait was 3 hours so of course thats a no. She then tells us to head to a place called Bear Cat. We didnt realize that there were two different Bear Cats so we ended up at two opposite ones. We decided that it wasn’t going to work. We missed the window of opportunity. So Greg and I put our names on the waiting list for the Bear cat we’re at and there’s a 90 minute wait. While we’re waiting we decide to kill time at this near by restaurant and get some drinks. Once we sit down there and look at the menu, we decided to order food. I ordered shrimp and grits and he chicken and waffles. Before we got our food, out waiter comes to tell us that its restaurant week and that our food is going to be 20 dollars. LIKE WHATTTTT?!?!? We ate, drank, vibes to the music and then stopped by my grandfather afterwards to say hello. Then we back to the house to chill for a minute. Jarvis came back cause I left my card with him and Justin cam back as well. We started nerding out on space/history/physics before heading out to get snowballs and zoom to the airport. I got a cotton candle snowball from plum st. Made it to the airport 30 minutes before the plan was to take off and still got a great seat. I sat next to two women who were on their way to Vegas for a girls trip. One of them had never flown before. She actually did pretty well. A few jumps and yelps but for the most part she did okay. The last sitting right next to me was very nice and passed on some words of wisdom on staying prayerful and focused. Alex picked me up from the airport and I came home only to be craving crab legs. I picked those up, came home and talk to bae while I ate them. He went to bed and I went soon after him.

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yamujiburo · 6 years

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Pokémon Tag

I wanted to make a tag lol

GENERAL

1. Favorite starter?

Cyndaquil

2. Favorite Pokémon?

Alolan Marowak

3. Favorite type?

Ghost or Ice probably

4. Favorite region?

I reaaaaally like Alola but I also love Johto

GAMES

1. Favorite game?

Easily SoulSilver for gameplay but Moon for the references to Hawaii.

2. Favorite in game player character? (Red, Leaf, Kris, Ethan, etc.)

I love Rosa’s design but Moon is the best.

3. Favorite in game rival?

Hau EAAAASY.

4. Favorite Professor?

Professor Juniper

5. Favorite Gym Leader/Kahuna?

Clair or Skyla for gym leaders and OLIVIA for kahuna

6. Favorite Elite 4?

OLIVIA AGAIN. But other than her, Lorelei~

7. Favorite Champion?

Cynthia babyyyy

8. Favorite evil organization? (Rocket, Magma, Aqua, Galactic, etc.)

ROKETTO DAN

9. Favorite in game song?

Cynthia’s theme

10. What was your first Pokémon game?

Pokémon Diamond/Pokémon Pearl. My brother and I shared Diamond but Pearl was the first game I could call my own.

ANIME

1. Favorite Pokémon anime season?

Season 20/Pokémon Sun & Moon. Season 21′s killin’ right now too.

2. Favorite travel companion?

Misty or Mallow!

3. Favorite character?

JESSIEJESSIEJESSIEJESSIEJESSIE

4. Favorite movie?

Probably Pokémon 2000 or Pokémon Heroes~

5. Favorite of “the twerps’ Pokémon”?

Probably Ash’s Noibat/Noivern just because they’re one of my favorite Pokémon

6. Favorite of Team Rocket’s Pokémon?

Jessie’s Arbok

7. During what season did you start watching?

Kinda OS/AG

8. Top 5 episodes:

In no particular order

“A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!”

“Ignorance is Blissey”

“Mimikyu Unmasked!”

“Training Daze”

“Pulling Out the Pokémon Base Pepper!”

9. Favorite OP?

Can’t decide between these twoooo

やじるしになって！2013

ゲッタバンバン

10. Favorite ED?

I have a lot but right now it’s definitely ジャリボーイ・ジャリガール

Here’s some others~

君の胸にＬａＬａＬａ

手をつなごう

ガオガオ・オールスター

OTHER

1. Do you prefer the Pokémon games, anime, TCG or manga?

Anime big time

2. Would you live the Pokémon world?

Yeeeees?

3. Contests or battles?

Contests tbh

4. What Pokémon berry looks the tastiest to you?

Liechi berry!

5. Tag people!

I tag the entire Team Rocket fandom LOL

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zaineashe · 6 years

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so i just played my first session of The Sprawl, which is an Dungeon World style tabletop rpg set in a typical cyberpunk dystopia.

One of the first things our DM did to make things interesting was have us each create our own mega-corporation. These corps were completely divorced from our characters, and we mainly used them as a vehicle for worldbuilding.

Everyone came up with such interesting ideas that it gave me a valid excuse to start fucking around w/ graphic design again. There are descriptions of each corp under the cut

-- Damocles Orbital Trade & Security (by Zaine) :

A shipping, freighting and security company that has it’s roots in Old Earth. Run by the incredibly deadly and borderline psychotic CEO Stephanie Zhang, Damocles Orbital maintains a monopoly on intergalactic security by secretly funding intergalactic warfare. Damocles Orbital keeps their thumbs in a large number of shell companies, R&D divisions and journalism outlets. Ensuring that there is always enough threat, and that everybody always knows about it.

-- V (by Nic) :

Operated by actual Cyber-Vampires. V is a secretive shadow organisation that manipulates social movements to suit their needs. If a government is overturned by it’s people, there is no doubt that V had a stake in their success. Agents of V will infiltrate revolutionary groups, assassinate & replace their leaders, and distribute mind numbing psycho-actives to the revolutionaries, turning a once righteous movement into an army of drones. Their secret “Hail Hydra” signal is the peace sign (a fist with two fingers up).

-- Disney’s Media Sparks (by Marlee) :

Yep, one of our mega-corporations is just Disney. Run and led by Walt Disney’s pickled brain in a jar. I’m glad some Old Earth shit doesn’t change. The only difference here is that, Disney owns all the media. News networks, political coverage, entertainment, magazines. If it’s hitting your eyeballs, chances are it was paid for with Disney money. The up-and-coming pop idol Media Sparks has become the new face of the corporation. She hasn’t aged a day in 70 years! If you want to see her perform live, you can sign up for a VR cortex-chip subscription, that can take you straight to the performance wherever you are! Remember to pay that subscription fee every month, or else the microchip we’ve embedded in your brain might sever your frontal lobe and turn you into a Disney-slave xo <3.

-- The Dapper Hat’s Company (by Tegan) :

This one’s super fun. The Dapper Hats Company is a death-cult actually run by literally Cthulhu. Their base of operations is the nuclear husk of Old Earth (where i guess Cthulhu still is, like he wouldn’t be able to fit on a spaceship). The goal of The Dapper Hats Company is to travel the galaxy and give out their luxurious head wear to as many people who will take it. I’m not saying there’s an appendage of Cthulhu inside of every hat. I’m not saying that if you put one on the severed tentacle will dig it’s way into your brain and expose you to the dark Eldritch truth. What I’m saying is the hats look super snazzy try one you’ll love it.

-- Enercom (by Pat) :

So Typhon Lancaster, founder of Enercom, was an aristocratic investor who decided to take a vacation to the Cyrus moon one cycle. What he found on that moon changed his life. A new mineral he named Typh, that turns out to be one of the galaxies most efficient fuel sources. What’s the best part? Something on this moon is making the mineral regenerate. He has no idea why, but whatever the quarries dig up simply reappears overnight. This is a miracle that Enercom has kept secret so that he can hike prices and establish a monopoly on the energy industry. Any and all electronics in the Sprawl are being powered by Enercom, and if you’re still using solar? Typhon will hire out a local gang to convince you.

-- The Crown (by Iman, our DM) :

A hardware and tech company, The Crown has faded into the background as the ‘Intel(c)’ of this world. If you’re using any kind of cybernetics, running any brand of OS, or piloting any breed of Mecha, you’re probably making use of Crown technology. They sell luxury cybernetics through their mainline, but outsource their chips and other tech to any and all willing buyers. The Crown also his it’s own privatised military force of cyber-enhanced super-soldiers called The Saints. The figureheads at the top of this company like to treat themselves as if they were a royal family. They make public appearances in long velvet gowns, and adorn themselves with monarch-style jewellery. I like to imagine their advertisements look like something out of a Magnum-brand ice cream commercial

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ruleandruinrpg · 7 years

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CONGRATULATIONS, HARANA!

You have been accepted for the role of DRUVIK JADEJA with a faceclaim change to Toni Mahfud. Admin Rosey: My sweet, beloved, incredibly flawed Druvik. I am absolutely thrilled to be entrusting him into your hands -- how could I not, after reading this beautiful application? From your promises to bring him to his knees, to your para sample that captured moments of his life more accurately than I could have imagined. Those moments, for me, were one of my favorite things about him. His moments with his family, under the blessing of the stars. Those, and the little headcanons that gave me a peek into what more there was to Druvik, are what sealed the deal. Thank you so much for beautiful application and welcome to Rule&Ruin! You have 24 HOURS to send in your account. Also, remember to look at the CHECKLIST. Welcome to Ravka!

OUT OF CHARACTER

ALIAS: Harana / K

PREFERRED PRONOUNS: she/her

AGE: 22

TIMEZONE & ACTIVITY LEVEL: CST ! And I’m on summer break so i can get on pretty much every other day. Sometimes daily if the muse is strong enough. Weekends have a habit of being iffy for me (especially when the husband is home from deployment). But tbh I’ve never had issue with keeping up activity. If something RL comes up I always keep open communication with admins if I need to take a hiatus.

TRIGGERS: OMITTED

CURRENT/PAST ACCOUNTS:

http://orionmassetti.tumblr.com/ (active)

http://havenromulus.tumblr.com/ (defunct)

https://militansdeo.tumblr.com/ (active)

IN CHARACTER

DESIRED CHARACTER: Druvik Jadeja

D R U V I K : Musical, friendly, dynamic–named after his grandfather. And it was ill-suited for the man. Druvik’s grandfather was prone to drawn out bouts of silence, often sitting apart from the family with a pipe hanging crooked from the corner of his mouth, letting the smoke spill in lazy waves from cracked and parted lips. He preferred to leave Druvik’s grandmother to fill in the spaces of conversation.

But unlike his grandfather, the name suited Druvik. As a baby he’d toddle to the knees of strangers, charming patrons with his deep-set dimples and a wide toothless smile. And as he grew older, the meaning of his name dazzled in the crowds he captivated (dynamic), in the friends he caught, tangled, kept close (friendly). Even his most simple and innocuous movements seemed to follow the beat of some quiet song only he could hear (musical).

J A D E J A : The stories of the Jadeja clan extended as far back to the first stones set in Os Alta. The earliest have them in Caryeva, where the tales claim a golden goat blessed their family with their first herd, five animals for five sons and their families. From there, the stories traveled to Keramzin where the stars taught them to dance. In Os Kervo, the moon shared it’s music, the solid, slow slap of their feet keeping time in the dirt to the sweep of their arms and the swaying of their hips. Then Novo-Kribirsk, where the ocean waves gifted them with sea glass to sell and shells to weave in fabric and fine jewelry. The stories of their family flowed from Vlensk, Tsibeya, Os Alta, Poliznaya, then back to Caryeva again. While some of the nomadic families eventually settled in cities and small towns, the Jadejas made the entirety of Ravka their home, and would have continued to follow the path the stories of their forebears had set for them if it wasn’t for the Fold.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS CHARACTER?

Okay. I have a type. I enjoy them spoiled, over dramatic, clever, prone to exaggerated displays and using five words when one would have been enough. Granted, Druvik doesn’t fit all of those traits. But really–when I read his bio, I immediately added it to my bookmarks and said, “Yes. This one. Good.” Because I usually know after a first read if a character will fit my writing style. And Druvik will only bring me joy and pleasure to write.

And it helps that he has flaws I relate to. His impossible attempts to please and win everyone over. His difficulty saying no and his attempts to do the right thing, despite it not being exactly what is needed or even wanted in the moment. Druvik’s pursuit of personal pleasure has made him ignorant to the repercussions of his selfishness. And this leaves me with so much to work with.

WHAT FUTURE PLOT IDEAS DID YOU HAVE IN MIND?

I. DRUG TW: The drug was called Magha. It came in small, clear and corked bottles, the liquid inside it a deep shade of violet, nearly blue while held up to the light. When shaken–glittering particles bubbled up from the bottom and swirled silver through the drink. Magha had a sweet flavor hitting the tongue. Not too cloying, more fluid than syrup but thicker than water. And once it settled in the stomach and seeped into the nervous system, saturating veins and weaving in with blood–oh, the impossible dreams it dragged out.

It was a clever little concoction. It’s makeup was based on a traditional Suli herbal remedy. But Druvik corrupted it’s natural makeup with the small science. It was disrespectful–tainting a medicine meant for healing, all to make a pretty coin. He was spitting on the history of his people. But Druvik didn’t see it that way. He’d convinced himself he was doing the people of Ketterdam a service. Magha dragged out pure joy from the most bitter of hearts. Any outside touch was pleasure. Any flavor to the tongue bursting and ripe. And for this small favor, wasn’t it his due that his pockets were made heavy with coin? The fingers that worked to bring them pleasure, surely they could be forgiven for bearing their weight in silver rings and milky and iridescent opals? And so Druvik lounged guiltless on his small fortune, a lazy and rapacious dragon. And his admirers slammed their fists on his doors, begging for more, always more, just one last taste of Magha.

And he abandoned them.

I want this sin to follow him to Os Alta. I want him to be forced to face the repercussions of his naive selfishness (he never intends to hurt). Druvik has strolled through life without a care of those caught in the wake of his self-centered world view, and I want it shaken by his past. He can only willfully blind himself for so long. There is a price for vanity, and perhaps it’s time for Druvik to pay it.

II. All Druvik wants is comfort. After half his life spent suffering as a nomad, ill-suited for the sparsity of Suli life, he finally found it in Ketterdam. But he’s been forced to abandon it, slipping back to Ravka at the threat of discovery–both for being Grisha, and for manufacturing a drug so potent and addicting that once taken? Reality forever paled without it. And just the name of his new home–Little Palace–charmed him. Surely he would live like a prince? Instead, Druvik found himself slaving and sweating over poisons, his nails blackened by gunpowder and forced to serve in the Second Army as if he were something expendable and his face was meant to be scarred. It was too much like his past–the traveling, the grit, even if the Grisha were afforded a shabbier glamour.

So Druvik is terribly unmotivated. Careless and haphazard with his work. However if properly pushed, he is capable of creating weapons of extreme potency. Poisons that steal away the senses, and gunpowder that seeps into human skin, turning them into living bombs. But those moments are scarce. And he cannot always have someone at his side to push him to do his work.

So this can lead to dangerous consequences. Either his weapons backfiring and causing danger to those he works with, or his poisons proving unreliable, abandoning his fellow Grisha to precarious situations. He is a soldier now, and I want his eyes opened to the part he really plays as an Alkemi of the Second Army.

III. There is conflict between the First and Second armies. A rift between Grisha and those that see them as aberrations. But Druvik can’t be bothered. He thinks the rivalry is petty. He considers it something easily risen above, not even bothering to dissect the deeply rooted and historical reasons behind the division.

Druvik simply believes he is being the better man. That by befriending and loving both humans and Grisha indiscriminately, he is an example to be followed. But ultimately, he is Grisha. His usage of the small science will not endear him to everyone. I want him to trust someone who isn’t Grisha. To adore them, only to be used and discarded. For a man who abandons indiscriminately, I would like him to taste how bitter it is to be left behind, tossed aside, and seemingly forgotten by someone he considered a friend.

WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO HAVE YOUR CHARACTER DIE?: If it furthers the plot, of course! Murder away.

IN DEPTH

IN CHARACTER PARA SAMPLE(S):

The day Druvik turned six there was a full moon.

Auspicious, his grandmother claimed. And the weather was mild, the winds cool but the sun hot, caught between spring and summer. Their caravan stopped for the day to celebrate, finding a small spring by a crag of rocks, shielding them from the wind. Auspicious, his grandmother repeated, and she pinched his cheeks.

Druvik’s mother took a handful of sugar and sprinkled it into a wooden bowl, the confection glittering like silver in the light (just as rare, just as precious) as she kneaded it into the flour and butter with hands that were calloused, cracked, worn. A Suli’s hands, ravaged by summer winds, the open sun, the constant tearing down of caravans and the chafe from the leather reins of mules. Druvik knew the sweet cakes would take all day to bake. And he hovered, breaking off little pieces with his fingers when his mother’s back was turned, crumbs catching on the corners of his mouth, the sweet bread melting on his tongue. He tasted nuts and dried berries, sugar and sticky honey.

For dinner his father cut generous slices of dried beef, frying them over the campfire. They sizzled and spit, sliding in their own fat like snakes. There was enough for their bellies to feel full. A change from the usual meager portions their family rationed out of necessity while traveling to the next populated place to perform.

They feasted. They sang. They danced. Not the gaudy and garish movements they performed for customers with the intent of earning coin. But dances passed down the line of Jadejas, each slow glide of arms, every shift of feet in the grass telling a story. Of life, of death, of love, of loss–and they moved in unison under the full moon and bright scatter of stars.

Later, when Druvik’s face was flushed from sipping his grandfather’s wine, he laid back on the grass with his head on his grandmother’s soft belly as she pointed to the stars. “That one. There, to the left. My gift to you, little Vik.” Bony fingers tracing back six stars, one for each of his years, the beginnings of the constellation the Suli called Magha–the bountiful one.

Druvik drifted off to sleep. He was half-awake when his father gathered him up to lay him next to his sister on the blankets. On his birthday, he felt important. Loved. Worshiped.

In the morning, the dream would melt in the beating hot sun and the unforgiving Ravkan plains.

—

Druvik was eleven when he first felt the stirrings of that desperate want, that growing appetite for more than the meager portions Suli life served him.

They’d crossed paths with a sizable merchant convoy, the cream colored tents somber and severe next to the mottled red, blue, green, and purple fabric his family tied down over their caravans to hold the attention of patrons. His grandmother knotted glass bells to their ankles. When they moved, there was music.

His mother told fortunes, face hidden by a worn jackal mask, practiced voice low and haunting as she sifted through the coffee dregs at the bottom of elephant shaped china. Her fingers held the teacups up by their trunks. Love, long life, wealth, prosperity–what their patrons paid with their copper coins to hear. And the merchants–Druvik tried not to stare as they stuffed their mouths full of fresh meat, and filled their cups to the brim with wine. He turned his face when they carelessly spilled water while washing their hands, and observed with longing as they gorged themselves on cakes with white icing and biscuits topped with a generous scatter of brown sugar. More in one evening than his family divided among themselves in a week.

After dinner his sister danced, colored veils whipping like iridescent butterfly wings, her limbs gliding through the air like water. His father’s scimitars rolled off his muscled arms, spiraled through the air, landing on the tips of spread fingers.

Druvik’s performance was both danger and dance. And he picked up two small lamps by their chains, stepping up to a sizable group of merchants. A bow, then he whirled the fire through the air with the grace of falling stars, quick and bright and a bit too savage to be called beautiful. The flames smeared light in shapes of animals, flowers, harsh in the early evening shadows. Faster, faster, faster–until a thin sheen of sweat gathered on his neck, his chest, and he glowed like a young god in the slashes of light, the lamps spinning over his head, under his legs as he leaped over the merchants, their heads craning to follow as he landed lightly on his feet.

Druvik bowed low to the applause, little chest heaving as he snatched at breath. By the strength of their voice and the clapping of their hands, he knew he would earn well.

Later, as his family collected their coins, a man approached Druvik, kneeling in front of him with both fists extended.

“Pick one.”

Druvik tapped the man’s left hand, and it opened to reveal a silver dragonfly, its eyes green stones and its wings studded with blood red crystals. The man fastened it to Druvik’s hair.

“Boys as beautiful as you are wasted here.” The brush of stubble on Druvik’s cheek startled him as the man pressed a kiss there, before moving to join his companions.

Heart skipping, Druvik snatched the dragonfly from his hair and pocketed it. But his mother had seen. And as soon as they left to dress down into their usual cloaks she’d snatched it from him.

“But–that was given to me.”

“Everything in our family? We share.” She dropped it into their sack of coins. “What will you do with such a thing? Strut among the sand dragons and vultures?”

How terrible. How cruel. And Druvik swiped the back of his hand over his thick lashes, smearing the tears.

But it would haunt him–the man’s words.

Boys as beautiful as you are wasted here.

His chin stopped quivering. His mouth set, and his eyes grew resolute.

He deserved better.

—

Falling in love was easy for a man like Druvik–who grew soft and pliable under attention. Whose devotion could be bought by trinkets and treats, metallic jewelry that reflected his pretty face and candies placed on his tongue, melting thick and saccharine down the back of his throat.

Druvik loved generously. But his attention was often spread thin, and he was fickle. Easily diverted. To have the undivided passion of his heart–there was a price. And fortunately for Druvik, many were willing to cater to the whims of a beautiful, young Suli boy, whose body moved like a large cat’s as he danced. Lithe, nimble, but with an undeniable force as his illusions scattered around him and the tent grew dark and dim, with only the fire in his hands to light the small space.

Many had claimed to love him, but only Darius had offered to take him away.

Ketterdam, Darius explained, was a city surrounded by the sea. Where buildings knocked against each other for space, and their doors gaped open to spit thick clusters of people out into the streets. Darius’ father was a merchant there, and at eighteen, Darius would soon follow suit. And Druvik listened as the man described the silks they would import from Shu Han, firebirds and dragons embroidered on the sleeves of robes, and the white jade bracelets that brought wisdom. Of Fjerdan metalworks, swords sharp enough to cut stone, rings with drops of blood stone, and marble rocks carved into wolves. And Druvik was charmed, eyes wide and dark in the flickering shadows of Darius’ tent.

“Someday–I want to see it.” Druvik lowered his voice, intimate and sweet. “For now, at least I have this.” He toyed with the white jade on his wrist.

“What if–” Druvik heard Darius shift, and he sighed as the merchant combed his fingers through his hair. Darius’ voice wavered in the dark. “Come with me.”

Druvik startled. How wicked. “Don’t tease.” Letting out a huff of air and drawing away.

Darius’ hand found his wrist, fingers tight, demanding, refusing to relent. “I’m not teasing.” The words came faster, as if he could stave Druvik’s doubt with a flood of promises. “I’ll provide your room. Your board. Anything you need. Just–please. Dance for me. That’s all I ask for.”

Druvik laughed, the sound low and teasing, but not cruelly so. And he pressed his open mouth to Darius’ collarbone.

“Dance with me then.”

The next morning, Darius went ahead. And as he promised, he secured Druvik passage across the True Sea several days later.

Druvik boarded the boat, fiddling with the white jade bracelet on his wrist. And he thought of firebird silks and of a city filled to bursting. Of how he could use his gift of the small science to draw the people of Ketterdam to him, devoted to the green glass bottles in his satchel, filled with his little magics, liquid illusions for them to suck into their lungs so everything brought bliss.

He did not think of his mother, father, or sister. Nor of his grandmother, weak and ailing

Stepping to the bow of the ship, Druvik simply saw the ocean. And it was beautiful, blue, and full of promise.

CHARACTER HEADCANONS:

- Druvik is frightened of water. He never learned to swim, and stubbornly refuses to do so even with the lake so close to the Little Palace. He’ll dip his feet in, and gingerly descend until his waist. But if anyone attempts to draw him deeper he’ll quickly retreat. Surprisingly, this fear doesn’t extend to the ocean. He finds it too beautiful, and the prospect of new places waiting across the broad expanse of water diverts him.

- His grandmother was also a Grisha. As a young girl, another Suli had taken her in and trained her, their methods more in-tune with nature and the seasons. She tested all her children for the gift. Then her grandchildren. Only Druvik shared her skill of manipulating the elements. They made medicines to share and sell, crafted trinkets to catch the eye, and wove impossible details into fabric. Unlike the Grisha of the Little Palace, he and his grandmother never divided their skills into Durasts and Alkemi. They embraced their power as a whole. And their methods were unconventional, deeply rooted in history and tradition. Even now, as Druvik does his work in the Small Palace, his approach to Alkemi is seen as odd among his peers. He’s known to leave dangerous combustibles to steep for five evenings under the moon. For poisons to sit in the snow to freeze, taking them in to melt, then out to freeze again. Either there is meaning to Druvik’s methods, or it’s a testament to his skill as an Alkemi–but his poisons and powders have an undeniable potency.

- Druvik has always been the envious sort. He’s always pined for what he doesn’t have, and vies for things that others own. Clothes and jewelry, money and rare trinkets from around Ravka. This behavior extends not only to objects but to people. Druvik tends to gravitate towards the ones that shine brightest, stand tallest, those that take control and make decisions so all he has to do is shift along to accommodate. So it’s in his nature to sidle next to the more powerful Grisha. His adoration for the Sun Summoner and the Darkling is open and obvious. While he is Alkemi, he will often spend time he should be working in Durasts’ work stations, making small brooches of glowing, gold suns and white pearls for Gemma to pin in her hair or keftas, and heavy black rings with shadows swimming in the silver for Aleksander. Other Grisha might accuse him of currying favor. And he is, in a way. But he’d always loved the image Gemma and Aleksander present as leaders of the Grisha, and he’d never been very good at taming his affections.

- His work ethic is questionable at best. He has no love for creating weapons. He finds it barbaric. Tasteless. Druvik believes his small science was meant for pleasure not pain, to deliver bliss and not misery. So when tasked with Alkemi duties for the war, he often puts forth the bare minimum of effort. If given the right attention and motivation, he can be caught up in spurts of impulsive tinkering, afternoon hours bleeding into late nights until his work table spills over with pretty poisons and deadly, glittering powders. But he’s more likely to be found creating sweet addictions during work time than the projects he’s actually tasked with.

- He is notorious for currying favor among the nobles. They have power, prestige, but more importantly–wealth. And Druvik was always a man who enjoyed a good spoiling. So he is often found with small groups of nobles, earning an intimate spot in their circles with his pretty face and words dripping sweet and thick. He demurs when they offer gifts, but always takes them. He’s been known to find himself patrons among the nobility to fund the luxury he enjoys.

- He loves people. Adores them. Is devoted to many and lavishes each with positive attention. But ultimately, Druvik seems to only consider them additions to his own narrative. He’s never been tethered to anyone. Not even Darius, to whom he owes his escape from the Suli lifestyle, abandoned in Ketterdam with the rest. Ever fickle, ever advancing in that constant need satiate his appetite for life and lavishness, he is blindsided by his passions. He doesn’t purposefully ignore the repercussions he wrecks among those he leaves behind. Perhaps, despite abandoning his Suli way of life, it continues to reflect in the way he moves forward, never wasting time looking back.

EXTRAS: I have a pintrest board here.

ANYTHING ELSE? OMITTED.

#raraccepted #accepted: druvik

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sage-nebula · 7 years

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What's your general opinion on the first 5 pokeani girls prior to SM? I mean I obviously know Misty is your favorite, but just curious what you think of the others. You just listed what you thought of the recent Sun/Moon girls in the anime, so it would be nice to hear your thoughts on the older ones.

Misty — I really love how much dimension there was to Misty’s character, how she wasn’t boxed into a trope or even a stereotype. She’s The Tomboyish Mermaid (like, that’s literally her Gym Leader Title in the games), but although she does have some tomboyish traits like keeping her hair short, wearing shorts and kicks, and liking some rather … unusual pokémon (looking at her love for tentacool and tentacruel here), she’s also still allowed to have and champion feminine qualities as well without ever having that called into question. She can really want her own set of princess dolls, and love dressing up and looking cute, and get daydreamy over romance and the like without being doubted or treated like she’s lesser, and I really appreciate that. I also really appreciate the fact that she was considered to be one of Ash’s coaches from beginning to end, that although they were rivals at times, although they were friends and though they clearly had crushes on each other (yes, it was implied mutually in the Japanese version as well), Misty was still the more experienced trainer at the time they met and this was remarked upon even near the end of Johto. I do wish that Misty had been allowed to do more as the seasons went on—I feel that, especially in Johto, she was often sidelined in favor of Ash—but this was a fate that also befell Brock and Tracey in the OS, and so I don’t consider it a slight against Misty’s character in particular. MIsty was compassionate and brave, spunky and sarcastic, could at times be immature and impatient, but also had nice insight and patience at times. Misty was great. I loved her.

May — I really find that May was #relatable in a lot of ways. She was a brand new trainer (and Ash was sort of her coach, given that he was the more experienced one for once, which was a nice change), she loves food and never misses a chance to get a good meal in (and god help you if you stand between her and food), she has an annoying little brother that she still loves with all her heart and will protect, and initially she sets out on her journey not because she wants to be a trainer, but because she wants to travel. I think the fact that she didn’t like pokémon at first wasn’t very relatable, and I wish they had given her a better reason for it (I found the pokéball story to be a bit weak—wouldn’t that make her afraid of pokéballs instead?), but I think the fact that she just wanted to travel and have an adventure, that she didn’t really know what she wanted to do at first, that she found her goal along the way and fumbled her way through to success was pretty relatable, especially for kids who had just found the series and really were starting anew with AG. I think that May was really down to earth and overall was a great character, and even though I know some people took issue with the fact that she was so great at being a Coordinator right off the bat, I personally don’t mind that. She has a natural knack for it, and I think that’s something to be celebrated instead. May is awesome, and I love her, too.

Dawn — Dawn is the first true deuteragonist that the PokéAni has ever had and I think that was pretty excellently done. I love the fact that the heroine of the show finally got to be a true heroine, rather than just being a side character to Ash, and that she got a fully fleshed out story arc and her own character development and everything. Her relationship with Ash was downright adorable; I love how they were best friends, how they sometimes squabbled but also supported each other, how they always gave each other high-fives (and wasn’t High Touch!! a duet between them?). I also really do think that Dawn’s loss arc was really well done, how—in an inversion of May’s story—she always had her heart set on being a Coordinator, her mother was a Top Coordinator and so she thought that she could achieve that goal as well, and yet she was met with loss, after loss, after loss that crushed her confidence. I find the fact that she tried to keep a smile on during all of this and tried to insist that everything was fine to be pretty relatable, too. Overall, Dawn was pretty fantastic, and to be incredibly honest (and I mean no offense to Brock when I say this), she and Ash could have carried DP by themselves. Brock was really unnecessary and actually kind of suffered by being part of that squad. I’m sorry, Brocko, but it’s true. No offense. But yeah, Dawn is great, and I love her, too. (And yes, I do also ship Pearl. Still prefer Poke, but Pearl is a great ship.)

Iris — Iris gets so much hate in fandom and she honestly deserves none of it, do you hear me? None of it. I love Iris. I love how she teases Ash (and honestly, it’s just teasing, like ffs stop roasting her over the coals for it when practically all of Ash’s other companions have teased him at times as well), I love how she is free-spirited and brave, I love how she still has fears that hold her back (ice-type pokémon heyooo), and insecurities that make it difficult for her to achieve her goal (which is living up to her in-game Gym Leader Title, “The Girl Who Knows the Hearts of Dragons”), but that she eventually manages to overcome them and bond with Excadrill and later Dragonite. Iris is brave and spirited, but she’s also compassionate and gentle deep down. It just takes her time to access that part of herself and open up so that she can connect with the dragons she’s meant to connect with. And you know? Sometimes her teasing does go too far, but she acknowledges when this happens and makes sure that she makes it right (such as when she accidentally hurt Cilan’s feelings, but made a remark within his earshot about how he’s great and they all liked having him around anyway, and he bounced back as a result). Iris is adorable and lovable and I think the writing team did do a good job with her, even if her ending was rushed and awkward and weird. Love that girl.

Serena — Serena is a character that I think had a lot of potential, and that I do like in some ways, but ultimately I feel that she was rather shafted by the writing staff, who a.) didn’t know what they wanted to do with her for most of the XY series, and b.) created her to be a Love Interest™, which is a separate thing from creating her as a character who also happens to have a love interest. This one actually has some legitimate criticism (aimed at the writing staff, not Serena herself—I actually feel that Serena was a victim of the writing staff and deserved better, tbqh), but since that can be seen as negative, I’m putting the rest under a cut.

Serena was created, in the words of the producers, so that they could tell the story from the perspective of a girl who had feelings for Ash. This means that, from the get-go, the only concept behind Serena’s character was that of Love Interest™. This is different from, say, Misty, who did develop a crush on Ash as time went on, but who was created first to be a Gym Leader and a trainer with experience who could help Ash along the way, and also a Gym Leader who aspired to master water-type pokémon. Misty’s crush on Ash was incidental; it happened over time as a result of their interactions. Serena’s crush on Ash was part of her childhood backstory because it’s literally the focal point of her entire character, it’s why she was written into the show. Everything else—her personal desires outside of Ash, her goals and objectives—came secondary. Whereas May’s lack of a goal outside of “I want to travel and save the world!” felt like a reasonable part of her character, Serena’s lack of a goal ended up feeling like the writers honestly forgot to come up with one for her, because their sole concern was getting her to travel with Ash so that they could have her there to swoon over him, and that’s not cool. She deserved better than that.

Now, I’m not saying that she couldn’t have had a crush on him. Ash has had a myriad of characters crushing on him over the course of the series, to the point where even back in the OS Misty was far from the only person to like him. For fucksake, Ash’s own Bayleef is in love with him. A freaking Latias fell for him, like—that’s not the issue here. The issue here is that I feel as if the writers were so focused on having Serena swoon over him that they forgot to develop her outside of him. When they finally started to do that with the Showcases (and those are another issue in and of themselves, again for several reasons), it was inconsistent and often out of focus. The Master Class Showcase was rather rushed because, in all honesty, that’s not what the writers cared about with regards to Serena. Serena’s dreams, her goals, her ambitions—to the writing staff, it felt like they put that in there because they had to have her do something, but like it wasn’t really that important to them. And I feel that we really see this in the last episode, where, yes, she decides to go to Hoenn to try her hand at being a Coordinator (much better than being a Performer tbqh), but just before she leaves she tells Ash that she’s going to be a much better woman by the next time they meet and kisses him. The writers have said that this is supposed to imply that they’ll be married in the future. Well, okay—but a.) why is THAT the last thing you want to leave us with as far as Serena is concerned, and b.) Ash was still never shown throughout the entire saga to reciprocate her feelings, not even in ever feeling jealousy over her, so like?? Again, if this really was the ending you wanted for her, couldn’t you at least show the boy liking her back over the course of the saga in something other than shiny eyes in the last scene? Doesn’t she deserve at least that? Well, in their eyes, no, because it wasn’t really about Serena and her feelings, it was about making Ash look special by having a girl fawning over him, which is gross af.

Ughhh, I’m sorry—I really don’t want to rant about this, and this is technically supposed to be about Serena rather than the ship, but because Serena was created for the sole purpose of the ship it’s difficult to talk about one and not the other. In truth, I think Serena had so much potential. I like that she was stubborn about what she wanted to do, that she didn’t let her mother dictate her life, that although she loved her mother and knew that Grace wanted was best for her, she refused to give in and settle down to be a rhyhorn racer just because Grace wanted her to. I love that she has a natural big sister instinct, that she bonded with Bonnie and was shown taking care of her. I love that she flubbed the Showcases at first, but that she resolved to do better, that she cut her hair and decided that since she had her heart set on this, that she was going to see it through until the end and get those Keys, her own way. I think that she’s clever, creative, and genuinely sweet. I like that we see her open up over time, that while at first she was just there for Ash, she came to really care for Bonnie and Clemont as well (even if her relationship with Clemont could have been much better developed). And lbr, that episode where she cosplayed Ash was adorable af, and I loved her relationship with Manon.

Overall, I really do think Serena’s good, and I think that she had the potential to be a great character. However, I think the writing staff fucked her over by creating her to be The Love Interest™ and showing determined reluctance to think of her outside of that role. Serena deserved better. Misty might not have gotten to do a whole lot with regards to her goal, but at least she was allowed to exist as her own person first, and someone with a crush on Ash second. Serena was not given that, and it’s a damn injustice, especially since, again, they put in absolutely zero effort into developing the ship from Ash’s side, because Serena’s feelings truly did not matter to them. It’s a shame and she deserved better.

Also, Misty and Serena would be adorable af girlfriends, I’m js.

(All of that said, @ everyone, don’t reblog this just to start Discourse™, I’m not here to debate it, never hear to debate it, want no part in your fandom wank, kthx.)

#cybersai #if we're talking solely about Ash/Main Girl ships then my ranking is: Poke - Pearl - Negai - Advance - Amour #if anyone's curious #though i don't really ship the latter three #just the first two

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