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thankskenpenders · 4 months

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Happy new year, everyone! Welcome to 2024, the year that will mark the 10th anniversary of Thanks Ken Penders. I'd like to go over my plans for the blog for this year.

First of all: in the very near future, I'll have a post with my thoughts on Sonic Dream Team, and I'm sure I'll write one last Sonic Prime review once the final episodes drop on the 11th. I've also been sitting on an unfinished piece about the Sonic LEGO sets. I wanted this to be longer and more detailed piece that not only reviewed the sets but also went into the weird disconnect between homogenized image of Sonic the Brand and the actual fiction it's based off of, but it'll probably end up getting cut down a lot just so I can put something out. Let's just say I did a fun little thing with one of the sets.

Second: yes, I would like to return to regular TKP updates this year. As I've said many times, I wanted to do this in 2023, but I've been suffering from creative burnout after finishing SLARPG and have generally been unable to focus on any of my creative goals this past year. I'm hoping that this year will be better and I'll be able to get back into the swing of covering Archie Sonic issues. Even doing one issue every week or so would be vastly preferable to continuing the hiatus. I'm still only halfway done!! But aside from burnout, my other main hurdle is that I need to reread my own archive to refresh myself on all these things after nearly three years away. This will take some time.

The thing is, though, this year I'll have an extra incentive to go back through my previous writing and brush up on all things Archie Sonic. Because you see...

I've decided that I want to make a video essay about Penders. The comics, the copyright battle, The Lara-Su Chronicles, everything.

The why

I've thought about doing this before, but I never committed to the idea. I was too busy with gamedev, or I thought it'd end up being too long, or I figured that there were already enough videos on the subject, or I just lacked confidence in my ability to put together a video essay. So I told myself it wasn't meant to be, and let the multiple YouTubers who have cited me as a source on their own Penders videos fill that void.

Recently, though, a few things have happened that have convinced me it might be time. For one, YouTube video essays/media retrospectives/etc. are just getting longer and longer. When Quinton Reviews is out here doing 21 hours of videos on Sam & Cat, a subpar Nick sitcom that only lasted one season, I don't feel so crazy for wanting to make a video about several hundred comic books and two lawsuits that'd be at least an hour or two long lmao. Admittedly, I've also been self-conscious about doing a long video essay like this as a trans woman who has yet to do any vocal training. But these days I feel like I see a lot more transfem YouTubers who have done little to no vocal training, and that's given me more confidence on that front.

But the big one was Hbomberguy's recent plagiarism video. As I sat there watching it, I kept thinking about the time I found a CBR article that was just a crude 800 word summary of my two previous articles on Penders, published by a CBR writer who's put out over 4000 articles since 2019. If I've already been plagiarized before, and my writing is so frequently passed around as a go-to source on Archie Sonic drama, then I wouldn't be shocked if there were YouTubers out there straight up just plagiarizing me. I don't watch other peoples' videos on Archie Sonic, so I'd never know! So if people are just gonna paraphrase me when covering these topics anyway, why not take matters into my own hands and make what I would consider to be the definitive video on the subject? If hacks like James Somerton and iilluminaughtii can churn out these shitty video essays and people will still watch them, surely it can't be that impossible to make my own, right? (And also, uh, Hbomb literally told me I should make the video lol. If you're reading this, thanks for the encouragement.)

The what, how, and when

So here's the plan.

Part of this video essay will be an adaptation of my Medium article on the recurring themes of Ken's Archie Sonic run, with its content touched up and expanded upon. There were a few things I skimmed over in the article because I didn't want it to get too long, but again, people are out here watching ten hour videos about bad Nickelodeon sitcoms now. I can get away with elaborating a little more. I can add a few paragraphs talking about the Chaos Knuckles arc, or throw in a little more historical context I've discovered in the years since.

After covering the comics, the back half(-ish?) of the video will be dedicated to the copyright battles and their ensuing controversies, trying to give an accurate picture of what actually went down, the sheer scale of how bad Archie fucked up, and what our takeaways should be. This will have some similarities to my New York Magazine article on the subject, but I'll be rewriting it from scratch. I REALLY had to keep things short for that article because I was already way over the expected word count, and my tone was a little more straight-laced than normal because I was trying to keep things Professional. I can riff more and insert more of my own opinions this time, like I normally would.

I'll inevitably have to touch on some of Ken's Bad Tweets when discussing things that have happened after the lawsuits, but I don't want the video to just devolve into a list of times people got mad at him on Twitter, so I'm gonna try to keep that to a minimum in favor of focusing on his actual work. Things like the Scourge the Speed Demon incident and his continued statements on certain characters' copyright statuses probably warrant mentioning, though. And finally, assuming that the book really does come out this summer, I would like the grand finale of the video to be about those first couple chapters of The Lara-Su Chronicles.

I don't currently know when this video will get done, but it'll probably be in the back half of the year, especially with me waiting for the book to either drop or get delayed yet again. But I've actually already started writing a bit of the script, and will keep chipping away at it for a while.

So, uh, yeah, look forward to that? Wish me luck?

#tkp post

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beaulesbian · 1 month

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Thoughts and more thoughts about the potential of Rob Lucci after chapter 1111 - spoilers and theory

(disclaimer: this might be totally implausible and not at all what could happen, but it's something that's been on my mind since last chapter, so here are my thoughts on this. again, very long post ahead, I don't know how it keeps happening)

The way Oda allowed Lucci to feel during chapter 1111, is something I didn't expect to find so intriguing, and it points to how much depth really has each character in this story.

There is a subtle change of certain aspects of Rob Lucci's personality since the start of Egghead, and in the chapter 1111 even a bigger focus is on his reaction to meeting Mars Gorosei and asking for Kaku to be spared.

Given this swept away answer with seeing whom he's been serving all this time, there could come a realization that'd sort of wake him up. There's a potential to somewhat turn power of Cipher Pol agents from blindlessly following the World Government. To stop being the WG's shield.

It's very probable the story might deal with the reform or even collapse as a whole of the World Government - especially since the Gorosei are currently Luffy's main enemies. With that, the Cipher Poll intelligence could play a significant part of it as well, along with other moving pieces like the Revolutionary Army, Shanks, Luffy's fleet or even Morgans and his newspapers, and, of course, the Strawhats.

There's been comments of readers who only saw Lucci and Zoro's fight as one dimensional - one has to win, the other has to lose, and comparing points and skills without really diving into their respective characters - thankfully Oda knows those characters and knows how to make the story interesting and compelling. Where before I hoped we would get a follow up about the words directed at Zoro, instead Lucci was given more space for this chapter.

Where one would hope for Zoro to win and move to other parts of the island with the Strawhats, we instead stayed with Lucci and him witnessing Mars in his full on demon form - something that even Lucci was shocked to see.

Those two pages were such incredible moments for Lucci as a character who serves fully the Gorosei and the World Government in first place, yet! Yet! In the last part he's on the page, he's allowed and shown to be worried and caring for someone else than himself- after arcs and arcs where he appeared here and there just carrying out on orders and missions without seemingly caring about anyone to much depth before, he's given space to actually express the concern regarding Kaku.

Of course he's still this same of bloodthirsty killer, just like in Enies Lobby, (ch. 382),

both his immediate fight upon seeing Luffy on Egghead, and later against Zoro paints it clear what he's capable of.

Rob Lucci is regarded as one of the strongest assassin's in the Cipher Pol agency CP9 (and later with higher rank of CP0). Just reading his wikia to remember more moments, the section about his personality is mostly compiled of traits like cold-hearted, agressive, and especially taking the Wold Governments meaning of Justice into brutal heights, thinking all is allowed to accomplish his goals/missions/orders.

There's his past and how he has been trained by WG to do as they told him, or even go to length which he wasn't even ask to do, but knowing his position as assassin he did as he wanted.

By the end of Water 7 and leaving to Enies Lobby, where he preteded to be friends with Iceberg, Paulie and other shipwrights for 5 years, he didn't show any regrets leaving the place (contrary to Kaku, who seemed to really enjoy his work as shipwright and is sometimes shown really excited about new places and such)

Up until the chapter 1111 I mostly took him as someone really dutiful to follow orders through and through and not gave it much more thought beside that, but it's true that this already started to shift around chapter 1062, when we see Lucci, Kaku and Stussy on their way to Egghead Island:

"They want us to eliminate the most useful man in the world..."

"The last thing a man as keenly perceptive as you should be doing is looking for answers." (says Stussy, a double agent working for Vegapunk, lol).

I wouldn't call it distrust in WG, yet. At this point he was still adamant about following the mission to kill Vegapunk. But maybe it's more visible that he's thinking more about such orders and their consequences.

He fights Luffy immediately after setting foot on Egghead, calls it as it is in wanting to defeat Luffy and destroy his whole crew without any pretense (and maybe that honesty was why Luffy took his word for their brief cooperation in fighting Seraphim). ch. 1076

He says this honestly, yet after the Strawhats and Vegapunks are healing later on, Lucci still tries to attack Vegapunk, ch.1091

Once knowing Kizaru appeared too, Lucci returnes back to finish his mission, he strikes at Vegapunk again - unsuccessfuly because Stussy takes that attack, and Zoro pushes him from the lab and then keep him occupied until the latest chapter 1111.

And that is a big part of him, eyes always on the mission - get information to his bosses, to Navy/Saturn/Gorosei/Kizaru, and keep his enemies occupied or better yet - dead. This thinking was always present with him to this point in ch. 1111, and that is from where it could lead to even more nuance in his future decisions:

The first time seeing Mars in his demon form there's that blink-and-you-miss it expression of pure horror, hinting that even the highest ranking agents probably had no idea just what the true nature of the Gorosei looks like, and that a sight like that can pull this expression from Lucci:

After that brief shocked state, he goes back to immediately report all informations he has on Vegapunks, Strawhats, even their plan of escape, as well as mentioning the other Cipher Pol agents, trapped in the Lab:

then there's this panel, "well done. no further questions.":

which reminded me of very similar words Lucci said to Robin in Water 7, ch. 348: "you've fulfilled your role. good work."

Maybe it's not intended as parallel, but just that similarity of something he's been clearly hearing from his higher ups, that he added it to his own vocabulary.

But then there's this more surprising part of ch. 1111:

After his shock of seeing that monster in front of him, and after giving Mars all the informations, he still finds the strength to ask him to spare his partner's life, to save Kaku:

What he gets as an answer is along the lines of: "it might be difficult when everyone to us is like ants" and that's the last of Rob Lucci for this chapter.

Mars seem to share this same thinking like Saturn expressed before, while the navy guy heard that even the life of an CP0 agents isn't something Saturn (and Gorosei) would really be troubled over, if lost.

and hearing that from Mars could be an eyeopening moment for Lucci.

They're assassins and an intelligence agency of almost the highest standing among the World Governement, but even the lives of Kaku and such seem to mean nothing to the Gorosei.

The point of the current anime episode 1098 where Lucci & CP0 were just arriving on Egghead reminded me how he was asking Vegapunk about the missing Cipher Pol agents and their disappearances, ch. 1068:

It's not that he was only concerned about Kaku in the latest chapter, but since the end of Water 7 - and seeing how his crew cared for him to pay for his medical bills (cover story chapters 491 - 528, manga only, which is very interesting that the anime didn't adapt that cover story), I think he started to care more about "his own people" - the Cipher Pol agents in general - even to visit to their "hometown" while he was healing and defended that place (and the new young trainees) from the Marines who were sent to attack CP9 after their failure at Enies Lobby:

So the question is.. once Lucci saw just who he was serving all those years, the World Government and the Gorosei - and now seeing Mars in his bird monster form disregarding any care for any lives, even their own agents - will that be a tipping point for him?

He asked Mars to spare Kaku but got an answer that all of them, Cipher Pol agents even on the highest places, are still the same as insects in the eyes of the Gorosei

Could that be something that will help him make a certain change?

My possible theory of what he might do/what might happen (given that he still has the strength to walk after his fight with Zoro):

Find Kaku himself - he was trapped in the bubble like the other Seraphim - we don't know if anyone else un-trapped him in the meantime, and Lucci himself doesn't know about the bubble prison, given his flashback to Kaku is just him laying down, as he last remembers that from the Lab.

Sanji said to Kaku that Lucci abandoned him - something that Lucci kept taunting Zoro with during their fight - about the inability to sacrifice one from their team for the greater good. (It could mean that Kaku either wouldn't count on Lucci coming back, but it would work even better if it was shown Lucci actually coming back for Kaku

and they could go finish their side mission of rescuing the other Cipher Pol agents -

and that's another thing -

even during that brief panel of their rescue -they were thankful to Luffy! Despite their positions of agents of Government, which puts them always directly opposing pirates/Strawhats/Luffy, they appreciated and thanked Luffy for giving them food and saving them, ch. 1090

This together I feel could become a moment of all these agents realizing that Luffy isn't their real enemy - or wake up from their WG brainwashed thinking once they see just who is outside fighting: Gorosei in their monster forms vs. Luffy

I think that Rob Lucci stands there now as one of the few who could sway the Governments power to a tipping point from the inside.

Not precisely helping Luffy or Strawhats, but taking that power of the intelligence agency away from the WG and Marines.

It was shown in multiple pages how the Gorosei care more about the rank and position than any lives of their trained assassins, and think of them as something to be disgarded left and right.

Their intelligence agency and assassins act as a Shield to the WG, and the CP0 even carries that in their name: AEGIS, (a powerful shield from greek mythology).

If the other agents would follow Lucci in a different direction, he could be the one to take away that shield from the Gorosei, uncover one of the layers that act as their security, leaving them more exposed and vulnerable to future attacks (possibly from people like Dragon and Revolutionary army when the time comes for them to strike).

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streaminn · 11 months

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IDK IF YOU'RE STILL TAKING PROMPTS BUT WE NEED WENCLAIR IN STREAMER ENID AU IN LIKE AN INTERVIEW OR TWO FOR THE SHOW

Enid was going on her merry way until she gets stopped by a microphone to her face.

"Ma'am! i have a question!" says them and well, Enid didn't really have much to do so she turns to look at the woman with a tilt of her head.

"yes..?"

"you're a werewolf yes?" the woman questioned and she looks like she's about to shiver out of her timbers with how much she's shaking. Was seeing an outcast that much of a big deal to normies?

Enid nods, popping a quick "yep! why? you interviewing werewolves for smth?" she hopes they weren't gonna try and antagonize her, that'd be really shitty.

also because she isnt in the mood, couldnt they start a fight when she's geared up for it instead of when she's out with groceries?

"yes ma'am! we here are interviewing werewolves on their thoughts on the new upcoming movie Lunal curse-" she couldn't even finish her sentence before Enid immediately perked up, leaning forward with a smile.

"Lunal curse? like Wednesday Addams book, lunal curse?"

The interviewer didn't expect that, giving a surprised look before following with just as much enthusiasm. "yes! seeing as werewolves were a main focus, we would like to see their thoughts on such contents and just how faithful it is."

Enid was very much aware of how her teeth sharpened but holy shit she was just too excited.

"As a werewolf myself, im sure she did her best to showcase her thoughts through her story! and i'm not the only one, with how quickly its already getting an adaption despite just coming out a few months ago." Enid's hands shook, nearly flapping. "I cannot wait to see how Wednesday - bless my wife - would act it out on the big screen."

the woman was nodding along before she blinked. "Wife?"

Enid agrees as easily. "just a nickname! i just love her so much so it sometimes slips out."

Interviewer woman lets out a oooh in reply. "im sure wednesday appreciates the support!"

The blond just grins at the cam, "im sure she does."

---

"Cute werewolf, huh?" Manager murmurs, staring a the multiple footage of interviews. "definitely stands out compared to the rest but are you sure you want this to be seen during the talk show?"

Wednesday just humms from her spot, eyeing Thing as he crosses out some words in the script. "Yes, is there a problem with it?"

he lets out a sigh. "I didn't know you were comfortable with being seen as a wife of all things."

Wednesday finally drags her eyes away from Thing to raise a brow at him. "There's something special about that -as you said, cute werewolf." Manager just nods. Well, he's just here to do a job. "If you say so."

When Enid blows up her phone after her guest appearance at the show, all Wednesday will do is smile.

-U CALLED ME CUTE??

-Am I wrong?

#streamer enid au #wenclair #enid sinclair #writing #wednesday addams

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k-dokja · 9 months

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just finish re-reading samuel and yn being chaotic. now im begging for more crumbs of them if you don't mind 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

You occupy the living room, spreading out on the couch like you own the place. You don't, he does. You act like it's your house. He wants to drop his briefcase on you for that alone.

"Ack!"

No reason to not listen to his impulsive thought when it comes to you. "Why didn't you come to the office today?" He glares down at you and it would be far more effective if you aren't wearing that tiny tank top that shows him your cleavage and stomach. Not that you notice where his gaze strays.

"I was sick!" You protest. "I didn't feel good this morning so I stayed home, what's wrong with that?!"

He nearly rolls his eyes backwards into his skull. "What's wrong is that you're meant to send in a notice." He glowers. "Did you know how much I had to do to make up for your absence?"

"Aw, does that mean you need me? Why Samuel, you only need—Ack!"

You clutch your head where he flicks your forehead. If you wince then good, it's meant to hurt. "Stop messing around, I expect overtime once you recover." With that, he leaves your presence after he makes his point known. Knowing you, however, you probably stick your tongue out the moment he shows his back to you.

He turns back sharply, catching you in your act. You quickly whip your head away, pretending to focus on the television. That puts a slight smirk on his face, but you won't know about that.

After his shower and a fresh change of clothes, Samuel returns to the main hall of his penthouse with an easy stride. From where he stands in the kitchen, he can get a good view of you and the show you're watching. Some medical drama, he reckons, you have been into those lately even if you don't understand the head or tail of the medical side of the show.

Briefly, he wonders if half of the appeal of it is because you can't understand anything. Better to turn your brain off and let others do the thinking. After the day he had, maybe that's what he needs at this very moment. With that in mind, he grabs a drink with rocks that'd soothe his temper and coasts over to the couch.

"Scoot over," he commands and you comply with a face that he ignores you were making. Samuel sits down at the other end of the couch where your feet once laid. The moment he hits the cushions, you immediately throw your legs over his lap.

Samuel ignores it and favours savouring his alcohol over you. "Did you even manage to learn anything from watching these?" He asks absentmindedly, not really caring for the answer.

"Yeah, of course," you say, "I learned about symptoms, tumours, and viral infection. Like you, for example."

He arches an eyebrow, "Me?"

"Yeah, you're infected by the bitch-itis," you grin, "not contagious and very dangerous to everyone around you."

Samuel contemplates, but only for a second, before the corner of his lips raises, "No, I think it must've been contagious because you're infected with it, too."

"Hey!" You throw a stray cushion at him. It's only by the gift of his reflexes that he catches it easily. Samuel sets it between your legs and his lap, before making himself comfortable.

"So what are we watching tonight?"

"We?" You ask pointedly but when he doesn't elaborate, you return to your attention to the TV. "House's on. You might like him, he's so... what's the word, sardonic."

He doubts that, but he can't deny your statement piques his interest a little. "How so?"

"Wait, I'd argue he's better than you," you giggle, "at least the man is helping people, while you only ever help yourself."

Samuel clicks his tongue, unfazed by your statement, "That's not true," he says, "you benefit from my actions, too."

You snicker, "Yes, but that's collateral, not intentional. Because otherwise, it would've meant you care about me. There's no way that would be true, right~?"

Samuel only grunts and takes another sip of his drink. There's nothing left of the alcohol except the residual ice water left behind. However, it proves to be a distraction because you don't end up looking at him like you've said something right. He doesn't need that tonight, not after the long day he had.

All he wants to do is turn his brain off and watch the TV.

#samuel seo #samuel seo x reader #lookism #lookism x reader #fics

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destinygoldenstar · 10 months

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Is Screen Time An Issue For A Character?

That’s a tough one.

I see quite a few arguments about some shows I’ve watched that ‘oh, this character is bad because they have too much screen time’. Or ‘I wish this character had more screen time to be interesting.’

Basically, too much screen time is now a valid critique to describe why a character is bad or doesn’t work for you. And to that I say…

Uh… no?

I’ll give some examples where I see this critique, but for now I want to state a case of examples where I expected to see this critique online, but didn’t, and I wondered why.

SPOILERS BELOW FOR THE SPIDERVERSE SEQUEL:

The main character of the Spiderverse movies is Miles Morales. Clear as day if you see ANY promotional concept art. The movies nail that home and give you a solid POV character among the Multiverse chaos.

The sequel begins with an over twenty minute backstory sequence involving Gwen Stacy, a side character in the first movie.

(Fun fact: When me and my dad went to see it in theaters together, he said that backstory was over twenty minutes long and that he thought they could've trimmed it down. Animated-phobia gives you weird opinions. He didn't watch Arcane with me and thought nothing of it because 'it was an animated show'. Not kidding.) (Both of my parents are like this, sadly.)

Now, in the context of the movie, it makes sense to include this to understand the full POV of her character going forward. As she is pretty vital to the story.

I tried imagining a version of the movie where we DIDN'T get this intro, went straight to Miles, and we just had to put the pieces together involving Gwen and her actions. And I don't think the movie would've worked nearly as well.

This brings me to another point involving Gwen Stacy in this movie: She's kind of become a protagonist as well, next to Miles.

Is this screen time theft? Under the screen time critique, it probably would seem that way.

And yet nobody I've seen complains. If anything, this solidified her as one of the best movie adaptations of Gwen Stacy out there. In my opinion.

Unlike the first movie, this one is not driven by the narrative of the main character, but rather multiple.

This is not uncommon. And it's an even bigger case with Arcane.

Yeah, this show is phenomenal everyone who says so is right Jinx is an icon Vi is my cartoon crush next to Petra I was crying so hard at the ending and for that alone this show deserves every ounce of praise it gets and I'm kind of an Arcane stan-

*Inhales*

I think I just have a thing for dystopian stories where characters walk through hell.

(Yes I consider TD a dystopian setting, that'd be a nice hot take to tackle one day.)

The Hunger Games is my favorite dystopian setting that I've seen, just because it's very memorable and inspiring. But Arcane is objectively the best dystopian story out there. If I fade out of my Total Drama obsession, this show might be my next target.

Cupcakes. El fin.

I could stop there, but lets talk about why we're here.

Arcane does not focus on the two main characters only as the driving force of its narrative.

Advertisement tell you that our main characters are the two growing war machines who go around calling each other sisters, Vi and Powder (Jinx. Idk how mad people get for which name I use for her. Sorry if I offend you). In fact, there's evidence to back that up. Other than they're the people with dyed hair, that's instant main character. They're the first characters we meet in the entire show. They're the characters with the final scene that closes off the season. EVERY ending to an act is with them. They're the main characters. Boom.

But wait. Nearly TWO THIRDS of this show doesn't even focus on them!

We have all the Piltover characters we keep switching back to. Jayce, Viktor, Mel, Caitlyn for Act 2 pretty much, Silco kind of becomes his own protagonist in Act 3. Really, the only people who remain consistent side characters are Ekko, and the two boys that get blown to pieces by Powder. And... some other people I'm forgetting the names of. (Sorry, I only had two watch throughs of this show so far and I know nothing about League other than the sisters become enemies.)

Now, why?

Why is this the case? I'm not saying characters other than our mains don't get fleshed out at all, but to the point where they're basically major enough to carry their own show? That SOUNDS like a detriment to the story if anything, especially how unfocused it kind of all gets until the end where everyone's in the same room.

Had Vi or Jinx interact with these characters, their fleshing out makes sense, and you definitely see that with characters like Caitlyn and Silco, who kind of need them to function.

But the Piltover gang? Jinx doesn't meet them at all, neither of the sisters meet Viktor, and Vi does meet Jayce, but in Episode 8 of 9.

Why does nobody complain about this? If anything, these guys are stealing screen time.

Well, it turns out, this is all done in Arcane's benefit, rather than fault. We are all the protagonist of our own story, and there are multiple POVs regarding the world.

It's basically if Hunger Games was third person instead of first, and we actually got a chance to flesh out the other rebels/children.

Me personally, and I know I'm not the only one out there, but the sisters were the most interesting thing about the show, and other characters that talk to them were how they caught my attention. That in no way means I don't care for anyone though, and it's COMPLETELY a PERSONAL thing.

So whenever we DO focus on the sisters and their story, not only do we get these other POVS on the scene that could clash with our view of them, but it makes it so that EVERY. SCENE. MATTERS.

No scene is wasted in fleshing out the sister's story. Everything has a purpose and drives it all to one heartbreaking simulation. There's no wasted space, there's no lack of attention to a certain detail, darn it, it's just right.

(I mean, I guess I would've liked to see what they went through in that time skip, like how Jinx was raised by Silco and processed her new identity, or better yet how tf Vi survived prison when it's heavily implied she beat people to a pulp and got solitary multiple times. But I think Season 2 is gonna cover it.)

Seriously, imagine a version of this show real quick.

Imagine a version of the show that took the Hunger Games approach, and used first person POV on one of the two sisters, doesn't matter which one, they'd both work. Cut out scenes not involving that sister. The other characters that appear revolve around scenes they're in with that sister.

Would that work nearly as well?

I don't think so.

Now First Person POV isn't necessarily a bad thing. Danganronpa is first person. Minecraft Story Mode is first person. Those are probably not great examples, but it can work. (TDDRI, a fic of mine, is first person, and I had to work around that to flesh out everyone else. It can work.)

This show is very hot topic and weirdly paced than what I'm used to. So take everything with a grain of salt as I am nowhere near an expert with this show. The show's story doesn't even get started until Episode 4, as the first three episodes are all flashback to explain where our characters are and why they're motivated to do what they do.

Again, I tried imagining a version of this show where we DIDN'T get those first three episodes, we started with Episode 4, and we just had to ASSUME all the backstory involving the sisters and the titular arcane and put the pieces together through Vi's words and Jinx's hallucinations. I don't think we would have been nearly as invested.

So with these two examples, WHY does nobody complain about screen time involving a character?

Is it because they're just really good pieces of media? Or is there a reason for this?

After all, Spiderverse and Arcane fall under the category of an 'ensemble cast'. A cast of characters in a story where there is no titular main character to drive the narrative, and everyone does instead. It's like if Harry Potter was 'Hogwarts' instead, or some title like that.

But lets take a look at some examples of ensemble casts where there's been a complaint of some sort with screen time:

Total Drama and RWBY.

Now I only like one of these two shows, so I'm gonna put that aside for now.

Total Drama. It has an ensemble cast. The show is about teenagers suffering-I mean competing for a prize, eliminating each other bit by bit as it goes along. Naturally with that setup, early boots are left to dry. But that doesn't stop people from complaining.

Ezekiel gets the most flack for too little screen time, and major fanboys say he should've had more focus. Personally I don't get that based on what role he's deigned to play. Caleb is a more recent example. I thought he was gonna have a bigger role and character than he ended up having, and him being a first boot gag makes even less sense than Zeke. Dawn is a fan favorite who isn't even in that many episodes. Axel is a ripoff of Shawn because of her lack of screen time. Scary Girl is... Scary Girl, who I don't see the fuss about her little screen time as she's comic relief, but the complaint is there. There is SO MUCH bashing about Noah's lack of screen time it is not even funny. So much so that he's sharing screen time with another person.

And who is to blame for this: Well, the characters who make it really far into the game, or course! How dare they steal screen time away from these guys!

I feel like Ripper is the most recent example of this. His character arc was about him breaking a world record. He broke it. It's Episode 5. Now he can leave the show, right-

Nope. He's around till Episode 8. Out of 13. And even then, in Episode 13, he's Millie's partner, which means screen time.

It sounds unjustified because it is. I'm not the biggest Ripper hater, but I definitely see the complaints. (Ripper and Damien swapping places are the only part of the elimination order I would change. Everything else is pretty spot on.)

We already have MK as a pre-merge antagonist and Julia as a post merge antagonist, we don't need this rando bully character as well as it adds nothing. Maybe Ripper would've been better liked if he wasn't a bully and just some morally average comic relief guy, but also... probably not.

But he's not the only fart based character in this show that gets complaints about screen time. Here's where I talk about the first gen.

For what I have seen, the ones with the biggest screen time complaints are Owen, Duncan, and Beth. I don't count Heather cause it's on purpose. I count Sierra because it's a personal gripe I have.

Owen was the original winner of TDI, came back on the show in the second season for a mole subplot nobody likes, and merged season three. He and Noah also got a spinoff.

Beth was the finalist of TDA.

And everyone hates it, including myself.

Then there's Duncan. Easily the character the show focuses on the most. Season 1? 4th place. Season 2? Winner. Season 3? Gone half the season so he's only in 8 episodes not counting what he didn't compete in, but he scored 5th overall. Season 5? Weakest performance, but he still merged. That's 8th place by the way.

By far, THIS is the character in this show that gets the MOST horrendous flack for his screen time. And from what I've learned, if you think this, you probably hate Duncan as a character.

Like, I haven't watched Winx, but I saw videos on YouTube that made fun of Bloom for getting too much screen time.

Somebody do those but with Duncan! I'm not a Duncan hater, but I would like to get a laugh!

So it'd just be easy to say the writers played favorites, it was an issue, and be done with it, right?

Except no.

My GF watched World Tour just recently. (And she was mixed on it.) Her comments regarding Duncan and Gwen were that she wished they had more interactions to sell them (she was routing AGAINST Duncney, basically) and it didn't help that Duncan was gone half the season. She said that it would've helped all the characters involved if he stayed to flesh that out.

To that I went: "Huh. That's interesting how you take no issue with this character's screen time."

But why though? She's not a stan of him, she's a casual viewer, so that can't be it.

And that's when it hit me.

Beth and Sierra. These two make it through an entire season each. And we both collectively hate them as characters. And we hate seeing them on screen.

That's because it's what the characters DO with their screen time.

See what I'm talking about:

Season 1: Duncan is an established character that develops relationships and friendships and learns to open up to people outside of his comfort bad boy zone.

Trent spends 16 episodes sitting still and looking pretty with a guitar. (Okay that's probably not a great example, and I don't hate Trent, but you kinda get it)

Season 2: Duncan is dealing with revenge on Harold for his spoiled relationship with Courtney where he gets abused by her, fights to hold his own, and dumps her.

Beth spends the entire season talking about a fake boyfriend and cheating on it.

Season 3: Duncan, again, is only competing in 8 episodes out of 26, but what does he do? He establishes a new relationship with Gwen, gets her cancelled, forms a friendship with Alejandro, and gets played.

Sierra is there the entire season sexually harassing Cody and passing it off as quirky. We hate to see it. (Seriously, you guys think the love triangle is worse than this? My GF and I agreed we would rather watch the love triangle ten times again, over Sierra being on screen at all.)

What's the difference here? STORY.

Certain characters have story to follow, that NEEDS that screen time to work. Ironically, the plotline of Duncan's that comes across the least genuine, is the season where he's on screen the least. (Not counting All Stars, but they're kind of equal in episodes Duncan's in.)

Again, imagine if we never had that backstory sequence of Gwen Stacy. Yes it eats up screen time, but without it? She would come across as an ingenuine traitor who supposedly ditched her dad for some cool spider society. We NEEDED that sequence.

Duncan is always doing something when the screen is focused on him.

The reason Beth and Sierra don't work despite having all the screen time in the world is that they do NOTHING with the screen time they get. Nothing of value at least. We could've learned a lot about their origins, Beth's underdog status, or Sierra's fanclub, flesh them out as dynamic characters to route for, with different sides of them that slip through time to time that gets the audience thinking.

Nope. Sexual harassment makes up for all of that. (I question why I put up with this show sometimes.)

That would be the case and that's the answer, just do something with your screen time and you're free to have as much as you want.

Except there's ANOTHER key to the puzzle here.

Duncan is in the top 4 of the TD cast for a reason.

He's a main character.

Something Jaune Arc is not.

Hello nemesis my old friend.

Look, I respect people who like RWBY. People can feel any way they want to about a show. Opinions are valid.

If you think Arcane is the worst show ever made, that's valid.

If you think Velma is the best show ever made, that's valid.

It's all VALID.

With that said I think this show is an absolute trainwreck when it comes to writing characters.

Now hold on before you say I hate everything about it, I don't. This show does have SOME merits to it. The music is stellar and I actually listen to the soundtrack from time to time. For a limited budget animation, it's impressive. The choreo is neat. I want these weapons. I actually like quite a few of the side characters. Keep in mind I said side.

But what I look for in a good show is a compelling story and interesting characters to follow.

Something this show just does not have in my opinion.

I keep saying I'll do an analysis post on why Team RWBY are awful protagonists, but I've been busy and my plate has not emptied. But one of my main points regarding them is screen time.

Keep in mind, I've only seen fully up to Season 8. I've only seen clips of Season 9, so whatever I say about 9 may not be accurate.

Team RWBY are the main characters of the show, and yet they have not done a single main character thing throughout EIGHT SEASONS. It's kind of incredible.

If I didn't know the name of the show but saw a clip, I'd assume the main character was Jaune, or Oscar, more on them later.

What have these girls contributed in the battle of Salem's forces?

Season 1: Blake helped stop a robbery. Not even all four of them, just Blake. (So did Sun and Penny.)

Season 2: They broke into the White Fang's secret operation and busted a train into the city to fight off some Grim, in time for Team CFVY to wipe them out. (Those characters appear TWICE in the ENTIRE show, this is the first time. Just to speak my point.)

Season 3: Yang got framed for assault which helped the bad guys. Ruby watched Pyyra die and she blasted an eyeball off Cinder.

Season 4: UH...

Season 5: They housed Oscar, they met Raven, and they took place in the battle of Haven where Yang got the relic. (So did Oscar, JNR, Qrow)

Season 6: They took the relic to Atlas. (So did Oscar, JNR, Qrow)

Season 7: They lied to the general about vital information that could've helped them get one on Salem, and doomed all of Atlas.

Season 8: They caused the death of a kingdom and fell through a hole.

Season 9: UH... (That's not me not knowing what happened in 9, they just climbed out of the hole, basically, as the season has nothing to do with Salem's forces.)

Now, because the main characters are not involved with the main plot very much, does that make them bad?

No. There ARE ways to utilize them outside of driving the external plot.

Some stories are Character vs Self, Internal Conflict. The basis of this show's story is that these kids who grew up to be military soldiers are learning that their lives and the world is not a fairy tale, and they're not the good guys. That SOUNDS like the show is all about internal conflict, right?

Well it's not.

I mean, they DO realize this and make a morally questionable choice with consequences they regret.

In Season SEVEN.

And even THEN, they're treated by gods themselves like they've done nothing wrong!

If you ask me, it should have happened a LONG time ago.

What internal conflicts do these girls have?

Ruby is a naive prodigy who wants to be a huntress and live out a fairy tale reality. And she lives out that dream. Then Pyyra dies and she loses that home. And then she's back to fairy tale land, just doing more crimes and hating authority. And I GUESS she learned a lesson in 9...? I just saw her as depressed.

Weiss is an heiress of a rich company trying to overthrow rule of her father, who hates her. She hates Faunus. She learns not to hate Faunus. And she gains a lot of powers.

Blake is part of a civil rights movement with Faunus and she likes assaulting her own kind and burning their homes. She also has an abusive boyfriend and kills him with a girlfriend by her side.

Yang lost her mommy and wants to find her. She loses her arm. She finds her mommy but doesn't give a s**t because plot. She also gets a girlfriend.

That's like Vi and Jinx's reunion, only they didn't care about seeing each other again after years, they just pointed fists and guns at each other and said, "Where's the arcane?! Where's Silco?! I'm not here for you, I have a police GF now!" "I'm not here for you, I just wanted an easy route to blast Piltover to pieces! Mwahaha!"

See where I'm going with that?

Internal conflict is a key to making characters screen time worth while.

But lets face it, Team RWBY not having very well established internal/relevance to the external conflict is not the full reason why this is a problem with their screen time.

It's their lack thereof.

Three quarters of every season, they're just sitting at some random place that's not even pretty to look at, and the SIDE CHARACTERS do all the plot relevant stuff.

See why I like the side characters better?

Lets look at that chart again:

Season 1: Sun and Penny stopped that robbery.

Season 2: Team CFVY stopped the Grim invasion.

Season 3: Pyyra's story and downward spiral to her death.

Season 4: Nora and Ren the season.

Season 5: Oscar. The tribe.

Season 6: Oscar again as he's responsible for the exposition involved in that season.

Season 7: Ironwood's descent into insanity AND Penny's descent into accidental heroism.

Season 8: Both those characters die. Everyone dies.

Season 9: ...okay, good point, there was no one else.

Okay so maybe Season 9 gets a pass, but the others? Can you really put Team RWBY in a plot summary?

And that's just external conflict talking, let's talk the MAIN CHARACTER with the INTERNAL conflicts throughout the ENTIRE show.

Jaune Arc.

A SIDE character, voiced by one of the writers, has some of the most plotlines to follow due to his internal struggle and conflict in this new war throughout the entire show.

He has something to do in MOST of the seasons of this show. Not unlike Duncan. The only time I think he didn't have anything going on was Season 7.

In the very first season, Jaune has an entire character arc surrounding him trying to find his inner strength with a one off bully character as an antagonist. That sounds fine, so what's the issue?

This character arc takes up FOUR episodes out of 16. A WHOLE QUARTER OF THE SEASON.

"Well, maybe those episodes cut away to other people at some points-"

No. They don't. It's all Jaune in all these episodes.

Season two is less so Jaune focused, but he has a little subplot surrounding letting go of his feelings for Weiss and finding another girl who would gladly take him. I guess it's priority respect because Neptune was into Weiss at the time? But those two wound up never being a thing, so...

The whole time I thought Weiss was just asexual, but then 9 came in to screw that idea.

Season three focuses on Pyyra, Jaune's love interest, and therefore he's vital to her story and her thought process, so much so that the big angst moment in the season is with him and their death kiss.

Season four and five are focused on Jaune's thirst for revenge on Cinder, a member of Salem's forces, for killing Pyyra. He learns about Salem's forces along the way, makes his own opinion about all this lore, and decides to help out due to his personal necessity.

Wow. He has an internal conflict going on, AND he's active with the external conflict. HMM...

Season six is him letting go of his grief after his moral failure from the Battle of Haven nearly getting Weiss killed. And also he pins Oscar to the wall because why not. It's brief but it's also a full on character arc.

Season eight, he kills Penny, a girl he has never interacted with before this point, and he's a grieving mess. So much so that season nine also includes Jaune dealing with MULTIPLE grieving instances and personal failures.

Everyone else got a seasonal break from the story, and yet Jaune could not.

Now, is this a screen time issue?

Yes.

But NOT for the reasons you might think.

Let's go off of Duncan again, a character with a major status in the show's story and conflict from day one. He was designed that way.

Jaune was not designed that way. BUT I don't actually hate his story for the screen time he gets. In fact, he's probably one of the most interesting characters in the show because there's so much time dedicated to his struggle and his story.

The elephant in the room isn't because Jaune has a story.

It's because the main characters don't have a story.

Again, Arcane, that show focuses on a LOT of characters that aren't Vi and Jinx. You could argue Jayce is the Jaune in their universe. But why does it work? Because there is NOT a neglect of characterization of the leads.

In RWBY, there's a serious neglect issue.

And it's not just Jaune. There are other side characters who've been stealing time away from the leads.

Oscar, ever since he debuted Season 4, has been devoted to screen time stealing, and stealing the main character status with a Chosen One narrative and a pretty offensive way of portraying Multiple Personality Disorder. He's the one with the chosen one story, he's the one who interacts with the bad guys, he's toe to toe with Ironwood, he's the one related to Salem, and he does all of it with the personality of a hollow pine tree.

I mean I guess he also has a crush on Ruby, but... I don't want to get into that.

Hell, CINDER, an ANTAGONIST of the show, has more conflict and screen time than the leads. And she's one of my least favorite characters in the entire show, isn't that sweet?!

On top of that, she's a VILLAIN. We shouldn't be routing for her!

Then there's the rest of JNPR. Nora and Ren have a season focused on them, that being season 4. Pyyra is the same case with season 3. Pyyra dies in that season, so she's obviously not getting screen time any further. But Ren and Nora are alive, AND they have a subplot in the Atlas arc. Having a subplot isn't a problem, it just becomes jarring when the main characters don't have an arc and they do.

Penny gets revived and dies in the Atlas arc. That's also a thing.

The fix here should be really simple! Swap roles! Have the side characters sit in the houses with their little arcs, and have Team RWBY on the fields reacting to everything. It wouldn't excuse their lack of inner struggle, but at least they'd be involved with the plot.

There are many ways you could fix this. Like Oscar's role of being related to Salem. Ruby's mom is dead, but like, what if her mom was Salem and was taken out in war and revived/corrupted into this monster figure? That'd be an interesting narrative.

And RWBY is not the only show, the previous season of Pretty Cure, Delicious Party, ALSO has this issue. And arguably they did it worse because I don't even care for the side characters there either. I'd be repeating myself with criticism there:

Yui, the supposed main character, has no character trait other than be a glutton and a stand in for her grandmother, the other Cures are also irrelevant to the plot and just spend their time eating. The boys of this magical girl show are the focus and have all the wishy washy plotlines, and none of them are even that interesting.

I will give RWBY this over Delicious Party to prove I can see its merits:

At least they only have ONE forth wall narration and do know boundaries to that stuff, as opposed to Delicious Party that thinks their viewers are IDIOTS, and needs a narrator to explain EVERYTHING. CONSTANTLY.

(What a new low for that franchise, am I right? At least we have Hirogaru Sky.)

So what have we learned here?

To answer the question: Is Screen Time An Issue For A Character?

No. It's not that simple.

It's what the character DOES with that screen time that matters. And their role in the story that warrants this screen time.

They need to have all the details of their story laid out for you to care about them.

They need every scene involving their story to matter.

They need to have a plotline that justifies the screen time, small role or big role.

They need to be involved with the main story if they are a major character.

They need an internal conflict to keep the time on them engaging.

They need to be doing something.

If they are a minor character, additional screen time is not a bad thing.

A minor character with a lot of screen time could be there to advance the world building, they could be heavily connected to major character, relationship or otherwise.

But the minor characters don't become favorites and neglect focus on the people the story is revolving around.

First Person POV is a difficult storytelling technique when it comes to screen time, but it's not a bad tool. It can be used as a certain perspective for every character involved if done properly.

And just... screen time alone isn't a valid criticism in my opinion. It's WAY more complicated than that.

What's your opinion? Reblog your thoughts, I'm very curious, especially with media with this issue I did not cover.

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nezz-cringe-crib · 25 days

Text

teru mikami analysis bc i love him

hi i'm just here to rant about how much i love teru mikami's character because he's genuinely such a well written character. this is probably gonna be unorganized and just rambly. i might rewrite it later but for now i just need another reason to procrastinate and focus on my silly emos.

(oh yeah also spoilers if that isn't obvious)

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mikami is probably one of the best representations of religious trauma (at least imo and from what i've seen). i haven't read the manga yet and a lot of this might just be me projecting, but either way he's still the top in my books. there's SO many scenes and details about him that remind me so much of myself when i was still heavily involved with christianity (and to be clear, this is my own interpretation, not me tryna shit on any religions. that's a big wompwomp no-no. respect ppl hoes). so here's some random bits about mikami that make me go "OH SHIT ME-CORE ALERT!!!!":

the entire thing with his mom. i know that when he reflects back on his mom's death, he talks about how he's happy the whole thing happened because "she's evil and god killed the evil for me thanks god" but i completely believe the whole thing is just him brainwashing himself. like think about it for a second. his mom just died in the same car crash that involved his main tormentors, and this was also right after he was holding a slight grudge against his mom for defending said tormentors (she obviously didn't do that. she was just trying to help mikami view the world from a more realistic point of view to keep him out of trouble, but when you're that young and that passionate about justice, to him it'll seem like she's defending the same evil he's trying to fight). when you combine these things together, this is just gonna lead to a WHOLE lot of conflicted and lost feelings, and we see that in mikami. he had just been through a rough conversation with his mom, and she died before he could even get a chance to really think about said convo. all he is left with is a mixed feeling of loss, resentment, and fear. however, on the other hand, her death meant that the tormentors she was defending had also died. so to him, it has to mean something, doesn't it? the group of bastards that had been ruining his and others' lives and had finally been rid of. and if this had happened right after his mother had been defending them, it has to be a sign, right? there has to be a reason for all this hurt, right? when mikami is viewing the world through these lenses, it makes sense that'd he'd suddenly want a reason to justify his mom's death, even though it feels unbelievably cruel. so he finds a reason, and he finds that reasoning through god. this is honestly something that i used to do a lot when i was still heavily invested in my church, and i'm sure there are others who have been in the same situation. when the world is unjustifiably cruel, people will make up justification for it. it's a fear tactic that many people fall prey to in religious environments, and if not treated, it can fester into much more toxic environments for the people around them.

^^^ tldr: mikami copes with his mom's death by telling himself "it's okay that my mom died!! she was working for satan and god had to kill her!! thanks god!!" and if that's not the most religious-trauma-core shit out there then idk what is.

ALSO LITERALLY JUST EVERYTHING WITH LIGHT'S DEATH???? YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THAT SHIT HURT MAN. the realization that your god is not the god you thought you had been following used to be some of the scariest shit out there to me and mikami had it thrown right at his face when light died. not only was his god gone, but his god was never a god to begin with. he was just some guy. some pathetic guy who was now bleeding out and screaming on the ground. he had dedicated his life to this thing, and it was never real to begin with. and so he dies with it. because when the god revolving your life is gone, what other life do you really have? mikami was the perfect fucking example of that and i need it to be talked about more fucking please guys he's literally just like me fr i swear.

that's all i can think of right now tbh. if there's any typos in here no there isn't you're wrong nuhuh. anyways i fucking love mikami's character. he might be an antisocial autistic boyloser edgelord but he's MY antisocial autistic boyloser edgelord and i will defend him with my life. that hoe did EVERY wrong thing but your honor he is just a silly guy.

#teru mikami #death note #dn #analysis #rambles #your honor that hoe is just like me fr #cw religious trauma

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imagine--if · 2 years

Note

Can u do a dano riddler x reader where the reader is obsessed with him like just bases there whole being over him and he is to and he like sneaks into the reader’s apartment or something and just sees a shrine of himself

A/N: Figured I'd merge this with the highly requested part two of the love letter miniseries!! Glad you guys are enjoying it and hope you like this conclusion; To My Hope is next to be updated 💚

Pairing: Dano!Riddler x reader (The Batman 2022)

Warnings: Obsessive love 😍

Words: 1582

You weren't expecting much after the letter had been propped up against the door and you'd rushed out of the hotel building straight after, only a couple of days ago. Did you even pick the right door? Is what you wrote to obsessive, something that'd make him raise a brow and turn his nose up almost immediately? Will he just toss it aside and focus on his plans that, honestly, don't involve you personally anyway?

Sighing wistfully, you pause an old favourite stream of your Riddler's as raindrops spatter onto your phone screen, and shove it into your pocket as you leave work to go home. You figure you can watch more back in the warmth of your apartment, maybe print off more photos you've screenshotted. Cute angles of The Riddler from his live streams suddenly collective squares on a large, dedicated strip of wall in your room, along with absentminded doodles of his signature question mark and cyphers you've caught glimpses of in the backgrounds of his videos every so often.

The streets of Gotham are cold and dark and uninviting, but there's still a small smile on your face as you walk home, because, for you, there's a speck of hope in the form of a riddling menace that knows just how to give this place a taste of its own medicine. You just wish you could be there with him, properly by his side, watching the place flood or burn and destroy itself however he sees fit. You can almost feel it in the cool chill of the evening air - imagined, protective arms around your middle and a giddy man's face behind his mask as he buries it in the crook of your neck. Eyes lit up by the firework-like sparks from electric poles as they topple while The Riddler mumbles on and on about "Isn't it beautiful?" and "It's all for you, my love," so earnestly - that you shiver at the thought, pouting as you're brought back to reality as a raindrop slides down your face.

You let yourself into your apartment building and head upstairs, unlocking your door with a tired sigh and flipping on the lights.

It's only then, as the soft yellow brightens up the short hallway and living room just ahead of you, that you stop dead in your tracks, breath stuck in your throat.

There's a figure standing by the living room window only a few feet away. It's far too vivid, too realistic to be another hopeless fantasy you've conjured up time and time again; that familiar green coat and hood beneath it padding his body, heavy boots and clear-framed glasses. But this Riddler isn't wearing his mask. Instead, his face is bare and decidedly vulnerable to the person who steps into the room. Soft, sandy brown locks flopping at his forehead, a sweet, dangerous, nerdy look on his round face. Forest green eyes that you've stared at on your screens countless times, trying to read them, to see through the layers to the madman you've grown to love to an unhealthy amount.

There's no need for trying now. Because the man smiles from where he's staring thoughtfully out your window, moving slowly over to the wall space where there are hundreds of shots of him captured and taped up. Your bedroom door is to the side of the living room and open wide for him to see the makeshift shrine, and you lean on the main door behind you to shut it, leaning against it in dizzy disbelief.

"I- I have one of these," the man speaks, and his voice makes heat run through you in a lovestruck daze, that comforting, beautiful voice not modified and inch by the voicebox of his mask or muffled by a computer's recording. "I only started yesterday, but it's become quite full... even more than this lovely feature here. I couldn't help myself."

Your eyes are round as he finally meets your gaze with such a soft, adoring look. You don't trust your legs not to give way if you push yourself upright from leaning against the door, your keys making impressions on the palm of your hand from your tight grip. Instead, you stare straight back at him, taking in his unmasked face, praying that this whole thing isn't some godsend of a dream that'll end too soon.

"You can see it, if you like," he offers with a giggle that makes you breathe out a short, shaky breath at the sound. "It's all for you anyway, angel."

Just minutes ago, that phrase that you could practically hear him whispering to you - "It's all for you, my love." But an angel... no, this is so much better. And at this point, your encounter with The Riddler is undoubtedly real.

"Must have taken you so much time," he whispers, partly to himself, as he glances again at the wall you've made in his honour. The Riddler's smile grows fondly as he looks back at you. "You're even sweeter than I imagined you'd be. You're such a wonder. You're just perfect."

You blink, watching as he takes a step closer to you, then another.

"Perfect?" You manage to repeat quietly, your voice breaking from the whole thing. "Me? For what?"

"For me," he clarifies with another amused giggle, close enough to take your trembling hands in his warm ones. "Ah, you are funny."

You open your mouth, then close it again, savouring the feeling of your hands clasped firmly in his.

"I got your letter, if you were wondering. Well, obviously. You're so clever, managing to track me down like that. A whole police force is going to go through hell trying to do what you did."

"It... it was worth it," you breathe, looking straight into his observant, deep green gaze. "Did you like it?"

"I loved it," he responds happily, grinning and almost swooning as he squeezes your hands, a thumb grazing over their backs. "Your letter was so lovely, sweet thing. I've still got it, hung up in my room."

"Good," you manage to smile out of pure happiness and excitement. "That's all I wanted."

"You won't want anything anymore," The Riddler corrects you, releasing one of your hands to move his own to your cheek. It takes everything in you not to lean into his doting touch, and he steps even closer to you, his hair brushing against and tickling your forehead. "You wanted me. And I want you. I think we always have, we just didn't know it. That's what true love is, angel. Soulmates are very hard to come by, unless you're you or me."

"You think so?" you encourage him with wide, hopeful eyes, and he nods, cooing at you like a baby and leaning in even closer to playfully nudge his nose against yours.

"I know so. Don't you?"

You nod enthusiastically, letting the man move your hands to rest on his shoulders as he takes the sight of you in for a few long moments, a crazed, eager smile on his face as his eyes wander over your features.

"You're The Riddler..."

He giggles again, meeting your eyes briefly before he continues to study and admire you like a painting. "Mhm."

"You're letting me see your face..."

"That's only fair," he tells you, "since you went out of your way to find me like this. And since we're meant for each other anyway, there's no point in hiding from you. I've got nothing to hide."

You gain an ounce of confidence from your previous dazed, love-filled state of disbelief. "I think you're pretty."

The Riddler looks up so quickly you almost flinch, looking so giddy with hope and love at your words. "You- you do? Really?!"

You nod with a small laugh. "Yes. Don't you?"

"Oh, I don't focus on that much," he says, surprisingly bashful as you watch a blush form on his cheeks. "And my true self often appears behind a mask. I'm glad you think so though. You're so sweet."

You drink up the loving compliments from the enamoured man, before a thought comes to you, and you open your mouth to speak again.

"What is your name?"

"Oh- I'm Edward. Sorry, I forgot to... I'm Edward Nashton. I know your name, of course... I didn't think of that straight away. There was so much else to think of..."

"I know," you agree with a smile, raising a hand tentatively to thread between his hair. You watch in wonder and amusement and Edward doesn't bother to resist leaning into you, practically shuddering at your light touches. "You've got enough time to tell me things though, haven't you?"

"Oh, yes," Edward agrees, breaking out of his trance for a while to answer you with a dopey grin. "More than enough. It's going to be heaven, with you watching and waiting as everyone tears each other apart! I've planned this all to perfection, you know. I can't wait for you to see it all..."

"I can wait long enough to sleep on all this tonight," you admit with a laugh, "if you're staying?"

"I'll never leave you," Edward says with a loving sigh, resting his forehead against yours as you sway slightly together on the spot. "Everything I'll ever do is for you, see? Does that sound good?"

You smile and nod, melting as Edward wraps his arms around you tightly, the feeling unimaginably better and stronger than what you'd dreamt of.

"That sounds perfect, Eddie."

DID WE LIKE?? I LIKED 😁

.・ Taglist: ・.

@lostbunn @dencchan @dragovegogrimborn @i-wished-upon-a-star-one-night @edwardspumpkinpie @murderbimbo00 @sweetums0kitty @beel-mcburger @cml-san @jervis-tetch-my-beloved @r4iner @bimboanime @phoenixgurl030 @vaylordd @dangerouslittlefairy @katjourno @yoyoanaria @yaeyuuki @vinxlsketches @beenz-beenz @ghoulsgraveyard @birds-have-teeth @repostingmyfavs @r3ptiliaaa @for3v3rda1sy @glitterycheesecakegladiator @moonwritesblog @lilyevans1 @httpsunflowers @hxney-lemcn @confusedchildsstuff @callsigncrash @sugahbabieexo @bokksieu @skateb0red @wilburrrsworld @philiasoul @darthcringe @felicityofbakerstreet @bloodypantomime @deadlights-darling @tianotfound @mortem-muse @ireadandream @tinyryder @kpopgirlbtssvt @truecobblepot @jessicainhell

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mdhwrites · 6 months

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I know you've criticized TOH's magic system as a whole before, but what are your thoughts on the actual types of coven magic themselves? (abomination, bard, beast keeping, construction, healing, illusion, oracle, plant, potions)

I mean, I like magic enough to like just about any school of magic. If I had any real issue with them it's that Bard is amongst them. I know that may seem weird but the rest are actually very specific, to a degree of being kind of... material. Illusion is the closest to being different but you still have a specific idea of what sort of spell is being cast, even if it falls into a more broad category than specifically plant instead of Earth (I'll get back to this point). Bard on the other hand? As far as we can tell in TOH, the biggest thing about it seems to be that it designates that you actually use a spellcasting focus instead of a spell circle but otherwise you can do as you please. Otherwise, why is it that they can literally summon storm clouds and lightning? Why is bard magic also akin to weather magic?

And that's kind of the issue I have with trying to actually talk about each. Do I like plant magic? Sure. Do I like construction magic? Sure. Why are these two different covens though when what seems to be the material different between the two is that one's power is flexible while the other makes concrete pillars? Maybe if we saw them actually use their magic for more than offense that'd be one thing but as it is, you have to wonder why they aren't one coven. Or hell, where do medicinal plants fall into this system? Do they not have potions of healing or potions of growth because they cross into another coven's territory?

And all of this excludes an evocation coven. In D&D, that's the school of magic that does fireballs but there IS NO FIREBALL COVEN!?

Sigh.

So yeah, it's kind of hard for me to judge them individually because most of them are just very basic. And that's just conceptually. If we go by what the show shows us: Potions: Boring and barely used.

Plant: SURE HOPE YOU LIKE VINES! And then one toxin despite the fact that you'd assume that was a potion coven thing.

Abomination: Definitely the coolest by asking what happens when you focus on golem making but also just does whatever the writer wants it to. Otherwise, why the fuck does it have a teleportation spell? Let alone one that doesn't require a golem. Also they never actually do anything with the golems they make except turn them into robots and that's not interesting.

Bard: Listed my issues above, especially since clearly much of its magic just does whatever, regardless of if you can hear it or not.

Healing: Pretty much not in the show.

Illusion: Fucked over by the show lying about it not being able to affect real objects and the show never actually does anything interesting with it and when it has fun with it, it's only once for the actual potential of the coven.

Beast Keeping: We see it only a couple times and it looks cool but is ill defined and doesn't seem to actually be familiar based. In fact, with how easy it seems to be for witches to call upon creatures and there being a super mode for it, it comes off as just an objectively better form of what abomination magic's main gimmick is.

Construction: Has the amazing fact of having power GLYPHS when glyphs are supposed to be Luz's thing and also they never come back. Otherwise, it's literally just stone pillars. Boring.

Oracle: We never actually see anyone tell the future or have future sight be a plot point of the show so entirely pointless. Otherwise, ghosts and telepathy, the latter of which seems to have been through an artifact and not through an oracle power, so again: Boring. Hell, the only thing we ever see one of their spirits do is attack like any old golem or beast so that's THREE covens where they effectively all do the same thing. Also the second coven who's primary color is purple.

And if you're going "Well, what about using them outside of the show?" I don't think that's a good question. It's MAGIC. It can do quite literally whatever the fuck you want. It is only limited by the rules of your setting and your imagination. As there effectively zero rules on what any of these covens can actually do, no power limits, it was only ever the limits of the creators.

And that only made it ever look like the creators lacked any creativity. Or, bare minimum, lacked interest in their magic to make it creative and distinct in anyway.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

#the owl house criticism #toh critical #toh covens

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td-frog · 2 months

Text

thoughts on disventure camp e4:

tom and jake

seeing people complain about tom being a hypocrite for snarking at jake here and i agree that it is hypocritical. but i don't think it's bad writing (i honestly really like it?)

like. tom and jake are messy. they have no communication. they overreact to everything. that's like their whole thing.

idk why tom ghosted after the first season, or while he's continuing to be distant (and now, more openly hostile). this is because the show hasn't told us yet. i assume, given that it's only episode 4 and this plot is getting a lot of attention, that there will eventually be some explanation. it doesn't really feel out of character to me at this point, just that we're missing information.

also specifically the reason i like this interaction is because it makes it very clear that tom is also being shitty here! like imo that was clear from the very start with the ghosting and dodging confrontation stuff, but more recently the focus has been on jake's jealousy. and while i do think jake is being unreasonable as well, tom is not innocent. as before, they are messy!!

villians' alliance and elimination

first off: i so called miriam being out this episode. didn't know the exact context, but in order for the alec helping fiore plot to work long term she needed to be out of the picture.

i like that she played well here though. like she did exactly what she should have done in the situation and it just didn't work out. sad to see her go, but not surprised.

poor connor tho :( my man's all alone now. i'm hoping that with grett turning on yul (you go girl) that maybe he'll last a bit longer

also yet again reminded why i love alec as a player and a villain. he's so good at planning and thinking things through, and he's not just thinking in terms of his own best interest. man plays this game like chess.

like. the rest of yellow team would have happily let ellie or fiore lose and get booted despite the alliance. alec's main goal was to get rid of miriam, but at the same time he was proving to ellie (and less so fiore) that he was also looking out for them.

i also like that it's not working out as cleanly as he'd like. miriam exposing him may not have been a problem here, but it will be later. in s1 he was able to largely fly under the radar for a while, and now is having to change tactics.

other thoughts

aiden and tess made me smile :) i want them to be friends

like ally's apology and hunter's non-apology (and fiore's wtf response). i think ally's really sweet and i get why fiore doesn't buy it but i'm glad someone on this team was like "maybe bullying a child is wrong"

ashley's backstory :(

predictions for next episode

elimination is harder to predict because the teams are even again. i'm thinking yellow team again makes the most sense, given the inevitable fallout of the villain reveal and the vote for yul. my guess would be connor vs. yul (vs. alec?) and of those three i see yul as most likely.

(could also be connor but the letter from miriam might save him somehow; i'm mainly doubting that they'd take him out of the competition here bc that'd be pretty unsatisfying for the connoriya drama. kind of leaning this actually bc yul being betrayed but not eliminated could also be juicy.)

if it's not yellow team... i could see gabby on cyan, mostly through process of elimination. tom and aiden need to stick around for the drama with jake, ellie's got the villain thing, and tess hasn't really gotten to do much other than be stuck in the middle of things.

gabby also hasn't really gotten to do anything besides support ellie, but i wouldn't be surprised to see her go early- like with james and lake, it feels like her character so far this season has been more in support of another character, and the impact her elimination would have on ellie feels like the most likely plot direction for this team to take.

that said idk why anyone would vote gabby out at this point. but i digress.

i really doubt it'll be magenta. fiore and jake have their own plots happening that i doubt will be wrapped up next episode, hunter and ally's relationship feels like it needs slightly more focus and deterioration before either of them goes home, and ashley just doesn't really seem likely?

aside from elimination

jake's gonna be sad about miriam. i think tom might be too, but unclear how exactly he'll react. will definitely make their whole thing worse, because for some reason they decided miriam should hold the brain cell of their relationship.

yellow team is definitely gonna have drama: fallout from miriam telling everyone alec was untrustworthy, the whole situation with grett and yul's relationship, connor being the only outsider to the alliance.

not sure what else- hunter and ally might have some plot progression, but i think those top two bullets will be the main points.

also whatever advantage connor got will definitely come up- seen speculation that it's like the "make people switch teams" card riya got in s2 but idk how that would play out

#frog.txt #disventure camp #disventure camp spoilers

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harmless--dreamer · 9 months

Text

Thinking about Cypher Valorant again.

So his card right. Redeemer's Folly. Let's look at it again, I'm going to over analyse this and this post is just brain salad I warn you.

Three doors. Three lights. Three shadows.

It makes sense that cypher's silhouette is center frame- he's the focus obviously. It Could just be that they wanted symmetry but the other player cards aren't symmetrical like that so I'm choosing to believe this is a Choice.

Cypher, Nora, their child. Lots of threes in here.

Talking about the door again. I said it looked like the door to a mosque but it's a specific place in Morocco - or at least looks like it (thanks Barrenreach for that info). Bab Bou Jeloud is the gate in question.

There are certainly similarities in terms of the shapes. It's like a main entrance to parts of the city.

So, if that Is what the gate in the card is then it could be reminiscent of him returning home? Going back to Morocco, back to his people. Not entirely sure on that one since I haven't thought about it as much.

Buttttttt I'm going to talk about the mosque idea anyway because I think it's interesting. Cypher isn't what I'd call the religious type. Prefacing this next part with the obligatory I am an Arab, not Moroccan but I am familiar with general Arabic culture (also not a Muslim, though I have Muslim family).

Cypher doesn't say things like wallahi or similar (at least not in game, I see you fanfiction writers using it and I approve). He doesn't strike me as someone who would be going to the mosque every day and praying (mainly because I think he is the type to get so absorbed in his work that he forgets what day and time it is and forgets to do things like Eat).

Still, if he was visiting a Mosque that'd raise questions. I know at least in my part of the world (Lebanon) we have plenty of people who are, for lack of a better term, culturally Muslim but aren't ""devout"'- which might be the same as Cypher but really who knows.

Anyway, off track. Why would he be visiting a mosque? Visiting a mosque For Redemption?

Well, Islam says that Allah will forgive those who forgive (in simple terms). I wouldn't call Cypher a forgiving person. He's not forgiven himself for whatever happened to his family, for one. He's not forgiving to Kingdom (can't blame him for that, fuck kingdom). Maybe he can't find that redemption, find that forgiveness, from Allah or himself, until he moves past what happened to him. Until Kingdom is dealt with along with everything else.

Bringing this back to the idea of him being his own worst enemy- he needs to shed the persona of Cypher before he can gain redemption. Cypher is the dark shadow in front of the light of doorway, the persona of Cypher is the dark shadow in the way of his redemption. Perhaps he needs to finish his business as Cypher before he can move forward, before he can be Amir and be redeemed, forgiven.

This,,, is a hot garbage pile of a post in terms of my brain just spitting words out without much thought but I again wanted to get my braincell to spin and I love Cypher so much.

#cypher valorant

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chrysalis-the-butterfly · 1 month

Note

How was your Helluva Boss watch?

It was pretty neat! Thanks for asking!

Here's a list of the stuff I liked:

Moxxie and Millie's marriage is cute! I'm a sucker for fictional married couples who are sickeningly adorable and genuinely care for each other rather than arguing all the time.

I think I might have an autistic headcanon for Moxxie? It was the bit where he started infodumping to Millie's parents that did it for me.

There were plenty of lines of dialogue that made me splutter because I wasn't expecting them to be so hilarious.

The part of the interrogation scene where Moxxie intelligently explains why torture is a bad interrogation tactic and Blitzo adds that the demons might enjoy the torture too much and then the agents would have a whole other set of problems on their hands lives in my head rent-free for some reason.

While I'm not sure I want Stolitz to become canon, I will admit that their complicated relationship is interesting to watch. The childhood flashback episode had some cute moments. And I'm fascinated by the changes that Stolas has undergone over the course of the series. I'm glad he's not as creepy as he was at the start.

(I prefer Owling at the Moon over Stolitz, which is probably why I don't want Stolitz to become canon. Imagine if Loona and Octavia started dating and Blitzo and Stolas became the awkward in-laws. I'd like watching that play out!)

Fizzmodeus intrigues me. I wasn't sure about that ship at first, but they do seem to have a cute thing going on. Watching Asmodeus trying to help Fizzarolli after his panic attack was unexpected. I've not really seen stuff like that in the fiction I've encountered.

I came across a Hellaverse crossover fanfic where Angel Dust meets Asmodeus and I thought it was well-written. (You can read it here if you're interested. But given the two main characters are the King of Lust and a porn star, it's very much NSFW, so don't look if you're a minor.)

And here's a list of the stuff I wasn't keen on:

The show was supposed to be about a team of demonic assassins taking out targets on Earth, but it seems to have abandoned that premise rather quickly to focus on exploring side characters and fleshing out the worldbuilding in Hell. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the worldbuilding (certainly more than I would have enjoyed the gory killings) - it just bothers me that the show starts with a premise and then forgets it. At least in Hazbin Hotel, the themes of redemption and second chances are almost always present, even if the Hotel itself isn't getting much focus. By contrast, what does Fizzarolli's clown career have to do with assassinating humans?

The sound mixing on the songs bothered me. Most of the time, the dialogue is loud and clear, but when a song starts, the voices go really quiet for some reason and the instrumentation drowns them out and I can't hear what they're singing. It's as if the show keeps coming down with a bad case of Sonic Adventure 2 sound mixing.

I wish Loona was treated better by the narrative. She seems very underdeveloped to me, and I'd love to see an episode or two focusing on her and giving her time to shine. (And more of her hanging out with Octavia. That'd be neat.)

They got Barrett Wilbert Weed to voice Octavia and they haven't let her sing a song yet?! I've heard her Heathers and Mean Girls stuff! She's a good singer! Don't let her go to waste!

So, as you can see, I do have some quibbles with the series, but overall, I had fun!

I am now finally watching Hazbin Hotel properly (hooray!), and I prefer that show over Helluva Boss. The characters resonate with me more, and the songs stand out to me more. But I still enjoyed checking out Helluva Boss!

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ahmedmootaz · 10 months

Note

(slides you the idea of color fixer X au. same au has Angelica alive)

anyways

tosses this here and RUNS /lh

Dear transfer-ribonucleic-acid/breadgun,

First of all, great drawing! I really, really like the facial expressions and the scars; I feel X would definitely have this determined yet somewhat nervous attitude towards the rapid sequences of events that have undoubtedly needed to happen for him to be in such a position. I also really like the suit; it reminds me of Kali's Colour outfit, in a way, and I think it'd make sense, as she's the only Colour he'd know of, so he'd probably attempt to mimic her style in a way to look both fashionable and remain practical. The hair is very fun to look at, and the eyes are very expressive. Overall, great job!

But now, onto the concept itself...I must admit, the idea of this AU makes think of a lot of different possibilities that made it occur in the first place, and I do hope you wouldn't mind me sharing a few of my thoughts on this very, very intriguing AU.

So first of all, X as a Colour. The idea makes me primarily think of how he'd get there in the first place, and I think that it'd be related to the Seed of Light. Part of me thinks that, somehow, X would be dragged out of the Light for one way or another and would wake up in the ruins of the Corporation with the Library getting established without him and him having to crawl back up on his lonesome.

I think that he'd gain some combat abilities with his battles against the various monsters and Ordeals that'd plague the Corporation's ruins at this point, but I think his strongest point would be Ayin himself. After all, we are told that Ayin made it into the Light like Carmen did, even if no one can hear him. It'd make sense that he'd be able to somewhat communicate with X, seeing how they're clone-and-clonee, so their relationship is undoubtedly strong.

From there on, I think Ayin would try drawing out a sort of E.G.O. from X, but since X's main purpose in life (fulfilling the Seed of Light's prerequisites) was gone at this point, I don't think that he'd be able to manifest a complete E.G.O., rather, he'd have one forcefully manifested out of him if he and Ayin focus enough on the matter. Of course, the question of X's E.G.O. remains, though I think I have an idea for what type of E.G.O. would fit him perfectly:

Regeneration.

After all, X's whole deal in the Corporation was his unwavering determination and his undying efforts to continue regardless of how many times he fell down before, no? It'd make sense if his E.G.O. was based on constantly regenerating his body in order for him to keep pressing on with his new goals. But of course, as X's E.G.O. was incomplete when it was manifested, the drawback would be that X had to intentionally focus on damaging any hurt part in his body and endure the pain of the regeneration in case the nerves are exposed to air as they're healing and such, which makes it so that X has to be determined all the time about his new goal lest he lose the ability to heal himself in the first place and die on the battlefield.

Still, despite these drawbacks, I feel X would be nigh-unstoppable on the battlefield because his enemies wouldn't know why this scrawny and thin man just tanked a sword to the neck and managed to stab them back in a fraction of a second. I think, with perhaps some TT2 technology that he'd loot from the Corporation, he'd be able to rise through the ranks pretty quickly before the Hana would eventually grant him a title...

As for Angelica's involvement in this AU, I think that'd be absolutely adorable if she managed to survive the Pianist's attack somehow, perhaps thanks to Argalia being close by, though the shock might've made her go into early labour, so I think in this AU, Roland and Angelica would have their baby but they'd probably lose their home and would be forced to stay at Argalia's place, which can be a source of fluff as Argalia leans into being an uncle while also being a great source of hilarity because, come on. It's Argalia and Roland under one roof.

I think it would be quite cool if Ayin is essentially X's eyes in the sky while X is Ayin's striking hand and that Ayin would direct X to try and gain Roland and Argalia's support to hunt and destroy Distortions under the premise of "We need to prevent anything like the Pianist from harming people like Angelica ever again" and they'd maybe choose a name like The Three Colours or maybe even Distortion Destroyers because Distortion Detectives was already trademarked by Moses. It would be pretty funny to see such a trio with both Argalia and Roland suspicious of a Colour that rose so quickly while also swearing they saw his face once in a newspaper or something without remembering who he was.

And we could say that X's present scars in the drawing remain because he acquired them during his escape form the Corporation's collapsed form before Ayin dragged his E.G.O. out and so he couldn't heal them as well.

But that's my opinion on this AU, which honestly sounds quite fascinating and looks filled to the brim with fun ideas, however, I didn't ask for YOUR proper view on it, so let me ask you:

How do YOU imagine it going? I am very curious to see how you think it'd go, and I hope that this long ramble didn't annoy you too much.

Once more, thank you so very much for the prompt and the very nice art! It means a lot to me, and I hope to see more of this AU!

#lobotomy corporation #manager x #ayin #roland #argalia #angelica #Do tell me more because this looks like a very fun AU honestly #ask #thanks for the wonderful ask!

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yuma-tsukumo · 1 year

Text

Total Drama World Tour Splatoon 3 Comps

Foreword: I Am Very Neurodivergent!

Who asked for this? No one, this is for ME lmfao

NOW ONTO THE ACTUAL GOOD STUFF: Talking about the TDIWT comps (main weapon + main gear abilities) and why I think they'd have the type of loadout pictured!

Characters below marked with a ❥ symbol next to their name are ones I refuse to change since I think they're perfect, but others are up for discussion & feedback! I purposefully prevented duplicate weapon selections since I wanted to challenge myself a lil bit and give everyone their own unique comp!

BLAINELY ‒ Splattershot Pro / Opening Gambit / Special Power Up / Ink Saver (Main) Fav Mode: Tower Control Why this comp? I'm not too familiar with her personality since I FORGOR but she seems like the type to be kinda cutthroat on the field. Angle shooter to throw the enemy off & popping her Crab Tank when she wants to be very aggressive! Opening Gambit bc she wants to go headfirst and send a message, Special Power Up to Crab Tank more, and Ink Saver to shoot more! Loves TC so she can ride the tower and feel unstoppable!

LINDSAY ‒ Splash-o-matic / Ink Recovery Up / Ink Saver (Main) / Run Speed Up Fav Mode: Turf War Why this comp? She heard that the Splash was REALLY good and thought that just having it would make her a better player. She copied her main abilities from Beth and she's lucky they work out for her, but they aren't top tier for her weapon or playstyle. Throws a lot of burst bombs, rarely uses the Crab Tank wisely. Loves Turf War because it's got the easiest objective!

❥IZZY ‒ Custom Splattershot Jr. / Swim Speed Up x3 Fav Mode: Clam Blitz Why this comp? She wants to make everyone regret playing the game, constantly throwing torpedoes and using her wave breaker to slow down the enemy team. All her gear ability slots are dedicated to swim speed so she can escape sticky situations as fast as possible. She's got a goofy comp but she's a terrifying player. Loves CB because she has an excuse to make the MOST advantage of her speed ability & annoy the opposing team!

❥DJ ‒ Nautilus 47 / Ink Resistance Up x2 / Ink Recovery Up Fav Mode: Turf War Why this comp? He doesn't wanna hurt anyone and he's scared of getting splatted so he chooses the long-ranged Nautilus 47! Point Sensor helps his teammates do all the work of getting splats & Ink Storm allows him to weaken the enemy from a distance without splatting them (unless they're dumb enough to stand in the storm). He has x2 Ink Resistance because he doesn't wanna get splatted and Ink Recovery to recover ink faster. Loves Turf War because he doesn't have to fight if he doesn't want to, he can just ink up the floor instead!

LESHAWNA ‒ Tri-Slosher / Special Power Up x2 / Ink Saver (Main) Fav Mode: Rainmaker Why this comp? Leshawna seems like the type that'd love to get up close and personal enough to annoy people with the power of her tri-slosher! Toxic Mist slows down her enemies and she takes immense advantage of the Inkjet to snipe them or fly away from danger. She uses two Special Power Up abilities so she can use her Inkjet for longer and has Ink Saver so she can keep on sloshin'! Loves RM because she loves making people drop the rainmaker & popping the bubble before anyone else does!

BRIDGETTE ‒ Dapple Dualies Nouveau / Run Speed Up / Swim Speed Up / Ink Saver (Main) Fav Mode: Splat Zones Why this comp? She wants to move smoothly and quickly to evade enemy fire! Overall just a typical player, chill and wants to complete the objective without focusing too much on getting splats. Her main abilities reflect this: Simple but effective. Loves using her torpedo for distant shots and the Reefslider for fun (doesn't always end well for her lmfao). Loves SZ because she doesn't have to focus on the entire map, just that one small zone! It's the best spot for her to use her Reefslider!

❥COURTNEY ‒ Splat Dualies / Opening Gambit / Haunt / Ink Resistance Up Fav Mode: Tower Control Why this comp? Similarly to Bridgette, she uses the dualies class to evade enemy fire and move around quickly. She loves using her suction bombs to surprise splat any enemies that jump near her location. She knows that the Crab Tank is the best special in the game and she uses it to her advantage. She uses Opening Gambit to fly headfirst into the field and fight her enemies. She uses Haunt as a way to find whoever splatted her and get revenge on them. Ink Resistance helps her roll through enemy ink and be a more sturdy opponent. She's very goal-oriented and leads her team to complete the objective above all else, but be warned: if she starts getting splatted too much, she becomes a force to be reckoned with. Loves TC because she gets to spam suction bombs onto the tower and make it virtually unable to be climbed by the enemy team.

❥EVA ‒ Luna Blaster Neo / Last-Ditch Effort / Haunt / Run Speed Up Fav Mode: Rainmaker Why this comp? Luna Blasters are a little slow but they do high damage which she loves. She tosses Fizzy Bombs to get closer to the enemy and stamps the shit out of people (or throws it at anyone she sees in a high, unreachable place). She has Last-Ditch Effort so she can make a comeback at the last minute and make any necessary push against the enemy. Loves RM because the Rainmaker is like a funky blaster, she absolutely murders with it and is decent at paving a way for herself with it despite being vulnerable!

❥DUNCAN ‒ Grizzco Blaster / Opening Gambit / Ninja Squid / Drop Roller Fav Mode: Clam Blitz Why this comp? He doesn't play by the rules, he probably smuggles (or hacks in) a Grizzco brand weapon, specifically the blaster since it's the class he prefers. He loves the rapid fire rate of the weapon and just how deadly it is to other people who don't see it coming. The kit would come with the Range Blaster's kit: Suction Bombs & the Wave Breaker. He absolutely abuses these in all game modes and is a massive nuisance, though he usually focuses more on kills rather than the game's objective. He uses Opening Gambit to help him rush in and get splats from the get-go. He loves Ninja Squid because it allows him to sneak around and get the drop on people who aren't paying attention to him, it's a pretty good scare tactic. He has the Drop Roller because he's not afraid of being seen whenever he jumps into the fray of battle, he'd rather face the danger head-on and his illegal weapon can help him survive the worst situation. Loves CB because he can wipe out the enemy team with his vicious comp and have enough time to throw as many clams into the basket as possible!

JUSTIN ‒ Jet Squelcher / Run Speed Up / Swim Speed Up / Quick Super Jump Fav Mode: None Why this comp? The Jet Squelcher allows him to fight from a distance, he can't afford to get himself inked up, let alone splatted! He uses the angle shooter to hit enemies from afar and the Ink Vac sucks up any enemy ink that's coming his way. He has Run & Swim Speed Up so he can run away from enemies as fast as possible. Quick Super Jump allows him to jump to the nearest teammate or back to spawn so he can avoid being inked. He's not the best team player since he's constantly focused on himself, though he does try to achieve the game mode's objective.

❥KATIE ‒ Ink Brush Nouveau / Run Speed Up x2 / Swim Speed Up Fav Mode: Turf War Why this comp? She loves painting the floor with her BFF and running around as fast as possible! The Ink Brush Nouveau allows her to plant Ink Mines to prevent enemies from hurting her or her BFF and the Ultra Stamp is fun to play with! Double the Run Speed Up for extra painting speed and Swim Speed Up for...extra swim speed! Loves Turf War because she can run around with her paintbrush and get absolutely nothing done!

❥SADIE ‒ Ink Brush / Run Speed Up x2 / Swim Speed Up Fav Mode: Turf War Why this comp? She just HAD to twin with her BFF! She uses the ink brush instead so she can cover any ground her BFF might be unable to! The Splat Bomb can deter enemies and the Killer Wail 5.1 can push her enemies away! Loves Turf War because she can run around with her paintbrush and have fun with her BFF!

❥SIERRA ‒ Aerospray MG / Special Charge Up / Thermal Ink / Special Saver Fav Mode: Turf War Why this comp? She saw Cody using the Aerospray RG and she wanted to use something similar to what he thought was good but with a twist! She loves tossing Fizzy Bombs to get close to anyone she wants to, same with the Reefslider! She usually wastes her specials and uses them to get closer to Cody. She has Special Charge Up and Special Saver because Cody has them. She additionally has the Haunt ability so she can keep track of anyone that hurts Cody! Loves Turf War because Cody loves it!

❥TYLER ‒ N-ZAP '85 / Comeback / Special Saver / Stealth Jump Fav Mode: Clam Blitz Why this comp? The N-ZAP '85 seems like a very good shooter he can use to impress Lindsay, the Suction Bomb is one of the most powerful bombs in the game and the Tacticooler benefits everyone in the team! Though, e's really bad at playing the game...That's why he has Comeback and Special Saver! They give him slight boosts because he gets splatted so often that they actually work out for him. He has Stealth Jump because he loves thinking that he can jump headfirst into the heat of battle but doesn't want to get instantly splatted (he usually does anyways). Loves CB because it's the closest thing to a real world sport in the game and his Tacticooler is very useful in this mode!

OWEN ‒ Squeezer / Comeback / Intensify Action / Ink Resistance Up Fav Mode: Rainmaker Why this comp? The Squeezer's made from a champagne bottle, he can drink the contents inside! He likes being able to hide behind the Ink Wall (or protecting his teammates with one) and finds it fun trying to use his Trizooka! He has Comeback as insurance for whenever he's splatted, as per Noah's suggestion. Ink Resistance Up was also one of his buddy's suggestions. He uses Intensify Action because he thinks he needs it (spoiler alert: he does NOT need Intensify Action). He's not the best at getting splats but he tries his very best to focus on the objective and win for his team! Loves RM because he thinks its fun to run around with the Rainmaker and it looks so tasty (please don't let him eat the rainmaker)!

❥NOAH ‒ E-Liter 4K / Ink Saver (Main) / Respawn Punisher / Sub Resistance Up Fav Mode: Splat Zones Why this comp? He doesn't need to move from his perch AND he gets to play games with anyone beneath him! He prefers the non-scoped E-Liter 4K because it gives him a wider field of view which prevents him from being surprised by anyone trying to sneak up on him. Besides, his teammates can protect him while he splats the enemy, why should he worry? He plants Ink Mines near himself for further protection in case anyone gets too close and the Wave Breaker helps him keep track of his enemies! He's got all his bases covered. He uses Ink Saver to make sure he has enough ink left for another charge to snipe enemies with. He has Respawn Punisher since he rarely gets splatted and is very good at splatting enemies, therefore he can risk having a slower respawn time if it means making other people get slowed down before he does. He has Sub Resistance Up as well since he knows most people are gonna try reaching him by throwing a variety of bombs, might as well be prepared! He's a scheming sharpshooter and is very good at giving his teammates a plan that'll help them secure a win. Loves SZ because there's only one small area to focus on so he can afford to camp on the highest point of the map and hide behind walls if necessary; also allows him to snipe people more effectively if they stay within the zone!

❥HAROLD ‒ Splatana Stamper / Swim Speed Up / Ninja Squid / Stealth Jump Fav Mode: Tower Control Why this comp? NINJA MODE ACTIVATED! While everyone else did whatever it was they were doing, Harold studied the blade, his beloved Splatana Stamper. He can throw a barrage of Burst Bombs to weaken his enemies. He uses his Zipcaster to truly become a ninja and surprise his enemies by coming close to them. It's a coin toss as to whether or not he actually uses his special effectively and gets anything done with it. He has Swim Speed Up to make up for the slowness that comes with the stealth of Ninja Squid! He also has Stealth Jump to really drive home the ninja thing. He's so stealthy, don't mind the amount of times he's been splatted though! Loves TC because he can hide around the area and try splatting his enemies from the shadows when they're too focused on the Tower.

TRENT ‒ Tri-Stringer / Ink Saver (Main) / Thermal Ink / Object Shredder Fav Mode: Rainmaker Why this comp? He thinks the Tri-Stringer can impress Gwen so he's really into using it. He can help her by using Toxic Mist to slow down the enemies and his Killer Wail 5.1 can distract them! He's a relatively casual player just like Bridgette but he's far more goal-oriented and tries to focus on the objective as much as possible. Ink Saver helps him shoot more and his Thermal Ink can help him track his enemies. He's the only person with Object Shredder since he can destroy the objects from a relatively safe distance. Loves RM because he can take down the enemies from afar, he can slow them down and distract them whenever necessary!

GEOFF ‒ .52 Gal / Comeback / Run Speed Up / Ink Resistance Up Fav Mode: Splat Zones Why this comp? He heard the .52 Gal is pretty good and he himself is pretty good with it too, plus it goes well with his shirt! He loves being able to protect himself with the Ink Wall and throw off the enemy with the Killer Wail 5.1! He tries his best to meaningfully contribute to his team but he's pretty susceptible to getting splatted which is why he runs Comeback to make up for it! He has Run Speed Up which helps him run away from sticky situations and Ink Resistance Up is there for the exact same reason. Loves SZ because he can take the enemy team by surprise and flank them just when they think they've captured the zone!

❥GWEN ‒ Bloblobber / Comeback / Thermal Ink / Ink Recovery Up Fav Mode: Splat Zones Why this comp? The Bloblobber is the perfect weapon to use for someone who doesn't wanna get TOO up close and personal to the enemy! Similar to a backline weapon, she anchors herself on a high place and lobs blobs at everyone below! She can easily hide away from people who try shooting or throwing bombs at her which makes it the perfect weapon for her! She tosses Sprinklers around important areas just to throw the enemy off, or she throws them near spawn so she can passively fill her special tank. The Ink Storm is perfect for punishing enemies and weakening them enough to splat with just a few blobs! She's very focused on the objective and doesn't worry about splats as much. Due to this, she runs Comeback as insurance for whenever she's splatted. Thermal Ink helps her keep track of her enemies and Ink Recovery Up replenishes her ink tank faster so she can lob more blobs. Loves SZ because she can take control of it with her ink storm and constantly barrage the small area with blobs!

EZEKIEL ‒ Tentabrella / Ink Saver (Main) x3 Fav Mode: Tower Control Why this comp? He's very scared of getting splatted so he prefers the biggest shield of the Brella class, the Tentabrella! He's at least smart enough to place Squid Beakons around certain parts of the map for his teammates to super jump to. The Ink Vac helps him protect himself and avoid getting splatted, unless someone's smart enough to splat him from behind before he can fire the bomb. He runs three Ink Saver abilities since the Tentabrella churns through ink and he's paranoid that he'll be unable to protect himself if he loses it too fast. While he's not the best, he still tries to help his team win. Loves TC because it's the best place for him to use his Ink Vac and throw it back into the enemy's face!

❥HEATHER ‒ Dark Tetra Dualies / Last-Ditch Effort / Ninja Squid / Ink Resistance Up Fav Mode: Tower Control Why this comp? Back to dualies! Heather loves them because she gets to do four dodge rolls as opposed to the usual 2! The Autobomb helps her find enemies or take them by surprise if they aren't paying attention to their surroundings. The Reefslider is an avenue for her to get close to the enemy very quickly and possibly splat them when the Reefslider explodes. Unlike those with Opening Gambit, she understands that the last minute of the battle is the most important one which is why she has Last-Ditch Effort to help boost her abilities where it counts. Ninja Squid allows her to slip past her opponents and sneak up on them and she can dodge-roll if she puts herself in a vulnerable position. Ink Resistance Up helps her move through enemy territory effectively, making her an unstoppable force. She's inclined to focus on the objective, though she favors getting splats just a little bit more. Anything to sabotage the enemy team and prevent them from completing the objective. Loves TC because she can ride the tower and take control of it while her teammates do the rest of the hard work (i.e. preventing the enemies from accessing the tower)!

❥CODY ‒ Aerospray RG / Quick Respawn / Special Charge Up / Special Saver Fav Mode: Turf War Why this comp? What better way is there to impress a lady than to show her that you're nothing more than a special farming Booyeah Bomb spammer? There is none! That's why Cody loves his Aerospray RG! His Sprinkler contributes to passively filling his special gauge and the Booyeah Bomb is the star of the show! He has absolutely zero faith in his own ability to survive so he runs Quick Respawn to make up for it. Special Charge Up and Special saver heavily contribute to his ability to spam Booyeah Bombs as efficiently as possible. He sucks at getting splats and rarely contributes to the objective because he's way too busy trying to spam bombs. Loves Turf War because it gives him the biggest excuse to paint turf and fill up his special gauge!

BETH ‒ Splat Roller / Ink Recovery Up / Ink Saver (Main) / Run Speed Up Fav Mode: Tower Control Why this comp? Beth would love the ability to roll and possibly crush her enemies whenever she does it! She remembers to flick her roller horizontally and vertically but probably not as much as she should. She uses Curling Bombs to throw off her enemies or use it to get even closer to them! When she's in danger she uses her Big Bubbler and tries getting back at them from the inside! She uses Ink Recovery Up to ensure that she can recharge her ink faster and uses Ink Saver to prevent herself from having to recharge the ink as often. Run Speed Up helps her roll around even faster! It goes without saying that she's very dedicated to helping her team win the game! Loves TC because her Big Bubbler is most useful when used on the tower!

❥ALEJANDRO ‒ Tentatek Splattershot / Last-Ditch Effort / Haunt / Ink Recovery Up Fav Mode: Tower Control Why this comp? As a sly and calculating player, Alejandro uses the Tentatek Splattershot to combat the strongest special in the game: The Crab Tank. His loadout is the answer to the meta and he's the only person that has the Triple Inkstrike special. He's a very accurate shooter and surprises his enemies with his Splat Bombs whenever they're hiding behind walls or are about to jump onto the map. He also has amazing accuracy when he gets to use his Triple Inkstrike, carefully aiming them and changing the game each time. Outwardly he's very focused on achieving the objective and winning the game, though his true love lies in splatting his enemies and getting the highest splat count of the game. He's very good at deceiving others and making them question his next move. Loves Tower Control because he can completely dominate the tower and keep people away from it!

As a treat, here's how I'd divide them into teams! TEAM 1: Noah, Owen, Alejandro, Izzy TEAM 2: Lindsay, Tyler, Beth, Justin TEAM 3: Harold, DJ, Leshawna, Eva TEAM 4: Blainely, Duncan, Gwen, Trent TEAM 5: Heather, Bridgette, Geoff, Courtney TEAM 6: Katie, Sadie, Sierra, Cody

Uhh Ezekiel just fills in for whoever's missing LMFAO

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