#my rules are just be normal + read character stories for real instead of going off of in game scenes alone + think with your brain
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The whole "x is just a short adult" thing is so ridiculous sometimes bc like. Speaking as an adult that could easily be mistaken for a high schooler, it's really obvious when people are just reaching for a reason to feel better about shipping something. And I don't think it's that hard to distinguish when a character is meant to be a young looking adult (in most cases) as opposed to a teen if people would stop focusing on ships for a moment.
Take Venti for example. His narrative pretty clearly is about the unveiling of a facade and how his playfulness hides maturity and grief, as opposed to filling the shoes of a predecessor or coming to age/power. He's also on equal footing with other adults such as Jean, Kaeya, and Diluc, and can drink which as you've said is a pretty big marker in genshin if a character is an adult.
Characters like Noelle and Fischl on the other hand I understand being a little confusing. Noelle is clearly an independent but she also is marked immature and often subordinated. Fischl is close to other characters that more obviously read as teens, like Bennett and Razor, and she has 8th grader syndrome, but she's also respected in her job and treated like an equal by characters like Mona who seem to be older.
Still, for characters like Noelle, Fischl, Xiangling, Xinyan, Lyney, and Lynette, Furina, and maybe even Hu Tao, I think it's pretty clear that if they are adults they are freshly adults, like 18/19 maybe 20 at most, and it's a bit off (to put it lightly) to be pairing them off with characters that are in their late 20s at the youngest estimate. Like I'm not willing to die on a hill arguing about whether Xianyun/Yun Jin or Yun Jin/Shenhe is creepy because it'd be reasonable to guess Yun Jin is probably somewhere between Xinyan and Shenhe's age and could be argued either way, but it also doesn't take a genius to guess Zhongli, Ayato, and Neuvillette are older because of how their age is contrasted to Hu Tao, Ayaka, and Furina's.
When you factor in different relationships it makes things a lot clearer. Freminet for example is pretty obviously a teenager, and the twins are older than him but probably not by a huge margin considering their closeness.
I dunno it's just like. Maybe if people stopped worrying about ships for a sec they could analyze characterization and relationships with a lot less bias. And recognize that these relationships are incredibly interesting outside a romantic context and they don't need to be smooching for it to be enjoyed.
Yeah honestly like 😭 i feel like the game gives you plenty enough context to guess the age range of most characters ESPECIALLY if you take into account how they act around each other and what their lifestyle is like. My guess for Fischl specifically is that she's definitely a teen because of her overall demeanor coupled with the fact that she lives with her parents & the fact that she's besties with razor and bennett, so I'd place her in a high schooler age range. In all honesty her dynamic with mona feels a lot like a college aged girl who has a cringe high schooler friend that she hangs out with considering how she tends to act pretty fed up with her theatrics. But yeah in general i agree with pretty much everything you said like i do have some kind of chart in my mind for the age range of each character and it's really not THAT hard to guess when someone is intended to be in a younger teen vs older teen vs short adult age range... Like for example Freminet and Collei are obviously younger teens while Lyney and Lynette are older teens and Wanderer or Amber are short adults
#asks#anonymous#my rules are just be normal + read character stories for real instead of going off of in game scenes alone + think with your brain
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I read the post where you answered why you didn’t like Malleus and remembered that you placed Leona really highly on your favs list, and Leona is my favorite so do you mind me asking why do you like Leona?
[My TWST character tier list is here.]
[Anon is also referencing this Malleus post.]
THERE’S A REASON WHY L*ONA IS IN “Unfortunately Enjoy” TIER 😭 I think for like... over a year (2020-2021)? Probably closer to 1.5 years?? I really disliked him and swore up and down that I'd "never in my life simp for the fake cat". This was largely in part due to book 2, which to this day I believe did Leona a HUGE disservice and made him look very unintelligent and uninteresting. Then I was drip fed new Leona content as it steadily came out (vignettes, voice lines, event stories, his return in book 6) and my opinion of him vastly improved. Book 2 was just a really bad introduction to him and it greatly soured my first impressions. sjfyofqebfeiafns B-But now I'm too embarrassed to openly declare, "Yeah, I like a sad muscular l*on man. So what?"
Some would say that's tsundere behavior... BUT I SAY I'M COMPLETELY JUSTIFIED FOR ACTING THIS WAY BECAUSE IT ISN'T EASY TO CONFESS WITH YOUR WHOLE CHEST THAT YOU LIKE KINGSCHOLAR OF ALL TWST CHARACTERS
... Anyway! For a much more expanded explanation, I'd recommend this post! It already states a lot of my thoughts, and I don't want to repeat them in yet another lengthy lion-related post. What I'll do instead is summarize the key points for you, plus add some commentary about Leona and Malleus at the end.
Admittedly, he is pretty. VERY pretty. I'm saying this as someone who normally really dislikes hair longer than shoulder length, the "wild"/bad boy aesthetic, and kemonomimi. Leona breaks ALL the rules and still somehow manages to wear everything and anything well because of his sheer confidence and natural grace. His physical features are also very striking... The sharp bright green eyes, the small waist and large chest (there's NO reason why he HAD to be built like that), his stupid smirk, etc.
His pettiness and sarcasm. Leona has, hands down, some of the funniest lines 🤡 I love that he has the balls to speak callously to everyone, including fellow dorm leaders and royalty. His best moments, however, are when he whips out the sarcasm on statements which are so patently untrue--like when he says he is a 'delicate prince' and a 'lost child', both moments from book 6. It's also hilarious whenever Leona speaks in a formal way, showing that he does have the education and the knowledge of how a prince should present himself, but just actively chooses to not make the effort and only does so mockingly or when social grace calls for it.
HIS BIG BRAIN FOLDS, HOLY COW (err, book 2 aside). Leona works smarter, not harder!! He's always one step ahead of everyone else, even if he appears sleepy or disinterested at the time. He figured out the trick behind the "indestructible" golden contracts, he sussed out Jamil WAY before book 4 ever came out (saying that Jamil has "eyes that always glare" and implying that Jamil poses a threat to Kalim's life; this is from Jamil's School Uniform vignette), he takes what he learns in textbooks and so easily translates it to real-world experiences (ie advising the first years on how to more efficiently mine magestones in Vargas Camp), etc. Additionally, Leona knows when to step in and when to be hands off. It's not done out of cowardice or laziness, but rather because he's thinking strategically. For example, he could have resisted capture at the hands of the Ferrymen, but he didn't because it would be smarter to just go with them willingly. It saves everyone a lot of time and energy, and it’s this kind of intelligent thinking that makes Leona really stand out.
He knows how to lead. There are many different types of beastmen, each with own beliefs, values, and traditions that are unique to their own group. As a result, it is very difficult to unify all beastmen within the Sunset Savanna under one rule. Guess who doesn't have this problem? THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S LEONA. There's a variety of beastmen in Savanaclaw, and he effortlessly rules over them and commands their respect.
He actively thinks about how to improve the Sunset Savanna. Leona's ideas are not always the best (like, yeah, you could introduce new technology to the country but expect significant social pushback from the people, who prioritize living in harmony with nature). However, I can really appreciate that he did not entirely turn his back on the people who feared his powers and talked him down. I think he eventually realized the flaws in his way of thinking and actively chose an energy and mining lab internship in hopes of researching ways to slowly implement changes that will benefit the Sunset Savanna while also remaining respectful of the people's beliefs. He is concerned about Falena's lax way of ruling and consistently brings up ideas in various voice lines about how they can improve the Sunset Savanna and its relationships with other countries and tourists. In spite of everything he went through, Leona never wants to hurt those who hurt him with their comments and comparisons to his elder brother. He does not ever want to tear down the system that kicked him down again and again, only wants to challenge it by proving his own merits and the merits of the other downtrodden that he leads.
As much as he wants to deny it, he cares about his underclassmen and goes out of his way to help them. There are sooo many examples of this that it cannot possibly fit in one bullet point. (I would really recommend reading the elongated post linked above, as I go into more detail on this.) Suffice to say, Leona has been shown guiding, instructing, and mentoring many other characters including, but not limited to: Epel, Ruggie, Jack, and various Savanaclaw mob students. This really hits me in the heart because I love reliable big brother characters 😭 EVEN THOUGH LEONA IS TECHNICALLY A YOUNGER BROTHER...
He understands his strengths—and he understands others' strengths too. This man is fully aware of his magical might and powerful presence. He uses every last bit of it to full effect and to attain his goals, whatever those may be. One of my favorite uses has to be In Fairy Gala!! He distracted some pixies by simply demanding water and their attention so his partners in crime could escape—and what’s more, this was a plan he came up with on the spot because their mission was being jeopardized by unforeseen events. Leona is also good about pinpointing people’s best attributes and then helping them hone it. This happens a lot during club practice, bur it also occurs in book 6 between him and Jamil. Speaking of…
THAT WHOLE BOOK 6 CONVERSATION WITH JAMIL DESERVES ITS OWN BULLET POINT. This part was peak mentor mode Leona 😭 Sure, maybe he wasn’t the kindest with his wording, but I felt this was the wake up call Jamil needed to hear. What really got me though was the part where Leona tells Jamil there’s still hope for him… “unlike me”. (I believe this part was translated differently in EN to make Leona’s ego sound more inflated (ie “I’m not like you”) which saddens me immensely.) It paints the image that Leona is still struggling to believe his efforts will amount to anything and that he believes more in his juniors than in himself :(( (which informs my headcanon that Leona mentors younger students so that they can have the bright future he doesn’t think he can have for himself).
Emotional complexity. When you get down to it, what started off as a very basic story of jealousy and inferiority complex actually resulted in a deeply flawed, traumatized, and scarred individual who continues to doubt and put himself down but is slowly recovering. Leona is smart and charismatic—he is everything a leader should be, but he doesn’t truly see his own worth. (Ironically, the only people who do are the ones who look up to him and follow him.) And now… Leona’s actually got his eyes set on graduating! He has his internship plans set! I think he’s made such big strides since book 2, and it’s been so rewarding seeing him regain his willingness to try and succeed return to him.
Looking back on it, it’s so ironic how things ended up working out. Initially, I was totally on Lilia’s side when he insulted Leona and said he would never be the kind of leader Malleus is. Now I’m realizing how Leona does many of the things I don’t see Malleus doing (despite Lilia claiming Malleus is more fit to be king than Leona is).
Malleus isn’t harming his people by any means, but it’s more like he’s… stagnant? Complacent? He’s satisfied with the status quo and is comfortable resting on his laurels. And because of that, Malleus doesn’t really seem to consider what he, as a leader, can do for others, be it for his dorm members or doe his country. (Part of this is also how isolated and opposed to change Briar Valley is, of course! That kind of culture definitely shapes Malleus’s thinking.) He tends to avoid situations which involve navigating social complexities rather than dealing with them himself. Think of Ghost Marriage, when Sebek proposes in his place. Think of Fairy Gala, when Silver is the one that ultimately resolves the conflict between the diurnal fae (who have historically not been friendly with nocturnal fae) and NRC. Malleus is so sheltered that has not truly been put in situations where he has to make tough decisions or where he has been challenged. He has never had to claw and scream and beg for people to see his worth.
Leona has been through that emotional wringer, and though he’s been hurt so badly, he still came out the other side. In running from the shadow of his family—of his older brother—Leona found solace in this new kingdom, Savanaclaw. It’s a place to build himself up, to stew over the ideas he has that have yet to be realized, all with a safe mental distance from home. It’s through the many hardships he has experienced that has refined his wit and given it a place to practice, to be used.
When it comes down to it, Leona and Malleus are two sides of the same coin. Both arrogant princes, the second born and crown prince, respectively, wishing for the other’s circumstances. Leona desperately wants that respect and recognition that Malleus has. Malleus longs for the intimacy and camaraderie that Leona is so easily able to cultivate and command. Leona has been forced to adapt, to learn, to grow from his scars. Malleus struggles with the concept of change (understandable, given his background) and actively denies reality if he finds the truth to be unpleasant. He’s not used to facing dilemmas that cannot be solved with magical strength, and has not ever been challenged in such a way. Malleus doesn’t know how to deal with that, which is partly why be panics and loses himself to emotions in book 7. (By the end of it, I’m sure he’ll be given the chance to see the error of his ways though 💦 or at least I hope he does??)
Their characters are very different, and that’s not a bad thing!! If anything, it makes their dynamic so interesting to observe and it offers varying interpretations of the same “prince” trope. I definitely know which of the two I prefer 🤡
#twisted wonderland#twst#Leona Kingscholar#disney twisted wonderland#disney twst#book 2 spoilers#notes from the writing raven#question#book 6 spoilers#Jamil Viper#vargas camp spoilers#fairy gala spoilers#Falena Kingscholar#Farena Kingscholar#book 7 spoilers#twst en#twisted wonderland en#advice#Epel Felmier#Jack Howl#Ruggie Bucchi#Savanaclaw#Lilia Vanrouge#Malleus Draconia#Sebek Zigvolt#Silver#Diasomnia#NOT L*ONA ROT
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webcomics*! webcomics baby!!! i grew up reading these bad boys like they were the sunday funnies. im serious i would get up early in so i could check my daily roster of webcomic updates before leaving for school.
webcomics sort of feel to me like my generations version of zines. not that both those things arent still around, i just mean that, in the same way that there was this big boom of super creative zine self-publishing in the 70s through the 90s thanks to the increasing access to copy machines, and later home printing, the early 00s-10s was sort of the moment people seemed to collectively realize they could kind of just upload whatever they wanted to the internet and people would actually see it, leading naturally to another boom in indie art and storytelling.
a lot of the comics that popped up around this time were sort of... rough. raw. weird. there were no rules about what a webcomic had to be other than 1) a comic and 2) on the web, so there was some freedom to be as messy or as precise as the author wanted. this led to some real bangers, and some absolute flops. but regardless of how it turned out i think theres something to be admired about the sheer amount of creativity going into these projects that, for the most part, were purely passion-driven without any guarantee of greater recognition or success.
obviously webcomics are still around, but the culture surrounding them has shifted quite a bit. most people who are willing to put in the work of a longform serialized comic In This Economy are also doing so with the hope of being able to profit or at least sustain themselves financially on their work. theres no shame in that! but it has made the webcomic scene more competitive, more polished, less experimental. capitalism at work, you know.
people arent really as incentivized to try new things and dare i say get a little weird with it when innovation doesnt pay the pills. however that doesnt mean that there arent still artists out there who are challenging that.
i got the idea a while ago that i wanted to put together a list of webcomics that have been really influential to me and my own creative efforts, but i realized that list would be a mile long and wouldnt really give me the breathing room to talk about why those works resonate with me. so i decided instead to make a list specifically of my (currently) most beloved, most influential webcomics that i feel like are doing something unique that sort of pushes the boundaries of what is considered a "normal" comic.
presented in no particular order, with all attempts made to be spoiler-free, below:
nasty red dogs and feast for a king by kosmicdream (18+)
delicious, dark, meaty comics. ffak in particular is like this massive sprawling scifi stream of consciousness thick with blood and viscera and. a lot of highly transsexual erotic cannibalism tbqh.
personally i find nasty red dogs a lot more like easy to get into story-wise, but both are just chockablock full of this beautiful grotesque unapologetic and downright indulgent physicality. its pages dripping with every fluid you can think of and some you cant, and its also compelling surprisingly empathetic characters set against a backdrop of otherworldly rituals, cosmic pre-apocolypses, and worlds inside of worlds inside of worlds. body horror heaven lives here.
mr boop and crimehot by alec robbins (very 18+)
if youre at all into weird webcomics youre probably already well familiar with mr boop, and if you arent theres really nothing i can say other than Please give it a shot, but if you havent been keeping up with alecs work since then you might not be as familiar with his current project crimehot. and thats a damn shame because it is all the comedy, unabashed horniness, and surprisingly understated storytelling of mr boop taken to its absolute max.
crimehot is set in a future where nearly every aspect of human life and culture is controlled by an all-powerful all-seeing computer algorithm. but who cares about all that when theres a ragtag team of ultra sexy ultra horny master thieves going on wacky little misadventures together!
alecs style is blunt and simplistic in a way that comes off as juvenile at first glance, and then uses that presumption to completely blindside you with its actual content, reminding me weirdly enough of memeable classic tails gets trolled. in spite of their potential as works of ironic comedy however alecs comics really give me this impression of total earnestness. crimehot in particular is so blatantly un-erotic, with its complete lack of any subtlety, comically exaggerated (and surprisingly diagetic) anatomy, and impossible physical positions, that it circles back around into becoming, indeed, kind of hot. i think silliness can be hot so sue me!
blind alley by adam de souza
departing completely from my last couple recs, blind alley is a cozy, peanuts-inspired comic strip about the day to day lives of the children of blind alley. its also occasionally a deeply unsettling horror-mystery that has just barely begun to show its hand more than two years in. its distinguishing factor to me comes from the fact that the cozy exterior doesnt seem to be there to conceal or divert your attention away from the growing sense of unease that infiltrates its panels on an increasingly frequent basis as the story progresses. it feels more like the two elements live side by side, horror and mundanity, otherworldly creatures and secret conspiracies living peacefully alongside lazy summer afternoons and goofing off with your friends. it perfectly captures the anxiety of knowing that theres something the grown-ups arent telling you, the powerlessness of being a kid.
blind alley feels to me sort of like if those "what if Nostalgic Cartoon was secretly DARK" media theories were actually real, and actually scary. i might be getting ahead of myself as the series likes to take its time and is really only just starting to peel back the layers, but what ive read so far feels makes me feel like this could be something very special.
boy island by leo fox
beautiful beautiful beautiful first of all. the dreamy, surreal visuals? the colors?? oujhjh.. boy island is set in a world split violently in two, divided into boy island and girl island, and surrounded on all sides by a sea of monsters mutants and ghosts, those sorry souls who committed the trespass of trying to cross from one land to the other, or even live outside of either! a boy named lucille must strike out on his own to make it to boy island, but in doing so begins to discover things about the world and in fact himself that reveal an even greater mission.
im making this all sound very dramatic. its a trans story. its about trans people, being trans. its also about surviving the ripples of a world laid out for you by your parents, managing grief for the ones that didnt, and a funny little blue guy named jounce. also did i mention its gorgeous? hot fuckin diggity it is gooorgeous.
vivians ghost by hal schrieve (18+)
speaking of trans comics!! (plot twist: theyre all trans comics suckerrrr) look, all of hals comics are fucking baller and im sure the book zes got coming out will be too, but ive like Imprinted on this one. its attached itself my brain. much like the main protagonist collin has been attached to by his suicide victim best friend and ex highschool bf viv!
the sketchy art style threw me off at first but it quickly becomes part of the charm and meshes very well with the chaotic pace and gutpunch emotional moments. theres a strong element of magical realism that i honestly think comics as a medium were made for. viv is a ghost, and viv is grief, and guilt, and fantasy, and shame, and glorious trans revenge taken form, and hes not even the only apparition in this story, taking the stage alongside cameos by jesus christ, a detransitioners fursona, almanda palmer, and (checks notes) gonzo for a second there i think.
as a disclaimer (or incentive, depending) no one in this story i think is someone you could really call a good person. some of them are in fact plainly terrible. they are all so undeniably fucking fascinating though. and viv himself gleefully inhabits that moral gray area, deliberately and loudly disturbing any image of himself as a pure perfect victim, blurring lines and thrusting both the characters and audience out of their comfort zone. its a challenging read thats not going to be everyone for sure, but i definitely think its worth the read.
(and if this sounds interesting to you but youre not sure you can handle it, hal has other equally good comics that are still heavy on the trans gay relationship drama but much lighter on the childhood trauma.)
what happens next by maximumgraves
if youre reading this on tumblr i hope that youve at least heard of what happens next by now. thee seminal tumblrina art of our time i swear. it starts with a true crime podcast exploring the strange story of griffin and his accomplice milo, trans teen murderers, the latter of which has since been released from the psych hospital while the former continues to serve his sentence. but thats in the past, and in the present milo still has to figure out how to live the rest of his life.
the story moves rapidly, though not necessarily chronologically, in and out of the real world and the online lives its characters frequently inhabit like its guiding you through a twisted dream. its a comic on the internet about the internet from someone clearly well aware of its more poisonous aspects, as well as the addictive quality it can have for someone who has become otherwise isolated from the world.
at the end of the day though the major appeal i think is the characters, how messy and horrible and tragic they can be, which is all you can really hope for from a largely character-driven narrative. to say much more i think would ruin the experience, but ill say what happens next absolutely delivers on its ominous title, and im waiting on the edge of my seat for the next chapter.
preeny has to repeat 6th grade by momodriller
on a Much lighter note, preeny has to repeat 6th grade is a super cute adventure series about a magical little kitty named preeny who on her first day of sixth grade is called upon to go on a great mission. its a sparklefur comic!! ive been really starting to dive into furry art lately, and if youre the kind of person who raises an eyebrow at that statement, fine, whatever, but im talking to the cool people right now so keep it to yourself.
art from within the furry subculture is such insanely creative and passionate stuff, and the focus on this subset in particular, calling back to the early 2000s deviantart xD rAWR s0 rand0m era of online culture, feels so intensely nostalgic it makes my chest ache, despite never being heavily involved in the sparklefur scene myself.
the author states in the comics description that the story takes inspiration from her experiences as an autistic child, and even before reading that man i felt it. what really makes this comic unique to me though is that the majority of characters that appear are based on adoptables the author purchased off of, as she puts it, the children of deviantart. i LOVE that. not only is that probably amazing for the kids, it makes every character feel truly unique and adds perfectly to the overall flavor of the world shes created. there is just not another comic i can think of that feels alive like this one.
broccoli soup by secretpie
ok so i know how we might feel about webtoon comics but hear me out. broccoli soup is probably the first comic ive seen to really exploit the otherwise sort of bland and restrictive format of webtoons, utilizing the excess of white space to enhance the feeling of emptiness that characterizes the protagonist broccoli's time in the blank void they call home as well as to make the sparse use of color really pop in contrast.
broccoli soup is a mysterious series thats a little hard to pin down in terms of genre. a strange little being named broccoli spends their days in a vast blankness drinking tea with their loving yet highly suspicious Best Friend and benefactor, doris. doris has the ability to move between worlds, coming and going as she pleases, while broccoli is only allowed to leave when they are on a mission on her behalf. these missions vary, but the goal is always the same: make everything Polite and Good.
as the story progresses, little by little more friends and more color come into broccolis still new existence. the art style also changes from world to world, which imo is a very nice touch. and! theres music! its an interesting project that dances back and forth between fantastical whimsy and some surprisingly dark moments. and thats the shit i like to see.
thats all for now! though if im lucky there will be many more fun stories and projects to talk about in the future. keep in mind as well that this is like barely half of all the webcomics im currently reading, just the ones that most stick out to me as really doing something special.
until next time yall!!
oh wait sike honorable mentions time
awful hospital by bogleech
the only reason this isnt up there with the rest is bc im woefully behind at the moment. ill get back to it eventually! awful hospital is an interactive multimedia horror-comedy webcomic about a hospital that is. well this hospital is simply sub-par to say the least.
hedgehog's dilemma by mellodilla
this ones still a little new to say much on but so far it looks like a cute series. what most appeals to me is that the art style looks like something that fit in seamlessly with an early 90s newspaper comic strip. in particular it has a strong calvin and hobbes vibe to me. just, you know, about wacky lil lesbian animals living their lives.
ok now im done for real
*for clarity's sake, im using webcomic here to mean "a series of comics that was first published and predominantly exists online" so even if a print version exists, i still consider it to be first and foremost a webcomic. this also includes comics that contain a multimedia or interactive element. if its a combination of pictures and words to tell a story, its a comic.
also my list is probably going to end up massively favoring serialized fiction because thats just what i like to read, but i dont necessarily think thats a required element.
#ungodly screeching#recommendations#kinda off topic but also kinda not lol#this got way out of hand#oh also if i got anyones pronouns wrong pls let me know! i tried to track everyones down
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hi shutters. im gonna start arknights. do you have any guide/tips for new players? what to do, what to not do, what to save, what to discard, where to find community resources(if they exist). stuff like that. thanks in advance!
Most new player guides will tell you all you need to know about getting started in the game, so I'll list down 5 things about the experience of /learning/ the game instead.
You don't have to play - Before we start, it must be said that Arknights is still a gacha game, an inherently predatory monetization scheme no matter how generous the in-game system is. If you feel like you may be vulnerable to FOMO and spending real money, I don't recommend you play at all. If you're here for the world and characters, Arknights has excellent comics available for free on their website, while players upload most event stories on Youtube for you to read through without having to touch the game. With that said, let's continue.
Take your time - Raising units and generally progressing in Arknights takes a lot longer than in other mobage. Don't worry about things like "catching up". Limited time events that have already had their rerun get added as a part of the main menu permanently, and eventually they even include the free units you get per event. You're generally not going to be missing out on any content (except for 3rd party collabs like the upcoming Monster Hunter event, but that's because they don't own Monster Hunter), so don't feel like you have to rush through the game. It won't work, and you'll get easily frustrated. Think of it more like a puzzle game with updates. You don't rush through puzzle games, the point is to enjoy the puzzle.
Don't spend - This goes for all mobile games in general, but especially Arknights. The money to in-game currency conversion rate is godawful, but the actual flow of the gacha currency (called Orundrum) given to you by just playing the game normally is rather generous. Combined with a few other features that don't need to be discussed here and even a F2P player's account looks like a whale after enough time, because you eventually just get most of the units from how often you're given free rolls. Take it from me, you don't need to buy anything to get gigastacked, it will happen to you over time.
Ask for Help - Arknights is a puzzle game, and that means even with some of the best units in the game, you can find yourself stuck on stages if you have no idea how to approach strategy. If you're ever stuck, Youtube is filled with various clear guides made by the community, targeting everything from lazy clears (often called AFK) by super strong Doctors that don't want to think, to low rarity clears targeted towards new players who are mostly using the 3 star characters (as they are much quicker to raise). Just take a look at the codename of the stage you are stuck on (for example: "WD-EX-8"), and type that into the Youtube search bar. You'll find a ton of different guides from various creators. You can even shoot an Ask to this blog if you want more personalized help, though of course I can only answer those in my free time.
Take reviews with a grain of salt - Probably the biggest source of FOMO pressure in Arknights is the community itself, what with how much content creators love to use clickbait videos telling you a certain unit is a godtier must-have and if you don't have them you WILL be unable to keep up so roll for them NOW or a certain unit is fucking dogshit unusable and if you have them they're a waste of space. No in-betweens. Of course, when you actually get to try these characters for yourself you're going to realize even the absurdly powerful units aren't going to be autowinning stages by themselves (usually), nor are even the most despised, godawful units completely worthless strategically. It's a puzzle game, ultimately a lot more is going to depend on your ability to problem solve. My general rule of thumb when it comes to seeing community reactions to new operators is if everyone says they're good, they're almost certainly very good, but if everyone says a new unit is trash, it's a cointoss as to how bad they actually are. Probably the best recent example is the 6 star Mystic Caster Ebenholz, who was derided as being awkward to use and generally awful in most stages. His stock eventually rose and rose as people discovered that while Ebenholz struggled in most stages, he was incredibly good at taking on stages with very difficult, powerful enemies, flattening most of these elite enemies and bosses in an instant and trivializing the stages meant to be challenging. If you look up Ebenholz online you're mostly going to find people reacting to his initial appearance and calling him bad, but you're not going to see how he's carved out an extremely valuable strategic niche for himself. You never know who's going to end up useful, so don't be afraid to play around with your favorite units.
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“Wherever I go the Wind follows." (part one)
Reverse Isekai! Scara x Reader
2k +
Based off this idea and this post
I know you all have been waiting me to release this since last Christmas (sorry I took so long.)
Thank you all for your patience I hope you enjoy!
Series: The Player and the Wannabe God
Oh I forgot for those who are new and are just reading my Sagau Scara stories, (Wanderer is named Masha. I gave him this name awhile ago in the Sentient Series.)
Reader is referred to as Them or They
Tag for my scara series is here. Follow this is you want to be updated on any new updates.
Masha knew that other worlds existed, the Traveler was living proof of that. He wasn't aware that they were being watched from the sky. Not by the Archons or Celestia but by a figure peering down into their world.
“The stars and the sky is just one giant hoax.”
Those are the words he told the Astrologist during those falling stars he had to research. Briefly he remembers Dottore mentioning how the fake sky they live under was a placeholder and how the real one was long destroyed during the Archon War. He didn't like thinking about it, remembering his time in the Fatui.
Looking up into the sky instead of a sea full of stars he sees faint lights in what appears to be a room and a figure peering into their world. The figure wouldn't shut up constantly muttering something as they controlled the room ,manipulating objects.
"This goes here." The person mutters as they place the objects down in the house.
“And if we put this here.’’ Masha peers down from his spot in the hallway, as they decorate the living room of the Traveler’s house. The characters who were in the halls remained in place. The ceiling returns to normal as they hear their voice switch into another room.
The desert women with different color eyes took a seat on the couch letting out a sigh. She stretched her feet, relaxing from standing in place. As she sat down she immediately stood up hearing their voice re enter the room.
He glances up seeing them look around the room before exiting through the front door.
“Alright I'm coming.” The ceiling turned black before turning back to its normal color.
Characters who were in specific spots began to move. The Rwathist insomniac sluggishly passed through the halls running into the pillars.
Masha sighed, moving from his position. That person wasn't here to stop him after all.
Traveler went in the direction towards their room, others who were outside came inside and the others went their separate ways.
The Traveler and the desert woman sat on the deck of the house talking about nothing within his interest. They spare him a glance before continuing on with their conversation.
Pulling out his dispatch he snapped it in half. The area became pitch black as he was teleported out of the teapot.
________________________________________________________
"In today's lesson, we'll talk about King Deshret's rule." Wanderer sat in the back of the room, tapping his pencil on the notebook as the lecture started.He didn’t intend on coming if it wasn’t for the radish.
“Masha.” He regains his vision, as light green flashed before his eyes. Standing next to the waypoint, bag in hand was Nahida.
" You're not going to learn anything by skipping class." The older girl spoke. He rolled his eyes trying to walk away only to be stopped by her again.
"I'll do something for you in return." A small smile grew on her face as she handed him his backpack.
"Who is singing?" His classmates looked around at each other before shrugging to the professor.
The professor's focus remained unfazed as he carried on with his lecture, seemingly unaffected by the distracting melody. The woman's voice echoed through the classroom, captivating some students while leaving others indifferent.
Masha was already bored enough. However, the strange contrast between the professor's dull voice and the woman's song made him even more so. He looked at the other students and saw that some of them had their eyes closed and others were taking careful notes. This made him even more tempted to leave the boring lesson.
A bright light blinded the classroom as the students looked around in surprise.
The vision symbols slowly loaded onto the screen of your game. The game was updated to version 3.8.
You were excited as this would be the first time you would go on a summer adventure with the characters, after missing it the previous year. The symbols started loading quicker as it reached the geo and cryo symbols.
Masha’s classmates and professor began freaking out. Some ran away while others disappeared within the light. Masha didn't have time to think, before he was engulfed as well.
The timer in the other room dings distracting you from the game momentarily. You get up exiting the room leaving the load up screen.
The music and the loading screen distort.
Pins and needles prick Masha as he tried to stand gaining awareness of his surroundings.
On his back he saw the sky much closer than before. Looking around all he saw was the sky and columns.
He gets halfway up when his knees buckle, dragging him down again. Eventually, he stands noticing his location. Instead of the Akademiya, he was on a floating island midair.
Trying to stand he notices the joint between his knees were loose causing his legs to act wobbly. Limping, he tries walking along the path to find an alternate way down.
As he walks down the road, he finds a random door at the end of it. As he gets closer, he looks at it very carefully.
The roads create itself ahead of him as he follows the path down. He tripped every step from the loose knee socket injury. A white door appears stopping him in his tracks. As he gets to the door, he tries to open it but fails.
No matter what he did, he could not get the door to move. He turns back the way he came to see a room. He pauses thinking over what happened, before continuing forward. His bell floats next to him as he continues forward investigating his new surroundings.
"Yes, I'll see you later." The phone dings as you went to put it down. Soft music fills in the quietness of the house.
"Now we wait." You lean against the countertop, checking your social media. New videos regarding the newest game update pops up as you watch the trailer. "More desert areas?"
"First the desert was fine as a new mechanic, now it's irritating to even look at." You press play listening to one of the new theory videos that one of the players of the game released.
The floors creak from the upstairs. You strain your ears listening for any other movements. The house became quiet, except the music you have playing.
A pang of dread overtook you as you hastily retrieved your phone.
Should you call the police? Or should you just make sure it's nothing before you make the call.
The floorboard remained quiet after the first creak of footsteps. Taking a deep breath in, you grab a steak knife, slowly make your way upstairs.
Opening the next door, Masha finds a bedroom with a poster of the Anemo Archon and a doll of him? He walks in further picking up the doll looking over it.
He pauses, hearing footsteps approaching the stairs that he passed. Peeking out the door he catches you, armed looking around annoyed.
He watches you try to find him by opening all the doors and checking the room. Getting close to the one he was in, he sat in the closet waiting for you to approach.
The door to the room he was in opened soon enough. He heard rustling until you turned to look at the closet. When the closet door opened, you saw only your clothes and no one else. Before you close it, you check it carefully.
"Probably just the house settling." You turn to leave when you knock into something hard.
"What the heck? ", Looking up you see a man who look eerily similar to Masha staring you down. Your eyes wander, as you see his outfit resembling him almost identical. He must be a huge fan like yourself.
“Uhm.”
He says nothing , as he listens in on you.
"Are you a cosplayer by chance?" He stares at you blankly.
"What's a cosplayer?"
"The person you're cosplaying as, he's Scaramouche from Genshin." His face scrunches up hearing the name. He glances at his outfit, turning back to you.
"Look, I don't know what cosplaying is, but why did you bring me here." A familiar looking bell appeared in his hands. Wind blasted in your face coming from seemingly nowhere. A stone on his chest lit up briefly before dimming again.
“Wait who are you?”
“Bring? No, I don’t have the power to bring anyone anywhere.” You laugh slightly, only aggravating him more.
“I don’t have time for you.'' As he passes, you take a step in front of him. He lifts his hand pulling you up with the wind.
This must be a very expensive prop that some rich cosplayers had, or your character really crawled out of the tv, like the ring girl.
A cosplayer wouldn’t just break into your house trying to attack you. I mean some cosplayers are un hinged that they have done that. You doubt he would be doing this for viewers or to get famous.
If he really was Wanderer coming out of the game like those Isekai Anime, that would be a bad situation.
Calming down, you out your hands up, hoping he wouldn't smack you against the wall.
“I’m sorry, what was your name again?” He remains silent looking over your form.
“I go by many names, but all of them are water under the bridge to me now.”
That's a line that Wanderer says from the game.
“Is there a specific name that I can call you?”
“Masha. That’s also what I go by.” He shrugs, focusing his attention back onto the television.
Masha?
What the hell?! You start freaking out, Genshin was a real world and wasn’t just some game some people thought up?
You begin thinking of the hilichurrls and the people you killed to gain items to level up your characters. The smaller characters like Klee or Nahida, how did they react to killing others?
“Uhm, when you entered my house where exactly did you come from?” He points at the last door at the end of the hallway. You look towards it nervously as you approach the door.
If Masha was the first to come through the game, would others come through it as well?”
You walk to the door making you way to your room. The load up screen was shown with red blocks tainting the grounds of it. Looks like they were aware of someone leaving. You quickly shut off the game, hoping that the Heavenly Principles wasn't aware of you exiting the game.
You already have Masha to deal with. Heavenly principles would make things worse.
“What the hell?” The game exited, before booting up again without your consent. The logo of Mihoyo appearing glithcy as the scene of Celestia glitches. The pillars were broken, and the music was vacant just leaving the wind alone.
The screen goes black before the game transitions into the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
The scene zooms in on Nahida talking to Traveler with a worried expression.
“I haven’t seen him since they entered Teyvat.” Lumine spoke.
“Usually, he goes on Adventures with them and return to Sumeru, however the students in his class went missing as well after they returned.”
“Is there anything you can do about it, Traveler?” She shakes her head.
“I only have access to changing the time, not anything like that.” Nahida frowns.
“Thanks for your help. I know you have to continue to Fontaine, if you do see any of the missing students, please let me know.” Lumine nods making her exit from the room.
Masha’s disappearance from Genshin not only caused Nahida to worry but for students to disappear?
Nahida continues walking around the Sanctuary nervously.
‘’Is that Buer?” Masha’s voice comes from the side of you.
“Hey! Don’t do that.” He rolls his eyes before focusing on the screen. He gives it a weird look turning back to face you.
“So, you are the one who brought me here.” His weapon was summoned at his side immediately.
‘’ I already told you! I didn’t bring you here.”
“Then why do you have access to Teyvat?” He glances at the party to the right of the screen.
He reads the names of each person getting to the top one. He sees his face blackned out while the others were full of life.
“Is that? " He cuts off. You look at his face on the game in shock.
“Wait why is that blackened out you’re alive not dead.”
“Is that what you’re really worried about right now?” You click his picture only for an error message to pop up again.
“Character cannot be healed.” You have revival food but it’s not working on him. Is it because he’s outside the game?
Clicking back, the camera follows traveler who disappears into the teapot.
Taglist
@akirasgalaxy @iruiji @pyrce @d4y-dr3am3r @shizunuxie @sarah-saystuff @magica-ren @teyvattales @bigcandlesmolbrain @etherisy @y2k-apocalypse @sparklygardenzonkclam @swimminginthevoid @yuumaofc @endlessmari
(anyone else that wants to be tagged for the series, follow this tag #scara sentient
#wandererx you#scaramouche x gn reader#genshin isegau#scaramouche sagau#genshin fic#genshin reverse isekai#Reverse isekai scara#minty writes#wanderer has a name#rene genshin fics#wherever I go the wind follows#scara sentient
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Hmmm, I'm really into fantasy. As for groups, I stan a lot (probably too many), so you could recommend any 😭
Also, what do you mean?!😭 Your personality is just so 💜💜💜!! Like I have never admired a stranger so much in my entire life 😭😭😭
-Lvlee
hi loveee !! so as it turns out,,, making a rec list is very hard. very. i've read a lot less fics than i thought omg (which is why all the ones i listed are on the older side LMAO), so i am here with some txt and bts recs 😭 they're mostly supernatural/fantasy, but you can always check out my main blog (@/michipan) if you wanna see anything else!
also 🫠 please.... im sobbing rn u are the cutest ever </3 i am nothing but a silly little normal person i promise
to anyone who decides to check out these recs, pleeeeaaase support the authors!! please im genuinely begging you!!! leave a little review and a reblog and show them love bc they're amazing <3
BTS Recs
☆ Beastly Gods by @lemonjoonah
✧ hybrid!taehyung x fem!reader x ???
wc: 8K // genre: hybrid au, thirller, drama, smut, potentially dark and triggering content so read the warnings carefully!
Summary: ‘Don’t leave the forest,’ a rule that you’ve been forced to follow since birth, but you are tired of living in this wooden cage. Out of desperation you cut a deal with Taehyung, who claims to be the only one who can get you out safely, even though he might be just as dangerous as the god you’re trying to escape.
sol's personal notes:
oh. my. GOD. this was one of the first few fics i read when i joined this site, and it's literally stuck with me ever since. i can't say too much about it without spoiling it, but the worldbuilding and pacing was just. immaculate. the storyline is so well done and just. everything about it is perfection omg. there's another part that goes along with this story, but i can't link it bc ofc... spoilers 😖i wish i had more to say about this fic, but i read it years ago and forgot to write a review for it T_T
☆ Treasure by @sombreboy
✧ faerie dragon hybrid!jimin x fem!reader
wc: 4.7K // genre: pwp smut, hybrid, yandere, fairytale, again potentially dark and triggering content so read the warnings carefully!
Summary: Jimin loves to collect sparkly riches and playthings.
You just happen to be the next treasure that ignited his obsessive desires.
sol's personal notes:
(fucking explodes into a million pieces) i can't. i had to reread this story real quick to get a refresher on it and just. jimin's character in this is literally so perfect and mischievous and evil!! and i love it... <3 he is characterized so well and the descriptions are just so well done... ouuu i just read over the smut again and i teared up a little. the dialogue is genuinely so insane im not normal abt this fic sorry.
TXT Recs
☆ the prince and the jackal by @gyuluster
✧ prince!beomgyu x woodcutter!metalbender!reader
wc: 11.8k // genre: fantasy au, fluff
Summary: in the Kingdom of Terrae, you, a metalbender, believe in the deforestation to modernise the land. As a member of the Lumberjackals, you thrive on cutting down trees and stealing resources until you get caught by the Crown Prince, Choi Beomgyu, a lover and embodiment of the nature you wish to destroy. However, instead of imprisoning you for your crimes, Beomgyu decides to show you the beauty and wonders of nature, leaving you to doubt your beliefs, your identity, and your very feelings for the certain boy determined to change you for the better.
sol's personal notes:
unfortunately the author is no longer active on this account (💔💔💔💔) but like. this story literally changed my brain chemistry i dont think you guys understand. it's been so long since i read this but even so, it lives on in my mind... the world building and characters are so well done and from what i remember, beomgyu's character was literally so charming T_T such a pretty story, i might go reread this bc like... the fantasy was executed so well and i love me a good royalty au <3 not to mention the whole concept of the powers is so cool!
☆ Swimmin' in a Mirror by @bangchanswolfpelt
✧ soobin x2 x fem!reader (stay with me here)
wc: 2.5K // genre: magical school au (not a harry potter au) smut
Summary unavailable.
sol's personal notes:
this one's like a whole 180 from the last fic LMAO but GOOD GOD. this author isn't active anymore from what i know of but like. they were literally revolutionary and this fic is just. never seen anything like this before but )#%(&#%??? it's genuinely so impressive how they managed to pull this off alkghadg so hot so insane so creative
☆ that's the spirit! by @agustdiv1ne
✧ sixth sense/ ghost hunter! soobin x fem!reader
wc: 14.6K // genre: high school au, fluff, angst, some elements of horror
Summary: a couple weeks before halloween, you find the quiet boy from your high school staring up into your bedroom. you're a little creeped out, and miles more scared, but then he shows you something that changes how you see, well, everything.
sol's personal notes:
are we surprised. i don't think so. i literally never shut up about this fic ever like i'm such a sucker for unique stories and this is definitely one of them! the pacing, supernatural elements, and environment was written sooo well, and the worldbuilding and explanations that comes along with the plot is so perfectly executed and well thought out. such a cool story, with a banger playlist to go along with it :]
☆ Dirty Little Secret by @petrichor-han
✧ vampire! yeonjun x gn!witch!reader
wc: 4.0K // genre: angst, dark fantasy, vampire!au, witch!au, enemies to lovers
Summary: yeonjun is one of prince seungmin’s most trusted bodyguards. born as a low-class vampire, he worked his way to the top and is proud of his accomplishments, beginning to adapt his friends’ classist mindsets and forgetting where he came from. but when his brothers come to visit one day, exposing his poor ancestry, everyone turns against him except for one: a lowly servant whom he’d picked on in the past—you.
sol's personal notes:
are you kidding me. DARK FANTASY. yeah that's literally all it took for me to fall in love with this story; the imagery is beautiful and the storytelling is so heart wrenching and good and i am literally clawing at the bars of my enclosure rn btw. this fic is sososo good and i'd literally kill to get another morsel from this universe !
⭒⭒⭒
✧ again, make sure to show all these lovely authors some love!! if any of you manage to see this (unlikely. for the most part) i literally cherish these stories sm and would literally die for them idcidc u guys truly made some masterpieces over here ✧
#i'd definitely like to read more fics#i just never have the time anymore...#it's getting difficult writing as it is lmao#but anyways#i hope you like these >w<#they are my favs#lvlee anon!#koqabear asks#rambles
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Orion do you have tips on how to write Venti 🙏 I'd be ever so grateful to learn
[Warning: Profanity ahead...and a really long read]
Hii, you're in for a long ramble LOL
So, first things first, I'm probably not the best Venti writer out there. No, not even probably, I'm not. I try to write as closely as possible to canon however I know that's difficult as my own headcanons and perception of Venti will show themselves in my writing. And I genuinely think that there are absolutely better Venti writer's out there to ask.
(you can skip to around "Honestly this is..." to skip a whole lot of my rambling because genuinely instead of giving tips I just rambled. No matter how I try to think of it, you'll end up with the entire ramble no matter what :skull:)
Venti is a complex character, like genuinely a very complex character. People like dumbing him down to this silly little guy that's a drunkard and I get real annoyed when that's all people see him as. Venti is much more than the "carefree persona" he puts on. There's so much depth to his character.
Another thing to take note of, when I write for Venti, I'm usually writing him for comfort as he's a comfort character of mine. Most of my works are more focused on the reader than Venti, but the very few times I've written solely for Venti, I wrote angst with him. And there I honestly just went into the zone so how I write him is beyond me.
If I'd have to give tips on how to write him, it would be to make him more than just some silly little guy that's there for comedic relief. If you think about it Venti is the most mysterious archon we've met so far. He speaks in riddles when he knows he can't give an outright answer because that defeats the whole point of figuring it all out on your own.
He's a mischievous character. From hiding the broken Holy Lyre of der Himmel that he immediately made a break for after saying his little trick won't last forever to forging Morax's signature back when the aristocracy rules Mondstadt in order to help free Mondstadt once more. Another thing people tend to forget in the fandom is that Venti is actually really intelligent, which again isn't recognized under his "he's just a silly little guy" thing the fandom has going on for him.
Okay, I'm getting off track, this is more turning into me ranting about the fandom and being way to passionate about him :skull:
How I try to write him is to show depth to his character. I learn something new about his character every day. Like genuinely. If it wasn't for the venti nation over on twitter who are just as passionate about him as I am, I wouldn't have known half the shit I do now.
I think reading his character story and the Mondstadt lore (like the skyward weapons lore) really helped me find some depth into his character as not only the infamous bard of Mondstadt but also the god of Freedom and Hope. Maybe looking at the actual demon Barbatos would give some ideas on him as well.
Writing him is honestly a hassle, because you need to know when he'd make a riddle or a rhyme off the top of his head and when he'd talk to you like a normal person. Even in his voicelines, as far as I can remember, he doesn't rhyme often. Which made me realize that Kazuha really does talk by spitting out flowers from his mouth because I swear it's easier to write for Venti than for Kazuha who speaks in flowers :sob:
Another thing that helped me understand him a little better is simply looking up his fandom wiki page and seeing how they describe him. The first time I saw what stood there, I was like, "oh...that actually makes sense." (in reference to him hiding a lonely soul specifcally.)
When I do write him, I try to still keep his characteristic traits like being mischievous, carefree, wise, and lonely. Like I can absolutely imagine him stealing some apples from Dawn Winery and to be cheeky, he'd even sit atop the winery eating at the apples. But I keep in mind how he'd sometimes just sit alone and think. Like in his story quest, where at the end he sits on the hands of the Barbatos statue after telling us the story of the nameless bard and how he became the god of freedom. How he grieves for a friend/the friends he had lost. You can't tell me that by the end of his story quest you didn't feel the loneliness that basically oozes off of him.
I try to creep in that old timer feeling too because let's be real, he's a god, he's over thousands of years old, he has experience, ya get me? He'd have that hint of old soul vibes. And also let's not forget webtoon Venti where he was loud and proud about his songs (or rhymes or whatever was exactly said there) being twice as good as that of Barbatos himself (ironic because he literally is Barbatos). Like he is proud of being the best bard in Mondstadt.
ALSO Venti is super observant, like I will die on this fucking hill. He would know when something's up.
A big thing that I want to incorporate into my writing if I write him and it needs this, is that it will always feel like he's hiding something from you. Because it was recently brought to my attention that he doesn't always tell the truth or he talks in such a roundabout way that it diverts your attention to something else.
That and the fact that he is literally trying to hide just how powerful he truly is. He doesn't like drawing attention to himself, especially if it outs his true identity. Fucking "the weakest archon of the Seven" my ass. Like did you know that before people use a glider that they literally need to say a prayer to Barbatos to allow them to glide? I didn't either until a recent read up on a hyperfocus on Mondstadt fashion and someone on reddit said that people offer prayers to Barbatos every time they glide. If his power as an archon is based on how many people believe in him, than fuck bro you're straight up lying if the entirety of Teyvat is literally praying every time they use a glider. Like my dude is literally such a liar just to conceal his tracks and diverts attention away from himself.
Also whether or not that reddit user is correct on the prayer thing, I have no clue. I might be AR 59 but I am so behind on actual quests and shit that I just don't know, so how credible or true that is, I'm not sure. You can only trust any of my words when it comes to the archon quest lore :skull:
Honestly this is just turning into a ramble of a lifetime. I apologize sefhfef Overall, I'm not exactly sure how I write Venti or if I write him correctly. When I write there is (sometimes) no thoughts behind my eyes, just aggressive typing while I listen to music and I just pray that I write him accurately. Venti is such a complex character that it's hard to simply just...give tips because there's so much about his character that I could talk about.
I know for a fact that I try to convey not only his playful demeanor, but also his serious and caring nature. Like please, he isn't always cheerful or playful and he knows when to be serious and take things seriously.
And I try to incorporate that old timer feeling he would absolutely have because he is literally thousands of years old. (Adding this here as well for in case you did skip the whole ramble)
I can ramble about his character for days, probably, and I'd still never get to how I write him.
What I can say is to just listen to his voicelines, read his character story and go off memory of how you perceive him and know of him. Listen to other characters voicelines about him. Get to know him in a sense through those.
If you're unsure of whether you're writing him as accurately as possible (or simply just right), ask a Venti simp/fan to beta read for you. That's what I'm doing with my Eula series, I asked a friend if she could help me write Eula more accurately and she referred me to another friend of hers that loves Eula and that friend agreed to helping me in understanding Eula as not only a character but to also portray her as accurately as possible.
If you have no excessive Venti simps to turn to *tucks hair behind ear* Hit me up and I'll happily help you out by once again rambling about him <3
#orion answers ask#with our starry guest Ansy#(I'm just going to refer you to with that name for now as i am unsure what name you are usually referred to)#(i'll fix it when i'm more certain on what you like being referred to as)#please over thousand words just to never really get to the point#i'm so sorry#i never thought i was *this* passionate about a character until now#you literally unlocked my verbal diarrhea without meaning to#i could talk about venti for days fr fr#i hope this was at least in some way helpful#otherwise genuinely hit me up and i'll ask more specific questions on what exactly you want to know#and talk about those specific things
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Two mini reviews, partly brought to you by tumblr autosaving -
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I wasn't sure what to expect; I really liked The Sunbearer Trials (Ive not yet read the sequel), and DNF'd Lost In The Never Woods because it was the wrong type and intensity of dark and spooky for me at the time. Cemetery Boys is a freaking delight. Maybe my least favourite part was the villain reveal, it made sense but either it wasnt foreshadowed enough or I just wanted better for that character? idk.
But this isnt primarily a plot book, its a romance, and its a story about community and acceptance, and figuring out how you fit into the world when you're not the shape you're expected to be. And it did really well with both those aspects. I also appreciate that with so many stories, real and fictional, about people who have to leave their communities to find themselves, I appreciate a story of someone who never once thinks maybe I need to leave, and instead forges on to create space for himself in his community and his heritage. That's not everyone's story and thats totally fine. Our experiences are diverse and we deserve diverse stories. Its all good.
As for the romance, its really believable. Its quite an opposites-attract situation, from Julian's aggressive queerness and non-issue with Yadriel's transness making his albeit and unexpected presence a breath of fresh air to Yadriel, to their growing understanding of each other's lives and admiration for the strength of each others convictions. (When Julian is upset about his friends and Yadriel nevertheless pauses to set that boundary about ghost-safety, that was hot.).
And the ghost aspect! (this is not a mini review anymore lol). I was not really sure how that was going to go, and then cheering for them, and then wondering what the heck they were gonna do about ongoing ghost-itude and the finiteness of that situation, and actually I really liked how it went. The romance and how they push each other and grow to understand each other is fun, romantic, sexy, heartfelt. Remarkably sexy given that one of them is a ghost who cant be touched. (Spoilers for a sec - the scene on the car where Yadriel reaches for Julian's jacket to pull him closer and there's nothing there to grab? Oh that feels like grief.)
The book is quite a bit about grief. Missing parents, missing support networks, missing opportunities to be yourself and be accepted. Its about a guy who can communicate with ghosts and its set around Dia de Meurtos, there's grief themes.
I also really love Maritza, showing off another aspect of (gender) non-conformity, that its not only trans people who have trouble fitting fairly strict defined roles. (Julian's friends do so similarly).
Almost all the Spanish I picked up from context, but how Julian refers to Yadriel at the end I knew I had to look up that word specifically and oh my heart.
Overall really enjoyed. probably 9/10
second, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
I havent read the books/comics, I have seen the movie.
This show....for at least the first half I had no idea what the rules of the universe were or what exactly was going on or what themes exactly were being explored. I was definitely entertained though. The last few episodes manage to make sense of the first few and deliver on those themes in ways I quite liked. I liked that Ramona is the "manic pixie dream girl" and then almost immediately gets upstaged for that role by Envy Addams.
I normally am annoyed at stories in which some boring guy "gets" the manic pixie dream girl and certainly doesn't appreciate her - you know the kind who goes on reddit and complains that she wont stop talking about slugs or decorates their whole house in anime? And I know scott pilgrim is a comment on that trope. I like how its about scott but its not really about scott. Largely its about Ramona and her friends (and her exes). And the others recognise that scott isnt so great, or so smart, and also that if Ramona likes him thats cool. He can be a "lovable idiot" and shes not automatically making a mistake with him. If they're happy they're happy. (and of course the ways that *could* go wrong, but arent destined to).
Plus the music is fun, the visuals are bright and pretty. It might lean overstimulating for some people, I had to stop and think about my spoon levels between episodes.
Thats what I got for today. Two very different fun stories I recommend like 8-9/10, not perfect but a damn good ride.
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I just read your post on King and Eda, and I TOTALLY agree with you.
If you were in charge of the Owl House, how would you rewrite the two of them? (no pressure to answer if you don't feel like it.)
Forgot to mention this: This is with the kindness of hindsight. It is always easier to critique than it is to create. Especially with how little I plan my stories when I start them, it's arguable if I'd actually make something as cohesive as what I'm going to pitch here. This is why I rarely claim to actually be able to write something better.
So normally my response to this sort of ask is "You can't change the element without losing the spirit of the show" but that's actually not true with just changing Eda and King. There's a foundation there for something really good stemming from the concepts of the two of them but TOH actively avoids doing anything with them. Like I said... They're just kind of bad characters in execution because Eda doesn't have any interest in her own craft or her world while King is a contradictory, one note comic relief character for S1 and then a plot point more than a character in S2/3 that entirely hinges on his heritage. This is part of why King suddenly is the wisest fucking 8 year old to ever exist.
So what would I change? First, I would make them a real family from go. Not by blood but by connection. Acknowledge earlier that Eda adopted King when he was alone and scared. She actually cares about him but struggles to show it because she's been really hurt by family as well and just by life in general so she has these boundaries even with those she's close with. This makes Luz's arc of turning her more motherly feel more natural because Eda isn't just randomly becoming a better person and retconned as having always been sweet but instead her relationship with King highlights what her eventual fate will be as Mama Eda and allows her inner kindness to show earlier.
For King: Write him as a fucking eight year old. Now, I actually have to get into the other big change in order to discuss more of the changes I would make with him but he should never have been equally as world weary as Eda. It constantly put his age into question in S1 and it made how much he actually cared about his heritage feel out of step with the lessons Eda would have taught him to make him such a jaded ass in the first half of S1. It also means that his character is more inline with his character episodes instead of feeling like they're out of character.
The true big change though is... Have them reflect twin sides of the Isles. Make Eda love magic, and thus show Luz the grandeur of the Isles (you can even keep the "No Chosen One" thing for this because she genuinely thinks ALL magic is special and wants to impart that on Luz if Luz really wants to be her pupil). It makes it so that she is actually motivated to teach Luz and to experiment with magic. It turns her character more towards someone who is always experimenting with magic and the curse was instead not just something that made them not be able to steal as effectively but a genuine tragedy for her. But because she acts tough and is forty and flirty, she doesn't show it except in really vulnerable moments. Again, this allows Eda and Luz to have a better relationship and keeps her character more consistent between the two seasons while still allowing character growth/an arc that feels justifiable versus what we got.
Meanwhile... King is a fucking 8 year old orphan who's mom has to constantly leave the house to feed them and Hooty is his only protection. He has no strength, he has no magic, he has no friends, he has NOTHING. So make him wanting to be a ruler explicitly a fantasy. Not just biologically encoded into him (which is a WEIRD fucking plot point to begin with) but something that comes from his surroundings. He wants to be a king and have minions because kings are safe and have subjects who adore them. It makes it so that you can have the ruling jokes while also letting King be a character. This also makes him latching onto Luz feel more natural. He is desperate for safety and others and Luz is not only willing to give him the time of day unlike most, but is also mostly safe. He doesn't have to worry about how much more powerful she is than him as they're getting close so he feels like a friend of hers rather than her vassal. This admittedly would need changes to how Luz treats King but, well...
That kind of has to do with what both of these changes really are: Take the narrative goals TOH had for these characters... And use them to make real characters. This is a general problem of TOH that Eda and King suffer especially from. They're not real characters. They're just creations meant to serve specific goals and those goals are more important to the writers than the characters.
Which begs the question of "If the writers don't care about the MAIN CAST as people... Why should the audience?" And that's something that I as a writer fear a lot personally. I consider characters to be the end and beginning of a story but they do still have to work for the story and finding that balance is a very real struggle. I do not promote Inspiration ID Vol. 1 because the main character in that series is shit.
And he's shit because he is just my obsession with a porn trope I disliked and led to the creation of that book. And a lot of TOH shares that motivation so of course the characters are going to tear down the world they're in more than they're going to lift it up.
And when talking about main pillars of your story... The ground is going to cave in eventually.
=========
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.
And finally a Twitter you can follow too!
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"Not some willowy creature who sits up in a tower, brushing her hair and waiting for some knight to rescue her." If you're currently taking prompts, I was wondering if you would take one that tackles the above quote from book-Jon's thoughts. While he thinks highly of atypical and unique females like Ayra or Val, his misogynistic views of women who adhered to the rules of his society (by choice or otherwise) need to go! Time period of your choice/doesn't have to be bookverse.
I'll be honest, anon - is Jon actually any more misogynistic than the rest of Westeros? Baseline everyone is, because the society they live in is.
This prompt came in back when I requested them (like half a year ago, oops) and I've come back to it every once in a while, but could never really think of a way to turn this into a story that wasn't just Jon sitting there and thinking the things I'm about to write. So instead, I'm just writing my thoughts lmao.
I'm gonna put it all under the cut, because I don't normally do this sort of thing (aka, give my thoughts on canon in a not-story way. I don't like discourse, so I'm placing this under the cut & not tagging it to hopefully avoid that.)
Now, I'm no book scholar, I haven't studied them and parsed through them, I don't read a lot of metas (sorry!) and I actually read the books years ago, so maybe I'm completely wrong here, but I always took that willowy creature line as Jon being a shitty teen boy and trying to pretend he doesn't want the thing he wants. Jon's other thought at this moment is "a warrior princess, he decided" - which is just him... coming up with Val’s whole personality despite not really knowing her. He’s thinking in generics & story tropes in this moment. Willowy creature. Warrior princess.
I also think Jon's admiration for "unique females" is less active misogyny and more him... sort of taking Arya's side? Because doesn't Arya 'hate' feminine girls, too? Arya doesn't fit into that role and because of that, she ends up resenting it (which, to me, is absolutely something a young girl would do. I did it. I went through my not like other girls faze). So of course Jon, who adores Arya and wants to protect her and feels a kinship with her as the two "outcast" Starks, would also take that on. Plus, if you think about it, the only real ladies he would have ever interacted with would be Catelyn (who didn't love him the way he wanted her to) and Sansa (who at some point, kept her distance). Every other reference point he'd have is either from a distance, or from stories. You also have his role model, good ol' Ned Stark, who is amused by Arya's "boyish" behaviors, then gives his "girly" daughter a doll because that's what girls like, right? No matter she's too old for it. And Robb "My Sisters Aren't Worth Trading For" Stark.
But Jon doesn't actually hate willowy creatures, if we're equating that with feminine women. He thinks of Sansa fondly enough, he wants to give Ygritte flowers from the glass gardens, he loves that Ygritte loves songs. When he thinks about his mother, he wants her to be a lady. He wants to be Lord of Winterfell. He wants a lady wife and children. I think that the willowy creatures line is based less in actual hatred for feminine women, and more a way for him to pretend it's not what he wants, because he thinks he can never have it.
I think we can also look at willowy creatures another way, in that Jon doesn't respect people who don't use their own agency, or are too cowardly to stand up for themselves/others. But that doesn't necessarily apply to feminine women? Look at Cat, who fought off an assassin and helped her son wage a war and 'saws through' a guy's throat when Robb was killed (thanks asoiaf wiki for that description). It doesn't even really apply to Sansa, who is one of the more passive characters, action-wise. But she stands up to and manipulates Joffrey into not killing Dontos, doesn't bend for Tyrion to cloak her, and runs away with Dontos despite not having a guarantee of her safety.
And the fact that he repeatedly denies Stannis because "Winterfell belongs to my sister Sansa" tells me he doesn't actually think less of women who follow traditional roles. If he did, he could easily think Sansa wouldn't be able to handle it, or doesn't deserve it because she's a woman.
Now, like I said, I'm no book scholar, so maybe there's some other point where Jon's like "women are stupid and useless" but I'm not remembering them.
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TL;DR: Jon is a teenage boy who grew up in a misogynistic society, who has one negative thought about a generic willowly creature, but when he actually knows women, seems to respect them well enough
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Sorry anon, I know this was supposed to be a writing prompt, I just couldn't make it into an actual story. But I still had thoughts about it. clearly lol
now, if anyone disagrees with me on any of this, that's fine! This is just my opinion and conclusions I've come to, all while having a very pro-Jon and pro-Jonsa bias (and as someone who spent most of their child/teen years resenting the color pink and pop music and girly girls, only to grow up and realize I like all of those things, along with my grunge music and horror movies and questionable taste in fashion)
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this is SO long and I'm expecting no one to read it all so don't feel bad but I'm collecting my thoughts and intents re: writing my sailors so this part will be a general overview as I dig into their psyches with a plastic sandbox trowel. 'll post another bit that explains the actual story via a too-detailed "summary" that's too long to be an actual summary.
I do reiterate, these are LONG-winded!!
Character Overview:
Known as Dodger to his friends, Matti to his folks, and simply "the cook" to everyone else, Dodger projects a personality bland enough to warrant his name being overlooked. He strives to be agreeable and pleasant; never taking sides in an argument, never setting boundaries, never speaking up, and never defending someone else if it means he'd also be at risk. He plays the part of a doormat in all but appearance, welcoming everyone he sees but staying under their boots the whole time.
While he's liked by everyone, all his relationships are generally distanced. He's too passive to make enemies, and too passive to make real friends. Nobody knows much about him, and most don't even think to ask anymore than they'd think to ask a tailor's mannequin. The ones that do ask don't get any further than the ones that don't. Dodger keeps his thoughts and feelings and opinions close, deflecting any questions that dig deeper than his name, but It's not just shipmates and friends who find out he's still as much of a stranger as he was the moment they met.
The family left at home while Dodger is away on voyages struggles just as much to find a grip on him. Not in the sense that if they let him go he'll wander away in search of something newer and more exciting, never to return, but that they'll never actually get to know the one they call husband or father. To his wife and child, Dodger is a comforting yet lukewarm presence. Comfortable in the familiarity, like the faded pictures on the living room wall that've been there since they moved in, and would leave the room feeling strange and different if they were ever taken down. Lukewarm in the quiet and stiffness, in how he talks very little, and despite how every word is kind and loving, something about it feels recited instead of candid.
Although his family loves him and couldn't scrounge up any real reason to turn him away, they feel a strange sense of relief in the emptiness of his absence, caught in an inexplicable limbo of longing for him to stay home for good and wishing he would stay away long enough that the absence would become familiar enough to find a new comfort in it. If Dodger knew they felt this way, he'd realize his one ever-present irrational fear really was reasonable all along.
Somewhere along the way, he developed a fear of loss far beyond the normal bounds. With love comes regret and a sense of impending doom. He loves his family far more intensely than he could put into words, with an almost-reverence, a soulsick admiration and to some degree a disbelief. The perfect woman and perfect son exist and they're his family, when he had no dazzling charms or vibrancy or skill of equal merit that could explain why they love him.
He chalks up a line of his own making to toe every day, imposing so many restrictions on himself and writing up mental lists of rules to live by that nobody else knows, because if he steps out of line—if he speaks up, shows a sign of discontent or worry or unhappiness, ever disagrees, if he ever says "no" or "maybe" or "later" or "I don't like that" or ever can't fulfill a desire, or takes up too much space in the room, or mentions something about himself that could take the spotlight off his family for even a moment, or can't, can't, can't—he'll lose their respect or trust or love, and have nothing left. He closes himself up in a box that he built, that isn't big enough to turn around in, and keeps his family on a shelf like a prized fragile heirloom out of reach, so he'll never accidentally bump shoulders and leave everything shattered on the ground.
Without his even being fully conscious of it, he's allowed the fear of losing his loved ones to consume him and draw him onto the path leading to exactly that. To him, the emotional distance is only sensible. It's respect, it's admiration, it's love, it's only proof that he cares. If he didn't care, he wouldn't be so terrified of losing them, and wouldn't so obsessively monitor his every word and movement to keep them at ease. To his family, the distance is indifference. It's disinterest, nonchalance and a frayed attachment. What had they done to turn him away?
As time passes, Dodger actively barricades himself from the realization that the connection he's worked so intensely to protect has been fraying all along, and the last threads could break any minute. He searches for every excuse to stay away from home, and loneliness strangles him every second of it.
If he goes home, or stays home, he has to face the staleness in the air. How he looks at his wife, and it's like seeing a portrait of his best friend, someone he knows and loves and values, but a memory of someone who really isn't in front of him. How he can smile at her, and at once time it was a secret wordless exchange, like they were both thinking of the same joke and if only they could move somewhere out of earshot they could laugh together and know exactly what the other meant, but now it's a weak smile at a stranger, a desperate and lonesome bid for some kind of human connection no matter how fleeting. How his son is growing, grown, and it's like watching a distant nephew or a neighbor's child grow—intermittent visits, "haven't you gotten big!" and forgetting how their face looks each time—how he could love him so much, and know his birthday and what size coat he wears and that he's mending nets on the dock for twenty cents a day, but not know his favorite food or if he liked to read or the name of the nice girl he'd been seeing for the last two years.
But if he doesn't go home, he can retain the memories of the last time, and the time before that, and the one before that, when the air was warm and fresh and inviting. He can't bring himself to step away enough to see the full picture. If he were to go home, he could confide his feelings and private worries, and both reassure and be reassured. He could easily put a renewed effort into rekindling the connection with his family and draw their circle closer. Everything is in place, waiting for him to do exactly that. But wrapping himself up in familiar memories is so much easier than facing uncertainty. How could he know they'd understand? Or want to take him back in and keep him close? What if he goes back and they say it's too late, that it's all frayed beyond repair and he can remain as a guest in their home if he wants, but nothing more?
He'd rather live in his own pleasant memories and let everything in life pass by than to ever take a risk and face an uncertain outcome. It's better, safer and more comfortable to daydream about what was and could've been instead of confronting the situation to resolve it and potentially failing.
Jerzy could've showed him differently instead of enforcing that fear.
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Jerzy is—was?—a pulsar star of personality: vibrant, explosive and all crammed into the smallest possible space. Were he a bit less abrasive and a bit more approachable, he might be admired instead of shaken off with all the contempt one feels for a tick.
It'd be more sympathetic to say that once upon a time he was different, and the brine of time and bad circumstances pickled him from a smiling, gentle, beloved person to a harsh and bitter one. But at nineteen he hasn't been in the brine for all that long, and his good experiences tipped the scale over the bad, so he's just a remarkably disagreeable and unpleasant specimen.
Born in Łeba to a very young single mother, Jerzy grew up cherished and in a pleasant but very modest home. For most of his childhood, Jerzy knew few others besides his mother, but was perfectly content with that. Though he didn't notice at the time, he had only feminine influences via his mother and his mother's handful of close friends. Anna kept men at a distance, and while she never spoke outright her feelings on the matter, she discreetly kept them out of Jerzy's life as well.
He was never explicitly told why, and never felt strongly enough to have an opinion of his own. All he knew was that his mother met his father, a raggedy and seaspray-roughened young Christy Mulligan, when she was sixteen and selling pastries at the docks to the whalers returning home. Christy was tattered and didn't have enough money left in his pockets to buy a breadcrust off a dog, but there was something so magnetic in his mischievous grin that Anna loaded him with everything she had left in her basket anyway. He was sincere, and lonely, and overlooked by the older more seasoned sailors, and throughout the next couple of years, he and Anna grew closer every time he returned to shore. He was her dearest friend, and although she missed him terribly, she had always been faithful and patient for his next arrival.
The one time and last time she wasn't patient was when she realized she was going to have a child. Christy couldn't read her letters nor could he write, but she hoped desperately that this one excitedly scrawled note might be read to him by a willing shipmate. The days lagged, and months dragged, and years limped, and she had a little boy now clinging to her skirts and Christy was only a grayed-out memory.
Jerzy never questioned his mother's worry that had, over time, hardened into the heartbroken belief that his father had left her behind to avoid the burden of a family. He harbors no resentment—how could he, for a stranger he's never known and whose name he doesn't even share?—and when his mother gave him the battered old wool-felt hat his father had left behind, he happily accepted it as a gift from mama than the transferring of a dismal memento.
When Jerzy ventures out in search of some occupation, the expectations his mother holds for him, those tender "be a good, honest boy, that's all it takes to make me happy"s, are minuscule in comparison to those he imposes on himself. If good and honest will get his mother lifelong security, and purple linen gowns and silver tableware and a new home with a four-post bed and curtains and everything else she deserves, he'll be good and honest, but if it takes something else, anything else, he'll do that too. He'll be a better man than his father—that nebulous concept of a man in his mind, the one he never doubts was a lazy irresponsible scoundrel who chose sawing up whales over the company of his sweetheart and son—better than him a thousandfold.
It takes little time for Jerzy to learn that regardless of how lofty his goals are and how staunch his determination might be, to the rest of the world outside the walls of his own home he's nothing but a ragtag nuisance underfoot. His vigor and spitfire are secondary to the fact that he's short and spindly and looks too young to be doing anything more complicated than feeding the family chickens. With some finagling clearly in order, Jerzy manages to find menial employment here and there, and takes a very deep personal satisfaction both in outdoing the expectations set for him and outperforming those around him.
What he lacks in strength and stature, he more than makes up for with obsessive perseverance. He tackles the tasks, no matter how insignificant, with a degree of intensity that goes past respectable and deep into the territory of obnoxious. In each setting, he gains pennies, skill and enemies: not content with making his fellow workers appear to be idlers in comparison, he also micromanages their work and calls attention to the slips or mistakes that nobody else would notice. Jerzy shrugs off their complaints and sour glares. After all, they're not the ones putting money in his pocket.
He stacks up an impressive resume in short order, and if people can't vouch for his gentlemanly character they can vouch for his work ethic. Jerzy counts all his endeavors as meager steps on a staircase, ascending to one goal. He's watched so many ships churn into the harbor, the docks boiling with an excited welcoming crowd, and he's spotted captains in their feathered tricornes and extravagant spotless overcoats with buttons worth more than his life. He'll climb the ranks and get an overcoat of his own like that, and command a ship of his own, with enough prestige and respect and money to get anything his mother could ever want.
With his red hair hidden under his hat, Jerzy volunteers himself to an exploration crew, with skill to render his relative lack of experience irrelevant enough to secure a title onboard. Few sailors wish to resign themselves to a foolhardy and uncertain voyage when they have families to feed and abundant opportunities closer to home, but to Jerzy, greater risks reap greater rewards. Being away from his mother for a year or two doesn't even seem so bad; after all, he's got no plans to shrug off his responsibility and slither off to leave her behind and forgotten.
Continuing his pattern of being far too demanding a perfectionist and beating down those around him, Jerzy makes no friends on the crew, and the more he antagonizes them and is antagonized in return, he only bears down on them further, wearing them thin. When the thrill and excitement of the journey begins to fade, he finds himself grappling with a new sickness, something deeper and more excruciating than any nausea. He realizes that he's not just away from his mother, but something more discomfiting: he's alone.
In the face of adversity, Jerzy refuses to soften up, apologize or make amends. Backing off is cowardice. Admitting wrong is feebly passive. Opening up is vulnerability. All the things that could make him lose what he's worked to obtain. Despising the idea of being vulnerable to others, he deliberately cultivates the attitude that drives them all away. At the same time, he fears the loneliness, and the prospect of being someone forgotten.
Though it would only make sense to remedy the predicament by being kind and approachable, the fear of mistreatment wins over, and he somehow prefers the crushing loneliness. He isn't aware of why he feels such a way, and never makes the connection since he's got no strong feelings about his disconnected family, but he's absorbed his mother's thoughts on heartbreak: a chronic ache that came from loving the wrong person too much and nursing a tender lifelong scar while the offending party frolics free. It's instilled in him like the fairytales of horrible monsters that devour disobedient children—a deep-rooted fear of how he too could be so drastically changed by opening his arms and life to the wrong person.
Everything falls into place for him to change, if he makes the right choices. Dodger gives him the chance to do that.
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Today's translation #222
Animestyle 2017.05, Otsuka Manabu's interview
Part 9.
I: I see. Was it decided that love and eros etc. are going to be important motifs [in the story] after work on the storyboards started? Or before that at the series composition stage?
O: Well, when we were discussing with the Director her vision for the show, and what ideas she had for all the songs, I've heard those words and I understood them, but I hadn't known how the story would go specifically. So yeah, I understood that [how those motifs would be used in the story] when I read the storyboards.
I: Oh, I see.
O: My reaction was something like: "so this is what you meant?!" and "they really are so passionate about this show, huh".
I: For me, the line "even I, a man, could get pregnant" was one of the most impactful in the entire series.
O: Yes, it's a very feminine line, right. If it wasn't a women [who was writing the script], for sure the idea to write a line like that wouldn't have appeared. I personally was surprised when I heard it, but as a line that a character speak, it's very strong. It leaves an impact on the viewers. It's not only the script, the visuals in some scenes too have the same effect.
I: Something like that is only possible in the shows which were created by people who are very passionate about them. A line like that wouldn't appear if Yuri!!! was created in the normal way for an anime - write a project proposal for a show about figure skating, order a screenplay, discuss what should be in the screenplay with a screenwriter, let the screenwriter write the screenplay (laugh).
O: No, it wouldn't (laugh). It absolutely wouldn't. I have only seen the final effect, but I think it was a strong point of this show [that they didn't follow the "normal procedure" and lines like that one could appear in the script.
[Notes: Another interesting topic to discuss~~ #fandom politics ✨
Maybe you wonder why the interviewer is so fixated on that particular line. Of course, it's not possible to know for sure what somebody meant without asking them for clarification, but...
If we were to analyze it, I think the "problem" was, as Otsuka said here, that you could feel that it was a line written by a woman.
Normally, even if a manga/anime is created by a woman, many people don't even know that - with Mitsurou as an example: I'm sure most Yuri!!! fans know that her real name is "Mitsuko", and you can right away tell that it's a female name, but she uses a "male variant" of her name "Mitsurou" as her manga pen name - and voila, just by looking at the name on the cover you wouldn't know that it was written by a women. It's, of course, to not make men not read/watch something that sounds interesting to them just because it was written by a woman (and yeah, it's not only a Jp thing).
Sports manga/anime are often categorized as "shonen", and that means that even if it is written by a woman, men are still the main target audience, so the author is expected to match their taste - write characters men can easily identify with etc., and they are used to it. But a line like that - "even I, a man, could get pregnant" - is not something most men would ever say or even think, especially if they are from a conservative country... So the "problem" with that line is that it doesn't follow the rules - it's a sports anime, but it isn't written as an anime for men should be written and instead the female creators do what they want to do.
And it's not only this interviewer - when you read old "live discussion" threads in places like 5ch, where a lot of male otaku gather, you can see that a lot of them dropped the show after ep 3., because it was quite clear at that point, that it's not going to be anime written "to please men", so to speak. (Of course, their conclusion was that Yuri!!! is going to be a "fujo pandering anime" instead, but I personally really don't agree - I think Yuri!!! was simply written the way Sayo&co wanted it be, and that many fujos have been in a state of war with YoI officials since 2017, to me, is a proof of that...)
So yeah, how YoI was received in Jp and abroad is really such an interesting and complicated issue... Especially now, that we know that despite their initial plans, they weren't able to make a continuation...
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Ignore me it's time for me to rant because I'm just so exhausted from hateful comments. Hiding it under a read more so no one has to be forced to look at my misery.
I got a piece of (already now deleted) hatemail on my fanfic of Brothers, A Tale of Three Hedgehogs. A hatemail that was critical of the fact that the Triple S bois aren't exactly like their game selves. Honestly, I'm mad as hell that I write fanfiction, damn good fanfiction at that, and frequently get met with criticism that my take on the characters (Donald Duck, Sonic, Mabel Pines, Della Duck, etc) are "not in character"
I mean first of all, I really do attempt to BALANCE what the character would do/say/react canonically with where my stories take them. But damnit I'm not writing stuff that's canon compliant! Almost everything I write is tagged with AU for fucks sake. I am not writing little adventures that could go along side the canon, I am creating entire versions that are meant to be their own thing. No Donald Duck does not canonically try to kill himself in Ducktales 2017 and have to embark on a long mental health journey to recover afterwards, there's no fucking way to say what Donald would or would not do in that situation because Disney wouldn't touch that story with a 10 foot pole! Or ew why is Shadow still so hung up on the past in Brothers A Tale of Three Hedgehogs, why does Sonic still have feelings for Sally or why does he even care in the first place since their relationship has been retconned by Sega. Because I fucking want to write a story that takes SatAM, Sonic X, and a good chunk of the games - which may I remind you are all VERY different types of source material with their own takes on the characters - and rolls it all into one story. Because in that story I need the characters to have growth and change and be affected by the things they've gone through! Stagnant characters won't work for this story! Or why is Mabel Pines depressed in your fic, she's 13. Because fucking hell my dude, I was once a depressed 13 year old too! I know what it's like! So I wanted to write a story about it!
BECAUSE IT'S A STORY. I AM NOT BOUND BY THE RULES SET BY THE IP OWNERS. It's fanfiction! I am free to write whatever I want!
Like oh my God. You do not have to like it when I or anyone else writes characters in a non canon compliant way. You are free to feel that way. But good GRIEF what is the freaking POINT of pouncing into mine or anyone's inbox and saying how you're a bad writer because your version doesn't align with canon, you're a bad writer because you wrote the characters in a way I DON'T LIKE, on and on and on! Wtf! Do you people who do this shit also climb into smut fics and pull this same stunt? "Uh well ACTUALLY, we never see XYZ character engage in sexual activity so THEREFORE this fic is out of character!"
Do you hear how dumb that sounds???
I don't read smut fics so hell, maybe they are, IDK. That's besides the point though.
Just. Fucking hell. Have fanfic readers of today forgotten the old wisdom of "Don't like it, don't read it?" Yes that's normally applied to shipping content but god, please apply it to literally everything when it comes to fanfiction. There is this WONDERFUL TOOL at your dispense when you wind up reading a fanfiction you don't like like. It is called the back button. You know what is an infinitely better thing to do than write a hateful comment or fucks sake a series of extremely hateful and threatening anons on the author's Tumblr account??? Backing out of that fic and moving on with your life.
I mean fuck I'm very sorry for ranting on and on about this but it's 1:30am and I've already had such a rough day, I got real excited to see someone commented on my fic only to receive a long angry criticism that I'm not writing in character and that failure on my part is ruining their enjoyment so badly thar they can't even bring themselves to leave me kudos! Like, buddy! Oh pal, my good sir, instead of wasting your time, just LEAVE! It's okay to just leave and not say a word!
"Tombs, why do you care? Just ignore the haters-"
No. You know what. No. I can't. Okay? I work HARD on what I write. I don't expect to be everyone's cup of tea, I don't expect people to sing my praises from the heavens, no! But for FUCKS SAKE. Life is so shitty! I don't want to even exist most days! I've been having to fight all this mental illness for years without any help thanks to living in the middle of nowhere and I'm still frequently suicidal - I seriously contemplate checking myself into a hospital again sometimes! I would just like to be able to write whatever story I'm focused on at the time in peace okay??? I try to not complain that it's disappointing to not get much positive attention on what I write. But the frequent hate mail on TA&TA and now this on Brothers, it's E X H A U S T I N G. I'm TRYING to live my life and make things work and not be a completely bitter and mean person like my mother was or turn to her vices. I'm freaking trying to do what I can. I just CAN'T with this damn hatemail on my stories though or especially the god awful anons people send me sometimes, PLEASE just leave me alone if you don't like what I make!
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Is it bad for a piece of media’s main story to focus on the oppressors in an oppressive/imperialist regime instead of the people victimised by said regime?
Hmmm I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask (because while im loud i also have no credentials), but I think my answer has to be no?
Ok, so, this is complicated because there's just several different aspects to this question. Overall, I do not think a narrative 'owes' its audience any form of abstract moral correctness. I think it's reductive and limiting to say that media MUST do this thing or NOT do this other thing because that gets in the way of good storytelling. A safe story is a boring one.
Additionally, I don't think focusing on the oppressors is inherently bad either. It's a neutral choice. I think there's a whole lot of great stories, many of which I love, that do this. This is my overall stance for most things in media, and it hold true for this topic as well.
Where I think things start to get dicey, however, is when the narrative props up the oppression itself as something positive. This is tricky, because if your main characters are the oppressors, then often the colonialist system they rule over being successful will often be a good development for them. I don't think this is bad either, because it's a character stake/goal/tool that can often serve the narrative. What I mean by proping up the oppression as something positive is when the piece of media starts to present it as something that should be desirable to the reader in real life, instead of simply something advantageous in the diegetic world of the novel.
The reason as to why this specifically is bad is because this usually reinforces white saviourism/manifest destiny/white man's burden-esque ideologies, or leans into some very racist stereotyping that actually harms people in real life. This is not like violence or problematic ships or weird porn or whatever that no reasonable person is doing in real life just because they enjoy reading fucked up shit in their spare time. This type of imperialist ideology propaganda is often far more insidious, and bleeds into real people's perceptions of the world. And if it bleeds into how people think of politics, or power, or people themselves, then it starts to reinforce existing prejudices, or even create new ones. And these prejudices then influence a person's actions, and suddenly you have a piece of media that acts as a funnel towards more extreme content if you're not careful.
Ironically enough, the best way to counteract this happening is to do away with the idea of a piece of media being bad because it does one thing or another. That leads to oversimplification, and if your mental framework doesn't leave space between the divide of Good Media and Bad Media, then you're not going to consume media critically past the initial classification. All media is bad in some aspect. You just have to learn to dissect media and examine what it's telling you, so you can make a conscious decision about whether it's right or wrong on a topic instead of uncritically absorbing the message. You're not going to agree with everything a story tells you, and that's ok. It's normal.
And finally, there's another issue when the oppressors being focused on becomes the norm. This is not really the fault of any independent piece of media, and is instead a marker of a social and systemic issue in real life, where narratives of colonialism almost never actually center the real life people that are colonized, not as authors, not as publishers, not as editors, marketers, reviewers, and certainly not as characters within the story. As such, there is a serious lack of diversity when it comes to narratives of empire, which leads to many of these genres tending towards abstraction when discussing the topic. After all, its very hard to create something with a main theme you've never experienced. In this case, its not just one person's fault, one bad actor that has spoilt the lot. Its bigger than that.
So no, I don't think a narrative centering an oppressor is inherently bad. I just think we need to make space for the oppressor to NOT be centered, and be critical of the media we consume so we don't inadvertently absorb something we don't want to become a part of ourselves. Imperialism and colonialism and oppression are much bigger than a single fantasy world, and quite frankly i don't think any of us are equipped to handle the full breath of the issue. It's about working together to dismantle the old and make space for the new.
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‧₊˚✧ ❛[ my kingdom, my rules ]❜
╰₊✧ this blog contains nsfw/suggestive & ocassionally dark content (possibly including yandere, dubcon/noncon), please tread lightly. just because i write for dark content doesn’t mean i condone any of the actions in real life!! even if that's the focus of the blog, there are a few sfw fluff and angst fics scattered about.
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╰₊✧ i always write unprotected BUT PLEASE WRAP IT BEFORE YOU TAP IT DONT BE LIKE THE READER IN THESE FICS STAY SAFE. english isn't my first language and my works are rarely, if ever, proofread so expect mistakes. my titles are cringe, i don't have better ideas. and finally, don’t take anything too seriously like ooc characters/character dynamics, i write for fun and it isn’t worth analyzing
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hi hi its me u know that pink fan who dumped too many words in one comment instead of spreading it out by chapter like a normal person lmao
(psst it was to lure u into giving spoilers accidentally but damn it didnt work இ௰இ)
can i say im an og fan of yours??? i really really loved ur iwft series at first sight since im also more or less an emmet simp and at that time your iwft story was a sight for sore eyes! amidst all the angst and pain, a fun bamf emmet story was something i needed! and then you continued to pump out masterpieces one after another and as you can tell i've been ummmm verrry aware of you like keeping an eye out for something new from you aware-aware haha *refreshes subscription list like a maniac*
and oh i was not being anonymous at all as i thought haha (tbh i feel kinda honored you know me even as far back as my roxana phase the world needs more roxana tbh badass bitches rule my manhwa list btw have u also read the princess 's doll shop its my pfp i love her ヾ(≧▽≦*)o)
i dont usually comment in my favorite authors' stories (tho i should probably do it more often) but when i do its going to be more or less an avalanche of words
actually i do have more thoughts about wonderland simmering in my head but i didn't include it bc i was almost at ao3 character limit lmao so i'll just say it here
i wanted to include ghetsis in my speculations bc i feel like he had a hand in whatever issue the king was having and probably pushed the rift between nobori and kudari. we haven't heard from him yet so its a sneaking suspicion 🤔 i also wanted to include allusions to kyurem since i mentioned the forest of mirrors as a boundary between wonderland and the real world and guess who's the boundary pokemon idk bulbapedia said it was a husk pokemon idk who that is *wink wink nudge nudge* and since our resident amnesiac kudari was there maybe it means something? i also wanted to make some comparisons between kyurem and the king but i felt it was getting wayyy out of hand hehe
also also as you can probably tell i believe that wonderland is very much a real place but it is also a product of a dream since gen 5 had that dream world mechanic dunno how that's gonna fit in the story but its a nice thought
i also have thoughts on the memory hall and why the king restricted the place and why ingo got like conflicting memories but i am running out of words i need to soak my brain somewhere else first byeee have a nice day/night!!!
Hello, pink one! Good to hear/read from you again! I verrrry much appreciated the long comment in the latest Wonderland chapter! :D
(Heheh, gotta keep the secrets hidden~ It's kinda hard to reply to comments without accidentally revealing things lol)
I'm delighted to meet another Emmet simp! One of the big motivators behind 'I wish for truth' was for Emmet to not be a sad sad angsty depressed boy for once. Hence, him being a mysterious, powered up, bamf lol. I'm so very glad my story was able to provide that break from the *angst* that I myself was looking for.
I'm honoured to have someone so aware of my works! Communication on AO3 is relatively limited and I don't get much feedback aside from what's available on there (and social media ain't really my thing), so it's nice to know that there are people who notice and appreciate. The concept of having fans is still somewhat foreign to me cos all I'm doing is writing stuff... (that's all self-indulgent lolol).
(btw, I still haven't shaken my habit of refreshing the Emmet tag on AO3 several times a day)
I will admit that my first moments of being a writer on AO3 were verrry... stalker-y? I'd just look at the profiles of anyone who kudo-ed or bookmarked my stuff, which is probably not that creepy? idk XD
(I looove Roxana, she's so cool and gosh the art in that manwha is soooo pretty. Oh, I haven't heard of princess' doll shop! I'll definitely give it a look! Thank you for the rec~)
I don't usually comment on stuff much either (bc I'm kinda bad at doing that). So I'm honoured you decided to leave such a detailed, in-depth comment on my work! Thank youuuuu~♡
Oh, I was wondering if you were almost to the limit on AO3's commenting system. It was quite the essay! :D
Now onto Ingo in Wonderland:
Ohhh, speculations regarding gen5 stuff! Ghetsis and Kyurem and dreams hmm? Interesting thoughts you have there~
We'll just have to wait and see if the mysteries of Wonderland will ever come to light... (I have a lotta lore in my head but it doesn't always get onto the paper/document screen)
Oh, I'm excited to read your thoughts/speculations on the whole memory mess! I'll be waiting here (im)patiently~ (>w<)
Thank you for the ask! A good day to you too!
#answered asks#oh it's not anon this time!#spoilers#Ingo in Wonderland spoilers#spoilers ain’t from me it’s just the content of the ask#theories and speculations
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