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#she is a side character but I love her she’s clever and funny and kind
lurking-latinist · 1 year
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after jekyll & hyde weekly can we please read some more stevenson, I NEED there to be a Kidnapped fandom
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ok so because the brain worms have completely taken over, I've been completely rotating the idea of the stranger things kids godly parents and it won't let me go so here are my headcanons for their godly parents with probably not enough thought put into them-
Dustin as a son of hephestus is probably a really low-hanging fruit, but it's low-hanging for a reason. He's constantly making all sorts of shit and he's constantly thinking about the science before his own life. Plus, I'd just love to see him with fire abilities. see how that plays out.
Stobin I bounced around with a couple ideas. I initially had them as mischief-causing children of hermes, but then I had a better idea- Daughter of Athena Robin and son of poseidon Steve. Here me out ok, her affinity for languages plus her ability to improv plans and stories really gave me those vibes and for Steve, he already spends a bunch of time in the water (swim captain, lifeguard) and he kinda gives me the vibes that he would enjoy just sitting at the bottom of the lake and just chilling (robin is so jealous he can speak in a language she can't and demands to figure out how to speak it too) (Side note I considered making steve a son of aphrodite as a close second bc of the charmspeak and such but poseidon won out)
Max I decided on as a daughter of zues. I loved the idea of giving her that much power plus the tragedy that comes with being a child of the big three. idk less thoughts and more vibes with this one, but I think it could also present some fabulous big brother steve moments with this kind of circumstance. If I were to write this I prob wouldn't follow the pjo plot exactly bc none of these characters are a 1:1 of any pjo counterparts, but I really like the idea of her turning into a tree for some time and accidentally coming back. It would kinda be reminiscent of the coma she's in right now and it could be fun to play with.
Lucas I was really vibing with as a son of apollo. Obviously, because of the ranger thing, I'd love to see him with a bow and arrow, but also because of the healing. @andiwriteordie made an excellent thought post about lucas with healing abilities in reference to him as a water bender and while I think some things would change bc atla and pjo are vastly different worlds, I think the core ideas of Lucas being a healer are still there and I rlly vibe with it. Plus, I. Really like the idea of Glowing Boyfriend. Also I think there's plenty of angst to be said with Lucas trying and trying to heal tree!max with apollo powers but that can't beat zues's spell on her.
This one I haven't had as much thought on, but I loved the idea of Erica also being a child of apollo, but specifically a roman one. It would take a bit for them to realize the difference esp bc I don't think apollo has many changes between greek and roman form and I think it could create an interesting dynamic. less thoughts here but I may have more as I continue my HOO reread. I would love to see her as an archer plus I'm obsessed with that trope of the healer talking to their patients like "you dumb motherfucker stop doing stupid shit and landing your ass here again." but on the other hand, her with plague powers would be so funny. dustin tries to give her this superhero "with great power comes great responsibility" speech and he wakes up with hay fever the next day
Speaking of something I need to reread more info on, I was kinda vibing with the idea of El as a daughter of Hecate. I think her working with magic could be really interesting, but I also don't wanna say much till I've finished my HOO reread and I've read more of Hazel's scenes.
Mike I think would make such a good son of athena. He always has a clever plan ready and things often go wrong when people don't follow his plans. Slightly less relevant but I think his creativity as a DM could really match up with this as well.
Now, Nancy I had a bit of a hard time with. I considered Athena because she always seems to have a plan as well, though I'd take her for a different aspect than, say, Robin, since Nancy kinda blanks out whenever things go off the plan. I briefly considered Nemesis since she's the god of revenge and balance and that felt appropriate, but Athena felt a little more on target.
Eddie I'm kinda vibing as a son of Hermes, that chaotic jack of all trades kind of son of hermes. this one is also mostly vibes, but if I have more thoughts later on I'll add them.
Argyle as a son of demeter i think works well because those kids always gave me very chill vibes and I think that would work well.
Will, I actually saw this somewhere, is a clearsighted mortal. It kinda ties back into his canon true sight and lines up well. I really like the idea of him spouting prophecies, plus, he can instantly see monsters for what they truly are which is really something considering
Jonathan is a child of one of the big three, Hades. I felt it kinda fit with his loner persona and I loved the idea of him shadow traveling, plus him attracting monsters frequently leaves him immensely guilty bc his brother who can see through the mist can spot the monsters immediately and it ends up being the little brother looking out for the older brother??? then in this hypothetical au they run away from home which leaves joyce utterly crushed btw. and by they I mean Jonathan ran away and Will followed after him. Jonathan hated feeling like he was putting will in danger, but will just couldn't leave Jonathan alone with the monsters he couldn't spot 100% of the time or as accurately. it's an utterly vicious cycle. Lowkey considering having jonathan run away with the Wheeler’s, I imagine they’d have an adjacent attitude to annabeth’s stepmom in regard to the monsters. plus I think the angst of Jonathan attempting to shadowtravel them into camp and he finds himself halfway down the hill on the other side as will is banging on the magical shield around camp unable to get in as a monster advances to be utterly delicious.
If I were to write this, there’d probably be no defined main character. Certain drabbles/one shots will focus on different characters, so just bc steve’s the son of poseidon doesn’t mean he’s gonna be the main character like percy.
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meili-sheep · 7 months
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Hello, Kai, really interested in knowing the relationship of sumeru characters and diluc. Also, fontaine characters too (those who we know/already meet)
I think that Navia and Diluc have some stuff in common... I think
This is my first time asking you, so please ignore mistakes
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Hello! Welcome! And don't worry about mistakes my brain has this really nice autocorrect feature called dyslexia so about 70% of the time I don't any grammar or spelling errors. But it back fires a lot. Kind of like regular autocorrect. ANY WAY. I would kind of love to talk about this.
SUMERU
Al Haitham
So I do enjoy shipping Diluc and Al Haitham because well they would just absolutely vibe together. Defiantly a lot of autism to autism communication. They are also both they type of people who can work or do separate activates right next to each other and come away saying they really like each other and the other is a good person.
Like their relationship could be them hardly speaking to each other but they just genuinely enjoy company and having someone understand on different level.
Candace
So I firmly think she (and Dehya for that matter) would look at Diluc and go "baby"
She's a protector and would in a small way equate Diluc to a little prince or knight. And I think if she learned about Diluc's family history she might feel a common ground there. And she'd defiantly pick up on how young, but accomplished he is. Just generally he'd kick in her protective instincts. SPECIALLY SINCE HE'D BE A VERY RESPECTFULLY GOOD BOY.
Cyno
Honestly I think Diluc would really enjoy Cyno's jokes. Not to the point where he'd laugh out loud but defiantly remark about how funny and clever it is. And Cyno just get the glint in his eyes that Collei and Tighnari fear.
I've also had them together in The Teyvat Detective Club Because they have strong senses of right and wrong with focuses on justice and retribution. So I kind of think out of everyone in Sumeru Diluc and Cyno would be the closest as friends.
Collei
So I believe Diluc know of Collie. Lisa does tell him about her progress and he's got a silent investment and pride. But he doesn't really think he need to introduce himself. She doesn't need to know that he cause the distraction and took the blame for her accident. But he's always extra gentle with her.
For Collei's part she probably is just amazed by Diluc and how gentle and calming his presence is. With Tighnari she's probably been told to be very careful with Pyro vision, but she doesn't see the Choatic side of Diluc. Diluc reminds her a lot of a camp fire, a warm relaxing. She probably see him as an exemplar of what Knights are supposed to be based off of what Amber has told her.
And I think if she learned about his involvement in helping her and who he too hate the fatui and has suffered at their hands. She'd cry.
Dehya
As a Claymore Pyro, (on standard) I think Dehya already feel a connection. And she would love swapping stories with him until she realizes how young he is.
And then she'd probably ask about how he keeps his skin looking so nice. He would shrug and just say he washes regularly.
Then it hits her
He's not even 25 yet he's barely 23.
Big sister mode kicks in and she picks him up toss him over her shoulder. This her now. her little brother and if anything happen to him she will kill everyone and then herself.
Dori
So these two are probably the ones most likely to have canon interaction. And Dori has absolutely tried to sell counterfeit dandelion wine.
And well.
Dori has probably the personally see Diluc's pretty close to bottomless assets. The ability to by like what was it 2000? fake Breath of Barbatos. Either way she sees him as someone she can't really cross without facing a lose in some way, and he's not one who she can trick. So she admires him in some way for how he's added to his family's wealthy but also in some was see him as a rival for having family wealthy and still being a good businessman.
Faruzan
Diluc actually calls her Madam and gives her the elder respect that she asks for. So she loves him and probably has tried to get him to become a student specially since I do think Diluc would have an interests in linguistics particularly in syphers and codes.
She probably would be his got to for such things relating to machines and langue. And honestly Diluc would personally fund her projects seeing that her lines and interests in blending fields of study could have long term good effects for everyone.
Kaveh
So I'm a big Kavehluc person.
And Kaveh would instantly see Diluc's beauty and just fall head over heels and just progressively get worst because he'd see Diluc on top of being beautiful is one of the gentlest and sweetest people he's every meet. Kaveh would admire him because he just gives himself and knows when to hold back with out feeling any of the guilt that Kaveh struggles with.
And even if you don't ship them I feel they would get along as Kaveh feels he could learn something from Diluc.
Layla
So Diluc's not an astrology person. But I feel he's treat Layla the same was he does Sucrose. He would be extra gentle and try to subtly build up Layla's confidences. Which would put him in high regards in "other" Layla's book.
If he meet them both he would tries his best to meet the real Layla which he thinks is some point in-between day and night time Layla.
Nahida
Not give a single shit she's an archon.
That's a baby.
And Diluc has a biiiiiiig soft spot for children. Defiantly respects her wisdom but defiantly is in big bro mode.
Nilou
RED HEADS.
But I get the feeling that Nilou is like Amber and that she has a "grump" translator. Meaning when Diluc says something that might come across as "Blunt" at best She instantly knows what he means. And she instantly knows how kind and sweet he is.
There defiantly is at small group of Nilou, Dehya, Diluc, and Candace all swapping skin, hair and general beauty tips.
Tighnari
So Tighnari is the Sumeru Rep of the Bully the Fatui Brigade. And I think Tighnari would eventually learn what Diluc did for Collie. So There is a lot of respect between them. And A lot of low key chaos
A little Less when Tighnari learns Diluc acutely like Cyno's Jokes.
Wanderer
I'm not really a fan. But I feel like Diluc wouldn't be intimated by Wanderer at all. And Wanderer would be super duper leery knowing about Diluc's past.
But Diluc doesn't remember Wander but Wander would be sort of curious about this side of the feared Fatui hunter. Defiantly would probably try to get one his good side for his own revenge related reason. Enemy of my enemy all that.
FONTAINE
Colrinde
So there isn't a lot info on her yet for me to make a call. But I feel they would have a generally positively sort of respectful relationship. Not a lot more tho.
Freminet
Into the kid collection he goes. He likes all his kids Diluc would be extremely gently and patient with Ferminet. Defiantly giving him claymore tips and probably even recommending he talk to Eula because there could be lines crossed between swimming and dancing that could be used to help him.
Diluc probably has a general soft spot for Cyro users just because of Keaya so ya know.
Furina
So consider she's just Fischl on steroids. Diluc would probably end up treating her like he does Fischl. Just gently playing into what makes her happy but also drawing clear lines when she's over stepping or about to overstep.
Diluc already has experience pulling in his archon, and given his own sense of justice I feel he and Furina would generally get along great up untill he wounds her pride, but he'd only every do it when she's being too much.
Neuvillette sings Diluc's praises for this.
Lynette
Just like with Al Haitham.
Autism to Autism communication.
Lynette would be totally see similarities between Diluc and Lyney as they are both brother would try and take all the burden away from their siblings and do everything they can protect them. So Lynette would look out for Diluc probably ends up giving Kaeya a care list for Diluc because I totally think she has one for how she takes care of Lyney when he's not looking. Not to her suprise Kaeya already has one.
Lyney
OK OK OK.
Lyney and Diluc are generally the more calm and collected end of the Pyro spectrum. But I get the feeling they both would just bring out their inner Chaos.
Like Yeah both Lyney and Lynette have heard about Diluc's Fatui Hunting. But I also think that Diluc would have tried to liberate House of Hearth and find better places for Kids. If not give them more supplies and more of a childhood. Because the he would learn of the House of Hearth and I think It's where Diluc would start to waiver on his conviction which would lead to him seeing how his method wasn't working.
So despite being Fatui Diluc would still treat them well and I feel he'd love Lyney's stage magic and learning all the tricks. It would be a puzzle game between them Lyney performs a trick and Diluc tries to figure out how he did it.
Navia
So Navia I feel could probably be the best candidate to be add to the detective club.
And there would be a lot of trauma bonding with her and Diluc over losing their father before taking up their mantles. So again I feel Diluc would provide funding to Spina di Rosula specially since the info they gain could be usfull to the Detective club or Diluc's underground organization.
Navia might even be an apprentice to Diluc but I acutely sort of get the vibe that she's older, but she's still have a lot of respect for his experience and general attitude. while he admires her passion for doing what is right and seeking the truth against all odds.
Neuvillette
So I've already seen art of Diluc and Neuvillette together and they are like super cute and chill vibes.
Like I don't have the best grip on Neuvillette yet but I feel like he and Diluc would get along in that they generally are pretty vibing but at the same time Neuvillette could learn a lot form Diluc as Diluc's passion for justice as well as being a generally passionate person would give Neuvillette a lot more perspective while not overwhelming him.
But also that leak about the Dark knight hero line. It would add a lot of spicy and also questions to the realtionship
Sigewinne
New daughter.
That's all I got mostly because see below.
Wriothesley
Look man this is gonna be my new addition to the Diluc Harem. Like I just get the gay Jane Austin Vibes from these two. Like if you want regency romance Wrioluc will be your thing. But that's just the vibe I'm picking up right now. I am super excited to learn more.
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icemankazansky · 2 years
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Hey, I want to ask what are your favorite IceMav stories? On Ao3, tumblr or whatever side you read fics. ☺️
You have no idea what you've just summoned.
Come sit by me.
You have asked for my favorite Icemav stories, which means that this list is going to leave off some truly excellent Icemav, because for the most part my favorites, the ones I read over and over again, are more lighthearted and sexy and have happy endings.
These stories are all Top Gun, and they're all Icemav, so I've only listed the rating by each title.
In no specific order:
by @boasamishipper :
Since she began creating for Top Gun in 2019, Boa has become a fixture of the fandom, an important voice that is capable of both the fluffiest fluff and the most heart-rending angst. She writes mostly Icemav, but she has branched out more than a lot of people from the pre-TGM era, and written more pairings and more characters than any other TG writer I know personally. This list might look a little odd to some people more familiar with her work, because she has written some amazing, novel-length AUs and crossovers and plotty, heavy stuff, but again, these are my favorite stories, and I like her Icemav when they're soft.
Word on the Street (Teen) Sharon looks down at her wedding ring and says a prayer for the handsome Navy pilot that’s heading their way. He’s got no idea what he’s in for. / Or, Iceman and Maverick versus the Real Housewives of Fallon, Nevada.
This is an outsider POV story in which Ice and Maverick scandalize (and titillate) the suburbs of Fallon, completely on accident. It's funny, it's sweet, and the payoff at the end is so satisfying.
let's talk about sex, baby (let's talk about you and me) (Teen) This is a college AU for the prompt: I keep coming in to take condoms from the health services desk because I think you’re cute and I’m pretty sure you must think my sex life is wild.
In which Pete Mitchell, over the course of a semester of college, continually fails to ask Tom Kazansky to go out with him. This one is light and funny and kind of innocent and hopeful in a way, because they're young and they have crushes, and nothing is more important than that ... except maybe that organic chemistry final.
when i see your face (General) In which Maverick Mitchell wakes up from surgery, high on painkillers, and hits on his husband.
This is everything I want for modern Icemav. They're married, they're so sweet together, and they love each other so, so much. Drugged Maverick is hilarious, long-suffering Ice is gentle and totally smitten; this is comfort food in text form.
'cause the cat's the only cat (who knows where it's at) (Teen) “So you mean to tell me,” Ice says, “that my alien cat is having alien kittens?”
I love Boa's Top Gun/MCU crossovers. I think they're incredibly well done, they are respectful to both canons, and they're innovative and clever. I like the Captain Marvel series the best, I think, and while I reread a lot of those stories, this one has to be my favorite. Chewie the Flerken has kittens, and it totally ruins everyone's life until it doesn't. Sweet, sooooooo funny, unexpectedly warm.
it's centrifugal motion, it's perpetual bliss (Mature) Kiss prompts from Tumblr.
There was a fic meme of kiss prompts going around a couple years ago, and this isn't so much one, unified fic as it is 10 vignettes of important kisses. They range from sweet to passionate to bittersweet, and they show the best of Iceman and Maverick together as a couple. I love, love, love these little peeks into the like Ice and Mav built together.
by @susiecarter :
I'm going to be honest with you: In 2020, @susiecarter wrote me a story for Id Pro Quo, which is an annual ficswap in which you request a pairing and up to 20 freeform tags that are meant to satisfy your id. These are guilty pleasure, don't judge me I'm having an amazing time right now stories, and she absolutely blew my damn mind, and then she did it twice more. So, yes, these stories were all written with my exact specifications in mind, but that doesn't mean they aren't all fucking amazing, because they are. As a writer, @susiecarter is so pithy and sharp and very, very well-balanced, and her prose is visceral and tangible and, occasionally, unexpectedly tender and lyrical. All three of these stories are blistering hot with perfect characterization, great sex that does not shy away from honest emotion and real intimacy, and her use of plane metaphors is spot on without ever being cliche or cheesy.
fire in the sky tonight (Explicit) Graduation from TOPGUN was one thing. It was great, no question, but it was just the warm-up. You hadn't made it, really made it, until you got hitched.
This is a canon-compliant (mostly) arranged marriage fic in which Iceman and Maverick consummate their nuptials just a couple hours after the dogfight for the Layton. It is stupid hot. Maverick is nervous and a virgin but still not wanting to give Iceman an inch, and Ice is cool and deadly, smolderingly competent, and he takes care of Maverick while also taking him the fuck apart. Plus, maybe they actually love each other? So good.
A Shared Cup (Mature) It was only a training exercise. It was only supposed to be a training exercise.
Ice and Maverick fuck up and end up telepathically linked. DEEP deep. Then what happens is they end up learning each other from the inside out, and while the brass is trying to figure out how the hell to fix this MASSIVE error, Maverick is just trying to hide from Ice that maybe his feelings on the matter, and his feelings about Ice, have changed. This is a gorgeous study of both characters, and the payoff at the end is totally earned.
and gamble for the sun (Mature) It's like this: Maverick and the Iceman make bets, sometimes.
This story is kind of like sitting in a pot of water. First everything is still, and you're just floating there, and then you notice that the water is beginning to warm up, and before you know it, it's boiling around you, and you might burn up and you might drown and it doesn't really matter which one. For me, more than anything, the small details in this story are incredibly sexy and incredibly intimate, and the ending is surprising but perfect and handled perfectly, and it's just gorgeous, the prose and the heat and the emotions, how they're all there and all balanced so perfectly. It's a killer.
by chemm80:
What You Don't Know (Explicit) Maverick finds Iceman handcuffed to his bed. He has a hard time getting over it.
ME TOO. I first read this fic when it came out 10 years ago, and it's still one I go back to. Maverick and Ice are still really figuring out how to be around each other as just colleagues and friends when Maverick sees something he was never meant to see, and it sends him into a tailspin. Things get complicated, and it's handled beautifully, with Maverick especially pushing through the quagmire of his emotions to get to the truth, and Ice vulnerable in more ways than one. Plus, hot. Did I mention it's really hot?
by DeeEffGee
Drugs (Teen) “Ice, you have to take the pain meds. Every six hours-”
Maverick is stuck doctoring Ice, and Ice hates it for a different reason than Maverick first imagined. Maverick and Ice are both sharp together here, the push-and-push-back kind of banter and dares as in the film, until they both surprise themselves, and then ... they are, like, 25% nicer.
by Pink_and_Velvet
You took a fall, then you landed soft. (Teen) Iceman comes up with a game, to prevent Maverick’s downward spiral and also, get him naked.
Ice doesn't like seeing Maverick torture himself, so he does something about it. A nice study of both characters in the wake of Goose's death, and also games that involve forfeiting clothing are always a good thing.
The Prom King (Teen) A high school AU in which Iceman and Maverick are seniors with prom around the corner, and some unresolved feelings to deal with.
This is a really cute first time fic where Ice is one of the cool kids and Maverick isn't quite sure what to do with him. (But he figures it out.) Like a teen romcom, but Icemav.
by @genderfluidsodapopcurtis :
A Kiss on the Inside of the Wrist (General) There are parts of Ice’s body that Maverick only ever sees from up close.
This one is short, but very sweet. I love lazy, sleepy Icemav.
by @victimofthemusic :
Bri excels at writing extremely sexy fic that also completely expresses how stupid in love the characters are for each other. Her characterization is sharp and distinctive, and she has no problem bouncing from completely lovesick to desperately horny to lightly teasing in the same page. She's also writing a lot for Top Gun: Maverick and its new characters, so if you're interested in that, take a look at her AO3 profile.
you're trying hard not to show it, but baby i know it (Teen) Ice wants to know who Maverick was before he became Maverick. He wants to know Pete Mitchell, too, because they’re two parts of the same whole and Ice wants to love that part, too. Because Pete Mitchell was worth loving just as much Maverick Mitchell was worth loving. And God, does Ice love him.
This is beautiful characterization of both Ice and Maverick, and it's sweet and sexy and heartbreaking and hopeful all at once. Beautiful, fulfilling, so satisfying.
the further on the edge, the hotter the intensity (Explicit) Five times Maverick and Ice have sex in places they totally weren't planning to.
This is so, so sexy, but more than that, it's a beautiful picture of Maverick and Ice's love story. The sex is scorching, but it's definitely not just sex. There's always an exploration of the emotional component of their relationship, even when Ice is getting fucked over Maverick's desk, and the relationship progresses in a way that will twist your heart but ultimately leave you feeling soft and warm.
by weshes:
Fire or Clear (Mature) It takes Ice and Maverick about ten years and a divorce to figure it out, but eventually they do.
This story has so much packed into it. The characterization is so sharp, and the way Ice and Maverick interact and move around each other after knowing each other for so long is comfortable, familiar, but with an undercurrent of simmering heat building to a boil. The sex is hot, and the dialogue is fantastic, all around well done.
by @guiltyfandomtrashwonderland :
She was made in a lab to destroy me. Nat writes some of the most in-depth, well-researched, layered fanfiction I've ever read. She sees the characters differently than I do, but it's in a way that intrigues me, and I love the way she writes them individually and as a couple. Her stories are so funny and so much fun without sacrificing emotion and vulnerability and the difficult realities the characters sometimes face.
A Chance Engagement (Explicit) In which Maverick sells ass, Ice buys some, and both of them end up with far more than they bargained for.
I cannot tell you how deeply, deeply satisfying it is to read BDSM written by people who actually know what they're talking about. This story, which takes place during the TOPGUN contest that is the focus of the first film, is funny and sexy and complex. It is at turns euphoric and hilarious and tense and devastating. It's a beautiful look at how Iceman and Maverick come together in this universe, and it's satisfying on so many levels.
Stormclouds in a Pale Sky (Explicit) Thirty years later, some people still didn’t get it.
This is a sequel to A Chance Engagement set in the TGM timeline. Thirty years later, Ice and Maverick are still together, still stupid in love, and still sharing a thriving, if slightly unconventional, sex life. This is sexy and fun and less painful, emotionally, than the first story, but it's got deep, true, long-term love and some bittersweet moments reflecting on growing older and the things it changes and the things it takes away ... and the things it can never change. Gorgeous.
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thegeminisage · 1 month
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star trek update time!! last night we watched tng's "rightful heir" and ds9's "the forsaken."
rightful heir (tng):
they were high when they wrote this one. like worf on whatever he was on to try and make him hallucinate
what's really funny about this one is that we were both just complaining that, even though we both like worf, we found the klingon episodes a little rough/dry. and then what do they do. they have worf hallucinate clone jesus
actually, i was really surprised picard laid into him so hard for being late to work. i know it was a tough-love kind of deal bc toughness "speaks" to worf or whatever and it was supposed to seem "nice" because he let worf go on a little field trip afterward but also like. who yells.
i did like that they referenced the klingon prison camp episode. girl i'd still be feeling that one too
clone jesus as a plot is really insane. like, it's already insane that everybody bought into it and GOWRAN of all people was the one to be like "you chumps are getting snowed." but then he's just a CLONE? they grew jesus in a vat somewhere? in a little test tube? and then they crowned him emperor??
no, scratch that, worf threatened to KILL people if they DIDN'T crown him emperor even though he was just going to be a figurehead because this is somehow supposed to fix the amoral klingons who have fallen into decadence. horrific.
side note. s6 has had a LOT of single-character episodes. we had some picard centric eps some worf centric eps a deanna centric ep and a beverly centric ep...when do we get the fucking gang back together? i feel like i never see them all at once anymore. like don't get me wrong i loved beverly's little romp and i feel like this way allows slightly more of the character work i have been craving but the format change is so weird. can we not have a little character work without singling out one character at a time? pretty please?
the forsaken (ds9):
i am sighing the deepest longest sigh i have ever sighed. my mixed feelings...
ok, to start with, i hate when tng characters show up in ds9. it's like they bring the bad vibes with them. BUT this is the least i've ever hated lwaxana.
i think the version of lwaxana as presented IN THIS EPISODE ONLY is very nearly a likable character. unfortunately, i have context for her
the flirting has actually grown on me. like, when she's doing it harmlessly. y'all know isabela from da2? like that. what i have a problem with is her being so touchy-feely - leaning into peoples space or trying to snuggle up with them or take them by the arm. the flirting IN AND OF ITSELF is actually kind of cute/sweet if you divorce it from the context of a horrifically overbearing mother and a woman who is narcissistic and can't take no for an answer. "i can swim" like ok girl i admit you have game. i just wish she would do less TOUCHING.
ok, on to odo, the real star of this episode. odo my new best friend odo
i actually think trapping him in an elevator to force him to turn into goop in front of someone else is a VERY clever premise. and at first i really wished it hadn't been with lwaxana but the more i thought about it the more i realized no one else on ds9 would do. in order for it to work it would have to be both someone who is a little pushy/loud/not totally respectful of his private nature AND someone who could offer a similar vulnerability ie taking off the wig. anyone who's too tactful/respectful of odo/a grownup in general like sisko, kira, dax, obrien, etc would simply turn around and leave him be. anyone who's NOT respectful or a grownup in general (i'm thinking specifically of quark, but julian could probably also work for this) doesn't have a metaphorical wig to take off. like, it would have been great ship material for him to be in there with quark or kira (i know about odo/kira bc i got spoiled, i am a little skeptical but VERY intrigued), but neither of them would have had the same vibe. so i am forced to conclude against my will that lwaxana was the right choice after all.
unfortunately a stranger is also easier to tell crazy shit to...and i looooooved learning crazy shit about odo's past, by which i mean i gasped aloud and covered my mouth with both hands in horror. HE SPENT HIS CHILDHOOD IN A LAB EXCEPT HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A CHILDHOOD!!! he doesn't EAT. his mouth is an approximation of one, it doesn't actually work!!! lwaxana, do you know then what else must be a nonfunctional approximation? actually, maybe he doesn't even have any of that going on. maybe he's smooth like a ken doll and that's why he keeps expressing disinterest in sex/romance, or because he has disinterest in sex/romance he never bothered to figure out how to replicate a working set of equipment. anyway the point is i know my king is somewhere on the aro and/or ace spectrum i just have to get to know him better to figure out where
in conclusion, yes it had to be lwaxana, NO i'm not happy about it, but i could have been if she was just less touchy. also, side bar, i don't like that she brought up the ferengi rape episode like it was haha funny. girl it wasn't funny to you at the time and it was definitely not funny to ME
TONGIHT: tng's "second chances" (this one looks good...i'm so hopeful) and ds9's "dramatis personae" (i haven't seen a summary or thumbs for this one but i trust ds9)
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alexissara · 4 months
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Probably The Top 10 Characters of 2023
It's time for the hardest top 10 list of the year, deciding who my top 10 characters of the year are. I am a very character focused writer and GM and that translates to my enjoyment of art too. I love characters and it's so hard to pick between the amazing swath of fantastic characters I read this year. Lowering the list down after eliminating stuff I had the list at like over 20 characters so getting this down to 10 was an exercise in self doubt. Of all of these lists this really is the list that I want to thin about next year and see what characters I am still thinking about in one years time. Unlike my other lists this is not even roughly in any order it simply is the 10 characters that at the moment I was writing this I managed to cut a list down to. My 45th character at this moment might be number 2 tomorrow and you can't see my 45th character, you can only see 10.
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Mary Satome [Kaguri Twins]
I watched this early in the year but Mary stuck with me. She's funny, she's clever, she is messy, she's an asshole, she's sweet, she's passionate and determined and I just want the best for her and her girlfriends. It's rare to see a woman be as messy as her and remain the main character but she gets to both be kinda noble and heroic while also clearly being self motivated.
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Prospera Mercury [gwitch]
Easily mother of the year, Prospera Mercury is a litness test for me on someone's taste and makes for an easy read on if someone will have utterly trash politics or not. If Prospera was a man she would probably be one of the most beloved characters in anime as a passionate loving mom who tries to teach her child hard lessons and is willing to do anything to give her child freedom and get her revenge. However, she is not a guy so from the start everyone suspected she was awful and abusive and terrible when the text never not even at the end supports it, she is mean to Sulleta exactly once and that is so she is not an accomplice to her crimes in case she ends up getting stopped.
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Tilty Claret  [MagiRevo]
My favorite "side" character of the year has to be Tilty, this little freak. Tilty is sweet, she's kind, she deserves a girlfriend, two girlfriends, she should be dating Anise and Euphy. She is funny, she's well used, she does great emotional support and understands Anise so well, I love her so much and I love how loyal and great she is to the people she loves. I love her sciencey freaky attitude too she's just great.
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Honey Trap [Super Women In Love]
Villain to Hero Honey Trap is utterly endearing. She starts as simply simping for Rapid Rabbit but it's fun to watch her evolve as a character and as a person over the course of the manga. She's sweet, endearing and brutal at all the right times. She's so gay and really funny, and she is really a perfect protagonist for this romantic comedy action yuri series. She's such a perfectly crafted character who can really command a range from serious threat to tragic damsel to Hero to gay little goof ball all while feeling like the same consistent character.
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Satya [Pink Sugar]
Satya comes in with an air of mystery but this trans lesbian swiftly shows how quickly someone can go from sexy mystery to beloved dork. Satya gets a lot of the most soft and sweet moments with her future girlfriends getting to be someone to listen to them, to ask questions as an outsider to the trio and to be the inciting incident to get them to go on their wild road trip to begin with. I am really curious where her story will go but it would be lying to say she hasn't already endeared herself to the top of my list despite being probably the least focused on girl of the quad so far.
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Shadowheart [BG3]
BG3 has a lot of good characters, great characters even and that is in spite of it being attached to one of the worst IPs around D&D. Shadowheart stood out to me among the many characters of a character who had queerness as part of her character done well despite being a player sexual character and I think she has the most dramatic character arc of the batch on her good path. Shadowheart starts as a catty Mormon girl and evolves into this kind heroic adventurer who you could see saving the world many more times.
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Adalia [En Garde!] 
While En Garde! might be a short 3 hour romp all three hours with Adalia are perfectly used. She's funny, charming, cute, and heroic. She's fitting a very classic archtype but is a spin on it by having it both be a woman but also be queer. These two factors do add to Adalia's charm, the gay side lets us see her enter dork mode where she is very gay for a sexy pirate woman and her animations change and she makes worse decisions then snap out of it when it's what needs to happen to help people. She's utterly lovely and a true delight.
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Nova [Spellastra]
While almost every character here has a bit of a silly side, I can appreciate a more dramatic character. Nova is a character covered in tragedies, of angst, of wanting to love but feeling unable, she's rough and prickly and messy and makes bad choices but they all make a lot of sense for where she is at in any given moment. Nova is at once the older mentor who knows what to do but also the love interest who's fucked up plenty of times and blames herself even more than she ever should. Nova's a testament to the depth and layers you can really give a character while having her be lovable and desirable and still fit in for more fun moments while having these hard edges.
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Jala [Thirsty Suitors]
Speaking of messy queers we have the disaster bisexual herself Jala. She's a character I really wanna dive deeper into because I think there is so much to Jala and the game does a pretty good job at leaving a lot of space for my brain to get cooking about why Jala is like this while also explaining a lot of why Jala is like this. Jala has hurt a lot of people, like most of the people in her life and her path to make it right with everyone is great. We get to see where other people fucked up, what complicated situations, where she grows and where she stands firm. Jala is a really perfectly envisioned character with a cast weaved so perfectly around her that every interaction is splendor to behold.
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Astra [Grand Slam Romance]
Astra's on a quest to fuck every woman on the planet and more power to her. Astra is kinda the villain of the first book but she's also the romantic lead which places her in an interesting position in the story where we see her at her worst, we get to understand how she got there and we are cheering for her to tone it down like 10%. I am fully biased in my love for her and I make no excuses for it. Astra is designed exactly like many of my OCs with a personality similar to a lot of my OCs, I love everything about her, I want her great success and I look forward to people telling me I ripped her off even if I made characters like her like 10 years ago and have a record of it. I love her and I just wanna see more of her.
If you want to help me enjoy more art then consider checking out my Patreon or Ko-fi .and giving me a little bit of cash so I can do more of this kind of writing but also like make lots of my own art, art is hard to make and costs money and like maintain my chronically ill and trans body also takes money so anything helps, thank you.
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theendofeverafter · 10 months
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Apple White: A Character Study (Chapter 3)
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We’re back in business!
I watched Spring Unsprung last night intending to write a separate post about it, but I realized a few minutes in that it wouldn’t make for a good solo post. Apple spends the majority of the special under the topsy-turvy spell, meaning she wasn’t acting of her own free will and can’t really be held responsible for what she did or said (nor can we examine her character). So I’ve decided to combine Spring Unsprung and Way Too Wonderland into one post. That one will be coming soon. For now, please enjoy my write-up of Apple’s character in Chapter 3.
CHAPTER 3
(Side note: why has it taken me until now to realize Raven’s makeup is the best in the show? Suits her perfectly.)
(Side note: if Ashlynn lateness curse is tied to noon, not midnight, how was that ever going to work with her story? Was the ball gonna be a brunch? An afternoon tea party?)
I think it’s interesting (and a good character choice) to have Apple help Ashlynn work around the rules of her destiny. While Briar is ready to yank the stepsisters off the stage, Apple uses her clever nature to make the best of the situation. But she never tells Ashlynn that she shouldn’t have to wait on her stepsisters, especially since they’re so mean to her. This also makes me wonder (a bit off topic) why Ashlynn, now a rebel, has to listen to what they say. Is it a magical constraint? Is it learned behavior that she’s having trouble letting go of?
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(Side note: WHO is Duchess’s mans? 🤨)
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(Side note: THE QUEEN HAS ARRIVED)
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I still don’t know what to make of Apple and Ashlynn’s friendship. I know that Apple has been close friends with Briar and Blondie for a long time, and Ashlynn and Briar have known each other since nursery (rhyme) school, but it seems like Ashlynn and Apple didn’t have a lot of interaction until they started at Ever After High. Adding the strain on their friendship that occurred during True Hearts’ Day (and Apple’s mini-feud with Briar during Thronecoming), it’s surprising to see them chumming it up so much in these episodes—and that Apple was the first person Ashlynn wanted to take with her. Perhaps she was being nice because Apple was right there?
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Apple seeing a movie with Daring, hm…
(Side note: sorrynotsorry I love these besties)
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(Side note: tbh I prefer Ashlynn’s original voice actress, but Karen Strassman still does a great job)
(Side note: Dexter was TRIFLING for asking Raven out in front of Cupid lmaooooo)
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Bruh the way Apple is cringing at Raven and Dexter’s awkwardness is so funny. At least she’s being supportive!
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(Side note: idk how anyone could hate Raven and Dexter together tbh, they’re so cute)
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“I say we pitch in and do something!” Apple says. (30 minutes later) “We just have to be patient and think positive thoughts”
How did Apple still manage to go to the Forest Fest :////
Junior year! Arguably Apple’s worst. She was immature as a sophomore, but the events of Dragon Games are tough to beat. Let’s see how her character changes after summer break.
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Apple volunteering Raven to work on the yearbook instead of asking her first…hm…
I can’t fault Apple for not wanting to look bad in the yearbook. Have you taken a look inside yours from high school or college? That shit looks BAD. And she’s supposed to be the future queen of Ever After. That’s prime gossip rag material right there.
(Side note: Raven’s response to seeing Poppy and Duchess flail through the air was to take a picture instead of using her powers to help them lol)
(Side note: I must point out that in my story Poppy and Sparrow used to be a thing, and now Duchess and Sparrow…Poppy definitely seems like the kind of person to be chill about those sorts of things. Not Duchess though 😂)
(Side note: Bunny and Alistair really got their own episode 🙄 thankfully Kitty has had enough of hetero nonsense and is our sole source of entertainment here)
(Another side note, I know: do Maddie and Kitty not feel any existential dread at the fact that the narrators can alter and rewind their lives? Make them do things they don't want to do? Change their relationships with the people around them? Isn't that a gross violation of their personhood?)
Why is Bunny Apple’s wicket keeper?
Was that Apple’s first detention?
This is probably my favorite picture of Apple and Raven:
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(Side note: She’s here she’s amazing we love her)
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Wow, Apple and Raven finally learned to get along. What a surprise
(Side note: for story purposes I cannot support the last scene of Tri-Castle-On…except that most of the kids featured there could be the children of the endgame pairings I have in my story) SPOILERS BELOW
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Idk who the person with gray hair would be (though I have a few ideas), but from left to right: Raven and Dexter, Chase and Justine, Duchess and Sparrow
CONCLUSION
You can see instances of Apple slowly starting to adapt her Royal ideology to be a better friend, which is good. I don't know what would have sparked this change over summer break, but I'm sure people like Ashlynn, Briar, and Raven really appreciated it. It seems like she was on an upward trend until the Big Event of junior year, which is a little heartbreaking.
Previous reviews: Legacy Day/Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Thronecoming
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tommysparker · 9 months
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one person asked me to share my thoughts on the Red White & Royal Blue movie and that’s all i need so here you go! spoilers below
Okay so let’s start with the things I did like:
Taylor and Nick had AMAZING chemistry. They did a fantastic job with what they were given and I can genuinely envision them as the book characters. All the cast did a great job.
The scene with Alex and Ellen was so heart touching. As a queer person who’s come out to their parent and not been accepted, I almost started bawling when I saw Ellen holding Alex on the couch and telling him how much she loves and accepts him. It was a beautiful thing to see and I’m so happy we have more of that kind of representation in media; a safe space to come out and be yourself. Also Ellen’s knowledge of all the different labels in the community and her saying “The B in LGBT isn’t silent” is super empowering.
On that note, Alex’s speech at the end about privacy and how it’s your choice to come out (if you want to come out). Again, a very important message for people to hear and understand. Seeing the effects of being outed hopefully will open people’s eyes and we’ll see less pressure for people to come out or label themselves. And also hopefully people will stop butting into celebs lives in general.
To end the short list of things I liked: the bit with the phone calls was done in a clever way. I thought it was pretty cool, although it felt too much like walmart Heartstopper.
Now, on to everything I didn’t like about this movie
The writing was SO. FREAKING. LAZY. 90% of the movie is exposition. All tell no show. They pretty much only payed attention to the sex scenes and even those weren’t very interesting.
THEY CUT SO MANY THINGS. When I heard they cut June and Rafael, I was disappointed but figured it was to save time and they’d combine their stories with Nora/Liam respectively (which is what I heard). To my absolute disappointment, neither was done and on top of that they introduced this new character named Miguel who is nothing more than a jealous ex hookup. Not only that, they erased Alex’s parent’s divorce and Henry’s mother, two very important parts of their character backstories.
Continuing on about things that were cut, pretty much any actual bonding time we see with Henry and Alex in the book was reduced to short one-minute scenes and cheap montages. Instead they were replaced with beats that were 15-seconds too long that were meant to say something but simply didn’t translate properly.
Also, they completely cut out Alex’s whole awakening and immediately jumped to him coming out to Henry when they meet up after their first kiss. I get it made for a cute little haha funny banter moment but COME ON. Part of Alex’s character arc is him coming to terms with who he is after denying it for so long, and seeing that process is so important to show for people who are doing the same.
The movie felt so fast paced. Every ten minutes a new important story beat happened without giving the audience any real time to process whatever happened before that. By the time they were in Paris I had no interest in them “making love” for the first time.
I’m gonna make an example of this before it stands out as the most annoying thing to me still. The museum scene is a masterpiece in the books but on the big screen it’s so…bad. Half of the scene was done in voiceover for no reason (once again going back to exposition) and the other half was so boring I could barely pay attention. And the “history, huh?” moment being a spoken thing between them, as opposed to through email like in the book’s completely erases the basis all of their supporters held onto in the books. All the signs, the t-shirts, the graffiti, the way they did it in the movie makes it so none of that could exist.
I really wish we saw Alex’s side of things when they got exposed, especially the way it effected his mother’s campaign. I wanted to see him he told he’s off the campaign and how badly it hurt him. Instead we got one scene of exposition and a single shot of him gushing abt Henry and saying he misses him.
From a cinematography perspective, there was some very pretty shots that were obviously made to turn into promo posters.
That’s pretty much all I got for now off the top of my head. I’ve been trying to cleanse my brain of the film for the past 4 hours lmao
If you have your own opinions, please share respectfully!! I want to hear what you liked or disliked about this.
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Trimax Thoughts Vol. 11 Pt. 1
Well, we're back after last week's suffering. Stream of consciousness ahead!
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First off I find this a clever way to hide the hair! Dynamic posing! The poor unsuspecting fools who haven't read volume 10 would look at this and have no idea why we're sad.
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Live Zazie reaction:
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Augh, Livio driving the car... Vash asleep in the back... this does something to me.
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He's so cute. He's not suffering or anything look at him.
Both Brad and Livio reaming him out for being too trusting that's so funny to me
To be quite honest, I feel like Livio was very much a victim in all this... that doesn't make him blameless in the situation but it was very much Chapel who grievously injured Wolfwood enough that he chose to take the double vials, and it was him who manipulated Razlo to be dependent on him and Livio to think serving was his only purpose. That said, there's something very heartwarming about Brad being so upset over Wolfwood's death considering his usual untrusting nature and the fact that he really didn't know him that well.
Livio apologizes for his body stopping the bleeding so soon after getting punched. Buddy. No. 😂😭
I feel so bad for the Plants in all this. However, much as it sucks for humanity, I'm very glad to know they can exert enough influence in order to resist killing their sisters and brother and are able to express their free will in some way... could they have refused commands before this point then? If so, that begs the question of why they didn't.
Someone arriving from space???
Oh, so the Plants feel an affinity with Knives. Is that because they agree with him and his methods? Is it because he's absorbed so many of their sisters already? Do they feel his pain and loneliness? I'm so curious.
Meryl!!! I missed yoouuuuu (and she immediately sticks out her tongue and flips a double bird at authority. love her.)
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I love this... such a sweet and quiet moment with these two amidst the chaos. Milly putting her perceptiveness to good use to try and support Meryl as best she can. It makes me wonder about that 7-8 month gap and how these two survived not just what is basically the apocalypse, but also the struggle of Meryl's trauma from having Vash's memories dumped on her. I bet Milly was pretty instrumental during that period.
"It's too bad it will never be the same again." IN COMES VASH THE STAMPEDE SWINGING IN ON A LADDER
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AUGHHHHHHH. This is so sweet aaaaaaa. Oh my god I just realized this is the first time they've actually seen each other since that town chased Vash out and Meryl had a breakdown. Where he thought she was scared of him. But she wasn't!!! He started to realize it after Marlon, but now he sees it!!! They are. so precious to me... :')
The Earth fleet is close!!! ...that's kind of bad actually.
Luida: "What happened to your hair?" Vash, very loudly: "ANYWAYS TIME FOR THE LAST STAND HUH?"
Oh Milly... I'm intrigued by the way she just plays along with it... she really is a lot like Vash. I wonder why Brad even did that though. I kind of feel like it was to keep people from acting aggressively towards Livio, as saying he died would lead to questions that would probably reveal Livio was at the center of it. Not for Livio's sake of course (I don't think Brad really cares about him) but Vash trusts him, Wolfwood sacrificed himself for him, and they really can't afford infighting at this point. ...never mind that Milly wouldn't have reacted that way anyways.
Ok lol I'd just been thinking "what happened to Zazie's arm and then..
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hdjfhbvdjfvh
Oh, the coins are back. Interesting. Legato faceoff soon?
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The hurt is palpable with poor Livio here...
Oh! I was right about Brad's reasoning! Cool! Also I think that's the friendliest we've ever seen Brad-
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HJDHBJDHCBS???
BRANDON I'VE SAID IT BEFORE BUT EVERY INTERACTION YOU RISE FURTHER UP MY LIST OF FAVOURITE SIDE CHARACTERS
"Ya need to learn to let people help ya out" <-YES.
And of course Vash deflecting by playing up and overdramatizing what is probably a genuine reaction... I really think he knows this already but he's walled himself off so long. He appreciates everyone, he really does, but... them getting hurt is always going to be far worse than them being disappointed in him or himself getting hurt. It's not just because he cares about them... it's also just as much because he cares very little for himself. I also think he just... can't, right now. "Don't tell me something like that now" <- yeah because he's a gaping wound at this point. All he's done is put a stopper on his fresh grief, and he cannot afford to open it else he'll probably shatter and he can't right now.
??? Did Legato just kill Zazie? (Or I guess Zazie's body...) Also, he can walk again??? Huh???
Wow Zazie just took out Elendira and Knives... that's impressive actually.
AND THEY HAD A WORM IN THEIR VAGINA???
Oof, I don't actually want that to happen to Knives... that's pretty horrifying.
Ok. Ok Legato. I will readily admit you are one of the coolest people in this manga. That's incredibly badass. The amount of mental coordination he'd need to puppet himself around is incredible. And the reveal that he is literally puppeteering is fascinating. GIVE ME THE FORBIDDEN LEGATO LORE
So Vash is... making bullets with his powers? Ok... interesting. Wonder what they do? ...also he's using more of his powers. Hm. :/
Whjdfhsdfhb Livio jumpscare
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Look at my dorky little guy
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I'm so happy for him and his new haircut/outlook. (I bet Vash would know a little something about that huh? *cough cough* Eriks)
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??????????? Hi Zazie. This was random...?
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Oh, so this is Chronica! She's introduced pretty late in the manga. She's also an Independent it seems! And much more knowledgeable than either Vash or Knives. There's an entire generation of Independents from Earth! They have implanted neural blockers to prevent fusing??? Implications that fusing like what Knives is doing has happened before??? Hello??? Need to chew on this.
Vash WHAT are you doing freaking out like that hdfjhbsdfvh. Livio trying to calm him down like :|
Hjhsbjdfhbvs now they're all screaming at the bug... which. which is drawn like this.
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...I wonder if Nightow-sensei was also upset by volume 10 and the rampant comedy right now is him coping...
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Hjhdbfjhbfv they're so stupid
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"...i'm gonna touch it" energy. HHDBSHCBHJBEJ VASH NO
...you know I do think there is something to be said about Vash acting like the irresponsible and foolish brother to... Wolfwood's brother. There's just. Yeah.
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I love them both so much they are so stupid
Vash calling Elendira a bitch is so funny to me, especially because before the Ark he didn't seem to really know her at all. How much do you want to bet she dropped by just to annoy and vaguely threaten Vash and Legato while they were locked in that 7 month stalemate. Vash hears her walking into the room and is just like "GDI NOT AGAIN LEAVE ME ALONE".
Livio beloved... finally he's found purpose for himself... (please be careful against Elendira... I love you.......)
"Sometimes it's not easy to explain the power of someone's presence. Especially when it's someone so greatly and deeply connected to you. Some people can't even say it. But this helped Vash the Stampede realize... that he was feeling the same thing in his heart." <-he continues to haunt the narrative... but gosh what a thing to communicate to the reader here. what a thing, to realize how much you cared too late... but what a thing, also, to realize you had at all :') they both miss him so much… but he’s also their resolve
FINALLY we get to know how the Plants feel about all this!!! I feels so bad for them man. I feel they're similar to Vash in that they don't want anyone hurt really... but they're not able to fight their own fight. Pretty heartbreaking stuff.
Meryl... :'(
YES MILLY. CALL HIM OUT! Meryl is worried. Let her be worried.
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AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH THIS IS SO CUTE!!! He's going to come back it means he's going to come back it means don't worry I'll find you again I'll come and find you this time I ahsjdcbhasjdvhbsjfhbv Vash you can be so sweet when you are not actively avoiding any and all emotional situations with people who care about you!!!
Chronica's going to turn off her limiter :O
Elendira: Hi :) *stabs you*
"I don't like nice men. They die so easily. He was like that too." <- Oh you did not just go there.
Elendira I think just has no faith in people. She looks actually a bit upset when she says "they die so easily" about "nice men". Then there's the "no matter what Vash the Stampede does, there will always be humans who ruin it." She's decided that while she wants Knives to succeed... if he doesn't, she'll just end the world regardless. Hm. Elendira you are so interesting to me.
Ohh... protecting the kids... Livio... :')
It's JASMINE???
YES! Livio has found his resolve! The cloak from Jasmine, the hat from the little kid! You can do it buddy!
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merakiui · 1 year
Note
Hey Mera! This may be a bit random but I was wondering what your fave type of villain is? I was watching some old Disney movies and I have to say that my fave villains are probably Ursula and Hades. I think they are a perfect balance between animated and imposing villains. They have such distinct personalities and are such memorable characters, in my opinion. (My fave part of the little mermaid has always been Ursula, I always found her to be so cool).
Hello!! :D aaaa favorite type of villain! Ursula and Hades are very good choices. Recently I watched Hercules and so I completely understand Hades's appeal as a villain. He was very funny and I liked his banter with Meg, especially when she was trying to tell him that Hercules was different and he says, "he's a guy!"
Ursula was also another favorite from my childhood, so your taste is very immaculate. I have always loved "Poor, Unfortunate Souls" and I liked how clever she was when making deals (surely this love for Little Mermaid won't lead to my love for a certain trio in a Disney mobile game known as Twisted Wonderland). Her lair always unnerved me as a child because of the garden of polyps she had. Knowing that those polyps were once merfolk who made deals with her and couldn't repay debts was so eerie to me!
Another villain I absolutely love is Dr. Facilier omg!!!! Princess and the Frog is one of my favorite Disney films and I love how cunning he is. So charismatic and casual!! It was really too good. orz his death scene frightened me as a child. It was wonderfully creepy, and I loved how ruthless he could be when it came to tricking others.
I also really liked Claude Frollo in the Hunchback of Notre Dame because he's done so well. He is so unsettling and horrifying and monstrous! When I watched it many months ago, I wasn't expecting to be so genuinely disturbed. He really is a villain in every manner of the word. I was rooting for his demise as the film reached its climax and aaaa it was so satisfying to watch him fall to his death!
This isn't Disney, but I liked Jack Horner in Puss in Boots 2. He was really refreshing because he was a genuinely evil character and he embraced that nature. Of course I also greatly enjoyed Death. He was so eerie with the whistling and the way in which he stalked Puss. Every one of his scenes had me at the edge of my seat. >0<
As for my favorite type of villain, it would have to be the kinds who appear friendly at first and seem like they might be on your side before it's revealed that they are, in fact, terribly evil. I like the concept of luring a person in with disarming behaviors, only to bring your jaws down when they're right where you want them. It's always so haunting when a character you think is sweet and good turns out to be vile and cruel.
I also enjoy villains who play the most complex mind games. And I also like villains who are very cute and appear innocent but turn out to be downright horrible. The contrast of cute and creepy will always be one of my favorite things! And then there are also villains with tragic backstories. I like those kinds of villains because I get to peer into their past and wonder what may have shaped them into a villain.
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tigermousse · 5 months
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Rewritten
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genres: dating simulator, otome, comedy, romance
Did you ever wanted your favorite book character become alive? Of course, you did. So in this game MC has a chance to meet characters from books and even fall in love with one of them (or with every one of them). Because they came out of their books to help MC open her aunt's bookstore in time. You will have a lot of work, but also plenty of time to spend it with your bookish bachelors. You can talk to them, found a place in our world that they would like to visit for a date, and even read into their story - literally - and find more about them.
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This game is pretty short, cute, funny and colorful. It is lighthearted and heartwarming, with a tiny bit of drama. The art style is unique, because it differs for every character.
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Because a novel is so short, romance feels too rushed, of course. Characters confess love after two days knowing each other. Ok, let's call it love on the first sight.
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(yeah, on the first day it is too soon, let's talk about love in two days)
The other problem is that each route alone lacks a conclusion. I think that a little scene in the end would be nice. But after all, if you finish all the routes, you will have a conclusion and some bonus pictures.
MC (Nameable)
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MC got a degree in English literature, but now she has a writer's block and in the meanwhile decided to come and help her aunt with the bookstore-opening project and maybe gather some inspiration for writing in the future. Hopefully romance with a book character will help with it.
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She is funny, sassy and independent, but kind. I would say that her personality more or less depends on the character she is pursuing
My rating 4/5
Love Interests (MILD SPOILERS AHEAD):
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Klaus
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Klaus is literally the strong silent type. He is the knight from a fantasy novel and he doesn't talk a lot, but when he does, it is appropriate and to the point. He's really so cute, especially after first date. How can you not love a man, who loves all the creatures, big and small? And also cooks! Definitely a keeper.
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My rating 5/5
Dr. Vincent Asimov Nightshade
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Nightshade is a [mad] biology scientist from a sci-fi novel. He has seven PhD in botany - and other kinds of fantastic botany. A typical tsundere, and I love tsunderes, scientists and men in glasses. He's a bit of a narcissist, he likes talking about himself. He's sassy, clever but in fact you will find it east to embarrass him, because deep in his soul he's bashful and afraid of his own feelings. So he's confused, but it is a good thing that he will have MC at his side to help him sort the thing out.
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My rating 4,5/5
Rosamel
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Rosamel is the opposite of Nightshade. He's a poet from a fairy tale and he's in love with love. Sweet-talking, tender and romantic. Prepare yourself for a full-time love bombarding from him.
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He seems giddy and airy, but I really loved how bittersweet his backstory turned out. You'll find out why despite his appearance his favorite color is blue and not pink.
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My rating 5/5
Amos
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Amos is a PI from a mystery detective series that MC liked as a kid. He's working with a bright young detective girl and speaks very fondly of her. So he's the only one whom MC really knew before. He's funny, smart and has got a bubbly personality and a zest for life. There's so many things that will light his interest. And he won't stop talking about them.
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For me his story and character were a bit bland, not my cup of tea, but he is a nice guy anyway.
My rating 4/5
Morgan MacAllister (Mac)
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Mac is a sea captain from a classic adventure novel which MC has heard about, but hasn't read, because she was intimidated by the seriousness of it. Probably it is a reference to a Moby Dick, though the plot of Mac's book ші different.
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He's looking pretty much intimidating and not very talkative. Definitely not a romantic. But if MC chooses to know him better, she'll find out that he has a kind heart and a crude sense of humor. In the past he was harsh to his crew and did thing that he regrets now. But nevertheless now he's caring about MC and tries hard to help her and make her feel comfortable.
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My rating 3,5/5
Overall:
Visual: 5/5
Story: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Romance: 3/5
Originality: 3/5
My Rating: 4/5
The game is free! You can get it on itch.io
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averywiseanimatedcat · 9 months
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Rewatching Good Omens season 2 liveblog
Episode 2, ‘The clue’ post 4
Link to previous post
Starting off strong with
FUCK
OFF
GABRIEL
Step in a puddle with socks on.
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*when my boss is watching me work and I don’t know what I’m doing*
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Azi and Crowley were such a disaster in this scene, just winging it. But Azi LIED for the first time!! This was so important because we saw him have to make a choice, and he had to do it quickly. So he went with what his true ethnical orientation is-to protect Jobs family. So this part of the flash back is really quite poignant for Azi. It’s the moment he feels like he fell, and was suddenly no longer safe.
Then when we’re back in the bookshop we find out Crowley just left at some point while Azi was staring at that picture? Did he try to get his attention? Does this happen allot? Crowley doesn’t seem at all concerned so I feel like it does happen a fair bit that Azi gets kinda lost in something and Crowley just goes out for a stroll until his Azirphale is ready to talk about whatever it was.
His lil concerned/traumatised face I can’t.
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FUCK OFF AND BANG YOUR FUNNY BONE ON THE DOOR AS YOU LEAVE GABRIEL.
I’m sorry that was an automatic reaction. He’s actually kinda cute in this scene with his lil ‘am I bad now?’
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‘Gotcha’
GOTCHA. David really killing it with the line delivery this season. I love Nina’s character because she just rolls with it, and Crowleys like ‘oh a human who isn’t completely put off by my weird ass’ and I think that’s why he respects her and listens to her later on when she tells him to talk to Aziraphale. She’s not put off by him even though she literally saw him skull 6 shots of espresso, get hit by lightning and then ask her about rain and the girl who has a crush on her over the road? Like this is the weirdest mother f-er she’s ever met and she’s like ‘ok and what?’ He respects that. We respect Nina in this house.
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STOP HIS LITTLE HEAD POPPING OUT. And did he miracle out there? There was the miracle sound when his head popped up. Why is he so cute. And I love how we can see Crowley was just wandering around waiting for Azirphale to come find him, he didn’t go anywhere he just waited for Azirphale to be ready. I just reminded myself of the final episode…shit…
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“Oh.” Again. This is like the fifth ‘Oh’ Crowleys done when Aziraphale says something clever this episode it’s fucking cute.
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This is apparently the Good Omens book this absolute FUCKWIT is holding. I’m sorry I’ll try to tone down the aggression he’s Jim not Gabriel Jim not Gabriel…
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#season 3 vibes with Azi sitting alone? Lol I’m in pain.
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But this ending scene was…oof. The symbolism of Aziraphale sitting alone, thinking he’s fallen then Crowley comes to be with him. He didn’t have to do that at all, he could’ve just left. But he went and looked for Aziraphale knowing he must be struggling.
He’s such a sweet not-lad who pretends to be big and scary but really he’s a softy.
Their conversation was so sweet and we again see how Crowley is kind to those who he can tell have good intentions. Crowley teased him in the cellar about going to hell but he could see this was a time to be serious. He was honest and admitted it was lonely to be on your own side. I think this is the moment where they really connect for the first time. They were very much themselves here, with no walls up.
On their characters-Crowley doesn’t seem to have much sense of self worth and I think that is what allows him to be so brash and confident. He doesn’t think he’s worth anyone caring what happens to him. And he is working within an impossible system so figures he might as well do what he wants and deal with the consequences later. He’s bitter and has mostly given up trying to make any big change, he just does the best he can with what he has at the time.
But Aziraphale is very idealistic and believes he can do good on a large scale. He believes he has potential and has tainted that by lying/going against gods will. And he believes this because he lacks confidence in his own judgement. He’s very intelligent, but still stuck in a very closed cycle of thinking. And honestly, that hasn’t changed a whole lot since. He’s made some headway, but he is still holding onto the same ideals more or less.
But despite Aziraphale idealistic side he is drawn to the confidence and freedom Crowley seems to possess. He appreciates his honesty and straightforward nature. Crowley says and does the things Azirphale knows is right, but can’t/won’t admit. I think in a way he also needs Crowley to give him permission to do ‘bad’ things, he wouldn’t do them alone but Crowley is an accomplice that gives him confidence.
Crowley is drawn to the pure hearted nature Aziraphale possesses. He’s drawn to Aziraphales unending hope that things can be good in the world. Aziraphale is like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. And it’s a very forceful Ray of sunshine. He respects Aziraphales desire to do the right thing. Again, same with Muriel and Jobs kids. He is drawn to those who remind him of himself before he fell. He sees himself before he was hurt, before he lost all his hope and before he became bitter and angry. Maybe he thinks it’s to late for him, but it’s not to late for him to preserve those who still possess what he’s lost.
Long story short I’m obsessed with this flashback. And it shows just how LONG Azirphale has been struggling. Crowley had his moral compass pretty well oriented even back then. But Azirphale is still struggling all the way up until the last episode where that struggle really explodes and causes them to fly apart.
Ironically, this flashback illustrates how the thing that caused them to fly apart was also the thing that brought them together in the first place!
And I’m sad now so here’s a cute smiling Crowley bc he deserves the world
Link to episode 3, post 1
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neixins · 21 days
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yona of the dawn ofc :3
help i typed up whole paragraphs and then my browser crashed and none of it got saved 😭 i won’t be stopped though!
My rating (1-10): if it ends the way i think (hope) it will 10/10 no notes perfect historical fantasy shoujo series <3 if it doesn’t i hope we all explode
My favourite character: predictable answer but yona really is THEE protagonist of all time. she’s such a vibrant character even before she begins her journey and seeing her grow throughout the series is just so !!!! she cares so much and is ready to do anything to protect everyone and she’s clever and kind of insane but also silly and i love her so much!! also honorable mention to my special little guy gija <3 i adore his relentless optimism and how No Rational Thoughts Only Emotions And Actions he is 99% of the time. also he’s just so relatable To Me when he’s in poor little guy mode. i adore the entire hhb though, and so so so many of the side characters. they’re all just so well-written, it’s impossible not to love them
My least favourite character: probably chagol, mostly bc i keep seeing theories about how he’s not really dead and blah blah blah (in the famous words of kesha) and i’m sick of it. he’s a good villain and while i believe kusanagi could pull off his resurrection well if she so chose, as a meinyan fan, i LIKE that her abuser died so unceremoniously. let him rot, i say! even if he does get resurrected he’ll always be Just Some Gross Loser Guy to me
The character I think I'd be friends with: gija :) we’d get along so well on account of The Neuroses and The Only Child-isms
The character I think I won't hit off with: keishuk doesn’t seem like someone who’d appreciate my whimsy tbh
My favourite episode/scene: (don’t say gijaeha love potion shenanigans don’t say gijaeha love potion shenanigans) trying to pick One Scene in a 40+ volume series pains me so i’m gonna cheat and pick five (in no particular order) :3 (1) this scene from ch 163. all the hakyona scenes are so fucking good but this one’s just so so so sweet and i think about it all the time + it encapsulates so many elements of their relationship that i love, mainly how deeply they care about each other and help each other grow (where’s the post about austenian romance as a mechanism for self-actualization…), but also how goofy hak acts when he wants to cheer yona up
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(2) yona getting the south kai envoys to admit to the shit they’ve been doing in kohka and then going “okie dokie now let’s get this meeting started shall we :)” she’s an icon and a legend <3 (3) gija in ch 252. absolutely devastating chapter and i need my guys back posthaste but OHHHH!!!!!!! i have so many thoughts about gija and monstrousness but i’m just gonna link to this post lest i go on too many tangents again…. (4) the hot springs chapter of course OF COURSE what kind of gijaeha enthusiast would i be if i didn’t bring that chapter up. it’s one of the most crucial chapters for the development of their relationship and it so perfectly captures how different yet similar they are + getting to see so much of jaeha’s thoughts on page really helps contextualize a lot of his actions in general (also i find his tendency to overanalyze and act on his assumptions instead of just. talking to the guy who’s been nothing if not remarkably earnest from day one lest he accidentally makes the situation worse to be both very endearing and very funny). (5) the “he’s stronger than i am” moment in ch 168. actually that whole battle scene Fucks Severely on so many levels but that!!!! line!!!!!! it makes me so crazy like. jaeha’s not just trying to stall for time, he genuinely thinks gija’s stronger than him (“from good morning to good night” bonus chapter) but like. looking at it purely physically they Are equals. but gija doesn’t hold back like jaeha does (ch 75, ch 170) and also it’s clear from the hot springs chapter that jaeha admires gija for not letting himself get shackled by his past (even though he’s Literally Being Haunted). also the moment right before that, when jaeha fucking. obliterates the bow of the soldier who tries to shoot gija (he’s doing SUCH a good job pretending that they’re enemies btw) is soooOOUGHHH like jaeha doesn’t get angry often but he’s FURIOUS in that moment and it’s so delicious (i think it’s the “let’s deliver him as a gift to lord kuelbo” part specifically that gets to him bc like gija can dodge one (1) arrow just fine without help but he risked the whole plan—) (getting vaudeville hooked off the stage) wait i lied :) (6) the blue forest mini arc is soooo good and so dear to me i HAVE to mention it!! it really showcases how caring sinha is + there’s also the lore drops about ghosts and the hakyona/gijaeha parallels, both of which make me wanna explode <3
Whose clothing style I like best: jaeha. the slutty little crop top wins by a landslide <3 i wish we got to see it more often (wistful sigh)
Times I watched it (and if I would again): once all the way through but i’ve reread parts of it many times for fic research and while theorizing. i definitely wanna reread it front to back though, all the parallels and foreshadowing make it so perfect for rereads
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almea · 1 month
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I've got 2.1 thoughts.
This was really the Aventurine patch. His perspective was definitely the longest one, especially considering he's the first one you explore both maps with. It's an interesting way to tell the story because with the kind of person Aventurine is, there's no way he would have confided even half of what we learned about him in the story to another character. I didn't dislike him after 2.0 (Although I did find it funny when he was trying to make us suspicious of Acheron because she's an Emanator and I was just like. Aventurine, you just told me that not only is Acheron hot but she's also scary strong and you expect me to not lay my life on the line for her?) but I wasn't that invested in him either. I'm still not Invested invested in him after 2.1, but I did really feel for him, especially towards the end. I'm just truly the weakest bitch in the universe when it comes to characters talking to their younger selves. I didn't expect them to get as into Aventurine being a slave or former slave as they did, but damn.
And by the end I was like. Is this man dead? Did they kill this man right before his banner? After everyone was like "Oh no, they drip marketed Robin so now everyone knows she's not dead because dead characters wouldn't be playable"? After his talk with Acheron my understanding is that he's not actually dead, he was just able to break in to a deeper part of dream because of Acheron and he may not be able to return so I guess he's effectively kind of dead for now???
I think it's such a weird choice that Aventurine's hat is clearly supposed to be important to him but he just. Doesn't wear it 95% of the time???? I feel like that final cutscene would have hit harder if he actually wore his hat so it would be more strongly associated with him. I don't understand why they designed him with that hat and then just like never make him wear it.
It's pretty clever that his perspective being so long also acts as an extra long trial for his character. I ended up using my Jingliu team for his portions of the story because she's the only DPS that I've even remotely built besides Qingque, and she was truly doing more damage to my team than the enemies were. Thinking about it now, I prooooobably would have been fine running him with my Qingque team but I would have missed the reliability of the mono Quantum. The extra long trial did not work on me though because I've got Stellaron Hunters to collect and I'm still waffling about whether or not to get Acheron's light cone. I also still haven't made up my mind about whether to pull for Robin yet.
His boss fight was kind of a pain in the ass though. My poor Silver Wolf and Lynx were getting bullied nonstop during the second phase while Qingque was overcapping the dice like crazy because she kept getting her follow up and Fu Xuan's ultimate was her saving grace. Using Qingque against Aventurine feels so appropriate because so many of her combat lines are related to gambling.
I liked Sparkle's conversation with Aventurine very plainly confirming that she has a very clear picture of what's happening but, true to her little animation, she prefers to work from the background and let the main characters do all the heavy lifting. Going off that animation, I'm looking forward to seeing what role she plays in 2.2.
March being so indignant that Stelle was getting bullied left and right by people with Agendas ever since they split up was really sweet. I love how people's general feeling after 2.0 was like "Everyone we met was fucking suspicious and hiding things from us, I don't fully trust anyone except the rest of the Express crew" and the characters were also like "Yeah, we can only trust each other."
The other side of that being that they kept running into people Stelle fought in 2.0 and March and Himeko being like "What have you been doing while you were unsupervised? Were you committing crimes?" was really funny.
I'm curious about whether Dan Heng is going to join in on the action in 2.2. He's already asked if they they need him in 2.1, so the possibility of him getting called in if things get really dicey is already there. And there's the fact that he does appear in one shot of the White Night trailer, and I watched a stream where his voice actor was saying Penacony's really good which makes it sound like he recorded more lines than just Dan Heng saying he'd stay on the train. Or idk maybe the other voice actors told him about stuff that happened. Is that allowed lmao? Sam also said Elio's instruction was "Get all of the Astral Express to track down the grand legacy," so does that "all" include Dan Heng?
It was very cruel of them to have one of the first things in the story be Acheron saying she knows who's in Sam's armour and then just. Not touching on that again until the last five to ten minutes. I figured they were going to do the Sam/Firefly reveal at some point in 2.1 so they'd be able to drip market Sam/Firefly for 2.3 (I've deluded myself into believing they're coming out in 2.3 because it makes sense to me to release them during Penacony's epilogue while they're main story relevant) since they're probably both in the splash art, but man did they take their sweet time getting there and slowly killed me the entire time.
I'm sooooo fascinated by the whole Sam/Firefly thing. I was tragically spoiled by a leak forever ago, but the leak I saw was just someone saying "I guess Firefly is the exploration model and Sam is the battle model" so I still don't know whether Firefly is an actual person who exists in the real world or if she's just a form Sam is able to take on in the dream world. If Firefly is a real person, I am so obsessed with the juxtaposition of Sam being the most ruthless Stellaron Hunter, to the point where Kafka said people are better off running into her, and Firefly looking like the sweetest, most gentle girl ever.
And if she's real, I'm so curious about whether the other Stellaron Hunters know about Firefly. They've only ever referred to Sam with male pronouns, but we've never had a scene with just them where they mentioned Sam so they could know about her and have Reasons for letting other people think Sam is male.
Looking back at 2.0, I assume Firefly might have transformed into Sam if Black Swan hadn't saved them because Stelle was in danger and their scripts from Elio aren't as detailed as the ones we've seen the other Stellaron Hunters reference, and her apology when she was killed could be read as "sorry I'm going to give you some trauma now so you'll have the motivation to find the Watchmaker's legacy." I'm not super clear on whether the memories of Firefly Stelle followed with Black Swan and Acheron was just an act she put on to lead Stelle to that place or there was something more going on there.
I just really want to know how much of Firefly in 2.0 was an act and how much of it was genuine. The main thing being when she tells Stelle she hopes they don't have to be enemies when everything is revealed. I love how Firefly's Sam persona was clearly leaking out a bit when she told Sampo/Sparkle "You talk too much."
2.2 really cannot come soon enough because I've got so many questions and I'm so excited to see the story pick up right from Stelle finding out Firefly is Sam. I can't wait to see what dialogue options Stelle gets for her reaction. Stelle's thoughts when you go back to Firefly's secret base are that she still cherishes the memories of the time she spent with Firefly, but she's confused about how to feel about her being Sam. I'm just like, Stelle, please hug her because I am a fool who would forgive her because she's cute and I love the Stellaron Hunters dearly, but I think if I'm not being self-indulgent I'm just expecting Stelle to be happy or relieved that Firefly's not dead but also feel very wary of her.
I think it's so funny that during the 2.1 livestream they were like. "Gallagher is so normal. He's the most normal person in the whole Penacony cast. He doesn't have a past, he's just a guy." And then by the end of 2.1 it's like. Actually Gallagher may have the biggest past out of everyone.
I'm not clear on what's up with that bird that's watching in some scenes. I thought it could be related to Sunday since he said he has servants that see everything, but its colour scheme looks like the Memory Zone monsters so it might also be related to Gallagher? idk if I'm even supposed to understand at this point.
I love that they made a special trial for Acheron so they could be like "Look how cool her technique is!!!"
It was very nice of them to let us collect the birds even when we weren't in Stelle's perspective, but Acheron and Aventurine can't actually see them so the dialogue options reflected that.
Black Swan talking to a memory? Of Constance wasn't something I expected. I'm still not clear on what was happening during that scene, but I'm interested to see where it goes in 2.2. Boothill getting an early cameo in that part was fun as well. It was so funny to me when he got drip marketed because I was just like. I have never seen this man in my life before lmao. I must have stopped looking at leaks before he was found.
Topaz's very brief appearances were very interesting. It seems like she feels at least a little conflicted about Aventurine's "death." I think Topaz herself is very kind, but she's still one of the Ten Stonehearts and that whole group seems a little shady. I don't think I trust Jade at all.
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katzell · 10 months
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How I Met Your Father - Review
Seasons 1 & 2
First, know that I was there in the beginning. I watched How I Met Your Mother starting in season 3 and watched it as it aired until the very bitter end. Everyone has a show that disappointed them and let them down. But I honestly think that nothing compares to the horror of the last episode of HIMYM, because it made everything that came before it worse. Mayyybbee some LOST fans get it. But at least that finale wasn’t a character assassination in the name of one last smug trick. It was a rumination on love and humanity that allowed the characters a moment of grace in a world that denied it. HIMYM’s trashed seasons of character work for Barney and Robin and its own success in actually finding someone to play the Mother who was worth 11 seasons of waiting. But sure, wasn’t it clever they had footage of the kids before they grew too big saying the story was always about Ted loving Robin. Of course nothing that was filmed after season 3 really mattered.
I’m sorry to begin this way, but as Robin Scherbatsky and Barney Stinson appear in HIMYF, clearly in the between times, post divorce but before the titular mother’s horrible death, we have to talk about it.
I hadn’t meant to watch this show. Poor Chris Lowell will forever be Piz. The Veronica Mars trauma is another thing all together and others have written about that better. But as a lifelong Hilary Duff fan, I was curious to see her do a traditional adult sitcom.
In 2021, the pilot didn’t convince me. I agreed with reviews that said none of the characters acted or spoke like millennials. The side stepping of covid felt weird as well. Where HIMYM had a really eerie knack of conjuring NYC from LA, the reboot felt more soundstagey. I chalked it off as another mercenary move to mine IP and play on nostalgia.
But I guess this is why we live on Tumblr! Because the right gifset on your dash at the right time can make you reassess. And the right persons face can make you pause and go, I guess this is happening now.
In 2023, watching a comedy that was in fact pure shenanigans suddenly felt like a gift. As everyone reassess the changes in the US television industry, I hope distributors see the value in greenlighting shows like this again. I love my prestige comedies that want to incite anxiety attacks. But I also love seeing friends living in a city run around having madcap adventures. And I love a show that unabashedly wants me to ship characters and care about romance! Particularly the slow kind that works off dozens of episodes to establish.
And luckily for me, HIMYF has the very dreamy Sid, played by Suraj Sharma. I mean, who doesn’t at some point fantasize about a hot bar owner smart enough to go to [insert highly demanding profession here] but chose instead a cozy place where all their friends can hang. (See also New Girl). I need at least 3 more seasons, 20 episodes each, because I’m invested in the potential between he and Hillary Duff’s Sophie. Its nascent and yet so much more intriguing than Sophie’s other more obvious, but boring options. (Apologies to Chris Lowell’s Piz Jessie). Sophie and Sid have the easy charm to power a friends to lovers for the ages. And with his marriage on the rocks, and her dating his best friend, the melodrama is there too! The stupid concite of the show has its hooks in me again and I am definitely scared. You would be too if you saw the pathos and rawness Cobie Smuthers brings to her cameo. I’ve been kicked in the teeth before by this world. Neither of us are over it.
Fine, a brief word on Barney’s cameo. Awful. He talked about how he learned to respect women thanks to a special girl in his life. It was his fucking daughter and not Robin. I knew this and it still hurts. The electroshock pants weren’t funny. But I did like that he wouldn’t charge a nice girl for smashing his car if she had a fun enough story. That was the character I liked.
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genericpuff · 1 year
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Hello! As a previous fan of LO (back when there was actual effort in the art and I mistakenly thought certain themes and symbolism would be carried through the story) I’m really excited to see what you do with these characters! I was honestly pretty invested in the whole fertility/death goddess dissonance I initially thought was going on, so you can guess I was mega disappointed with where the story went. And I’m already way happier that you’ve begun to build off their relationship as something tangible and emotional, rather than insta love.
Honestly, when I first started reading I thought a major plot point was gonna be Persephone having to balance these two sides of her self that are in conflict, and come out to be a goddess of spring and new growth from decay and death. I thought it was gonna be clever, since that’s kinda what springs like, right? New life and growth from death and rotting matter of the previous seasons. That and the whole ‘red eyed wrath’ thing she had going seemed like a fun hint that she was suppressing her real emotions, and a lot (but not all) of her overly sweet personality was to cover that and be what she thought she was supposed to be. Kinda sad in retrospect, but that’s part of why I’m excited to see where your reimagining goes!
First off, been loving the asks I've been getting from y'all the last little bit, it's a great way to keep stuff updated here in between new Rekindled uploads and essay dumps LMAO so keep 'em coming!
Moving on-
I was really hoping to see that same kind of dissonance carry through the story as well, and it's proooobably one of the biggest things I'll be tackling in this rewrite because it was the one thing I was most disappointed to see fall through in LO.
Fun fact, a lot of my writing over the past decade has focused on dualities like this, alter egos, buried trauma, light vs. dark, host vs. parasite, etc. many of which were concepts you would find in stuff like Undertale, Omori, etc. but like... before those things even existed (I've been writng and making comics online for... a looong time.) I suppose it's the weeb in me that's drawn to these types of personifications of personal dark sides that are present in elements like Chara, Headspace/Black Space, etc. Needless to say, playing games like Undertale and Omori was like, super validating LMAO (if not a little oof because it also reminds me that my ideas aren't that original but that's not a bad thing, there's no such thing as an original idea anymore and that's what makes writing such a great process!)
So like... I weirdly feel that the plots and character dynamics/tropes I usually write and thought no one was interested in has prepared me for this one specific thing??? And it's for a fucking Lore Olympus rewrite comic jfc-
The universe has a funny way of preparing you for things you never expected to be guided to, I suppose. The only fallout is I'm not really eager to share my normal work on this blog due to how rabid/pervasive Rachel's fanbase is (and, y'know, Rachel herself) and I'd rather just protect my usual projects from that potential mess because my usual projects are the ones that are wholly my own, and I intend to still be working on long after Rekindled is done.
But trust me, it's out there and its heartbeat is in perfect sync with that of Rekindled's.
Maybe that'll be the essay I write at the end of all this.
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