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immaturityofthomasastruc · 11 months

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IOTA Reviews: Migration

You know, for a while, I thought Luka was one of the smartest characters in the show, and the fact that he's hightailing it out of Paris in this episode only continues to prove my point.

Let's get into the thirteenth episode of Miraculous Ladybug's fifth season: Migration

We start off with Marinette running over to the Liberty (with her friends laughing behind her back like the supportive people they are) and tries to talk with Luka about her relationship with Adrien once they're in private. Luka is pretty supportive, and it's a nice scene. Marinette then bumps into Adrien, who also wants to talk with Luka, and while the two try to get unstuck, we get a nice visual of Luka seeing the two as Ladybug and Cat Noir, which is there to remind the audience that he's known who both of them are ever since “Wishmaker”.

Adrien then talks to Luka about how he's worried something is keeping Marinette from being honest about her feelings. Luka gives him some advice on how just because he doesn't know everything about Marinette, it doesn't make her feelings for him less valid, and vice versa.

After Adrien leaves, we get an appearance from everyone's favorite deadbeat dad, Jagged Stone. He asks Luka how he can be a better father like he didn't miss years of child support, but all Luka really says is that he needs to spend time with his damn family. Of course, what I like about this scene is that it avoids the usual narrative pitfall of trying to say that Jagged and Anarka, Luka's mom, should get back together, and instead shows Jagged developing feelings for his agent, Penny.

Speaking of, after Jagged leaves, Penny comes in to come to Luka for advice. Okay, is Luka just the Dr. Phil of this show's universe? Penny talks to Luka about her sudden feelings for Jagged Stone.

Penny: No, I don't know why I'm in love with your father. He's disorganized, childish, selfish, and musically speaking, he's no David Bowie. Truth be told, your dad's a walking disaster. So why do I love him?

Luka: Does he make you happy, Penny?

Penny: Yeah. I just can't figure out why!

It's almost like this show will randomly pair people up at the drop of a hat. But hey, at least Luka hasn't asked if Kagami is single yet.

Before Penny leaves, Bob Roth, Jagged's producer, demands to know where he is, as he needs to record a new album. Bob learns that Jagged had children with Anarka (ignoring the potential scandal it could create), so Anarka promptly throws him out of the boat in a scene that I'm pretty sure is meant to be a reference to that one running gag from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

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Either way, Jazz's scream was funnier.

Kitty Section then practices their latest song about how you don't have to be rich, because even the songs in this show aren't exactly subtle with their messages. Bob somehow gets back on the Liberty completely dry, and offers the band a contract.

Bob: How would you like to sign a contract with me?

Luka: Actually, Bob, you already offered to sign us... Marinette: And you never followed up. Did you forget?

Bob: Huh? Uh... of course! I remember! I was just waiting for the right reason—uh, I mean, the right time! I was waiting for the right time to have you guys sign the contract!

My God, even the characters in this show want to forget it used to have good episodes.

Anarka throws Bob off again, where she and Luka talk about how everyone deserves a second chance and that change is possible.

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Yeah, funny how that message almost never came up with Chloe, Lila, and Felix last season, isn't it? And given that they're going to use Bob as an example of this lesson, I don't think it's going to be a positive one. So right after Luka generously decided to give Bob a second chance, Bob offers them a new contract to sign... and as soon as he does, he screws them all over thanks to a lot of fine print they didn't stop to read.

Ivan: He can fire us whenever he wants?

Bob: Yep, and I just did, by the way.

Rose: The name Kitty Section belongs to him?!

Bob: Yep. It’s ugly, but it’s mine. Marinette: He owns everything you’ve made and will make over the next thousand years!? Bob: Gotta cover all bases.

Zoe: Marinette's costumes, the music video Nino shot, the website Mylene runs...

Bob: All mine!

Adrien: And you can’t even start another band together?

Bob: Course not, that’d be unfair competition! EVERYTHING belongs to me! Everything you are, everything you say, everything that’s in your hearts belongs to me!

See, kids? This is why you should never trust bad people. It doesn't matter if they say they want to improve. They just want to trick you and ruin your life, so if you're ever wronged by anyone, that person is never able to redeem themselves, especially if they're rich. As we all know, rich people are far worse than insane supervillains who want to rewrite reality. Just ask the biggest monster in the show, Chloe Bourgeois.

So yeah, Luka's optimism being taken advantage of is enough to attract the attention of Monarch, who attempts to akumatize him into Silencer again. Monarch realizes that Luka knows Ladybug and Cat Noir's identities (why he didn't think to look into it, given Viperion's powers, is left unanswered), and angrily smashes his guitar to free himself of Monarch's influence.

So not only did he stop himself from getting akumatized, he's also one step closer to becoming a true rock star.

Somehow, Bob thinks only keeping Luka on board would mean he wouldn't hate him, but Luka isn't buying it. Bob is shocked that Luka wouldn't want to work for an asshole like him as Luka tears the contract in half, but Bob has backups. Monarch decides to settle on Bob instead, akumatizing him into Gold Record.

Gold Record's design is... okay. It's still better than Sole Destroyer, and it's definitely better than Moolak. The gold coloring looks nice, and the euro symbol on the record is a nice visual. His powers are pretty much just a combination of Pixelator, the Collector, and Truth's powers, transforming people into records who sing their true feelings while using the Horse Miraculous' Voyage to throw the records into space. Nothing too original there, but it's a good metaphor for sleazy music producers, and it works for this story.

Rose and Anarka are the first of Gold Record's victims, and in a hurry, Luka lets Adrien know he knows he's Cat Noir, giving him a place to hide. Just as Juleka is hit by Gold Record, Ladybug and Cat Noir arrive on the scene. While Cat Noir holds off Gold Record, Ladybug tries to come up with a plan.

Ladybug summons her Lucky Charm, getting a knitting needle. She realizes her plan will need to involve using Luka as bait. Luka is forced to reveal that he knows who Ladybug and Cat Noir are, and what will happen if Gold Record gets him, setting up a tough choice that will force Ladybug to rethink her plan... and then the next scene happens, where Luka lets himself get hit, where Ladybug manages send Gold Record's record flying with a makeshift bow and arrow created from the knitting needle and a nearby fiddle, which Cat Noir immediately Cataclysms.

Ladybug de-evilizes the Akuma, uses Miraculous Ladybug to fix the damage, and gives Bob Roth a Magical Charm that even he knows is useless at this point. Ladybug and Cat Noir decide to call it a day and let Anarka throw Bob Roth out again.

Luka reveals that he knows Ladybug and Cat Noir's identities (because once again, sharing that information with your friends is totally fine for some reason), and that he can't stay in Paris. After revealing that he had Fang eat all of Bob's contracts so Luka isn't bound by them anymore, Jagged offers to take Luka around the world to finally make up for years of absence while Luka makes Juleka the new leader of Kitty Section. And so the episode ends with the Couffaine family sharing a hug while Luka gives one last look to his friends Marinette and Adrien.

This episode was just average, all things considered. The plot and the lesson it was setting out to teach, while not terrible, felt a little tacked on. It was if the writers were trying to acknowledge the stuff that happened with Chloe and wanted to show an example of redemption arc done right in the case of Jagged. It falls flat because once again, more focus is given to showing how easy it is to be screwed over trusting someone than showing the benefits to trusting someone, especially since Bob is already an outlandish villain we already have a lot of reasons to hate.

I'm also mixed on the handling of Luka here. While I'm glad Marinette isn't being forced to learn a lesson here, I don't get why Luka had to be the one to be taken advantage of. He's already aware of how easy it is for Monarch to learn his secrets, so it feels weird that he lets himself and his friends get taken advantage of so easily. Outside of the scene with Ladybug's Lucky Charm, I don't get why he needed to tell the others the stuff he knew. I can sort of see why he'd tell Adrien, but why would he think telling his friends he knows who Ladybug and Cat Noir are wouldn't endanger them too?

Speaking of that, despite being established for almost an entire season, we really don't see enough of Marinette and Adrien reacting to Luka revealing that he knows who they are. Marinette only gets a few lines, and Adrien doesn't even get to say anything. While I am glad that Marinette and Adrien aren't dominating the plot for once, it feels weird that we don't get to see their reactions to something so shocking, especially with how often the identity rule has been enforced.

On the other hand, the writing is still handled a lot better than usual. I like how Monarch chooses to change his strategy to focus on Luka halfway through the episode, and the idea of the risk using Luka for Ladybug's plan brings is an interesting one, even if they don't really go anywhere with it. The running gag with Bob constantly getting thrown off the Liberty is a funny one, and it proves you can actually write slapstick that doesn't involve humiliating Marinette. Who knew?

As a whole, while I think this is the best episode of the season so far, this episode still has its fair share of problems.

THE BIGGEST IDIOT OF THE EPISODE IS... LUKA

Not counting the time Marinette got the award in my review of the Shanghai Special, we have the first character this season to get the Biggest Idiot Award twice. For someone who is usually smarter than the other characters, Luka made quite a few bad choices this episode. He decided to trust Bob Roth after he screwed him and his friends over in “Silencer”, he didn't think to read the contract he was offered, and after being endangered by what Monarch knows now, he decided to tell his friends and family that he knows who Ladybug and Cat Noir are, potentially putting them all in danger too. Yeah, the next few episodes will probably just ignore it, but there's always a chance Monarch could try another Optigami, even if he doesn't have the Peacock Miraculous anymore.

And with that, I'm officially done with the first half of Season 5. What do I think of it? Well, I think Immortan Joe said it best:

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Yeah, this season was pretty boring, all things considered. To be perfectly honest, I struggled here more than I did last season because I wasn't sure what to say about half of the episodes I watched. There was almost nothing of substance these past thirteen episodes, and I could barely say anything other than “this episode is okay” or “this episode is bad”. Whenever I had ideas, they were usually extensions to things I've already talked about, like the Marinette angst, the historical and cultural inaccuracies, and the villains genuinely being incompetent. If you showed someone a few episodes of Season 1 and this season, outside of Monarch's new appearance, it'd be pretty hard for them to tell the difference.

But hey, maybe things will pick up in the second half of the season. Hell, maybe the next episode will be even better than this one, and... huh. Does anyone else hear an ominous whistling in the background?

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einsatzzz · 6 days

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[OC] Ninomiya Kanako (Kana) - Character Profile

🍎The cold but resolute asocial who's obsessed with her Family! Ninomiya Kanako!🍎

You can go to this link to our Oniyanagi Wiki site for her full character page!

"Kurumi is my twin, so do treat her well. That's neither a request nor a suggestion."

Kana is one of the two 10th generation bosses of the Oniyanagi yakuza family (alongside Kurumi). She is a talented assassin who's fortunately currently under a temporary restriction, so you're totally safe as long as you don't get in her way.

Age: 15 Birthday: December 13 Zodiac Sign: ♐︎Sagittarius Height: 157cm Weight: 46.5kg Gender: ? Country of origin: Japan MBTI: ISFJ Favorite author: Osamu Dazai Favorite food: "Anything sweet will do", Kurumi's cooking

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PERSONALITY: As if she's in a perpetual game of poker, she keeps her cards close to her chest with an unreadable expression.

Kana has a stoic demeanor and her expressions are often devoid of any emotion (even in the face of life-threatening situations). When she does show it, it usually means bad things (not for her). She is also a natural liar and can be very manipulative.

She's an old soul who doesn't like wasting time on things that don't matter. She doesn't have any special interests and also doesn't derive any pleasure or regret from her talent, or so what she says. When in truth, she has a large amount of hidden bloodlust that she has trained to keep under control - for her Family's peace of mind.

One of the very few exceptions that stands out from this dull and empty existence is her love for her twin. Kurumi's safety is also your safety.

SPECIALTY: If it's for her Family, there is nothing she won't cut down.

Kana is a swordsman but she also has a special talent for assassination. She can somehow use any item into a murder weapon, no matter if it's a pencil, a soda can, a piece of twig or even a toilet paper. It's also easy for her to hide her presence because her footsteps has no sound (even when she's running in the rain). Out of habit, she sleeps with her eyes open and it creeps a lot of people out.

DAILY LIFE: Despite certain difficulties, she wants the people that she cherishes to live freely and be true to themselves.

Her Family members are quite the pieces of work - a very lonely, miserable and dishonest bunch looking for a place to belong in this fleeting world. And she is also the same as them. Caring for this Family (in her own way) is a responsibility she took on for herself. She promised, after all. So they should just do whatever their heart desires. Because she's not able to do so for herself anymore.

—Within reason, of course. If Yui were to start causing construction work level noise while working on his robot projects at ungodly hours, she won't hesitate to punch a hole through the wall and tell him to keep it down. If some asshole scum of the earth is trying to court Kurumi? Unacceptable. Fortunately, accidental deaths are a common occurrence.

RELATIONSHIPS: A new school doesn't change anything for her...supposedly.

Reborn: No comment.

Tsuna & Lambo: Don't get ahead of yourselves just because Kurumi is fond of you.

Gokudera: His sister's cooking isn't that bad. Skill issue.

Yamamoto: He's a good kid.

Hibari: This bastard's gonna have to graduate from middle school at some point, right?

Dr. Shamal: There are people in this world who deserve to die. But fellow weeds don't die so easily, don't they?

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Thank you for taking the time to read this! This character...is kindaaaa complicated, so I have a bit of a difficulty coming up with words for her profile. This character can pack so much spoilers lmao. Anyway, I did my best (lol).

Any questions about her or the story is very much appreciated! For credits, all Oniyanagi OCs are by me and @amiahoshi! While for the intro audio, Kana is voiced by erushaVA and I also got the background music here from MusMus! The audio art used above is inspired from En/kidu's April Fools art lmao:

"Kana outright doesn't care and doesn't think about gender or pronouns."

The next one will be Yui's, but that will be for late-July/early-August since I'll be too busy studying in the coming weeks. I think I'll start on the webcomic once I'm done with Yui's ref sheet.

#khr #katekyo hitman reborn #khre #khr oc #oc #character design #einart #original character #ninomiya kanako #kurumi's most important little meow meow (heinous criminal) in the whole wide world 🥺🥺💖💖✨✨#coming up with relationship titles is a pain so tysm pro/ject/se/kai ki/zuna ranks for the inspos #kana-chan ueueueue 🫶🫶#when she finds out abt her entire lore she will kill me on the spot #i would write more tags but need to do my taxes at ungodly hours now 🫡🫡🫡i procrastinated on it enough #character sheet and profile of my beloved oc >>> taxes #i know my priorities #ok tbf it's still not the day of the due date yet so im still safe if i submit it now

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yellowocaballero · 1 year

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Styles of Storytelling Structure

OK love of God I'm so embarrassed that every post I make gets insane long. I tried to match this explanation up with the previous ask but it got so long, so this elaboration gets its own post. For reference, these tags are referencing this post. Read that one first if you want.

I hope I can find a way to explain this succinctly and non-judgmentally. I do mean it extremely nonjudgmentally. I write both kinds and they both have their own merits.

For me, there's two kinds of fanfic writing. I call 'em Fic Style and Novel Style. This isn't about tropes or content, but about how the author composes the story.

Novel style is the 'traditional' way of writing a story. It has a three act structure, rising action/climax/falling action, tight pacing, every scene does five plot/character/theme related things. It reads like a published short story or a book.

Fic style is often reliant on the source material to make complete sense, and its plot or characterization is usually scaffolded onto the main material. For many of these stories you use the pre-existing canon structure. The story isn't as structured or tightly written, scenes are more likely to be there for vibes, and there tends to be more worldbuilding and a slower pace in general. It's worth noting that fic style can often really resemble soap opera, comic books, long-running manga, Dr Who, etc. Anything serialized, meant to continue on for a long time with no definite end point.

(If you're a frequent flier, to give you some idea: New Wave and Good Luck Jake were novel style, Hope Etc and Listen 2 Ur Heart were fic style. Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge was novel/short story style, reel to reel was fic style.)

Neither is better or worse than the other. They can be both equally enjoyable. One of my favorite fics is 'a simple thing' by iridan and it's fic style. Case fics are more likely to be novel style [I suck at case fics]. Shortly, fic style is easier to write, more likely to be enjoyable, and harder to make very good. Novel style is really hard to write. Super hard.

This is because novel-style writing just requires more skills. You need to lock down story structure, plotting, tension, connecting physical/emotional/plot/theme, pairing story beats with character beats, and dealing with a lot of different plot threads at once. I think of it as braiding, kind of: weaving three character arcs, a plot arc, growth of character relationships, and development of the themes and messaging. A scene should ideally do all of these things at once. Everything needs to be perfectly matched together so it all moves as one. The longer the story is, the more content of all of this you have to deal with, and the more difficult it is to do well. You're just juggling more balls. I had to write one bad 100k story and another mediocre 100k story before I got to a kinda-good 100k story. Forget about how long it took me to get to a decent freaking 60k story. I wrote really enjoyable 60k fic style stories before an actually good 60k novel style story.

This is why skills have to scaffold. I think a lot of beginner writers are constantly trying to fight those level 60 boss fights at level 20 and they get frustrated when they lose. You have to figure out how to write decent dialogue and decent prose before putting together a good scene. Then you have to figure out how to string a series of scenes together in a way that makes sense. Then you have to figure out how to put those scenes in the right order to make some kind of coherent and interesting story with conflict and character arcs. Then you start tossing one ball in the air and figure out how to write those 20k short stories. Then you add more and more balls as your stories get longer and more complex. You have to develop a lot of different skills individually to put together a well-structured final product that's fun to read.

Stop getting so frustrated when you can't beat out a 60k story that's Barnes & Nobles worthy when you're a beginning writer! Stop dreaming big! I know how frustrating it is not being able to put what's in your head down on paper. It's not going to be perfect. Of course you're having issues writing longer things, you're still figuring out how to put longer things together.

Pick something to work on. Figure out what skills you still need to develop. Figure out how stories work and what makes a good story, and then try and build it yourself. You do not need to write a traditional novel style story to develop your skills in dialogue, prose, characterization, tone, tension, POV, etc. You can get that stuff down first. If you're interested in working on story structure and pacing you'll have to practice doing things traditionally. No, you're not going to be happy with it. Be proud of yourself that you improved and developed a skill. Be proud of yourself that you're writing. Writing is hard. It's fun, but hard. If you aren't having fun then you're just left with the hard.

Writing isn't about the finished product. It's not about if you wrote something that people enjoyed or said was good. It's about enjoying writing. Everything else happens naturally from there.

#i am kind of speaking assuming that you're really invested in skill development and not just vibing and fucking around #the ppl fucking around are more valid than i am tbh #they're the geniuses here.#writing #writing advice #I guess.#i think it's hard to understand that skills need to scaffold if you haven't sat down and parsed out how stories work #so maybe that's step 0?

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spectralsleuth · 8 months

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Saw you were lookin’ for some asks dont mind if I do 👀

To start off, I’m such a big fan of your writing! I genuinely look forward to every single update of yours and find myself rereading a lot of work in the downtime. You are such a good writer!! My never ending praises aside, here are some asks!

-You incorporate OC’s into your fics so seamlessly! They feel so natural in your fics that I legit get excited anytime they show up (srsly can’t wait for Lou Jitsu vs Hidden City, Sal’s my boy) lol how do you find the right balance when introducing and maintaining OC’s in your fics? I feel like that’s a particularly difficult balance beam to tread but you absolutely crush it.

-A previous ask you answered about Cass and Raph in LSoW got me thinking; how do the brothers handle humans crushing on them? Would they be receptive or dismissive? Do they develop crushes on humans- and if so, how is that perceived (by family or the general public)? The drama 👀

Last ask, I promise:

-I absolutely loved your crossover with Empathy is Learned! Got anymore crossovers planned in the future? Oooor if you could do a crossover with any other fic, which one(s) would it/they be??

Thanks for taking the time to even look at this! I hope these are some fun asks for ya :) I hope you have a lovely day!!

Omg thanks so much... I'm so happy people enjoy my writing it's crazy to me. I've written before, but it's always been just for myself so I never really know if it was good or not. (Years of text based DnD is to thank lol.) (Okay I got carried away answering this so sorry in advance.)

On OC's:

I got a lot of comments on LSoW from people who say "generally I don't like OC's BUT-" which is so funny and flattering. Because I am absolutely one of those people who don't care for OC's in fic.

Let me be clear: I LOVE that people write self indulgent self-insert of OC based fic, where they make the craziest off the wall story etc. Every time a fifteen year old writes a story about the cringiest Mary-sue/stu self insert, or non canon character, an angel gets its wings and I mean that one hundred percent. It makes me so happy I literally grin when I see it. I HOWEVER generally filter out the OC tags on AO3 when I'm looking for something to read myself.

So when I started posting LSoW I was expecting to get maybe like, 100 kudos MAX, maybe one comment or so. Which is great! I love writing niche fic just for me, and one other person who I assume I must be drift compatible with. I just could not figure out a way to write the story I wanted without a few OC's- Rise didn't have a big enough character catalog for me to draw from!

When I went to write the OC's, I knew that they had to have a very simple backstory, that was also very fleshed out. (Xander and Sal have full family, Dr. Heo and Carter have full jobs and history together, etc.) For another contradiction I wanted them to be interesting enough that someone reading wouldn't just be skipping ahead to when they weren't present, or just simply plowing through to get past the part where they were doing exposition. They had to be enjoyable! While also forwarding the story!

They also had to be distinct. Anyone who's ever watched a Whedon show or movie (Buffy, Firefly, Avengers-) knows what I'm talking about. It drives me nuts when the characters in a show are constantly the funniest person in the room, with the same personality traits, and the same girl boss/badass tendencies.

(Fandom challenge Impossible: Give a female fan favorite character another trait besides 'girlboss/mom/lesbian'. I'm dead serious.)

(Also a disclaimer: I LOVE making jokes and doing bits. I FANCY that I'm pretty funny, and I love making people laugh. But you can do that without making it a character personality trait. For example: Xander doesn't really crack any jokes in LSoW! He's just funny because we the reader know more about the situation and his thoughts than he does.)

But the BIGGEST THING I kept telling myself while writing the story, was DO NOT TAKE AWAY FROM THE TURTLES. Because the whole point of the story is the turtles! And Yoshi! The OC's are there to facilitate that. It's a hard balance to hit. I have all sorts of touchstones I keep in mind while I'm writing, and that's a big one.

(A SUPER good example of this done super well is @faiakishi 's Bella from Dawning of the Hour. She's a great OC that's super interesting, and a super important narrative element, but she never detracts from the main story. Big Bella fan here lmao. There's also the rest of the OC's/interpretations of franchise characters (TIGERCLAW), but Bella stands out as truly original.)

On the Turtles dating Humans:

(CW: CSA mention, SA mention, non graphic talk of minors dating etc.)

I actually talked a lot about this to @/tangledinink in feverish discord chats lmao.

When the boys were growing up they got a very detailed talk from both Yoshi, and their Doctors. ONE: Because nobody will know better than themselves if something was medically wrong with their bodies, TWO: The boys are all intersex (minus Mikey) and they had to understand that there was nothing wrong with them on TOP of the turtle thing, and THREE: Because Yoshi knew the boys would be getting a lot of attention, and you never know what kind of attention that form will take.

THE BEST WAY to protect children (any child) from being sexually assaulted or abused, is making sure they know what that abuse LOOKS LIKE. You don't have to make them terrified of being sexually assaulted, but them knowing how their body works, and also how to say NO and set boundaries, will combine to help make them safer.

Yoshi didn't know what would happen in the future and in a perfect world the boys would never leave his line of sight, but that's not always how things happen. (In a Short Season, Xander parroted Yoshi's instructions before going out to make sure the boys knew what to do if someone grabbed them (in any way) and it was to bite and be loud.) So the boys grew up knowing their bodies, knowing how to say 'no', and knowing that there was probably going to be people out there who would treat them as a novelty, and who wouldn't be appropriate to them as celebrities OR non-humans.

(Remember Emma Watson having to deal with that countdown to her turning 18? Or any other amount of child stars who had to deal with adults being predatory to them.)

But ALSO THIS IS HAMATO YOSHI. His sons are HANDSOME and HEARTBREAKERS! Leo has dated a lot but never anything seriously, and his inability to be intimate with anyone but family kind of puts a damper on any more permanent relationship. (He is gay.) He's the number one turtle people ask out because he's the most approachable. Because he made himself that way!

Donnie is in a sort of relationship with Kendra. (THIS WILL BE A FIC I'm working up to it lmao.) I have a head canon that Yokai and other empyrean based creatures are capable of having rivalry based relationships. IE Yoshi and Draxum in the canon show, the unhealthy dynamic between Yoshi and Big Mama, etc. (Caliginous relationship) Donnie is in a puppy love version of that with Kendra, while also lacking the context of yokai society to understand why he wants to punch her very badly, but also if anything happened to her he would die. They hate each others guts and also she was his first kiss. She is not a nice person I am not a Kendra apologist she's terrible I love her. (Donnie is bi!)

I know a lot of people head canon Mikey as ace, but he is a thirteen year old child you don't have to be head canoning him as anything. it is the very rare 13 year old who knows their orientation, and even if they DO I bet you donuts to dollars it will change eventually. This is normal and healthy. Mikey in LSoW has had puppy crushes on boys, girls, teachers, Violet, the mailman, Adam, and Rupert Swaggert. (Eugh eugh eugh.)

Raph is absolutely irresistible to the entire student body and is completely unaware of it. He's not stupid but he's face blind and bad at picking up subtext in conversations. He's gone to multiple people's houses and spent the whole day with them, without realizing they were trying to make it a date. (Raph is bi.)

All the boys have considered identifying as girls since their Dad is the martial arts equivalent of David Bowie and Fine With That, but have settled (for now) on being boys (age 10 the last time they considered this) because quote 'Lou Jitsu and Jupiter Jim are boys and they're awesome' unquote.

They don't get any fucking privacy for their relationships, and Leo in particular had a very bad experience that closed him off from dating big time. (Stamps 'THIS WILL BE A FIC' on this as well.) But also, as of the LSoW canon they are like, 12-14 and not doing a lot of dating ANYWAY. They are BABIES.

(Enter Casey Jones)

ON CROSSOVERS:

I have one crossover with my white whale of authors (you know who you are) I have pecked at with them that I think everyone will go fucking nuts for and love, but I won't mention it in case we can't get it off the ground! (A completely okay and normal thing to happen lmao.) I think that one will end up happening though because I am too excited about it, even if it's not any time soon.

I am super open to crossovers and cowriting, especially since writing with Li because I learned SO MUCH it was like speed running improvement.

The thing is it has to fit! There's some crossovers that wouldn't have a lot of substance because there's not really a lot to cover. When it came to EiL for example, there was PLENTY to cover and do, it was so fun! But other fics might not have a lot we could do for each other. (At least, not until I get some more world building done.)

That being said I do love talking crossovers with other creators it's so fun...

If you guys ever want to use my OC's feel free, just ask me in advance! I don't mind pings.

THESE ASKS ARE FUN THANKS FOR SENDING THEM I feel like you just threw a steak into my zoo exhibit. I am recharged and rejuvenated my crops are watered my skin is clear. This felt very pretentious to write I am mortified.

#ask #chealsieseysie #LSoW #rottmnt #tmnt #tmntau #IM SORRY ABOUT THE INFO DUMP #my fic #my writing

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executables-sims · 6 months

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Get to know you: Sims Style

Thank you so much for the tag, @goatskickin! :D I am ill rn, so please excuse the rambling. x) Long post ahead!

What’s your favorite Sims death? Maybe fright? I've only ever had it happen once via ghost, the anim is pretty funny. :)

Alpha CC or Maxis Match? My Simblr probably says otherwise, but I don’t have a preference! I’ve had nearly every possible CC style under the sun throughout my years of playing, and I constantly think about reviving my 'semi-realism' folder (living vicariously through you, other simmers!). I didn't play with CC until early 2006 though, so MM is a little bit more nostalgic. :)

Do you cheat your sims weight? Hell no! I'm still in awe of Nysha's townie body diversity mod finally letting townies be fat. :D I wish the game had a better way of managing bodyshapes so I could add more variety that way.

Do you move objects? Of course!

Favorite Mod? Of all time? Impossible! My continued interest in gameplay is always because of new mods. :)

I did gain a new outlook thanks to a mod recently, though! My wild romance sim Blaze Biermann ended up 'mood swinging' to fortune before he went to uni, and instead of reverting, it got stuck.

He had a few flings still (pleasure secondary), but after he returned home and met his daughter (for the first time since her birth), he started cringing whenever I directed him to romance his dates. It felt like he had grown as a person, and I loved it!

TL;DR: Randomly change your sims' original aspiration/s to give them interesting character arcs! First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack? I mean, not my decision, but our first TS1 EP was Hot Date. I'm pretty sure I got TS2 EPs/SPs in order of release (miss those days of unwrapping a new one every birthday/christmas!).

Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing? We're LIVE, baby! 🎥

Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? I don't usually get very attached to my first-generation sims, but maybe Evonne Milos, from the gameplay/story hood I accidentally destroyed in four days? Never actually played her, but I had a lot of ideas for a corrupt 'sexpot' politician. x)

Have you made a simself? Lots! 99% of the fun I had playing TS2 as a kid was me and my best friend making ourselves and our respective crushes of the week, and we'd always live in one of those Veronaville lots that was two houses connected by a balcony. I can't even tell you the amount of times she got me pregnant against my wishes whilst I went to the bathroom, lmao.

Which is your favorite EA hair color? For colour consistency, probably brown? But there are a lot of brunettes in Brunwick (must be the name!), so I enjoy the recessives popping up in gameplay. :)

Favorite EA hair? Does an EA download count? Jeanette is lovely.

Favorite life stage? Ohhh dude, that's so difficult to answer. They all bring different challenges and dynamics to the household! I feel like I've started to appreciate the child lifestage more since Brunwick has grown large enough to have multiple friendship groups. It's fun watching them goof around with each other and be actual kids, instead of sitting indoors skilling. I really need to build a park! :)

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?

Are you a CC creator? Yes, I really love how this game has led me to so many creative hobbies! Would like to tackle BHAVs one day. :)

Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad? Yeah! I consider us all friends over our shared enjoyment of the game really, but as a chronic lurker I'm not the best at cultivating connections. x) Does anyone wanna make a secret club? xD

Do you have any sims merch? No, but I do have a bunch of rad sims memories. 👉😎👉

Do you have a YouTube for sims? Nope, but I watched plenty of sim music videos back in the day! Found a lot of songs that way. :) Some formative memories here: One / Two

How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing? I sadly don't have screenshots of my oldest saves thanks to a combo of no external HD and no screenshot program, but here's one example:

But gameplay-wise, a lot! My early years were probably based around creating stories more than actively playing, but when I did I would just emulate perfect families, attempt legacies, and restart BG hoods over and over. x)

Now I'm all about wants-based gameplay; witnessing and interpreting a story, as opposed to creating one from scratch. But I will add drama if I find my interest waning! x)

Who’s your favorite CC creator? Again, super-duper impossible to answer because everyone's CC makes the game fun, but my most recent CC shopping spree was Honeywell and HugeLunatic! :) 🛒

How long have you had Simblr? Technically 2011, officially 2013, but if we're being pedantic, I finally made a dedicated Simblr (this) in 2016. x)

How do you edit your pictures? These days, just sharpen and shrink! CC previews aren't too complicated either- a blurred out screenshot for the BG and a shadow.

What expansion/gamepack is your favorite? Ooh… maybe Nightlife, by a smidgen? I feel like it gave us a lot of new features and items, and the subhood was nice (as a non-builder at the time!).

Tagging: @daman19942 @aondaneedles @eulaliasims @profesionalpartyguest @tvickiesims @and everyone else, I love reading these! :D

#Tag meme

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use-your-telescope · 6 months

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When Everything's Made to be Broken - Chapter 7: You Resist Me Just Like This

Summary: Loki convinces Theo to spend time with him, and Theo reconnects with an old friend.

Author's Notes: Hey, look, Loki & Theo interactions! More of these to come in the very near future. And now y’all get to meet one of my favorite original side characters, Julie.

Reminder - this song is a continuation from the last chapter!

If you enjoy, please reblog!! I'm a lil' blog and reblogs really help me out <3

Content Warnings: Medical Stuff (Theo’s a doctor, so there’s a lot of that in this story, generally speaking), blood (not really graphic but again, working in an Emergency department, there is some blood…), mentions of alcohol

Word Count: 6,530

Read on AO3 | When Everything's Made to be Broken Masterlist

Song: Careful - Paramore

Open your eyes like I opened mine It's only the real world A life you will never know Shifting your weight to throw off the pain Well, you can ignore it But only for so long

Of every change that came with joining the Avengers, there was one that Theo actually enjoyed: working in their private hospital.

One of her conditions of helping the Avengers was that she could continue working in emergency medicine as an attending physician. If she was going to put herself in a position where she’d be killing, the least she could do is help train others to heal - the method by which they healed was unimportant, as long as it helped offset the death. She wanted to stay at New York Presbyterian, but Fury insisted she stay close by in case she was needed at the tower.

Working as an attending at the hospital in the Avengers Tower was their compromise.

There were some upsides to the deal. The short commute, for one. Instead of a subway ride, she hopped in an elevator and was at her workplace in two minutes, max.

The second was a surprise reunion with Dr. Julie Harper, who Theo hadn’t seen since they completed their residencies together at Los Angeles County General Hospital. Julie was a year ahead of Theo in medical school, and though Theo knew Julie ended up somewhere on the east coast, she hadn’t realized that they were both in the same city this whole time.

And now, they were paired up and turned loose on some residents of their own.

“Oh look, fresh meat.”

Met by the collective wide-eyed stares of their newest residents, Theo had to bite her tongue so she didn’t crack up at the terror on their faces, or when Julie - known to the residents as Dr. Harper - rolled her eyes.

“Settle down, I’m joking.” Theo dropped the stern face for a wide grin, letting out a chuckle. “Welcome to the Emergency department, also known as where medicine is practiced in its most pure form. I’m Dr. Theo Amaris, and I see you’ve already met my colleague, Dr. Julie Harper. Along with Dr. Helen Cho, we are three of your attending physicians.”

“This is a sacred place, where we see patients in some of the worst moments of their lives and give them hope - we give them a second chance.” Julie said, gesturing around the room. “We serve anyone and everyone who comes through our doors. We give every patient our best. We do not care about where your degrees are from or your MLE scores; the fact that you are here means you are qualified. What we care about is the commitment, the compassion, and the fight you bring to caring for patients. We can teach you how to triage, how to perform procedures, and how to document everything - what we can’t teach you is the dedication and the empathy needed to truly serve our patients when they need it most.”

Ultimately, that commitment to serving patients when they needed it most was why Theo chose Emergency Medicine. Always in the thick of things, not relying on referrals and scheduling and the restrictions that encumbered most specialties within medicine. No matter who walked through the door, Theo was empowered to help them. It didn’t matter whether they were rich or poor, young or old, or how mild or severe their malady was, she could care for them.

Granted, working in the hospital at Avengers Tower was a far cry from her experience at New York Presbyterian. Instead of her most severe cases being heart attacks, drug overdoses, and car accidents, Theo treated gunshot wounds, poisonings, major burns from explosions, and severe trauma from combat.

Dull moments did not exist in an emergency department that specialized in treating SHIELD agents, which elicited both gratitude and concern from Theo; sure, it made the time pass quickly, but she couldn’t help but worry for the agents’ loved ones, particularly when an agent came in whose condition was particularly delicate.

At least in the emergency department, she knew how everything worked. Even if she never knew what to expect when a patient came in, she knew the processes and the steps to treat them. Everything had a rationale behind it - she could weigh the pros and cons of every potential treatment without having to constantly factor in the unknown. Out in the field? She had no idea of what to expect or how to plan for it.

Julie hardly finished her welcome speech when the calls came in to prepare for an influx of injured agents returning from across the globe. From there, the constant onslaught of injured agents created a relentless pace to the day, requiring all hands on deck as they triaged and treated, stitched and bandaged, resuscitated and revived; trauma bays emptied barely long enough to be restocked and cleaned before the beds filled with new patients.

Minutes before the end of the shift, another mission came back with multiple agents severely injured. Thanks to some careful planning, the residents could leave after their respective patients were stabilized and sent off for surgery or admission to a ward, but the patient Theo and Julie assigned themselves kept the pair two hours late. For Theo, it served as a cherry on top to the end of a streak of back to back shifts that left Theo dreaming of a long, hot soak and a week where she didn’t have to leave her bed.

In the grand scheme of things, rest and relaxation could wait - saving someone’s life always took priority.

While Julie went with the others to wheel the patient to an operating room, Theo hung back, absorbing the aftermath. Crimson coated every surface - the gurney, the backboard the patient was brought in on, all over the floor, the surgical gown she wore over her scrubs. Wrappers for bandages and sutures littered the floor, as did towels that were used to soak up extra blood. Tables with supplies haphazardly pushed aside decorated the edges of the room, some of the supplies knocked to the floor amidst organized chaos.

Letting out a weary sigh, Theo began the process of removing the protective equipment. First, she peeled off the gloves and surgical gown, bundling them up before she disposed of them in a biohazard bag. The face shield and mask followed, finding their final resting place in the same biohazard bag. With one last, lingering glance at the room, Theo said a little prayer for the patient, then departed.

Only charting stood between Theo and her weekend. Charting, in Theo’s opinion, was an essential nuisance - documenting diagnoses and treatments administered ensured a smooth transition and continuation of care, but anything involving paperwork may have come from one of the circles of hell. Once she reached the desk, Theo’s focus on finding the files she needed and dreaming about what she was going to watch on netflix left her oblivious to the presence lurking nearby.

“I’ve seen battlefields less bloody than the room you emerged from.”

“Jesus!” Theo practically jumped out of her scrubs as her head snapped towards the voice.

Loki stood before her, a travel mug in one outstretched hand. A wide grin dangled from his lips, sparks of green alight in his eyes.

“Don’t scare me like that!” Stuttering heartbeats pulsed beneath Theo’s hand as she clutched her chest, gasping for breath.

“Apologies – it was not my intent to startle you,” Loki said, though the quiet pride on his face said otherwise. “I brought you a coffee; I thought you might appreciate the caffeine after a busy day.”

A hundred snarky retorts sprung to Theo’s tongue, but she stopped herself before one could escape. As much as she wanted to wipe the smug look of amusement off Loki’s face, she was grateful for the drink.

And besides, it wouldn’t do her any good to piss off the one person among the Avengers who didn’t look at her like a mission or a freak.

“Thanks.” Theo took the mug from Loki, their fingers brushing for just a moment in the process. She took a sip, letting the bitter liquid coat her tongue while she gave Loki a once-over. Between the charcoal sweater and black, slim-fit pants, he looked like he came from a day of meetings, not from the gym or from the field, so he probably wasn’t injured… “Uh, how long have you been here?”

“Well, I stopped by when you were meant to be finished for the day, but you were occupied. Based on the flurry of activity, I suspected you would be occupied for some time. It seems I was correct…” Loki explained, studying the room Theo had emerged from with a furrowed brow. “There’s quite a bit of blood.”

Theo almost spit out her coffee at what was a massive understatement.

“Yeah, it was a challenging one…” Theo agreed with a slow nod. “Agent should be alright, though.”

“I thought you were known for your healing abilities–” Loki’s brow crinkled as his focus darted back and forth between Theo and the trauma bay. “ —Is there a reason you did not use them?”

“Bold of you to assume I didn’t,” Theo pointed out, to which Loki faltered. Allowing a small, self-satisfied smirk to creep over her face, she didn’t make Loki wait long before adding: “They came in with other injuries that standard medicine wouldn’t have been able to treat in time, so I used my abilities on those, while the others stopped the bleeding. If I hadn’t, there was no way that person would have any chance of making it.”

“I see.” Loki’s response felt measured at best; Theo got the sense he was trying to suss out the extent of her healing abilities, but she wasn’t exactly interested in that conversation.

“So… what brings you in?” Theo badged into the computer and pulled up the first of the patient records she needed to update. “You don’t look like you’re injured, and last I checked most people avoid this place if they aren’t injured or dying.”

At that, Loki laughed. “You are correct; I have no afflictions which need tending to. I simply wished to see you.”

Theo nearly choked on her coffee - of all the answers in mind, “simply wished to see you” hadn’t even made it onto the list.

Sure, they were amiable towards each other, but “simply wished to see you” seemed a bit… much.

“You wanted to see me?” Theo tried to hide her surprise when she glanced up from the computer screen and caught Loki observing her with a devastatingly sly smile.

“Is that not what I just said?” Loki countered, his smile widening.

“You wanted to see me so badly that you ventured down here?” Theo expanded, allowing a smirk of her own to reveal itself. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? Do I need to go get Dr. Cho and have her check you over, just to be safe?”

“Quite certain.” He winked, leaning against the edge of the work station. “You’re difficult to locate, so I surmised that my odds of finding you were highest if I sought you out at your workplace.”

Of course - he noticed Theo’s habit of avoiding the larger group, and strategized accordingly.

He must not have spoken to Wanda about how cornering Theo went when Wanda tried it, if he thought coming down here would work. Then again, maybe that was a good thing - maybe he wasn't on the “force Theo to talk to us” mission that everyone else seemed to be a part of.

“I had been under the impression that after your last patient you would be finished for the evening,” Loki continued, oblivious to Theo’s ruminations, “but that does not seem to be the case…”

“No, I have to finish my charting before I can go - it’s essentially updating patient records,” Theo replied, fingers clicking away on the keyboard as she typed. “I have one left, then I can head out.”

“Is this what keeps you late each day?” It could have sounded like a complaint, but the question came off as one of curiosity. “Record-keeping?”

“I didn’t realize you kept track of when I left work each day.” Theo pointed out, clicking into her last patient’s records so she could make sure they were updated. “To answer your question, it depends. Some days I’ll stick around and help the others get caught up. Some days, like today, I end up with a patient that needs all hands on deck, and that pushes everything else back. I don’t mind staying, though.”

“Surely, record keeping can wait?”

“No, because whoever takes over when I leave needs to know what has been done and what the plan is. Otherwise they might double up on a drug or miss something that could kill the patient. In case you haven’t noticed, us earthly mortals aren’t exactly psychic or able to predict shit.” Theo glanced up at Loki and winked, hoping he picked up on her sarcasm.

He was supposed to be the clever one, right?

Loki let out something like a hum, but remained quiet. As pleasantly surprising as it was for him to stop in and say hello, Theo couldn’t help but appreciate the silence as she finished her work. After such a hectic day, focusing on one thing at a time was a luxury.

Once everything was documented and ready to go, Theo signed out of the computer, clocked out, and rose to her feet. “Alright, I’m all done.”

“Wonderful.” Loki strolled alongside as Theo made her way to the elevator. “Do you have plans for the evening?”

The dreams of a hot bath, binging something on netflix, and sleeping for like, three days straight sprung to mind.

“No, can’t say I do.” Theo shrugged, pressing the call button for the elevator. “All I know is after five shifts back to back, I’m ready to get out of these scrubs, kick back, and relax for a bit.”

Not a direct attempt to give herself an out from the conversation, but hopefully Loki would get the hint and let her enjoy a quiet evening.

“You have been working quite often as of late,” Loki agreed, gesturing for Theo to enter the open elevator first, then following behind. Once he pressed the button for their floor, he spoke up. “Have you eaten? I’m certain after a long day you must be famished.”

Theo bristled at the question, but she covered her discomfort with a cordial smile.

“Actually, I’m alright - I was lucky enough to sit down and eat a sandwich before my last patient,” she lied, “but if you’re hungry you should definitely eat something!”

“Oh, I’m quite alright,” Loki replied, shaking his head. “I ate with the others.”

An awkward silence fell between the pair as the elevator worked its way up to the residential portion of the tower. Theo’s skin tingled as she felt Loki’s eyes on her. Despite the short distance traveled, the time needed to get back to her suite stretched far longer than it should have. She finished the last of the coffee Loki had brought her, then began fiddling with the cup.

“I was hoping I might request the pleasure of your company this evening,” from the corner of Theo’s eye, she could see Loki run a hand through his hair as he spoke. “I recognize you are wary of us, but you’ve rather piqued my curiosity. I wish to get to know you.”

Theo furrowed her brow as she studied Loki, trying to get a sense of his honesty. His body language seemed genuine enough; he stood with open posture, hands loosely in his pockets as he regarded her, and the hope in his eyes certainly appeared innocent.

Then again, he was the god of lies…

“What do you mean by pleasure of your company?” The elevator arrived at their floor; Theo stepped out first, with Loki close behind.

“I simply wish to spend time with you; I have no preference for what we do during that time together. If there is something you would prefer to do, I’m happy to oblige.”

That didn’t make Theo feel better - she’d gotten the impression that Loki was the kind of person who did what he wanted, when he wanted, and rarely made concessions for others. This seemed… too friendly.

Still, curiosity burned within Theo at what would happen if she agreed, and the possibility seemed much more alluring than another night alone.

“Sure, just let me change out of my scrubs.” Theo finally agreed. If things got weird, she could always leave. “I’ll take a whiskey, neat. Highest proof Stark’s got.”

The request served two purposes: first, it meant Loki wouldn’t be lurking outside her door for long, potentially alerting the others to their rendez-vous. Second, Theo wouldn’t have to get herself a drink later on.

“As you wish.” A lopsided grin spread wide on Loki’s face, soft green eyes sparkling with delight. “How would you like to spend the evening?”

“I imagine you know all the cool secret spots in the tower, so if you meet me here, maybe you can show me one?” Theo winked.

“That seems to be a reasonable request.” Loki smirked. The pair arrived at the entrance to Theo’s suite, both stopping outside the door. “I shall return momentarily with your requested beverage.”

Once Loki disappeared, Theo slipped into her suite. Peeling the scrubs off her body, she wasted no time changing into casual clothes - not the leggings and sweatshirt she initially imagined, but jeans, a t-shirt, and a flannel shirt tossed on top to ward off any chill. Glancing in the mirror, Theo took a moment to splash some water on her face and re-do her braid, hoping it might make her appear a bit more lively; after having to use her magic to revive the last patient, she knew she was looking a bit worse for wear…

… But Loki didn’t need to know about that.

Theo emerged from her suite to find Loki, leaned up against the wall with two glasses of amber liquid.

“Thanks,” Theo accepted the glass Loki extended to her, then gestured for Loki to lead the way. “What secret destination are we off to?”

“You’ve been to Stark’s engineering labs,” Loki stated, briefly glancing back at Theo, “But have you visited the research library?”

“Research library?” Well, that certainly intrigued Theo.

“It seems that you have not.” Loki’s lip quirked into a smirk as his eyes lit up. “Well, allow me to introduce you to a hidden gem of Avengers Tower.”

After taking the elevator down to Tony’s lab, Loki breezed through the lab as though he owned the place. Despite the late hour, a few people remained at their workstations, tinkering with all sorts of mechanical contraptions. Somehow, no one paid the pair of sorcerers any mind. Reaching the back corner, Loki tapped on a wall panel to reveal a doorknob; with a flick of his wrist, the door opened. Loki stepped aside, allowing Theo first access to the room.

Her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

The room itself was massive - massive - if Theo hadn’t just walked in from another room on the same floor, she would have been convinced that the library took up an entire floor of the tower. The ceiling was easily two stories up, and lined floor to ceiling with books; steel rolling ladders lined the room to provide access to the upper shelves. Shelves full of books filled the floor as well, creating aisles to walk down and browse for literature. The center of the room had a variety of tables, lamps, screens, and chairs for people to set up and work.

Even as a library, it screamed Tony Stark’s design preferences - clean lines, minimalist styling, bright lighting, no shortage of glass or stainless steel details incorporated at every opportunity.

“Impressive, is it not?”

Theo whipped around to face Loki, who openly wore his amusement at Theo’s reaction across his face.

“That might be an understatement…” Theo conceded, ignoring the rush of heat to her cheeks as she sipped her whiskey. “And why is this place kept a secret?”

“It is home to quite a bit of, shall we say, sensitive information.” Loki answered, leading her through rows of bookshelves. Tomes in every language known to man, and even some that probably weren’t known, caught Theo’s attention as they ventured deeper into the library.

The nonchalant nature of Loki’s response intrigued Theo - what kind of sensitive information was he talking about? Government secrets? Scientific innovations? International cover-ups? Medical research?

Probably all of the above.

Theo made a note to come back at a later date, when she could explore without a second pair of eyes on her. Or at least when she was ready to study for the extra certifications Julie recommended the other day.

The winding path through towering shelves eventually led to a clearing of sorts, with seating areas of sleek leather sofas and chairs clustered together and glass tables surrounded by high-back, leather chairs.

“So you don’t know that much about me, but your first thought is to bring me to a secret library full of sensitive information,” Theo strolled towards the center of the room, still soaking in her new surroundings. “Is this a litmus test?”

“Should it be?” Loki countered, though the relaxed shoulders and way he leaned against the back of a sofa only amplified his knowing smirk, almost as if he wanted to say “I don’t think you’ll try anything stupid, but if you did I might find it funny.”

“I don’t know - if they have the exam answers for the two certifications I want to start on, it might become one,” Theo joked.

At that, Loki perked up. “You’re studying for certifications? Of what sort?”

She probably should have known he would find a way to ask more about her - after all, she hadn’t exactly made a point to share anything other than random anecdotes during their previous encounters.

Certifications were a safe topic, though, so she obliged.

“Yeah - there are certain sub-specialties in medicine that would be helpful to know while working in what’s essentially a combat hospital.” Theo shrugged, taking a seat in one of the armchairs. “Med school doesn’t teach us everything, so I may as well do what I can to stay on top of things. Certifications help with that.”

“Why wouldn’t you have learned about such topics?”

From what Theo could tell, it was a genuine question, and it made sense for him to ask - after all, medicine was very different in other places. Theo had heard bits and pieces of what Asgardian medicine was like, before Ragnarok, and it was nothing like what medicine on Earth was like.

Then again, medicine on Earth was nothing like medicine on Aneterra, at least from what Mémère had told her.

“Medicine is a broad topic, and Emergency Medicine is a relatively new specialty.” She replied, pausing to take a long swig of whiskey. “Besides, appendicitis is totally different from a blast injury, but both are very real emergencies. Most of what I’ve been doing has been normal-people emergencies, not superhero emergencies.”

“Different enough that you’re concerned about whether you would pass an exam for treating the sorts of injuries you might find here?” Loki probed, arching a skeptical eyebrow at Theo.

Great, that’s just what she needed - Loki thinking Theo wasn’t a good doctor.

“I don’t know, it depends on what’s in the exam…” Theo dropped her gaze to the floor, cheeks burning like the whiskey she sipped on. “It’s really just meant to build on skills I already have. I’ve got the core skills, it just takes them a step further.”

“You have incredibly powerful magic, which could be used for any number of things; however, you focus on healing, and rather than rely on magic you also take the time to learn Midgardian medicine.” Loki mused, pausing to take a drink of his own beverage. “There must be some benefit to you, otherwise you would not spend so much time learning medicine that would otherwise serve no purpose. What is your rationale?”

Well, that was a doozy of a question if Theo ever heard one.

Gathering her thoughts, Theo took yet another sip of her whiskey, allowing the smokey liquid to linger on her tongue as she debated how to best answer the question.

“I like to have a variety of options at my disposal, I suppose.” She took another drink, then swirled the amber liquid around in her glass so she had something to look at. “Magic isn’t all it is made out to be, and I don’t want to be in a situation where I can’t save someone because I couldn’t access my magic.”

Other than a rather guarded hum, Loki said nothing.

“Look, I know it sounds weird,” Theo sighed, “But if someone’s life is on the line, I don’t care what I have to do to save them - whether it’s magic or not - I care that they live. There is no place for pride in medicine.”

A silence fell between the pair. When Theo looked up from her glass, she met Loki’s exacting stare. The subtle movements as he studied her, lips pressed into a thin line, made Theo wonder just what occupied his mind - given his reactions up to that point, maybe he didn’t believe her.

“You’re the god of lies, you should know I’m not lying.” Theo finally challenged, arching an eyebrow of her own at Loki.

“I realize you are not lying,” he conceded, though it did nothing to ease the intensity of how he regarded her, “I simply find you rather… Perplexing.”

“Weird.” Theo corrected him with a small, amused smile. “You find me weird.”

“You aren’t like the others, I can say that with the utmost certainty.” Loki wryly replied, a smirk curling over his lips while his gaze softened. “Perhaps that’s why you are so intriguing.”

Theo allowed herself to sink back into her chair, taking another long drink of her whiskey.

“Why is it that you use your magic to heal others, rather than for your own benefit?” Loki spoke up once more, smirk firmly in place despite the steely glint that came to his eyes. “I’ve heard the answer you provided to the press, but there’s more to it, isn’t there? There must be something which ultimately drives your decisions.”

Apparently he hadn’t finished interrogating her yet.

Theo sighed, massaging her temple as she braced herself for another round of personal questions. “You’ve lost someone important to you before, right?”

Loki’s smirk dropped for a much colder expression.

“Relax - I’m not about to make you spill your trauma to me, and I’m not about to dump mine on you,” Theo drawled, arching an eyebrow at him. “My point is, that shit’s painful. It stays with you. You spend too much time wondering whether you could have done something differently to stop it from happening, thinking about what you wish you could have told them if you knew you’d never see them again. You know as well as I do that magic can’t fix that.”

Pausing to take a drink, Theo took the silence from Loki as an invitation to continue.

“I guess I’d like to think that if I know enough, or if I learn everything there is to know, maybe I can prevent other people from going through that kind of pain. Maybe I can make something good of a terrible experience.” she breathed deeply, then out a humorless chuckle. “Or maybe it’s just me being neurotic and I need therapy.”

When she finally worked up the courage to bring her eyes back up and meet Loki’s gaze, the skepticism and suspicion that he’d previously regarded her with was nowhere to be seen; instead, there was a softness that she had never seen before, a melancholic familiarity that tinted his expression.

“Now, in the interest of not receiving a surprise invoice after you start billing me for therapy, I think it’s time to change the subject,” Theo remarked, glancing around the room. “There’s an amazing library around us to explore. Give me the run-down; what are the must-see parts? The insider tips?”

It seemed that Loki was just as grateful for the diversion; with a curl of his lips, he quickly dove into sharing his guide to the space.

As she listened, Theo could already tell - she needed to be careful around him, or he just might be her downfall.

You look like I did You resist me just like this You can’t tell me to heal And it hurts remembering How it felt to shut down

It was like Theo was back in her residency all over again… Or at least, when she was at that stage of her life.

Takeout boxes scattered across the coffee table, each filled to varying extents with different foods. Julie ordered an entire spread of food, insisting that this was the best Chinese food in Midtown and Theo had to try a bit of everything now that she lived in Midtown. Two oversized glasses of merlot sat, one in front of each woman, as well as a half-empty wine bottle.

Julie decided, a whopping two days into Theo’s new role, that they were long-overdue for a girl’s night, which meant they ordered an absurd amount of probably unhealthy food, drank way too much wine, and talked about anything and everything. It took a lot longer for the plan to come to fruition - between all the things Theo had to do for onboarding and finding a moment when both doctors were free, it wasn’t until Theo was at the end of her onboarding period that they could find a night to relive their younger years.

Which led to Julie, ink black curls twisted into a topknot and clad in athleisure, sprawled out next to Theo on the couch as they swapped stories and made up for lost time.

“So let me get this straight: the entire time I’ve known you, you’ve had magic? And you didn’t say anything?!” Julie used her chopsticks to maneuver lo-mein straight from the box into her mouth, slurping up one rogue noodle.

“What the fuck would I say?” Theo laughed, then took a drink of her Merlot. “Hey, by the way, I’m a witch? And not in a funny Halloween way! I literally have magic!”

“No? I don’t know!” Julie exclaimed with a laugh and shook her head. “But that’s a hell of a secret to keep!”

“Well for a while it was kind-of illegal, if you think about it…” Theo gestured with her chopsticks.

“Right, the Accords.” Julie nodded. “But were you still using magic?”

“Of course I was,” Theo scoffed, “I wasn’t about to give that up - it’s way too convenient! There’s no way in hell I’d get Mémère to move, but I need to be able to see her often and get there fast. Magic lets me do that.”

Julie took a long drink of her wine, letting the burgundy liquid linger on her tongue before speaking. “Is magic why you’re so smart and why you’re so good at so many things?”

“I’m not omnipotent or all-knowing. I’m terrible at a lot of things.” Theo rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Just ask Max - I’m pretty sure he could list off a hundred things I’m terrible at in less than a minute.”

“Oh, right - Max!” Julie perked up, leaning in close and licking her lips. “How is he?”

“He finished his residency a few years back and moved back to Michigan, where he works as an oncologist. He married a pediatrician and they have the most precious three year old named Katie, who’s about to start preschool.”

“Damn, I always thought you should set us up.” Julie placed the back of one hand to her forehead, pretending to swoon. “But I suppose if he has his happily ever after…”

“Oh my god, Jules. You two would have murdered each other.” Theo snorted, reaching for a different box of takeout - this one looked like it had gyoza - and popping a dumpling in her mouth. She hadn’t fully finished chewing before she continued, pointing with her chopsticks to emphasize her response. “Besides, the last thing I need is the two of you ganging up to give me shit. Separate is more than enough!”

“Fine, I guess we won’t become related by marriage,” Julie barely got the faux-dramatic complaint out before she broke into a grin. “Hey, speaking of – you seeing anyone? Boyfriend, girlfriend, whoever?”

“No.” Theo nearly spit out her food at the question - given how hard it was for her to even find time to spend with a coworker, the answer seemed like it should have been obvious. “You’ve seen my calendar. When the hell would I have time to date someone?”

“Damn. I was hoping you were and they’d have a cute friend.” Jules sighed; then, a glint of something devious appeared in her eyes. “Wait, what about Loki?”

“What about him?”

“Why does he come down and visit you all the time?” Julie sat up, brow crinkled in thought. “I thought it was because you two had something going on, but it sounds like you don’t.”

“I mean, he’s friendly enough, but it’s not like that.” Theo shook her head, then began searching for something else to try. “He just decided to pay me a visit one day, and then it turned into a regular thing. It’s kind of weird - I assume he wants something from me, but I don’t know what. He hasn’t said anything one way or the other.”

“Have you asked him why he visits?”

Theo rolled her eyes. “That’s far too logical of a solution.”

“Do you think he likes you?” Julie wiggled her eyebrows at Theo, something devilish simmering beneath her smirk.

“I don’t think he hates me if he’s choosing to spend time with me.” Theo dryly replied, as she arched an eyebrow at Julie. “But I doubt that it’s anything like that. It seems like he’s more trying to figure out how I operate.”

“What if you asked him out?”

Theo couldn’t help but let her jaw drop at the question. “You realize that he’s my coworker and that I live with him, right?”

“So?” Julie shrugged nonchalantly. “You dated that surgical resident for a bit.”

“I didn’t live with him, and I didn’t realize he thought they were dates.” Theo pointed out. “If I dated Loki and it didn’t work, I’d practically be living a walk of shame every day.”

“Can you really be having a walk of shame if you slept with a god?” Julie wiggled her eyebrows at Theo a second time, this time paired with a massive, shit-eating grin.

“Sounds like you want me to set you up with him.” Theo deflected, not letting herself dwell on the thought of hooking up with Loki. Anyone who could see knew Loki was attractive, but Theo didn’t need that kind of a distraction in her life.

“No, but if you could set me up with Sam I wouldn’t complain.” Julie took a long drink of wine, her cheeks turning rosy-pink against olive skin. “In fact, I’d give my first born child to go out with him, even once.”

“I haven’t really talked to Sam, to be honest.” Theo sheepishly admitted, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

“Really?”

“Yeah…” Theo shrugged, staring down at her chopsticks. “Honestly, outside of Loki coming to chat with me, I haven’t really talked to any of the Avengers.”

Julie nearly spit her wine out. “You’re shitting me. You’ve been here for over a month and you’ve hardly talked to any of them?!”

“Jesus, settle down.” Theo held her hand out as if it would placate her friend, but Julie continued to gawk at her. “Honestly, it’s fine! This is supposed to be a temporary gig for me anyways. I would rather not get wrapped up in being an Avenger –” Theo scrunched her face into something unpleasant as she mocked the phrase ‘being an Avenger’ “–I still want to know how to be normal when all is said and done.”

Julie studied Theo for a moment, her playful demeanor gone and in its place something more… serious.

“They are more normal than you think.” Julie plucked a different takeout container from the table, rummaging through with her chopsticks before taking a bite. “I mean, Tony Stark is a bona fide celebrity through and through, but the rest of them are shockingly down to Earth. Is it like they haven’t tried to talk to you, or what?” “Not exactly?” Theo cringed, knowing Julie would flip out when she heard Theo’s explanation. “They’ve invited me to do stuff with them, I just… I haven’t accepted any of the invites.”

“Girl.” Theo didn’t have to look at her friend to hear the disappointment dripping from her response. “Why haven’t you gone with them?!”

“Because I don’t think they really want to get to know me!” Theo finally blurted out, allowing her exasperation to reveal itself. “When they found out I have experience with shadow magic and some experience dealing with shadow beasts, they all assumed I was some villain - plus, when Fury explained I was coming on board to help he told them, and I quote, ‘your mission is to make her stay.’ So not only do they all think I’m a terror or a freak, the only reason they’re talking to me is because it’s their fucking mission!”

By the time Theo finished her outburst, Julie’s expression had shifted from pure shock to studying the Silver Shadow with something unreadable in her espresso eyes.

“If that’s the case, why do you talk to Loki?”

“Because when I met everyone, he was the only one who seemed like he actually wanted to know me.” Theo muttered, then took a long drink of her wine.

Julie leaned forward, resting a hand on Theo’s knee. “Look, I know you had a rough start with them, and I’m sorry - it’s hard to feel like you’re an outsider. But I think if you took some time to get to know them, they’ll not only fall in love with you, but you might find that they aren’t so bad after all… And if not, I’ll kick their asses.”

Theo choked on her wine at the threat, which immediately left her doubled over coughing. Julie, on the other hand, burst into laughter.

“I would pay to see that.” Theo wheezed, though she was also laughing.

“It would be a shit show, but I’d do it for you.” Julie grinned at Theo, pride sparkling in her eyes. “Or for a date with Sam Wilson. I’m telling you, Nick Cage should have tried to steal that ass, because it is a national treasure.”

The truth never set me free So, I'll do it myself… You can't be too careful anymore When all that is waiting for you Won't come any closer You've got to reach out More... More... More.... More, More...

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drealovesxenomorphs · 2 months

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Robot and Monster Appreciation Post because I said so...

For an upcoming project that I'm working on, I *had* to rewatch Robot and Monster, and I have too many feelings in my heart and too many thoughts in my head to function, so this is a bigass love letter to one of the most underrated Nicktoons shows.

[TL;DR: the show is funny, give it a chance.] Before I get into the meat of it all, I want to say that the show features a lot of physical humor (characters being crushed and blown up etc etc) as well as dry humor and japes. I like both nuance and point-and-laugh humor so this was made for me (or I was made for it), though I do want to warn you, the first 5/7 episodes are very corny, just like any other beginning to a cartoon. I do ask that you give the show a chance despite those moments, the lore doesn't get too deep until later in the series so it's all pretty straightforward if you don't pay close attention to the beginning episodes.

Anyway, I wanna talk about the characters now 'cause I love 'em to death.

💜MONSTER:

-Monster is my favorite because. The best.

-Whether explicitly stated or not, Monster is a himbo. Sweet towards others-literally everybody loves this big lug,-buddy gets hugs by complete strangers and so much love and and more hugs; though not too much, Monster is shown to be fairly strong and physically inclined; and we know Monster ain't that smart.... but that does lead me to my next part, and a personal headcannon that I feel very strongly about.

-OH MY GOODNES OKAY so we know that Monster's character is meant to be the dumb sweet dude that completely contrasts Robot and provided character balance and all that, but I swear man, the guy is just leading everyone on with that idea. So, when Robot messes up on an invention (which happens often,) Monster will try to say something supportive that ends up being a blunder that insults Robot, and we just chalk that up to it being nothing more than a blunder. I BELIEVE WITH MY WHOLE HEART that Monster is actually very cunning and witty and will get occasionally angry at Robot that this dude will actually use the misconception of his intelligence to strike Robot right in the heart. Monster is just too good at bullishitting that nobody can tell the insult was meant to happen. Good lord ❤‍🔥

-Gardener. Understands that love helps grow plants. Too good for this world.

-Has a security blanket from childhood. You're telling me this grown-ass adult STILL has the heart and understanding of sentimental value to hold onto a comfort item regardless of societal pressure to suck it up and forgo childlike tendencies? A whole character.

🧡Robot

-Robot strives to be a great inventor, wants the fame and all that, but I'll be honest with you, only Monster sees the best in Robot's abilities, and there is nothing more relatable than a character who has the entire universe against them.

-If there was ever one thing that bothered me about the inventing, it was the fact that this dude was making MACHINES. Would this classify as regular handcrafting that we humans do, or is Robot actually creating children? If Monster could bring the organic bacon tree to life, you cannot tell me that Robot Default was not creating fetuses of the mechanical variety. And this is where I burden you with a headcannon: I think that this is based on Robot's own upbringing: Robot wants to put all of the attention and love into the little machines and projects because this guy won't let his ruined and near-loveless childhood get in the way of a healthy and happy future generation. Wants to heal the inner child while making sure the newest generation gets all the love and support they need. Anyways great character 🙏

-Sorry, the inventing this has me hooked to an unreasonable degree... does this mean Robot has a huge understanding in mechanical biology, or does Robot just understand how things are made? Look, this show was built on the bases of wanting to incorporate all the fun ideas that come to mind without giving any rhyme and reason, and I truly think that this is beneficial to the imaginations and mental stimulation of young'uns. But regardless, if that's the case, Robot would probably be regarded as a medicinal herbalist in our society (or maybe a chiropractor.)

-Arch-rivals with another scientist named Lucy, and this dude cannot catch a break on civilians that hate him. However, these meetings show us the depths of Robot's morality, and in the end (though pushed to do the right thing by Monster,) the well-being of another person is always chosen. Lawful-evil critter :D

-Already established that the Defaults are horrible to the baby of the family, but guess who Robot works for? That's right, Robot and Monster work for the Default Family Business, and I am near POSITIVE that they only receive minimum wage.

-Robot takes a lot of damage, and I assume if the heart is still beating in his chest, then everything is A-okay. Love a character that can take fall damage like a bug 💕

-Oh yeah, and despite the ego and sarcasm, Robot could have ended up being a snob and stuck-up just like the rest of the fam, but tries not to be. Robot keeps it real 99%, and I can respect that.

-One last thing that probably goes against all the good things I just talked about, I'm pretty sure that when Robot couldn't seem to make Monster feel happy again, he was literally going to kill a dude. Robot was going to make Perry disappear so Monster could be happy again. I shouldn't be this happy about the situation, but Robot's a true homie omg.

🤍Ogo

-Mentioning this Mofo at all will either be the catalyst to get you to watch the show, or deter you from it. Regardless, I am giving you the straight up facts, and if you think you won't like this kind of character, then I promise you won't. However, if you appreciate a little spice in a cartoon, then Ogo's got PLENTY to offer.

-Mega ultra horrible creep. Neighbor that knows everything about Robot and Monster. Slimy. You could consider him a yandere. Had the show been more popular, probably would be the fan favorite. Has that creeplord rizz.

-The first ever gaslight gatekeep girlboss. This SOB is manipulative. Will keep the darkest of secrets. But radiates the purest of girlboss energy. I can't explain it. It's just Ogo.

-Apparently accidentally leaves stains on their stuff, you know, when Ogo is breaking and entering into their home. What kind of stains is never mentioned, but even Ogo thinks it's gross.

-Has a dream journal filled with trips and delusions. I actually ache to be able to read what this dementoid's head can create.

-Speaking of delusions, this girlboss also invented the word delulu. Again, can't explain how.

-Knows how many bumps are on Robot and Monster's tongues. This show molded me into what I am today, send help and watch the show.

🩷❤JD + Spitfire

-Look, this show made 2 great, badass female characters. That's all. But, I was debating on whether to make their own separate lines, but you can't separate these two... I mean they tried to in an episode so you understand why I can't do it now. They are a team.

-Biker girlies. They beat up gangs and keep the streets safe at night. Fight dudes bigger than them and win. Wonderful.

-I love that they were able to make JD have everything going for her, but also have flaws as well. I mean, she's extremely strong, she's very pretty, she's got a sweet personality, and she's academically gifted. However, she's also a slob and doesn't really read people's emotions all that well. I don't know, I just feel like that's a great character.

-Spitfire is the complete foil to JD (and vice-versa, of course.) Spitfire is grounded and down-to-earth, cynical towards life and people, organized and calculating, and uncaring about the norm and societal standards. Seriously, sarcastic and badass. That's a great character.

-Despite their differences, they still have the same level of calmness. They work together so well from a fundamental standpoint. Dynamics similar to Robot and Monster, just... different vibe.

-JD has a very feminine air about her, and Spitfire has a very butch air about her. They very much level each other out.

🤖👾Final note💕🌚

-I would not be surprised if they have explored each other's bodies/hj. Very nonchalant as well.

-No lie, I don't know how to describe Robot and Monster's dynamic. "-And they were roommates." If you watch the Christmas episode, it seems like they were trying to make a nicktoon-friendly family splitting up a non-hetero situationship [which, hey, they find happiness with each other, wouldn't be surprised.]

-The show is weird, funny, sweet, comforting, the best. It is what it is, and for better or for worse, it will always hold a special place in the core of my soul.

#sorry I have problems #this will not be the last time I talk about them like this #I like their big dumb faces #robot and monster #my headcanons #i'm just speaking nonsense #long post #appreciation post #thank you for coming to my ted-talk

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the-kipsabian · 4 months

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Kip Sabian.

Please go off.

anon i respect you so much for this but i hope you know what you have just done LMAO

tl;dr - hes absolutely perfect in every way possible. love of my life

hes just.. so innovative. his character work is absolutely fucking masterful, no matter which one it is. all of them are so delightfully different from one another but you can still see the same man behind all of them and thats just talking about the range of the character work and the clear work and effort he puts into everything he does, be it just the characters themselves, the promos, in-ring work, anything. he always goes all out, hes creative as hell with them (name me one other person that gets over with a box on their head i dare you) and it truly shows how loving and passionate he is about this whole wrestling thing and that he just absolutely gets it. also he just has fun with it and it shows. anything from cocky indie superbad to coward best husband superbad to boxman to whatever the cringe failure era was lmao and now the sex idol. he just does it all and he does it flawlessly and i will throw hands with tk if he doesnt capitalize on this man soon i sWEAR TO GODDAMN

his in-ring work is incredibly good. watch literally any sequence hes ever had with orange cassidy and you see what i mean. hes improved from that too (since the last one of those was a quite long while ago now), he can hang with pretty much anyone. i like it the way he says it himself, he can literally make anyone look good and no one has ever complained about having to work with him in the ring. which says a lot about how good and talented he is imo. he can do it all, be it more grounded moves or recently hes been doing a lot more jumps and top rope moves which! exciting!! cause it just adds to his arsenal and shows off that flexibility even more and its just so insanely good. like fuck man if you can get someone who can hang one-on-one with someone like vikingo like he did a few weeks back, thats a fucking keeper. dont you dare forget that

im not gonna take this moment to talk about his promo stuff cause i will literally be here forever. watch this and get back to me later about why im right that hes incredible at this shit with the tone and again character work and just overall presentation. even if its now a bit more comedic with the sex idol, its still an absolute delight. also i could listen to him talk forever, he has my favorite voice in the entire world and his accent is delicious and good fucking lord

PRESENTATION. hes just really fucking hot okay. i thought he was cute before but my god. the hair, no matter the version, on point. the eyeliner, gorgeous. nail polish, good lord (he needs to bring it back tbh its been a while). the outfits, holy shit i cant say words. i have done an extensive gear study to show how truly insane he makes me about his looks, not to mention the goddamn casual fits/suit game. jesus take the wheel. his smile is fucking out of his world and the laugh lines he gets are maybe my favorite feature on any human ever. hes fucking delicious and what of it

also arms. i dont think i need to say anything more i have also turned into a back admirer girlie (gn) because of him so like. uuuuuh

AND THEN. hes just a fucking delightful human being in general. is he stupid and cringey? yes, but arent we all. it just shows how human he is. just like us. ive so many times wondered how if we lived on slightly different timelines, we might have genuinely been friends cause he reminds me so much of guys of the same age that i know and im friends with. like we would have meshed pretty well together if circumstances were different lmao. that just shows me how genuine he is tbh. hes just fucking nice, hes very supportive, tries his best to be a good ally (i have both seen this and have first hand experience on it so dont @ me saying im wrong or its performative, i have way too many cases to prove that hes fr fr) and.. yeah. ive never heard anyone that actually knows him say anything bad about him. he has his flaws, obviously, cause nobodys perfect, but he makes up for it with what ridiculously good he has in him. this is a man with so much potential and love to give to the world both in his personal and professional lives and hes just needs his chance to shine so fucking badly, in all areas of life

im gonna stop now before i get too emotional but. yeah. he means fucking everything to me 💜💜

#thank you for asking! <3 #Anonymous #i didnt even get into the personal importance of the boxman or his catchphrases theres SO MUCH MORE i could include into this #i tried to keep it brief i wanna do other things tonight LMAO #anon i respect you so much for this thank you i love you #box thoughts

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crehador · 1 month

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brother crab's winter 2024 parting thoughts: high card s2

WHAT THE HELL

HIGH CARD IS GOOD?!

tl;dr very flashy and aesthetic, consistently good in that regard, but the story was not always gripping to me. however, with the ultimate payoff in the last three eps, totally worth it imo

full review:

wow wow wow i'm kind of glad i fell way behind on anime and had the last three eps of s2 to binge all at once because hoooly shit i enjoyed that immensely

at no point did i think high card was bad, but it definitely had moments where it didn't fully grab me. there were times when it felt like all flash, no substance

and it's definitely not perfect, i have some serious and fairly significant gripes with it. mainly i'm really bummed that leo, wendy, and vijay never really got fully fleshed out. i mean i get it, finn's the main character and chris is the thinly veiled love interest also important so obviously they're going to take up most of the time, but i really feel like the other members of the crew had so much unexplored potential (especially wendy and vijay, because leo did sort of get his moment as a factor in the old man yaoi situation)

speaking of which THE OLD MAN YAOI!! man there were a lot of moving pieces in this show, and sometimes they came together in messy ways (or didn't really come together at all... some bits do still feel pretty disjointed and jumpy to me, tbh)

but overall the payoff of the s2 finale was absolutely worth it to me, particularly since it dealt with my favorites of those moving pieces: the old man yaoi and the sudden YANDERE ONIISAN ARC

i find myself really wishing the show had gone harder on both of those threads sooner, but like... honestly i'm not disappointed with how they played out. the whole theodore and ban thing could not have been more tropey (YEARS of loathing only for a "the one i wanted to protect all along was... you" and then dying for each other like HELLO yes an absolute tropefest BUT TROPES THAT I LOVE. GOOD FOR THOSE TOXIC DOOMED YAOI MFERS)

tilt has always been fascinating to me right from the character design and i am more or less satisfied with how things played out for him too, though i kind of wish we'd had more of this development spread throughout the series. i guess it was there, but... i dunno. in some ways feels like there could have been More (but i may be biased)

like you gotta feel bad for him, it's a sad story, but also that extreeemely creepy unhinged yandere oniisan "i have been stalking you i literally have a wall with giant blown up photos of you i hate the other guy who is calling himself your brother" sequence was SO FUCKING DELICIOUS LIKE WTF??? stunned and absolutely blown away by how hard they went on that, what a delight

(ironically it makes me think about how unhinged matakara in bucchigiri?! just doesn't work while unhinged tilt in high card works super well, but this is not about bucchigiri?! so i won't get too into that)

i am still admittedly just. kind of like. idk. i go back and forth on finn and chris, as characters and as partners. i don't dislike them but they aren't always all that compelling to me. sometimes they definitely are, but sometimes they just fall a bit flat to me. this probably isn't an issue with them as characters, though, just a matter of taste. i occasionally found the chemistry between them lacking as well, but sometimes it was really on point

same feeling about the crew dynamics in general. i looove a good like heist crew or spy agency crew, whatever it is, when the dynamics just click. and sometimes they didn't, here. i am too sleepy to articulate it properly right now but it just felt like there was something missing, some pieces not really fitting together. i didn't dislike any of the characters, but just... i guess wanted more team shenanigans? maybe there was no time for that but it would have been nice (like this is one show that could have done with a few filler and/or fluff episodes, imo!)

anyway. christ. my eye emoji-ing at tilt based solely on his character design finally paid off after two gay ass seasons lmao. good night

#crab watches #winter 2024 #parting thoughts #high card #GENUINELY WAS NOT EXPECTING TO ENJOY THE LAST THREE EPS THIS MUCH BUT I SO SO SO DID #although lol holy infodump tf #this show loooves its infodumps esp in the second half of the second season #i didn't personally mind all the monologuing that much i guess #like it delivered the information fine #but the fact that there were so many ''LET ME TELL YOU A STORY YOU'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE'' scenes in a ROW #was just kind of funny #anyway. it's not like overall the best thing ever but it is wild fun and really paid off in the end (for me at least)#i am a sucker for toxic old man yaoi and the yandere oniisan was a bonus #damn that was fun #alright. going to sleep for real now lmao

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dayurno · 2 months

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are you going to read tsc when it comes out? and, if not: would you like your acolytes to give you the important kevin day updates or would you rather not?

oh my acolytes huh! well i don’t know :) it’s so nice of you to ask and i’m very touched actually…. nice to me 🥹…. i guess any (good) kevin updates would be nice and probably sway the balance on whether i read it or not, but at first glance i probably won’t read it unless it sparks my curiosity once it’s out and the story starts making its rounds around my circles :) i’m plenty interested in the period where jean stays with the foxes but i don’t much care for the trojans nor the proposed storyline*, though even a picky reader like yours truly can be convinced into buying a story if kevin day’s in it

*by this i don’t mean that i Dislike the process of jean healing but it’s just overall not my favorite theme and, to be frank, i don’t have much interest in reading about a normal well-adjusted team either. from my view tsc is aftg without my favorite parts (namely kevin day as a main character, the foxes’ messy dynamic, problematic and controversial side characters, neil’s narration, The Mafia, andrew in general) and while i am always and forever a ride or die for jean moreau, and i am glad he’s going to get better and be happy, a lot of my feelings for him don’t really stem from the idea that there is a softness underneath all the grit but actually and sincerely the fact that he is crazy. i Love jean because he’s horrible and scared and cruel and i don’t know if i’ll care much for him once he’s out of that state :) i meant it when i said a few months ago that i would’ve been more onboard with a story about the ravens (no matter how gruesome) or even a glimpse of jean’s pov in the nest, though of course nora sakavic should probably choose to be happy every once in a while so i wouldn’t ask her to write that

so tl;dr: you can send me good and relevant kevin updates if you want to and if they’re interesting enough i might read tsc in the future

#sorryyyyyyy sorry i know Healing is a big theme for the fandom but i just dont care #i dont care for it as a broad concept and i dont care for it in the context of these characters #and i know the trojans are normal good people which is also not something i care for #though i am excited for laila and alvarez and i will be looking forward to that relationship getting discussed more #but the rest is just not for me and that’s fine #i havent kept up with nora’s writing so i don’t know what it’s like Now so who’s to say! i might just as well get hooked as soon as it drop #i might finally be able to swallow the concept of jerejean even #these are just my pre-release thoughts #i also Worry and Pine and Ache over kevin and his new arc and whatever the hell jean thinks of him #only because i know kevin getting in the way of another popular ship is not going to be fun #especially when his relationship to jean is so complicated #and i will say this im not your strongest soldier if the kevin-bashing era returns after tsc i’m leaving through where i came from #so really i don’t know :)! it might suck real bad it might be totally irrelevant and i might love it to death #its super up in the air atp #which for my autistic ass is. interesting. Hard. a change i did not want #but ultimately not a big deal and my anxieties get cured very quickly by frolicking in grass and hearing cats purr #actually thank you for asking this because i feel like i havent gotten around to really thinking this through #asks

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lunanoc · 3 months

Note

xiaoge (and liu sang if you want to) for the ask meme 👀

sorry for the late reply that I’m writing while procrastinating on other things but thank you for asking! <3

Xiaoge

My first impression

I honestly can’t remember all that well because it was such a long time ago, but when I first discovered Daomu Biji, it was through PingXie clips on twitter from Ultimate Note, and because I had nothing to do and found them cute I ended up finding a carrd where someone gave a barebones rundown of what you had to know to not be extremely confused if you wanted to watch it. The way Xiaoge was described in it and his initial appearance in Ultimate Note made me think he was the quiet warrior stereotype that felt a lot of things strongly but just didn’t express them openly, a lot introverted and a little lost in a lost puppy kind of way

My impression now

Xiaoge to me now is multifaceted in ways I feel deserve their own separate post, but I’m going to tl;dr it as in some ways, I feel like he’s almost a subversion of the stereotypes he’s presented as. So much of Xiaoge’s character arc both in the present timeline and in past events is about his dehumanization, but that dehumanization isn’t purely about the ways others treat him, it’s also in the way he himself has become “other”. The Three Days of Silence extra goes into this the most explicitly, but the llama at the temple wants Xiaoge to carve a statue out of a stone by infusing emotion into it because he feels that “no man is a stone”, that is it say that no human being is without emotion, and only by proving that he can feel can Xiaoge prove that he’s human. But the problem is that by that point Xiaoge, both by circumstance and by design, to all intents and purposes has become a stone in some respects in terms of his distance to people on a personal level. It’s not an accident that Wu Xie often compares him to a god or to Buddha with no passions or desires of his own, because it’s what he’s been made to be, and his indifference, that’s a defining character trait, isn’t feigned. It’s genuine.

So Xiaoge’s character development very much revolves around breaking free from his identity as a tool and as something almost akin to a bodhisattva to obtain his own identity as a human being that can connect with others.

It’s more complicated than that and I’m generalizing, but I feel that Xiaoge is someone who’s inherently merciful and kind, but is also generally speaking not invested in most people on a personal level, mostly because forming a connection with anyone is an exercise in futility, both because Xiaoge’s life experience and what “fate” has imposed on him make it difficult for people to relate to or understand him, and also because that distance means most people will inevitably only want to use him. But he does care about the people who’ve successfully forged a connection with him, he just shows it through actions, not words. Is he also a little awkward in interpersonal relationships sometimes? Yeah that too

Favorite thing about that character

Probably the fact that despite everything he’s gone through he’s Daomu Biji’s goodest boy. He’s kind in a completely uninterested way. That and how much of a troll he is that’s the Zhang in him coming out

Least favorite thing

Maybe that he’s so flippant about his own well-being and bodily comfort. He tends to view himself as an extension of a purpose and is in general very pragmatic, but because of how removed from people and humanity he is, it means he doesn’t really take himself into consideration much over the people he cares about. There a bit in the Fishing King extra where he slashes his own hand open and when Wu Xie later realizes it, he asks Xiaoge if it hurts, and he replies that it doesn’t. And Wu Xie doesn’t comment on it, but his overall internal thought process is a bitter “of course it doesn’t hurt”

Favorite line/scene

Trying to pick a scene that’s about him specifically and honestly the entirety of the stories about when he’s doing his release into the wild during the Tibetan Sea Flower flashbacks. Jaded and ruthless baby, but even before he was ever Zhang Qiling he was still more humane than everyone around him despite having been used as a disposable blood bag by his own family

Favorite interaction that character has with another

Everyone’s expecting the “If I disappeared no would notice” scene with Wu Xie but you know what I’m gonna go with something else even if that scene is up there.

In the Fishing King extra when Wu Xie goes to fist bump him because they beat Pangzi at rock paper scissors and Xiaoge doesn’t understand so they stare at each other awkwardly and he ends up covering Wu Xie’s fist with his hand like ‘paper’ my heart

A character that I wish that character would interact with more

To be honest Xiao Hua or Huo Xiuxiu? You don’t ser much of those three in the same room but I imagine Xiaoge and Xiao Hua would be a very efficient, pragmatic and silent duo

Another character from another fandom that reminds me of that character

Not entirely because I don’t think I know any character that’s exactly like Xiaoge, but a little bit Shenhe from Genshin. Emotionally restrained to the point of lack of emotion but by design, mistreated as a child, also a little bit of a troll and straightforward when confronted with people with bad intentions. Also very combat efficient.

A headcanon about that character

I don’t know if I have a really big one besides I like the headcanon that Xiaoge is ace or demisexual? I have a hard time picturing him having had any kind of romantic relationships and to be honest even casual sex doesn’t feel likely to me just because even that requires having some form of interest in the other party which Xiaoge doesn’t ever really seem to have. But who knows what he might have had to do out of necessity or if there were people he’s forgotten

A song that reminds me of that character

This is really hard but I haven’t found anything more fitting than ‘The Ghost on the Shore’ by Lord Huron

An unpopular opinion about that character

I had to think about this a little but if I had to pick something it might be the fanon perception of Xiaoge as a ‘feral cat’ that Wu Xie and/or others have ‘domesticated’. Part of it is personal interpretation, because I feel like he’s hardly feral considering outside of crisis situations he’s probably one of the most chill characters in Daomu Biji. But it also feels… I don’t know dismissive? To be calling him that when Xiaoge being out of touch with most people on a personally involved or intimate level is the fruit of so many things outside of his control he’s been subjected to. He’s spent the better part of his life being subject to the whims of an unnamed entity that uses him as it sees fit for an agenda the reader only knows exists let alone what it entails. He’s seen people at their most vile, been used by people in the most vile ways, and that mixed with his sense of duty as Zhang Qiling and his age (though he was already jaded even as a teenager before he was ever made into Zhang Qiling) has made him into someone who wanders the world without any real connection to the people in it. For a very long time Xiaoge just ‘existed’ in the most literal sense, and just because as a result of that he doesn’t care about social niceties (why would you care about face and other people’s attempts to maintain the façade of it in a cutthroat business like tomb robbing?) or knows or cares how to maintain relationships doesn’t make him ‘feral’.

Plus calling him ‘domesticated’ veers a little too much into dehumanizing him as if he’s some animal Wu Xie (or someone else) tamed and that answers to his beck and call. As if the entire point of Xiaoge’s story arc isn’t that Wu Xie is the first person he can remember who ever persisted in forging a connection with Xiaoge until Xiaoge was forced to realize he cared and felt a connection with another human being. As if the conclusion of that wasn’t him making a gamble on Wu Xie’s sincerity that he would come and pick him up in ten year’s time, as if Xiaoge choosing to stay in Yucun with him and Pangzi isn’t Xiaoge reciprocating that sincerity with his own, making an active choice to stay and call somewhere ‘home’ for the first time in his life.

I might be looking at this too deeply but it rubs me the wrong way

Favorite picture

Hard so I’m not picking absolute favorites just ones I like. For book Xiaoge I like versions of him that look similar to this:

(Source)

And for drama Xiaoge there’s so many good shots of all the versions of him, so looking at the most recent version of him in the Misty Creed movie, this one shot is 10/10:

(Screenshot courtesy of @shaish)

Liu Sang

Disclaimer: Since this is tagged, apologies in advance to Liu Sang fans. I’ve tried to be as reasonable as possible about my opinions, but that being said be warned I don’t like him, so if you'd rather not see any negativity about him, feel free to skip

My first impression

My introduction to Liu Sang was through fandom, both fanon, fanfic, and discussions about him that I’d seen/read before I ever watched Reboot, since I started with the dramas. From how people talked about him I was pretty hyped about him I’m not gonna lie, and I definitely got the feeling he was an important character, so seeing how loved he was, I was looking forward to seeing him for the first time in canon.

Then once I started watching Reboot my first impression kind of yoyo-ed around. There was a little whiplash from the gap between how fandom presented him vs. how he acted at the beginning of Reboot towards Wu Xie and Pangzi especially, but I figured given people liked him he probably got better. And to be fair he did! On my first full watchthrough of Reboot I ended up feeling pretty neutral about him, not in a negative sense, but more like how I tend to view most of the more minor characters (like Xiao Bai for example since we’re talking about Reboot). I appreciated he got character development and was left with a general “yeah he’s alright” impression

My impression now

Full disclaimer, I’ve only read half of Restart the book so far, so I can’t fully talk about book Liu Sang beyond his appearances in the South Sea King’s tomb and the immediate aftermath of that. I can talk more about Reboot the drama Liu Sang though.

The problem with my general impression of Liu Sang now is that it’s very polluted by my interactions with his fans. I won’t get too much into that because this is supposed to be about Liu Sang the character and not the Liu Sang fandom (because yes there absolutely is a Liu Sang fandom that exists as a subset of the Daomu Biji fandom), but to keep it short, the version of Liu Sang that I find is pushed forward a lot by his fans is a version that doesn’t correspond to either the drama or book version of him, and is instead heavily steeped in widely accepted fanon to the point it’s almost a different character sometimes. And that widely accepted fanon version is something that his fans have the unfortunate habit of being very pushy and single-minded about, and it’s caused a number of issues and rifts within the wider Daomu Biji fandom.

Keep in mind this is all my personal feelings and doesn’t necessarily reflect on every single person who likes Liu Sang as a character, but to get back to the point, it means that my overall impression of Liu Sang now is a pretty negative one. Full transparency (if it wasn’t already obvious) I don’t like him, and while I do find what I’ve seen of the book version of him has the potential to interesting, and I can absolutely appreciate that, not to mention the genuine character arc he gets in the drama, because of how his fans act about him, he’ll never be a favorite

Favorite thing about that character

In the book so far what I find most interesting about Liu Sang is the ambiguity of his past and of his intentions. He’s initially presented in a way that’s puzzling in hindsight, and while part of that I think you can put down to Restart being a weird time for Wu Xie in general, there’s little clues that makes you wonder what his deal is and that his role in the story might be more than meets the eye.

He’s introduced as a consultant Wu Erbai trusts the competence of, and Pangzi is immediately incensed by him in ways that are almost uncharacteristic. Because Pangzi (in the books at least), is someone who regularly puts up a loud front and throws jibes at people when he doesn’t trust them in a way that’s both testing but not too aggressive to instigate a conflict unless the other party is openly hostile. But with Liu Sang he’s immediately, and to Wu Xie without apparent reason, extremely hostile and vitriolic. You learn later that Pangzi has heard sinister rumors about Liu Sang, and you infer from there the vitriol is coming from Pangzi wanting to keep someone potentially nefarious and ill-intentioned to a sadistic degree away from his friends. But you also later see him again when he listens to thunder at the beach in front of the guesthouse Wu Xie and co. are staying in, and Wu Xie’s observations give you the impression there’s something deeper going on. In Wu Xie’s words, he doesn’t like him, but he’s intrigued by what he represents (and not gonna lie I am too)

Least favorite thing

Besides the egregious fanon version of him I’m not touching on because it’s not actually canon, ironically I find early drama Liu Sang to be worse than early book Liu Sang. To be fair I don’t know how he evolves in the book, but in that Liu Sang is more focused on his job, and apart from his one iffy moment in the car where he’s constantly trying to snap pictures of Xiaoge without his consent (to which both Wu Xie and Pangzi react with variations of yelling and kicking his seat in), he’s really not doing anything questionable, unless you count being in on Wu Erbai’s test as questionable. Drama Liu Sang however by this point not only throws jibes around at both Wu Xie and Pangzi, but uses Wu Xie’s terminal illness as a leverage point to mock him and almost gets Wu Xie and Pangzi killed because he thought it was funny. Which is honestly at odds with his book character that’s actually very professional, because none of that is professional

Favorite line/scene

Uhhh I don’t know that I have any? Maybe the part in Restart where he walks out into the thunderstorm to listen to the thunder and Wu Xie watches him until it triggers a moment of self-reflection. It’s not really about Liu Sang so much as it’s about Wu Xie and his headspace, but it’s a meaningful scene

Favorite interaction that character has with another

Ok I’m not gonna lie that one moment in the Reboot drama where Liu Sang tells Xiaoge he’s his biggest fan and Xiaoge of all people takes a moment to emote because he’s that confused and baffled by the direction the interaction is taking is hilarious

A character that I wish that character would interact with more

Maybe Xiao Bai? I haven’t seen them meet in the book, but arguably in both that and the drama especially both Liu Sang and Xiao Bai are mirrors of each other in terms of what they represent in relation to Xiaoge and Wu Xie respectively. Plus their interactions in the drama were wholesome

Another character from another fandom that reminds me of that character

I can’t think of one to be completely honest

A headcanon about that character

I’m going to call this headcanon for now since I’m not done Restart the book so I can’t be sure, but I like the idea of book Liu Sang just being an ornery bastard with his own nebulous agenda. Let the man be a bastard! Bastards can be interesting too!

A song that reminds me of that character

I honestly can’t think of one right now

An unpopular opinion about that character

I could probably go into this for a hot minute but everything surrounding the sanitized fanon version of Liu Sang that’s both in my opinion inaccurate (despite being presented as accurate) and absolutely in your face unless you take extreme pains to block out pretty much everything to do with him. To be clear, what people like is their business, but unpopular opinions aren’t called that for nothing, and this entire post is meant to be about my feelings, not objective facts.

That being said, fanon Liu Sang to me is woobified to a level that completely erases any traces of his actual character to cater to a very specific view of him that’s as far as I can tell made to be palatable. His fans make a concentrated effort of pushing forward, in my experience sometimes aggressively, what’s essentially a sanitized version of him that glosses over or deliberately erases any unsavory aspects of his character.

Which to be clear I have no problems with, most of if not all the characters in Daomu Biji are fundamentally imperfect and flawed, some to the point where other less niche (in western fandom spaces anyway) fandoms would label them as ‘problematic’. It contributes to making the characters complex and more human in my opinion. Which is why it’s kind of sad that Liu Sang has been reduced to being the fandom’s (or part of the fandom’s) ‘poor little meow meow’ who’s suddenly inherently likable.

Again, if you like that then that’s your business. The only reason I have strong feelings about this in the first place is because Liu Sang fans have, in my experience, the bad habit of shoehorning that version of him into everything, and by that I mean to the point of encroaching on other people’s lanes in ways that are incredibly tone deaf. It also feeds into the general problem the Daomu Biji fandom as a whole has of assuming that everyone is ok with anything and everything, and doesn’t believe in personal boundaries. But anyway, the point here is that I don’t like fanon Liu Sang, and the only reason I’m talking about him is because of this ask

Favorite picture

I also don’t really have one

#dmbj #zhang qiling #liu sang #ask meme #hopefully this is appropriate #and if it's not then feel free to point it out #but that being said i don't like the idea of having to walk on eggshells with opinions on fictional characters #especially when other people don't #character meta #a little?#a little

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omorinintendoswitchedition · 5 months

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2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 (My question is just say something about them you want to say)

For whichever character/characters your want

woweee this is gonna be a looooong post

2-Favourite thing about this character

Doing this for Dante. The Dr Faust cutscene, or to be more broad I love his silly attitude and his stupid jokes. Made this series iconic and funny and gives him a personality.

3-Least favourite thing about this character

For Dante this would probably be the ‘if you were 18 i would date you’ joke from the first episode of the anime. This really rubbed me the wrong way and its kinda weird to say that to a kid you just met???and ooc for him???

7-Whats something the fandom does when it comes to this character you like?

Actually give the girl characters time to shine instead of just making them sexy eye candy. And the silly family dynamics between the Sparda boys.

8-Whats something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

the fucking Vergil dodges child support and is a ‘sigma based alpha male’ homophobe. i hate it so muchhh even though the meme is dead it still annoys me so much when i see people still think its funny.

9-Could you be roommates with this character?

I probably could be roomies with people like Dante and Nero and Kyrie. Id probably get a little annoyed at Dante for constantly being in debt and gambling but we could survive. Do not think I could be roommates with Vergil. that man does not know how the oven works.

10-Would you date this character?

fuck yeah I would date Dante.

12-What's a headcanon you have for this character?

Nico is the kind of person who drenches everything in ranch. She buys the ranch ice cream a lot and it makes Nero loose his shit every single time. She drowns her chips in ranch and Nero looks at her from across the table like shes murdered someone

14-Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character.

Hrngh fuck im not a fashion person. Do kinda see Trish getting into gothic fashion tho.

20-Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

Nero and Nico are the perfect best friends duo. Always got each others backs, always making fun of each other lightheartedly. I want more of them sooo badly you have no idea.

21-If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

its been decades since I have last written anything in general. But I do remember Dante’s dialogue being fun to write for me and I dont like everything else because im constantly worrying if something is ooc

22-If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don't like?

Its been decades since ive read any dmc fic either (get caught up in other things) but as mentioned earlier do love those family dynamics and the attempts to fix everything. Dont like when Vergil os portrayed as ice cold after dmc5.

23-Favorite picture of this character?

FUCK THIS IS SO HARD. I do love the capcom cafe art with dante and his tits out. the teppen card art is also pretty cool.

24- What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

So considering the only other fandom I am in is about depressed teenagers trying to overcome their trauma its safe to say none. I guess Kel somewhat for Dante? Only cause theyre silly and have older brothers who like blue.

25-What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

When I first saw V back when I knew absolutely nothing about dmc, I thought he was edgy and didnt really like him (the video used the ‘what evil lurks I must destroy’ clip out of context). But now that I have played and beaten the series I must say V my poor guy hes an absolute menace.

26-FREEBIE QUESTION!!

no idea what this means!!!!!so im just gonna make up a question!!!!

26-Would you work for this character?

ABSOLUTELY NOT DANTE HAS NO BREAD!!!! and the job is like. insanely dangerous and im just an internet guy.

#sunny answers #dmc #devil may cry #dante dmc #nero dmc #nico dmc #v dmc #vergil dmc #kyrie dmc #trish dmc

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ltwharfy · 4 months

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"Bob's Burgers" Season 2 Episode Ranking Rewatch (Long Post)

So, I've been rewatching "Bob's Burgers" from the beginning and ranking the episodes using the spreadsheet that @babsvibes created! If you want to know why I'm doing this or how I view the 1-5 rating scale, you can check out my Season 1 post!

Now, on to Season 2:

Average (mean): 4.22

Mode (most common ranking) : 5

I hid the director and writer name categories when I took the picture to make it easier to focus on episode ratings. I will share my director and writer rankings when I reach the end of this project.

Season as a whole thoughts:

I really enjoy Season 2! I know everyone's got their own take on when "Bob's Burgers" really hit its stride, and many folks say Season 3 or later, but I'm going to say that for me, it had already hit that stride in Season 2. It was consistently funny, and I was surprised by how many lines from it were just burned in my memory- some without me even recognizing the source. (For example, before starting this project, the line: "You know what's free? Loading. Freeloading!" popped in my head. I did not know where it was from- not even what show. It's Louise in "Burgerboss".) "Mommy doesn't get drunk, she just has fun." "Don't feed a guy a sponge, Bobby." I could go on...

Seeing all the familiar faces who started showing up also really made it begin to feel like classic "Bob's Burgers" to me: we've got Zeke! Darryl! Sgt. Bosco! Mickey! Tammy! Honestly, I always think there is something fun in watching all the pieces of something begin to fall into place to create something wonderful, and Season 2 gave me a lot of that feeling.

In my season 1 review, I noted that if "Bob's Burgers" had been cancelled after that season, I would've been annoyed because I thought it showed promise but I wouldn't've viewed it as a tragedy (Season 1 of "Bob's Burgers" is no "Firefly"). But, Season 2 was really the beginning of the time period when I would've been outraged had it been cancelled. (Thankfully, it avoided being a two season wonder like "Joan of Arcadia" or "Saved by the Bell (2020 Revival)")

That said, the show was still figuring out some of the characters (especially Bob) and the overall family dynamic and show tone, which lead to the few episodes I didn't enjoy that much, including the only 2 I've issued so far.

Some thoughts on particular episodes:

"The Belchies": I remember watching this episode when it first aired and feeling like the show had clearly leveled up- it felt like it was beginning to realize the potential I saw in the first season. For some reason, I specifically remember watching the end credits- with Cyndi Lauper singing "Taffy Butt" and JJ dancing- and knowing that the show was capable of being more than it had been in season 1. Also, this episode is really the first example of one of my favorite "Bob's Burgers" episode types which is "the Belcher kids and their friends have an adventure!" And one of the great things about Season 2 is that the kids gain a number of friends- Hi Zeke!

"Bob Day Afternoon"- After this rewatch thing is over, I may try to do a top 20 or 25 list and this episode may be on that. I love it! In particular, the scene where the kids cling on to Bob as he is trying to take the burgers to Mickey and the hostages is one of the best of the series in terms of improv and the humor of talking over each other. And if I ever don't laugh at the part of Gene's Robot College fantasy where he walks in on his robo-roommate performing "routine maintenance" it's a sign that I am dead.

"Burgerboss"- This was a really pleasant surprise! While I knew those first two were two of my favorites, I just thought this one was kind of good- but on actually rewatching it, I found myself laughing the whole way through, so it gets a 5.

"Dr. Yap"- I generally enjoy Yap the character, as well as Gayle, but the two things I really love about this episode are the Gene and Louise jawbreaker subplot (it's fun watching those two get into a ridiculous competition over something stupid) and the Prince of Persuasia. The Prince is such a great parody of that horrible "pickup artist" style, and I find literally all his lines hilarious ("Never make her pancakes. Force her to make you pancakes- in the middle of the night.")

"Bad Tina"- Another episode that might make a top 25 list. Both storylines- the introduction of Tammy and Bob's obsession with "Cake"- are A+. They had already established a number of Tina's core traits throughout the first two seasons, but now with the addition of friend fiction and Tammy, her best of frenemies, it feels like they've fully got Tina down and we get the first great Tina episode (and Tina episodes tend to my favorites, even if Louise is my favorite character).

Okay, now the episodes I didn't like that much:

"Moody Foodie"- Why did I give this my first (and so far only) 2? Honestly, I thought it was overdone and dry.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I actually enjoy the first half of the episode. Bob's nightmare about working in an office is hilarious to me as an actual office drone. The scene where he and Louise just start yelling "overdone and dry" at passersby is great. And the farmer's market scene at the beginning has some great family banter.

And then it goes completely off the rails in the second half. The second half of the episode is "Bob Belcher and his friends and family hold a couple of dudes prisoner" which sounds more like a WTF fanfic summary than an actual episode of the show. And it's likely that this episode bothers me more now than it did when it first aired. I think they were still figuring Bob's character out and if they had ended up making him more Homer Simpson-like (prone to anger and hare-brained schemes) maybe this episode wouldn't stick out so much. Similarly, I think that all animated shows struggle a bit with figuring out how grounded in reality they are going to be. if BB had evolved into a less grounded show, this episode also might not stick out.

But it does stick out, for me at least. I just found the second half of this episode more weird and disturbing than funny (although it still had some good lines- I enjoyed Tina translating "Wet Willie" into Spanish for Pepe). If the hostage taking was a shorter part of the episode, maybe I would give it a mixed-review 3, but it is basically the main plot, and I'd rather not rewatch it.

"Beefsquatch": I don't love the physical confrontation between Bob and Gene at the end, but what stops this episode from being a 2 is that really the worst part of it (in my opinion) is actually a pretty small part of the episode. And both of them realize they were acting nuts, and their motivations seem kind-of in character to me (Bob wanted the cooking segment to be a chance to promote the restaurant, Gene wanted his performance as Beefsquatch to be the center of attention). And I just enjoy some other bits in this. "More Scotch!". Louise first enjoying than getting burnt out by her involvement in Gene and Bob's prank war. And Gene's flashback to accidentally gluing his wiener to his remote control helicopter- followed by Louise's "accidentally on purpose!" and them high-fiving. (The high-five cracks me up so much! It's such a silly thing to high-five over!)

Random thoughts (stuff that doesn't affect the ratings):

-It was fun to see the introduction of the exterminator van being different each episode after seeing "Rat's All Folks!" for all of season 1.

-Peter Pescadero is back- and he has his correct face after that weirdness in "Spaghetti Western and Meatballs"! Has anybody written a fic about why his face changed? Like "Face/Off" but with Peter Pescadero (just one idea)?

-Generally, I try not to nitpick about continuity on the show that much. I think they do a really good job, especially by standards of animated comedies (but honestly, really all comedies). But it does bug me that there is a whole episode in a later season about how Louise can only poop in her home toilet when in "Synchronized Swimming" she poops in public pool. She named it Jezebel for crying out loud! It's Bob and Linda's grand-doody! JEZEBEL CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN!

Well, clearly I've been writing for too long and have gone crazy. See you when I'm done with Season 3, whoever may be reading these!

#bob's burgers #bob's burgers season 2 #bob's burgers episode ranking rewatch #long post

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