Your personal Tumblr journey starts here
sorry i got a boner when you gave me a high five i just havent had anybody want me around in a long time
OK, i don't know if i'm the only one who just realized this but, in the part where spot tells Miles how he brought the spider from earth 42, Miles G is seen in class and the spider is really close to him, until was transported.
Miles G was literally MEANT to be Spider-Man in his universe, while Miles was going to be the prowler, and because of spot the roles were basically REVERSED.
i love this game <3
hey if u like my art, id appreciate a reblog!
',:>
Just a sketch for today, because i never have free time anymore. Its another moth character , like mith, and although he doesn't have a confirmed name, his temporary one, selected by way of random name generator, is pastel.
I have no idea why i stoped working with this style. If i just put some work into it to get better at drawing in this style id look so nice
Anyways, im off to do art untill three am, and then suffer a sleepless day of work ā
Painting for for the incomparable @jathis of a bit of a music appreciation session between our two most musically-inclined gods!
Background only under the cut bc I worked really hard on it-
X-Men people how are we doing
I personally am not ok.
IDRISNNETāS SECRET SANTA EVENT: THOMAS LIGHTWOOD X ALASTAIR CARSTAIRS
āThomasāā Alastair began. His voice was rough, unsteady; Thomas hoped he had something to do with that. Abruptly, Alastair let go of Thomasās shirt, started to turn his face away.Ā
āJust imagine,ā Thomas said. āWhat if weād never gone to the Academy together? What if none of those things had happened, and Paris was the first time weād met? And this was the second?ā
Alastair said nothing. This close, Thomas could see the gray flecks in his dark eyes, like delicate veins of crystal in black marble. Then Alastair smiled. It was the ghost of his old arrogant smile, just touched with the lofty wickedness Thomas remembered from school. It had made his heart skip a beat then; it raced now.Ā
āDamn you, Thomas,ā he said, and there was resignation in his voice, but something else, too, something dark and sweet and intense.
merry christmas, nia beloved <3 @wouldyouknowmeblind Ā
guy in full black nike outfit (with a nike paper bag) i would like to salute your dedication in upholding a very dude-bro ensemble. no one does it like you.
Been experiencing two polar thoughts about this sceneā¦
1. There is no way Sokka is expecting to win this battle. He is the one and only warrior left in the village, about to face down a Fire Nation ship all by himself. Sokka has been the epitome of bravery since the very beginning.
2. Sokka canāt draw worth shit, and yet he sure can perfectly apply war paint on himself without even so much as a mirror aksdflj
@kumonohoshi ; waves !! thank u for doing that rp with me !! I think about it a lot , the siblings ever fr .. heres a drawing of them 4 u !!
@kat-124 ; haii !! u so silly also ty for getting me into rgb trio they r everything...
@kaleiidoskope ; waves waves throws a metal pipe at you [/j/silly] !! u so coolsies take casual outfit astrobox
@bluu3berry ; friend !! pal !! buddy !! waves !! drew bluu and pj .. agh . legit ty sm for being my friend ur super duper awesome :3 i have many good memories from u :D /gen/p
@best-baker-of-crossroads ; haii !! we don't interact a lot , but u seem super chill n ur arts so cute :3
@bluepr1ntyy ; hallo !! i dont talk 2 u as much as i used to and it still wasnt a lot but i rlly enjoyed our conversations and you taught / continue to teach me and a lot of the utmv community about shipkids/fusions and helped me develop mine !! ur so coolsies , take a raven bunny :3
@joonebugg ; ack !! ur super awesome and kind also i love ur sona he's so cool :D heres him w bive !!
sorry i'm posting this today instead of actual valentines day i finished them all and got excited </3
also i want to specify that the shuriken + vinestaff one and pj + bluu ones are platonic !!
@byt3-0nline ... coughs ..... sorry i didnt make u anything digital im gonna make u something physical since ur my bestie irl... if u want something digital i can do that too !! /gen
Ladies and gentlemen and royalty, I present to you: the script coordinator for the Witcher Netflix series regarding the end of episode 6.
Very self indulgent this one... Yes.Ā
WWWHHHHAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT
Messy animatic? Animation? Thingy again, of @hauntieannes malevolent bartender au bc i cannot help myself ššš
Dont come at me for the background or shitty perspective i just wanted to have fun after this fic stomped on my heart for a second there.
Proper communication??? In YOUR Jarthur fic? Itās more likely than you think
OMG WHAT
I've been working on a Drawtectives queer analysis video (that's honestly more of an infodump session than an analysis) that's taken THREE MONTHS to make because I have no idea what I'm doing and don't know how to edit, animate or anything like that
It's releasing on Saturday 26th at 6pm (UK time), aka 1pm US time (I think, for all you American drawfee fans which I'm assuming is most of you) on my YouTube and is my first ever YouTube video.
If you like Drawtectives fanart, guys with thick British accents struggling to speak into a microphone and queer stuff then check it out!!
Sweet Flipping Chicken and Mercy May š³š„ŗš«¢
Pairing: Leonardo x Female!Reader
Warnings: Overprotectiveness, possessive behavior, affection-starved. Subtle (but present) hints of: narcissism, egocentrism, perfectionism, spirituality, insomnia. I developed him so well that I actually like him nowāI donāt like that.
Leonardo, as a partner, would be a fascinating study in contradictions. At first glance, he seems like the perfect boyfriendādisciplined, loyal, protective, someone you can trust without hesitation. But being with him isnāt easy.
Not because heās cold or indifferentāon the contrary, he feels too much. Heās just spent his entire life learning how to hide it. To him, emotions are a double-edged sword: love can give you strength, yes, but it can also make you drop your guard, make mistakes, and risk everything youāve fought for.
And Leonardo canāt afford that luxury.
Since he was young, his identity has been tied to duty. Heās not just an older brotherāhe is the older brother. The leader. The one who must always have the answers. There is no room for error, no space for doubt. Thatās why, if he ever fell in love, he would do so with the same intensity he applies to any challengeāwith absolute commitment. But also, with a need for control that can be suffocating.
Itās not that he doesnāt trust his partner. Itās that he needs to make sure nothing puts her in danger. That sheās safe, that there are no loose ends, that every move is calculated. Donāt expect Leo to be the laid-back boyfriend who goes with the flow. He will want to protect youāeven from things that might not even be a real threat.
If he comes to your house and you donāt answer, his mind will assume the worst before even considering that you were simply in the shower. If you go out alone at night, he wonāt be at ease until he knows you made it home safely. Not out of jealousy, but because the thought of losing someone he loves terrifies him. But instead of expressing that fear, he translates it into rules, into planning, into strategies.
Because Leonardo doesnāt know how to handle what is beyond his control.
This was evident in Out of the Shadows. His instinct was to make decisions for everyone, to divide the team when he felt they were weakening. He truly believed he was doing the right thing, that carrying the burden alone was the best course of action. But in the process, he lost sight of what his brothers really needed. And thatās exactly how he would be in a relationshipānot out of malice, but because he believes being the strong one is his duty.
And while Leo loves with every fiber of his being, he doesnāt say it easily. Heās not the type to look you in the eyes and just blurt out an āI love you.ā His way of showing affection is more silent, more tangible. He will remember exactly how you like your tea, he will learn to pick up on even the slightest change in your tone of voice, he will make sure you always have an escape plan in case things go wrong. But if you expect spontaneous hugs or verbal expressions of love, you might find yourself frustrated. Not because he doesnāt feel it, but because, to him, love isnāt something you sayāitās something you prove.
However, if someone manages to break through his armor, they will see something that few have ever witnessed. Because beneath all the rigidity, the discipline, and the self-imposed perfection, there is a boy who never had the chance to make mistakes. A boy who has spent years carrying a tremendous weight, who canāt remember the last time someone saw him and not just the leader. A boy who desperately needs a space where he can stop being the strategist, the protector, the flawless Leonardo⦠and simply be Leo.
Leonardo isnāt someone who easily succumbs to distractions. Not because he doesnāt enjoy them, but because heās always believed his time should be invested in something useful. Yet on the rare occasions when he allows himself to let his guard downāin the privacy of his room or on a quiet night at the lairāsmall details reveal who he truly is beyond being the leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
For instance, he enjoys science fiction movies and TV shows. He wouldnāt admit it out loudāafter all, Mikey would never let him forget itābut thereās something about exploring space, about advanced civilizations and the ethical dilemmas these worlds present, that fascinates him. Perhaps itās because he sees his own struggle reflected in them: leaders forced to make impossible decisions, burdened with responsibility, torn between duty and heart. Whether itās Star Trek, The Expanse, or even some of the more philosophical tales of Ghost in the Shell⦠Leo sits with his arms crossed, pretending not to be too interested, yet if someone pays close attention, theyāll notice the intensity in his gaze and the way his fingers tense with every twist in the story.
And although everyone sees him as the serious one, itās not that he lacks a sense of humor. His humor is just more subtle, drier, more ironic. He wonāt burst out laughing like Mikey or be as explosive as Raph, but if youāre close enough, if youāve earned his trust, youāll notice that there are moments when he quietly drops a joke in a neutral tone, waiting to see if you catch it. And when you do, when you respond with a retort just as sharp, the corner of his mouth barely curves, as if heās quietly satisfied with the interaction.
But if thereās one thing that truly brings him peace, itās tending to his bonsai trees. Itās a hobby that no one in the lair seems to fully understand. Mikey calls them boring, Raph jokes that theyāre just āminiature trees,ā and Donnie respects the practice but sees it more as an exercise in patience. For Leo, however, itās more than that. Itās a reminder of balance. Of control. Of how even the smallest force, with the right guidance, can grow in the right way. And on nights when the pressure becomes too much, when he feels the weight of his role crushing him, he sits in silence before his little tree, allowing himself a moment to breathe, to reconnect with himself.
But love⦠love is different.
Leo doesnāt allow himself to fall in love easily. Not because he doesnāt want to, but because his mind simply doesnāt work that way. He needs to feel that his partner is more than just a fleeting attraction. He needs connection. Compatibility. A deep, unwavering understanding. And that isnāt built overnight.
Thatās why, when he finally starts to realize that what he feels for you goes beyond friendship, the first emotion that floods him isnāt happiness.
Itās doubt.
And Leonardo shouldnāt doubt.
He always has answers. He always has a plan. But for the first time, heās standing on ground where logic is useless, where he canāt break things down into a battle strategy. He canāt make a pros-and-cons list about his feelings. He canāt calculate every move the way he would in combat. And that frustrates him.
Because if he accepts itāif he acknowledges that his feelings are realāit means thereās something in his life that he canāt control.
And Leonardo hates not having control.
Leonardo isnāt someone who falls asleep easily.
Not because he doesnāt need toāhis body demands rest just like anyone elseāsābut because his mind never truly shuts off.
In the lair, when everyone else is asleepāwhen even Donnie has finally stepped away from his monitors, and Raph has stopped pounding the punching bagāLeo is still awake. Arms crossed, back stiff against the wall, gaze lost in the dim light of his room.
Itās in those moments of solitude that his mind betrays him.
When he tries to dissect what he feels, to categorize it, to put it into some kind of logical order. Because heās always in control. Always.
And this⦠this shouldnāt be any different.
Heās not impulsive like Mikey, letting himself be carried away by every emotion without a second thought.
Heās not a ticking time bomb like Raph, ready to explode at the most unexpected moment.
Heās not even like Donnie, obsessively analyzing every variable to the point of overload.
He is Leonardo.
Leader. Warrior. Strategist.
And there is nothing he canāt control.
So if he has reached the conclusion that what he feels for you is real, then he will take the reins.
It wonāt be difficult.
It shouldnāt be difficult.
He will force himself to keep everything in place, to act with precision. His glances will linger just a second longerābut not enough to be obvious. His words will be measured, carefully chosen, but still carrying his usual composed tone. He will make small, almost imperceptible changes.
Like making sure you walk on the safer side of the street.
Adjusting his stance subtly to block the wind when youāre on the rooftop.
Asking if youāve eaten wellābut casually, as if itās not really important.
And the worst part? Unlike Donnie, who would give himself away with nervous fidgeting and stammered words, you will never notice.
Because Leonardo wonāt allow you to notice.
All youāll see is someone who has everything under control. Someone who watches you with the same intensity he reserves for his enemies on the battlefield, as if heās calculating every single one of your movements.
But what he doesnāt want you to see is the opposite.
That inside, heās nervous.
That his palms sweat when he touches you, when his fingers accidentally brush against yours.
That his pulse quickens when you get too close, and he has to remind himself to breathe normally.
That in every conversation, in every moment, thereās a small part of him afraid that one wrong step will ruin everything.
Because if there is one thing Leonardo could never forgive himself for, itās losing what youāve built together.
Not just losing you, but losing your trust.
And if that were to happen⦠how could he justify it?
How could he explain to himself that after a lifetime of making the best possible choices to protect those he cares aboutāthis was the one he let slip through his fingers?
And when he finally allows himself to admit itāwhen he has broken through every mental barrier he imposed on himself, when he has analyzed every angle, when he has measured every consequenceāLeonardo feels something inside him loosen.
For a moment, just a moment, itās as if he has won the hardest battle of his life.
The weight on his shoulders dissolves, and for the first time in what feels like forever, he breathes deeply without the pressure in his chest tightening.
You are his.
Not in some shallow, possessive way, but in something deeper, more primal.
Like an instinct that has always been there, buried beneath layers of discipline and responsibility, waiting to be acknowledged.
And now that he has⦠there is no turning back.
But the peace doesnāt last.
Because almost immediately, another weight crashes down on himāheavier, inescapable.
Before, his burden was uncertainty.
Now, it is certainty.
Now that he has you, he must protect you.
With everything he has.
Not just from the dangers of the outside worldābut from himself.
Because Leonardo cannot afford to fail.
And even though love is uncharted territoryāa battlefield he has never stepped foot onāhe demands perfection from himself.
To be the ideal partner.
To give you exactly what you need before you even ask.
To measure every word, every gesture, every decision.
To make sure you never have to question if he is enough for you.
Because he has to be.
He is Leonardo.
And Leonardo does not fail.
But there is a problem.
Because you donāt want the flawless strategist.
You donāt want the leader who is always in control.
You donāt want the polished, calculated version of him.
You just want Leo.
The Leo who watches sci-fi shows but would never admit to liking them.
The Leo who pretends he doesnāt enjoy messing around with his brothers, but secretly loves the rare moments when he catches Raph off guard or makes Donnie roll his eyes.
The Leo who tends to his bonsai trees with quiet devotion because, though he never says it out loud, they reflect his philosophy: patience, growth, balance.
And that is a terrifying concept for him.
Because showing you that side of himself means lowering his guard.
It means allowing you to see whatās underneath the armor.
The boy who gets frustrated.
Who sometimes doesnāt know what to do.
Who fears he wonāt be enough.
That side of himāno one has truly seen it.ļæ¼
Not even his brothers.
But you⦠you want to see it.
And the road to him letting you in will be a long one.
Because accepting that you love him for who he isānot for what he represents, not for what he does, but for his very essenceāis the hardest test Leonardo has ever faced.
Leonardo believes he has everything under control.
That he can handle his emotions the way he handles a katana: with precision, with discipline, with absolute mastery over every movement.
But youā¦
You are a challenge unlike any other.
Because while he struggles to keep his composure, while he measures every word and makes sure not to take a wrong step, you simply are.
You donāt need strategies or plans. You donāt analyze every interaction as if it were a life-or-death mission.
And that unsettles him.
Because deep down, Leonardo doesnāt know how to be loved.
He knows how to protect. He knows how to fight. He knows how to sacrifice himself for others.
But when it comes to receiving love⦠thatās where the conflict begins.
He appreciates that youāre not overly affectionate with him.
That you donāt suffocate him with displays of affection that would make him uncomfortable, that would force him to lower his guard all at once.
But at the same time, he dies when you take his face in your hands and kiss him.
At first, he goes completely still, trying to process it, trying not to lose control.
But the moment you feel his breath hitch, the moment you notice the way his fingers grip your waist tighter than he probably meant toāyou know heās falling.
And the worst part is that he hates it.
Because Leonardo shouldnāt let himself go.
He shouldnāt forget the weight on his shoulders or allow something as simple as a kiss to make him feel lighterāas if, for just a moment, the world didnāt depend on him.
But he does.
And it frustrates him.
Because heās supposed to be the unshakable fortress.
Heās supposed to be untouchable.
And yet, here he is.
With his heart pounding too fast.
With his mind completely blank.
With you stealing his control with just a simple touch.
It sounds contradictory.
Because it is contradictory.
But Leo is a contradiction.
Because while he says attachment is a weakness, he holds you tighter when you try to pull away.
Because while he insists emotions cloud judgment, he stays awake until dawn thinking about what he feels for you.
Because while he tries to convince himself that his duty is more important than his happiness, he wonders if, just this once, he can have both.
And that is the real battle.
Not against an enemy.
Not against an external threat.
But against himself.
Because loving you means lowering his guard.
It means trusting that, even if he doesnāt have everything under control, youāll still be there.
It means accepting that love isnāt a problem to solve, nor a responsibility to bear.
Itās just⦠love.
And no matter how hard he fights it, no matter how much he tries to convince himself he can keep his distance, there is one truth he cannot deny:
You are the only person in the world who can make Leonardo stop fighting.
Leonardo isnāt someone who takes intimacy lightly.
For him, physical touch isnāt just an act. It isnāt just a moment.
Itās an offering.
And he doesnāt give himself away so easily.
Not because heās afraidāor at least, heād never admit it.
But deep down, thereās an unease that eats away at him.
His size. His strength. His biology.
Youāre human. Fragile in comparison.
And even though he knows youāre strong, that you wouldnāt do anything unless you were absolutely sure, his protective instincts wonāt allow it.
Itās not just about protecting you.
Itās about himself.
His own control.
Because control is the one thing heās always had.
Ever since he took on the role of leader, ever since he understood that his life wasnāt his own but belonged to those who depended on him, Leonardo learned to restrain himself.
To hold back.
To be the balance in the midst of chaos.
But youā¦
You make him lose that balance.
And if he allows himself to let go, if he allows that wall to crumble, he fears what might happen.
Because to Leonardo, intimacy isnāt just physical pleasure.
Itās a connection.
Itās binding his soul with yours.
Itās giving you a part of himself that no one has ever seen before.
And that is the real danger
Because if he gives you thatāif he allows himself to feel you, to touch you, to love you on such a profound levelā
Then thereās no going back.
He knows he could become addicted.
That the moment he lets go of the weight on his shoulders and focuses only on youāon your body beneath his, on your breath hitching, on the way you say his nameā
Everything else will fade away.
And Leonardo cannot afford to forget his duty.
But⦠what if, just this once, he could?
What if, just this once, he could be Leo and not the leader?
If he could forget the world for a few hoursālose himself in you, in the warmth of your skin, in the way you look at him as if heās more than just a warrior, more than just a responsibility, more than just a soldier trained to sacrifice everything.
If he could simply be yours.
That⦠that is what truly terrifies him.
Because if he tastes it once, he knows heāll want it again.
And again.
And again.
Until there is nothing left of the fortress he has so carefully built.
Until there is nothing left of the perfect leader his brothers need.
Only him.
Only you.
Just two souls bound togetherāno rules, no duties, no limits.
And though he tries to convince himself he can resistā¦
He knows that, eventually, he will fall.
But Leonardo knows heās not ready.
That he canāt let it all goānot yet.
Because if he does, who will bear the weight of the world in his place?
If he falls, his brothers fall. If he allows himself to be selfish, even for a moment, everything he has built could collapse.
So he waits.
He waits for you to understand.
To understand that there are things he still cannot give you, no matter how much he desires them.
But that doesnāt mean he gives you nothing.
Something just as intimate, just as addictive.
Vulnerability.
Not with his body, but with his soul.
So when night falls, when the world goes quiet and there is no one but the two of you, he lets you see beyond the barrier.
He lets you step into his sanctuary.
He pulls out the blankets he keeps tucked away in the back of his closet, the ones with the worn-out Rebel Alliance logo, and hands them to you without a word.
He lets you see the space-themed pillowcase he would never admit he still uses.
And then, in the dim glow of his room, when there are no more distractions, no more responsibilities, you talk.
Not about strategies. Not about training. Not about what is expected of him.
You talk about everything and nothing all at once.
About stars and distant galaxies.
About the Star Wars episodes he never gets tired of watching.
About the times he wondered if his destiny was already written or if he could take a detour.
And itās there, in those organic conversationsāunplanned, uncalculated, imperfectāthat you witness something few have ever seen:
Not the leader.
Not the eldest brother.
Just Leo.
And then, when sleep finally claims you, you curl up against his chestāno fear, no hesitation.
Your breathing slows, steady and peaceful.
Your warmth seeps into his skin.
And Leonardo, the one who never lets his guard down, the one who is always on alert, stays still.
Feeling.
Listening.
Your heartbeat, syncing with his.
Nothing separates you but a thin layer of skin.
And for the first time in a long time, he forgets.
Forgets duty, weight, sacrifice.
Forgets that he must be strong, that he must be everyoneās shield.
Because in this moment, there is only you.
So, I'm in comp health right now, and drawing Ryoma when i should be doing make-up work but can someone tell me, how this man is changing my artstyle??? this is not how i usually draw, bro decided to snatch my artstyle!!!!
The Big Lebowski
My mom often corrects me and my sister when we call each other dude, which really shouldnāt matter, but sheās making a big deal out of it anyways. And as someone who often doesnāt conform to what the defined box of what a girl is, it kinda hurts to be shoved back into place by one of the people who is supposed to accept me. So she told me to construct a survey and hereās part of it. Reblog if youāve used dude (or other things like bro or man)as a non gender specific term before.
Late night dribble draws
#Desperado #DoodleDaddy #queer #LetThemEatCake #dude #doodle #male #illustration #sketch #pinup #tallboy https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnx2Z_pldqF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=nyiuip72ykjo
Foreword: it's all just my opinion! Don't freak out! Don't worry! Listen if you want, don't listen if you don't! Discuss if you want, don't if you don't! Awesome! Also man it's wordy I'm sorry!
Ok I know we've talked about zooble trans allegory and yes, agree, however. I think it's also like, something about acceptance and adjustment as a whole concept. A feeling of self actualisation,, or something. I'm gonna talk about masking now!
Some characters have adjusted implicitly to the circus (Ragatha, Jax), some have brute-force adjusted (Kinger, Pomni), and some have adjusted by refitting to their environment as it changes (Zooble, Gangle).
What I mean to say is this hints at their past lives a little more (to me);
Ragatha and Jax
Ragatha and Jax are what I would call perfect maskers. The type who do it so well they fool themselves - the type who have the sort of trauma that just can't be given to an adult. It's entwined into your birthright. Ragatha has always come across as having "eldest daughter syndrome" (if you're not sure what I mean by this, look it up!) and Jax chooses destruction and cruelty in his every play (I know men who do not know how to be Nice to others and can only bully and demean the people they even genuinely like, because of toxic masculinity being ingrained in the very fabric of being A Boy in this world- yadda yadda yawn) (note: this still makes them suck and please don't forgive people who say "this is just how I am" when they hurt you just because of whatever they've been through. You are now going through it for them.) but they don't come across as genuine. Neither of them feel genuine.
Jax wants everyone to enjoy his "banter" and thinks that them reacting is similar to them enjoying. They're partaking, after all. He doesn't like when people aren't playing along with him, but they don't play with him because his playstyle is cruelty. He's compelled to be mean. And he needs you to respond in his language - his language that is obscene and hurtful. And it gets worse as you engage with it, because he's playing with you. And not necessarily to hurt you. Just.. to hurt you. You feel me? It's a game. It's not real. Why would it upset you? Lighten up.
Ragatha wants the same, in a way. She wants to play house (needs to) because eldest daughters can never stop playing house. They've been doing it since the second the younger sibling was born. Perhaps even parented a parent, with no siblings at all to speak of. They start the job so young that they do not live in reality. They're playing house. They're the mother. And Pomni is literally child shaped, so of course she wants to nurture and care for her. And of course she wants to care for everyone, because that's what she knows how to do; she can't accept thanks for it because of course she'll take care of you. She'll take care of everything. It's nothing to be thanked for. And Pomni is her child but also,,, she's not actually. That's not her child or even A child. She'll parent her as a way to show her love, right down to, "she's too busy flirting with gummigoo to be with us, wish someone would flirt with me" (aka: "she doesn't love mommy anymore, she's abandoning mommy and growing up"). We aren't going to travel this path further in this post but if you're a freak who wants to explore it feel free! Heck. Maybe you already have explored it! Life's crazy.
Anyway. They hate each other, (Ragatha and Jax) but they get along because they're both able to, weirdly, find common ground. Ragatha gets to bite at him in an angry housewife way. He gets to bite at her because she bites back. They let off steam by arguing, where he tends to play defence to her offence, when you might assume a nasty rude cruel guy would raise his voice and deny her the right to do so. I won't go further here either because I lack evidence the deeper I go rotating these two in my mind. My evil otp. Sorry Ragatha I think you're a lesbian having weird things with Pom but you're part of my evil otp with nasty Jax because you're parallels of what the world does to its eldest sons and daughters sorreeeeey.
Pomni and Kinger
These two are. They're rotating in my mind. Yeah. Yeah they are, right there. The child he never got to have, the father figure she evidently yearns for.
These two are the type who don't adjust well. They don't mask well. They can't hold it in and lie about things, and when they do they fall apart.
Pomni is in the early stages of a new environment - she can't blend into it all even though she looks the most like a circus act. She tries, but the way it drives her up the wall, the way every good moment is also a moment waiting to strike, she can't. Until the moments she can. When it's quiet, when people are acting normal, when she's alone somewhere and can functionally talk about it. And then she's. Fine. She blends, she matches. She's just in hell, just in the circus. It's okay though.
But there's only so much talking things out can do, especially when you're stuck somewhere that actively traumatises you. Going back to therapy won't stop the bad things from happening, and so she'll loop again and again until... well, who knows! I hope we find out!
Kinger my beloved that killed his wife (?) either beforehand (while alive) OR believes so because he watched her abstract in front of him, and confused it with killing her. Who knows. His real life and his life in the circus are one and the same, he can't pick them apart. Because he never did adjust. It all slams into him every time, he needs that quiet, dark, emotional place that Pomni is still reaching for. But he has accepted that he doesn't fit and can't reach. He's literally a piece from a set. A set with no other pieces. Nobody else is from a set; Pomni maybe counts as part of a Circus Objects set. But she is in a circus. She might be able to adjust with time; Kinger does not fit. Cannot adjust. An outsider who (if we're to believe that was his life, in the haunted house ep) was paranoid and lived away from society (with the one matching set piece that he got to have, his queen). And in killing her, lost his ability to be in a set. To have kids. Uh. Pawns if you will. He has no place, and though he cannot truly adjust, though he remembers himself fairly easily in private (something the best maskers don't necessarily get to have; whew boy let me tell you sometimes the mask feels more real than the skin!!), he has accepted it. He has adjusted. Episode 3 there's so much more in you that I'm not seeing.. there's more I should be able to see.. idk what though. But he knew it was his own life. 100%. Also I believe in ep 4 gummigoo remembered his past life as an NPC v.1 idk where else to say that tho. I'm putting it here I believe.
And now we nearly reach the end! Are you still with me folks? And do you like my informal writing style? Thanks! University hated it! I'm shocked that I have a degree!
Zooble and Gangle
These two literally in canon adapt and change themselves to fit in. They're not perfect maskers, but they're also not the type who can't mask. The perfect maskers need their situation to gradually change, the ones who can't mask need things not to change. But change is in the nature of these two. Adapting is what they do. Gangle literally changes her mask right in front of others (think.. code-switching? I guess!) Zooble offers her a mask she thinks might help. Changes up her limb pieces. They are adaptable. But they diverge.
Zooble steps out of anything she doesn't want to do, anything she can't handle, but this is because she is constantly trying to find the right "body parts." She is so interested in the introspective, in the self, that the affectation of the outside just slides right off her. Jax wishes! She is able to ignore everything because the most important thing to her is her sense of self. Never mind how it fits in with others. Her apathy is only for things that cannot help her - she holds empathy and gentleness deep within herself, and gives it to those who care or relate to her struggle. She isn't close to the Perfect Maskers because they fundamentally cannot understand her (Ragatha wants to just go with it and let each adventure play out and end. Over and over. Something to do. // Zooble doesn't want to be distracted from the self actualisation of finding her "correct" body parts. Adventure outside is nothing for her (literally episode 4 couldn't touch her lmao she just did her job good for her)).
And Gangle. Oh sweet Gangle. Ever the bottom of the dog pile, ever the hurt and wounded one, needs to be loved, wants to be loved, but can't ask. So instead she matches her mask to what the people need (or to a tantrum that perhaps This Time someone will care about, maybe, please). Gangle gets to be in charge in ep 4 and immediately becomes Boss From Hell. This is a person who wants to have attention paid to her, but also who feels undeserving or too unimportant. So when given control, of course she doesn't know how to do it in a way that works. It just isn't in her wheelhouse! And whew, everyone has caused heaps of trouble during the circus, but the one time she causes chaos, she blames herself and settles away outside of the group. But she is trying to pursue a sense of self by trying different masks, trying different ways to fit in. She can mask, and will mask, but her sense of self claws out. Her emotional, sensitive self. Tears of a crybaby are easy to write off. Contentment/happiness are even easier to write off. But uncomfortable emotions beg to be seen and heard. Manic mask(?) was extreme in a way that is uncomfortable for the others, and for herself, as it caused a weird little freaky outburst (like anger, jealousy, etc - they result in choice words and actions fairly often). I said good for her even while I was scared of her ngl good for her for real. She can mask fine, she just doesn't truly want to. She does, to make things work. But it's clear from the beginning that masking is just a gimmick to play along and feel part of something, it's clear she's just aching to feel something real and honest. And, just as Ragatha/Jax and Zooble can't get along, Gangle also can't get along with them; she isn't good at playing house. They both aren't into playing house, they want to express something real, either through correct body parts, or through hobbies (like art).
These groups fundamentally form and overlap where they intersect. There are dynamics that are clear, and dynamics that are untapped. Those who can play house, those who won't play house, and those who don't even know what street the dang house is on.
In conclusion
Shit I'm bad at conclusions..
TL;DR
That sounds less daunting. The characters all represent something to me that I think is cool :) and also may not matter at all in the grander scheme! I am always trying to think of the "what do they want" concept when they interact with adventures/caine/each other. Jax is the most interesting to me because he's the best masker on the team. "But he's just like that" you cry. No~ there's something that does that, even if it's nothing you notice. Breathing in tobacco smoke can still give you lung diseases - even if you didn't smoke! Kinger is my fav though uwu I'm an Ice King enthusiast ofc I'm gonna pick up another traumatised and confused old man he's in my basket rn as we speak.
Anyway hope you enjoyed my writing style, this is just how I like to talk. And I felt it was on theme with the vibes of the show hahahaha hope you had fun - also it's 1am, forgive me if I went off topic like 60 times š„° I swear I had something to say!