#A couple of DISCLAIMERS here

[what-the-flux]

Commander Week Day 2: Profession

(once again, typed much of this up after a work day so I apologize again if it reads rough around the edges)

There was a deafening bang somewhere behind them, followed by the shriek of tearing metal as the entire airship started to list port-side as the massive undead dragon strafed beyond Vireskk's field of vision. He got his armored feet under him as he looked outside at the gunners stationed along the modified bowsprit from his vantage in the covered cockpit. One of the Pact officers posted on the airship with him, warmaster Oort, barreled inside covered in Risen gore. His deep voice was thick with adrenaline as he said, “In the clear, but only just. There’s more of the bastards closing in.” Before he could form a reply one of the ship’s ensigns, a young human of barely over twenty, ran in and stopped short in front of him, “Commander! Warmast—Sirs!” “Get on with it!” Oort growled. Vireskk nodded at the ensign, signaling him to continue. The man, already flushed from the continuous fighting, went scarlet as he said hastily, “Sir! We took a hit in the stern and we’re losing altitude, we got a transport that’s lining up to take the crew away, but the dragon might be back any minute! Visibility is poor and we’re dropping ballast as fast as we can.” The commander’s expression was grimly set as he weathered the news. “That dragon needs to be taken down, otherwise whatever ship we jump to is just going to be another fresh kill. Warmaster,” He leveled a steady gaze at Oort, “Take what supplies and crew you can and get off this ship, now. I will help them with the dragon.” The Vigil officer didn’t budge, ready to argue as he watched Vireskk go to a weapon rack and take a sizeable longbow from it. Oort gave him a look of open incredulity as he said, “You even know how to use that thing?” The commander smiled, a wan expression as he tried to pull a pleasant memory that at this point felt like a distant, faraway thing that happened to someone else in a different time, “I had archery lessons during my aptitude exams, I was a pretty decent shot at least. We shall see how true my aim has remained.” The big asura stared at his distinctly striped face and replied, a snarl in his voice, “Do you really think this is going to do us any good? Better to take it down once stationed on a fresh ship instead.” Vir returned the gaze with a stoic one of his own. He understood the officer’s penchant for rankling at following orders sometimes so he was careful with explaining the objective. “I acknowledge the merit in your words, however you and the rest of the crew are going to need cover fire and for the Risen to be occupied while you evacuate, they might try to capitalize on your vulnerable position otherwise.” The warmaster frowned and shot back, “You need more backup on here in that case. You, those guild members and a handful of gunners providing cover?” Vireskk’s mien became intense. Though Oort was much greater in stature and build, the gravitas of the commander’s whole demeanor and voice seemed to close the gap in physical disparity entirely. “We all knew and accepted the risks the very second of the Pact’s inception. You are to oversee the immediate evacuation of this ship and to rendezvous if our task is successful, or to press on if it isn’t. You have your orders.” Every word of his command rang like a gavel, decisive and brooking no argument. The Vigil warrior went silent and appraised him with an unreadable expression for a few heartbeats before nodding curtly, pushing past the dumbfounded ensign before the latter followed him out so they could proceed with offboarding.

---------------------------

Wind was howling in Vireskk’s ears as he briefly conferred with the crew that remained outside on the deck of the ship. They were still losing altitude but slower now since the power backups were still operational. The evacuation was not a moment too soon as they saw the hideous forms of multiple dragons dive towards them. The gunners in position once again with the members of Destiny’s Edge keeping an eye on the deck, the commander held up his fist and began chanting a litany that grew in power, cadence and volume, preternaturally loud and strident so that to the crew even the dragons’ roaring seemed muffled. Silvery blue flames wreathed him and all on deck, his promise to them that as long as he stood, so would they. As the on-board magitech cannons powered up he nocked an arrow, sighting down it as he pulled back. The muscle memory from his lessons was still there, but there was still a spark of uncertainty within him and he worried if he really would be of much use with it as the chaos of battle started to surround him. Magic flames came to life once more as he narrowed his focus and slipped into a meditative state, the fire dancing and coruscating around his arms in eldritch patterns until it set the arrow on fire. There! Something clicked in his mind just as a Risen dragon wheeled around in full view of himself and the broadsides.

Onboard the airship nearby that was pulling into a strafing run to assist, Oort and the others saw along with the pulses of cannon fire streaks of fiery arrows collide with and ignite the corrupted, rotting flesh of the dragons that burned pieces away like scraps of parchment thrown onto a bonfire. The monsters shrieked in rage and agony and it wasn’t long until one by one they were routed and torn apart by the collective barrage from both ships.

--------------------------

Later on back in Fort Trinity after the fall of Zhaitan during all of the spontaneous revelry that had gripped the Pact collectively, the commander found himself with a short-lived breather away from the nexus of it all. Warmaster Oort, also inclined to stick outside the orbit of everything, approached him and greeted him by way of a slap on the shoulder. Vireskk smiled and hid a wince as he held a bandaged arm. The larger asura wasted no preamble and said directly, “I glitched up, doubting you back there at The Humble. I admit I’ve been carrying around misgivings about you and all this in general for some time. I think you’ve proven me wrong on multiple counts now.” Vir looked out into the sizeable group of jubilant Pact soldiers before looking back at the warmaster, “Apology accepted, that’s quite a rare and precious thing coming from you.” He chuckled lightly before adding, “I do not blame you for your misgivings though. I did have to prove myself and show just how willing I was to not simply speak of virtue and sacrifice but to put it into practice. It is individuals like you that help shake me out of habits of wanting to observe and be reactive instead of proactive. So I encourage you to continue to speak openly.” Oort grunted a sound of affirmation, the most response he’d get out of the taciturn officer. The commander gave one of his uncommon playful smiles and added, “That still doesn’t give you free pass to argue with direct orders when we’re in the middle of a combat zone, however.” He turned to Vireskk and smirked lopsidedly, the closest thing he’d come to a proper smile and replied back, “Noted, I’ll work on that. But only if you say you’ll work on your terrible aim.” They both laughed together as they returned to the celebration.

[melon-official]

the clock's out of sync but we can fix it up, no problem

[egophiliac]

so we know you love diasomnia endlessly, but who is your favorite character from each of the other dorms

this is SO hard to answer, because so many of the characters are, like, those pet adoption ads that say "MUST STAY TOGETHER, CANNOT BE SEPARATED". it's all about the relationship dynamics! and I think everybody in the main cast is pretty neat, honestly; there isn't anyone who doesn't have something I really like about them. but if I haaaaad to choose...

Hearts - Trey, partly because I do like me a good Mom Friend™ character, and partly because he pretends like he's all sane and normal, right up until he does something to prove he's just as much of a dipshit as everyone else. you're not immune, sir.

Savana - BUFF 👏 TSUNDERE 👏 WEREWOLF 👏

Octa - this one took a lot of soul-searching, because I do feel like the Octatrio is at their very best when it's all three of them, especially when they're in full Ed Edd n Eddy mode. but in the end, Jade ekes out a win, because sometimes you get this Jade:

and then when he gets back from his nice mushroom-foraging hike, you get this Jade:

Scara - Kalim, my sweet little moron. such a good heart, so few braincells.

Pome - 90% of the time when Rook shows up, you know it's going to a be fun time watching a silly little man dance around and break into song for no reason and wax poetic about the beauty of, like, a chair. always a delight!

except every once in a while, he'll bust out something that is absolutely insane even by Twst standards:

this isn't a complaint, it's just. why is he like this. I want to study him under a microscope, except I'm afraid of what I might find.

Igni - MUST STAY TOGETHER! CANNOT BE SEPARATED! ...but I would probably go with Ortho, just because right now I'm pretty invested in his Learning Emotions story arc and looking forward to seeing it progress. he's a good boy who will post your cringe fanfic publicly if you annoy him

...and at this point I'm calling technicality because the ask says "other dorms", and I genuinely do not think I could choose between the Dia boys at this point. let's see how episode 7 goes first!

[okaydays]

Colin was out with friends for the evening, so Penelope reheated some leftovers for dinner, and then assembled all the things she needed for a quiet night in - lit candles, soft music echoing from their new bluetooth speakers, a cup of tea that was still hot on the coffee table, a comfortable blanket. 

She’s sitting on the couch with said blanket and her carefully chosen book (Love in the Time of Cholera), and she should be having a great time. Back when Penelope was at her mother’s house, with all the commotion and whining, this was the kind of evening she’d dreamt about. Just her, quiet and cosy. No one to bother her.

But she lives with Colin, now. And while he is, occasionally, a bother, it’s never really unwelcome. Not when he could bat those blue eyes, shoot her a winsome grin and spin her around to the music like they’re ballroom dancing.

A quiet evening to herself seems boring in comparison. 

What Penelope wants, in truth, is exactly what she has now - a little comfortable moment, but with Colin’s arms around her instead of a blanket. Leaning against him, maybe with his own book, instead of just the sofa arm.

She misses him, really. And it’s only been an hour or so. 

Oh well. Penelope nestles back further into the couch. He won’t be back for a while, so the book will have to keep her company for now.

“Tell him yes,” She reads. “Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry all the rest of your life if you say no.”

Around fifteen minutes later, the front door opens. Penelope almost knocks over her mug of tea with how violently she jumps. And then - oh, it’s just Colin. And then - oh, it’s Colin!

‘Colin!’ she exclaims, interrupting her internal monologue by just stating it out loud. ‘What are you doing back so early?’ 

He’s leaning against the doorframe, flashing her that grin she adores. ‘Got all cosy, did you?’ he asks, looking around at the lit candles and bluetooth speaker and the blanket they got from his mother as a housewarming present. ‘Mind if I join in?’ 

Penelope moves along the sofa and lifts up the corner of the blanket in invitation. Colin slides right in, and they adjust - he’s now sitting where she’s just vacated, arm slung around her shoulders, and she’s leaning into him with one leg over his and one on the coffee table. 

It’s even better than she imagined.

‘Missed you,’ Colin says after a minute. She’d gone back to her book and he was on his phone, reading an article, but she looks up at that. 

‘They were talking about sports or something, and I thought, ‘I’d rather be home with my girl,’ so now I’m here,’ he says, looking right back at her. 

Something warm unfurls in Penelope’s chest at that. At the pet name, at the fact that he’d preferred her boring evening to a fun night out, at the fact that he was now here and that it was exactly where he’d wanted to be. 

Colin kisses her once, gently, and when she leans in again, he moves over to kiss her forehead instead. 

‘We can do that later. You were prepared for a quiet night, right? Don’t let me get in the way of that,’ he says, equally as gently, and Penelope shakes her head.

‘You don’t get in the way. You make it better,’ she admits, and he smiles. Pulls her in closer. 

‘Glad we moved in together,’ he says, and puts his phone on his thigh so he can reach over and carefully open her book back up, from where she’d been keeping track of her page with her thumb.

So Penelope goes back to her book, and Colin goes back to the article, and the track switches to a new piano piece. And then when her tea gets cold, he goes and makes her a new one, just the way she likes it. 

Tell him yes, the book said. She’s so glad she did.

(Also on ao3)

[mae-i-scribble]

I rewatched a few of the early episodes of spyfam today bc getting to see the movie gave me an itch to scratch, and in particular episode two made me finally able to conceptualize what about fandom twiyor that irks me so deeply. If you like widespread fandom interpretations of them I would uh, look away bc none of my opinions on it are positive.

Episode 2 of the spyfam anime remains one of my favorites because of all the little flourishes the studios add to sell you on Yor as a character while also expanding a bit on the manga's original commentary on the stigma that follows older single women. What draws Yor and Loid together as a family is that neither of them are capable of having conventional relationships. Both of them are war orphans forced to grow up far too soon and who threw away aspects of their humanity to fight for what they believe to be a better world. While Loid's position as a spy and mastery of deception allows him to avoid the stigmas that would come from the ordinary person discovering what he does, that is not something that holds true for Yor, whose weakest point is that she simply cannot understand "normal." She's aware of the way her coworkers demean her and insult her but can do nothing about it because her only conflict resolution skill is murder. She is constantly reminded that she is an outsider, hence why Loid's declaration at the party is so meaningful to her, and what convinces her to ask him to continue the facade as a married couple.

Underneath it all however, is a quiet showcase of amatonormativity that drove both Loid and Yor to their arrangement. Eden requires a student to have a perfectly nuclear family. Societal conventions dictate that Yor, happily single at 27, is someone pathetic (to her coworkers) or someone in need of help (to her brother). Marriage is an expectation that Yor is pressured to commit to, and a societal requirement that Loid must uphold for the sake of his mission. And while this showcase begins in episode 2 it is something that spyfam continues to highlight when it comes to the expectations both Loid and Yor struggle to meet when they try to hard/become to anxious over what is "expected" as a married couple vs what the other person is actually thinking/feeling.

Now, what the fuck does this have to do with fandom you ask? Here's the thing. Spyfam reached the broad range of anime fans when it exploded in popularity, which is when I started engaging with it beyond just comments on the latest manga chapters. Modern fandom already has the issue of classifying ships into tropes rather than actually like, shipping characters as they are. And that's exactly what happened with twiyor. People began going "oh my gosh this is the moment she fell for loid," "oh he's so in love with her just look at him," before we had even reached episode 10. Which was incredibly frustrating to me because clearly Loid and Yor are not anywhere near in love that soon in the story- and the basis for that frustration starts in episode 2 for me. Because Loid and Yor's marriage is one that is unconventional from the very beginning, and it is that factor that defines their dynamic an allows them to function as healthily and sweetly as they do. People don't need to be in love to be married or to be a parental unit. None of that requires romantic love, it is simply an expectation of our society, the same sort of expectation that cripples Yor and makes her think she has to find a partner, then that she has to find a husband to appease those around her. Seeing that completely erased in a large portion of art/commentary/fics written about them angers me because its something baked into the foundation of their dynamic and something I feel enhances them as a potential romantic pairing rather than detracts from it. But we can't have that because of course a man and woman living together and caring for a kid fell in love almost immediately.

And don't even get me started on how people misinterpret Loid for their far more romantic interpretations of his motivations and relationship with Anya and Yor or else I will start losing teeth from how hard I am clenching my jaw

[official-darkforest]

if you see me stealing the plot of tlk2 for bramblesquirrel in my rewrite no you did not

[quatregats]

Okay hear me out. What if Hornblower and Lady Barbara but they're high school math olympians and also have a crazy psychosexual rivalry with each other

[doctorwhoisadhd]

heres my arrangement of bills theme for flute choir :D

[camels-pen]

gang you're not gonna believe what i just found looking through my google drive

[daz4i]

Ppl who make Chuuya solely the bottom imho also tend to make him more outwardly emotional and “good” I’ve noticed. Like they have him crying or talking about his feelings, sometimes with like therapy speak, and they sort of act like he’s a more moral person than he is? Like they focus more on the fact that he’s generally an amiable person, esp off the clock, than the fact that actually he’s a workaholic who doesn’t really lose sleep over killing ppl and like, very much would have let Dazai kill Q. Like he’s not an innocent secret do-gooder who craves life in the light most ardently?? He’s been an executive in the mafia since he was 18 and he’s the second in command. He’s a badass who is comfortable in his own skin and secure in his skills, and he’s never cried in canon, and imho he would rather chew glass than talk about his feelings openly

honestly that's a common ooc thing i see in top chuuya stuff (or non-smutty fics) too unfortunately 😩 BUT i do think there's a connection between the fandom perception of top/bottom "personalities" (in fanon. on god this whole discussion is gonna be in my future callout post if i don't clarify that) and this type of characterization but it's more like. a chicken and egg situation

as in, people who write bottom chuuya don't necessarily make him ooc. but the ppl who do write him in this ooc way, tend to make him a bottom in their fics, bc these are traits that are commonly associated with bottoms in fanon (in every fandom, like as a general concensus thing many ppl tend to fall into without thinking. you know those people who look for the same ship dynamic in every fandom they join? these guys)

all that being said the same is true abt dazai too (and making him more mysterious and suave), in both directions actually (like making him more whiny and spoiled and have less of a backbone or agency). this sort of thing happens to all characters in all fandoms i think, where one thing feeds into the other, it's just. ig. louder with skk bc they really really /don't/ fit those common character traits you see in many generic popular ships

hope that made sense 🙏

[torchickentacos]

taylor idk who chappell roan is i think that makes me disqualified from being queer forever (←sapphic girl)

She's a musical artist! She's pretty up-and-coming right now and is seen as a wlw queer icon in the music industry, but I've never been able to get into her music even though tons of other sapphics love it. I probably just haven't given it enough of a chance. Casual is a good song though!

[piplupod]

sometimes i worry myself sick over thinking i might have a victim complex because i (understandably) often struggle with being a functioning human person due to lifelong abuse, and then I come onto tumblr dot com and see the way some of the people on here act and I realize "ah. no i'm okay actually."

[cave-monkey]

Tripitaka constantly asking for food, especially in the earlier chapters, reminds me that he was possibly about 18-20 at the beginning of the journey.

A little beyond the true bottomless pit stage, sure, but maybe not quite outside it yet.

[fleshworld-bodyprison]

I watched Talk To Me recently (fucking FINALLY) and where I do see a lot of talk about it being allegory for drug use and addiction, I don't see anything about how the film also demonstrates that the people in Mia's life that were supposed to support her failed her during a time where she actively needed that support the most. Yes, it was wrong to let Riley use the hand, but she wasn't the only person complicit in that. Instead she was violently pushed out of the lives of the people that meant the most to her and further isolated, letting the "addiction" take over unobstructed and even enabled! There was no push back or attempt to ground her back into reality. Idk man like I think there has been an upsetting lack of empathy for drug users and addicts that I've seen among discussion of the film

[aroacedavestrider]

👍 completely fair re: privacy thing I'm too nervous to go off anon I get it. I hope you have a good day and get the perfect amount and quality of sleep

Thank you for understanding Anon. And sorry if I came off as rude or aggressive. To be fair to you, you were concerned. Unfortunately some other messages we get seem a little more nosy or pointed and it’s quite annoying sifting through them all

You (or anyone else for that matter) are always welcome to ask about us to get to know us better though. A majority of us haven’t said a thing on this blog (what with it being Dave’s) so if you’re ever curious about who’s in here or what we’re like, we’d love asks like that, as well as to get to know any other systems who want to interact =^.^=

-Nette🎩

[htylmg]

do non indians understand how earthshaking nick and priyanka were. like imagine the darling of bollywood, a literal miss universe marrying the year 3000 guy. we cried