#Allies Rivals

[fangrurin]

FREDDIE FOX and OLIVIA COOKE as GWAYNE and ALICENT HIGHTOWER ↳ HOUSE OF THE DRAGON S02E06 'Smallfolk'

[emil1863]

Playing around with a concept. Might write a fic for it later...

[turtleofthehollow]

Can we please talk about the idea of Lucifer and Vox teaming up together just to mess with Alastor

They team up, and are buddy-buddy with each other, and Alastor is over here throwing a fit at not being the center of attention

[voidpacifist]

"I watch LOST for the plot."

the plot: whatever the hell sawyer ford and sayid jarrah have going on

[weepingnightmarenaruto]

It’s so funny how the Uchihas and the Hyuga clan have like no canon relationship with each other. Like the only two dojutsu clans in Konoha and they just don’t give a fuck about each other.

Like Hyuga heir gets kidnapped for her dojutsu by ninjas from another village and a branch Hyuga dies over it. The Uchiha don’t care.

A whole clan who possess a dojutsu gets wiped out by one of their own. The Hyuga don’t give a fuck.

Sasuke and Neji meet during the chunnin exams and they know nothing about each other. They also never interact again. And Hinata and Sasuke doesn’t even acknowledge each other.

Like it’s just so fucking funny.

[inkmoose]

Here they come!! 😱 Hide your Heartless, hide your Nobodies

[bonefall]

It's a shame Tree is so poorly used because playing Clangen made me think about how much drama a mediator could cause even if they have good intentions. Like trying to get two cats to get along but only making their relationship worse or committing a big political faux pass with a rival clan when they need their support at the brink of war. Conflict through diplomacy can be fun if you commit to building tension and consequences with it.

Do you think mediators will eventually become a thing in all the BB!Clans?

Mediators are a great game mechanic in Clangen. Absolutely fantastic design choice, giving you better influence over the relationships between cats in a game all about managing relationships between cats. The people who came up with that one should be kissed on the mouths.

I'm not sure how much I'd get out of them as a storytelling element for BB, though.

It's not a complete no-- Clangen's mediators are pretty close to that "Therapy" rework I floated. Making their role more about interpersonal conflict, giving advice, helping individual cats work through their issues.

At the same time though, I find that the sense of community is so much stronger when that isn't someone's "job," but just something someone in the Clan can relate to.

Jaypaw could have had some sessions with a hypothetical therapist to confront his internalized ableism-- but isn't it more interesting for him to realize that by calling himself worthless for his disability, he's directly insulting his mentor Longtail too? And that Longtail will invoke his Battle Cat right to FIGHT for his honor?

They could consult elders, find a surprising connection in a Clanmate they'd never paid attention to, reignite an old friendship they thought they lost forever. There already feels like so many possibilities, and all of them feel more intriguing than "goes to the designated therapy guy."

If there's anyone like a political diplomat in BB though, it feels like it should evolve from Merchants. Ive got some stuff about trading and bartering in the works, and I think there's more space for interesting ideas there.

[homely-lunatic]

me: so a lot of people theorized that burt and irving were actually a married couple on the outside and thats why their innies were so immediately drawn to each other, and everyone was a little disappointed this wasnt the case, but I actually think the opportunity for the opposite to happen in season 2 — burt and irving's outies falling in love as a result of their innies' love transcending severance — is infinitely more interesting and thematically relevant. throughout the first season we're shown and even outright told that innies aren't seen as real people, when its evident that they are real people with real experiences and personalities that are separate from their outies. a storyline where two innies fall in love as a mere byproduct of their outies already being in love almost reinforces the idea that innies aren't people, in a sense pushing the idea they're unable to form genuine connections without those connections preexisting for their "real" self. but having two outies fall in love as the result of their innies only goes to show that the experiences these people have while in lumon are just as real and valid and capable of transcending severance and having an impact on their lives outside. its not just a case of "outies are the real people and their innie's experiences are simply a byproduct of theirs" its "outies and innies are both real people sharing a body and their respective experiences have the potential to bleed through in both directions and impact both of their lives" and I think thats just going to be a way better way to take the story in the long run

wendy's cashier: ma'am are you going to order

[mintedwitcher]

Anyone still writing sterek in 2024, can I get uhhhhh protective Derek without the "mate bond" trope? Also a double BAMF Stilinski fam, and a side of Fuck You Sc*tt McC*ll? Thanks :)

[souenkun]

I can't get over how this is the first time that seiji sounds so defeated (while also revealing a different, unfortunate side of being a matoba heir)... the animators and suwajun really came in to whack me in the head one by one when I'm still reeling from reading this scene in the manga 😭

[lynx-doodles-indie-games]

the gents

(bonus below the cut)

owo demon

[jessread-s]

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

✩🌊🖤Review:

A dazzling adult debut from Saft!

“A Dark and Drowning Tide” follows Lorelai Kaskel, a sharp-tongued folklorist, and Sylvia von Wolff, her academic rival, as they pair up to solve their mentor’s murder whilst on an expedition to find a magical spring for their king.

Saft’s atmospheric writing contributes to her immersive world-building. Her story is set in the fictional kingdom of Brunnestaad, a country heavily inspired by Germany, that is populated by both Brunnestaaders and the Yevani, akin to the Jewish community. Saft tackles problems of nationalism and antisemitism through the perspective of her main character Lorelai, a young Jewish woman whose determination to make a name for herself in being a part of the Ruhigburg expedition stems from her experiences in being “othered”. I really appreciate the Jewish representation and how Lorelai’s rich knowledge of Jewish and German folklore contributes to the reader’s understanding of the country’s history, culture, and politics.

I could not get enough of the murder mystery Lorelai tasks herself with solving as well as the sapphic, academic rivals-to-allies-to-lovers subplot! Sylvia is the only suspect that Lorelai can rule out following their mentor’s murder. These circumstances push them to strike a begrudging alliance as they work together to prevent the murderer from striking again. I love the slow pacing of their relationship development as they are forced to confront their feelings while in each other’s proximity. I thoroughly enjoyed occupying Lorelai’s mind during this time. Lorelai is fascinating to follow as she draws on her knowledge of folklore, quick wit, and keen observation skills to find the Ursprung and the killer. At the same time, she is actively fighting against her love for Sylvia by burying her emotions and masking them with self-loathing. I adored watching Syliva break through Lorelai’s stubborn and guarded personality with her unrelenting optimism! They are truly opposites in every sense of the word and complete each other. Nothing was more satisfying than watching them capture the culprit and each other’s hearts!

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[wasabi-gumdrop]

as far as anime crossovers with dunmeshi go, i’ve seen some pretty silly comparisons with Kabru. let’s be serious here, he’d only need a few seconds in a room with Reigen before realizing the guy’s a conman. if we’re talking a matchup of comparable skills, Loid Forger is the one who’d actually be a real challenge for Kabru.

[dokibunni]

this is what i imagine happens when you press two barbie dolls together

[lucky-clover-gazette]

theamandafiles voice: he method acted an entire love story between us. yeah, he is that crazy. are you sure, volo? because if i may be so bold, it’s actually not even fucking possible for someone to spend as much time with me as you have, and not fall in love with me.

[ajcrawly]

Matthias Nonius describing Gideon (the First) as a "rival and ally". Pyrrha describing Nonius as "that mad sweetheart, Matthias". Matthias owes Gideon a debt, but doesn't even know his name - he fought him, once, and somehow came to owe him a debt which he still wants to honour a thousand years later (though, potentially, only because he's pissed that Gideon is getting all the glory of the impossible fight by himself). Nonius who knows the Cohort (2nd house! Gideon and Pyrrha's house!) rule "chickenshits don't get beer". This section of the Noniad which might reference that very conflict with Gideon:

“—‘your power is great, o servant of masterful Canaan; nor may I hope to be counted your equal in skill, nor in craft, nor even in bodily vigour…’”

tamsyn i beg you release the matthias/gideon(/pyrrha???) tapes. what happened here. i'm clawing at the dirt.