#Click for much worse quality actually

[purple-raspberries]

Happy Holidays! I spent it sketching FranklyDear angst!

Remember the hanahaki post?! Yup!

CW// puppet body horror with flowers, floral angst

[click for better quality]

:D

I liked thinking that Eddie, being the more emotionally open of the two, would be more prone to rapid flower growth. Maybe they’d pop out of his mouth, symbolizing his inability or unwillingness to speak out his feelings. The flowers coming out of the heart area are another detail I liked using for all of them! Eddie, I think, would let them build up inside him until they burst through and people start to notice. A hopeless lover. (I spent too much time drawing him haha!)

Frank, on the other hand, would actively cut them out as they built up inside him and made movement difficult. He seems the type to repress everything “unnecessary” or “silly” given the above mentioned situation (unwilling or unable to express love) in order to appear proper. This would also be a figurative act of rejecting those feelings that the flowers represent. Of course, ignoring an emotion often just makes it worse. He’d be the worst off, I think, if the disease got exponentially worse the more you tried to suppress your emotions. Does hanahaki work both ways? Does it work on perceived unrequited love or actual unrequited love? Let’s pretend only one of them has it in each situation :)

But how does the hanahaki get cured in puppets? Magic? Sudden glitter? Invasive surgery with a dose of blooming romance? Do the blooms wither with a slow recovery (sick fic + recovery)? So many options!

Edit: Perhaps instead of death it’s somehow worse. You become essentially a living bouquet or flower bush/patch. Rooted to a spot, uncomfortable and unable to move or speak until your body falls into such disrepair that you simply stop. Oh, what a tear jerker that would be. A too-late to be saved situation with a tragic ending :,)

[sashayed]

I haven't said as much about electoral politics this year as I have in previous cycles, because I am exhausted like everyone else and have nothing new or helpful to add. That is still true, so caveat lector I guess lmao!!! Happy American Election Day Fellow Sufferers!!

I have been experiencing an internal backlash the last few years to my extremely Sorkinpilled D.C. private school upbringing -- my childhood spent as a kind of convent schoolgirl in the faith of The System Is Good If We All Participate, which of course has a uhhh let's say generously a minimal engagement with the ways in which many of us are by design shut out of participating. I don't think idealism is necessarily childish, but I think MY idealism certainly has childish qualities, an undergirding of 90s feel-goodism, of civic participation as a subtle ego stroke and of voting -- although I would never have consciously put it this way -- as a way to feel superior to people who don't vote.

Lately there has bubbled up in me a sludgy, adolescent fury at this whole stupid country that has made it very very hard to feel like I should do even the bare minimum. For these people? AMERICANS? The ones that not only want Donald Trump to be president but saw what happened the first time and were like, We love this, do it again but worse? Whatever, fuckos. "I hope you people get your dearest wish and it chews you to death slowly," I may have thought.

I have also thought: why is it so controversial to ask elected officials to stop funding a genocide? Why are we treating people who make that ask, who are watching the current administration directly fund death on a mass scale and objecting to that choice, as if they are being babies and just need to get over it? How are they supposed to get over it? Why is anybody over it?

Anyway all this means that I, a known chipper door-knocker and caller of congresspeople, have been pretty low-key this current cycle. I think that is OK. I don't want to make this a big dramatic confessional about how I didn't write enough postcards or whatever. We all get exhausted and this was my turn.

But it has also been an illuminating cycle in that it's made it clear to me how much at my big age I still want politics to make me feel good, and when they don't, I still have the urge to throw a lil tantrum about it! I can get very superior and intellectual about how right-wing operatives manipulate their voters emotionally WITHOUT EVEN NOTICING that I too have been manipulated, in my case into the feeling that nonparticipation is a kind of revolutionary act.* Just absolute "I threw it on the GROUND" logic happening inside my head. "Maybe if I don't vote I will be doing Quiet Quitting, which is uhhhhh anticapitalist." I'm not a part of your system!!!

Anyway, I am trying to have self-compassion about it, and one way for me to do that is to project my internal experience onto a theoretical reader. That would be you, my imaginary friend who clicked on this post for some reason even though you have already decided not to vote! I just want to tell you that I am more sympathetic to your point of view than I have ever been in my whole life, and I'm sorry I have historically been a glib, holier-than-thou asshole about it in ways that may actually have made you MORE resistant to civic participation.

And you're right: it doesn't make that big a difference whether I personally vote or not, or whether you do. But if there are hundreds of us, and I think there are, then each of those people individually do starts to matter.

I guess I would humbly request that you and I both pay attention to what people who need help are actually asking for. I would ask that we both notice who wins when we abdicate this single responsibility. I would remind us both that participating in the electoral process is not some kind of weird either-or with participating in decentralized community building and mutual aid, and the best people we know do both. Isn't it interesting that somehow, insidiously, without even consciously becoming aware of this belief, we have started to think that you can only do one or the other? Who is telling us that story? Who does it serve?

Anyway. I took the stupid 90 minute round trip to my polling place which was VERY hot for some reason and I stood in the stupid line and some babies waved at me and I cast my vote for Kamala Harris and I'm glad I did it in the same way I'm glad after I do the dishes or take a stupid shower. Doing work doesn't always feel like anything. I also saw a really wonderful small black and white dog that I thought was a cat on a leash. I would not have seen that dog if I hadn't gone to vote. So politics can still make you feel good!!!

*I mean all this analysis is cute and everything BUT ALSO i did switch antidepressants twice in the last year, an astonishingly grueling process that almost made me [affect the trout population]. Could these things be related? hmmmmmmm, don't understand the question, won't respond to it.

[theamazingmaddyas]

AU where Michael survives the fall off the Williamsburg Bridge, but is badly injured, so Apollo brings him over to Asclepius to heal back up, and get physical therapy and occupational therapy, but Apollo and Asclepius (and Epione and hers and Asclepius' children) are all gods and have no sense of time, so they accidently keep Michael away from the rest of the half-bloods for eleven months until Jason, Leo, and Piper go to get the Physicians Cure, and to their surprise a demigod is there.

Now, since Asclepius has been focusing on healing Michael and also barely leaves Epidaurus, he also forgot to tell Michael about the whole war thing, so he's honestly really confused.

And then Leo recognizes him because Will has a picture of Michael on his quiver (and while giving the tour to Leo, the picture caught his eye and stuck, because adhd really makes you remember the randomest stuff) and tells him everything.

Michael is stubborn so when he hears about said war, he's ready to go, bows blazing, he wants to help. Asclepius thinks this is actually a terrible idea because you've barely been able to walk for a few months without crutches, and are still not at full strength, and Dad'll be disappointed if I let you go, but Michael's going.

So, along with the physicians cure, Jason, Leo, and Piper bring one feral Apollo kid back to the Argo II.

Percy thinks he's hallucinating because the guy he accidently killed is right there and maybe Tartarus messed him up more than he thought, and Annabeth is gaping at him.

Hazel and Frank have never been more confused in their life, which is saying a lot because both of them have the tendency to get confused over tiny things.

So, Michael becomes a temp member of the Argo II. Him and Frank get along amazing, and are always taking about archery and comparing bows (Frank's nearly two feet taller than Michael so his bow is actually twice Michael's bows size). And him and Percy have a much needed talk about the battle.

Sad part is Michael has to watch his father be banished and not heard from in six months (not fun), but good news is when Apollo does show up, we can get some quality Michael and Meg friendship! Apollo wishes they'd never met, but Meg adores Michael so much.

Meg jabbed Apollo with her elbow. "Your son is so cool."

Apollo glanced at where his eldest son at camp was currently chasing Sherman Yang with a broken arrow shaft, cursing with a variety of colorful language that, if he hadn't heard Meg say worse, he would be tempted to cover her ears. "I agree."

Meg clicked her tongue. "Must have got it from his mother, because you're lame."

Apollo gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. "Meg, you wound me!"

Meg chuckled softly. "Sucks to face the truth."

Another awesome scene could be Will, Kayla, and Austin reuniting with him, or Michael getting to curse out Octavian! (Would pay money to see).

Will I do anything with this AU? Maybe. I have too many WIP right now to dedicate time to it, but maybe it'll come sooner or later. I definitely want to write a Michael survives story (all the ones I've read are actually some of my favorite things ever), but whether I choose to do this one is up in the air.

[loudclan-clangen]

So, here is the pitch:

AU where Siltsplash finds out they are pregnant around the same moon that Eklutna gives birth to the boys. (Rather than an AU where Owl doesn’t cheat because then we wouldn’t have Song, Dance, or Dash and that won’t do)

It makes the betrayal even worse because it’s even more pointless since they were going to give Owl an heir.

Anyway, meet Spindlekit

She will eventually go blind I imagine, but if Owlstar suggest she retire she tells him that he should retire for being old lmao.

Warrior name is open to suggestion

I love her and I’m so mad that she doesn’t exist now.

The fact that Song doesn’t have a little sister is a CRIME. This is what he was born to do.

Not only am I okay with it, I would love to see it!

You are so right, here's a flashback that was cut for time from Moon 28:

Erminepaw has had a crush on Songpaw since they were in the nursery together, he just never called attention to it. He honestly probably doesn't even register that it is a crush, he's doing that thing that kids do where they're like this is my best friend, of course I want to marry him that's how everyone feels about their best friend. Nothing out of the ordinary here! Just my best friend that I must be holding hands with at all times for best friend reasons!

Yes! This is Fox----, he has been causing problems since the literal day he was born. You've met both of his parents, but I would be a little bit surprised if you guessed them correctly. Parental drama is kinda part of his whole deal. He's one of the first 3rd generation cats born in Loudclan.

I have SO much advice, about the images, the recommended size is 1280 x 1920 pixels, that's always a little too short for my panels, so I try to aim for 1280 x 2000 - 3000. It still deteriorates them a little bit, but people can always click on them for better quality. Bigger text and variation in values also help for readability regardless of size. (value meaning how light or dark a color is. if you want something to stand out it's more important to change the value than it is to change the hue generally speaking.) As for grabbing attention, I would recommend making sure that the image you're trying to show is visible above the cut off for longer posts, posts with only text visible are a lot less likely to get interaction. That being said, the most important thing for the longevity of your blog is making sure that it's something you are doing for yourself. There's nothing wrong with liking when your posts get attention, but it's not likely to happen for a long while (I think moon 5 was the first time I got double digit likes which was three months after I started.) I appreciate all of the love that Loudclan gets now, but if I had started with that as the goal I never would have been able to reach the point of it happening. (I actually started posting Loudclan with the intention of proving to myself once and for all that posting art was not a viable endeavor for me, so... I'll consider that a successful failure!)

You CANNOT DO THIS to me anon- "the canadian city"- YOU MEAN JUNEAU? YOU MEAN THE CAPITAL OF ALASKA JUNEAU?!?! JUNEAU?!?! CANADIAN?!?! When I catch you anon- anon when I catch you-

Come here, anon. I just want to talk. I just want to have a word with you.

[raguiras]

What's this?! Spade of Storms is canon in the game now?! /j

Finally finished this Spade of Storms WIP from early June 😅 Click for better quality!

Reblogs are very appreciated ~

「 Bonus versions & ship ramble below the cut! 」

♤ More Deuce x Allen: ♤

SHIP INTRO: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

OTHER ART: 1

Ship blog: @spade-of-storms

♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤

♤ Ship ramble ♤

There are many reasons why Allen and Deuce are perfect for each other (list), but a fair share of said reasons are rooted in or can be traced back to one massive, highly important core point: these two have extremely similar experiences in a reversed order.

Said experiences shaped their personalities, goals, insecurities and "masks" — all of which are highly important factors for Deuce and Allen's relationship development.

So today, I'll be talking about how their backstories influence Allen and Deuce's relationship.

Something I noticed is that if Spade of Storms weren't dating, they'd pretty much end up experiencing at least parts of each other's backstory... and end up in a super miserable state.

Allen is a former honor student who overworked himself to the point of burning out, all because he was a people pleaser and his stellar grades still weren't enough for his teachers who expected nothing but the absolute best from him. Additionally, he had to suppress his true self and interests because he was expected to be a model student in every single way, and anger was something only "bad" kids felt.

Sounds familiar? Deuce is unknowingly on the path to end up in the same situation, except in his case, the fact that he can't seem to achieve better grades no matter what causes him even more distress. If he actually ended up becoming a honor student, Deuce would experience a ton of additional pressure, not to mention that he's already struggling to hide the delinquent tendencies that are a fundamental part of his true personality... Sure, "honor student" sounds like a nice and admirable title to have — but the reality behind it is cruel, and Deuce isn't aware of that yet.

Which is why I gave him Allen.

A large part of Allen's trauma is rooted in his past as a honor student and the crushing expectations people (including himself) threw at him, and he desperately wants Deuce to watch out for himself and approach his goal of becoming a honor student carefully and logically rather than bite off more than he can chew and end up drowning in even more pressure, self-suppression and insecurities. Allen doesn't want Deuce to experience all the negative sides of being a honor student and instead supports the Heartslabyul student's goals by working towards them with a pace appropriate for Deuce, helping him study through actually unique methods specifically tailored for Deuce, and — most importantly — giving Deuce a safe and healthy environment where he can be his 100% authentic self and learn how to properly get his impulsiveness under control at the same time.

And the other way around? How does Deuce's past help Allen?

Deuce quit being a delinquent because it not only disappointed his mom, but also caused him a lot of trouble and massively stained his reputation. While Allen can handle his own delinquent tendencies just fine on the outside, his anger is actually much worse than Deuce's, not to mention that he has incredibly violent fantasies about the people he can't stand...

So far, Allen hasn't done anything bad. But Deuce, despite being a delinquent at heart himself, is able to calmly remind Allen to not do anything he might end up regretting or that might stain his reputation, especially since this is a major fear of Allen's. Deuce's worries and loving way manage to keep Allen in check, no matter how strong the Ramshackle student's hatred for society grows.

♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎

Now, HOW exactly are they able to help each other grow? WHY did they form intimate levels of trust to begin with? And especially, why can Allen actually efficiently help Deuce in the first place when nobody else can?

All will be revealed in the next issue Spade of Storms explanation post >:)

[blurreynights]

I think the biggest culture shock I experienced in Finland so far is around friendships, as well as the area where I learned a lot of valuable things about myself. I might not be entirely right about this as I've only been here for a short time, but those are my main take-aways:

(under the cut to not block ur tags w my english rambling)

Trying to build real friendships takes time, much longer than in my home country. It is relatively easy to get in contact with Germans in my experience, especially if you live in a bigger city and speak the language, ESPECIALLY if you are a student and just starting out in a new phase of your life. You will naturally hang out frequently if you match well and spend a lot of time together. It might take a few meetings before people will invite u to their home, but generally there's not much distance as soon as the ice is broken.

Here I feel like people are much slower and more reluctant to open up. But that doesn't equal rejection, it's simply a slower process and you will still be able to tell the difference between being rejected and being on the path of friendship. In Germany, it's usually a lot more fast paced and there is a small window you have to catch to get into tight friendgroups. If you miss it, no chance of ever going back, vibe gone chance gone. Also people who might have found you interesting could lose interest if you wait for too long (meaning usually a month or so) to get back to them.

I actually realized that this way of socializing stresses me tf out. I much prefer a more laid back approach where you can get to know each other without time limitations (of course prerequisite is that you have the time). It is a much more sustainable, thoughtful and respectful approach to someone elses time. You're not treated as disposable, but rather as a person someone actively chooses to get to know.

Likewise, if people feel like they either do not vibe with you or if they already have a very busy social life or life in general, they will let you know and don't pretend to have time or like you. This was quite a new thing to me and felt a bit cold, but I actually really appreciate it now, as it's saving you from stressful, draining interpersonal connections. It also made me respect some people immensely, because they know their own self worth and boundaries quite well.

It made me reflect upon my tendency to be a people pleaser, and the strong yearning I have to treat my own relationships the same way as I've experienced it here. I've grown so tired of superficial connections that are placeholders for true, fulfilling friendships. I used to think being lonely was the worst thing in the world. It kind of is still awful, but what's worse is being surrounded by a bunch of people you don't really click with or can rely on, which leaves you lonely as well. I do think letting go of this is something that will slowly seep over into my own life, as it is so freeing.

I also intend on staying, or rather coming back when I've finished up all my business back in Germany (I am not really rooted to the city I live in). People who I've told about this recent development were very worried if I would be able to be happy in a country that is (generally) much more reserved when it comes to social interaction, as I need social interaction regularly. I don't really think it's that big of an issue, as I think I can balance out people's passive approach with my more active one in the beginning. I have a high social battery, so I'm fine with interacting with a few more people, before people get truly comfortable to hang out on the regular. Yet I also prefer quality interactions over a bunch of small talk meetups I don't care about. I also still have my core friends who I talk to regularly on the phone, and this has been a tradition for years already before I came here.

What I am immensely struggling with right now is trying to make sense of all the connections I made in the past 10 years. This is the 6th city I lived in the last decade, and the 8th move. All my relationships feel so spread out and scattered. I am holding on to some solely because those people were there when I moved somewhere new and I didn't have anyone else. Like back in school, when I was friends with people because they were the only ones there. It's all a bit confusing and painful right now, as my values and perspectives are changing. I think there are a lot of people moving from the friends to acquaintance category right now. I'm completely redefining friendships for me at the moment.

[spdrvyn]

parched — MIGUEL O'HARA

(( I FINALLY WATCHED ATSV AAAGHHHH IT WAS SO GOOD !!! not gonna say anything because if i ramble it will 100% go into spoiler territory but it was probably the best movie i've ever seen no exaggeration. anyway, here's a small miguel one shot? drabble? spoiler-free :3 ))

READ PART 2 HERE.

You and Miguel led nearly entirely different lives.

He was constantly out and about. Putting his body, his mind through strenuous lengths for the sake of the people. For the sake of everyone. He sacrifices a piece of himself, bit by bit. Everyday. Just for everybody else's peace.

Your job almost felt a little silly next to his. After all, you were quite sure that being Spider-Man didn't offer a week of paid vacation. Which you were extremely grateful to have, by the way.

In all honesty, you felt the smallest piece of pity for him. You were able to catch up on your hobbies, enjoy shows that were put on your list for so long, and get more than 5 hours of sleep.

You knew that Miguel was barely getting a shred of that. How did you know? Even in two in the morning, while you were resting on the couch and catching up on yet another show, you hadn't heard him come in through the window that you normally keep open for him.

Worry seeps it's way into your brain as you try to focus on the pixels in front of you. Of course, you were scared for him. Everyday that he went out, the unexpected could happen and well... You didn't want to think too deep into it.

At least, your mind was distracted when you were working but now you were relaxing, the thoughts that you tried bury deep down under to the crevices of your mind were all coming back again.

It only concerned you more when throughout the week so far, you'd seen him less and less. On occasion, in the middle of the night, the click of a lock would alert you awake but before you could sit up and investigate, strong arms locked around your waist and a head pressed into your shoulder.

You sighed, reaching for the remote and pausing your show.

The worries, the yearning. It all gave you a swirling, growing feeling in your gut that you hadn't really familiarized yourself with. You weren't sure if you liked it, you weren't sure if you hated it. Though the way that it pierced into you like a newly sharpened spear just confused you even further.

Trying to focus on another feeling growing inside of you. Hunger and satisfying it, you hoped it would get all of this off of your mind as you lazily walk into the kitchen.

A reoccurring theme whenever you wanted a snack was once you actually made your way to the pantry, decisions were a foreign concept and your cravings were like trying to read binary code.

Instant ramen? Cookies? Chips? Ice cream?

Felt even worse this time when you hadn't particularly been exercising your brain recently, a mental note to yourself to be just a little bit on edge when you get a break like this.

You opt on giving up entirely, you slam the cabinet door, and turn around to get back to the couch until—

There's a weight against your back and waist, keeping you against the counter.

As you look down, you see the familiar shades of red and blue. Sighing, you look to a little over your shoulder and take a little peek. To see closed eyes signalled by Miguel's mask. The marks trembling shut, you feel his grip on you get tighter.

In a volume as close to a whisper, you break the silence, "Miguel? You okay?" Like you expected, he takes off his mask. Eyes screwed shut, brows furrowing as you can see the stress lines and deep circles under them.

He sighs but not out of being content, thumb tracing small shapes into your stomach. "Been so lonely, mi cielo."

Your heart clenches as that. That was right, you understood what kind of lover that he could be. Needy, clingy, these qualities festering even more each moment he spends away from you. You noticed how much he was holding back right now.

He normally liked to fix himself up before getting all comfortable and relaxed with you. Showering, brushing his curls, general self-care but the moment he came inside his first instinct was to go to you.

Those thoughts from a while ago that were nearly going to absorb you came back. To think the cold that Miguel had to endure out there from how tightly he wanted to absorb your warmth.

"I missed you so much. Me sentí tan solo, don't wanna let go."

You were going to respond but your mind practically short-circuited when he started pressing soft kisses along your neck and shoulder. You let him indulge himself, just a little while.

Of course, his job terrified you sometimes but seeing him like this. Seeing him let his guard down, talking about how much he missed you, calling you his darling.

Perhaps Spider-Men had their own charm but Miguel's just got you wrapped around his finger like nobody else could.

For a brief moment, he nibbles on the flesh at the back of your neck. Pressing one last kiss, "Will get fixed up, then voy a demostrarte cuánto te extrañé después de todo este tiempo."

Shamefully, you didn't pick up learning Spanish yet from how much Miguel speaks it to you. Yet through context clues and bashfully asking him what the things he said meant sometimes.

You knew exactly what was going to come next.

[cads-the-cat]

Sleep Token is being turned into a brand rather than a band and being commercialised to a point where it will harm them more than help them

An opinion on there being too much ST merch

Befofe starting this, i want to clear up a few things

I am aware that Vessel and ii probably have very little responsibility/say in this and it's the management/rca who is doing this

Yes, i am a fan and i support them. However, it is unhealthy and not good to blindly support every decision and action of your favourite artist, person etc without questioning them and holding them accountable

I know that earning money with music in times of streaming is hard/impossible but that does not justify those moves of tryihg to get as much money as possible out of them

This also applies to other bands, but the extent to which this aapplies to ST is extreme compared to others

We are one week into this year and there has already been a new merch drop. After 6 days. You know when the last one was? Less than a month ago. Same merch shop (US). The items? Some of them questionable (flannels??). The leather jacket? Insane (not in a good way). It looks okay but you could make one yourself and make it look way cooler and get it for less money as one of my tumblr moots said.

I remember last year up until July/August it kind of was a running joke in the fandom about the emails with obtain and how we're too broke to obtain, but now? This is not a joke anymore. Ever since last year we have gotten emails ALMOST EVERY MONTH, sometimes even several times a month about new merch releases.

Yes, there are different stores worldwide, but we live in a time of international shipping. And even for one store it's lots of releases. Plus then there's all the licensed products shops like Hot Topic, Impericon, EMP and whatever their local equivalents are, who also constantly release more merch.

What's even worse: a lot of those things are either a shitty quality (if i remember right, one of the hoodies or tshirts from the EU tour 2024 had the print peeling off after one wash) and/or really bland. Where is the cool art, the thing that makes these items special? I got a tshirt from the German Rituals 2023 with this sick artwork on it that i cherish more than anything. But compared to that most tour merch of the more recent tours has been nothing special.

Most of them just have the logo on it and it reminds me of any ither fashion brand. There's only so many jumpers and t-hsirts and sweatshirts with the logo that a person needs and the constant release of new but actually the same stuff is creating this insane overconsumption which harms fans' bank accounts and the environment and is straight up boring. There's nothing about them that makes them special and unique and cool. It feels like at this point it is a contest of how many ST logos can they plaster on an item before it looks ridiculous (on the leather jacket i counted at least four, three of them massive).

Which brings me to the next point. People just slap on a ST logo because the band is so hyped and to make money off it or get more clicks, even if it is only remotely related to them. I understand that in today's world you need to use buzzwords to make people pay attention, but with ST it has reached the most ridiculous level. The air of anticipation some magazines or brands build around some upcoming stuff with words like Worship and whatever, which everyone connects to ST, just to reveal a mid product or result is just horrible and will eventually make it less effective which can harm the band in the long run if they can't build up excitement for new releases as much as they could because everyone is 'burnt out' because it's been overused.

Overall, this insane amount of merch and using ST to sell anything or get clicks is not okay. The fan base is so dedicated and loyal and we deserve better than to be - for the lack of a better word - exploited like this just because we like and support an artist. Prices for everything have been rising for years and it's hard for a lot of us financially. We spend so much money on concerts already and then the ton of merch and everything on top is just too much. ST as a brand is used to exploit fans which is not how you should treat your fans (again want to emphasise that this is mostly on management and label, not Vessel)

You might think 'But you don't have to go to concerts or buy their merch'. That's right, you don't. But concerts are kind of the thing when you're a fan of a band, and you want to support your fave band abd wear merch and show that you like them. However, the merch and everything is limited and posed in a way that creates FOMO and everyone is always drilled to Consume and Obtain (yes that's how capitalism works and that is not good in this situation because it harms us fans so much.) I can't deny I've given in to this as well twice during the EU shows and i am now left with an underwhelming sweatshirt and a hat that i never really needed and probably wouldn't have bought if i hadn't been in this mindset so much.

'Oh but i want to support Vessel and the band.' Yes, merch does help out artists, especially in times of streaming. But how much do you think they make? Merch is using little to no lyrics or song related things that the band could earn money off due to copyright. And i don't know who owns the right to the logo (i did some research and found someone in management with three trademarks on something ST related but it never specified if that applies to just the name or the logo or the music or whatever - it was not Vessel though). Who knows how much is going to management and the label and how much the band actually earns. Right now it feels like the management and label want to make as much money possible from them for their own gain. As an alternative to support them, start buying their albums and vinyls so they earn more money off their songs.

So, what do i want? Obviously i don't want fans to stop buying merch because it does help artists to some degree. However, I want less merch releases, one or maximum two a year per merch store (so AUS, US and UK/EU). We can have a few simple designs with the logo on it, but i also want some cool pieces with art or something else that makes them special. I know artists are expensive and stuff, but that's why you make less items but higher quality. Make them available in larger quantities so that more people can buy them and they will still get their money. Plus you always have extra tour merch, which is another extra release. Make the merch special again and make it mean something to people instead of just being another logo like a fashion brand.

If they continue like this fans will eventually be unable to afford stuff, people will turn away from merch because they realise it's all the same, and the effect of using ST as a brand/connection simply to sell stuff will harm their reputation (it already is). Whoever is responsible for this merch insanity needs to put a stop to it. Please!

This is just my opinion. Disagree if you want to. Some things, especially the effects of the situation, are portrayed slightly exaggerated, but this is how it makes me feel and I truly believe this is not a great situation we're in right now with the merch.

(Not taking any responsibility for typos)

[overandundertarot]

Glimpse of a Cute and Comforting Moment Between You and Your Future Spouse.

Let's take a sneak peak into a moment between you and your future spouse that will bring you some comfort right now!

Piles 1-3

Pile 1

Cards; 5 of cups reversed, The magician, 10 of cups reversed. Ouuu pile 1 this moment may come after a fight or just an overcharged, intense situation. Your future spouse would be feeling so emotional but you would be calm throughout, offering comfort and guidance. You are an optimistic person, you'll be thinking of how to make the best of what's happening. You may also have short hair. You could also try brainstorming with them. To them, it feels like anything can workout as long as you're by their side. They'll be thinking; damn! I'm so glad i have them on my side. They just think you're so dependable and honestly you're their emotional support. I'm getting that after this moment they might feel like they were underappreciating you before and become determined to cherish you properly going forward. A lot of whats coming forward is how your spouse feels for you and views you, they adore you! And in this moment they're feeling the full force of that adoration, even though they may not have realised it themselves before this. I'm seeing you two sitting down, close together; could be cuddling, but definitely holding hands. It would be a silent moment and they would just be staring at your face so hard, trying to comit it to memory. In this moment you give them the strength to go on, you're their comfort. For some this could be before you enter the relationship and this moment is what's going to endear you to your future spouse and make them start seeing you in a romantic light! They'll be freshly out of a breakup and think that the perfect person for them was here all along, im sensing that you may intuitively understand this as well and also start persuing them. You were waiting for a chance! You're quite sly pile one lmao.

Pile 2

Cards; 8 of pentacles, 5 of swords reversed, Justice. You and your fs are very much partners in crime. You work very well together. This moment is at a time of success for both of you. For you pile 2 though, you may be feeling a sense of loss, kind of like this success is bittersweet. The journey to where you are at the time of this moment was not easy, but you were determined to get through. It feels like because you were hurt in the past, you were worried about the situatuation but your future spouse is more practical and they're telling saying something like; "If you put in the work of course you'll get the results." Lmao, they may be quite stern faced and a no nonsense kind of person. Either way, it's a moment that you'll share with your community as well as one that you will both be absolutely engrossed in. You won't be thinking about anything else. I'm getting that you both are very involved in the welfare of others and this may be connected to both of your careers, like a philanthropist couple. For some, this could be a proposal amongst friends and family and you'll be so surprised, bursting into tears saying something like "I can't beleive this!" and your spouse would be disgruntled because to them it was very obvious that a quality relationship was built and that you were the one for them. It will feel like things are clicking into place for both of you. Confirmations/signs for this pile could be aries or leo, air signs and birds, law, mesmirising eyes and the night sky.

Pile 3

Cards; 4 of wands, 8 of wands, knight of cups. This is a pivotal moment for the expansion of your relationship. It will feel much worse in the moment than it will actually be. Your future spouse is so playful pile 3. They may appear unserious and withdrawn meanwhile you get jealous and insecure because of this. To be honest, both of your attitudes are quite different from the outcome of the situation. This may be a misunderstanding that resolves itself through sheer luck and coincidence. Your spouse is a dreamer, someone who loves to keep their head in the clouds but are afraid of attachment, meanwhile you feel too much and don't know how to translate that properly to other people so your feelings can come off as too much or simply not sincerely. Despite this you still end up in a successful relationship together and hold on strong. Regardless of that, this is a moment of separation. Your spouse may be interacting with someone which makes you jealous. It's clear that in this moment you decide to move on, your fs may attempt to chase but it just brings about a bigger misunderstanding. There's so much pining between you two, it's unreal. Your love story is filled with twists and turns. It's like evrytime you try to seek comfort from your friend as about your relationship they may be thinking,"What happened NOW?!" This is a moment that you both look back on, later in your relationship and laugh about. "Gosh, we were so stupid!" Confirmations for this pile are birds, all the cards I pulled for this pile had birds on them.

***

Thanks for participating in this pick a pile reading! Any feedback would be awesome :)

[ackermanslov4r]

how would levi receive each of the love language ?

PHYSICAL TOUCH

Levi is a complete stranger to touch. He always made sure to keep a certain distance with others, hoping that putting up physical barriers would stop his heart from getting attached,that he’d save himself from any more grief and loss if only no one approached him.

So when you first touched him, even if it was just fingers slightly brushing against each other or the ghost of a hand on his shoulder ; even just that threw his whole world upside down. He went from avoiding touch to craving it in a split seconds, every fibers of his body now yearning for your touch.

He’s not one to initiate it, unless in private (and even then he still struggle to grasp the idea that his desires can be act upon,and don’t have to simply stay ideas and daydreams) but he’s almost always sending small signals that his hand would like to be held,that his arms would absolutely love to rest around your waist and that his lips have been deprived of yours for too long. In public he has to maintain a certain image, so only small unnoticeable touches are allowed, but as soon as you’re in the privacy of your room or home then he’s always in touch with you in one way or another.

WORDS OF AFFIRMATIONS

Levi crave your sweet words almost as much as he crave your touch. He’s not used to being complimented on anything other than his fighting skills,and he’s spent most of his life feeling disconnected from himself,not paying attention to his appearance or to his personality ,only making sure he was always at the best of his strength.

So when you tell him how you love this or that about him, that you like the way he does his tea or comb his hair, he doesn’t really know how to take it and simply stare at you for a few seconds while trying to comprehend the wave of emotions that’s pouring over him. You noticed details about him that he didn’t even know were there,making him feel like more than just a soldier,making him feel like Levi and not simply humanity’s strongest soldier.

Sometimes he’d do things specifically to try and earn a compliment from you, never directly asking for your reassurance but always looking for it.

QUALITY TIME

In a world where time is so rare, where additional minutes are earned through training and fighting, Levi would be mitigated whenever you choose to spend your precious time with him,telling you that maybe it’ll be more useful for you to be training for the next mission than to be with him, silently trying to communicate his fear of losing you through his harsh commands.

But despite his words, he doesn’t show any sign of actually wanting to see you somewhere else,his soul craving for your presence while his brain fills with worries and scenarios each worse than the one before. Sometimes it’s like he can hear time’s clicking clock when you’re together,his whole body tensing as he wonder how many days you’ll get, if one of you will have to continue without the other, if the joy of loving you is worth the pain of losing you.

But even with his fears,there’s nothing he loves more than to spend time with you,and even when he complains he still seek your presence as your absence,even for a few seconds, is worse than any suffering he’s ever been put through.

GIFT GIVING

Levi could count on one hand how many gifts he’d received in his life. Just like touch and words, gifts were rarely directed toward him, his circles so small that unless occasional “giftperiments” from Hange ; no one ever really thought about giving presents to each other.

So whenever you do think about getting him something, he’s left in a slight state of shock as well as true adoration toward your gesture. He doesn’t care about wether or not he likes the gift or can find a use to it, because no matter what he’ll cherish it,carefully storing it to make sure it doesn’t get damaged or stolen,looking at it after a nightmare to bring him back to reality.

Your gifts will warm his heart and serve as a reminder of your love,of what he’s fighting for,of what makes life worth living.

ACTS OF SERVICES

Due to his place in the Scouts, Levi has a pretty busy schedule,and rarely have time to do anything that isn’t related to his job. Over the years he’s gotten used to it,used to the tiredness and exhaustion, never really wishing for more free time as he can scarcely recall the last time he had any.

So whenever he realizes that his schedule now has an empty space because you’ve taken care of whatever duty he had to do, he’s left completely bewildered,wondering what to do of this time but also why,after all he’s done, all the blood on his hands, why he deserves such an affectionate and caring person in his life.

He never ask for you to do things for him as he’s used to doing them alone but also doesn’t want to bother you with such mundanities ; but if he ever comes home to find dinner already prepared, his paper works organized and his clothes cleaned, he’d feel such an overwhelming wave of love that words will fail him and he’d just stand here,holding you gently,pressing small kisses on your shoulders.

[deepspacespicy]

Part 1 blurb to toxic AND doomed shockwave x cybertronian reader: before the fall

I have been so PLAGUED by thoughts of Shockwave I swear to god this idea has been in my head for days (also note that I haven't read any of the comics where half of this lore comes from so if I get something wrong please tell me 😭)

So this goes back to the Senator Shockwave days right. Expressive, vibrant, empathetic, iconic, etc.

Then there's you. Lower class worker, probably a service bot of some kind like a waitress or factory drone.

He meets you when you're scrounging together energon to feed yourself. You lock eyes with him and freeze, not only because obviously you recognize him but because you know he knows too that all the excess energon is supposed to go back into storage, but... you havent had enough to eat recently.

I don't think Senator Shockwave would ever report someone for a victimless crime and as such turns a blind eye, even going so far as to keep your boss occupied so you can finish scrounging, which you remain suspicious of until he contacts you again later.

He's amicable like every politician is supposed to seem, but then he starts asking you questions, like how often you get rations and if they're of any decent quality. You tell him to frag off, thinking things some weird pity thing for clout but he apologizes for infringing, but that he suspects a global energon shortage is in the horizon, a result of expansion and over population on the planet. He tells you he's working to find an alternative energon source for the future of Cybertron.

You tell him to take his fear mongering propaganda elsewhere, but much to your horror he does not. Even worse, the longer he wears on your patience the more you think he might actually have a point. Even while arguing where you can, by the end of the encounter you're forced to concede that he might be on to something, but it makes no sense as to why he'd waste his time to tell you all this when he could be campaigning for more support.

His optics twinkle when he speaks. "It wasn't a waste." He says. "You believe me, don't you?"

He departs shortly after, citing a need to get back to that campaign of his. You watch him leave, baffled by the encounter and left wondering about the future.

That was, unfortunately, far from the last you'd see of him. He seemed to seek you out, which was crazy, because every time you spotted him you clicked your tongue and rolled your eyes.

You're strong-willed and you're smart. That's what he likes about you. It takes a while of him wearing you down with his presence before you realize you're actually fairly comfortable around him. He doesn't treat you like a subject or as the lower class bot you are, he treats you like a friend, a peer even. You give up trying to understand him and before you know it, your walls have come down and he's waltzed inside your spark.

You can't see each other with any frequency due to his busy schedule but you keep up via comms and he comes to visit you whenever he can. It's always been harder for you to travel to him all the way up in the nicer parts of Iacon but he's always told you he didn't mind.

You become confidants, he tells you about Orion Pax, his hope for the future, and his concerns and arguments with the functionists on the senate. He talks a bit about his experiments but doesn't go too deep in detail about them. They put you off a little because generally they do seem a little unethical but this is before he's willing to actively put people's life at risk, so you tentatively agree that the ends will justify his means.

[creatureprofessor]

For day 5 of @terroryuriweek - alternate universe

(click for better quality!)

Portrait of arcane navigator Le Vesconte and saint-guided navigator Fitzjames, who were assigned as core navigators for the expedition tasked with mapping out the spatial anomaly known as the "Northwest Passage". Taken in 845 A.C. near the skyport of New Greenhithe, colorized.

More about them and this AU under readmore:

This is the Skyship Navigators or simply Navigators AU, which exists in a universe I created a couple years ago, and just plonked the Terror guys as women in there. Actually, there are 2 stories taking place in this world before this AU which have nothing to do w The Terror, but more on those at another time.

In a nutshell, this universe is somewhat similar to our Earth, yet the rules of magic, science and such are different. No machine more advanced than a steam engine can really exist in there; at least, not in a large scale because of Anomalies.

Centuries ago, an event called the Seven Days of Calamity happened, which then made advanced machinery unusable, and caused pocket disturbances all over the planet (think of the book Roadside Picnic or the Divine Cities trilogy). These Anomalies vary in shape, size and abilities, but they essentially made land travel very risky and travel by sea nearly impossible. This is why humanity uses skyships for trade and travel, and the role of navigators has changed as well.

Because in the aftermath of the Calamity, new powers entered the picture: the fae, the arcane and saints which each existed before, but on a much more obscure scale. Also, there is no Christianity or Catholicism here they way it is in our world, it all works differently as the saints don't pray to God to grant miracles or to save someone, they themselves help their navigator.

There are 4 types of navigators: the Faeguided, arcane navigators (commonly known as ‘conduits’), saint-guided navigators (c.k. as ‘vessels’) and the Comedians, a rogue faction relying on lost then unearthed knowledge. Their job is to ensure the ship takes a safe route through the sky, with some help.

For brevity’s sake, arcane navigation relies on harnessing arcane magic to find safe paths, but it is highly addictive, and prolonged usage will lead to loss of sensation in the limbs and then to gradual paralysis. This can be mitigated by using arcane yet again to regain feeling, but this will make it all worse in the long run. But it’s the most powerful navigation type, as a conduit can also protect the ship itself from outside damage by conjuring shields.

Saint-guided navigators, as the name suggests, rely on the guidance and protection of their patron saint, each navigator having one. It is the “safest bet” of navigation, and the most prestigious. The Aerial Admiralty, who issues out navigators and deals with their training prefers it over the others.

Now for Dundy and Fitzjames:

Henriette Tamsin Dundas Le Vesconte (or Dundy to her friend(s)) is a middle-grade, but competent and reliable arcane navigator, assigned to be the core navigator on HMS Erebus alongside Fitzjames, with HMS Terror having saint-guided navigators Garnet Gore (originally from Erebus, a last-minute change) and Johanna Irving. Dundy is easy-going and easy to like, yet under the surface she can be quite headstrong and selfish, and can sometimes treat people with elegantly disguised impatience. She and Fitzjames have known each other since their early days at the Admiralty, had a thing back then, split while remaining the best of friends, but still land in each other’s arms from time to time.

Now, “She Who Lights the Way”, James or Jaimie Fitzjames (she uses both) is the poster child of the Admiralty, the ideal saint-guided navigator. Her patron saint is Saint James the Unblemished (partly why she decided to stick w James), whose jawbone she keeps sealed inside a compartment in her helmet (many vessels do this with relics). Normally, a prolonged patronage of a saint leads to the loss of individual identity, hallucinations and dissociation, but so far James remained largely unaffected. Graceful, decisive and brave, she is often first in line to protect the ship and has been employed on warships before, earning a gilded reputation. However, she keeps her past battle injuries a secret and her presence can be somewhat of an annoyance with her seemingly endless anecdotes. She never said it out loud, but losing Dundy would be a great tragedy for her, as she remains her best, and perhaps only friend.

But much will change during the course of that fateful expedition…

[baratiddyappreciator]

Dating the main Baki cast HCs

Continuing on with these because... idk, I can't find many that I really like.

Baki:

You two would probably get together sometime after Kozue has had enough with his constant putting his life on the line and in danger.

He's not a good boyfriend, but he's not a bad one either. He's really only had experience with Kozue, and even then, they weren't really together for a really long time.

He's either very present or very absent, there is no in-between. Be prepared to be put on a back burner if he wants to train to defeat a strong opponent or just because he yes he absolutely needed to spend an entire month training up in the middle of nowhere.

He does try and be present for you though, he likes to show his partner that he cares and appreciates them. A lot of making food and cuddling whenever he's not obsessively training or getting ready for a fight.

Introduce this man to ASMR and he will absolutely melt tbh, he's already super chill, ASMR would just amplify that level of chill. Once you introduce the concept of a self-care night, he'll be fully on-board.

"Hey baby, are you ready for our quiet night in? The blankets are fresh out of the dryer, they'll be nice and warm."

Kozue:

You two would probably get together a while after she dumps Baki because that boy gives her too much stress to date, but she can indeed keep him as a friend. Let me tell you that the relief of having someone less likely to get themselves killed by being an idiot from planet strong does wonders for this girl.

A lot of average and basic dates, but that's okay, she doesn't need anything fancy as long as you have a good time. It's about the quality with her, and some good quality time is all she needs.

Self care is really important to her, considering she spends a lot of time studying and doing extra-curricular activities (as well as worrying about Baki's dumbass), so playing with her hair during down time or even a little shoulder massage while she's studying goes a long way with her.

High-key needs someone who can reassure her that she's doing the right thing or validate her worries and not make her feel like she's crazy or over reacting about something that stresses her out.

Pamper the hell out of her, this girl deserves it. Get her some cozy pajamas and a nice fluffy blanket, drag her into bed and watch a movie or her favourite idols performing live before bed, help this girlie pop relax after a stressful week.

"Yeah, maybe I shouldn't have crammed that project, I mean, it's not due for another while. Thanks for the help!"

Hanayama:

He met you at a bar, and the man absolutely did not waste any time expressing that he was interested. Unfortunately for him, he's basically physically unable of being suave or subtle, so he absolutely fumbled the bag in the beginning.

Don't expect him to have any idea what he's doing in the beginning, he'll be awkward and confused about what he's doing with you, a lot of just straight up staring at you and than saying something that is (probably) really weird or rude. It takes a while for things to click with him, but once they do and he figures out what sort of things you like, he's actually a pretty good partner.

He's actually really sweet once he figures out what you like. Do you like quality time? Yeah, he can do quality time once in a while, just don't expect him to appreciate it if you ask him to snuggle while he's in front of his underlings. He has a reputation to uphold you know.

He absolutely loves showing off how strong he is for you. Need that jar opened? No problem, he's got it. Just make sure you have a spare container handy for whatever is inside. You want him to help you reach something? Yeah, he can do that, up you go. Anyone bugging you? Not anymore. As a matter of fact, they're never seen again, and if they are, it's definitely in worse shape then they were last.

He's theoretically a great listener, but whether or not he's actually listening to you is a 50/50, because he might just be lost in his own head. He doesn't talk a lot, but when he does speak his mind, you should probably listen, because he doesn't really confide in a lot of people.

He'll absolutely spoil you to show off, but then sometimes he'll get you small, really thoughtful gifts that he knows you'll like. Did your favourite necklace go missing? Don't worry, he's gotten it cleaned, fixed and polished, he's got it in his back pocket in a box so he can give it to you later.

"Hey, I've got somethin' for ya. Turn around and close your eyes, trust me, you'll like this one."

Katsumi:

Honestly, you either met him while just out and about and saw him with the Shinshinkai karate boys, or you met him while you were just out and about. Either way, it's one of those situations where you wind up having no clue how you bagged this one.

He's absolutely the kind of guy to be able to charm your socks (and pants) off but he does it with pure intentions. He just wants to make sure that you know he has eyes only for you.

He absolutely uses his parent's relationship to judge if he's doing things right. Do you look at him the same way his mom looks at his dad? No? Well, looks like he needs to work harder then, because that's absolutely how he wants his pookie to look at him.

You know those giant plush teddy bears? Yeah, so does he. He would absolutely get you one. He would also crawl inside said teddy bear and surprise you, especially if you've had a rough day. So if he asks you to go grab something from the store, then be very suspicious.

Absolutely the kind of guy to cuddle you while you both sleep. He'll wake up a few minutes early just so he can spend some time cuddling you before he gets up to work out. Lots of sleepy kisses and little mumbled I love you's while he rubs your back or plays with your hair.

"Hey precious, good morning. Did you sleep okay? The sun's not up yet, we can stay in bed a little bit longer."

Jack:

Honestly, you likely met him while he was out and about, likely at a restaurant or while he was at the gym, and he probably ignored you the entire time, the man is incredibly used to having to ignore people staring at him, but he's not very used to those stares being literal heart eyes.

He's oddly enough a more competent partner than Baki, but not by a lot. He'll give you attention, sure, but you aren't really a priority in his eyes, just a nice bonus that makes life more enjoyable for him. He'll at least pause his training and workouts to give you a small kiss on the forehead or to look at you while you're talking to him.

Definitely not perfect, he's a stubborn man, and while he'll usually give in to some requests of yours. He's not going to ease up on his training, and he's not going to stop taking steroids, but he will at least refrain from taking them in front of you, and he'll at least bring water with him while he trains.

Katsumi has lazy mornings, but Jack has lazy nights. After his night-time run, supper and a shower, he's perfectly happy to curl up and laze around with you until one or both of you falls asleep.

His voice gets really rumbly when he's tired or right after he's woken up, so talking to him when he's right on the cusp of sleep winds up in him mumbling back to you, not even bothering to open his eyes unless it's just stupid enough.

He's more used to violence, so gentle touches absolutely make him shiver. If you gently scratch the back of his man's neck right at the base of his skull you can knock him out in under five minutes. He can't even complain, it probably helps with his back pain, and he's not above returning the favour.

This man radiates heat too, so a movie night in bed while it's chilly out is just pure bliss with him, because he'd absolutely start tracing little shapes on your back and thighs.

"Hey darlin', c'mere, you're gonna get cold all the way over there. The bed's warm and it's gettin' kinda late."

Kosho:

You probably saw him doing something dumb and dangerous (cough cough standing in front of a charging bull cough cough) and he somehow managed to not die??? And you also managed to not die??? Impressive.

He's not a distant partner, but he's not very close either. He doesn't want you to be seen as a potential weakness for him, but he also wants to brag about you because you're just so gorgeous and precious, and he's absolutely head over heels.

If you like taking care of your hands, that's something he'll have in common with you. His hands and feet are some of his greatest weapons, his fingers and nails especially. Give him a manicure and he will both kill and die for you.

Treating his greatest weapons with such care and gentleness is a surefire way to show that you care about him and his training. Show this man some love, he deserves it.

Playfully bullying each-other is a very large aspect of the relationship most likely, he is a younger sibling, he's gotta get that younger sibling energy out somehow, but he won't cross the line, he's not trying to be mean.

"Yeah yeah, and you're the president of the United States. Should I follow you around everywhere you go like a lovesick puppy to make sure you don't get kidnapped?"

Kureha:

You most likely met him at work, in school, or at the gym. And like most other people, you probably thought that he was really charming and well-spoken. Until you got to know him a little bit better and realized that he's just a straight up bitch.

Unlike Kosho, who playfully teases you, Kureha will sometimes actively be mean to you. If you can roll with the punches though, you'll be surprised to find that he'll start showing you that he doesn't actually mean anything by his snarky comments.

No, he will not let you play with his hair, absolutely not, that is his and his alone. You can look at it though. And don't use his shampoo either. Sure it smells good, of course it does. It's his.

I hope you don't mind messes either, because this man is either one of the neatest people alive, or one of the messiest. I'm talking just walking away from whatever he's doing for hours on end because he got called away to do something, or got the sudden urge to go workout again.

He's also a wild sleeper, so for the first little bit you'll get some good sleep, but once he gets into a deeper sleep you're probably going to get kicked or rolled around.

If you somehow manage to sleep through that, then his fifteen billion alarms are probably going to wake you up. You will not be in a normal sleeping position, because he'll have moved you around in his sleep.

He doesn't really cuddle, but he will let you curl up to him. He likes feeling how much more delicate you are than he is. He's also the kind of guy to just grab your hand and look at it for a little while, doing all sorts of random stuff like posing your fingers or bending your wrist.

"You do know that you've got some of the worst circulation that I've ever seen, right? Your fingers are always so cold, go stick them under some hot water before you give me hypothermia."

Retsu:

It's a case of right place right time with this one, because as far as you were concerned, you were just going to go get some groceries, and now there is a wall of man asking you if you know where they moved the seasoning to.

Very much an old man when it comes to love. He'll take you out on several dates before he actually asks you to be his partner. Not like, six or seven dates, nono, enough dates to just assume that you were already official.

Even when you are dating, this man is going to be working hard to properly court you. Do you want a quiet night in? He'll clean the place up, cook some dinner and set up some nice music so you can have a relaxing atmosphere.

He's also the kind of person to just spontaneously go on a walk. Sitting inside all day when there's good weather is such a waste of a good day, why not go walk through the park to go see the ducks or watch other people having a good time?

A few months into actually dating, he'll just sorta start reading you poetry. Really beautiful poetry too. The man has such a relaxing voice that he could probably soothe you to sleep. Ask him to read you a story during a rainy day and you'll be snoring before he finishes the first chapter.

"Did you want some more tea before I begin? How about a blanket? Alright, let's see what we have here."

Doppo:

Honestly, the only way I can see Doppo getting into a relationship with someone is if Natsue passes away, and even then, he probably wouldn't, but HYPOTHETICALLY, if he did, it would be with someone closer to his own age, he wouldn't want to feel like a cradle-snatcher.

We all know how devoted he is to Natsue, if he falls for you he'll fall HARD, anything you want, you can get it, just say the words. Hell, you don't even have to say the words, if he catches you looking at something for a while with that look of want in your eyes, expect it to be placed into your hands on your next date night.

Speaking of date nights, those happen frequently. He wants to make sure you know just how loved and valued you are, so he's taking you out every weekend for a nice quiet dinner somewhere cozy and pretty.

Expect for him to teach you a thing or two about self-defense. He may be your Superman, but he's not always right by your side, and he wants to know that you're safe.

Katsumi is pretty chill, so he wouldn't exactly mind another parental figure in his life either. Which is good, because Doppo does care about his son, and if Katsumi is against you being with him, he'll be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

He holds your hands a lot. When you're walking, sitting together, laying down to go to sleep, he just likes holding your hands and calling you pretty.

He's a suave mf, he knows how to compliment someone to get their heart fluttering. He'll look you dead in the eyes and give you the most thoughtful, love-filled compliment anyone has ever given you, and he won't stop until you make him shut up.

"Honey, you are the most stunning person I know. I'm lucky that you chose me, because your love is like standing in sunshine, like walking on a cloud."

Shibukawa:

I just can't see him getting involved with someone much younger than him honestly. Just imagining him with a sweet older partner that he can just sit and exist with and talk about life is just such pleasant imagery for me.

Someone who understands all his old aches and pains, and is there to support him through it. He's not decrepit, mind you, he's still pretty spry for a man in his mid seventies, so if anything, he's the one taking care of you.

He loves his early mornings, drinking tea and watching the sun rise, listening to the birds and the sounds of nature before the city comes to life, probably sitting out on a patio, just the two of you.

A lot of mischief. He's a mischievous old man, and you'd probably have to reign him in, he's not as spry as the youngsters he pranks after all, and sometimes someone needs to remind him to slow down a little sometimes.

He probably has a collection of all of his glass eyes, divided between old broken ones and new unused ones, all the way from his first one to the newest ones that he's had made. It pays to have spares.

You know the old people who pop out their dentures to scare kids? Yeah he does that with his eye, and you'd be left either trying to comfort this poor traumatized child or scold him so the parents don't get too upset. You can laugh about it later, don't worry, he certainly will be.

"Oh nonsense! That little brat needed to have a good scare, did you see the way he was treating his parents? It's just a glass eye, give him a few years and that'll be one of the coolest things he's ever seen!"

[kawa-goat]

Enzo Esposito: The Most Basic Misunderstanding of a Character

Don't really wanna make this a long post, but 'wanting' doesn't mean you 'can', so here we are. Been a while since I've done one of those, so I hope I still have the gas.

I'll be frank; for a fandom that still insists on trying to justify (understanding is one thing) Theodore's actions, I'm not really surprised some people still fail to get Enzo and his arc correct. It's funny, because I wouldn't even say he's that much of a complex character with a brain-wracking morality.

What Enzo suffers is what pretty much every child character goes through: he acts like a child—therefore he's annoying. Unless your character is a serious, flawless person with a strong sense of morality, he's whiny. He's 'unnecessary'.

Gregory. Cassie. Elizabeth Afton. Charlotte Emily. Cassidy. Susie. Daniel Diaz. They're all victims of that (the treatment's even worse if the character is a girl).

With that in mind, let's try to understand who Enzo is.

Enzo Esposito

We first see him in the early parts of Missing Pieces—though he doesn't appear much in this book in general. Enzo at first is that quirky kid with nerdy interests that you can click with for some reason.

Let's see: when they first meet, Nicky and Enzo have one thing in common—their parents know each other. Like any parent, they expect their kids to become friends as well, despite the differences between them.

Still, Enzo (and I want to emphasize this) is the one that sparks their friendship. He helps Nicky get clothes. They game for a bit. Then Aaron appears and Enzo becomes distant. Everything seemed fine between Enzo and Nicky, until, for some reason, Aaron's friendship with Nicky made Enzo act strange (in the purest form of a romance novel).

Time passes, and Enzo goes largely missing (pun intended) from the novel. Nicky does end up mentioning to Aaron about Enzo's weird behavior when he appeared earlier on in the store, as well as how everyone seems to look at Aaron... differently.

Reading is a fun exercise, so I'd like you to pay attention to these following excerpts:

“I think [Enzo] said he knows you,” I say, trying again.

This time Aaron looks up. “He doesn’t know anything.” (Page 69.)

and,

“Enzo stopped hanging out with me because he’d rather play video games,” Aaron says quietly, wiggling the tab of his soda can until it comes off. (Page 70.)

Aaron suggests that Enzo would rather play his expensive videogames than wasting time with weirdos like him. He says that Enzo doesn't know anything about him, despite claiming so. This prompts Nicky to avoid Enzo as well.

A lot of things happen, Nicky is prohibited to see Aaron, and then he goes to spend quality time with the Espositos. This is one of my favorite parts of the book. Nicky tries really hard to paint them as a rich, snob family, but it crumbles real quickly when Enzo acts nice to him.

“Cool hat,” [Enzo] says, and he ruins everything because he’s nice again. (Page 131.)

Their bonding goes over gaming, and they start to have fun. Nicky eventually brings up Aaron again, and Enzo brings a new perspective over things.

It was far from being a rift over wealth, but because Mr. Peterson said something extremely inappropriate to Maritza (his younger sister, by the way). And Aaron and Mya were starting to act as if the Esposito siblings didn't belong in their house after Lucy's death—instead of the other way around.

Given Mr Peterson's weird behavior (that Nicky experienced by first-hand), it's not unreasonable to assume that Aaron lied about Enzo.

Okay, so the beef between Esposito and Peterson was a more complicated matter, instead of materialistic reason. Still, Enzo never said he hated Aaron, nor did he have anything against him. It was his father who was problem.

That's part one.

Flash forward to Waking Nightmares. Enzo's character has a peak here. He might be the quirky kid with nerdy interests, but he's far from shy.

Actually, Enzo slips up a lot.

It starts with him ditching Nicky and Maritza over Seth and Ruben—the latter who were obviously keeping Enzo around to make fun of him. Enzo was oblivious to this and acted neglectfully over Maritza missing Mya (which in turn leads to Nicky and Maritza bonding).

Anyway, the gang would go on to investigate Mr. Peterson behind Enzo's back and consent. This leads to the rift between him and Nicky in chapter 7, which mirrors the conflict between Jay and Mr. Esposito.

This chapter has one of the best delivery of lines from this book.

“Have fun with your new friends,” I say.

As soon as I have my back to [Enzo], I hear him say, “Have fun alone.” (Page 82.)

Meow.

So they obviously went too far here. Both of them. Mind you, the original topic was over the investigation of Mr. Peterson, which then escalated to something else.

The point is: I'd like to highlight that, despite acting a little rude, Enzo has a point in the overall discussion. While it's understandable that Nicky (and Maritza) wants Enzo's support in the investigation, Mr. Peterson is a very dangerous man—Enzo knows from experience. Putting Maritza and Trinity in danger is a no-brainer for him, so you can understand why Enzo would be reluctant to help and even try to pull Nicky out of it.

Now, there's something really important that needs to be stated here.

The Hello Neighbor kids aren't the mystery gang. They don't solve problems without flaws. They aren't detectives. 12 year olds should be focusing on socializing at school, not solving a missing case.

The hello neighbor kids are a bunch of children trying to find their identities in a town that has a bunch of problems.

They are all tweens. They are stupid. They say stupid things. They get out of hand.

But they aren't enemies. By the end of the day, they are still friends. They want what they think is better for them.

Despite their fall out, Enzo manages to realize that he was being used as a laughing stock by Seth and Ruben (although I'll admit that was off-screen and a little rushed). He does make up to Nicky and does apologize over what he said.

The overall point is:

Enzo is a dynamic character. He has quirky interests and acts a little nerdy (and has a lot of comebacks), but he can mess up sometimes when he thinks he's right. He's still just a kid. He doesn't hate Nicky or Aaron. He manages to see beyond his flaws and try to be a better person.

To me, Enzo is a good character because there's nuance behind him. He's not one-sided. He's not just mean, but he's also not just nice (unlike a certain character from the franchise whose only remarkable trait is being mean).

Anyway, the reason behind the mess that is this post (I'm sleepy, sorry) is that Enzo is kind of a misunderstood character in the fandom—like pretty much any child character. Usually characters that holds realistic expectations (especially when it comes to their age) tend to be hated.

Oh well.

[the-final-sif]

Well, it's for a school research paper and we have to gather data on how social media affects stress and people's mental health.

Thank you for answering my dumbass questions even though it probably seems stupid, i really appreciate it

First off, asking for help on finding sources is not stupid/dumbass, it's the opposite. Smart people ask for help when they don't know what they're doing.

Second, since you said school and not uni, I'm going to assume you're at high school level roughly and not uni/college. If so, then google scholar is going to be a fine starting point for you to find sources. It's generally user friendly and going to provide decently quality for what you need.

Unlike main google, it's been untouched by the AI nonsense and functions mostly like it did 5 years ago. It's also handy because it will often provide free copies of papers when it can find one. It should help you get some good research papers as sources that you can use as citations, and it'll let you save articles/handles citations for you.

Here's a quick guide for what you need to know to use google scholar!

When searching, put in keywords, NOT questions.

For reasons unclear to me, search engines and humans being weird has trained people to type in queries to search engines like questions. This is bad!!! It will get you worse results!! You want to instead remove any unnecessary words and focus in on giving the computer the most unique keywords to match you with what you actually want. For example:

BAD: how does social media affect stress and mental health?

BETTER: social media stress effect mental health

BEST: social media mental health

You really want to par down your keywords as much as possible, limiting connector or filler unless you absolutely need it. The more specific words you use (ie using "depression" rather than the more general "mental health") the more specific your results. Focus on practicing that and you'll do excellent.

With that out of the way, for actual google scholar use:

Right here, we have a very important feature, the free copy. If google can pull up a free public copy of a paper, it will! Always use those when possible.

Always check the date on the research you're pulling! For a topic like social media, I would be wary of pulling any source that's 5 years or older, since it's an evolving landscape! For other topics, the rules vary a lot depending on the topic and quality of research available.

Next up, saving & citation. The save button lets you save an article for later. You can stick it on a particular list. Handy for keeping track of sources. The cite button generates citations for you, in most of the common styles. Saves you having to mess with making them yourself.

Finally! Further research! When you click down here, you can see articles that have cited this paper and related articles. Both are quite handy for exploring a particular topic further as you look for research that builds on what you've found. Particularly when the area you're looking at is niche or highly specific. Also a great way to find systematic reviews of data that are sometimes a bit stubborn about showing up in research results.

Hopefully all of that is helpful, best of luck on your paper anon!

[nativeofsumeru]

"From Persephone" (Wriothesley x Reader)(Sneak Peak/WIP)

A/N: I did say I'd write something. Although, it's not as fleshed out as I would've liked. It's inspired by the song, From Persephone by Kiki Rockwell and a bit by Pure Imagination from the movie Wonka. (click for links) I don't have time to finish it right now, but I do want to, especially if it interests the people! ~~~~ (not proofread) (Happens before Archon Quest)

Growing up, you never knew much outside of the sheltered hub that was the aristocratic domain of Fontaine. Personal servants, the highest quality education, all the money in the world, it was all yours. You seldom knew anyone outside of this aristocratic circle. Your family was one of the more well-known families in the nation, with business connections as far as Snezhnaya. It was assumed that you would inherit the business and the great fortune that would come with it. You were practically groomed for it from birth. It was a nice future, a stable future. An aristocratic future. Although they were never outwardly malicious towards the lower class, it was still clear that there was a divide between you and them. Always. You were superior, they were not.

Your governess had opted to take you for a stroll through the city that day as a "learning opportunity". This excuse was the only way your parents would allow it. She could see how much you yearned for the world outside. It didn't take long for you to get separated for her somewhere along the way (it's not like you were looking for an out anyway). You took the opportunity to run, run as quickly as you could, now excited for your newfound freedom, free to mingle with others outside of your family's vetted wealthy circle, free to actually explore the "lowly" common town. Once you deemed yourself far enough from your governess, you took a moment to take note of the setting around you. You were in the middle of town. It was bustling with activity; it was the peak of rush hour. You could barely wrap your head around what to do with your freedom first. What caught your eye first was a small booth selling hats by the side of the road. You quickly walked over and began to try each of them on, the booth owner and some passersby giving you strange looks. But you couldn't care less, after all, your mind was on more important matters. The rest of your day practically followed this trend. You'd explore the town, the shops, the art, the bakeries, the booths, the street performances. It was all overwhelming, but in the best way possible. You knew you didn't have much time before your family somehow tracked you down and you wanted to live your life to the fullest

You exited a bakery with two bags of freshly handmade macarons. You gladly spent your family's money on whatever pastries you could get your hands on. It was a welcome change from the fully planned strict meals and diet the family nutritionist had planned for you. 'For your optimal health and longevity,' you remember him saying. You roll your eyes as you think about it. You couldn't imagine life being any worse. But it doesn't matter now, you're out of that prison right now and you couldn't be happier.

You looked up at the sky. The sun is setting. Either you were that elusive or your family was terrible at searching for their own daughter seeing as you've been able to be gone for so long. You turned a corner. The streets weren't as busy as they were earlier. It's a week day and it's getting late, you're not surprised. You shove a macaron in your mouth and hum to yourself, some catchy music you heard on the street. It was a welcome change to your ears from the usual instrumental and classical music you were used to hearing all the time at home. Not to say that you hated it, but too much of anything with little variety can drive a person crazy.

Passing by a dark unlit alleyway, you can't help but notice a humanoid figure moving in the shadows. You pause in your tracks and back up to do a double take. You look into the alleyway, now feeling nervous and guarded. You may be sheltered, but you're not dumb. Humanoid figures in dark alleyways don't always bode well, especially for a lone teenager at dusk. But something about it, just draws you towards the alleyway. It's an undesirable feeling, but you feel as if the Hydro Archon is pulling you to do something. With a few hesitant shaky steps, you begin to walk down the alleyway.

It was nowhere near as clean as the streets of your neighborhood, or the city center for that matter. You flinched at the sound of some trash falling out of the dumpster next to you. This place did smell rancid. But nonetheless, you pushed on. What were you looking for? You have no idea, but all you know is that you feel compelled.

It's then that you see it, at the other end of the alleyway. It's a melusine. But it's not a melusine alone, you take a few quiet steps closer, and that's when you see him too. A young boy, a young teenager just like you. He's rather rugged, beat up, tattered clothes, and covered in cuts and scratches, black hair and piercing icy blue eyes.

Almost as soon as you notice him, he and the melusine also notice you. Trying to conceal yourself behind a nearby trash can, you hear the squeak of an animal. You look down only to notice a rat near your feet. You practically scream and fall over, clutching onto your bags of macarons for dear life. The boy winces at your dramatic fall. The melusine almost seems amused by it. "Are you alright?" When you look up again, you can see him standing before you, hand outreached to help pull you up.

Those eyes... You hesitantly put your hand in his as he hoists you up and back on your feet.

"Y-yea, I'm fine. Thank you." You say, sheepishly brushing yourself off, your outfit now with a noticeable stain from whatever it is you fell into. The boy looks you over. He can tell that your outfit is expensive and that you are not from this part of town.

"Are you lost? You're not from around here." He asks, seemingly actually somewhat concerned. You shake your head.

"No, I'm just visiting the city." You reply with a smile. You glance down at your bag of macarons, sighing in relief when you see that they're alright. At least they came out unscathed. You then look up at him, curious why a young boy would be hiding out between dumpsters with a melusine. "What about you?"

"No." The boy shakes his head and looks at the ground. You blink, wondering if his family is also looking for him. It is getting dark.

"Is your family looking for you too?" You ask lightheartedly, wondering if you may have a stranger that you can relate to. It's at this question that the boy grows silent. His gaze is rather...intense. It's intensity only amplified by those piercing pale blue eyes. "Um..." You look away awkwardly. You don't exactly know how to handle this. You glance down at the melusine who only smiles at you. Your gaze then returns to your bag of freshly baked, handmade macarons. You hold up the unopened second bag to the boy, not knowing what else to do.

"Macaron?"