#I don't think that is blasphemous but just to be safe <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[peppermintmochafem]

hiii oh my god you’re gorgeous. wow. like a goddess. would worship you if given the chance i promise

- 🥝

Worship me?!? Worship me as in answer to my every beak and call? As in be constantly reminded of your place below me? As in be a good devotee and give me offerings of yourself? That sounds like what you were made for anyways 🥺

[serendertothesquad]

Seren's Studies: The Odd Squad UK Gadget-Making Competition Video

I was originally going to make this into a longer post where I discuss Odd Squad UK more in-depth, but to keep things simple (and to avoid frying my brain), I'm going to keep this and another post separated. They will be linked, though, so keep an eye out for an edit and a reblog in the coming months.

We got a first taste of OSUK a little over a week ago, and with it came quite a few things to dissect. Because Season 2 can't be the only season that gets something UK-exclusive that never made its way to the States and never will. Curl up, try to cry, cry anyway.

Join me below the break as I make a Thanksgiving feast out of mere crumbs. Or try to, anyway.

Those of you who have been in the loop might have seen the BTS photos of the UK Headquarters on Instagram. This is what I can safely assume is the bullpen, going by the seal, the desk on the right with some kind of a green form, and...well I mean fuckin' look at it.

As you can see, it's an incredibly stark difference from the Headquarters seen in the past three seasons, though this one looks similar to S1 and S2's, for, y'know, obvious reasons. It actually looks more like something you'd see in some kind of a government building, like your local city hall or the DMV, than anything else.

There's not even any sliding doors either! Which is...well, I mean I watched Season 3, this surprises me next to none.

Take it all in...take it in...

...You took it in? Goood, goooooood. Moving on.

"NOT SO ANDROGYNOUS NOW IS SHE. HAPPY PRIDE MONTH, BITCHES."

-- The CBBC, probably, maybe

Anyway, this is our first look at a living, moving, breathing Captain Oooooooooooooh whoa what the FUCK is at the end of her ropes? Are...are those knitting needles? Stabby-stabs?

I'm...what even are those?

Okay, okay, someone else can answer that. I'm moreso interested in the smartwatch she's wearing, because Oprah and other Directors in the past haven't worn smartwatches. That, combined with how nautical she looks, donning upper clothing usually reserved for male Directors, and having a unique title, makes her have a rather unique appearance.

"Orwell, I am giving a speech. What do you want."

"Someone stole your copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

"Damn it!"

Jokes aside, we now get to the second newly-debuted living breathing moving character of this very short video: Orwell, a Security agent who's about as cheerful as someone whose entire family got run over by Cybertrucks. I don't know if I ever made this joke in any public form before, but in promotional images, he reminds me of Fin Tutuola and...well, with this video, the comparison just launched itself outta my head. Just a lil'. Not a whole lot. Only a lil'.

Yeeeeeah...I'm starting to see how this is poorly edited. Captain O's and Orwell's voices coming through two different audio channels instead of the same one, no BGM in the beginning...this weird-ass cut to Ozzie...I mean I don't expect high quality, but come now. For one of the first promotional things for Odd Squad UK, you'd think they'd do better.

...

This is just a regular-ass home, isn't it. Lookit that Backrooms-esque kitchen there. Lookit the hypnosis wheel ta- no seriously, whose home is this, and if it's Ozzie's, why? And if it's Headquarters...again, why?

I do appreciate the tea set, though. The tea set is to the UK what sharing actors is to Canada. Don't do it, don't get tax credits.

"The Mondays? In my Christian Headquarters?! Inconceivable! Blasphemous!"

No but seriously, this is the most unserious shit I have ever seen from Odd Squad as a franchise, and that is genuinely saying something. The Mondays isn't an odd disease. It's not an odd illness that will grant you extra limbs or make your blood turn blue. It's what everybody who has ever worked a paid job a single day in their life goes through.

*takes off the glasses* You're not boostin' my confidence, BBC.

"It doesn't matter what we seem to do. We can't put a smile on his face."

I'M AN ADUUUUUUUUULT!!!

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD, JACKASS!!

(...Who the hell said McDonald's?)

*slaps on helmet*

Mmmmmmmmmhm. Strap in, human beings. This is where the real shit gets even realer.

So as you can see, Ozzie isn't in his Investigation agent suit here. Promotional material has shown that he's in that suit pretty much all the time, and given how Orli doesn't appear in this video, it's safe to say that we can plop it into the pre-series era.

This specific department had people in the fandom theorizing for the longest time about what it was. Was it a new look for the Creature department? An updated piece of clothing from the Mobile Unit department? A new department enti- oh shit, wait, that's actually it, isn't it.

Yeah, so if you look at the wings on the hexagon symbol there, it's clear to see that this is some kind of a flight department. I'm just going to quote part of the official show synopsis here, so you folks can get a view of what I'm trying to get at:

Not to worry, brand-new agents Orli and Ozzie are on the case. Their job is to solve the toughest and oddest cases now wreaking havoc across the land, sea, and sky (and even that hard-to-reach area behind the couch cushions).

I might as well spit out a theory (one of few, believe you me) that have been spinning in my mind like a nuked rotisserie chicken clinging to life ever since Odd Squad UK was officially announced as a project.

*deep breath*

Okay. So. You guys know Captain O. Loves nautical things. Looks the part. Has assistants who look like sailors.

What if -- and hear me out for a moment -- what if she has a boat? One that can travel across the sea and across the sky?

For land, that's what the tubes are for. That's a nonissue. But for missions that involve going out onto open water or going high into the sky...that's what the boat is for. And if you have a boat that goes up into the sky, you're gonna need some agents who deal in flight matters.

Headcanon accepted. If you hear screaming at any point this fall, assume it's me.

*long exhale*

See, with Odd Squad, child actors can be hit-or-miss. Some, like Dalila Bela and Millie Davis, knock their roles right outta the park, sometimes even going beyond their abilities and really getting into character (for those two specifically, Olive and Oprah are relatable to their personalities as actors, so it makes things easier). Some are okay -- they're neither good nor bad. And some just don't have the range.

The kid playing Orwell here...is on the latter end.

I get it. It's a video out of a twelve "testing the waters for another season or series" episodes of a UK-based spinoff series in a franchise that keeps going nose-down. I shouldn't go in expecting top-notch quality. I'm setting the bar low, as are a host of other people. And I have absolutely no disrespect against the kid who plays Orwell, because for God sakes, I have standards. But twelve episodes of stiff, the-script-might-as-well-be-in-the-damn-hands-when-filming acting like this is gonna be really hard to stomach, especially since Orwell is a main character.

Getting back to gooder things: this "yeeeeeeah, obviously" bit made me laugh harder than it should've. There is no customer service persona for Orwell here. Concept is foreign to him.

Onom is, unfortunately, not in this episode. However, I do appreciate that the Lab is just as eccentric as he is. Not even Precinct 13579's Lab was this crazy!

(And if you're wondering who Onom is: he's the brother of the Pokemon Snom.)

(...No, I'm kidding. He's our Science man for this series. The gods are returning to their roots.)

this video is about viewers making a gadget

orwell grabs a gadget for absolutely no reason other than by proxy

If this is giving a hint to contest entrants, they sure are being vague as hell about it.

If this is not giving a hint to contest entrants, Orwell's taking the gadget like it's the thing that made Onom go vamoosh in the first place.

...

Hold up-

Wake up? Drank.

Feel sad? Drank.

Go to work? Drank.

Get paid jack shit? Drank.

Take a shower? Drank (with the tea bag you showered yourself with).

Last season, they didn't commit enough to a whole entire newspaper page and had to use Lorem ipsum text.

This series, they have someone write words on a paper that are actually read.

I don't know, guys, that says a hell of a lot of things quality-wise.

I see Onom's leaning real damn hard into the Oona archetype, because you can bet your damn asses she would pull this shit on Olympia, Otis, and Oprah with absolutely no remorse.

...No, let me correct myself: she has pulled this shit on them with absolutely no remorse. And fuck it, she'll do it again.

They were probably expecting people to react like Captain O here.

In reality, my body folded in on itself so hard the local urgent care place became a 24/7 business.

...I'm starting to realize what that one person said about OSUK making references to past seasons/series now. I laughed it off. I said "in 12 episodes, that'll never happen."

But it did.

And it will haunt me so.

The Emergency Un-Monday Protocol is the Odd Squad version of workplaces telling you "we're like a family".

It's an unneeded red flag that fucks people over royally.

0/10, sweet summer child didn't even try.

Let's be honest here: if Ozzie encapsulates the reaction you should have when listening to this left-audio-channel-only, bobbin-n-weavin', lip-syncing-does-not-exist bit, then that's...not really a good sign.

Oooohoho no. I'm not the gal to turn to, kiddos. Not when I get the Mondays every goddamn day of the week.

...You're pointing at a person who feels crushing depression every time she walks into a Target, what are you doing-

...God damn it, this eyebrow-raising makes me cackle. It's so unexpected.

Honestly, I might be asking too much of a series that has the episode span of 70% of anime, but I want more fourth-wall-breaking moments like this. Keep the meta alive!

"But please, no Slime-inators. I just washed my hair."

Ozzie's been to one too many Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for his liking.

That, or he's taking after Otis and his "regular hair".

AH!! AAAAAAAAAHH!! YOU CAN SEE ALEXANDER CRACK A SMILE THERE!! I SAW IT!! I GOT MY GLASSES ON SUCKERS, I CAN SEE THAT SHIT.

Terrible audio balancing aside...and the terrible timing of the logo bouncing...

...Oh wow, that's the other logo. The secondary one. Kinda cool!

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

So overall, this was...a rather disappointing first taste. Whether this sets the standard for the series remains to be seen, but I'm not all too hopeful. Maybe the September results video will see things improve.

That being said, the characters are at least pretty engaging thus far. I'll need to see them in action a little more to make any final decisions, though.

Like I said in the beginning, I'll be putting out a Seren's Study about OSUK when we get more info on it. I'm aiming for August, but it might come out in September when the results video does. We'll see.

For now, thanks for reading. If you want to see the video for yourself, it's here:

[link-eats-rocks]

Linktober Day 9: DIETY

After another day of begging Hylia for help, Zelda is feeling mutinous towards the diety. All she can see is the very real hero before her.

Her legs trembled from the long walk. Her knees burned from holding her weight for hours. And her throat hurt from all of her crying and begging.

It felt so pointless– nearly insane to talk to this carved, lifeless stone. She may as well be asking for help from a fence post.

Maybe it was those blasphemous thoughts that held Zelda back from unlocking her powers. Certainly if her father had a glimpse into his daughter's bittered mind, he'd say so.

"Princess?"

Zelda's shoulders slackened even as she caught and held her breath.

That soft voice gave Zelda a rush of energy the likes of which no statue could imbue.

Link's hand hesitated at her arm, causing his fingers to whisper against her skin before he committed to taking hold of her.

"Yes, Link?" She coughed. She'd lost her voice and her words came out as a weak crackle.

"It's far out of my place to interrupt and speak my mind, but I don't think it's safe for you to sit here any longer. You look starved and cold and tired." He took a knee beside her and tilted his head to catch her eyes.

When she relented, letting him see her tears, he gave her a smile that was warm like candlelight.

She smiled back and he strengthened his stabalizing grip on her arm.

"You're not likely to unlock your sacred powers while lying in bed with pneumonia, no?"

She bit her lip. "No," she whispered, amazed at how quickly he could cheer her up after hours of intense distress.

The kind, beautiful blond had pulled her from a bad dream.

"Come on. Let's get you a hearty meal and good long rest, hm?"

Again, she could only just hold back her tears. She was so exhausted it was almost impossible to keep from crying.

Link placed his other hand on her back, his face pinching in concentration, and Zelda did her very, very best to stand up on her own.

She cried out as her knees buckled. Her legs had no strength in them, only pain. Her muscles only ached with effort for a second, though, before Link's arm was hooked under her legs and he pulled her up and into his arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she groaned, sitting up rigidly, holding her head up. "Thank you for helping me up and catching me but I'm certain I can walk now so—."

"Princess, it's a bit of a walk back to camp. Try to relax."

Zelda's face flushed and her throat tightened. "Y-You don't intend to carry me all the way to camp..."

"You've done enough work for today. I'll take over here." Somehow, he struck a balance: not giving her orders, yet still ending the conversation.

She sighed and wrapped her arm around his neck then relaxed naturally into his hold. Her head was on his shoulder. She hadn't even realized she had a headache until she rested it. She sighed again more heavily and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Link."

"Of course, Princess."

She barely noticed as he climbed the steps out of the temple and down ancient cobblestone paths until they were free of the sacred grounds. From the moment they were back on the dirt road, Zelda faded to sleep.

She awoke to the sound of a crackling fire and forced her eyes open. She was on her comfortable fold-out cot with 3 layers of blankets tucked up to her chin.

Zelda turned her head on her pillow to see Link cooking something over the fire with his back to her. The smell of meat and veggies and butter and spices made her mouth water. She hadn't eaten all day in order to show her devotion.

It didn't make sense. When she thought of Link carrying her all the way here, tucking her into bed, and cooking a meal, that seemed a much more accurate description of devotion.

Truly, Zelda was hopeless. She didn't understand this Hylia one bit. The feeling of disdain must be mutual...

"Dinner's ready," Link said, interrupting her gloomy thoughts.

"It smells wonderful."

"I'm glad if you have an appetite. You need to eat up to regain your strength."

She felt too tired to sit up and eat, but Link had gone to a lot of trouble. She'd be compliant. She sat up on her elbow and her head sparkled while her vision blurred. Again, Link's hand was on her.

Maybe being sick wasn't so bad with Link around...

No, she shouldn't think like that.

"Mm. I'm sorry." She felt her head drifting sideways.

A hand cupped her cheek, holding her upright. Link blurred into focus before her and her mouth went dry.

His thumb was on her cheekbone, his fingers at her temple. His eyes sparkled with worry.

Zelda's gaze drifted to his lips, rosy, slightly parted, full and kissable.

He licked his lips and she hummed a trembling breath, a powerful longing washing over her.

"Can you sit up a little, just for a moment, while I get your food?" he whispered.

Had she really lost her mind or was he closer than before? She could feel his breath against her face as he spoke.

"Hm?" She blinked a few times. "Oh, um, yes. I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so helpless."

He traced his thumb across her cheek. "That's enough apologizing, Princess."

He steadied the backs of her hands as she held the bowl of simmered tomato stew.

Her arms ached and her hand shook, but she managed a few bites. She didn't have any appetite, but for Link, she finished more than half of the meal. It seemed to make him happy and, indeed, she did feel more clear-headed.

Then she drank two cups of water and felt like a new person. She collapsed back onto the cot with a sigh, turning towards the crackling fire.

"I think we'd better break up the trip another day," Link said quietly, sitting on a rock and stoking the fire.

"Why?"

He raised an eyebrow and she blushed.

"And I suppose I shouldn't argue."

He gave her a small smile. "Just one day. We'll travel to the stable tomorrow since it's close by and rest up there. We can finish the trip after that."

Zelda stretched and rolled onto her back. "That doesn't sound so bad. It's a nice compromise."

"A compromise?"

"Mm. I want to get away from the shrine as soon as possible. But I don't look forward to returning home either."

Link just hummed agreement.

Zelda looked up at the vast starry sky. The moon was high. It must be close to midnight. "You must be tired too. I wasn't the only one having to sit still and vigilant all day."

"My work is quite different," he scoffed.

"Were there shrines where you grew up?" The question took her by surprise even as it came out of her mouth.

"Yes. Just a little one in the square."

"Did your family...go to it?"

Link actually laughed. "Is there a wrong answer, Princess?"

Zelda rolled back over to face him and grinned. "No."

He held her gaze for a bit then shook his head, returning his attention to the fire. "I was always more for throwing a rupee in a well if I wanted something."

Zelda laughed too. "Was that effective?"

"About half the time."

"Mm. Has Hylia beat." Part of her brain begged her to shut up just for the discomfort of being a few miles from the temple. She closed her eyes and that voice in her head grew louder until her heart was pounding. Sleepiness drowned out any logic to ward off the fear.

It was no use. Her panic had turned into an aimless dread and she drifted between waking worry and bad dreams.

When she finally roused herself enough to snap to, she opened her eyes and was met with darkness. That didn't help. The fire had gone out.

She scrambled upright and scanned the little camp.

The stick Link had been using had slipped to his side and his head had drooped forward.

Zelda gritted her teeth. "Link?"

He was a light sleeper. He sat up and looked around, evidently checking for danger. "Yes, Princess?"

Heat filled her face. "I'm scared." How shameful.

He scuffled towards her until he was sitting by the bed. "Bad dreams?"

She averted her eyes from him and nodded.

He was still and silent.

She could understand why. What was he supposed to do about it?

"L-Link? Will you...stay closer?"

She saw his eyes widen by the light of the moon.

"Of course."

Beside her cot was only a patch of dirt and scrubby grass. Still he started to lay down.

Devotion.

She grabbed his sleeve, entirely unsure of what she was doing. "Closer?"

She saw him assessing the distance. There was none between him and the wooden beams of her cot.

She tugged on his sleeve when he looked up at her in question. "It's okay if not," she said, barely audible.

"Are you sure?" There was a tremor in his voice.

"Only if you're alright with it."

He swallowed and his jaw tightened. He dipped his head as he stood.

Zelda peeled back her blankets and again Link’s eyes flashed with surprise.

"Princess?"

"Yes, Link?"

"You're awfully tired. You've had a long day so...I don't want to overstep when you might wake up to regre—."

"I won't. Promise."

He exhaled a sharp breath and slipped his cloak off his shoulders.

It sent her heart racing. She moved over as much as she could and he crawled onto the small cot beside her.

It wasn't as crowded as she'd expect. They were both small. Link seemed smaller than usual with his frame against her.

"You're shaking." She pulled the blankets over him and tucked them up over his shoulders.

"Oh," his eyes darted up and down her face. He looked terrified.

She felt a stab of guilt. "You're uncomfortable. I've crossed a line. I know I have. We can forget I ever—."

"It isn't that, Princess. I'm just afraid I'll cross more lines."

Zelda found his hand at his chest under the covers. She took it and pressed it to her racing heart. "I've done my best today to be righteous, to have pure light bestowed upon me. I have done my best. But the only person in my life who cares to hear my requests...is right here."

Link closed his eyes and his lip trembled. His hand tightened around hers and he drew the slightest bit closer. His lips brushed against hers and she gasped.

She'd never been kissed before.

"Princess?" he said against her mouth.

When she nodded, their lips brushed again and she realized she was shaking too.

"I know you can't, but tomorrow," he kissed her suddenly, "I'll throw a rupee in the well for you."

Zelda could swear there was a sacred light in her fingertips as they drifted to Link's neck. It was too bright. Everything was too bright. She shut her eyes tight as Link inclined over her with his hands on her face.

Her lips parted.

He kissed her hard.

Hylia made her feel weak.

If anyone could make her feel powerful, it was this legendary hero.

One place for all your notes- Get Microsoft OneNote: https://aka.ms/GetOneNoteMobile

[see-arcane]

This made me realise that Mina uses "my __" a lot (my Jonathan, my beloved husband, my dear one) compared to him doing so no wonder she'd be not pleased if someone tried to snatch him away

The thing about Jonathan and Mina is that they are both very much more than the standard 'in love' with each other that you'll see in a lot of Mandatory Love Interests in media. They're not just in love.

They're in crush.

They're in infatuation.

They're in 'my beloved is all that matters and dear God I don't know how I got lucky enough to win the romance lottery to convince them I was worthy, but I will spend every second of every day trying to earn that love.'

The main difference lays somewhere in--sigh along with me--the gender politics of it all. Because the thing is, even if we barely squint at the time period (and, sadly, even at our modern relationship pitfalls), Mina is very, very aware that, by partner standards, she is the one who got the 'luckier' pull. Specifically because Stoker wrote Jonathan as the rule-breaking, love worshipping, refusing-to-other or abandon champion of a Prince Charming out of the whole cast; and possibly out of most male romantic leads in the era's literature, Period.

Meanwhile, despite Mina being very much her own breakthrough of early feminism and interesting traits--again, sighing over the New Woman commentary, but still--when we look past the unique/strong/smart character facets, we really see a lot of the Classic Darling Female Love Interest formula at her core. She is sweet and caring and loving and loved.

As all good non-hag non-femme fatale characters were at the time. You can't throw a rock in Victorian and earlier lit without hitting a similarly winsome young lady. They pop up like charming weeds.

It's Jonathan Harker who stands apart. Jonathan Harker who loves unconditionally, who does not conform to classic masculine heroism, who would fight God and the Devil to hold his beloved above all harm, who would damn himself, who would kill and die to keep his beloved safe and happy. Who would--gasp!--rather be equal with his partner, even preferring to let her take the lead!

Which was un-fucking-heard of at the time. Even if she/Stoker weren't really caught up on what New Women actually stood for, I'd bet money that Mina knew exactly how rare a prize like Mr. Harker was in a sea of brutes and cheats and general misogynistic louts looking for a housemaid they could imprison with a wedding band and belittle on a daily basis before they go out to meet mistresses 1-3.

Mina is not an idiot. Jonathan is not either, but I think he is blessedly naïve enough to think there was anyone else in the world who would champion Mina as much as he does, as much as she deserves. She's Mina, for crying out loud! An angel! A goddess in and of herself! Who wouldn't adore her as he does? And to Van Helsing and the Suitor Squad's credit, they do come close, risking what they do...

But they do make that murder oath.

And for that, Mina is grateful. She did ask for it.

But though she never writes it, maybe only rarely dares to even think it--such a blasphemous, selfish thought!--she is doubly grateful that Jonathan never swore with them. Proof positive, that. Somewhere in her, a secret proud voice whispers:

Look, Mina Harker née Murray. Look at the paragon among lovers you have tricked into loving you and being your knight. You have wed Eros himself, lucky Psyche that you are. He does not even realize what a treasure he is. The one treasure that matters. The one which evil powers have tried so hard to steal away. Do not let them, Mina. Let them have gold and magic and your own blood if they must, but never, ever him.

So yes.

All this in mind, it is very little wonder that she enjoys referring to Jonathan as my husband, my love, my darling. My, my, my, mine, mine, mine. Hearing and saying it is a reassurance that she has not woken up from this sweet dream. Just as I'm sure Jonathan saying the same--or else repeating Mina's name like his own prayer--reassures him. They are real, they are in love, they are each other's.

And so when someone like Miss Helen Penelosa comes along and Mina catches wind of her plans for Jonathan, I can't not see her loading that revolver.

[6ad6ro]

ufo 50 and dark souls part 3:

much like with gta or call of duty, everyone was trying to make a souls game, or just shoving aspects where they didn't belong. as far as indie games go, i'll use shovel knight as an example. it's a fine game, i like sk. but when you die, you lose gold and have to go back to where you died and pick it back up, or risk losing it forever. it was so unnecessary, and added stress and anxiety for no reason. yet there it was. it never woulda been there without souls, and woulda made for a better game overall. not a huge deal, but then you have games like hollow knight which is an amazing game but def starts to get tedious to unplayable later. or blasphemous which is just AWFUL from the start.

and of course, there's all those reprehensible pos soulslikes that bigger companies tried to make without understanding that the only reason souls got away with so much of it's bullshit is it had insanely good art, lore, and aesthetics. but that aside, you also had souls elements seeping into other big series. like take zelda botw. there's zero doubt in my mind that souls wasn't a huge inspiration, anyone trying to argue otherwise would be a fool. the last decade or so of the series was very lenient with it's challenge, but suddenly in botw things will kill you left and right. i'm not trying to say botw or totk are as hard as souls, but the influence is obviously there. and it makes for a worse game. the whole "weapons break easily" system is dumb. the whole thing they do with food is maybe even worse, semi unlimited healing means the devs can't balance the combat properly, and it was a shitty bandaid solution for an unnecessary problem.

this is what i'm saying. dark souls has really really hurt the whole gaming landscape, to an intensity that i've never seen before. and the good souls elements are usually ignored in favor of "make game hard, profit". and while i don't think ufo 50 will ever be as influential as souls? it's making huge waves in the indie scene. it's gonna change the indie landscape for sure. but idk if it'll be for the right reasons. are people months from now gonna be talking about moon cat or porgy or pilot quest? or are they just gonna be doing speedruns of barbuta?? in my head, all the fun games will probably be old news, and what's gonna be left is all the brutal stuff. all those artificially and needlessly hard games.

and it makes me wary. i really like ufo 50, i'm fine with half the games being bad, and talk to my friends about how cool the game is. but is it gonna negatively affect my hobby in the future? idk. like, i was the biggest demons souls fan you'd ever meet back then. but now i feel stupid. now i feel like i should have called the game out for it's shit and not just focused on the good parts. elden ring was a great example of a half "top 20 of all time", half awful. but then they made the followup dogshit overhard dlc and ruined the name, and it's like "oh god, there's another 10 years of shitty games if this does well".

i think people like to pretend that everything is in this sort of bubble. but i can safely say as somebody who has been playing games for 40 years that, no, these kinds of things can have an overwhelming effect on the hobby.

[traumacatholic]

hello, i hope you’re having a good night, (or day! it’s nighttime where i am.) please, disregard this if the mental labour is too much i completely understand. tw: su*cidal ideation, blasphemy

i’ve haven’t requested a prayer of anyone in almost 10 years, so i feel a bit nervous doing this. i’m a bit of a prodigal daughter type. may you please pray for my mental health? i have been struggling with su*cidal ideation again and in waves that make it harder to cope with my strategies. do you have any verses that comfort you in bad mental health episodes?

and, of course if it is not too much, may you please pray for my faith in living/God? of course, i have a support system that i readily use so i am in no immediate crisis, please don’t worry for me in that way- but with what i’ve done i feel too irredeemable to turn to a church in person. lied, stolen, blasphemed, was selfish, all acting out because of my mental health like a teenager. if it is theologically not too late for me, please pray for strength to believe in God, get over my su*cidal thoughts, and confess once more.

thank you very much, I hope you are safe and warm this winter. Your blog is a solace, it provides the comfort that church used to bring me when I attended. Your faith journey is beautiful to watch.

thank you for sharing yourself even when it is hard. I appreciate you, we all do <3

- prodigal daughter (S.)

Of course I will pray for you, may God bless, guide and comfort you.

When it comes to pursuing God, we must understand that we are not just pursuing a God that is off in the distance and uninterested in us. Any time we take a step towards God, no matter how small. He takes ten steps towards us. Our faith is a dialogue, a dance almost, with God. We are constantly taking steps forward and backwards from God, and God is always pursuing the person that earnestly desires a relationship with Him.

Something that I have found useful with this blog, is over time developing the skill of being nice to myself. I think in a lot of ways, it can be very easy to be nice to other people that are going through problems. We can comfort them, we can soothe their wounds. Because we are removed from the situation. It's a lot harder to be nice to ourselves, to give ourselves the basic decency and respect that we extend to others.

I want you to take some time to think. Would you seriously tell someone else that they couldn't have a relationship with God because they had lied in their life? Or because they had stolen something? Or because they got angry or upset with someone? Because I don't think you would. I think you would very earnestly try and say that you know, like the Prodigal Son, if you desire that repentance and that relationship with God - then He welcomes you back eagerly. That nothing you could have said or done would have put you so far away from Him that you could never be reconciled to Him. We need to extend these nice words to ourselves also! Because we do believe in these things for other people, but it can be difficult to believe in those things for ourselves. Almost as if we are existing outside of everyone else. But we're not. We are never so far removed that the promises God speaks to other people are something that we can't attain so long as we pursue it.

As for Bible verses that can be of comfort: "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows." -Luke 12:6-7

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” -Jeremiah 29:11

 “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” — Romans 8:28

 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:6-7

 “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” — Philippians 4:6

“Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10

“I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” — John 16:33

Something that I would particularly recommend for you is to re-read the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Read also the Book of Job, and try to make your way through the Psalms. I think a lot of what these parts of the Bible have to offer, would be of great benefit to you. Remember also that you can use the Psalms as prayers. A Psalm that is a part of my daily prayers, and one that may be of comfort to you is:

Psalm 50 (51)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, and prevail when Thou art judged. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother bear me. For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice. Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me. I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness. O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise. For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou shalt not be pleased. A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Sion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded. Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt offerings. Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.

We must also understand that faith is an action, it is something that compels us to act in particular ways. Even though your prayers may feel dry, they are still of benefit to you. Pray even though you might not want to. Spend time with the Psalms even though sometimes they might just feel like words on a page. Because you will begin to find comfort in these things, healing too. And I think sometimes the act of forcing ourselves to get up in the morning and read a little. Take some quiet time for ourselves before going on our hectic day is really important. And after a time, it stops feeling like so much of a chore and we can grow and appreciate it in new light.

If you feel your anxiety building up, try turning to the Psalms. Sometimes just that visual stimulus can stop our anxiety from spiralling. And of course, there are so many Psalms about asking God for healing, for comfort, for strength. And I think they will be of good use to you.

[vannahfanfics]

Vannah, my wonderful friend! I've got all my oh-so exciting info for that match-up commission!

They/he pronouns, I'm a nonbinary trans masc. gremlin. I'm a very short boy, a whopping 5'3, and am definitely on the curvier, fluffier side when it comes to body types. (I like snacks. I regret nothing.) I've got real short brown hair that likes to stick up like crazy and golden brown eyes, which I'm told can look hazel in certain lighting. I put comfort over fashion with clothes because nothing is better in life than an oversized hoodie and sweatpants. Cozy heaven right there.

Being neurodivergent tends to make people think I'm odd or strange. I like it though. I like being different! It can be a little lonely though. Since social skills aren't my strong suit, I usually try to put people at ease with humor! (I follow the Mirio Togata theory that laughter makes everything better.) I also like complimenting people and letting them know they're doing a good job. Everybody needs to be appreciated sometimes. Overall, I'm told I'm too nice for my own good, but my family knows that only goes so far before my temper slips and I get sneaky. I'm not above using people's assumption that I'm naive against them. Mama Star didn't raise no fool.

For interests, I'm a nerd that loves learning. In true hyper introvert fashion, I bury myself into books on everything from revolutionary history to human zoology. I spend way too much time on Duolingo learning as many languages (Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese...) as I can and grew up reading books on medical terminology and emergency first aid. You already know this, but creative stuff is essentially my life though. I constantly have stories floating in my head and like to draw, paint, sing, play piano and voice act. I'm hoping to pick up guitar or harmonica next. I always have music playing on my phone. 24/7 at home.

The things I value most in people are kindness, a good sense of humor, and a mostly laid-back attitude to offset my anxious little ass. I would want someone that makes me feel safe to be myself - quirks, oddities, flaws and all. I like someone who can bounce back and forth between silly, light-hearted shenanigans to more serious, borderline philosophical discussions. (Intelligence is sexy, yo!) That's more of a bonus though. Someone that can be a friend and fellow adventurer in life is the more important aspect.

Thank you, Vannah! Hopefully I did this right. I've never been great about talking about myself. Sorry if this is too long or too much info! I really appreciate all your hard work and good luck with your medical studies!

Ahh, thank you so very much, Starry—for both your commission and your appreciation! <3 You're so kind! And not to worry, all of this information is great (I learned so much about you in one little message, hehe!) and will be put to good use for your match-up. Speaking of, let's get to it!:

I match you with...

Red-Haired Shanks from One Piece!

How could I match you with anyone but your great love in life? It would be simply blasphemous! LOL, real talk though, I think there are a lot of qualities about you that make you a good fit for Shanks, so why don't we dive in, hmm?

Shanks definitely strikes me as the type to be far more attracted to someone's personality than their appearance, but make no mistake—you're his little cutie patootie of a gremlin! He honestly enjoys the fact that you're over a foot shorter than him; he can just pick you up and carry you around and through you over his shoulder with ease (this is Shanks, though; he could do the same if you were a foot taller than him, LOL!). If he had to pick a favorite feature about you, it would probably be your wild, untameable hair. It speaks to his own wild and untameable nature!

Don't worry about your neurodivergence. Shanks likes that you're different, too! In fact, it would probably be the thing about you that catches his eye—that special spark that makes you, you. You can feel safe in your uniqueness with Shanks; he'll love every aspect of you, whether you consider it a flaw or a strength, simply because it is a part of you. And in the moments where you're less than appreciative about a part of yourself, you can count on Shanks to swoop in and tell you all the reasons why you should appreciate that part of yourself. He always knows the right things to say, especially because he one hundred percent feels that he's just speaking the truth! He'll definitely appreciate your love of humor, too. Shanks loves to laugh and have a riotous good time, after all, and he'll most appreciate somebody with wit to match his. Life's best when it's full of laughs and good times, as far as Shanks is concerned, and you just fill his life with that much more!

He'll also appreciate how ready you are to praise and compliment others. You're right; everyone needs to be appreciated, and he admires that you have no qualms about doing that. He recognizes that you aren't naïve, but, ever the mischievous fella, he'll definitely let people think that just for the entertainment of you one-upping them!

Shanks adores how hungrily you pursue knowledge! He's not as avid a learner as you, but he's got his own pockets of knowledge to share with you. Honestly, though, even if he doesn't have the faintest clue about what you're talking about, he'll happily learn and discuss topics with you just because he knows it makes you so happy. And, of course, he will happily provide you with anything you need or want to help you learn something new!

He also appreciates your creative streak. It's just so amazing to him, the fact that you can just... come up with these ideas and stories, all from your own mind! Shanks would definitely appreciate the musical aspects of you the most, I think; this guy is a partier, after all! He loves nothing more than to drink and dance and sing and have a grand ol' time! He's not the best singer, but the zeal with which he belts out shanties is enough to be infectious. Dance and sing with him, please!

Seriously, I cannot stress enough how much this man likes to have a good time. Here's some more in-depth headcanons about him exploiting your musical talents so you both have some fun:

Once you show this man that you like to sing, it's over. Any and every opportunity that arises where a song can be involved, you can be he's dragging you into it.

Y'all are out drinking at a bar? He's dragging you to the dance floor to start shamelessly dancing goofily with you, not satisfied until you're screaming the songs playing around you at the top of your lungs right along with him.

Gatherings with friends? It's inevitable that a guitar or some kind of musical instrument comes out—or, if one's unavailable, making a beat with clapping hands, stomps, etc. so you can all dance around and sing like drunken fools. Some of you probably are drunken fools, because there is no party that Shanks throws that doesn't alcohol, and lots of it.

Trying to do chores around the house? Shanks doesn't get much down with the way he waltzes around with the broom or pretends the duster is a microphone. And if you walk by while he's in his fun mood, watch out, because he's dragging you right into his antics and not letting go until you make his solo performance a duet!

He will definitely look for jaunty piano tunes for you to learn. You don't have to sing along if you don't want to, but he will! Badly. More badly than usual and totally on purpose because he wants to break your intense concentration with laughter. You can never finish a song on the piano because Shanks will have you busting a gut laughing before you even get halfway.

The point is, Shanks just uses your musical interests and talents to make his spontaneous and fun lifestyle even more so! You'd better buckle up, because you're along for the ride!

And, finally, the third part of your Tier III match-up: the drabble! For this, I decided to take inspiration from your love of learning. Enjoy!:

"Fascinating..." you murmur appreciatively to yourself as your eyes sweep down the page of the thick, heavy book in front of you. You're hunched over the library table as if your posture will make you that much more absorbed in what you're reading—as if you can get more absorbed than you already are. You're only dimly aware of the spacious library around you, too busy digesting each and every factoid presented in the astronomy textbook that you've had your nose buried into for the past hour. When you turn the page, you hunch forward a little more, your nose nearly brushing the crisp-smelling pages—and you hear a snort of laughter that yanks you out of your intellectual rapture like a yo-yo being jerked back into someone's hand.

You glance up to see Shanks sitting in the seat across from you. He's got his crossed arms propped up on the table and his chin resting atop them, and he's watching you read with an expression so full of dreamy, starry-eyed adoration that you reflexively blush. You don't know how long he's been sitting there, either, which makes you flush even more. Last you recall, he'd wandered off into the stacks to find something that might occupy his own attention. Of course, that was right before you'd buried your nose in this textbook. There was no telling how much time had passed.

"You didn't find anything to read?" you ask, taking note of the absence of a book in front of him.

"Nope," he quips, and his serene smile widens. "I'm much more entertained watching you."

A shy smile blossoms on your face before you can stop it, and you shyly wiggle in the chair.

"'M not that interesting," you mumble bashfully. You slide down in your chair a little at the crook of Shank's brow.

"I beg to differ," he retorts. "You don't get to see the expressions you make when you read something. But I do, and I like them."

"Shanks..." you start, but you don't know what to say. Not that you could say much with the big, cheesy grin on your face—and you certainly don't know how to stop smiling. The fact that Shanks found your rapturous pursuit of knowledge so captivating made you downright giddy.

Still...

"I hate for you to just sit here and watch me read," you pout. You know that he is more than content to do so—it was he who brought you to the library for your date, after all—but it was still a date, and you didn't want him to sit there without being acknowledged at all. It just didn't seem that fair.

Shanks knew that it would bother you even if he argued otherwise, so he didn't bother. Instead, he waved a hand toward the book before you and said, "Then tell me about what you're reading."

You, naturally, were more than happy to oblige.

"Okay!" you cry delightedly, instantly growing giddy again at the notion of sharing the fascinating things you'd learned. As you began to babble about the various classification of stars, you almost drifted off into that state of being totally unaware of everything around you again—almost. Because you made it a point this time to stay aware of the handsome man listening intently to your excited rant, and you were glad for it.

If you hadn't been paying attention, you would have missed how totally lovesick he looked just listening to you.

Interested in a commission? Check out this post!

[mermaidsirennikita]

So I actually want to expand on this and my other blasphemous thoughts because I do think there's a weird thing in romance reading circles in general (and tbh even more specific historical romance discussions) that I see a lot that basically be summed up as "Lisa Kleypas is better than everyone else and I'm not even open to finding better"

(followed often by "I read a Lisa Kleypas book published before The Wallflowers and it was Problematic and now my worldview is rocked because an author can't be Problematic and talented)

and I don't want to downplay how good Kleypas is at her best; nor do I want to downplay the impact she's made on the genre (personally, I think Dreaming of You is probably her most influential work but whatever)

BUT she's not the only talented person in town, and if I'm being super blunt, there are and were other authors who worked more inventively, pushed the boundaries further (and I'm not talking about anything super outside her wheelhouse, I'm talking about things Kleypas could have done too) and honestly had a more consistent (imo) ability to stretch creatively

This is from Elizabeth Hoyt's Sweetest Scoundrel, and I'll be completely real, Hoyt is not perfect, some of her books have their dated moments and mid plot contrivances (and I mean, as much as I enjoy aspects of them, her Legend of the Four Soldiers series, or the 3/4 I've read so far, do have a p. woof traumatic backstory for those four soldiers) but I do think that she's severely underrated because while there may be misses, she almost always takes a big swing with her books, and that pertains to both plot and character

I think that Kleypas is at her best a great writer, but I do think that more recently she has been a safe writer. And having read Hoyt's most recent works (before The World Needed Her Most and She Vanished) I can tell you that she never became safe. And yes, there's something to be said for sticking with what you know and doing it better than everyone else (though I would argue that by and large the Ravenels were not that) but there is also something to be said for GOING HARD every time

and idk, I just wish that more readers, especially historical romance readers, would be more open to reading and welcoming risky books; because I gotta say, the subgenre is most definitely going through a slump in trad publishing (look at how many beloved authors haven't published historicals in years, listen to the word on the street that trad publishers are actively telling authors and agents that historicals don't sell) and I think that part of that is because where historicals have (historically lmao) excelled is in being a bit bonkers, and I feel like the market has been trying to force them into a safe space and interest is dying out

because while a lot of people do want safe from contemporary books, what works for one subgenre and ensures it sells is not going to do the same for others

Look I love a Sebastian St. Vincent but you can’t come to me and tell me he’s the smoothest talking rake guy when this exists

[missgeniality]

Are you fucking ready? Because I wasn't.

My reviews are just raw commentary/reactions so don't expect anything logical lol...

“Query: Might this be a continuation of our night?”

she's got some nerve

It’s not like anyone else is paying attention, but in that moment, it feels like the weight of the world’s eyes falls on you.

i'd be anxious too

When you look up, intending to check whether your message has been received, you see Hoseok walking away from it, the chit still on the plate, but folded very differently.

he's eager pls

"[...] we could also discuss the stock market and world affairs if that is up your alley. ”

uh, no? HAHAHA

[...] the penmade heart between the lines is making your own flutter in delight.

hoseok drawing a heart is just :(((((((((

Will he demand for your underwear in public again? Will he command you to commit filthy sins in some dingy corner, slapping a hand on your mouth to shush your brain dead moaning? Will he drag you out to some other place all together…

i squealed

Blasphemous horror permeates your chest when you realise there’s not a lot of protest in your brain at all those ideas.

i wouldn't protest either but we definitely need another one-shot of him fucking her somewhere public

“Next time, I want a bigger mess on you darling… gonna release all over your pretty face, your breasts, your thighs. I want to watch you lap it all up without waste, make you show me how hungry I’ve left you.”

i'll be thinking about this for the next 5 weeks

you don’t waste a second, racing ahead and filling the space he left empty a moment ago.

BE DISCREET, WIN THE FIGHT

“If you’re really that wet, soak my ring. Let me see, maybe we’ll throw in some consideration…”

IM CHOKING AND SOAKING

No. Sucks on the ring. While directly looking at you, and not saying a damned word.

shIT SHIT SHIT

[...] you pretend to be a functioning member of society who does things other than desire to be raw dogged by your boss’ best friend.

im crying in laughter sjcsajff

[...] and scribble your number into it in haste.

Armed with it, you slide across towards Hoseok’s table, where he is standing around a large group, with people talking over one another...

YOU GO GIRL

unknown number: Get yourself alone. Right. Now.

sdjcifdjidjfiw YES SIR

But right now? When you register the sound of spit, all the trains in brain central have gone under repair, the tracks have fallen off, and chaos has descended on the station.

same

“Good thing, I don’t need to be there to tame you, right?”

haha shit use me sir

“One day,” with a deep sigh, he starts, “ one day. I’m going to turn my office into my playroom…”

You swallow a bubble of lascivious greed.

“… and you, my plaything.”

HERE I FOUND IT UGH AAAAAAAAAAH

“Let’s just say,” Hoseok pauses in a moment of distraction, then continues, “these pants aren’t exactly stain proof.”

OH NOOO :( hahaha

The issue with that intention is, neither of you truly intend on it. The respectful distance is soon cut down by many, many metres. The ruler between your feet would show a reading of bare inches.

Y E S, FUCK DISTANCING.

His fragile touch on your arm, not wanting to hold you unless you give the okay.

How can you make me go from "use me, sir" to "i fucking love him" in a matter of seconds

Without delay, you smush yourself against his awaiting lips.

I SQUEALED AGAIN - I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE, TURN IT UP.

“Look at meee ,” Hyejoon sings, swaying from one side to another like a dancing flamingo, “I’m steady like a bu uuulll !”

PLS HAHAHAHAHA

“Get home safe, everyone!” he addresses the whole group, but his focus is on you.

AW :(

“Yes, Sir .”

She def has some nERVE

Thank you, beautiful Siya, for making my week better with this!!!!!!! I look forward to future works from you and from this couple. LOVED IT.

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THIS WHOLE MESSAGE IS LOVEEEEEE

omg she was a nervous WRECK throughout but bad bitch gets her nerves here and there

his heart <3 and the messages before the storm <3

fucking somewhere in public? HMMMMNNN *vigorously notes it down*

BE DISCREET WIN THE FIGHT HAHAHAHAHAHHHA I LAUGHED SO HARD LMAOO

LMAOOOO i read this like 5 times last night but i couldnt reply because of the stoopid app - but THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!! i hope the next few chapters that im planning only take this up and up and up <3 i reallly appreciate this!!! 🥺🥺🥺🥺

[oswaldsleftbicep]

May I ask for headcanons with Oswald and Kaim, with a reader whos insecure about their body?

oswald & kaim + gn!so with body insecurities

if ur feeling insecure about your body, i'm so sorry and i empathize with you; it's a terrible feeling to go through. ily and i hope this can help you <3 also it's midterm season so i apologize if this is complete word vomit

genre: comfort, fluff

cw: insecurities, brief language in kaim's part

Oswald

❧ i feel like oswald is a little insecure about his body too, particularly how big he is and how many scars he has; he feels as though these traits make him appear frightening to others and he doesn't like that, it makes him feel bad about himself :(

❧ but this ain't about him, right now we're focusing on you

❧ the point is, he understands the feeling of being insecure. but when he finds out how you're feeling about yourself it lowkey hurts his feelings

❧ mans thinks you're absolutely perfect and wonderful and amazing, like he literally views you as a deity, so to hear that you think the exact opposite of what he so firmly believes?? blasphemous

❧ but even still, he listens to everything you have to say about how you feel and he waits until you finish talking before giving his thoughts

❧ he does everything he can to try and get you to reverse that thinking, or at least help you to gain more confidence in your appearance

❧ i've used this trope before in another hc but i highly believe that he'd go out to his garden and make a bouquet of imperfect flowers, i'm talking flowers with missing petals, kinda wilted, discolored in some places, parts with funky shapes. his intention is to say that even though the flowers aren't conventionally perfect they're still gorgeous and perfect in their own way, like you

❧ he doesn't necessarily want you to change how you look, he thinks you look absolutely amazing as you are, but if you're adamant about altering your appearance in some way, he'll support your decision and help you do so in a healthy and safe way

❧ you wanna gain some weight? ok let's go get you some protein. wanna lose some weight? sounds good, let's make a meal and exercise plan. you hate your hair? he knows a guy noel. you hate your skin quality? y'all can try make-up or some skin care, it'll be fun!

❧ if you ever have one of those days where you're absolutely miserable with yourself and you can't bring yourself to do anything, he's got your back. if it's comfort you want, he's clearing his schedule to dote on you. it's now your day and he's gonna spoil you and remind you how perfect you are to him

Kaim

❧ he's a very rational man, i don't expect him to be very insecure about his appearance. he doesn't care much for his appearance outside of does he look neat and presentable, ya feel?

❧ so when you confide in him about your insecurities he just doesn't get it. like you look fine?? why are you so upset??

❧ but he's not a complete asshole about it; he'll hear you out and uses some logic and empathy to understand where you could be coming from

❧ after you explain what you're feeling, he's gonna be softer with you for a while cuz he hates when you're upset. he'll keep in mind what you're more sensitive about so that he can approach the topic gently in the future if the need arises

❧ but he won't coddle you too much. you'll be expected to function regardless of how you feel about your tummy or your arms that day

❧ of course there are exceptions; like i said, he's not an asshole. if you're just utterly, completely miserable he won't force you to do anything other than focus on feeling better. but he's the kind of person to suggest doing a chore or some task as a way to get your mind off of things, so expect him to be like "hey,, sorry you hate yourself,,, wanna polish some silver?"

❧ he makes it a point to compliment you more, whether it's on how you wear your hair on a certain day or how your eyes are sparkling more than usual. it's subtle and smooth but you definitely notice his effort to make you feel good about yourself

❧ he'll also help you find ways to ease to your insecurities like oswald does. if you don't like how clothes look on you, he'll take you into town to find a style that suits your body shape. if you don't like how your thighs jiggle when you walk, he'll remind you how that's natural and reassure you that no one is paying attention to or judging it. if you don't like your teeth or you hide your smile, he comforts you by saying how he loves seeing when you're happy and he finds you showing your happiness and joy stunning

❧ i guess what i'm trying to say is, he's not necessarily romantic or enthusiastic or "let's do this together!" about comforting you in your insecurities. he's more logical with his reassuring and supports you by staying at your side and giving you encouragement when needed

[genderqueerpositivity]

I can't believe that I've never shared this here. This is a link to a list of queer slogans taken from an email conversation in 1992. This is where I go sometimes when I'm needing inspiration for this blog. Some of these contain reclaimed slurs, some are cisnormative, have mentions of homophobia, mentions of sex, are blasphemous, or would otherwise be considered offensive today. This is not the complete list, only my favorite highlights, as I just discovered that tumblr mobile limits post length.

MAKING IT PERFECTLY QUEER

Shock your parents---tell them the truth.

We are the people our parents warned us about

Straight but not narrow

Gay & Proud

Out of the closet and into the street

Absolutetly queer

I'm out, therefore I am.

One nuclear family can ruin your whole life

Fuck your gender

Eliminate heterosexual privilege

Every tenth Jesus is Queer

Love is the law

Queer without a cause

Two stick figures under a tree, labelled as your choice of "Adam and Steve" or "Amy and Eve."

Blessed are the censors, for they shall inhibit the earth

Are you going to come quietly or do I have to use earmuffs?

Think Globally, Act Locally---ACT UP

What's a little latex between friends

Catholic repression---just say no

I was Catholic, but I've since recovered.

Don't dare assume I'm straight

How *dare* you assume I'm straight.

Assume nothing

Bisexual/gay/lesbian/queer by Nature, Proud by Choice

Queer Bi (or perhaps, Bi Queer)

Bi the way, don't assume I'm gay

Bisexual and proud to be lesbian/gay

Gay/Bisexual Pride (with triangle in background)

Happy bi nature

Blatently bisexual

God is an Equal-Opportunity Lover

Equal-Opportunity Lover

Biphobia shield

BYKE

Loud and Queer

Queer as Fuck

Faggot with attitude

Dyke with attitude

I <pink triangle> (wo)men

Glad/Proud to be Gay/bi/lesbian

Gay rights now

Gay rights are human rights

Gay is good/great

Have a gay day

Closets are for clothes

Professional/Militant/Practicing Homosexual

Keep your laws off my body

Love is not a crime

I survived a Catholic education

I'm an incurable romantic homosexual

I'm a woman's woman

I'm a man's man

A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle

I'm not a lesbian but my girlfriend is

I'm not gay but my boyfriend is

I'm gay and so is my boy/girlfriend

Please do not tease or feed the straights

Homophobia is a social disease

The moral majority is neither

Keep your rosaries off our ovaries

That's _Mr_ Fag to you

Smile if you're gay

I'm out. Are you?

2QT2BSTR8

2-4-6-8 How do you know your husband's straight? 3-5-7-9 Your wife might be les-bi-nine

2-4-6-8 Gay's twice as good as straight

3-5-7-9 Lesbians are quite divine

Nobody knows I'm gay

Let's go straight bashing

God loves me the way I am---Gay

I'm straight, but it might be just a phase

We're here, we're queer, get used to it

We're here, we're queer, we're fabulous

We are everywhere

"It's cool to be queer"

"Caution: Ice pick weilding bisexual fag dyke. Do not agitate."

Bisexual by nature, queer by choice. (possibly on two separate badges)

Bisexual Pride.

uBIquitous

Bisexuals here queer and everywhere

Bisexuals visible and invisible

Safe sex bi all means

Bisexual is beautiful

[energysoda]

Tips for Baby Bats Part 2

Fashion and Styling

I think one of the most recognizable thing about the goth subculture is the fashion. Yes, music is the most important part and you don't need to dress any certain way to be goth, but the style is also very iconic and lately seems to be one of the biggest factors getting people interested in the subculture.

Fashion and styling doesn't come naturally to everyone, and I sure know that it took me forever to get to where I am now. Fashion and styling is a skill, and sometimes it can take awhile to master it as well as to aquire the pieces to bring everything together. Hopefully these tips can help you get started!

General Tips

-You don't have to commit to one specific type or subcategory of fashion at all, you're allowed to explore and mix things up! Have fun with it :)

-Goth and alternative fashion doesn't have to be expensive! DIY things, get stuff thrifted, find stuff at stores like walmart or target!

-You don't have to dress goth every day! It's ok to wear other styles or let yourself wear comfy clothes most of the time! You're no less goth for doing so.

Basic Elements

-Button up dress shirts

-Long black skirts

-Black long sleeved shirt

-Black jeans

-Poet Shirts

-Black tank top

-Black cardigan sweaters

-Blaziers

-Long coats

Accessories

-Fishnets (a well known DIY is making fishnet tights into shirts!)

-Chain bracelets

-Spiked cuff bracelets (usually kinda pricy, but in my opinion that is basically the only bracelet you rlly need-- if you're only gonna get one bracelet get a spiked cuff one. It's more cohesive by itself than a singular chain bracelet)

-Velvet choker (probably wise to make this one yourself)

-Spiked collar

-Gothic cross or ankh necklaces

-Necklaces with a cameo style

-Rosary necklaces (If you only wanna be a little blasphemous, get ones that aren't blessed and were made to be worn as necklaces)

-Studded belts

-Bags or purses (I got my purse from goodwill <3)

*remember you don't have to get all or any of these, this is just a list of ideas!

Styling Tips

-The more accessories the better! Make sure they go with your outfit, tho!

-Imagine the outfit on a point based system. Each piece is worth one point, and the pieces that stand out are worth 2. Try to get at least 8 points if not more!

-I know maintaining painted nails is annoying as hell, but having black nail polish on really can tie an outfit together

-Don't be afraid to mix in other types of fashion with your look! Believe it or not, it is possible to mix preppy or cowboy within goth fashion. Have fun, mix things up!

-Occasionally incorporate some color into your wardrobe! Stuff like dark reds, berries, greens, and purples all can add more intrigue into the outfit!

-You can make the same outfit less repetitive by wearing it with different makeup, hairstyles, accessories, etc.

-Cut up shirts and pants to make them look cooler >:) there are plenty of tutorials on youtube

-Use safety pins to decorate your stuff and clothes! Not only is it fairly inexpensive and looks cool, it also indicates to minorities that you are a safe person :)

-You can make your own pins with bottle caps and safety pins!!

Conclusion

I hope y'all find this guide at least somewhat helpful, let me know if you liked it! Anyways I need to go do my homework, if you read this far ily! stay safe and take care of yourself! :)

Tips for Baby Bats Part 1

Music Recommendations and Playlists

Ok so I've come to the realization that I'm not a baby bat anymore, so I decided to bring together some tips that might help those new to the goth subculture. This will be one of two parts, the second being more fashion based.

Getting into new music can be a little intimidating at first, and if you're like me you find playlists with new music more easy to manage than going into entire band's discographies or listening to full albums straight up. And sometimes it can be hard to find new bands at first, especially ones that aren't as well known. So here are some resources to help you get started :)

Some Band Recommendations

-Obviously there's the more well known ones like Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, etc. These are great bands to start off with, and well known so you can talk to more people about the music!

-If you want to listen to some more lesser known bands, Disjecta Membra, Nosferatu (my personal fav), and Ex-Voto are all really good bands!

Playlists

-This is a solid playlist with lots of more known goth rock, it's good for getting familiar with the well known artists :)

-This is a playlist I made, I listened to it a ton when I was first getting into the subculture. It consists mainly of goth rock, and has some more well known stuff and some more lesser known stuff.

-This is another playlist I made, this one is more of a wild card. It's inspired by one of my favorite games and has a ton of gothic rock but also has stuff like 2000s rock, indie rock, and some electronic rock music. I feel like it kinda has the vibes of something that might play in a goth club from the 2000s (not like I was alive to experience that tho, so this is mainly guesswork tbh. Still a good playlist, and helps mix things up a bit!)

Conclusion

I hope y'all found this at least somewhat helpful, part 2 with tips for fashion and styling will be in the reblogs :)

[dalyunministry]

TOPIC : FATHER FORGIVE THEM

By. Calvin Nii Bannerman

DATE : 11th September, 2020

Please Let us pray, Oh Lord, this is our generation, this is the place Father where You lead us Faith without boarders , Lord I pray Today in Jesus name , as we about to study your word, Please give us the Spirit of Understanding , Please let the Holy Spirit lead us to Jesus and give us the Spirit of courage , sometimes we step into the great unknown there we meet Jesus and we meet the will of God and we meet the purpose of God and we meet the promise of God and we meet the goodness of God.

Lord please give us that courage and give us the Holy Spirit of boldness to keep on trusting You, Lord to go into the great unknown at times knowing that the God of all knowledge , Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent God that You lead us and You take us . In Jesus name.

The last words of the greatest man that has ever walked on the surface of the planet earth. It is very important to know and study the last words of our master and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus made 7 statements that have been recorded in the Bible and as followers of Jesus Christ, we need to do them before we die.

The first thing you have to make sure you do is that when you die, you have to have a CLEAN SLATE, to find out what that is let's read Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

I don't think it was an easy thing for Jesus to say, Father Forgive them, there are 3 things that we have to focused on before we die if we want to die right.

1.STAY FOCUSED ON GOD

The greatest injustice that has ever been done in history, no other injustice can be compared to the Perfect Son of God being crucified for the sins of others.

Everyone will think Jesus will focus on the crowd down there, the one that spat on him , the one that beat him , the one that made fun of him, the one that nailed him on the cross. He was dying in agony but Jesus focus wasn't on them , His eyes was on the Father

When you read the scripture again His first word was Father, let me give you people some revelation, any time someone hurts you, offends you or crushes your heart, do you know what the devil wants to do?

The devil wants you to focus on them, he wants you to be upset with them and how much they have hurt you, Jesus doesn't take the bait , He keeps His focus on His Father.

That was the only time Jesus asked His Father to forgive other people , if you read the ministry of Jesus, anytime anyone needs to be forgiven, Jesus forgave them. But on this occasion He asked the Father to forgive them now why did Jesus do that?. Now, here's why, when Jesus forgave someone and the Pharisees heard it they said only God can forgive sins and they were right on the Cross Jesus wasn't God, because God can't die , Jesus was dying as one of us, as a human being.

Now let's read what Peter said about this event, 1 Peter 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: To be reviled is to be made to appear vile, to be evil spoken of, slandered. His doctrines were disputed and he was slandered as a blasphemer. Finally they reviled him to the extent of crucifying him between two thieves. It is part of the divine will throughout this Gospel age to allow his faithful servants to suffer reproaches even as in the case of the Master. Jesus did not retaliate. When evil things were spoken of him he did not speak evil of those who did him injury. Jesus could have contradicted the Jews, telling them the Devil was working with them, etc. But he did not render evil for evil. At our Lord's trial he was charged with blasphemy, the rabble felt at liberty to abuse Jesus and show their contempt by spitting upon him and smiting him, yet he did not revile against them.

No matter how much we are reviled, we are not to revile in return; instead, we are to bless. If the person who has slandered us is in difficulty and needs help, we are to overlook altogether what he has done to us, and be just as ready to help them as any other person. Nor should we under any circumstances leave the Holy to render evil for evil. We must follow in the footsteps of the great High Priest.

Someone will say, you don't know how I have been hurt and I can't forgive that person, if you can trust God with your heart , then you can trust God with your hurt.

If you can trust God who loves you then you can trust God with anyone who hates you, hate and hurt should not be a wall to separate you from God they should become bridges to God. So the next time someone hurts you remember, the devil wants you to feel sorry for yourself , he wants you to feel bitter and angry. God says when others turn their back towards you, you turn your eyes towards me , you stay focused on God.

Oh Lord, this is our generation, this is the place Father where You leave us Faith without boarders , Lord I pray Tonight in Jesus name , as we step out into all that You have for us , as we have the courage , sometimes we step into the great unknown there we meet Jesus and we meet the will of God and we meet the purpose of God and we meet the promise of God and we meet the purpose of God. Lord please give us that courage and give us the Holy Spirit of boldness to keep on trusting You to walk on those waters , Lord to go into the great unknown at times knowing that the God of all knowledge , Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent God that You lead us and You take us . In Jesus name

2. You Stay Full Of Forgiveness.

Jesus said " Father Forgive them ". Let's imagine someone stripe you naked and put tongs on your head,whip and beat you mercilessly and put nails through your feet and hands , hung you, spit on you and mock you. And then gamble on your clothes not for what you have done but for what they have done.

WOULD YOU BE HONESTLY PRAY THAT KIND OF PRAYER?.

Remember Jesus could have called 12 thousand legions to fight for Him.

Matthew 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

They were ready to rescue Him, they were battle to wipe the earth at Jesus command but Jesus said "FATHER FORGIVE THEM".

They were ready to rescue Him, they were battle to wipe the earth at Jesus command but Jesus said "FATHER FORGIVE THEM".

Jesus is the only person on record who died without needing any forgiveness , He's forgiving people who have no right to be forgiven

They did ask for forgiveness?

No

They did they repent of what they did?

No.

God meets quilt with Grace

When Jesus said Father Forgive them, do you know who He was talking to?

I know you will say the Pharasees because they condemned Him or the Romans soldiers because they beat him true.

But remember it was our sins that made Jesus to come down on earth to die for us, it wasn't the Pharasees or the Roman soldiers but our sins. It wasn't only the disciples that turned their back at him but when we disobey Jesus we turn our back against Him. The reason we ought to forgive people who don't deserve it is Jesus forgave us when we don't deserve it. Hallelujah.

If you want to die with a clean slate you need to forgive people, I want to die with a clean slate . When I die and I stand in front of God I know I died with a clean slate. If you want to die with a clean slate.

You have to Focus on God.

You have to forgive people who have wronged you and ask for forgiveness from God. God can wipe the slate clean because of Jesus Christ not because you deserve it, for by Grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God not of works,lest any man should boast , you can't work your way to heaven, you can't buy your way to heaven, God is unchanging. He's unchanging in His love, God loves you , that's the most wonderful thing to go to bed with at night, to know that God loves me , God forgives me, God is interested in me but I must receive Him.

Thank you for joining me, God bless you and stay safe. Peace Shalom

[beeblackburn]

Don't you think you have to be obsessed (in a good way) with ASOIAF to fully appreciate FeastDance? At least that's what I concluded. I wasn't a fan of it at first for having so many new characters and so many new plotlines. I'd forget what was happening with Quentyn, for instance. I missed the Starklings and the simpler AGOT. But then, after re-reading the whole thing, reading metas about it, re-searching about the history of Westeros... Then those two became favs too!

Thanks for the question!

Hmmm, fully appreciate? Yes, I do in a sense. Reading up on The World of Ice and Fire certainly enriches the reading experience of Dorne and the Iron Islands’ arcs with historical heft behind them, how they dealt with their struggles for cultural conception and independence. Cersei’s relationship with the Faith, and the Faith as an institution, is better understood by reading up on the context of Maegor with them back during his blasphemous dragon days. 

Reading about the Dance of Dragons and the Blackfyre Rebellions will certainly make Aegon and Dany’s upcoming dance all the more tragic and echoing in a historical context as our two dragons, black or red, will devour one or the other. It’ll make Arianne and Connington’s struggles all the more crushing as one tries to assert her rightful place as heir from her brother and the other tries to seat the right dragon on the throne… only for tragedy to claim them both.

Plus, C’thulhu. Also, Euron Bloodeye is totally the Bloodstone Emperor-Come-Again. Mock him at your own peril.

There are historical, thematic, magical and genre threads woven through the seams of FeastDance and Martin’s already ignited relatively small, yet intense in an intimate scale, fires out of them. They’ve always been there and, through dialogue, meta and re-reading, do we see the strings that led to history repeating and casting aflame at this age of Westeros. Though, once Martin starts burning more fires out of these threads in The Winds of Winter, (he’s already doing it in Arianne’s preview chapters) I’m sure people will appreciate the FeastDance more without being obsessed (in the best way) with ASoIaF.

Though… I will relate my personal reading experience in response to not being a fan of having so many new characters and new plotlines on the heels of A Storm of Swords (though I’m sympathetic to that standpoint to a certain degree.) 

A Storm of Swords had Martin blowing up his chessboard in spectacular fashion, sweeping the board in the titular storm and toppling his pieces. Through bloodshed, treason, conquest and intrigue, chaos and breakdown of the old systems was seeping deeper into Westeros, doom spreading across all the kingdoms and teams we invested ourselves in, be it in love or hate. 

The end of that book found us knee-deep in the midst of bloodied regions we had spent three books in, littered with dead kings and important lords and ladies. Whether it was Jeor getting stabbed in the back at Craster’s Keep, Tywin’s crossbow wound rotting in the privy, Joffrey choking on from his poisoned chalice, Oberyn’s head getting smashed against the Red Keep’s outer ward, Balon’s body feeding the crabs in the Ironman’s Bay, Kraznys turning to charred meat in the hell of Astapor or Robb’s blood soaking into the Twins’ bricks, everything about A Storm of Swords’ conclusion suggested no return to status quo.

So, from that standpoint, I was expecting a relative clean slate and piece-setting coming into A Feast for Crows. He left several realms in smoke and ash through a breathless second-half of the prior book, so he would need to set the next book at a breather pace. There was also the aftermaths of those events to address as well. Getting to know new characters would both help us readers catch our breaths from the prior storm and give himself time to set pieces on his board for new storms and explosions and climaxes to pay-off for later.

Plus, A Storm of Swords set us up for most of those new plotlines, so I was prepared for them. At least, it gave Martin an open door if he ever wanted to explore them or go further in-depth with them:

No sooner had he left the king’s pavilion than the Greatjon began to laugh, but Robb silenced him with a look. “Euron Greyjoy is no man’s notion of a king, if half of what Theon said of him was true. Theon is the rightful heir, unless he’s dead … but Victarion commands the Iron Fleet. I can’t believe he would remain at Moat Cailin while Euron Crow’s Eye holds the Seastone Chair. He has to go back.”

“He may indeed crown Tommen, here in King’s Landing. Which is not to say that my brother may not crown Myrcella, down in Sunspear. Will your father make war on your niece on behalf of your nephew? Will your sister?”

“Just listen,” he snapped, angered by her assumption. “I want you to find Sansa first, and get her somewhere safe. How else are the two of us going to make good our stupid vows to your precious dead Lady Catelyn?”

Sandor said, “The Blackfish is still in Riverrun?”

“Not for long,” said Polliver. “He’s under siege. Old Frey’s going to hang Edmure Tully unless he yields the castle. The only real fighting’s around Raventree. Blackwoods and Brackens. The Brackens are ours now.”

Now, I’m sympathetic to the confusion and logistics of new characters and plotlines bursting out the woodshed for some readers, but I love the world and characters of ASoIaF. So when the double-punch of Aeron and Areo’s respective chapters opened my eyes to entirely new regions (or new facets of old regions in Aeron’s case) and characters that we were promised in A Storm of Swords we’d see in the next book, I was pretty appeased! And I was curious where they’d be going (and I wasn’t disappointed on that score.)

Plus, I’m a reader who generally presumes every subplot/plot in a book is leading somewhere that connects to the greater whole/isn’t going to be a waste. So with all the new plots in FeastDance, I was keeping an open mind. Yes, it was expanding, but I figured if anyone could rein in this series so that every part of it matters, it was Martin. So, I consumed every new POV with the notion that it affected or was going to affect the story from a thematic or plot standpoint. Yes, even Quentyn and his trip to hell…

I didn’t really miss the Starklings in a sense because, after A Storm of Swords and the heartbreak done to the Starks there, I wanted a break from Stark and Northern affairs (except Sansa, I’ll read Sansa chapters any day.) I wanted new characters and the stories that arose from them because the Starklings were one flavor of story in an increasingly expanding narrative... and you just can’t get flavors of stories like Aeron’s or Arianne’s or Brienne’s by staying only with the Starklings.

So, for me, A Feast for Crows was a delicious cake to take in. Yes, the re-reading, meta consuming and searching up history parallels was absolutely the ice cream icing on the cake, but, even on my first read, I was satisfied because it took its time, breathed in the crow-strewn air and opened me to a greater scope that I realized I wasn’t inhabiting until that moment. That and the belief that it would all lead to even bigger climaxes than A Storm of Swords.

And it will. The Winds of Winter’s preview chapters already promise big developments for the Iron Islands and Dorne plots. Which wouldn’t have landed as hard if Martin didn’t take his time to elaborate and set those pieces in the FeastDance.

And lastly... I mean, this is a series where the minimal page count per book is, at least, 800 pages. If I’m reading books that thick and long, I want to inhabit these books and the characters’ lives. I read Martin for the same reason I read Robin Hobb: to walk and breathe a realm so human and relatable, yet vividly different in key facets, from mine. This story was made for rereads, analyses, in-depth thinking, brimming with real and complicated themes. 

So, I imagine, if we’re all willing to read books over 800 pages, we must already be a little obsessed (in a good way.) Maybe. :3

Hope this satisfies!