#I just feel lukewarm about them personally for one reason or other

[blujayonthewing]

the great news on the christmas card front is that we've entered the 'I love this SO much' phase, this is for me now

[shoutydwarf]

veilguard spoilers !

literally None of these characters are above b tier for me except davrin and that's carried by him being a grey warden that doesn't need me to therapy speak him into being fixed.

sorry to be a toxic origins bro on main but my favorite characters are always the ones that don't recognize me as the player character pressing the buttons. their development isn't contingent on me making choices for them. they have opinions i don't agree with and which i can't change their mind on, a la vivienne/anders. alistair is one of my top companions because he has LINES in the motherfucking SAND. he will be your brother and/or your lover for the entire game but if you don't put his vengeance above your duty to the wardens, he will leave, if not attempt to seize power and force his ends. same for most all other origins and 2 companions (and inquisition to a lesser degree) - A. the option EXISTS to fundamentally piss them off to the degree they will want to kill you, and B. some of them literally WILL try to kill you. that's how roleplaying games are supposed to work. i am supposed to be a person in this world surrounded by other people in this world and i expect it to feel like that. moreso, i know they CAN make it feel like that, because they DID that in all 3 previous games.

there is no way to fail loyalty missions in VG. characters are so lukewarm that the guild of looting, pirating thieves exercises ethical tomb raiding and does monologue you about it. not a single one has any opinion that beckons you to use your brain cells. these characters do not evoke any emotion from me. i could write whole think pieces on why vivienne has the disposition that she does, why she thinks she's right, why i fundamentally disagree with her but still greatly empathize with her and consider her the best option for divine (out of 2 other companions that are just as complex). i have NOTHING to say about the veilguard companions. there is NOTHING to talk about here.

every single one of their villains are entirely one dimensional and unforgivable. THAT is the true disney aspect of the game. loghain, meredith, samson, calpernia, bhelen, branka, the architect, celene and gaspard, even fucking HOWE all have nuances and complexities to them that, even if you still end up at the conclusion that they're awful, you still have some things to think about. there are reasons leading up to their descents into cruelty and madness beyond just "me wanted power :p for fun :p"

this is also part of why davrin is the only memorable character for me; his villain was someone i knew and, frankly, the only interesting one out of the entire lot but only because she had an entire book's worth of setup. harding's was also great but because of the larger issue with zero catharsis for the titans, i have to kick her down several tiers with the rest of Mid Town.

don't get me started on the hardening system and how it can literally only happen to a single companion as a consequence to a single choice in the entire game. and then that 'hardening' actually has no bearing on their loyalty missions or, in neve's case, their romance.

the game does not make me think at all. it is designed to be consumed but not digested. there is nothing beyond the curtains. there is nothing to discuss. there is no nuance, no spice, no complexity, no grey areas. all that exists to talk about here is "i liked this part" and "i didn't like this part".

it is, like too fucking much of modern media, brain rot soup. and it doesn't even taste good.

[spitdrunken]

Relief Duty

Relationship: Blade x gn!Reader Summary: There is a request Blade never fails to make of the people he cares about most.

Notes: consensual murder, depictions of violence, drowning, vomit. No sexual content, except very vaguely implied, but this is a kink fic. Do not read this to trigger or upset yourself in any way, that is not its intention.

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

"Will you do it?" Blade asks, arms crossed in front of his body.

He is always a man of few words. Not even in this situation does he comfort you, or reassure you that denial would be okay. But he's not heartless. If you were to tell him 'no', you're certain that he'd let the subject go. At least for now.

"The other Stellaron Hunters…" you start. "Have they…?"

Blade nods, short. "Yes. Kafka used her strings. They were wrapped around my throat. Silver Wolf… Used her powers. The details I've forgotten. Firefly used SAM, upon my request." A golden flicker lights his eye, like the sparks of a flame. "That was the closest I feel I've ever gotten. If there is a chance you would be capable of killing me… I would want to die at your hands."

Despite yourself, your heart flutters. The subject matter is gruesome, but the weight of his words is heavy, their meaning clear. It is almost intimate.

You shift from one foot to the other. "I could try. But I don't have any fancy powers like them, or anything like that," you tell him. He knows, but you feel it must be repeated.

"I am aware. They are not necessary." He is silent, for a moment. His eyes move away from yours, momentarily slipping somewhere you cannot follow. "Sometimes, I wonder if the solution is so simple I have not thought of it yet. I have been maimed in battle in every way imaginable— To no avail."

"Well, then, is there any way you haven't died in yet? Or at least not as often?"

And that is how you end up with Blade on his knees in front of a bathtub filled with lukewarm water. About to murder your own partner. Via drowning.

…Aeons, what are you even doing? You want to sigh and run a hand down your face, or bash your head into the nearest wall. It's for him. For the solemn determination that enters him as soon as the topic of his death is breached, of the clear desire that is guiding him. You love Blade enough that, were he offered a chance at death, you would allow him to take it, even if that meant leaving you behind.

…You know, in your heart, that he would take the opportunity without hesitation, though not without final parting words.

(The only reason you've decided to do is because you are certain that he will not work. That, like every other time, his eyes will close only to open again soon enough. You don't think you will make the difference here. You doubt that Blade really believes it, either. But this kind of hope keeps him going, and so you will not bring it up. Even if this act was never brought up in any script whatsoever.)

"Are you ready?" Blade asks you, as if he's not the person about to be killed. After a beat of silence, you nod.

You extend your arm, and lace your fingers through his hair. For just a moment, you scratch at his scalp, and Blade lets out a noise akin to a hum.

"Okay. I'll do it." You steel yourself, then push his head down towards the water. There is no resistance, his head enters the water with more of a splash than you were anticipating. Rather than merely allowing you to push him under, he pushes his own head under, too.

You're both regretful and relieved that you picked this option. Relieved, because it requires very little of your own action, except to keep his head down. (Right now, Blade is so inert that there are not even ripples in the water anymore.) On the other hand, the act of waiting for him to die underneath your touch is excruciating and uncomfortable. You squeeze your eyes shut, and try to think of other things. You start to massage Blade's scalp with the tips of your fingers yet again.

Eventually, a burst of bubbles escapes his mouth. His limbs jerk and seize, his chin bangs against the side of the tub, purely on instinct. His arms reach for his chest and claw at his flesh-covered ribcage, lungs screaming for air underneath. Your fingers are all cramped up, and you bite on the inside of your cheek hard enough to draw blood.

Then, all of a sudden, he simply goes limp. You realise a long, deep breath, your shoulders shaking. Crouching, you drag Blade's body out of the tub, muttering an apology under your breath when his skull knocks into the wall when you try to get his… Corpse to sit down. Any bruise he gets will be healed again soon, sure enough— You're certain of it.

You pace up and down the room as you wait for Blade to revive. His skin, already pale during regular days, looks more sunken in, almost blueish. Beneath his nearly-closed eyes his eyes dulled to a shade of their former self. Water droplets leak from his lips and run down his face from locks of his hair. …Despite the fact that he's dead, he's still beautiful nonetheless. You stroke his cheek and find the skin cold underneath your touch, as it always is.

On occasion, you wonder whether calling him alive or simply a reanimated corpse would be more apt of a description. In Blade's eyes, you figure, both of those ideas would be wrong. He's a weapon. Nothing more, nothing less.

His eyelids flutter, and you let out a sigh of relief. Blade's body jerks and shudders. The first thing he does when coming back to life is spewing water mixed with thick strands of drool all over himself. He hacks and coughs, shuddering and twitching, a single tear rolling down his cheek. Once he has his breathing under control, he groans and clutches his head.

"I'm sorry it didn't work." Blade is still too out of it too respond. You take one of the previously prepared towels and dip a tip of it into the bath, using it to remove the remains of vomit from around his mouth. "Are you okay? I can help you get some new clothes on."

You flutter about the room, hoping that he won't have returned to the world of the living in a state other than his usual. When Blade speaks, his voice is hoarse.

"...Thank you. For trying." He sighs, eyes shifting towards the ceiling, staring at the leights. "Let me sit here a little while longer."

You know he cares about you. But the fact you can't provide him with what he wants most, that it conflicts so directly with your own desires, it does hurt. And yet, you smile. You press your back against the wall and slide down next to him.

"Sure. But you do know you're, like, dripping with vomit, right?"

The ghost of a smile quirks its way up on to Blade's lips. "I was wondering if you'd simply dumped me whole into the bath. After I lost consciousness."

"Absolutely not. It was difficult enough to drag you around while you were on your knees."

"I don't like to hear you insult yourself," Blade merely responds, and it would have been better if he hadn't commented at all. You know your upper body strength is not the best, but, whatever! You huff a breath of air out through your nose.

"If you're this coherent, we can get you cleaned up."

As you get to your feet once again, you feel Blade's eyes boring into your back, and when you turn around he is staring right at you, hands folded over his lap.

"Would you... Consider doing this again? In the future?"

[voxofthevoid]

Like I said in my preliminary post about the chapter, my initial impression of JJK 268 was positive but lukewarm—kind of “okay, that’s decent but full of holes.” Then I made the mistake of thinking about it too much, and now my opinion is more like “that’s ass actually.”

Unflattering assessment of JJK 268 and the current state of the story to follow—stop reading here if you don’t want to see that.

There were two things I liked—and still like, to a certain extent—about the chapter: Yuuji’s final conversation with Sukuna and Gojou’s final letters. But past the initial approval, I’m finding severe issues with those as well.

The Letters

To tackle the lesser evil first, the letters are quite in character for Gojou, and the one to Megumi is on point. It’s perfect. The one to Nobara is where it falls apart. Her mother is a non-entity; her entire flashback has focused on her friendships, with Saori in particular. Her family is absent from the page/screen, and all we get are passing mentions hinting at her family dynamics. So why the fuck is that what Gojou’s letter focuses on?

I know the answer; there’s nothing else for him to tell her. They’re not close and barely know each other, so there’s no substance to their relationship the way there is with Gojou and Yuuji or Gojou and Megumi. What would have made a good letter to her was Saori’s address/number—but Gojou can’t reasonably give her that because there’s no feasible way he’d have known about Saori. Nobara sure as shit wouldn’t have told him. So it feels like Gege tacked on information about a random absent mother because the letter had to say something and this complements Megumi’s letter. It just falls flat as fuck because nobody cares, least of all Nobara herself.

What I think could have worked without having Gojou act out of character was a joke or some bullshit about her coma—something that shows his faith/hope that she’d wake up and be well without becoming emotional or trite. They weren’t close, but she was still a student he cared for. There are ways to show that without pulling a random family member into the equation.

Sukuna and Yuuji

Where do I even start?

In isolation, I adored the conversation they had at the end. It allows both of their personalities as well as their relationship to shine and stay true to themselves while delivering a powerful final exchange. There are several angles to it that fascinate me, especially the contrast between how nightmarish Yuuji's offer truly is and how tenderly he proposes it.

But how the fuck did they get there?

Specifically, how’d Yuuji go from trying to rip out Sukuna’s heart at the end of JJK 260 to being willing to give Sukuna a second chance to be his prisoner/companion until their mutual death? JJK 265 and even 266 lay out his reasoning, but how and when did he get to that point? Yuuji’s final attitude toward Sukuna has both empathy and sympathy: (i) he realizes that he and Sukuna were both shouldering curses out of their control and that it may have been nurture as much as nature that made them what they are, and (ii) he believes that Sukuna deserves a chance to be more than a cursed existence.

We never see why or how he develops these beliefs. A throwaway line from Sukuna about being a wretched child isn’t enough for Yuuji to write Heian era fanfiction in his head; frankly, Yuuji’s not the type. The only option is the much-referenced but so-far unused “resonance” giving Yuuji actual insights into Sukuna’s emotions or backstory, but we don’t see that. We don’t even get hints of that. Yuuji’s willing to tear Sukuna apart and then he’s willing to coexist with him. Forget missing steps, there’s an entire missing floor here.

I’m all for stories that require the reader to engage in inference and analysis, but you still need solid material to prompt such conclusions. JJK is lacking that. There are hints of it. You can squint and see the building blocks of Yuuji’s eventual mindset. But it feels like entire chapters are missing between his attitude in 260 and 265 and also between 265 and 268.

The Fingers

You know how Sukuna’s death only being possible via a vessel has been a driving factor behind the entire plot? Well, I guess we can just ignore that. Just pull him out and let him disintegrate as a lump—problem solved. Even the remaining finger isn’t a problem anymore! That’d have made sense given it’s still only one finger—although even one-finger Sukuna is immensely powerful and might be an issue in the future, if the next generations are weaker than the current one. But instead, it’s framed as that finger not even having the power to connect to Sukuna’s soul at all. Even that’s acceptable in isolation, except this entire thing contradicts how the fingers and Sukuna’s existence have been framed until this point.

Just a few chapters ago, Sukuna was vomiting up fingers as the connection between his soul and Megumi’s body was assaulted. Hell, he swallowed them right back. The natural conclusion here would be that tearing him from Megumi’s body would result in four fingers—Yuuji’s little finger and three original Sukuna fingers—containing some 95% of Sukuna’s soul/power. It also meant someone would need to die to vanquish Sukuna because a vessel was necessary. The question was whether it’d be Megumi or Yuuji.

The answer, apparently, is that you don’t need a vessel at all. Yuuji’s offer to him is framed as him giving Sukuna grace—sure, he’d be caged in and then die with Yuuji sooner or later, likely sooner, but Yuuji's still offering him a longer life. And then Sukuna dies without a vessel. So what was the point of it all? The change is flimsily justified while contradicting the very premise of the story, and not only does it make Sukuna’s end underwhelming, but it also cheapens all the pain and horror until this point.

Tonal Dissonance

This chapter feels like two halves of two different chapters stitched together. Compare the aftermath of the Shibuya Incident to this aftermath—where’s the gravity, the grief? The end of the battle doesn’t get time to settle before the trio are back together, healed and happy.

Happy endings and tragic endings are both good endings—when they’re well crafted and cohesive. And JJK hasn’t ended yet, but the battle with Sukuna did, and we jump right into an aftermath that has no respect for the severity and devastation of the fight that preceded it. Seeing Yuuji, Megumi, and Nobara happy makes me feel nothing; it doesn’t even seem part of the same story. We see no hints of Megumi or Nobara really acknowledging everything that happened while they were possessed and unconscious, respectively. There’s no real sense of consequence either, which is just jarring after all the character deaths and associated emotions in the previous chapters.

The thing is, I think this could have been mitigated by shifting Megumi’s waking and what follows into a new chapter. It wouldn’t fix the timeline issues—it looks like Megumi’s waking several hours, maybe a day or two max, after the fight ended—but it’d be less abrupt. Follow Uraume’s death with a long pan of Shinjuku and maybe snapshots of what the survivors are up to: Yuuji gathering up Megumi’s conscious body; the state of Yuuta, Toudou, and Hana, as well as the remaining sorcerers who were involved in the fight; a quick look at the colonies and the incarnated/awakened sorcerers Kenjaku didn’t manage to kill. Just something to let the end of the fight sink in—a proper transition.

Honestly, I feel like Gege’s ticking off a few boxes in their outline to get this story done with. Maybe it’s burnout, maybe it’s loss of interest; I don’t know. But the end result is that there’s the shape of a story—an arc, an ending—that could have been incredible but is instead a sad, disintegrating lump on the ground, much like Sukuna was in the end.

There are three more chapters, so I assume some of my remaining questions or issues will be addressed, like the terms of the Kenjaku–Sukuna binding vow, the state of Japanese society, the fate of the surviving CG players and the CG itself, the Tengen fetus that’s presumably still inside Megumi, etc. They may even address some of the inconsistencies and ambiguities raised above. But this entire arc has already suffered from an excess of post-hoc explanations, and more of that won’t really make it a stronger or better story.

[riddle-me-ri]

Howdy! I have a request for you if they are open (I couldn’t find anything saying they were closed so I’m assuming they are open but if not, apologies!)

Could I get a fic about BTAS!Jonathan Crane falling for a gender neutral (they/them pronouns) reader who is an artist in the Gotham State Fine Art Department? They could be a student or a young instructor. Maybe he meets them at their art show and they are super curious about his research when he brings it up?

Thank you and I hope you have a great day!

a/n: gosh I’m a sucker for rogues falling for an artist, it just seems so fitting for most of them lol. I hope you guys enjoy this little fluffy drabble for Halloween! Remember to have fun and please stay safe! Spook responsibly! Happy Halloween! (also, also, I’m going to go ahead and apologize now for the super cringy/awkward ending, I went back and forth on how to end this a few times lol)

Content Warning: none that I can really think of…

Word Count: 1.1k

BTAS Scarecrow x Artist!Reader - Muse

Jonathan was nursing the lukewarm watered down punch that filled his styrofoam cup.

He couldn’t believe he's actually here, let alone the reason why he's even here to begin with.

All dressed up in a formal suit and not in his long lab coat or his…costume for his alter ego, he dons now and then, especially on nights like this one.

Professor Crane was off in a corner, shuffling in his dress shoes.

He dictated whether he should take this opportunity to talk to you or just give up when the getting is good, knowing that any attempt to approach you would likely be futile.

Oh, but he adored how you seemed to glow under the mini spotlights highlighting your art exhibition.

You are the apple of Gotham State University’s eye. You’ve won a handful of teaching awards, many of your students brought many accolades to the university…and now here you are exhibiting your new collection in one of the most prestigious art galleries Gotham has ever developed.

At first he expected to loathe you. The way you were so bright eyed, cheery. Your very presence dripped in nauseating positivity…

That is until the first time you shined your light his way.

Your smile, your voice…whatever disdain he had for you dissolved into something else entirely the opposite, though he didn't dare put a name to it.

Much like the rest of the staff, Jonathan became deeply infatuated with you.

“Oh, Mr. Crane, I didn't expect to see you here! I'm so glad you could make it!”

Your sweet sing-songy voice broke him from his thoughts of the past to the present moment.

“Oh, uhh…Yes of course, I wouldn't miss this for anything!”

You giggled. “That's very sweet of you, have you got a chance to see it up close yet?”

“Um..not yet, I was waiting until the crowd dispersed so I can enjoy your pieces to the fullest.”

If Jonathan could pat himself on the back for that save, he would, perhaps it helped that it wasn't entirely untrue.

You nodded. “I understand, I definitely wasn't expecting so many staff and students from school to show up this evening…”

Beautiful, personable and modest…

What the hell was Jonathan thinking he even had a sliver of a chance with you.

Jonathan was slowly closing in on himself and was about to retreat back to his corner and allow you to go back to your exhibition…

“Oh look, some of the crowd has died down…” You looked over your shoulder to see some of the attendants have begun browsing other pieces in the gallery.

“Would you like me to bend your ear about my work, I promise I won't ramble for too long,” you giggled as you reached your hand out.

Jonathan was like a deer in the headlights, and your hand close to him was like the oncoming car.

As trivial as the gesture was, he never suspected to be able to feel your touch so soon.

God, not that he believed in one, but Jonathan silently prayed his hands wouldn't be sweaty or clammy as he gently rested his hand in yours.

“Gladly-”

Jonathan gasped as your hand readily clasped around his. Not an ounce of hesitance or delay in your reaction nor on your face.

The professor voluntarily allowed you to whisk him away and directly in front of your work.

“So..technically these pieces have a chronological order, but I tried to keep it mostly up to interpretation-”

As you began your spiel, Jonathan soaked in every word.

You are so brilliant, none of these average viewers or professors could possibly appreciate your thought process…

But Jonathan sure would…especially as your work leant itself to the human psyche.

“I'm sure that as a professor of psychology, you could…appreciate what I'm attempting to portray…”

Without even thinking of how he may sound or what he was actually saying, Jonathan responded full heartedly.

“Oh absolutely….”

The millisecond it took Jonathan to blink, he quickly realized how idiotic he must sound. “Uh, erm..I mean…it's a successful attempt to me…”

“I'm glad you think so…I worry it may have gone over some of the other staff's head, but it's the effort of coming out to support that counts.”

Jonathan internally gritted his teeth. That was absolutely not enough. You shouldn't have to accept just any minimum effort.

“Which…now I'm curious, Professor Crane-”

“P-Please, you can call me Jonathan…”

How he wished he could have caught your small beaming smile for a moment longer, so that he could commit it to memory with the utmost detail.

“Jonathan…” You tested. “What do you specialize in your field? Any studies of interest?”

You had no notion of the can of worms you just cracked open.

“Why, my main focus is on fears, my dear. Phobias…”

Now that you have brought upon his fixation, confidence slowly enveloped the scrawny man.

Even more so when he noticed your eyes lighten slightly.

“Fears? Such a simple term for a myriad of things, yes?”

Jonthan chuckled. “Yes, indeed…”

Soon the roles of speaker and listener were reversed.

You have never seen Professor Cra-Jonahan be so animated before. It made you elated to witness this side of him.

You wanted to high five yourself for having the guts to ask a rather basic question, but gaining the best outcome.

You leaned in closer. His words of phobias and their potential to push the human mind's capacity beyond what we comprehend now…intrigued you.

“Oh…erm…sorry I didn't mean to ramble for so long-”

“You're fine, Jonathan, really! It was nice to hear you speak so passionately about something you are clearly well-versed in.” You giggled lightheartedly.

“Really?”

“Absolutely!” You assured him. “Um, I know it's getting late, but I would love to continue this conversation another time? I'm already feeling pretty inspired for my next series…if you're comfortable with that, I mean…”

Jonathan felt like a fish that came to the sudden realization that he was still in fact out of the water.

He managed to keep breathing somehow for this long, and he did not want to ruin this opportunity that seemed to bless his efforts.

“Y-Yes…I would be delighted too!” Jonathan confirmed, hoping he didn't come off too gleeful.

“Perfect, here-” You glanced down at your clutch and quickly swiped a business card and pen.

You scribbled your personal home phone and offered it to Jonathan. “I know we see each other at work periodically, but figured this could help us stay in touch.”

“Excellent…erm…see you on Monday?”

“Yep!” You nodded with a sweet beaming smile. “Thanks so much for coming tonight, I appreciate it, Jonathan.”

“Of course, my dear. I wouldn't miss it for the world!”

Jonathan rarely looked on the bright side of things, it's done nothing but blind him in the past…

However, looking at your warm smile, your overall welcoming aura…one that you've now shared almost a couple of hours exclusively with him.

Needless to say, he wanted more. Your precious light, your intrigued enthusiasm, your name presence. Now that he had you for a brief moment, he longed for more…to be your one and only muse.

[owlobservation]

Interview with Itoshi Rin (Blaze Battle)

Taken from Blue Lock mobile game "Blaze Battle". Currently, the game is only available in Japan. I haven't played the game yet but thankfully a fan is kind enough to upload Rin's interview on youtube. You can check them here!

There are 10 Q&As in total, most of them are information that has been revealed in Egoist Bible and canon sources.

1. Where are you from?

Up until junior high school I played for Kamakura United Junior Youth. If you play soccer, you've probably heard of it.

2. What is your favorite food?

Ochazuke. I won't even complain if it's sea bream ochazuke.

3. What is your favorite animal?

Owls. They have good eyes. They're cute I guess.

4. What is your favorite subject

Physical Education and Art. English? That's a must for a soccer player.

5. What subjects are you weak at?

Calligraphy is so damn pointless. If you want to copy something, just use a copier.

6. What is your motto?

"The field is a battlefield." That's what soccer is to me.

7. What do you do in your days off?

Immerse myself in horror. Whether by playing games or watching movies. Back in the day it was only soccer...

8. What is your favorite movie?

I've only watched horror movies in these past few years.

9. Who is the person you admire?

Are we talking about soccer players? or....

Sae? ...Bastard, do you want to get killed?

10. What made you start playing soccer?

...Listen up. Don't ever ask me stupid questions again. Ask again and I'll seriously crush you. I'm dead serious.

===================================================

My Notes.

Q1. Rin played for the junior youth (U-15) division of Kamakura United. Sae used to be the ace of this team, winning Japan Club Youth Championship (U-15) when he was only a first-year junior high school student. He was scouted by Re Al because of this. (Light Novel). On his last year of junior high school, Rin also lead his team and won the U-15 Championship. I think that's why Rin answered the question with a bit of sarcasm. His club was pretty famous.

Btw, here's the club name in Japanese: 鎌倉ユナイテッド・ジュニアユース

Q2. Ochazuke (or Chazuke) is a Japanese dish made by pouring green tea, dashi, or hot water over cooked rice. Rin loves the one with sea bream. In Episode Omotesando oneshot, Rin said Ochazuke with sea bream is his tranquilizer* (精神安定剤）and he needs to eat it at least twice a month.

*Tranquilizer/sedative: something used to reduce anxiety, fear, tension, and stress.

Q3. "Owls. I'm fascinated by them. I think it's their eyes." (Egoist Bible)

Q4. He's already fluent in English.

Q5. "I hate having to write exactly as I'm taught." (Egoist Bible)

Q6. 「フィールドは戦場」 "The field is a battlefield" is what Sae told him. (Ch. 124). His other motto mentioned in Egoist Bible 「ぬるい」 "tepid/lukewarm" , is also what Sae told him from the same chapter. and night.

Q7. His hobby: Feeling the "chills" from playing horror games and watching horror movies. (Egoist Bible).

Q8. The Shining is his favorite horror movie (Egoist Bible). They didn't state that in the game for a reason I think lol.

Q9. The interviewer guessed that the person he admired is Sae which pissed him off. He didn't even answer the question. Anyway, the soccer player he admires is David Beckham. Rin said "I respect his kick". (Egoist Bible).

Q10. The question is harmless but Rin refused to answer again. The person who introduced him to soccer was Sae and it seemed like Rin didn't want to mention him at all...

[beifong-brainrot]

Wish they'd leant more into the Beifongs being nobles in tlok. Like in atla Toph was a runaway twelve-year-old, but the lok Beifongs are rather open with who they are.

Like think of the possiblities.

Lin, as the beifong backelorette getting marriage requests and just. Tossing them straight into the fire

Her getting invited to so many balls and shit and being mad about it.

Suyin being frowned upon because she married a man of lower status and her children being told that their blood is sullied and all that nice stuff

Dumb idea, nobility tried to get Opal and Wu engaged, but Su SHUT THAT SHIT DOWN. Also one of the reasons Su dislikes the Earth Queen

Su's kids having etiquette lessons and HATING THEM. They hated to be during the lessons and got upset and restless. Baatar Jr would just be thinking about where else he could be. Huan would be doodling and Opal would be reading under the desk. The twins would be wiggling in their seats.

And Kuvira would be confused and upset ugh. I can imagine the other noble kids in the Beifongs' circles would exclude her. The Beifong kid would be so mad about this but Kuvira would take it to heart.

And she sorta starts disliking the nobility. But like i feel like in her child head the Beifongs are sorta seperate from the nobilit and it's not until she's in her teens that she realises that the Beifongs are also part of the problem.

I can see Huan being super resentful of the title. He wants his art to be judged by its merit not by his own status. So he might like spread his art under an alias or smth maybe.

Opal becomes very against it when she starts air nomading. But I'm absolutely sure she used to be a bratty lil princess when she was younger

I imagine she sometimes uses her bratty noble attitude for missions and stuff. Think Toph during serpent's pass. She totally freaks out her fellow airbenders when she puts on the princess act the first time.

Baatar Jr is lukewarm about the title

The twins take it the most seriously though i imagine. Like upholding the family legacy and stuff. Wing is nice about it and stuff though. But Wei's snooty and uptight lol.

But I see it's because they're dealing with a lot of stress over it. And they're coping differently. Wing is trying to make as many friends as he can, because other than his family a lot of people around him are pretty fake. And Wei's just bitchy as a coping mechanism.

Ugh the earthbenders of the family knowing that the nobility around them are lying because seismic sense.... and Su being even more betrayed by Aiwei because he'd been the only 'genuine' person in ger surroundings.... UGHHSHWVWJKA

ugh Bolin, the child of a resident of Ba Sing Se's lower ring dating a member of a the upper crust.... (this is about bopal AND weilin)

Like Bolin is already super insecure and shit imagine all the stress. Could be one of the reasons he joined Kuvira. To prove himself ughhsbsjai

Toph running off into the swamp because she doesn't want to be a 'noble matron' and manage the family ugh.

[ratlesshonret]

I made a lot of posts summing up my thoughts on the Sephirah/Patron Librarians when I finished LobCorp, and more when I was midway through LoR, but now that I'm all caught up on Project Moon lore, I thought I'd give my thoughts on EVERY Patron Librarian and Sinner.

This'll be a long one, so buckle up.

Angela - Holy shit. Where do I start. Ten thousand people have summed up Angela better than I ever could. She's just like me fr, she's one of the best-written characters, she's amazing in every way. Though to be fully honest... I don't like how some aspects of LoR's story surrounding her were written. But that is a LOOOOONG tangent that probably needs its whole own post.

Malkuth - I've said a lot of mean things about Malkuth. I've called her a "nothing character," I've said she's "just the tutorial Sephirah/Librarian," and I've generally seemed very neutral-to-negative on her. But overall... I do like her. Her need to be recognized for her abilities hits me close to home.

Yesod - Love him in LobCorp. Ruina made him into so much more of an insufferable asshole. I don't like him very much in Ruina.

Hod - Arguably the Sephirah/Patron I relate the most to. Her depression, her need to be seen as a "good person," and just... so much of her dialogue. It all resonates with me. And the way she moves past it all, and is still able to be kind... I love it. My heart.

Netzach - I'm not his biggest fan, not by a LONG shot, but I still love him to pieces. He's so chill.

Tiphereth - If Tiphereth has a million fans, I'm one of them. If Tiphereth has ten fans, I'm one of them. If Tiphereth has no fans, I'm no longer alive. And Enoch is fine ig, I wish he got more screentime though.

Chesed - He's cool. I feel generally lukewarm about him, like a lukewarm cup of coffee.

Gebura - I could go on a tangent about how hot Gebura is, and I won't lie that it is a reason I really like her, but... she's so strong. And courageous. And in a genuine way. She had to learn what courage really means. Her journey in LobCorp is one of the best-written parts of that entire game, almost on par with the ending to me. And the way she chats with Roland in LoR is just so interesting.

Binah - I could go on a tangent about how hot Binah is, and I won't lie that it is a reason I really like her, but... as I've said in the past, I love how she isn't just what she looks like on the surface. She has the ability to be cruel without a second thought, but she can be kind without a second thought as well. For all she seems like a high-and-mighty bastard who revels in keeping information from people and being smart and philosophical, under the surface she is totally not that, and it intrigues me to no end.

Hokma - Gonna be real... I really... REALLY don't like Hokma. Like, at all. I'm verging into "active disdain" territory with him. Which sucks, because I wanted so bad to like him. But I just can't. Sorry chat.

Roland - What is there to say about Roland? He's-- Roland. There's so much about Roland, and my thoughts are almost identical to the hundred other thoughts on his character you've probably read. So I'm not gonna waste your time with that. Just know I really like him.

Now it's time for the Sinners lol.

Yi Sang - He's fine. His story didn't really resonate with me in the way it did for a lot of others. Which is sad to me, but you know, you can't like every character ever. I respect him as a character.

Faust - She is, to me, the definition of mixed opinions. She's hot. She's an insufferable bastard. She seems to care more than she lets on. She's a smarmy know-it-all. She obviously has her own struggles. She presents an aura of I-don't-give-a-shit. She's nice to Dante more than she needs to be. She's on the side of the big company. I cannot ever decide on a solid opinion about Faust, because it changes basically every time they give her a speaking line.

Don Quixote - Dondon :3

Ryōshū - I love her a lot. She's probably not intended to be a funny character, but a lot of her moments are hilarious to me. I love her dynamic with Sinclair. She's pretty as hell. And badass. Most of her Identities are really cool, too. Out of every Canto left, Ryōshū's is the one I'm most excited for.

Meursault - I have no opinions on Meursault. He is perfectly adequate as a character, and my emotional attachment is minimal.

Hong Lu - Hong Lu is a weird one to me. I wanna like him, but he has so little time on screen and so few speaking lines that it's hard to really form an attachment. You can kinda project whatever you want onto him because he's so absent from the story. I need more time to form an opinion, as more Cantos come out.

Heathcliff - God I love Heathcliff. I had a lot of issues with Canto VI, but overall I loved it, and Heathcliff's story. His character development across the game. His relationship and dynamic with Ishmael. There's so much to talk about that, again, I cannot cover in what is supposed to be a short summary of my opinions on each major character.

Ishmael - OUGOGHGHGGHGHGHGHGHG <3<3<3<3<3

Rodion - I really like her, I just wish she was more fleshed out. Which will come in time, of course. Her source material is what really attached me to her (Crime and Punishment is a great book) and that's probably why I'm able to stay so loving of her despite her lack of much real character development throughout the story.

Sinclair - Where to start with Sinclair... I really love his story. And his personality. He ticks every box for what I like in a character. He's cute, too, which helps. They really went off with his Canto, and even though later Cantos have had higher production value and more cool moments, his still has a close place in my heart as the first time I realized Limbus might not just be "worse LoR."

Outis - Not really a fan. I kind of... find her insufferable. Even moreso than Faust. But I KNOW that the SECOND her Canto drops, my opinion will change. She's one of those characters where I can tell her Canto will either make me start to love and worship her, or despise her even more. My opinion is ready to change. I'm ready to love her. And when her Canto drops, I feel like that just may happen.

Gregor - He's fine. Like Meursault, I don't have too many thoughts. He kind of got his story done pretty early, and has been relegated to be a minor side character who provides occasional comic relief. But he serves the role well, and I like him overall.

Dante - Dante is arguably my favorite protagonist. I may like them more than Roland. Their failcringe vibe just captivates me.

[contentloadingandstuff]

Hanging out with them - Platonic!Tall Genshin Men x Male!Reader

A/N: Due to the upsetting lack of platonic requests with the male characters, I have decided to take immediate action. Sorry for how slow things are now, but the heat boils out my very soul daily.

Diluc is an introvert by nature. With most people he is lukewarm, no matter how kind or affectionate they might be. But you are different. You just feel right, or at least that's how he would put it. You're respectful of him and his way of handling social matters. Most of your time will be spent inside, visiting art displays or chilling inside the mansion with a cup of grape juice and a board game, or outside, fighting human scum and monsters in the dead of night. He never rests with his training, so he'll ask you to spar with him fairly often. Seriously, this man needs someone to have his back and teach him to lay back more, else he inevitably burns out. 

Hitting the many taverns in Mondstadt in a duo is Kaeya's favorite. There's so much to pick up from the other visitors, aside from the obvious delicacy of alcohol. Sometimes the evening ends in following a shady individual and jailing them, other times you just enjoy a quiet drink, talking about everything and nothing. Maybe you'll even get yourselves hot dates, or even just one-night stands? With Kaeya's silver tongue and both of your charming looks, everything is possible… 

Childe loves looking for trouble with you. Outside of Liyue Harbor, of course. Some stray Hilichurls, minding their own business? That's a good excuse to beat them up. You know, for public benefit! Treasure Hoarders in the wilderness? Well, too bad you two were passing by. Sometimes Childe wants to go undercover and have a drink, especially in the shadiest of taverns. The chances of a good old unarmed barfight are very high, and those of a Milelith patrol coming in - very low. Or, if you're not keen on real violence, you can always just spar, maybe even with the new recruits. They could use a good, humbling beating. 

"Osmanthus wine tastes the same as I remember, but where are those that share the memory?" just became outdated. With Zhongli you won't be only reliving the memories, but making new ones as well. He sometimes can't believe you're real. It's been so long since he talked to someone of a similar mindset. Over countless pots of tea and bottles of wine you will spend your tireless nights talking about the world, how it changed, how it once was. Most people will find your high-level discussion unintelligible at best, unable to imagine the vast knowledge you two possess. And how about you invite old friends over? Especially Venti - drinking with him is never boring, you two know that best. 

Due to his condition, any sort of physical exercise is out of the question with Baizhu. He tends to be very busy as well, so there's few moments where you can enjoy some spare time. Aside from work, he doesn't have many hobbies. Sometimes he'll play cards or board games with you, sometimes you'll down some shots (a reasonable amount of course), or play with Qiqi. The little zombie is such an amusing person to be around. 

Beetle fights and messing around are both fun, yes, but those divine muscles don't maintain themselves, do they? As his Numero Dos, you're more welcome to tag along on Arataki Itto's gym trips. He'll spot you and give you any sort of advice you need, as well as keep you as motivated as youkaily possible. His incredible enthusiasm is virally infectious, so you'll get those abs in no time when he's around! He might be a silly oni most of the time, but he has an admirable discipline when it comes to staying in shape. He'll help you along the way as much as he can. But do join Shinobu's efforts to remind him that not every day is leg day. 

Thoma is a soft guy, and he enjoys simpler and quieter activities. It would be hard for him to pick a favorite, however. He only does what he likes doing, and you make things hundreds of times better. Tending to the stray animal population is certainly one of his best picks - and it shows! The fluffy guys know you by look, sound, smell and feel by this point, that's for sure. If you've got some spare Mora, why not go out to eat? Or maybe just play some hotpot in the residence? Ayaka and Ayato certainly won't be against him using some leftover food to enjoy with his pal. 

Despite engaging in entertainment and social events a lot, in reality Ayato doesn't like them. He needs to watch his every step, keep tabs on all of his fellow partygoers and keep his guard up. Things like chess are fun, sure, but they are quite taxing on the mind. Sometimes, Ayato just wants to get a few drinks in and play card games for money. Unrefined pleasures for sure, but don't judge him. It doesn't require that much focus, and he can devote most of his attention to a pleasant conversation with you. Thoma won't let his baby sister find the bottles or catch you in the act of gambling, don't worry. 

Despite Sumeru being the land of wisdom, Alhaitham finds that there’s no shortage of fools and cretins in its society. Aside from the Akademiya, but even within its walls there are certain misplaced ‘individuals’. Hanging out with you brings a breeze of fresh air into his days. You’re not a fool, not by any means, you’re not as up-your-own-ass as the scholars he works along, and you’re not nearly as annoying as his roommate. He doesn’t want to read books with you, since it would be just wasting your time, sitting in silence. Instead, Alhaitham wants to discuss them. Your opinions are always fascinating, and your ability to explain them in depth is truly exceptional in a casual environment. In truth, you’re probably the only person he actively wants to be around. 

Arts, literature, music… Kaveh enjoys them, yes, but there is something else - engineering. Not only architecture, but also mechanics. You’re great because you don’t ridicule him for even the craziest ideas he has. You laugh along with him, you help him build his inventions, and you never get tired of sticking new eyebrows on his face. Perhaps one of your designs will one day get popular? You’ll be rich in your thirties, that Kaveh promises every day. It’s also nice to have someone to lend a few thousand Mora when he’s in need… Don’t worry, he always is on point with the deadlines.

Thanks for reading!

[lovemishjen]

HELLO, i have a question about j2m. Do u think they're close friends or even friends in this day and age? Im a new fan and i dont have that much info about them yet, but i love them dearly. and i want a non delusional answer from someone.

Hello,

It's nice to get a normal question, instead of the usual troll-ish ones.

Alright, let's get down to this.

Disclaimer: I do not know these these gentlemen or their families personally, and I am not even American. But I have been in the fandom since 2009, on tumblr since 2010 I think. So this is based on my observation from con panels, especially jibcon, and social media interactions with each other over the years. I have not been super active in the fandom since over a year though.

If you a J2M fan, you should watch this honcon panel that is a sheer definition of fun 👆🏽

I think Jensen and Jared hit it off initially and were friends on set and even shared a home for a while.

Later on, Danneel and Gen and J2 would hang out, but at some point they had a falling out. I personally think the ladies did not just get along wth each other, need not have been a big falling out. They are different personalities and strong women and it's not necessary to become besties just because their husbands work together. Later, the men themselves had a falling out, the details of which we might never know.

This post is far more well-researched and well-explained than I will have ever patience for 👇🏽

Jensen and Misha, after a lukewarm start in early season 4 filming, started getting along really well. I believe a huge reason for this is that Danneel adores Misha, and she has always been vocal about it. Check out Jenmisheel tag to check out stories of their hanging out. One of the incidents is the story of Danneel and Misha eating chillies and Jensen laughing about, is one of the examples of this.

But also, Misha has been a great influence on Jackles. Misha had quite a wild youth, his ex-wife even wrote a book on threesomes! But he became a father first, mellowed down and being older as well, you always get a sense that Jensen looked up to him. While his relation with Jared was more of a fun buddy, I get the feeling that Jensen and Misha have an equation where they can sit and have a serious conversation.

But all three of them, and the rest of the cast as well, did have a lot of fun together. Have you watched the mockumentary directed by Misha? If not, do watch.. you will love it!

By the final seasons, Jensen and Misha seemed very obviously closer.

Their 10 year friendship post by Jensen was far too serious, unlike other fun posts, so he seems to give a lot of importance to their friendship.

Currently, I think Jensen and Jared are cordial and wish each other on birthdays and other occasions, and the same with Misha and Jared. I think Jensen and Misha interact more often and touch base more frequently, but if they meet up in person, and how often is not something we know. Unlike say Richard Speight Jr and Rob Benedict, who were (are?) doing a podcast together, and so we know they hang out a lot. With J2M, they are not super-active on social media off late, so we don't know as much.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[reorientation]

hey, no pressure to answer this obv, but could you elaborate on how you as a cis man came to enjoy this kink? as a trans person i feel pretty lukewarm about it but can understand why other trans people would be into it, but it’s harder for me to understand how it would appeal to a cis person.

Sure, happy to get into it!

First off, the simple chronological answer: breeding is my biggest kink, and trans guys / transmasc NBs are a force on breeding kink Tumblr + the other site. (Seriously: before getting into this kink scene, I did not appreciate what T does to a mf-er.) There's a ton of blogs and they often have a lot of intense, personal, original content - so I started following a bunch of them and things developed from there.

In terms of what I like about it:

I like need and desperation, and it's hard to find anyone needier or more desperate than a trans guy taking T shots. Inexperience also lends itself to dark fantasy - like taking someone's virginity by raping them, or getting them pregnant the first time they have sex - and lots of trans guys on the site are virgins, or single and very inexperienced, for easy-to-understand reasons.

I really enjoy sexual desire as an almost coercive force - people losing control of themselves and doing things that they thought they would never do and liking it - and that's an incredibly potent element of orientation play. Voluntarily giving up your whole identity that you fought so hard for, just because you come so hard when you think about it, is fucking hot. As is it being forced upon you, but you liking it against your will.

I'm also immensely into the physically coercive aspect of breeding: the way that it makes AFAB people's bodies change whether they like it or not, and whether they consented or not. In the case of orientation play, this is amplified by the idea that it's forcing you into being a woman, taking away your identity. Plus, as before, the idea of you liking being pregnant, discovering that what your body did against your will was what you really wanted, is delicious - especially since I've seen some cases where it actually happened.

Bioessentialism is a really hot form of objectification - "I don't care what's in your head, you've still got a pussy and a womb" - and it couples well with fantasies about free use (e.g. "fakeboys should be public fucktoys for straight men until they get over their delusions") and also the extreme horniness induced by T. ("Aww, you tried so hard to be a man and it just made your pussy get wetter?")

Transmasc people are very vocal and enthusiastic participants in the kink scene - this blog gets way more asks, DMs, reblogs with horny tags, etc. than my other one, even though it has fewer followers. Interaction is the most fun part of running a kink blog, so that's a big incentive to keep being active.

Probably more than you were asking for, but I think a lot about what psychological factors power various kinks, so it was fun to dive into discussing it a bit. :)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

final thoughts on the fox fella + new smol cat boi

What I find the most fascinating about Fellow isn't the character himself but rather the fandom reaction to just seeing his design. It was a tsunami of thirst unlike anything I had ever witnessed before. People were switching up oshis entirely, those who had never made a self-insert or yume before were suddenly making ones specifically to be shipped with Fellow, it was WILD. He's a homewrecker/j I support any and all Fellowives out there👍

That being said, I'm surprised that I feel so... lukewarm about him overall????? I'm usually all gung-ho for the smiling scammer types but for some reason Fellow just doesn't resonate with me. I'll admit that he's very good-looking (I love the colors of his suit, the cravat, the colorful patched up pants, and especially the silly little half capelet thing hanging off of him). His expressions are also very fun, with some favorites being his super smug smirk and the knowing, slightly-off kilter smile. However, there's just something about Fellow's personality that doesn't sit with me quite right. I know it's not the "he's a Red Flag!! RUN AWAY NOW!!!" thing either, because I love Love LOVE red flags in fictional characters 😭

Fellow is good at charming people off the cuff and using deceit to compensate for his low magical reserves, which in of itself is intriguing. It’s also admirable that he wants to start his own school for non-mages and low-magic mages to mingle, He’s an adult that still keeps the spirit of childlike wonder alive, and that makes him fun to follow. Those are the traits of his I like.

But I get the vibes that Fellow isn't as clever or as impressive as he likes to think he is...? He's full of himself but can't exactly back up his words with action. That's not meant to be a diss at his magical prowess, he's lacking in other areas as well. Like, he's a fully grown man picking fights with kids because of a personal vendetta... and he’s steering the kids home while the island is sinking and relying on them to rescue them in case anything goes wrong?? That’s just irresponsible. Not to mention he doesn’t seem to plan ahead?? How does he not know he’s kidnapping many famous and/or powerful people with families might come after his ass if they go missing?

I think that it doesn't help that the "pathetic" vibes were being conveyed in a lot of fan art well before the twist; it only adds to his "patheticness" and it gets to a point where it's too much for me and then is no longer appealing. I can get on board with him and gloating and wanting to crush kids’ dreams because same/j but not when he’s panting and wheezing and desperately tackling them for their tickets to tear up. He doesn’t feel like a genuine threat without the support of his backers. I would still say I like the character and will happily rag on him, but I wouldn't bark for him or anything (though I will grant him points for coming close to winning the cage makes it better/j).

What I appreciate about Fellow's character is that it shows us a darker side to Twisted Wonderland. I don't necessarily think his initial motives are that deep (he's after fat stacks), but I think the sentiment behind the motives are. It pulls back the curtain and reveals an ugly truth about his magical world and the roles that money and privilege play in it. We aren't exposed to many instances of this, but they are, in fact, there (like when Yuu was insulted by Riddle in book 1). It's finally getting attention front and center now—I just wish they had gone deeper with it.

What's currently got me invested in following Fellow is his relationship with Gidel. I love that they're a "found family" (they're "sworn brothers") and that Fellow seems to look after Gidel... Telling the NRC boys not to put stupid ideas in Gidel's head, walking off with Gidel at the end, recounting the times they scammed together, putting his arm out in battle to keep Gidel behind him... (or maybe I'm just delusional and want to believe the fan art LOL). I'm such a sucker for the trope of the protective big brother 💀 Unfortunately, we don't get a ton of canon moments in the event... Like damn, not even details on how they first met or how they found this job or why specifically Fellow cares for Gidel??? I don’t like that for all that we’re told about how hard the duo’s past was, we didn’t get to hear a lot of explicit detail about it (especially when it is so inherently important to their conflict with the NRC crew and their turn at the very end). I just gotta pray their eventual card next Halloween will give more insight into this.

He’s a character I like to think about mainly because his background as a failed mage student gives me a lot to chew on in terms of questioning the world’s lore and how their society is structured. Fellow himself is good for a few laughs, but it isn’t long before my mind strays, if that makes sense. I’m not chomping at the bit, but I don’t exactly detest the guy??? I guess you would call it ambivalence; I’m only fixated on certain aspects of him (the looks, the lore he provides, and the onii-sama potential).

I don't really have much to comment on for Gidel, but I have to say that I like having mute representation and more magicless characters in the cast at large. His outfit is also very fun; I like how it incorporates colors you don't normally see slapped together (that shade of yellow and purple) while still looking cohesive. I keep looking at Gidel's design and seeing a mix of Cheka and Ruggie though (because of the fluffy hair, eye shape, and stature). He very much reminds me of a smol doggo I'd bump into on a walk home and spend ten minutes standing there and considering adopting it.

As I said in my thoughts on Fellow, I think Gidel is at his best when he's in his little brother-big brother dynamic with Fellow. He's just a little guy trying his best while Fellow's trying to lead them. I think that's something the whole fandom can agree on, since I see sooo many people shading Fellow for his actions but the same people squealing and patting Gidel on the head and claiming he has done nothing wrong (despite being complicit in, and actively helping with, the trafficking operation). I guess it's because Gidel is still a child and may not fully understand the implications of it???

It's very sweet and genuine that Gidel demonstrates an interest in going to school and learning—but Fellow, who has been disappointed by the world of magic academia, warns Gidel against it. In his own way, he's keeping Gidel from what he sees as an uppity, shallow realm that will crush his hopes and dreams. That's Fellow's version of "protecting" him. It's a way of telling us about their relationship without outright stating how Fellow feels about Gidel. In return, Gidel also supports him and whacks him a good one when Fellow’s down in the dumps.

I'm sad that we didn't get to see more of their dynamic in the event (like we only see them having a meaningful interaction at the very end), but maybe that's just because the fandom works have set my expectations high. Unfortunately, all those sweet moments of Fellow and Gidel bonding are seemingly confined to just fanart and fanfiction, since very little is mentioned or even implied in the event itself. I'm hoping that (assuming they get a card together next year) we get to see more glimpses of their daily life in the associated vignettes.

[obstinaterixatrix]

I recently got my first office job where I am interacting with my coworkers regularly. do you have any evil conversation skills that you think i should learn first

1. Figure out the easiest/most comfortable ways to say the whole spectrum of soft no’s to hard no’s from a scale of ‘genuine regret (invites future attempts if scheduling allows)’ to ‘polite deferral (respectful and evasive, somewhat firm)’ to ‘stone-cold shut down (professional Fuck You)’; you gotta know them all and you gotta be able to deploy them as needed. or at the very least, you gotta know how to give yourself time so you don’t automatically say ‘yes’ when you don’t want to.

2. The easiest way to make a good impression on people is to balance being useful and making others feel useful, which means offering some of the specific knowledge/insight you have and also asking for/acknowledging the knowledge/insight of others. offering/asking can be a weird balance, sometimes for some people in some contexts it comes pretty naturally, other times I find myself parsing out one (1) resource bit by bit to gauge whether someone’s actually looking for it or if it’s received in a lukewarm way. If ‘useful’ can’t really be a selling point at the moment (e.g. starting with zero experience rather than having an established knowledge base in a new environment) then you can always swap out ‘useful’ for ‘interesting’. know a charm point you have that can hook other people’s interest, know how to find and highlight other people’s charm points. If you want a mutual relationship it’s better to make an effort to share equally (for some people that means intentionally holding back, for other people that means intentionally speaking more), but if you’re just trying to coast it’s usually easiest to keep turning the conversation back on them and track topics the other person can get chatty about (pets, kids, shows, how they’re doing, etc).

hang on those are too reasonable and not evil but I’ve typed it all out so I’m not deleting. so, there’s a bunch of worksheets about ‘rules for fighting fair’ and if you ever meet a coworker you fucking hate then you wanna take those rules and do the opposite of all of them in order to have an on-purpose bad faith conversation and to make it as miserable for everyone as possible

1. If the coworker you hate is trying to talk about one specific problem, disagree with whatever their definition is and refuse to compromise

2. Bring in as many stupid tangential asides as possible so their original point gets buried

3. If you want to be legit evil, always imply or directly state that whatever they’re going through is a personal problem and a Skill Issue

4. Always find a way to vaguely disagree with your coworker. If they have a good point, say ‘Well, no, it’s actually like [basically rephrasing their point]’; you can either be subtle about this (negging) or blatant about this (The Mansplainer)

5. There’s a limit to how disrespectful anyone can be as a new employee. Find that limit and keep just short of it.

6. Always deflect and blame someone else, or if there isn’t someone to blame, have different excuses at the ready for anything that anyone might take issue with.

to some, evil communication skills is to win. but I think the most successful (insufferable) application is when the point is to make everyone as miserable as possible. I’m not trapped here with you, You’re Trapped Here With Me. also I wouldn’t actually recommend doing many of these things if you want functional working relationships. but it’s good to keep in mind if you’re ready to go nuclear! but more seriously, I do think these are important evil communication skills to learn because if you recognize someone using them against you, it gives you the chance to make strategies based on their behavior. 1. If someone is disagreeing with you any time you try to express a problem, shut down the conversation and reengage with a mediator that will be fair to you; 2. if stupid tangents keep showing up, it’s up to you to be the terrier with its teeth sunk into the mailman’s leg; etc. anyway this has gone too long and someone else should probably be giving more legit advice

[charon-cries]

i’ve just seen your answer to the question about good omens and i’d love to hear the trouble you had getting into Gaiman’s shows— I’ve had a similar experience of getting them recommended quite highly and finding that, upon watching them, they’re not quite as compelling as they sounded. Good Omens especially has grown a rather large and dedicated fandom, so I haven’t seen many more lukewarm reactions, and it’s nice to hear other people’s varying analyses!

IT'S BECAUSE HE WROTE THESE SHOWS LIKE HE WRITES HIS COMICS!!!

i'm a comic book reader and i clocked it IMMEDIATELY when watching sandman— there was very little work done to translate the comic into a different medium! TV shows have very different needs than comic books do with pacing. it's very difficult NOT to see if you've read at least one comic book series.

i had assumed this was just a quirk of it being Sandman. i mean, writing a comic book adaptation LIKE a comic does make a lot of sense on paper.

but when i started watching good omens season 2 i started noticing the exact same thing!! it was much more toned down in good omens than it was in sandman, for pretty obvious reasons, but i genuinely believe that if he had turned season 2 into a comic book series instead i would have enjoyed it MUCH more. that type of pacing really just doesn't work as well on screen and in my personal opinion, it leaves the experience feeling a bit disjointed

a great comic does not always equal a great tv show, they're pretty different mediums. i'm very sure that the sandman show was FAR more enjoyable to those who have, unlike me, read those comics and are more familiar with the characters themselves, but i didn't do that, so there wasn't a lot of time for me to be anything more than just intrigued by dream.

because the show is the only material i had, there were no little asterisks on the camera shots telling me where i could read more about him. i could go back and read the comics, and to be honest, there's a very decent chance that i WILL do that, but i feel that the show itself should have been tasked with making me love dream the way i already love lucifer. you know?

so when it comes to good omens season 2 (and take this with a grain of salt, because i only watched it one time, when it came out, BECAUSE my feelings on the show were so lukewarm) being written relatively similarly...

do i care about gabriel and beelzebub? no! i really didn't, i felt quite neutrally about them the entire time. i understood exactly why they were there, and i even LIKED their role in the story, but it felt like the show had assumed i was already invested in them despite the fact that we've barely seen them.

as for the outrage, i think this is why there were so many people who got so mad at season 2's ending. i really don't think the breakup came out of nowhere. it's another thing i actually really liked, in theory! it was set up well, even throughout season 1, and it makes sense with aziraphale's character. but a lot of people felt like they had the rug pulled from under them because of gabriel/beelzebub in addition to the breakup.

i don't think that writing shows similarly to comic books is NECESSARILY a bad thing. i mean, it clearly worked for a LOT of people, considering that the love (and hate) for these shows was so large. people got invested enough to be mad about the breakup, people got invested enough for waves of people to decide that the sandman show is their absolute #1. but it really did not work for me! it just left me kind of apathetic in both cases.

in the very least, i do genuinely think i would have ADORED good omens season 2 if we got some comics about the angels and the demons before it came out. the issue for me was a lack of context. we really are just getting slices of these characters' lives, but those slices felt so small, and i so so so wish that we got to see more.

i don't have any credentials or anything, i'm no champion of creative writing (and in fact i really struggle with the act of writing itself) and by no means do i think i could've done a better job than he did. just some things i felt/thought as a viewer!

[putschki1969]

Hello Puts!

I don't think I have seen you share your thoughts about Keiko's latest single. I personally really enjoy this release and I am curious how you feel about it?

Ugh, yeah, you got me there🫣I've been uncharacteristically quiet about Keiko's 「夕闇のうた」. Quite frankly, I've just not had enough positive things to say to warrant a proper review😭. As most of you probably know, I do not get any pleasure from lingering on stuff I don't particularly like, I simply move on and prefer to focus on things I actually enjoy. But hey, since you asked, I might as well write up a few things that have been going through my mind.

Disclaimer: Needless to say, this is all just my personal opinion. I am by no means an expert on music or singing, I am just a fan who is very invested in my girls but due to having a very specific taste, not everything works for me but of course that doesn't mean that it won't work for anyone else.

Let's start with the single's A-Side 「夕闇のうた/Yūyami no Uta」. It's not like I hate the song or anything, objectively it's a decent track, I just can't really get into it. There are some songs and melodies that immediately resonate with me, others grow on me over time and then there are some I need to hear performed live to properly appreciate them. In this case, none of these options apply unfortunately. We got our very first snippet way back at the end of November and to be honest, that didn't do much for me which already kinda tempered my excitement. Ever since then the song has had time to marinate but I haven't been able to warm up to it. Even the live performance at last year's Kaji Fes didn't have a noteworthy effect on me. My last hope was hearing the full studio version but my reaction was once again rather lukewarm. The visuals of the PV helped a bit to get me into a good mood for the song but ultimately, I was pretty much underwhelmed. And the worst thing is, I struggle to pinpoint what exactly is bothering me about the song. One thing I am definitely not a fan of is the overly rushed and repetitive drum-beat in the verses, for some reason I feel like it clashes a bit with Keiko's singing and cheapens the overall vibe of the song but that could just be my personal impression. I prefer a good build-up to a chorus and I don't think we are getting it here. Speaking of the chorus, the structure of the chorus doesn't work for me or maybe it's the melody (lack thereof?) that doesn't appeal to me? Not sure exactly but it's not giving me what I would have liked. The first part starting with "inori" is pretty generic and then we get a sort of crescendo for "utau/fureru" which feels oddly out of place, especially when it transitions right into the scat singing. Maybe there is too much different stuff going on or it's all happening too fast but it doesn't have the impact on me which it probably should have. I am usually a big fan of Keiko's scat singing, I mean, her yay- yay-yay part in YK's "vanity" or Kalafina's "Door" regularly gives me an eargasm so why the hell does it leave me so unimpressed in "Yūyami no Uta"???!!! I guess it's more of a combination of the melodic arrangement and the accompanying scatting which makes songs like "vanity" or "Door" so much more epic for me....? As for the bridge, it's okay I suppose. In her interviews, Keiko has mentioned multiple times how her progress as a vocalist has made it possible to tackle all these high parts and that just a few years ago, Yuki Kajiura would have assigned Yuriko Kaida or one of her other chorus singers to sing those sections. Keiko's higher registers are a hit and miss for me, sometimes they work, other times not so much. Here she sounds perfectly fine and I fully understand why YK would feel confident to let Keiko handle this on her own. But again, the whole part is just meh and by now I am convinced that it is because the song doesn't have a sufficiently nice melody to provide a good base for Keiko's singing.

I want to continue with 「夕闇のうた Special Edit ver.」 because I honestly feel like we have been robbed of something really good here. Whoever decided to bypass this in favour of the normal version should really start questioning their life choices. I am not saying that this version is perfect (we don't even get all that much to form an opinion on it) but from what I hear, it is superior in many ways and would have worked better as an ending (edit: apparently, it has actually been used as ED on the 3rd ep). That gorgeous strings intro alone takes the song to a whole new level, making it so much more melodic. And the somewhat obtrusive drums feel way more toned down here since they are introduced at a later point of the song to create more of a proper build-up towards the chorus. The chorus itself is pretty much the same from what I can tell but I wonder what the bridge and the remainder of the verses would have sounded like in this style. The ending verse of the song also works a lot better for this special edit, wish they had included all of it starting from "itoshii" and then concluded it with another strings section.

Now all that's left to talk about is the single's B-Side, 「燈命/Tōmei」. This song is a big no-go for me so I'll keep it short. The composition, arrangement and lyrics were all done by Saku who has previously worked with Keiko on "Ray" (Lantana), "Sakura wo Goran" (dew) and "YOUR" (CUTLERY). He was only in charge of the arrangement for"Sakura wo Goran" but out of those three songs, "Tōmei" feels closest to this one in terms of vibe and overall blandness. I've come to enjoy "YOUR" quite a bit (even if I am not so happy with some of Keiko's higher notes) and "Ray" is decent too but my entire body outright rejects songs like "Sakura wo Goran" and "Tōmei". Sorry🙈I don't even know what else to say. I listened to it and immediately was like, nope, next one please.

Phew, this turned out longer than expected. I feel shabby for going on and on about all the stuff I didn't like but oh well, what's done is done. Moving on...

[ghostaholics]

𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒘𝒂𝒗𝒆 (𝒉𝒄)

PAIRING: Captain John Price x fem!Reader WARNING(S): [ 18+ ]; unprotected p-in-v sex; shower sex, unintentional temperature play A/N: I see your snowed-in cabin fics and instead raise you to 45˚C/100F+ scenarios with the desperate need to stay cool; inspired by the excessive weather where I live. Honestly idk what this is. Just sweaty Price brain rot.

❝ Always makin’ fun of my boonie hat – not much of a laugh now, is it? ❞

And without saying anything else, he plucks it off his head with one smooth motion before setting it on your own, a rush of heat floods your face at the idea that he's just sacrificed his most treasured protective outwear at your expense.

❝ Looks good, might be better on you than me. ❞

Having to reapply another fresh layer of sunscreen along the thick muscle of his neck, your hands kneading into the sweat-slick skin at his nape – even though you've already wiped at his neck so that it's dry but the sweltering heart keeps generating more beads of perspiration (drip, drip) in the same way the thought of you touching him spawns a fresh gush between your legs, all sticky and messy.

And what makes it even worse is the soft grunts he lets out as your fingertips work on their own accord, finding a knot in between his shoulders and easing the point of tension there with purposeful movements as he relaxes under you, but you start to falter because he's making noises that you really don't want to think too much about before his voice, pitched low and hoarse, startles you out of your thoughts—

❝ Keep at it, love. ❞

Then you're finally done; you tell him so, and you feel some reluctance as you're pulling away because a stupid part of you wants to know what other sounds you can coax out of him. So you adjust the shemagh over his neck back in place and swallow the lump in your throat.

❝ Thank you, ❞ he murmurs, and it's in the same fucking tone he used earlier that turns your breathing shallow and useless.

❝ Anytime. ❞

Then he turns around, eyes smoldering, irises bleeding blue and says—

❝ Don't say that if you're not looking for me to take you up on that offer. ❞

Price fetches some ice cubes. You're not sure where he gets them; you only know that he turns up with a container out of nowhere.

He cups your jaw, angles your head up to expose the column of your throat, cool mouth pressed against your heated flesh, slighty salty with sweat. It's almost overstimulating, the coldness of his lips and the rough scrape of his facial hair against your sensitive skin.

When it melts, he laps up the remaining liquid, flattening his tongue, leaves little nips here and there as he trails over your neck.

The shower in the safehouse is complete and utter shite, not cold enough, lukewarm at best, but it's running water so he can't complain too much about all of its faults as long as it washes away the sticky feeling of being drenched everywhere along his body.

He's peeling off his gear fast, every layer, shucking it off on his way to the bathroom

And while you're still transfixed on his retreating figure, he notices that you don't follow him so he comes back, drags you into the bathroom without saying another word.

He sits you on the counter, starts with sliding your jacket off your shoulder, unlacing your boots, pulling off your top, and once you finally snap out of it, you're helping him speed up the process.

He could fuck you like this, on the counter, or over it with the mirror in front of you. But he doesn't. Maybe later.

Another reason this shower's fucking terrible: it's a small space that can really only accommodate one person, but he'll make it work, god damn it, and he hoists you up, has your legs circling around his waist because space in this cramped stall is both a luxury and a curse.

You tell him to fuck you, not to waste time on foreplay because you've been waiting so long, and he knows, he's just as bad.

❝ I will after, I promise... I fuckin' promise I'll take my time then. ❞

He groans as he pushes into you, feeds you his cock. You're right; you're ready for him, cunt swallowing him whole as he fucks you against the shower tile.

❝ Just too easy, sweetheart. ❞