#I mean as in. recognize that other places are other peoples homes and defaults and that they live their life with those as the defaults

[visdiefje]

Honestly I think it's very important to, if you spend a lot of time online, follow a few users that post about their own countries/cultures that are different from your own. Just to keep you humble and serve as a steady reminder that you are not universal

[greenerteacups]

Hi GT, I hope you are doing well! who is your favorite Weasley?

Thank you! Absolute treat of a question. Oh, man. It's Ron, right? It was always going to be Ron.

So here's the thing: the Weasleys are a really well-characterized family in that you can kind of see a lot of character emerge through limited sketches and contextual information. Bill is Number One Boy, the best at everything, oldest child who was always confident and at peace with his indisputable place in the family; so he's a chill, cool, incredibly competent guy who naturally takes-charge. Charlie is a patented never-grew-out-of-your-middle-school-dragons-phase Weird Kid, but like, mindfully and enthusiastically so, because his parents probably still had plenty of time to support and nurture his interests; plus he's also different to Bill and excels in different ways, so they aren't too competitive (as we see). Percy is the first one to suffer from the pressure of mounting expectations, and he's very quickly followed by the twins, who do the classic "if I can't be the best I'll be the worst" late-sibling trick of acting up for attention, so he gets lost in the shuffle. (The fight between Ron and Percy in Chapter 58 is, hence, in substantially about the relationship between the two most-ignored members of the Weasley family, and that's why Ron is so much angrier at him than the rest of them. Like I've said before, Ron always thinks he's got it the worst, but he takes pride in being able to kinda "tough it out," and nothing pisses him off like other people's self-pity.) Ginny is obviously the baby of the family, a girl with everyone wrapped around her finger, and I love her, but I feel like we didn't get enough grit in her portrait— she's just really successful in everything she does, in a way that can read as flat to some people, and certainly read as flat to me my first time through the books. In fact, Ginny reminds me a lot of Bill: first daughter/first son, described often as "cool" and clever and good at basically everything, charming and generally liked by all. Which is lovely. A delight to read, just like the twins are. But my taste in characters ranges way more fucked-up and mean.

Ron is the last boy, "sixth son of a woman who wanted a daughter" (fascinating line that complicates everything we know about Molly's relationship with her kids — and BTW, how the hell does Ron know that, and how old was he when he learned it? And this also comes into play with Molly's cry of "not my daughter" to Bellatrix which like, as a moment obviously fucking rules, but also — there's a reason she says daughter, not "child," right? Do you see what I'm digging at? Anyway). Ron meets Harry and recognizes himself in how Harry defaults to thinking people don't care about him, or won't help him if he asks, because — although they come from very different circumstances, Ron's home was completely loving, just not as nurturing as he always needed it to be — Ron usually goes in assuming people don't care about him, too. So his first instinct is to go: "Alright. Well, I'll care about you, then, weird stranger. Do you want to share my horrible sandwich, and also my life, perhaps?" Goddamn! Sixth of seven in a house with never enough to go around, and he's immediately like: "fuck it, room for one more." Because he could have been Percy — and you can see it in the way that Ron is mean, sometimes, he's not careful with his words and he struggles with empathy and he's got a vengeful streak that comes out when he's pissed — but he isn't selfish enough, he loves too much and too easily, and it takes shockingly little to earn his loyalty. You just have to pay a little attention to him.

[boopshoops]

💆 and 🏘 for yuu if thats alright?

OK- so a lot of yall asked for the same emojis SO i'm gonna format Yuu's all in one post then do another for Jocia+Ezra-

UHHH DJJDJD THIS IS MY FIRST TIME ANSWERING QUESTIONS IN CHARACTER so lets say the default text is me/narrator then orange is Yuu

@ceruleancattail @the-trinket-witch @rabioa @scint1llat3

💆how do you relax?

"Well, let's get right into it then, shall we?" Yuu clasped her hands together, a sly smile spreading onto her lips, "Relaxation... well I guess listening to music would be my go to. Genre doesn't matter to me mostly," The woman tapped her chin, lightly humming as she thought, "Though I suppose my definition of 'relaxing' isn't exactly universal... I often enjoy getting up and around and even dancing a bit, maybe having a quick chat as well... it helps me center myself. Too many thoughts in this big brain of mine sometimes!~ A way to focus is most definitely what relaxation is to me. Some people find it chaotic, but I don't care about some people. It's fun to me. Besides, it's not like I never sit down and rest."

🏘️where's your happy place?

"Huh... some of these questions are rather deep, aren't they?" Yuu cleared her throat, doing her best to keep a neutral expression, "Much like a lot of people, my happy place isn't an actual PLACE. It is more like a state. All that being said, I'm... not quite sure. Not to say that I'm not happy, of course! There are hard times and good times, but I suppose I'm still trying my best to find such a 'place' for me in this new world. Let's call this one a work in progress, yes? I'll get there eventually, not to worry. I have my plans, of course~"

✏️What are your hobbies?

"Oh! This is a fun one. I'm a musician. I have been taking band and theater courses my whole life," Yuu lifted her head triumphantly, gladly taking the opportunity to brag, "Singing, acting, playing instruments... I managed to get into a pretty prestigious performing arts school back home, and what more could one ask for than to spend their life doing what they love?" Her peppiness suddenly dropped, resulting in a roll of her eyes, "Not that it's useful now that I'm stuck here though. Damn Crowley."

🥣what's your favorite food?

"Bungeoppang!" The prefect chirped, leaning forward in her (imaginary) seat for this (imaginary) interview, "Or, ah- taiyaki, or bread with a sweet red bean filling. I was trying to learn more about my ancestry, and came across this pastry thanks to my father. Originally I didn't think I was the biggest fan of sweets, but, wow~ Only then, after I fell in love with it, did I learn it wasn't even a traditional dish from my father's home... figures. Nonetheless! You'll have to try some!"

"Ah, Here's a fun fact for you, I learned the language a long time ago along with trying to learn more about my family's history, but no one here seems to recognize it, which... makes sense, I guess. It was a bummer at first, but then I learned I can simply say whatever I want without them understanding me. What a breath of fresh air~"

The woman momentarily giggled, "...배고파요"

🙂where do your morals lie?

"Hmph. What a complete 180 of a question..." Her lips pursed into a pout. She offered up a quick glare, but it didn't last very long at all, "I'm just trying my best to exist and let others exist at the moment!" She beamed with the flip of a switch, her suspiciously innocent smile nearly blinding. She kept this one brief. Barely an answer.

🥰do you think you're attractive?

"Yes," The woman answered... almost too quickly, "I like how I look. I spend a lot of time on myself, so it's only natural to get a bit of an ego boost from that, yes? Confidence is a healthy thing! I spent a lot of time carefully crafting my sense of style, it makes me feel... like me." Yuu momentarily fluttered her lashes, accompanied by laughter through a rhythmic tease, "Come onnnn~ you get it, right? You know I'm just a sweetheart? Completely innocent and well-meaning? Aren't I just like a princess? Of COURSE I'm attractive."

😍are you a romantic?

"....Hm," The woman paused, thinking deeply about the question in a moment of silence, "It depends on what your definition of 'romantic' is in this case, but I'd say I'm rather neutral. It's been awhile since I've been in a relationship myself, so I can't really say for sure..." Yuu tilted her head, crossing one leg over the other as she leaned back in her seat. Striking a pose to simply ponder.

"I'm not a hopeless romantic, but I highly value romantic gestures. Does that make sense? I particularly value physical touch along with gift receiving as far as love language goes. At least, that's how it used to be with my ex-girlfriend. I don't think that has changed too much. So, hey! If you're interested, feel free to just hand over your credit card as a gift, I'll get back to you," The woman finished with a joke, attempting to turn the mood away from being sour.

"ALSO HELLO YUU SHI YOU ARE GORGEOUS HELLO LIKE ARE YOU AN ANGLE FROM HEAVEN??? CAUSE YOU'RE A-CUTE"

The prefect blinked, leaving an uncomfortable amount of awkward silence as she read the words on the page of (imaginary) interview questions.

She held back a snort, doing her best to hide a guilty grin along with her horrible sense of humor, "Wh-Who wrote this? Who wrote these questions?" She giggled to herself, setting down the page in finality, "Sevens, that's awful... I love it. I'm well aware, but thank you. I needed the laugh today."

"Will that be all?"

Ask game!

[lemonluvgirl]

Okay, Chica - A G rated prompt: Katniss gets goosebumps when she holds Peeta's hands.

Thank you to the INCREDIBLE @mega-aulover for this prompt :) I hardly get the excuse to try and write fluff and I have to say I enjoyed the entire exercise!

She'd like to say that getting close to Peeta again was as easy as breathing, but that would be a lie.

It wasn't easy. It was difficult. Full of false starts and awkward interludes and enough unsaid words to fill a shelf of books. Katniss understood this because she knew there was no way to ever truly start over with Peeta Mellark, even if she truly and deeply wished she could erase the past year of him being captured, tortured, and everything that followed until the end of the war.

There were layers of history and trauma in between them, and Peeta wasn't always aware of the context or meaning that colored their interactions, but neither was he oblivious. He felt things and picked up on things and he could still read the room with startling precision.

He remembered odd snippets sometimes, and the major events of their history together but the day-to-day workings of their relationship (which was still stuck in some strange place between cautious allies on good days and distrustful antagonists on the bad ones) seemed to puzzle him at first when he came back if not downright confuse him.

He legitimately didn't understand why Gale hadn't come back to District 12 with her after she had been exiled.

They got into it one night after seeing his face pop up on the nightly newscast. He asked questions with an internal compulsion that she had come to recognize. It was an extension of his 'Real or Not Real' mechanism.

The coping strategy he defaulted to when something just didn't sit right in his mind. And she knew that it was finally time to tell him why Gale hadn't come home, why she hadn't wanted him to accompany her back, why it might be better if he just stayed away indefinitely. Or at least until the still razor-sharp pain she got inside her chest every time she thought of him lessened somewhat.

So she told him about that day outside the president's mansion. She told him about the bombs and about what Snow said in the rose garden. About Coin and her tests of loyalty at the victor's meeting. She told him about Gale and Beetee's bombs and how no one knew for sure how it had happened, who had given the authorization, or what design they had used.

But the implication hung heavy in the air as it had that day that Gale had come to bring her the final arrow to end the war.

"So that's why he's not here." That had been his only reply. Katniss had nodded, not looking at him, lost in her thoughts about how far they had all come from the people they had once been three years ago.

Peeta had taken her silence and had wadded through it, unafraid to confront the dark waters that threatened to drown out the moment of honesty between them.

"There are a hundred reasons why he's not here." Katniss finally replied looking at him and finding his blue eyes dark, sad, and full of that special kind of empathy that never felt inconsequential, or cheap. Even as lost in his own mind as he tended to get sometimes, Peeta's reactions to other people's pain were the same as they used to be. Pure and noble, and not stemming from any misguided sense of pity.

His hand reached over to cover hers, and he enfolded her own small hand into his grasp. Goosebumps spread from the place where his skin touched hers.

"I'm so sorry Katniss." He said, tone even and quiet. "We were all forced to do horrible things in the games, and in the war, but that really is something terrible to try and come back from. But maybe with time you and he could—"

"There's no coming back, Peeta." She said cutting him off.

"But, if you could find it in your heart to forgive me after I tried to kill you then surely you and Gale can work this out. You two have been through so much together."

Katniss nearly recoiled at not only his words but the earnestness with which he said them.

"Everyone's been through a lot these past two years. You included. I don't need to work out anything with Gale. He can stay right where he is for the foreseeable future."

"But you love him," Peeta said quietly, but his eyes were confused and his brows were pulled down and tight together.

She shook her head slowly at him, recognizing immediately the familiar tone of his voice. It usually preceded a barrage of questions in the real or not real vien.

"No, Peeta. I don't. Gale was never the one I loved. Not like that. "

"Well, my memory isn't the most reliable but from what I've pieced together about you two before the games, and then everything that came after, I was sure..." He trailed off and she reached out and hesitantly placed her hand over his. He looked down and frowned slightly, but in a way that illustrated his confusion.

"I wasn't. When I came home after the first arena all I wanted was for things to go back to the way they had been before, clear-cut and easy. But I couldn't go back. And trying to feel something for Gale beyond friendship was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. I just didn't know how to let go of that part of my life, where all I needed was my bow, the woods, my sister, and my best friend. I might have loved him once, the way you love someone who is like family to you. But I was never in love with him. I've finally learned the difference between real and not real when it comes to that. " She said it with such surety, such conviction, and the way she stared at him. It was like her gray eyes were trying to press some kind of message into him.

He looked startled by her words at first, then he blinked, and it was like he was seeing her clearly for the first time.

Well, maybe not for the first time. There had been many moments where the secret and mysterious nature of the inscrutable Katniss Everdeen was revealed to him in snapshots and quick glances. Like catching sight of something that arrests your eyes right before the door snaps shut.

But looking at Katniss at that moment Peeta knew the door wasn't going to close this time.

No, the warmth of her hand in his, and the look in her eyes told him that this time the door was open for him, as long as he was brave enough to walk through it.

[laundryandtaxes]

I often find myself really surprised at the specific bits of information any individual guest may have about wine, sake, cocktails, etc, because often people have totally disparate levels of knowledge about those different things, but also because sometimes I meet someone whose information and lack thereof really intrigues me. For instance, last week a guest asked me why we shake or stir cocktails. Fundamentally, shaking produces three outcomes for a cocktail- aeration, dilution, and chilling- whereas stirring only produces the last two of those outcomes. You can test this yourself at home if you have a cocktail shaker- a properly shaken cocktail should, when poured into a glass, have a little sort of crema of bubbles on the top. These bubbles are literally the result of the introduction of air, which changes the texture of a cocktail as well, and while I would not do this behind the bar you can even hear the bubbles popping if you place your ear to them. But practically, if presented with a cocktail build and not told how to build it, I will default to shaking when there is citrus in the cocktail. Syrup can be blended into a cocktail with stirring. Citrus juice cannot. No amount of stirring with a human hand is going to incorporate agave syrup into tequila- that requires the kind of mechanical force and aeration you get when shaking.

This same guest later saw me building a paper plane and inquired, "Paper plane?" And I was genuinely shocked that someone could not know why a cocktail is shaken or stirred, but ALSO recognize a Paper Plane being built, and he noticed even though we have to fudge a paper plane with Montenegro because my bar doesn't stock Amaro Nonino. Maybe I have the wrong idea of the cocktail, but I think of it as a cocktail drinker's order- it's not a mojoto or a long island or other widely recognizable cocktail. But interactions like that are why I never assume that someone who is clearly very knowledgeable about Scotch knows anything about wine, or that just someone who doesn't know anything about whiskey that means they won't know anything about gin, etc, and is why I almost always sort of poke to see whether a guest wants to know everything about x spirit/wine/sake or has had it a million times and wants no explanation.

[gold-rhine]

Repost bc my previous blog got shadowbanned.

Diluc

Diluc’s love language is Doing Things For You, which ranges from just generally being useful to dealing with problems and being protective, sometimes overbearingly, but what he himself recognizes as love language are specifically Grand Gestures.

Caveat: Grand Gestures do not mean “expensive”, Diluc has so much money that he doesn’t see spending it as something special, no matter how much.

Grand Gestures are also not something done publicly, Diluc likes to keep his most important things secret.

No, Grand Gesture has to be a) done for the specific person only b) by Diluc himself c) require considerable effort from him.

Examples: creating a cocktail for someone and asking them to name it (high friendship teapot), climbing mountains on his own birthday to collect rare berries and then cook a special dish with them for dinner (birthday letter).

The problem is that with these conditions it might sometimes be difficult to realize that the Grand Gesture is happening, bc Diluc himself is not gonna tell you. Sometimes you can deduce from context that he spent a lot of effort on it, but the context won’t always be obvious.

He’s constantly giving himself mental grades for everything he does, and especially for Grand Gestures, and unless the person he’s doing it for explicitly compliments him on a good job, he’s gonna decide he failed by default and forever remember how he disappointed his loved one.

(I will never get over the coffeeshop event where he was like “when I mixed my first drink as a small child, my father didn’t tell me that I succeeded, which means I failed a test of creativity.” MB YOUR DAD JUST WANTED U TO PLAY WITH SYRUPS FOR FUCKS SAKE)

So yeah, its better to err on the side of more “good jobs”. The man has a praise kink the size of Mond’s cathedral anyway, so can’t go wrong with that

Thoma

Thoma’s love language is also doing things for you, but specifically small everyday things.

He’s very perceptive and great at reading ppl, so he notices what you like and dislike, and accordingly surrounds you with your favorite things and removes annoyances.

It might sometimes require a lot of effort on his part, but he’ll never say it

Like you can mention that you love some rare jam at the cafe and next week it’s at your home and Thoma’s like “haha yeah, I found a place that sells it:)”, but actually he had to make three different deals and blackmail a merchant bc its not normally sold in shops

Your biggest cheerleader, incredibly supportive in all of your endeavors, if you have a deadline or big project coming up will try to do everything so you can focus on your thing with most comfort

Source: have you met him?

He also can find positives in any situation and will try to improve your mood if you’re feeling down

Like, what are you gonna do, NOT smile and feel better when he gives you a kitten in a knitted sweater?

Each separate thing might be small, but together they all create a protective golden bubble of warmth and positivity, that significantly improves your quality of life, even at the moments when he’s not around himself

Bc like you go to make tea and there’s your favorite tea, and your favorite jam, and the leaking water pipe was fixed without you even noticing, and there are fresh-baked cookies shaped like hearts and puppies

An off-field pyro shield, you might say adfhjkdfg

He also likes showing you his favorite places and just generally sharing nice moments together, esp if he thinks you need a break (hangout, high friendship teapot)  

Xiao

Xiao is a weird case, because he sees himself only valuable as a weapon, so he doesn’t think that trying to do something nice for other people would lead to anything good.

“You believe a Yaksha who knows nothing more than how to massacre countless souls and emerge unscathed is a suitable mentor for such an individual?” and so on and so forth.

So like the closest he gets to love language is actually this:

“If you awake to a knife at your throat, if monsters dig their claws into you, if death comes knocking at your door, call out my name. Adeptus Xiao. I will be here when you call.” “If you encounter a difficult situation, don't be stubborn. Call my name. I will make it right.” “I deal in death. If you cannot bring yourself to kill — speak my name.” “I'm willing to protect you. But don't think about getting close, and stay out of my way, or all that awaits you is regret.”

Which is not just protectiveness, but like his specific brand of willingness to blacken his soul even more so you don’t have to, while getting nothing in return. So yeah, even Xiao’s love language is basically angst lmao.

Though to be fair, once he gets over the fact that someone likes his company, he becomes curious and goes out of his way trying to understand them. He doesn’t see this as an expression of affection, more as a research, because it’s easier for him to rationalize it like that.

“It's too late. The connection between us is too strong. Even if you wanted to, it's too late to sever it. Hm? You've never thought to sever it? *sigh* This eternal dance of demon subjugation... My fight goes on. But I would like to know more about you.“

And the high friendship teapot dialogue, where he asks to go to Liyue together “The stories of these times, or their joys... If I don't experience such things myself, it'll be hard to understand your thoughts. So... you're doing this for me?  Xiao: Yes, to understand you.”

So he starts going out of his comfort zone to do things together (tho probably grumbling the whole way)

Kaeya

Like in most aspects, Kaeya contains multitudes. On the one hand, he is a hedonist.

Kaeya:  I have to say, though, that chatting with you is quite intoxicating... Kaeya: Actually, in much the same way that drinking is. Kaeya: So, I suppose... I'm just greedy and want to enjoy both of these pleasures at the same time.

So all in all, I'm just another layer in your cocktail of pleasure? Kaeya: Hahaha... What an interesting metaphor! I hadn't looked at it from that angle... Kaeya: Let me think... Kaeya: Hmm... Your analogy seems largely correct.

He will want to create moments combining as many pleasurable things as possible, but he will want to know that he is the most enjoyable thing for you in a situation.

In a boring\shitty situation, unlike Thoma who will try to find positives in it, Kaeya will try to become a positive thing that offsets bad parts himself

He’s naturally charming and talkative, likes making compliments and teasing, finding out things about other people, hearing you talk about your day and share problems (“Nothing would make me feel prouder than knowing that my words of advice are of some help to you. That would imply that you trust me and proves that I am capable of helping you solve your problems.” - it might sound exaggerated, but it actually isn’t, I’ll get to that)

He also loves storytelling and has a knack for it (second birthday letter where he offers to entertain with stories, ghost anecdotes, loves telling stories to kids, obv to Klee, but apparentely just likes telling fucked up scary stories to Mond’s children, Kaeya, just become a horror writer and stop giving kids nightmares ffs)

So he likes telling stories, from horror stories to life anecdotes he’s got from the tavern to retelling the books he’s read, and he’s funny and imaginative enough to make anything sound entertaining.

In sum, Kaeya’s love language is literally enjoying each other’s company, settling in a nice place with a bottle of wine and talking hours away about everything and anything, and knowing he can keep you happy and entertained

On the other hand, as i’ve said, he is a book nerd and he loves sharing knowledge. He has to hide his origins, and he obv hates it, and as an off-set he likes sharing his experience.

Like, Kaeya prioritizes giving advice and teaching what he knows to someone to help them learn how to deal with a thing instead of just doing it himself, so they can handle it even if they leave him later. The “give man one fish, teach man to fish” philosophy.

Sources: wrote “rules for survival” for Klee, “In fact... would you like me to compile a guide for you...?  It would contain all kinds of practical knowledge for at home and on the road, including the techniques I have developed for communicating with people from all walks of life. I'd like to share it all with you.”

idk how ppl think he’s just a shallow flirt, he literally offers to write a dedicated book for you unprompted, can you imagine how much effort, like??

But also imagine getting personalized “Manipulating People 101” in a beautiful handwriting asdfghjk what a nerd

No shit, if Klee was growing up at a normal rate, in her teens she’d have like 20 lovingly written textbooks like “How to use your innocent appearance to get away with anything”, “Calculating possible property damage from bombing,” “How to pin pyro damage on Darknight hero so Jean doesn’t get mad at you”.

He also likes doing nice things for ppl, but when he does nice things he likes to give credit to others or make it seem like he wasn't intending to do a nice thing and it just *happened* to end up like that, for like variety of reasons that i'm not getting into rn bc it's already too long lmao

[dutybcrne]

@museheavn said : Physical Touch + Quality Time + Words of Affirmation / for Kaeya? Lumine is curious. 『 Meme || Accepting 』

Words of Affirmation

does your muse like giving compliments? 

Loves giving compliments. He's well aware some people won't think them genuine, but he'll do so anyways. He'd scarcely leave a compliment left unsaid once it's come to mind, especially if he particularly adores the person they're directed at and they are more receptive to his words. But above all, he knows many people thrive off praise, so he will oftentimes carefully observe what it is they would most value praise of and compliment them accordingly. That way, even if they don't believe him the first, second, or even seventh times, at the very least, they know someone recognized their efforts. If he does get a favorable reaction from the get-go, he himself will thrive and feel quite happy for the rest of the day, more so if he sees his words left a lingering impact.

how easy is it for your muse to say ‘ i love you’?

It used to be. Those of the Winery, particularly Diluc, Crepus, Adelinde and Elzer, even Tunner at times, had all gotten at least one 'I love you' per day from him. They were important to him, so he made sure they knew at all times and never forgot it, the INSTANT he was comfortable enough saying it.

Nowadays, he finds it much harder to say. Be it to significant others or even those closest to him, like family. He chokes up even saying it back to Klee, when she'll happily give it out, like he used to. He can't help feel guilty about it each time he tries and fails to get it out. He won't stop trying to, but it's hard.

Because he thinks he might jinx himself if he does. Thinks if he does, he'll wake up like it were all a dream and break his own heart over it. Worse still, fears if he does, the gods would punish him and find some way to take that person from him. Sometimes, he's so anxious enough over those three words that his brain will spark the idea that he's being a liar, and doesn't truly mean it ( even if his heart damn well know he genuinely does, he never loves by half measures ).

Showing how much he loves them however, comes far more easily. Devotion is what he can give most, himself and his efforts and strength to that person without the slightest hesitation. Which is what he will default to and hope his feelings can come across until he can finally bring himself to voice his feelings.

what is one compliment your muse is dying to hear? && what is something your muse loves being praised for?

Putting these two together, because ultimately it's the same thing: That he's reliable/trustworthy. Compliments on his looks, he's garnered plenty over the years that responding is practically reflexive. Trying to directly praise his work and efforts for Mondstadt make him squirm uncomfortably. But that, he considers the highest praise. To be useful to someone, to have helped them and to be considered someone they can turn to anytime, ESPECIALLY if he's the first person they regard in such times, that he truly IS someone they can trust...after all's said and done, he treasures it greatly. May question why in their right mind they think so at first and joke about it aloud, but ultimately, even after the initial doubt's ebbed away, he'll find himself not only the happiest man in Mondstadt, but also far more fond of them as a result. And more inclined to give them more of himself in turn.

Quality Time 

what is your muse’s ideal date night? 

It's never feasibly going to happen to long as Diluc and his relationship stays the way it is, but Kaeya truly wants to treat any significant other to a day at the Winery. Give them a personalized spin about the place, not just what guests and/or business partners would receive. But a real tour of the place he wishes he could call HOME again, complete with showing off his childhood hiding places, and ways up onto the Winery roof to point out the clear skies, for cloud watching or stargazing. To have dinner there and introduce them to Adelinde, not as head maid of the Winery, but as the closest person to a mother he'd ever had. To make them feel just as much at home and part of the family as he once did.

Otherwise, his most self-indulgent want is helping his partner up onto either the palms of the great Barbatos statue, or atop the Knights HQ works just as fine too. Either way, he WILL find a way bring snacks and blankets up there to cuddle up under for optimal stargazing, and loves the idea of guiding his significant other's hands in pointing out constellations or celestial bodies of note. Especially if he recently gleaned their constellation from Mona and decided to try and look for it for them. He'll even study/freshen up on Rtawahist learnings as an extra something to impress them with. He'd be so eager and giddy to share all he knows with them.

how comfortable is your muse with prolonged eye contact? 

Not terribly comfortable, but that’s just a byproduct of him being rather particular about his eye and the star at its center. Wouldn’t do him any good if someone decided to do a little digging and learned a little too much about him. The last thing he wants is to gamble how well they'd react if they knew. And he knows that reaction would crush him far more than Diluc's ever did.

That and…eye contact gives him away so easily. Kaeya feels and even almost fears that his partner would be able to discern every last secret he has, the very depths of his feelings ( towards them, and just in general ), through his eye. It took him ages to perfect liar and facade he is today, but his eye might give him away no matter what he does. He’s always posturing and moving for a reason, playing up ample potential distractions however he may find them to keep their focus elsewhere.

does your muse prefer conversation or just sitting quietly with their s/o?

Outside of delighting in hearing his significant other ramble about anything and everything at all, Kaeya thinks sitting quietly together is better, in general. When it comes to deeper conversations, many tend to think him a liar and sweet talker as is, so he’d rather let his actions speak for him instead. At least until he is comfortable enough. That, and words were once not his strongsuit, so sitting in silence is a nice, safe way right to nostalgia. To let him open up just a little easier, as he'll feel safer to like this, a certain vulnerability he won't panic in the face of showing. As he'll give and accept careful little touches of his partner, embraces or playing with their hair, he’d do damn near anything to show his devotion once he’s sure enough with them over the course of that quiet moment. He will aim to make it unmistakable just how much he treasures them, no words necessary.

is it easy for your muse to devote their full attention to one person at a time?

As easy as it is breathing. He will outright shift his focus entirely and stand by their side the instant they make it known they want his attention. It doesn't matter what he was doing before, the moment they gesture for him or let their gaze linger on him, he will find his way back to them.

In general, his attention is usually divided between the one he's speaking with and the surrounding, always taking in and observing, but his significant other or otherwise someone important to him are a surefire way to get him to zero in and block everything else out for at least a moment, unless he decides otherwise based on what they want of him.

Physical Touch

does your muse like being hugged? 

By only a select few. He hates physical contact overall by anyone else ( even if he won't immediately recoil for sake of keeping up appearances ), but those he seems closest and safest, he will not only let them touch and hug from, but he will actively go out of his way to embrace and do so tightly, as though he’s scared he’d lose them if they let go. Then brush it off like he were playing a silly joke on them, like testing how strong they are.

where could someone touch your muse to calm them down? 

His hair in particular relaxes him the most, particularly gently threading fingers along the back of his head, from crown to the nape. Though it tends to make him a little sleepy if continually touched, even after he’s calmed down. He will be more inclined to lean on and snuggle the person doing so.

The second is a very particular one ONLY for significant others who’ve earned the sufficient trust and right for it, but it’s gently cupping the right side of his face. With the patch on or off, Kaeya will MELT into the person’s touch so easily, it’s not even funny. Coupled with soft words, one might even get Kaeya’s smiling facade to crumble entirely, just enough to receive in turn a teary look of sheer adoration and the raw feelings he’s held locked inside himself for so long. It’s damn near enough to break him, after so long of masking himself behind his little grins and silver-tongued words. Which is why…

is there anywhere on your muse’s body they want to be touched most?

…THAT^ is the place he wants to be touched the most. He WANTS that tender touch, WANTS to show himself as vulnerable, WANTS to be him, truly HIM, in front of his significant other, but he needs a little help with it. Any other time, movement toward that side of his face is met with a sharp flinch or a clear grimace he can't hide so easy, and for good reason.

But once that 'barrier', so to speak, is breached, it’s far easier for him to do so. Bc that is his ultimate display of trust—because once it’s given, his defenses come crashing down before them at the slightest touch. Once he’s sure he can allow them that and sees how they treat him at his most vulnerable, is assured they truly accept him, nothing else matters. Not his fear of the gods and what could go wrong, not that he may be deceived or could be hurt so easily, now more than ever—nothing.

does your muse find themselves subconsciously seeking out physical contact? ( ie. reaching for s/o’s hand without realizing it )

When he’s in love, it is achingly so that he longs for their touch. He’d find himself reaching for their hands, wanting to pull them close. He will linger on and think abt places they’ve held or touched him at, even if briefly, kisses they’ve left on his skin, wishing they’d leave a mark so he wouldn’t feel the loss as they head off wherever it is they’re going or as they turned they’re attention away from him. He can’t stand physical touch from most anyone else, can allow it from select few with little to no negative reaction, but with them, he’s utterly starved for it.

[minecraftbookshelf]

The Elements of An Inter-Dimensional Prison Break: LDShadowLady

Takes place immediately before Yoinked

-

People don't usually knock on Lizzie's door.

Most of her friends are the type of people who just walk in (much like Lizzie herself) and she usually doesn't lock it for that exact reason. (Some people are sensible and use the windows when its locked but a few will just break the door down.)

(The fact that most of them will replace it is irrelevant. She knows and its not the same.)

Joel and Jimmy have keys of course, and if she wanted she could ward the place up to prevent intruders but in all honesty, its more fun this way. Intruders are rare but when they do happen they are always so much fun to play with.

She hasn't even been home that much lately, Empires has been busy and she's been off the Hub for awhile.

She's taking a week for herself though. Just to relax at home, work on some of her own smaller projects, chat with some friends. Joel is going to join her tomorrow and she's scheduled lunch with Jimmy for Thursday and overall, just vacation plans.

None of which adds up to someone banging on her front door at two hours before sunrise.

She rolls out of bed and cracks her neck, considering the options. Option A) It's something official. Option B) It's a friend with bad news of some kind? Option C) Someone is very, very lost. Option D) ??? A secret fourth thing?

She pulls one of the ornamental netherite axes off the wall and, as she descends the stairs, stretches just a little bit. She built her living room low so she can't get too tall without it becoming awkward and entirely unintimidating but she has some wiggle room. She feels her teeth grow just a touch sharper and shifts her eyes a step to the left, the tone of the world changing the slightest as her night vision improves. 

First impressions are important after all.

She lets the axe dangle idly by her side and opens the door with her free hand.

She doesn't recognize the woman she interrupts mid-knock, but the tall figure hovering awkwardly behind her...

"MumboJumbo?"

The woman slams a hand against her door frame and Lizzie jolts as she feels the tingle of a foreign ward settle over the build. She shifts her grip on the axe. When the woman pulls her hand back there is a faint purple glow that fades, leaving an unfamiliar sigil burned into the wood

"We need your help to fight god," the woman says, looking up fearlessly into Lizzie's eyes, her own dark, hybrid pupils glinting in the low light of the porch lanterns. "And by god, I mean Grian. And also your husband has probably been kidnapped. Again."

Oh.

This is about that.

Lizzie only has fuzzy memories of Last Life. A few vague impressions interspersed with a few sharp, out-of-context memories.

But she has crystal clear memories of the first and last time people disappeared. Including multiple friends and family of hers.

She steps aside to let them in.

"What do you mean, Grian?"

Mumbo gives her a small wave as he shuffles through the door, following close behind the much smaller woman, who marches in like she owns the place. Lizzie can respect that as much as she respects the way she carefully wipes her feet on the mat first.

"It's his Game," the woman says. "We're pretty sure at least. All the evidence suggests it. He's admin of the Game Servers we know that for a fact."

"Who's 'we'?" Lizzie leads the way to the kitchen table. Both of her impromptu visitors look quite comical in her slightly smaller than average chairs (scaled for Joel and for her own default form) Mumbo with his knees just slightly higher than can possibly be comfortable, and the strange...lemur(?) hybrid woman can't quite reach the ground with her feet. Lizzie shrinks down to her usual appearance and she is still taller than the other woman.

"I'm Netty Plays, you know Mumbo." Netty waves, visibly sheepish. 

"I don't actually know what's happening," Mumbo informs her. "She woke me up about an hour ago. I've never met her before, but neither Grian or Scar are answering their comms."

"Martyn is my husband and I was also on Evo," Netty says. Lizzie knows what one of those things means. "When the Life Games started happening we started planning."

"Planning?"

Instead of answering, Netty asks her own question. "When was the last time you heard from SmallishBeans? Martyn disappeared about three hours ago."

Lizzie pulls out her comm and sends a check-in message to Joel. They have each other's IDs set to override, he should hear the alert no matter what. After a second she pulls up Jimmy's contact and sends him a message as well.

Both messages remain unread.

She gives it a minute. Jimmy is bad about answering his messages, but Joel always responds within a dozen ticks or so, even if its only with an emoji or a question mark. (Usually a question mark, she tends to message him thoughts and ideas with no context.)

Still nothing.

She shoves her comm back in her pocket. "What do you need from me?"

Netty leans forward, her arms planted firmly on the table-top. "I can get us there but we need a whitelisted Player to let us in. I can't summon Martyn because They blocked me from him. But I can see his player-lines. And you and he have very strong lines to the same Player. I need you to help me pull that Player out of the code before he is locked into the Game World."

Lizzie genuinely isn't sure what 'player-lines' are but she's willing to roll with it.

"And I need somewhere to make a summoning circle," Netty adds, seemingly as an after-thought. "At least six by six blocks."

There is only one place in the house that will work. Lizzie jumps to her feet and stomps into the living room. She can hear Netty and Mumbo behind her.

She walks into the living room, drops to her knees on the floor, and begins ripping up the carpet. (She may or may not have made a few summoning circles before herself. They'll need hardwood, not fibers.)

Mumbo makes a surprised noise.

Once she has a six-by-six cleared, she pops back up to her feet. "Now what?"

"Now What" turns out to be sitting on the sofa next to Mumbo and watching while Netty slowly and meticulously carves one of the most complicated circles Lizzie has ever seen into her floor. She recognizes some of the sigils. A lot of them seem to be as much focused on keeping...someone? something? out as pulling a Player in. She recognizes the sign from the door repeated several times. Her skin begins crawling before the circle is half-done.

"Right," Netty sits up and gives the circle a long, focused look. "That's it. You sit here," she points at one edge of the circle.

Lizzie slides down to sit on the floor, opposite Netty.

She is visibly nervous, wiping her hands down her jeans before she takes a deep, wavery breath and exhales in one long gust. "Right then. Okay. So I need you to put your hands there and there," She points at two more spaces within the circle, empty with small sigils in the center of each. "And now I need you to think about RenDog."

The name pings something in Lizzie's mind and she closes her eyes, chasing the faint memory.

A Shadow Knight for a Shadow Queen. Fire at the Faerie Fort. A mushroom house inside stone walls. "What are your orders, my queen?"

Around her, the sigils flare up in purple flames, and LDShadowLady reaches through the void and pulls.

[that-is-just-so-typically-me]

I’m feeling so torn. After about a year of occasional text conversations with my ex, I think I’m recognizing a pattern where for a while afterwards, all the hurt and angry and afraid parts of me seem to come creeping so close to the surface of my skin at all times, and it becomes harder for me to walk around my life accessing the default calm, settled, generally kind reactions I tend to have first. My inner peace just gets incredibly disturbed. I’m uncertain if this means that actually I have barely processed or managed anything in a meaningful way, and it’s not healthy or possible to be in contact with her as long as I continue to grieve our dreams and plans together, being together for the rest of lives. I feel like I hold my anger and fear and despair at the same time as I hold my forgiveness and love and hope. I don’t want to shut her out now that a part of my exists that welcomes it - because I can’t possibly not care for her, and there are parts of me that know I am generally okay enough, the parts that function which have gotten me moving my life along this whole time. It feels artificially angry and aggressive to ask for no contact. Like, the angry parts of me exist parallel to the parts that understand everyone is flawed and complicated, and that traumatized people traumatize people, and we’re all doing our best. And god, I miss her. Even this small, apparently too painful interaction fills a tiny bit of glue in the rip that runs through everything. And maybe how good and right it feels is the entire reason why it’s so dangerous for me. And there’s the way that every time I see her name in my notifications and begin subconsciously anticipating a response, my mind flashes back to memories, which usually ends up with my mind playing back the most painful and traumatic moments like the worst home-movie I keep rewinding and reliving. And then it turns into the nightmares about her and her girlfriend (always accompanied by other stressful but unrelated nightmare plot points, to add insult to the injury). The nightmares snowballed when I got home from my recent trip, and now I’m fighting the most intense perseverations about what happened. And there’s the way I know I begin to expect a response in a certain time - just based on her texting habits and patterns - and it is so unsafe for my nervous system to subconsciously expect anything from her, after how worthless I ended up feeling when she chose her other partner over me in so many small and big situations. Literally obviously she owes me nothing, but of course I am aware that she is living her life with her partner so I’m in those instants of realizing I haven’t heard back when I guessed I might, I of course think “Oh it’s a Saturday, they’re on a date” which of course triggers the thought of not being the one she goes on Saturday adventure with anymore, and someone else is in the place I was doing those things with her instead. And building a whole life with her instead. And I know that and mostly I can hold that jagged truth in my bleeding hand and I’m so used to it and I get by and can even smile at times. But the constant, jarring, unexpected reminders that feed into these weeks of flashbacks and insomnia and nightmares. It’s derailing and negativity impacting my life in a tangible way.

I’ve started struggling with restricting my eating again, which hasn’t happened since the pandemic hit when I was isolated at home with my parents, and was going through an emotional hell realizing they were isolating together, and getting together. I used rationing food as my excuse to punish my body for her no longer loving me. It feels like that again, and I guess it’s just an even bigger trigger for my already constantly triggered body image. It’s not good. I know I can’t keep going on in a pattern like this.

It’s all so incredibly embarrassing. I was doing pretty well with all of this, all things considered, before I got the text last month. I just hate that I still feel this way after so long. I’m so frustrated that I have been pouring my blood, sweat, and tears, harder than ever, harder than I have worked for anything else in my life (except perhaps my degree) into all of this healing work, but something like this still affects me so badly.

It feels wrong to cut off all contact with her. I really want to be healed enough to still have at least a casual acquaintanceship. I hope I can get a grip and not subconsciously spiral out every time I hear from her, but I don’t know if I can. I’m having to face the humbling possibility that I am still way too damaged to do it. And if I am still this damaged, why is it that the work I’ve been doing hasn’t been healing me? And what else can I try instead to actually reach this anger and fear and pain and release it? I want to heal so badly. I know that there is nothing for me here, stuck staring at a moment for the rest of my life. She chose to leave me. She chose to be with someone else. I respect that and I can stay here scraping myself raw against this truth and nothing is ever going to change it. I can’t go back to the past. But what I can do is keep moving forward into the future in spite of all of its terrible and beautiful uncertainties, if I can just keep going and not keep tripping when I stop turning to stare back at the past, if I can just start glancing instead of staring. My heart is so raw and scared and feel so fragile, like a new and ugly bird (hopefully kind of cute, still), but it’s it’s out there in the open and I am so ready for something good to happen again, to someday feel the irons fall from my soul and float again in the reckless trust and love and fearlessness I once I had. If I can just figure out how to do it, I would do anything to get the freedom of the soul back, to get all of myself back, no longer bleeding, but warm and safe and loved - by me and all the hearts I cherish.

I’m seeing my therapist on Thursday. I can make it.

[filamints]

10 thru 30 of tommy?

Jesus christ NUMBERS. this is way too long THANK YOU FOR THE ENRICHMENT THO. im sorry i care too much about a joke character oTL

10) Neuroses? Do they recognize them as such? Oh buddy. neuroses, he has em, and does acknowledge them. He's autistic for the obvious one, it has the most clear impact on his life and is the one that has a formal diagnosis. But he does also have (pretty well managed, mostly) anxiety. His thing with rules and safety protocol goes hand in hand with it, he has gotten to the point where he can talk himself into calming down about impending disasters by just recalling how to deal with anything that could go wrong. But the 'I'm scared' default response is real, especially in the fucking apocalypse. He's a guy for which routine is really important.

11) Intellectual pursuits? Well, he made a fucking immortal dog, i think that was a pretty big one. Biology and biochem/bioengineering seem to be things hes very into, but sadly im not smart enough in these spaces to pinpoint much down.

12) Favorite book genre? Unironically nonfiction. Very dense instructional documents and peer reviewing papers. As for fiction? Sci-fi, although thats usually more for movies.

13) Sexual Orientation? Ace & gay.

14) Physical abnormalities? (Both visible and not, including injuries/disabilities, long-term illnesses, food-intolerances, etc.) Nah i think he doesn't have any physical weirdness, its all in his head LOL None of his food issues are allergies either, its all just textural disgust.

15 & 16) I'll be honest, idk about long term goals for him, i feel like this is more of a story based prompt idk. Hm.

17) Preferred mode of dress and rituals surrounding dress? He's got a very. Hm. interesting sense of fashion. This is a guy who unironically likes wearing a propeller hat. I think he's got a few other stupid hats as well, a golf visor (sorry i think he would get a kick out of the Disco Elysium froggy visor), some baseball caps with nerd shit on em. Shirts are Hawaiian shirts in loud and fun prints, sometimes unbuttoned over a graphic tee if hes feelin real casual. Chinos or golf shorts for bottoms. For jewelry, hes got a nice watch with date dials n all in it and an ace ring thats also a spinner ring for the fidget. Equally loud and fun socks with slip on canvas shoes. Does NOT like to be barefoot, wears aquashoes to swim and slippers or socks around the house. I hope you are getting the vibe of 'Had to Do it to Em' guy if he could could reclaim faggot.

18) Favorite beverage? It literally is Sunkist, but NOT the orange, its the strawberry. He also likes fruity mixed drinks, particularly the blended icy ones, usually tequila based. (Besides this, he does say strawberry coolattas are his favorite)

19) What do they think about before falling asleep at night? Tomorrows activities/going over plans. For the good, its thinking about Sunkist and what's for dinner, etc. For the bad, its ruminating on disaster outcomes and going over safety plans in his head, like rotely going thru fire escape paths in whatever place he's going to next.

20) Answered here: https://www.tumblr.com/filamints/715793409603993600/gordon-1-10-14-tommy-20-48-benrey-36

21) Turn-ons? Turn-offs? Sigh. Preemptive sorrys. He likes mean people and is a brat tamer and pet owner by nature, just look at his choice in boyfriends (in this case Benrey and Gordon). The intersection of asexuality and kink may look like a weird space from the outside but thats his home. Does Not like to be touched as a general rule. He's here for the enjoyment of his partners. This is all I can elaborate on here. Sorry.

22) Given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen? Lots of doodles if allowed. He's not a good artist by any stretch but drawing out simple patterns/building mandala-y shapes is just fun mindless activity

23) How organized are they? How does this organization/disorganization manifest in their everyday life? Its an organized chaos type. Everything has a home but in a way that makes no sense to outsiders. His decorating is colorful and cluttered in a knicknack way, but everything feels right where it belongs and is on display nicely.

24) Is there one subject of study that they excel at? Or do they even care about intellectual pursuits at all? Oh yeah, the whole bio-engineering thing. He also just likes to learn and read for the sake of it too.

25) How do they see themselves 5 years from today? Gettin crazy with it in his 40s baybieeeee.

26) Do they have any plans for the future? Any contingency plans if things don’t workout? Really I think he was perfectly content in his life pre-ResCas. So now I think it's like... find a new job in a lab.

27 & 28: Answered here: https://www.tumblr.com/filamints/715720444483862528/tommy-27-28-35?source=share

29) Reaction to sudden extrapersonal disaster (eg The house is on fire! What do they do?) Outside disasters are handled with instinctual adrenaline fueled instinct mixed with memorized disaster protocol. 'Body moving on autopilot' behavior. Luckily he has very good instincts and a LOT of safety measures memorized.

30) Reaction to sudden intrapersonal disaster (eg close family member suddenly dies) Oh no, hes very much a quietly shuts down into nonverbal mode type. Stressors are dealt with by himself. Physical repetitive stims as distraction is about all for his mental disaster plans. When he doesnt have access to anything else in canon, that becomes clicking through empty cartridges and generally messing with his gun. Even if other people are having their own disasters, he is just not a verbally comforting person. When Gordon begs him to talk in canon when they first reunite post betrayal, Tommy doesnt really have anything to say. Its simply not how he works.

[violetskies65]

Growing up in West Virginia

You know, we can never really exactly choose where we are born. I mean, although I am pretty content with my upbringing, I guess I'd be lying if I said I would've chose to be born near the beach. With that being said, I was born in the vast Appalachian Mountain region, where out-of-staters probably envision us as the people in those vintage Mountain Dew commercials.

As a 20 year old, I would like to say I'm thankful for the beautiful areas I have grown up in, and the ones I have got to explore. I will have to admit, that sometimes it just simply feels like different parts of the state are just that; different. It feels and looks like a whole other world. Thurmond, the abandoned railroad town is a place that surely comes to mind.

While I am a sucker for road trips & long drives, it feels like on average, every "milestone" or city in West Virginia ranges from just two-six hours away in our small state, sometimes making a day of driving worth it. My experience in West Virginia has not only "humbled" me, and taught me to be grateful for our beautiful scenery, but to be grateful for our Appalachian culture and people. Yes, I am one of those stereotypical individuals who think being "kind" is the default. While a lot of times it depends on the area, I have found West Virginians to be more friendly and helpful, as opposed to those even in our neighboring states located within the Appalachian region, and especially our conjoined twin located just south of us, Virginia.

So far my favorite counties in West Virginia are Summers, Greenbrier, Wood, & Raleigh. (Love Raleigh County on a good DoorDash day!). Greenbrier just seems to be the perfect area for a long drive to clear your head, although I'm sure many recognize it as the setting in the film "Wrong Turn". (Really guys, one of the most NORMAL & BASIC counties was the setting for a horror film about inbred cannibals?).

Growing up, I noticed, mainly in school there was a lot of infighting about whether West Virginia is a northern state, or a southern state. While history would potentially label us a Northern state due to the Civil War, we still have ties, roots, and some culture from the south. In the end though, I've just learned to recognize it as an "Appalachian" state.

A double edged sword from living in such a small state surely is, probably the fact that everyone knows eachother. Even if they don't, it surely feels that way. It seems no matter where I stray, West Virginia will always be home to me, so evidently, I will probably be labeled as "biased" by stating our small little state has a welcoming and "homey" feeling. I just want people to realize we have more to offer aside from Mothman & Pepperoni rolls, with vast legends, nice people, food, music, small art shops, & many more.

[crunchynoodle]

"If someone [...] shows up, confused and out of their depth but kind and curious and earnest, you gotta have patience and truck through the small things, so when they go back to their friends and coworkers and they snicker asking how it was, they can genuinely talk about how included we tried to make them feel and that they had a great time." (adjusted for generalization).

I -- think of of a little kid who just came to a new place and is clueless and unsure. you wouldn't be mean to a little kid, right? So. You aren't mean to them, they're new here and don't know the ins and outs of being here. You show them the ropes, you don't make them uncomfortable or feel small and out of their depth --remember, little kid! experiencing this for the first time!-- and hopefully you send them home with memories of having a good time with their new acquaintance. They leave happy, not afraid.

We're all of us just just little kids on the inside, really. Wanting to be happy, and not afraid.

Yes, it is true that some people can be deliberate in their entitlement, and/or intentional ignorance, and/or predatory asshat behavior. Sometimes, you just have to let go of being responsible for reacting. The way I see it, sometimes people acting the way they do are their own punishment.

I don't know, I can't speak for everyone, or nail a hard and fast rule of this-this-and-this for all kinds of situations. (Nuance, people. Nuance, and critical thinking. And deliberating taking a breath and a step back from the situation. You don't need to be responsible for how you react, but your are for how you choose to respond. Breathe and step back. the space is all it takes sometimes.)

The media keeps reporting all the news that 'makes the news' and nearly all of the bad news outshouts the good news and good things still happening in the world. If you don't make a daily practice of stepping back and taking a breath to think about what you read/hear, pretty soon it shapes your vision of the reality of the world. Do you want an echo chamber of other voices be your default? Then use your voice for what matters to you. Your actions too.

Recognizing kindness makes a difference. Encouraging curiosity helps people grow. Respecting earnest efforts builds connections in good faith. We come from different times in life, different beliefs, family backgrounds, cultures, faiths, mores, etc. One way to bridge the difference between us is to listen. Not pre-label, pre-judge, pre-classify, pre-empt.

The person matters more than the language.

"The trannies should be able to piss in whatever toilet they want and change their bodies however they want. Why is it my business if some chick has a dick or a guy has a pie? I'm not a trannie or a fag so I don't care, just give 'em the medicine they need."

"This is an LGBT safe space. Of COURSE I fully support individuals who identify as transgender and their right to self-determination! I just think that transitioning is a very serious choice and should be heavily regulated. And there could be a lot of harm in exposing cis children to such topics, so we should be really careful about when it is appropriate to mention trans issues or have too much trans visibility."

One of the above statements is Problematic and the other is slightly annoying. If we disagree on which is which then working together for a better future is going to get really fucking difficult.

[jeremy-ken-anderson]

Improvement

I am better at almost everything I was good at in high school and college. I’m less handsome, certainly. Also I’ve lost a little capability at the Ankle Jump, which anime made me utterly obsessed with; this maneuver where you leap three or four feet up onto a nearby retaining wall or fence, without looking like you expended any effort. I haven’t been practicing, as there aren’t so many proper-height walls, nor people to talk to during walks whomst I might wish to impress.

That’s right, if we were ever walking together and I did this, I was trying to impress you. It was very dumb.

But I have just as much endurance for walks, and I’m better at writing, coding, game design, massage, healing work, prophecy, listening, and even general videogame playing.

I’m better than I was. At everything. And that’s important to remind myself of, because there’s an urge - sometimes not even an urge but a default behavior - to treat who you were at a young age as “the real you.” And this sometimes gets supported by social pressure! We hate change, so we don’t like it if the class clown cleans up his act and takes his studies seriously, even though we should be supporting him in making his life better! I’ve heard people blurt out sentences that sound like an alcoholic’s self-loathing, out loud: “Do you really think you’ll be able to quit?” “Hmm. That’ll be really hard, for you.” “Oh, you’re trying to get that job? Wow. I mean, it’s really prestigious. Not a lot of people get it. What’s your fallback for when that falls through?” These people are (mostly) not trying to be as awful as they’re being. There’s just a shock to their system, that something in their life looks like it’s going to change. Even if that change is for the better for someone they like, their lizard-brain treats any environmental shift as danger and tries to shut it down.

Who I was isn’t who I am. Since that time I’ve worked at a game company. I’ve been married. I’ve divorced. I’ve lived with friends and with lovers and alone and with family. I’ve worked conventions, I’ve worked for CEOs, I’ve worked in offices, I’ve worked from home. I’ve watched someone die by inches, and I’ve seen people recover from seemingly permanent injury. I’ve made and sold a successful product (and made and never sold several dozen other games, and a couple novels too). I’ve hand-crocheted a giant tapestry of Megaman and donated it to charity. And I’ve learned a lot about really listening to people when they talk. Asking questions. Hearing them. Caring about who they are, at this time, and giving that a good think.

That last one feels like a huge leap forward to me, because it’s something that past me didn’t even recognize as a place to improve. He’d be proud that I got better at writing and coding and game design by doing it more, isn’t that natural? But he’d be...I don’t know. Insulted, probably, that I consider him kind of selfish and small-minded about the lives of the people around him that he claimed to care about. The ones he called his loves and besties and dearest friends and he knew so little about them, and often it’s for a reason as simple as he never asked.

[give-soup-please]

can you write something romantic about jealous narrator? like, what if you were talking to your friend and narrator didn’t like that

Jealous narrator

The narrator is an inherently jealous person, though he does his best to keep it clamped down, for your sake. But let's be real, the dude has zero understanding of what a healthy relationship looks like.

Remember how snippy he got about the bucket? There’s even a specific line of dialogue where he complains about how the bucket is interfering with his and Stanley’s relationship.

So yes, he has some jealous tendencies. At the forefront, he does his best to be suave and gentlemanly, because he recognizes that jealousy is not an attractive trait for most people. And surely, the better his behavior is, the more you’ll default to viewing him as an ally.

His words to your ears. Just the two of you.

But… Do you really have to spend so much time with this newest friend of yours? You’ve hung out with them for three days straight now. The narrator feels… Well, itchy might be the best way to describe it. Something isn’t right.

You’re paying way too much attention to your friend, and not nearly enough to him. He should be enough for you, shouldn’t he? Surely if he just… He would prove it. He would prove that he was the correct choice.

First things first, he’ll distract you. Any time the subject of your friend comes up in a conversation, he quickly changes the subject. If you’re going out to see them, he will pull out every technique he has to try and make you late.

“Reader, look at this latest script I’ve written, it’s incredible! My genius knows no bounds.” or, “Darling, you look ravishing today. Come here, I must show you how much you mean to me.”

If you’re not careful, he’ll keep you wrapped in a story or his arms and you’ll either be late or a no show. Your new friend isn’t impressed.

The narrator also has a special talent for guilt tripping, though he doesn’t use it often. He’ll mope, and say things like. “Have fun with your friend… I hope you don’t forget about me while you make new memories with them… I’ll just sit here, in the dark, waiting for you to come home…” and other such statements.

He turns petulant. “What is it that I’m doing wrong? We belong to each other, we don’t need anyone else!” 

You’re going to want to confront him eventually. The narrator’s a stubborn bastard, and if you’re not careful, it’s a slippery slope to a very codependent relationship. 

“You know, narrator,” You begin, after another one of his attempts to keep you separated from your friend, “I’m kind of upset. I thought you believed in our relationship a bit more than you actually do. You clearly don’t have confidence in what we’ve been building together. You seem to have lost faith in me, in my ability and want to return to you again and again. It really hurts.” Who says the narrator’s the only one capable of guilt tripping?

The narrator freezes. A hot lump of coal sits in his chest, something painful and burning. You were right, of course. Desperation pushes him forward. “I- Alright, my ability to handle the situation is… Not the best.” You raise your eyebrows at him. He continues, “Just- I know I can be a bit much sometimes, but please, please don’t leave me. You’re all I have.” 

Your heart softens towards the narrator. “I’m not planning on it. But you’ve got to get this under control. We both deserve a life outside of each other. I don’t really see you reaching out to meet new people, or develop relationships besides ours. This world is a beautiful, wonderful place, if you give it a chance. Why not branch out a little?”

The narrator really doesn’t want to. Your world is technically ‘open’, with no limitations on exploration, and no one there to wrap everything up. But he loves you so much, he’ll give it a try. Even though the thought of the two of you being separated gives him nausea. 

You rub his shoulder comfortingly. “I’m not going anywhere. I will always return to you. I promise.”

[pet-genius]

A complex and many-layered thing

But Harry’s anger at Snape continued to pound through his veins like venom. Let go of his anger? He could as easily detach his legs. . . .

This is the first Occlumency lesson. Harry is right, of course. Feelings don’t go away because you want them to. To let go of them when they’ve not been addressed or validated can be as hard as detaching a leg. And yet, it’s what Dumbledore asked Snape to do, and it’s what Snape had to do to survive the first war as Dumbledore’s spy. You have to ask yourself… how?

Trapped animals chew off their own legs to escape. It’s a sacrifice they make to survive.

If there’s one thing in a fic that turns me off it, it’s the idea that Occlumency shields are a thing, that Severus was so gifted at it because he’s got some power like Second Sight or being a metamorphagus. I always preferred to think of Occlumency and Legilimency as skills that can be learned, even if some have more aptitude for it than others.

Severus entered Hogwarts with the kind of life experience that primed him for developing these skills, and left it with even more. Occlumency is magical dissociation, a post-traumatic coping mechanism, and Severus has C/PTSD. More under the cut; tw: just general angst.

To survive, he would have had to develop a knack for telling how explosive and unpredictable people feel. Over his life, he faced at least two egregious examples of what Pete Walker, author of “Complex PTSD” calls “the Charming Bully”.

Especially devolved fight types can become sociopathic. Sociopathy can range along a continuum that stretches from corrupt politician to vicious criminal. A particularly nasty sociopath, who I call the charming bully, probably falls somewhere around the middle of this continuum. The charming bully behaves in a friendly manner some of the time. He can even occasionally listen and be helpful in small amounts, but he still uses his contempt to overpower and control others. This type typically relies on scapegoats for the dumping of his vitriol. These unfortunate scapegoats are typically weaker than him. […] He generally spares his favorites from this behavior, unless they get out of line. If the charming bully is charismatic enough, those close to him will often fail to register the unconscionable meanness of his scapegoating. The bully’s favorites often slip into denial, relieved that they are not the target. Especially charismatic bullies may even be admired and seen as great.

These would be James Potter and Tom Riddle, who are distantly related, I might add. Harry inherited the tendency to default to the fight response, but since he grew up the scapegoat and not the golden child, he never becomes quite as appalling, and after all, a fight response is normal when they are after you. Even so, Harry, who has both James and Voldemort inside him, triggers Severus to no end. It’s not a coincidence that the memories Harry sees when he is with him are largely horrible, and vice versa. There had to be happy or at least neutral or even boring moments, but these two detest each other, and they know they detest each other. Negative emotions and associated memories are so close to the surface they can’t be contained. This is the purpose of the Pensieve in this context - to contain the emotions. Since Severus knew what was in there when he pulled Harry out, my theory is that you don’t suddenly forget the memories you placed there, but rather you make them less fraught with emotions.

“Get up!” said Snape sharply. “Get up! You are not trying, you are making no effort, you are allowing me access to memories you fear, handing me weapons!”

Harry stood up again, his heart thumping wildly as though he had really just seen Cedric dead in the graveyard. Snape looked paler than usual, and angrier, though not nearly as angry as Harry was. “I — am — making — an — effort,” he said through clenched teeth.

“I told you to empty yourself of emotion!”

“Yeah? Well, I’m finding that hard at the moment,” Harry snarled.

“Then you will find yourself easy prey for the Dark Lord!” said Snape savagely. “Fools who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot control their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and allow themselves to be provoked this easily — weak people, in other words — they stand no chance against his powers! He will penetrate your mind with absurd ease, Potter!”

A lot to unpack here.

“Memories you fear,” “weapons”, “easy prey”.

Fearing your own memories, viewing your own lived experiences as weapons to be used against you, being easy prey… Severus could not be speaking louder of himself here. He is the one whose mind had been penetrated with absurd ease, he is the one who handed weapons to Voldemort, and he is the one who had to do the psychological equivalent of detaching his own leg – again and again – to survive.

I’ll argue that Severus developed a fawn response and a flight response, as fighting had never really worked out for him if it was possible at all. He had at least two more people I’d describe as bullies in his life, Tobias and Lucius.

Again from Pete Walker:

These [fawn] response patterns are so deeply set in the psyche, that as adults, many codependents automatically respond to threat like dogs, symbolically rolling over on their backs, wagging their tails, hoping for a little mercy and an occasional scrap. Webster’s second entry for fawn is: “to show friendliness by licking hands, wagging its tail, etc.: said of a dog.” I find it tragic that some codependents are as loyal as dogs to even the worst “masters”.

Remember what Sirius called him? Lucius’s lapdog. Bellatrix called him Dumbledore’s pet, Dumbledore said he dangles on Voldemort’s arm, the narrative compares Snape to a rabbit in SWM and Harry compares the Half Blood Prince to a beloved pet who had gone feral (yes, this does mean a lot to me on a personal level, yes my username is not a coincidence).

His unconscious fawn response might have been his undoing, drawn as he was to figures like Lucius and Voldemort. As an adult, I think he utilized the skills he had developed to survive in order to stitch these people up, and involuntary dissociation and fawning became Occlumency, which to me, is his signature magic. Harry needed only to banish Voldemort from his mind; Severus could not settle for this. He had to give Voldemort something, and knowing how to fawn meant knowing what to give him and how to draw himself in such a light that Voldemort would believe it. We see how he wanted to be seen by the Death Eaters: a self-serving coward who sought to hide behind Dumbledore’s apron, playing his pet. But that’s Pettigrew, not Snape. Imagine the self-immolation, the self-violation, it must have taken to convince everyone that you’re an ersatz Wormtail! Snape is a man and a prince, and the text recognizes this as Harry calls him, in the end, Dumbledore’s man, the bravest man, and as that chapter is called “The Prince’s Tale”. Voldemort thought Snape was nothing more than a “good and faithful servant,” and that his last words were “My Lord”.

But Severus had an unequaled gift for Occlumency, specifically against Voldemort, because Voldemort could not legilimens what he couldn’t feel; and he couldn’t feel love, grief, guilt, and remorse. This was Severus’s secret weapon, which would not have worked against Harry - who can feel these things, and who is also Lily’s son. I can prove it. The first time Harry gets the hang of Occlumency is after Dobby dies:

His scar burned, but he was master of the pain; he felt it, yet was apart from it. He had learned control at last, learned to shut his mind to Voldemort, the very thing Dumbledore had wanted him to learn from Snape. Just as Voldemort had not been able to possess Harry while Harry was consumed with grief for Sirius, so his thoughts could not penetrate Harry now, while he mourned Dobby. Grief, it seemed, drove Voldemort out . . . though Dumbledore, of course, would have said that it was love. . . .

Harry learned to dissociate, though fortunately in a healthier way than many of us ever get to.

Of course, Snape was a good and faithful servant… to Dumbledore, which brings us to the flight response. The chapter wherein he escapes after killing Dumbledore is called “Flight of the Prince”. He should be fighting, he had just proven that he can cast a killing curse, and yet he flees. He can literally fly, in fact: He, Lily, and Voldemort are the only ones we see pulling this off.

As a child, we see this too: He copes with his home situation by reminding himself “it won’t be long and I’ll be gone.” He is thrilled when he imagines Hogwarts, his escape; he follows Lily out of the carriage instead of confronting James and Sirius head-on (which might have saved them all a lot of pain eventually). But this doesn’t work out, we see that in terrifying detail. The next attempt at an escape is joining the Death Eaters, but this too doesn’t work out.

He can’t flee anymore.

“Severus, you cannot pretend this isn’t happening!” Karkaroff’s voice sounded anxious and hushed, as though keen not to be overheard. “It’s been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can’t deny it —”

“Then flee,” said Snape’s voice curtly. “Flee — I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts.”

Shortly thereafter:

“Severus,” said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, “you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready . . . if you are prepared . . .”

“I am,” said Snape.

He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely.

He was ready, and he was prepared. He didn’t fly; he walked toward what might well have been his end with open eyes, armed only with the strength of his mind. Before Voldemort killed him, he looked pale, again, and terrified.

“I sought a third wand, Severus. The Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, the Deathstick. I took it from its previous master. I took it from the grave of Albus Dumbledore.”

And now Snape looked at Voldemort, and Snape’s face was like a death mask. It was marble white and so still that when he spoke, it was a shock to see that anyone lived behind the blank eyes.

I ask myself if this was the moment he realized he had been betrayed, that by giving Dumbledore a painless death he had secured his own. Maybe he wasn’t pale because he was scared; maybe he was pale because he was shocked. He was at his absolute limit, Occluding with all his might when he could have easily saved himself. The dam is about to break. All the memories he feared, all the weapons, the entire content of his heart is about to spill through - literally.

He fawned for Voldemort, the worst of all possible masters, but in the end, he was Voldemort’s undoing. All the ways in which he was weak and powerless against Tobias, James, Lucius, et al., proved to be part of goodness and source of his power. It doesn’t surprise me in the least that Snape is so loved. I’ve never actually seen such love for any other fictional character. He represents a kind of courage that many of us need to get by, lest we simply become evil or give the fuck up (“I wish I was dead”). A kind of courage rarely celebrated. The more time I’ve spent in the fandom in general and in the Snapedom in particular, the more I am convinced of this.

[tacthescribbler]

I really don't know how to approach my response, so I apologize for the chaotic mess that you're about to read.

I recall a post that talked about the discovery of a mended bone. One of the first indicators of people working together wasn't pottery, or tools, or cloth. It was a bone that had clearly been broken and reset. A bone that had healed. This means that someone had to not only set the bone, but take care of the injured individual until it was healed.

We are a species who has evolved to work together.

My default state of mind is: Everyone deserves basic human rights. Everyone deserves access to food, shelter, healthcare, and so on. I don't care what color your skin is, what country you hail from, whether you are disabled. You deserve to be cared for.

I engage with everyone from this mindset. I assume everyone who speaks to me also does so from this mindset until/unless they prove me wrong.

Whenever I get into my car, I drive out of consideration for everyone else on the street. When I do my job, I work to ensure that in all the places my job touches someone else's, I've made their job a little easier. I return my shopping carts not for the social karma, but because the employees at the grocery store deserve not to have their jobs made more difficult by laziness. When I vote, I vote for candidates/policies that I know will take care of as many people as possible.

Because the world isn't about me.

"It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." - John Holmes

For most of my life, I've struggled to grasp the idea that other people do not (or sometimes cannot) operate from this perspective.

Of course, that was before 2016. I was raised in a heavily-religious Christian home. My older sister was made to throw away a Pokemon toy from her Happy Meal because "Pokemon are not real animals created by God. They are evil." We were not allowed to read the Harry Potter books. (Not a big deal to me; I've never been interested in them. But my sister was.) The one time my introverted self wanted to do something social in high school, it was a D&D game with classmates. "Are you sure you want to engage with witchcraft," my mom asked me. I dropped it and didn't ask again.

It wasn't all bad, though. My parents showed me how to be kind and compassionate, and how to help others.

They voted for trump. And I watched as my parents turned into people I do not recognize.

I'm not sure how to tie all this up into a neat bow. The point is, if we as people (Left or Right) aren't working to improve as many lives as possible, then what's the point?

Do I expect Pacifism from people? No, of course not. I would never expect a person to forgive their rapist, the person who murdered their friend/family, the guy who flipped them off for taking too long to cross the street.

But I would like for people to have some fucking compassion. Give people the benefit of the doubt (where appropriate).

Look, I understand. I've just about had it with people voting to strip me of my bodily autonomy. To kill my non-binary sibling or throw them into conversion therapy. (To be quite honest, I've fucking had it with my parents' transphobic bullshit. "God made you a man and God doesn't make mistakes.") I'm at a point where I'm sick and fucking tired of trying to drag the rest of my nation with me down a path where they are cared for, fed, clothed, sheltered, and accepted for who they are.

And I also get the fact that there are some who cannot be convinced. I'm certain my parents are among them. After all, they have their bible. They don't have to think critically. Their holy book tells them what to think. It's part of why conversations with them are so unproductive. Because they don't introspect or regulate emotions when they have scripture to tell them how to respond to a thing.

But I've still also not called my parents to chew them out, because I know that won't help anything. It'll only further the divide that they don't even realize is between us. How will I convince them to stand with me if all they get from me is aggression.

Whether you're Left or Right, if your first instinct about someone is to treat them as an enemy, you are part of the problem. We move forward by being accepting and open-minded. For those of us who lean Left, that goes fucking double.

Don't be a pushover, but don't be a bully.

We can only move forward together.

There are obviously caveats to what I've said, as well as plenty I've left unsaid. I hope those who read this will take it in good faith and understand that I'm not asking for everyone to just drop their grievances or pretend that shit isn't bad. I just wanted to share a little of my perspective. We're all human beings and I think common ground can start there, if we let it.

I hope we can overcome ourselves and be better.

I couldn't have said it better myself.