#I'm still pretty confused on some of their characteristics

[tulipe-rose]

Imagine how ironic, if not hilarious, it would be if yet another ginger took his last breathes while laying between Dazai's arms. I take it to be an interesting scenario multiple accounts attempted writing, and succeeding magnificently at that. I really enjoy reading the bitter tragedy interpreted by dozens of unique perspectives, such that I though I might as well add in my own. (Someone else probably thought of this first, so please don't call me a thief. If you do find a similar opinion, I'd appreciate it if you could politely link the post for me to read.)

Chūya Nakahara. Great Port Mafia executive, and wielder of his infamous gravitational ability; one of the most fearsome abilities out there. Enough to spark terror in the hearts of those whom once dared to oppose him, and survived to witness the light of day by some miracle. Said ability however, doesn't stand alone. The demon Arahabaki, a power that bears great weight on the ginger head's shoulders, occupies the young man's body around the clock. When activated, all sense is lost,and blind rage is left to lead.

Such a devastatingly extraordinary sight, quite fit for the demonic entity.

Finding beauty, or positive significance in such a hazardous display was something unique to the demon prodigy alone.

Chūya never truly resorts to using the Arahabaki demon unless backed into a corner, having complete faith in his partner's capability of halting him when the job was taken care of.

This time was supposedly no different. There occurred a fierce battle on a certain tranquil night, one that'd go down in history. There wasn't much of an option, it was a do or die situation, the stakes being the lives of his comrades. Chūya never hesitated when it came to protecting those whom treated him well, and had a significance in his heart. He'd never abandon them, even if they were to throw him under the bus. He was far too loyal.

Anyhow, Chūya slowly starts reciting the verse he seemed all too familiar with, before slowly descending into a feral state. The battle commences, and it's an utter disaster.

The enemy won't budge, and the corrupted Mafioso would be sent into more of an unintelligible state of madness, desiring destruction.

An issue arises, and that would be the absence of a particular lanky-beanpole, waste if bandages. By now, Dazai would be stepping in to break Chūya free of his corrupted chains, yet he's nowhere to be seen. Hell breaks loose, and the Arahabaki demon inflicts it's final blow.

...

Chūya Nakahara's body would crash to the ground before collapsing. His consciousness returned to him with great strain, and he was aware his last moments were his current. A faint sequence of haggard breathing could be heard. Though not having enough strength to take a glance at them, he knew whom these breathes belonged to. He knew that sound like the back of his hand; they didn't know each other for so long for nothing.

A soft croak escaped his partner, it's goal to grab the bandaged man's attention. The tone of voice was extremely faint and airy, yet Dazai paid undivided attention to every word. "'Agh... Hurts like hell..."

The messy man races over to cradle his partner's body, sensing the consciousness withering away. "Oh Chūya... You..." Dazai repeated to himself more than anything, his face rested into a frown, whispering in a low tone laced with subtle desperation. Regret was evident, and an expression that had been hidden away for far too long adorned his face next; sadness.

Dazai readjusts Chūya's position in his arms, "Now, now, Take it easy." Chūya looks on in mock irritation, before coughing up a handful of blood, causing him to recoil in exhaustion. "Damn it... This is probably it for me... Though I had no idea waking up was an possible... I'm... saying this only once... .. Don't you dare die, you damned Mackerel... That weretiger needs you..." Dazai looked on in muted horror, anxiety, strong denial and sorrow. The moment he never assumd to come, the one that he had happily dreamt of; it's here, and Dazai couldn't help but feel helpless. He held Chūya tighter, never daring to interrupt. "Ane-san..." His speech was sluggish, and his breathing patterns were inconsistent. Most of his words came out incoherent, and much was left unsaid, but Dazai knew what was to be done.

''AUGHHGU..." Pools of blood spewed out, staining his clothes further, his consciousness blacking in and out. "Ugh... I wasn't expecting it to be peaceful anyway... You- know... What to do... So I'll leave it to you..."

Abrupt silence hit, and the ginger's body went limp; embracing a long overdue rest.

The brunette gave his partner a melancholic look, clutching onto the small statured corpse gracefully lumped in his hold.

〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜

(I kind of hate how it turned out ｡⁠◕⁠‿⁠◕⁠｡. Whatever--, moving on with life.

I personally view this as platonic soulmates/Friendship where bonds go deeper than blood/complicated siblings????(Not really), please don't judge me ＼⁠(ﾟ⁠ｰﾟ⁠＼⁠))

[amymbona]

stanford!artrick cuddling, comforting, and babying reader after she runs into their dorm crying bc her date stood her up and she looked so pretty :( -🍄

AWWW :( you're so pretty in your little floral dress, teary-eyed and pouty, looking like a little bundle of distress at the doorframe of their dorm. They instantly take you into their arms and hold you like you're the most delicate piece of porcelain that could shatter if anyone dared to treat you harshly.

"Look at you, so cute in that dress."

"You look like a princess."

"Such a pretty girl."

"Don't cry for that idiot, sweetheart."

"Just breathe, baby, you'll be okay."

"It's okay, we've got you."

They're showering you with compliments, Art's - whose chest you're resting on - running a hand though your neatly curled hair, while Patrick keeps rubbing your back and bum, hoping to ease your distress with his ticklish touch. But tonight, you're having none of it.

"I'm so stupid. He didn't even like me."

It breaks their hearts to see you like this, but some unspoken satisfaction is hanging between the boys as they exchange a quick glance. At least there one less boy they need to compete with to earn your love.

"Nonsense," Art mutters, lifting your head with a gentle touch of his palm. God, even now when you're crying, you look so adorable with your pink cheeks and puffy lips. "Look at me, c'mon, you're not stupid. But he is."

"Yeah," Patrick agrees from behind you, pressing a small kiss to your shoulder, a cheeky smile on his face. "What kind of guy he is to dump such a gorgeous girl?"

Apparently, this particular's guy rejection was enough to completely erase your confidence, as a new set of tears gathers in your eyes and you bury your face back in Art's shirt. "Shut up, 'm not gorgeous."

"Bullshit," Patrick's hiss in your ear is accompanied by a squeeze or your ass and a gaze sent towards his blonde best friend. He's always been better with words, better at comforting people.

"Right. You're the prettiest - no - the best, most stunning girl we know, really," he attempts to encourage you.

"Then why does nobody wanna date me?" you imply with a small peep, sniffling as you realise the harsh truth. Nobody wants to date you, nobody's interested enough in you. But you couldn't be more wrong.

We would, they both think, as it their minds once again work in sync. They would, oh the would, they'd like nothing more, actually. Oh, if you only knee how many moments the boys have spent just admiring your beautiful face, watching you from afar and just taking you all in, wishing you were theirs. It's such a shame you always choose the biggest douchebags to be interested in.

"We could take you out," Patrick proposes almost way too casually.

With a sniffle, you lift your head off of Art's chest, wiping the snot away from your nose. Your distressed expression is met with Patrick's smug smirk, knowing he finally managed to push you somewhere. "What?"

"Don't act like you didn't hear me," he rolls his eyes, shuffling to lay more on top of you and squeezing you between Art and himself. "We'll take you out - to the cinema, or some club, or a fancy dinner - a proper date. Just say the word."

Your gaze flicks between both of the boys, eyebrows knitting in confusion when Art nods, now rubbing your shoulder in encouragement. But that's too silly, they're literally your best friends - they're like your brothers - wouldn't it be strange to go on a date with them?

"That's- that's too silly," you murmur with a small shake of your head.

"You're silly," Patrick counters softly. In such a tender gesture, so unusual of himself, he reaches out to wipe the dripping smudges of mascara from your cheeks, his touch as soft as a caress of a cloud, "But you're also a cute, amazing girl. Our cute amazing girl."

"And you deserve to be taken out on the best of dates," Art chimes in with his characteristically positive tone and kisses the top of your head.

But you're still unsure. "I dunno. Wouldn't it be, y'know, weird?"

"Weird?" Art laughs, "Who do you think we are, darling?"

Patrick nods, poking your nose, "Just give is a chance, hm? We'll make you feel like a princess total. Promise."

Art agrees, "Yeah, promise."

[fortheloveofarchons]

Been playing Love and Deepspace for the past few days and here's my take on this.....

Content warning though, it's gonna be a long post! And this is just coming from someone who only played the game a few days ago so this is just my first impression!

Let me just say this, algorithm...

It's your fault for making me download the game.

You knew I like hot attractive fictional men. You knew I like bratty boyfailures. You knew I like older, stoic yet kind men. You knew I like mysterious softboys.

YOU KNEW.

So you bombarded me with L&DS content on my socials, my home, my walls, and even my grass!!! I won't forgive you for dragging me into another gacha hole, especially when you knew that I promise myself to never spend a dime on any of these games!!! (I'm an f2p player)

Anyways-- Here's my take on this game as a newbie.

The VAs and character designs?

Amazing. I love the boys (including Caleb) and the MC customisation is really detailed. Though, I wish we could have short hair MC permanently but I'm glad we get to experience it on photoshoots. I do wish we get to explore more of the boys on the main plot cause it feels a bit underwhelming. Then again I just finished chapter 3 so we'll see!

I love the dates and the playtime mode since it gives us time to get closer to the boys and understand more about their past and their characteristics. (I'm convinced the claw machine gacha is so random cause one day Xavier won a lot and the next it was Zayne)

I will say tho for now I feel like Rafayel is more developed and interesting compared to the other two. I like Zayne in terms of how much he really cares about his patients and how he was closer to MC back then, but I wish we get more of him soon. For Xavier he's such a mystique as well and I really like him too! Overall, I wish we get more events dedicated to Zayne and Xavier.

The fluidity of the animation and graphics?

Really good considering that I'm playing it on mobile, I set it to medium and its runs pretty smoothly without any low pixelated quality. I love how detailed the backgrounds and designs are, and I really love some of the cinematic shots the developers added during the date scenes. I can't wait to pull for more dates for the characters!

Combat wise?

It's fine for now ,and I really appreciate the proceed 10x button when farming for materuals considering that I'm more of a casual player rather than a combat one.

Though I'm still frustrated that one of the requirements of getting 3 stars for extra diamonds would be to win the combat within 90 secs and I'm like-- boy if that dragon didn't have that short animation I would've gotten it faster!!! If it had been 120 secs I would have gotten it easier... I know that the whole combat system will get a bit complicated the more you ascend your hunter level so I'll just farm for materials just to prepare the inevitable.

Also I wish there were more ways to gain more exps for your hunter level instead of doing the daily tasks. Imagine you are about to head to the next chapter get some main content and yet you can't bc your hunter level is just two level away so you have to wait for the next day...

The plot?

I would say its okay for now since I'm about to head to chapter 4 and even though I finished chapter 3 it still feels like the beginning. The worldbuilding is really interesting but I'm still a bit confused on some aspects of the story. Overall, I can't wait to finally see Caleb on screen (I already saw him on Youtube and I wish he's playable he's so pretty sksksksks)

Edit: I just finished chapter 4.... what in the sweet metaflux world... CALEEEBBBBBB!!!!!

So yeah this is my impression on the game as someone who only joined after a few days! I hope to see more contents for the boys and I can't wait for more chapters (I spoiled myself at chapter 4 and my god... I want Caleb to be playable plzzzzz)

I'm aware that as a newbie my opinions are probably flawed considering that it's barely even a week since I joined, I would love to hear some advices from you guys just so I can prepare myself in terms of combat and to understand more about the characters if I missed anything about them!

[leonenjoyer69]

hiiiiiii i demand you drop everything you have on Elias like uh this instant (he’s so silly i love him ahajajsbdbsha)

KGKEKGKEK FIGHTER YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY TRYNA KILL ME, SENDING ME THIS ASK RIGHT AFTER DRAWING HIM 🫵 MY AUTISTIC ASS CAN'T TAKE ALL THIS POSITIVE ATTENTION, I'M GONNA SHAKE YOU!!!! JSKVKDKVK YOU'RE SO COOL!! FIGHTER WHEN I GET YOU, WHEN I GET YOU FIGHTER--

BUT, Since you asked so nicely I suppose I can deliver 🤭, lucky for y'all, @dustmint and I had an awesome discussion on Elias in the Mindscape (primarily on Mind Jekyll, hehe), all stemming from a drawing y'all will probably get to see quite soon (is this one :33). Once again, these are all messages from discord, so I'm sorry if the formating is weird but I really don't know how else to scribe these 😭 Mints messages are the indented green ones, and mine are the orange :3

(FIRST THO, Mint and I also came up with the ship names DayBreak (Jekyll and Elias) and NightFall (Hyde and Elias) bc we were feeling a little silly teehee (TYSM MINT FOR SUGGESTING SHIP NAMES ILY!!) but, also ofc there's Hydas (kinda reminds me of Midas, which I think is cute since they're both blond) and,,,, most the ones for Jekyll don't really flow as well, but Jekyias is pretty good :3)

Anyways, onto the discussion:

does a Mind Hyde exist in Lanyon's mindscape?? Or does Mind Jekyll just has some like characteristics that make him look a bit like Hyde 👁👁??

I think Mind Jekyll would just have some odd/intensified characteristics from Hyde. since Lanyon was able to see bits of Jekyll in Hyde before he even knew of the split, I think his mind would very quickly just connect Hyde back to Jekyll and skew his perception of Jekyll. Plus, I just don't think Hyde by himself has made enough of an impact on Lanyons life that he would get his own mind person, Lanyon barely knew anything about him and everything he learned about Hyde just kinda fed him more on Jekyll, and that's who he actually cares about. (Sorry if any of that is confusing jekvkksf english is hard rn) but!!! Mind Jekyll, right? Yeah, he would probably dislike Elias, Just like how Mind Lanyon dislikes Hyde. Mind Jekyll would probably think he's helping Lanyon (especially with how much *Lanyon* dislikes Elias) by either getting rid of (or at least keeping control of) Elias in the mindscape

Oooo, yeah, I think I understand :0 (dw! I understand that) Also, poor Elias, he already has some doubt about the real Jekyll liking him, and the Mind version of him just dislikes him 😭 would Mind Jekyll ever try to get rid of Elias in a similar way to what Mind Lanyon did? (Trying to cut off Elias's head) Also, how would Elias feel about Mind Jekyll disliking him and stuff?? ((Also, maybe Mind Jekyll tries to lock Elias in the mindscape or something like that 👁👁??)

.. I may be listening to Chonnys Charming Chaos Compendium in order, which *may* be swaying my ideas a bit, but I think Mind Jekyll would kinda play "nice" for a bit mayhaps? Like, he certainly doesn't act like he likes Elias, more so making it obvious that he just begrudgingly tolerates Elias's presence. As it goes on for a bit tho, Mind Jekyll would probably start getting worse, being much more open about his dislike and actively trying to lock Elias away in sections or rooms of the mindscape (maybe sometimes even with/near one of Lanyons stray nightmares?)

Elias has a *very* complex view of mind Jekyll, bc on one hand, it's *mostly* kinda the guy he loves, plus, having to deal with Mind Jekylls hatred is still better than going crazy all by himself in silence (at least at first). On the other hand, Mind Jekyll does hate him quite strongly and hurts his feelings quite often, making Elias even more likely to spiral. Mind Jekyll is probably one of the main reasons Elias absolutely detests the mindscape. Elias has certainly left the mindscape absolutely hysterical a good few times, going straight to Lanyon, because even *he's* better than having to deal with everything in the mindscape (when he's not simply forced into the mindscape and kinda trapped for a bit, of course. He basically stops going in willingly after a couple of Mind Jekylls schemes (and perhaps meeting his dad, or seeing the ballroom?))

👁👁👁👁 ~~Elias is really going through stuff, damn–~~ Imagine if maybe Elias only ever saw the ballroom but like very vaguely, from the corner of his eye sometimes, and just decided "I'm never going there" because it just gives him some bad vibes and stuff, and just, Mind Jekyll locks him/forces him to go there, and it's Elias just wanting to go away the whole time, not having a fun time while Mind Jekyll is just refusing to let him leave, dragging him by the hand and stuff– ~~(I'm sorry but I can't help but imagine maybe Elias telling what happened to Lanyon later, and Lanyon just like: "😨😰")~~

VJKDJVKEK OMFG YOU'RE A GENIUS, MIND JEKYLL FORCES HIM IN THERE AND HOLDS HIM IN A WALTZ AROUND THE ROOM, BUMPING INTO ALL THESE FACELESS PEOPLE AS THEIR SENSELESS CHATTER GROWS LOUDER AND LOUDER, GRATING ON ELIAS'S EARS AND SENDING HIM INTO A PANIC BC HE CAN FEEL THE HATRED COMING OFF OF ALL OF THEM JSJVKDKVK, ALL WHILE MIND JEKYLL HAS HIM IN A VICE GRIP, PROBABLY BEING THE ONE TO START ALL THE MURMURING THOUGHTS IN ELIAS'S HEAD-- Whoopsie my fanfic writing spirit took over 🤭🤭

OWHROWHDOWHDK 👁👁 Maybe Mind Jekyll is like first sort of talking to the faceless people, maybe flirting with some of them, while Elias is just awkwardly standing behind him, feeling very out of place, and at one point he just decides he's had enough of this, and tells Mind Jekyll that he wants to go, he wants to leave. And Mind Jekyll sort of teases him with an overly sweet tone, and says something how they can't leave just yet, to at least let him have a waltz before that and then them just waltzing and stuff. And maybe at one side it just feels very nostalgic because it makes him think of back when ~~he~~ Lanyon and Jekyll had their affair, or when Lanyon was teaching Jekyll hoe to waltz. But those memories keep getting drowned out by everything else that's going on. AND WHAT IF ELIAS FEELS AS IF THE TICKING OF THE CLOCK IS GROWING LOUDER AS WELL AND ADDING ONTO EVERYTHING ELSE, AND MIND JEKYLL JUST KEEPS TAUNTING HIM BUT AT THAT POINT ELIAS CAN'T DISTINGUISH WHETHER IF ALL THOSE THINGS ARE HIS THOUGHTS OR WHAT SOMEONE ELSE IS SAYING. And then after somehow getting away from that ((and probably having a breakdown)) he just decides that he's never coming back there, and that he refuses to ever go into his mindscape ever since, and that he'll stay outside even if he or Lanyon are sick of each other because anything is better than that?? (Also, what if at one point they just. Lock him somewhere nearby the ballroom, and so Elias can still hear what's going on out there but he's locked and can't do anything except try to get out and listen to everything going on, and maybe he eventually gets out just because Lanyon drank the potion??)

LITERALLY READING ALL THIS AND GIGGLING OMFG IT'S PERFECT JDJVKEJKF YOU'RE A GENIUS ILYSM!!!! I MIGHT HAVE TO GRAB THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE BY THE THROAT AND BEAT IT INTO SUBMISSION BC OMFG I NEED TO WRITE SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO BAD NOW. AND JSKVKDKVKFK UGHHHH THINKING ABOUT HOW LANYON WOULD MAYBE REACT TO ELIAS FREAKING TF OUT OVER WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MINDSCAPE AND HAVING A FULL MELTDOWN. AT FIRST LANYON WOULD PROBABLY DEGRADE HIM FOR OVERREACTING AND BEING AS OVERLY EMOTIONAL AS USUAL UNTIL HE EVENTUALLY SEES HOW BAD IT TRULY SEEMS TO BE AFFECTING ELIAS AND HE ACTUALLY STARTS FEELING BAD KSKVKDKF

PQBDOQHDQODB, IMAGINE IF MAYBE IF THE REASON WHY HE WENT OUT OF THE MINDSCAPE WAS BECAUSE OF LANYON TAKING THE POTION. IMAGINE JEKYLL WAS WITH HIM, AND ELIAS JUST SORT OF GETS SCARED AT SEEING HIM CAUSE HE CONFUSES HIM FOR MIND JEKYLL FOR A SECOND, AND LIKE FLINCHES AND TELLS HIM TO LEAVE HIM ALONE AND GET AWAY FROM HIM MAYBE?? But also, Lanyon degrading him just making his meltdown worse, and then just Lanyon maybe eventually trying to help him?? ~~(also, what if at one point Elias just, for some reason *has* to go into his mindscape, and runs into Mind Jekyll after what happened at the ballroom)~~

OMG, JEKYLL WOULD *NOT* KNOW WHAT TO DO IF ELIAS HAD A BREAK DOWN IN FRONT OF HIM, *ESPECIALLY* IF IT WAS ACCIDENTALLY TRIGGERED BY HIM KDCKKFKEKD

BONUS POINTS!! Elias ends up running off to get away from Jekyll and Jekyll genuinely has no damn clue what to do and just sorta stands there super awkwardly for a while before looking for him. In that time, Elias has already hidden himself away somewhere, now stuck with just Lanyon as he absolutely melts down, drowning Lanyons words out with babbled explanations and questions and apologies. Eventually, Lanyon *does* in fact start feeling kinda bad and awkward and actually starts helping the best he can

If Elias gets forced into the mindscape after the ballroom fiasco he would definitely tread the mindscape more carefully. He'd probably hide in rooms and such, deciding that the loneliness was better than dealing with all of that (or something worse) again, and if he does come across mind Jekyll, he'd probably try to run off and hide, or at least try to lose him.

_______

Mmmm, Elias angst 🤭🤭 also!! Mind Jekyll would probably also be a poison enjoyer. I feel like Lanyon would be slightly scared of real Jekylls poison cabinet, bc why tf does that man need so many poisons, and have an underlying fear of taking any sort of potion from Jekyll. That's also probably intensified after he, ya know, takes one that splits him in two? But yeah, Mind Jekyll definitely encompasses that, lmao

But yeah, Elias does NOT get to have fun in the Mindscape. But hey, at least his clothes are comfy! And when he's in shadow/mirror form, he usually can't hear the pocket watch ticking, unless he's alone.

Additionally!!! I have a playlist for Elias, which if anyone wants to check out, is here. (It does have some unplayable songs tho, which is very sad bc I feel like they're the most accurate for him jekvkdk but!! I offer thee the links to listen to them on YouTube 😌 --- Love Psalm, Hole in the Sky, and Hell Frozen Rain)

ANYWAYS JDKVKKD THANK YOU FOR THE ASK FIGHTER ‼️‼️‼️ I'M GONNA GET YOU, YOU BETTER COUNT YOUR DAYS 😇😇 <3333

[thelunarfairy]

Oh my, Yashiro is interested in a lot of boys

Hahaha, she managed to fool you, didn't she?

But look, she already has Hanako, so why is she interested in other boys?

Does she already have it? Who said? I talked about it in this post, and I decided to talk about the way Yashiro likes to get the attention of our favorite ghost boy.

Think with me, the perverted boy who likes to flirt but doesn't show his feelings, he hides it, pretends that everything is just a joke. Wow, Yashiro kissed me on the cheek, I'm really red she can't see me like this

Do I think you're beautiful in that yukata? You look amazing, I can barely take my eyes off you, but I'd rather say that even radishes look neat.

Let's remember that she already got dumped by him, after all she took his confession in the tree seriously (although at the time she didn't like him, but she wanted a boyfriend)

So, from that moment on in her little head the thought was: He does these things, he hugs me, he helps me when I need it, he leaves me confused, but I know he doesn't really like me, or does he?"

Hahaha, doubt is always doubt. Yashiro likes to joke about this. She understands that Hanako wasn't interested because of the reject she got, but he kept acting that way. So she knows that he won't tell his how he truly feels, he won't even confess if he thought she was beautiful. (something he only did on the day of the kiss)

But the detail that Hanako can't hide, her expressions. Not only that, but his jealousy. Ah, these two, he even tries, sometimes he manages to hide his expressions from Yashiro, that's true, but the jealousy… Hahaha you understand, don't you?

She realized, he's jealous and she likes it when he's like that. She likes to show Hanako that other guys are interested in her. Firstly, because he is always making fun of her, and secondly, his jealousy is proof that there are genuine feelings there.

Do you feel jealous of people you don't like?

So what does Yashiro do?

Hahahaha yes, she makes him jealous on purpose and he always reacts. She usually says "I want to brag to him" Look Hanako, I went out with another boy, until you tell me what your real interest is I'll keep doing that. XD

Yes, she has that side, but let's admit that Yashiro likes to be courted. That's because boys don't usually do that to her, it's always Aoi, Aoi, right? A girl with low self-esteem whose biggest fear is that everyone calls her "radish legs" because the boys she likes reject her for that, doesn't lead you to think that she feels happy when people are interested in her even with those legs ?

And what does Hanako usually do?

This insecurity, this low self-esteem makes her want to be courted by several pretty boys, to prove that even though she isn't "perfect" she managed to find a pretty boy who liked her.

She literally says this

Imagine yourself in her shoes, where you have a best friend who everyone finds beautiful and confesses to, while you are constantly rejected for having (or not having) some characteristic that people don't consider to be the "standard" of beauty. So when you become interested in some people and finally find the courage to declare yourself, they reject you because of that characteristic.

You are not popular, but then, when that person who is not popular, just like you, pretends to like it and makes a false statement and still makes fun of it, you break.

The boy who is not your type rejected you, what will be left for you then? The boy who is not your type makes fun of the thing that makes you most insecure and sad, literally your nightmare in mirror hell. Why doesn't anyone talk about this?

But Hanako is joking.

Is it fun when people play with your feelings or physical characteristics that make you feel insecure? What do they call that? Oh! Bullying?

So how about I show you this little snippet from the pilot of how Yashiro feels when she hears this from the person she likes.

Didn't Hanako flirt with her? Didn't he falsely confess to her? Doesn't he make fun of her legs?

Do you understand the point now? Yashiro takes everything in a very comical way, but if you stop to analyze it, that's exactly what happens. A girl who is made fun of by boys, she wants to be loved by someone, anyone, because it seems like everyone rejects her. So, if I had thinner legs, or bigger breasts, they would like me… She wants to change her to please other people.

So Hanako, let's go back to him, you and I know that he makes fun of her to hide his feelings, but Yashiro took a while to notice that. So if he can do that, why can't she try to make him jealous?

She even allowed herself to fall in love with the boy who rejected her, who doesn't talk about his past, who is a ghost and a murderer and who keeps making fun of her, not to mention his possessive attitudes. A crazy brother and a dark past.

But in Hanako's defense, because I'm a fair person, I know he likes her the way she is, he really loves her and doesn't assume he likes her and makes fun of her to hide his feelings. Because he loves her legs.

But that is precisely the problem. The way he found to hide this hurts her. Why do you think she cried at the confession tree? Hanako wasn't using Yashiro, he thought she knew it was a simulation, but it hurt her because she felt like she was rejected once again.

He realized this, so he hugged her and asked her to stay. Hanako hiding his feelings ends up making the situation worse.

So come on, give her a chance. She is developing. She is learning what it's like to be in love and for the first time she is feeling loved by someone. “But we’re not a couple yet, we just kissed.” They didn't talk about it anymore, did they?

Does a kiss mean commitment? She wants to hear from him that she is his girlfriend. Until that happens, this will continue to happen

Because he's the one she likes to brag about.

Despite everything I've said, we still don't know if her attitude will change towards this and if she will completely lose interest in pretty boys and focus only on Hanako. I just wanted you to see her side, Hanako isn't the only one who has problems in this story, right?

[diagonal-queen]

THIS IS OBSCURE but may you write hcs for jouno, ranpo and/or chuuya with a s/o (gn prefered but) that. just randomly meows to get their attention?? LMAO. idk i always do this to my partner or friends so 💀💀

Them with an S/O who meows

♡ pairing: Saigiku Jouno, Ranpo Edogawa, Chuuya Nakahara x gn!Reader

♡ synopsis: These boys with an S/O who meows like a cat to get their attention. What do they think about it?

♡ cw: Swearing.

note:

Sorry that this is shorter than normal Anon, I tried really hard but I couldn't think of much for this prompt o(TヘTo) my day was long and imma be real it was pretty shitty, but I REFUSE to let anybody down ever, and thus this list of headcanons was born. Apologies for my absence and lack of answering reqs, apologies for errors, and I hope you enjoy x

Jouno:

God help him he's so utterly confused at first. He hears cat but all his other senses indicate human and he really just bugs out for a second

If you tell him it was you he's like 'Okay...but why?' and when you tell him it's just kind of a thing you do he's no less confused

Pretty quickly though it kind of becomes instinctual to him to immediately acknowledge meows as you wanting his attention. Even sometimes if he knows it's not you and is actually a stray cat or something he'd still turn around to check

Absolutely refuses to acknowledge any questions anybody has for him about it, mostly because he doesn't have any of the answers

Not that that stops anyone from asking (by 'anyone' I mean literally only the other Hunting Dogs)

He never really says anything about it to you following his first line of questioning because he actually doesn't know if he wants to know. But let it be known he's not judging you at all. At least you're not drinking soy coffee right

Jouno might actually grow to like the habit a little bit but he would NEVER EVER admit it lol

Ranpo:

Actually thinks it's cute (and you also get Fukuzawa's stamp of approval)

Might tease you about it a little, not in a mean way but he'd start calling you 'kitten' and stuff like that. Soon enough he might start doing it unironically

Would absolutely bring Atsushi into this. He would ruin your guys lives (lovingly) and you two might become closer due to this (which, plot twist, was actually his secret plan all along muhahaha)

He might actually start doing it too out of habit (again, Fukuzawa's cool with it but like everyone else, Atsushi included, is like 'fuck now there's two of them')

Like the opposite of Jouno he will actually hear a cat meow at him and assume it's you. And then he'll be shocked when it's not you (he is always thrown off whenever Fukuzawa's phone pings)

So basically he's very much onboard with this habit. He really just likes all of your characteristics that make you...you

Chuuya:

Finds it off-putting, I won't lie. Would probably prefer if you barked instead (I'M JOKING kinda)

He would definitely take some time to get used to it, but after a while would find it adorable

Also at first might get a little flustered if you did it in public and people heard, but soon he'd grow to lowkey snap at anybody who questioned you about it lol

What really gets Chuuya is that other than the meowing you don't really have any other...cat traits? Like you don't have a cat-based ability or anything like that, and he's so curious as to why you began doing it

He might ask if you can actually communicate with cats to mess with you (he's soft and silly on the inside guys)

He especially loves when you do it when you're sleepy because he thinks it's the cutest thing ever actually

Overall. He is definitely a dog person but shiiii you might just change that

taglist~ ♡ @gettinshiggywithit, @fedyushka, @flower-of-darkness, @bejeweledgirl

[enemyoflactose]

To start this off, I want to mention the extremely weird obsession you have with watering Ryou down to this dumb Femboy for having feminine characteristics. God forbid a boy- yes, a BOY, a 16 year old, anorexic and confused guy to not be the manliest guy alive. Also all the overly sexual things directed to him or in relation to him? They are just downright revolting and can be in no way justified. You wonder why people can’t recognize your Ryou art when you dumb him down to a fucking femboy. Ryou bakura is based off many other characters and is supposed to be ANDROGYNOUS. (hence his Female VA and overall appearance.) he is NOT a girl. Also, stop making him to look really fucking dumbed down. If you even read the manga, ryou is actually really fucking smart. He isn’t a bimbo, he isn’t some kind of fucking stupid silly uwu boy. HES A TEENAGER GOD FORBID HE EVEN EXISTS

The next thing I wanted to allude on, Marik's mischaracterization, oversexualization (again) and woobification? How are you gonna dismiss one of the best written Characters in the entire show just for a few petty arguments, rude and impolite at that too. You’re also a giant hypocrite. Being as Yami Bakura (your favorite character) is a bad person AND I WOULD EVEN SAY, HES AN AWFUL PERSON. more so compared to Marik. His redemption arc i can get as to why you’re so pissy about it but you need to realize that this is also a kids show with limited writing due to 4KIDS, manga is more well constructed. Honestly i just have a giant problem with your Marik. I’m not even gonna talk about the thiefshipping, angstshipping, and opinions abt YM..why is Marik in your head like a fuckass. Like, your perception of him is so weird. Marik is equally as bad as every villain in Yugioh, you constantly make him out to be a hypersexual sex craved MANIAC. Also not to mention the blatant racism on your blog (it’s self explanatory.) I don’t understand all the hate, from his arc to the character design…pick a side, do you hate him or do you only like him because he pounds ryou in your head :T

Also the pure, unadulterated watering down of SA in your "crimes of marik/yami marik" post? I can't put into words how extremely shameful it is, to disregard such an important and scary topic and to make a joke of it honestly. IT WAS NOT SA? the scene was ryou bakura about to FALL OVER because he is INJURED. Marik isn’t trying to do anything to him. Thanks for dumbing down real life situations you’re an awesome person

Where did you get that Ryou was anorexic? Being thin and not really eating a lot doesn't make you anorexic. I would know, I was almost diagnosed with it.

I head cannon Ryou as a femboy not because I'm sexualizing him, but because I want to draw a character that I like and relate to in outfits that I just want to see him in.

Do I end up drawing Ryou in sexual outfits? Yes. I'm sorry this upsets you, but I find certain typically sexual outfits such as maid outfits and MEIKO's Blue Crystal model to be very pretty and cute. Not to mention they're just fun to draw.

I have plans to draw Ryou in other dresses and skirts that aren't sexual, I wouldn't have this head cannon if I didn't.

I'm well aware that looking androgynous doesn't automatically make someone a femboy or tomboy. I may be dumb, but I'm not an idiot.

The kind of stupid that I think Ryou is, is the kind that makes you unable to see certain social cues or just be ignorant about a lot of things. I give him the same stupid that I have because I'm projected on to a character that I like and relate to.

I'm also still new to writing, so the way I characterize Ryou hasn't been shown to its fullest. I write him and acknowledge him how he's already written, but I add things to make myself happy. That's how fanfiction works.

I never said that Ryou was a bimbo, I said that he's stupid because he makes objectively dumb choices like keeping the millennium ring and not telling his friends about it. Also, yes I do know that he's being abused. From an outsiders perspective however, his choices just come across as looking stupid.

I am making light hearted jokes about a fictional character and projecting myself on to that same fictional character, and you have a problem with that?

And to talk about your insults to my art, I know that the reason I'm scared people won't recognize Ryou is because I draw him to like this:

Instead of this:

I'm well aware of that because despite my low intelligence, I can understand that he doesn't really look like Ryou.

Also, why are you so intent on telling me that Ryou is a boy? I know he's a boy. I constantly say that he's a boy and acknowledge that he's a boy. You need to identify as a boy to be a femboy 💀.

For your Marik takes, I have no clue what woobafication is. I also don't hate Marik because he's a bad person, I "hate" him (it's fucking theatrical you dumbass) because he has a poor redemption that needed to be explored more. Marik is a character that I genuinely like and I think he's fun and hilarious, I just have problems with how he was redeemed since in my eyes, he did nothing to deserve it.

Yami Bakura is also not my favorite character. Weevil and Joey are. I just talk about Yami Bakura way more because there's more for me to say. I like Ryou more than him as well because Ryou is my projection character.

I'm well aware that Yami Bakura is a worse person than Marik, he did almost kill all of Egypt is I'm remembering things right, but that doesn't mean that Marik isn't also a bad person.

Just because someone is worse than another, doesn't mean that that person's sins are cleaned completely.

Of course you don't wanna talk about the angstshipping thiefshipping discourse you little pussy.

Marik is objectively worse than Pegasus, Noah, Gozuburo, and the Douma trio. He kidnaps, brainwashes, steals, kills, abuses his brother, and all the while he still blames Yami Yugi for how he is.

Marik being hypersexual is just a fandom trop. That's why I think he is, because a pretty big number of people also think that way.

Where is the racism? I'm genuinely concerned about this one it is not self explanatory.

I do actually like Marik as a character, it's not because he pounds Ryou in my head, it's because he's entertaining. He's fun, I like fun villains. (His purple shirt is ugly as hell tho)

Now to talk about my biggest issue with you. You think I can afford to just read the manga and watch the sub, don't you?

Well guess what chuckle nuts, I'M FUCKING POOR

I don't have the money to buy more of the Yu-Gi-Oh manga or to pay for a Crunchyroll subscription.

I'm broke, no money, poor, jobless.

You're making the assumption that I can fucking afford to buy the manga. I have to ask my family to buy it for me as gifts for birthdays and shit. I literally have no money.

So let me put everything you need to know in a little list so you, and anyone else, can understand things about me.

I project onto Ryou

I think pretty boys in pretty dresses is cool

I actually really like Marik

My favorite character is Weevil

I happen to like angstshipping

I happen to not like thiefshipping

I think certain sexualized outfits are pretty or look fun to draw

I have media literacy

Fuckass is not a word in my vocabulary and I don't know what that means

Please block me 💕

[vanessalocke]

I always thoughts America is best paired with France than England but the fandom is so pushy for the grumpy plus sunshine pair that they completely forget how great other pairings are. It would be great to see England's reactions at the double crossing of his two loved getting together and breaking his heart

Okay Anon, I understand this is your innermost thoughts. However, this is a Dover blog. Mentioning other couples is not a good idea. I will not tag this post.

I remember saying that Himaruya has a thing for love triangles. Fanservice is a good money-making tool, and love triangles are a way to keep readers interested in the story. My friend once told me that for this fandom, the main character isn't Italy, but England. She was right. Fangirls put all their wishes of being loved by many people into England. Exploiting this issue "England's harem" is a very good way to make more money.

One of the things that makes me quite confused with England's fans is that this character's fans always turn their bias into a victim and demand the whole world to pity their bias while I don't see this character as a victim at all. Whoever provokes him will get an elbow in the mouth, I can't understand the victim mentality of this character's fandom. Because of that victim mentality, any character around their bias is the perpetrator who abused their bias. Some of the subjects for this thinking are Scotland, America and France.

When it comes to Scotland, America or France, I've always felt like the fandom has a pretty distorted view of them. Their perspective is distorted even when based on official. I feel like they don't really care about characteristics of Scotland, America or France, what they care about is how many love interests England will have. If you break it down, Scotland represents the patriarchal father who denies them, France represents the handsome guy who they want to love them unconditionally, America represents the guy who rejects their feelings. You know, the typical trope where the girl with father issue falls in love with a bad guy, if that bad guy falls in love with her back then she'll marry him, and if that bad guy dumps her then she can rest easy knowing that there's a male character behind her who's willing to love her despite her past (and even though America isn't a bad guy, fangirls still force him to be a bad guy because their taste is bad guys). These are the three typical male protagonists in romance novels. And their England, is actually a teenager girl who has never grown up with a lot of family issues, low self-esteem and a desire for recognition. They turn their England into a first generation romance novel heroine who is ambiguous with many people and they don't even realize that they've turned their bias into an asshole in every way and still think that their ambiguous bias is an innocent victim.

When I think of the headcanon of Scotland and America, Scotland is Aroace and America is just an innocent child with an upright soul. No more love triangles.

Even in an AU where England and America aren't biological father and son, and England "loves" America like fangirls want (I'm really skeptical about the concept of "love" from an adult towards a child they raised), I still believe that America never had any dark thoughts towards the people he considered family even when he was groomed by adults. I believe in his integrity and love for justice.

In an AU where France has a one-sided love for England just like the fangirls wanted, I think a love country like France will move on soon. His self-esteem is not so low that he would suffer the humiliation of fighting for a lover with someone else (and this person is also someone he is close to, considers him as his younger brother/son), nor would he ever wait for someone else to give him love.

So, to answer your question: even if France and America get into a love triangle with England (like England's fangirls want), they'll both get out quickly. The Vietnamese have a saying "Tham thì thâm", which means if you are greedy and want to have everything, you will lose everything.

And, let me repeat: France does not beg for anyone's love, England is not a victim, America deserves independence. America did not "betray".

I will always love my American baby.

[bp-trio]

you’re watching….

Outfit | Makeup | Hair style | nails

( ALL IN ENGLISH ) ( questions searched on the web about Sol)

"Hey, I'm Sol and this is the Wired Autocomplete interview," Sol said smiling. Sol was given aboard. A medium-sized board where the questions were stuck with a paper and she has to peel it off to open the question. “Let’s see what you all are curious about”

[ UPBEAT MUSIC ]

"Have you ever googled yourself before?" Interviewer.

"No. I try not to."

"Alright, first question," Sol said before carefully peeling off the sticker that was covering the full question that was searched on the web about her.

[ WHAT ]

"What is Sol’s full name? My full name is Solaire Victoria Raeya Ivanov and I know it's a long name. But my parents liked it." Sol answered and smiled.

"What does Sol like in a guy?" Sol chuckled at the question. "Wow, did someone actually search this on the web?" Sol asked as she looked at her staff behind the camera and giggled. "What I like in a guy is honesty and just be good to me."

"What is Sol’s net worth?" Sol smiled at the question. "why do you guys care about this? but to be honest I don't even know what my net worth is."

"What is Sol's zodiac sign?" "Aquarius, I am. Fun fact, I actually share a birthday with Rosé. I was told recently about some of the characteristics of the Aquarius. Think I maybe have like, three of eight."

"What is Sol's phone number?" "That is a question I won't be answering. I don't give my number to anyone. So, it is maybe impossible to get my number. Sorry." Sol said and smiled blandly.

"What is Sol's accent?" Sol laughed at the question. "Honestly I have no idea. I would say British on most occasions. it also depends on where I go. When I got to America. my accent changes to American English and when I'm in Paris, I speak in a Parisian accent. Or these days it feels like I’m getting Aussie accent because of Rose. It is a bit confusing I don't know what my accents are." Sol chuckled.

"What is Sol doing right now?" Sol exhaled and chuckled " Talking to you. that's so funny people would google that. what is Sol doing now, like Google's gonna know"

"What was Sol's first song?" "The very first song I wrote was for my mom on her birthday when I was like six years old, and it was about when I grow up, can I be as pretty as you? when I grow up, can I wear your dress? and still, my parents and my siblings make fun of me sometimes."

Sol throws the medium-sized board on the floor and grabs the one handling to her.

[ DOES ]

"Does Sol have pets?" " Yes, I have 4 pets, three dogs and one cat. I have Shiba Inu named Cain, Samoyed named Chico, white Pomeranian Cece, and a Manx cat named Cleo. I adopted all of them from a rescue shelter. They are my angels."

"Does Sol speak Spanish?" Sol smiled. "Yes, I can speak Spanish because I taught myself and I'm proud of myself for doing that because I can now communicate with my fans who speak Spanish," Sol said and continued smiling as she peeled off the sticker that covers the next question and read it.

"Does Sol play guitar?" "Yes, I do play guitar. In fact, I play a lot of instruments. My grandpa taught me how to play the Violin and Piano. during my trainees days, I learned to play drums, electric guitar, ukulele, recorder, flute, and Saxophone recently. since I have much free time this year because of the pandemic, I spend my time mostly learning new instruments and learning online." Sol answered and nodded.

"Does Sol has tattoos?" "That’s a secret" she giggles, “but I do, I have four tattoos and each one of them has a meaning.”

"Does Sol watch anime?" "Do, and my top three animes are the seven deadly sins, my hero academia, and One Piece."

“Does Sol know how to play games?” “Yes, I love playing games. It’s my hobby.”

[ CAN ]

"Can Sol sing?" Sol laughed at the question. " I bloody hope so, otherwise I have no idea what I'm doing here."

"Can Sol rap?" "Yes, I can rap. I’m the lead rapper in the group."

"Can Sol drive?" "I can drive.  I actually passed my driving test the first time. I do really love the freedom of just getting in your car and going wherever you want."

"Can Sol come to my birthday party?" Sol laughed."I wish I could but I think you would have to speak to my agency and my manager about that."

"Can I date Sol?" Sol laughed and grinned. the staff also laughed "that's an interesting question. Maybe but I think you would have to speak to my agency and my manager about that too." Sol said and shrugged with a chuckle.

[ HOW ]

“Okay last board, How old is Sol?" Sol read off as she peeled the tap. "I'm 26 years old."

"How to get Sol's face?" Sol laughed. "Seriously? I don't know. surgery, I think?" Sol said and shrugged with a chuckle.

"How did Sol become famous?" Sol chuckled. " by releasing good music."

"How many languages can Sol speak?" Sol smiled. "I can speak 7 languages. Korean, English, Japanese, French, Mandarin, Spanish, and Russian I'm hoping to learn Thai and German by next year." Sol answered.

“How does Sol stays in shape? By working out.” She stated. “I don’t like dieting and I was extremely bad at it. When I was training to be a singer, I had this extremely diet and I just failed. I couldn’t resist my love for ice cream.”

“How does Sol keep her hair healthy?” She smiled, “I use a specially made shampoo and conditioner provided by my wonderful stylist aka Lina.”

“Well, that’s it?.” She asked, throwing the cardboard away when the staff members nodded. “It’s been fun! They weren’t as scary as I thought they would be.”

“I hope you enjoyed the video, thank you. Mwah.” She says, staring directly into the lens and blowing a kiss at it.

[gaiamossiah]

Brainrotting a bit about Lucia lol

Warning: I didn't really dig enough especially i dont watch the author's livestreams (i dont know japanese huhu), therefore idk any quick trivia or clues she may have mentioned in passing. So these are just me going through face value materials available to average fans HAHAHAHA

my brain had gone weird again. When I first read ch 222, I had this theory that the scene with Lucia and Dr. Joe was a flashback because the first translation i read said "old" campbell house. And when Allen and the gang met an older Lucia in the bookstore... my personal theory (im not forcing anybody to think the same, hence, personal) kinda fit in more.

But another translation says..."at the same time" and "present-day" so idk anymore. And it was kinda odd that both Lucias wear the same exact outfit and hairstyle. Ok, anime/manga-wise, that is not really strange but it just felt like the outfit grew with her. Usually, even the outfit would indicate aging (some parts are styled a bit differently, etc.) but there's none. Even Allen changed hairstyles a couple of times, and Lavi, despite being consistent with his bandana and scarf, they still kinda change vibe or design. It kinda hit me that it's either two things: (1) "Lucia" is kind of a title as well and it's being passed down from gen to gen with a specific role, which means they have to maintain a certain appearance (hairstyle and outfit) throughout their lives while in the role. But this would apply better to the scene with Dr. Joe to be a flashback. BUT->

(2) If young Lucia was not a flashback, then what if there are more than one Lucia per gen? And in varying ages? What if like they are a group and they are all called "Lucia" ? I can't explain it well but it kinda explains why they wore the same outfit because it's a UNIFORM of some sort hahaha idk anymore. This is just me trying to make sense the "present day" label with a young lucia ajskdkahdowa

ngl i want the younger lucia scene to be a flashback because i dont want our lavi (current) one to be the one described as "no longer here" hahahaha dakjshdkajmpw no offense on prev lavi, i love you, too but TT^TT

Edit because my i forgot to add something after all that typing:

I know there's the consideration of it being the same person (Lucia) while the 222 scene is not a flashback. After it was confirmed that Allen's the host and even Neah knows it IS him but was confused by his age, a way to vary one's age doesn't seem so foreign to this story anymore. Hence, there is a possibility that someone out there can pretty much alter it, or hasten it. Either it's magic or a characteristic unique to a clan (i mean some vampire stories show fast aging and then stopping at some point, not in this story but I'm just saying it's not a new concept), I, at least, am not sure. [Again, I'm not able to consume every content for this manga because of language barriers.. and there's a lot not translated or idek some content existed until much later. I think even the fanbooks and artbooks have clues but I was never able to read those *sobs*]

But the fast aging does not make sense to me...yet (if it is true, i know Hoshino-sensei would have a very surprising way to show it to us and it would make sense), that's why if it was not a flashback, then the Lucia in 222 in the mansion with Dr. Joe and Lucia in 251 are two different people or heck maybe like JasDevi and The Earl (with Mana and Neah) are like two bodies from the same entity.

It may or may not be that I missed some dots and clue about this from the previous chapters (i believe any questions we have are already answered before, we just dont know the connection to past events yet... Sensei is like that lol) but this is what i undertsand for now.

TLDR, Lucia is a mystery 🤣🤣 like, how...? Hahaha

[nonnieapple]

hihiii can I ask for anything with lyca x fem/gn reader? sorry I dont rlly know how to req things haha big thanks if you do this <3

⛈️☂️Wet Leg (Lyca x g/n!Reader)☂️⛈️

• (Lyca x g/n!Reader)

• r a t i n g: t e e n & u p • 4 0 1 7 w o r d s

• p o s t e d: 22.10.2024 🌧️ navigation

n o t e: i've had this one around for a while... it's about time. she's my favorite character i love her sm X{ this one is pretty long because i got carried away. s u m m a r y: lyca finds out several secrets about you after you go poking around corrupted roots in the night.

The night in the Dark Forest was like a black hole. Only small stars pierced the darkness like silver needles, but they were blurry - you had forgotten to put on your glasses. You saw like a mole and your head was like a colander. A shot through one, not a colander but a circle through which everything passed... like an old man over 90.

  You couldn't sleep, your mind fixated on your task to cleanse the corruption, thinking of every possible solution and catastrophe that could arise, uncertainty bubbling up in you as to your abilities and methods. 

  You leaned your palms against the big, dry roots- they were as soft as a rotten apple. Disgusting. You tore your hands away. The magic was powerful, but you wondered who the mage could be; setting a village on fire was one thing, but blighting the roots of the Lucent Tree? That was for mages like you. Like Merlin. And there were very few of those. 

  Whoever it was, you'd give them a punch to the face when you found them. Checking over the corruption,!it was nothing you couldn't fix... but if you hadn't been there, half the land would've become an abyss.

  It was still summer, it should not have been as chilly as it was. This reminded you of the strange weather that had plagued Ryeham earlier. It was one thing after another, and a thread of trouble connected them, all leading to a bigger plan, a bigger plan by none other than the Adamant Syndicate. Syndicate, as in a group carrying out organized crime, or as in a group working towards some shared interest? What could that interest possibly be? 

  You stepped over the thin roots in an attempt to get closer. If you could unravel the threads of magic there, you might be able to get a sense of who cast it, as others felt Merlin's magic as characteristically warm. 

  Something stirred in the bushes, and you jerked, and everything went tits up. There went your research. Your left ankle crunched as it slipped into a hole. You yelled and someone behind you yelled back, in a higher-pitched, gentle voice. 

  Lyca, the Captain of the Dusk Patrollers. It was good that she was the one who found you. She was a comforting presence, and being vulnerable around her was easy, 

  Dura forbid if someone like Bryon saw you, that'd be embarrassing beyond belief. If it was him you'd hide and let yourself decay in the bushes instead of showing your face ever again.

  And if it had been Lorsan, he would've laughed at you. Hm, Bryon would've been the worst option, then. 

  You, through tears and barely containing your whining, couldn't see the Captain who would be your savior, imagining that she looked dissapointed and confused.

  "Lyca," you forced out, "I'm done for." 

  In less than a second, she was at your side. Perhaps you had been a tad dramatic. "What are you doing in the woods at night?" 

  "I was bored so I came to twist my ankle." Crickets chirped. Lyca stared sharply at you with viburnum-red eyes. "I'm joking. I came to study the corruption more closely, without any distractions. If I hadn't forgotten my glasses I wouldn't be in this hole."

  She sighed.

  "Help me up, please?"

  When you got to whoever cursed these roots, you'd kick them in the face instead- with the ankle that was currently in pain that shot up your leg and pulsed.

  She took your hands in hers, hers soft and her nails digging into you just a bit, and pulled you out of the ditch quite easily. 

  "Thank you, Lyca, you're such a bleeding heart it's sickening." You held her hands for a moment to stabilize yourself, her gloves a rough leather. If not for her you would've laid in that ditch until morning. 

  "Throw up, then," she said quite kindly. 

  "I think I might. This pain is gnarly," you hissed, and she propped you up under your shoulder. 

  "We can't have our Magister getting hurt, who'll fix this mess then?"

  "You can't do it without the greatest mage that's ever lived," you joked to conceal your worry that she was onto your true identity. 

  When people found out who you were, they treated you differently, and you didn't even know why. It was great being acknowledged for your skill. Being treated like a celestial or cult leader wasn't pleasant to you, though. 

  You smiled at Lyca like your ankle wasn't in tremendous anguish. 

  "So, will you carry me?" 

  She did not carry you. 

  She hauled you up onto her deer with surprising strength, and you sat on the sideways saddle, convenient for the occasion. 

  She led the deer she was never seen without, whose name you felt awkward not knowing, through the forest. 

  "Your deer..."

  "Beautiful, isn't it?"

  "Yes. I haven't seen a white deer before. Does it have leucism or albinism?" You ran a hand along its neck, the fur shaggy and soft, white as snow and bright in the moonlight. 

  "Something far stranger. You may not believe me, but it came down from the stars." Lyca glanced at her bow. "When I was chosen as Captain I didn't think it a wise decision. I didn't know why I was chosen, I was never anyone special and lacked talent. Lorsan was always the talented one.

  "One night a star came down above the water, and it became this deer, standing on the surface of the water. The sages said that it was a prophecy fulfilled- that when the Dark Forest was in danger, the stars would send down a holy sigil, and it would choose a worthy hero."

  "And that was you." You shifted, aware of the sensitivity of your ankle. This was a great way to distract yourself from that horrid pain.

  "It was, I couldn't believe it! They said that I'd drive the evil out and save my home. Back then, I had no idea what that meant. Now I know."

  Lorsan never mentioned that. Him seeking you out and Lyca's conviction and belief in the stars made more sense now.

  "You'll succeed, I'm sure." 

  "All thanks to you, Magister." She quieted, stopping before you reached the town. Nothing awry was in sight, and you grew confused. Lyca's tail twitched.

  "Is something wrong?" You thought that she had spotted or heard some dangerous beast in the shrubbery. 

  "Um, no. Magister, I..."

  You waited for her to finish, but the end of the sentence never came. Lyca wasn't one to lose her train of thought, always well-spoken.

  "What?"

  She shook her head, not turning to look at you. "Nevermind. We're almost there."

  You did not attempt to strike up a conversation after that. It seemed your efforts always led you to make things weird, even if you tried your hardest, and thought it was all fine.

  Now you sat and focused on your ankle. It hurt.

  The cabin you stayed in was stuffy. It was like a desert contained in that small space, not that you minded, for a few days it was a stellar accommodation that outshined your average tent by a long shot. 

  After helping you sit on the bed in the corner of the second room in the cabin, Lyca opened all the windows, letting in fresh midnight air and not-so-fresh moths. She fetched you healing herbs, plants, and gauze that you requested so you could wrap your ankle. 

  It wasn't as bad as you expected. Compared to the pain the purple bruise and swelling were nothing. You expected to find something horrific and were pleasantly surprised... as pleasantly as you could be surprised by an injury. 

  You hovered your hands above it to cast a cooling spell that spread through the leaves below your bandages. 

  "How is it?" Lyca said, coming back in and seating herself on a chair across from you. It was intricately carved with traditional wilder patterns that you found familiar and pretty. Not as pretty as Lyca herself, her face finally visible to you in the warm glow of lamps around the room. 

  She was worried, her leg bouncing and face drawn into a frown.  "Better. I'll heal it almost fully by morning. The pain will remain, I can't rewire my nervous system with magic, unfortunately." You reclined on dark green pillows set against the headboard and wall. 

  "You should rest tomorrow." 

  You glanced at her sharply. She held her hands up as if at gunpoint.

  "I'll be just fine tomorrow, I don't want to delay this. It's important to act fast."

  Lyca pointed to your leg. "That is not fine, Magister. You won't be able to walk far with that."

  You crossed your arms. 

  "Who said I'll walk?"

  Her expression was skeptical, but she was beginning to accept that you weren't changing your mind, which was a pattern beginning to emerge- see sneaking out to study the corruption in the middle of the night.

  "I could lend you my deer, I suppose," she sighed, covering her face, embarrassed. 

  "Great! I was going to ask Eironn to carry me, but this works better." 

  Lyca giggled, and her ears flicked up. "He'd do it, too." 

  Seeing her smile made warmth bloom in your chest. 

  "He's so caught up in his own head. It'd do him good to have to drag me around for a bit." With all his talk about not needing anyone, it was clear he had some issues. The image of him having to haul you around like a fainting damsel was quite amusing in itself.

  "I take it you're feeling better if you're so cheery." Lyca headed to the exit of the cabin. "I'll be leaving. It's late, and you need to sleep. Call me if you need anything." 

  You nodded. You could call Lorsan and Bryon as well, they might hear it better. Now that you weren't in a ditch you were less mortified by the prospect of seeing them.

  "Good night, Lyca."

  "Good night, Magister." 

  If you weren't stuck in bed you might've impulsively gone after her, or snuck out to the corruption again. You'd have to do that tomorrow. 

  The candles in the cabin flickered out, and you cuddled into bed, your body twisted as your ankle was elevated. 

  You forced your eyes shut, the silence of the night broken up by crickets and the rustling trees.

  You woke up when it was still dark, right before the sun rose, judging by the lightening streaks on the eastern horizon. 

  You healed up your ankle and leaned against the wall, hobbling to the exit. Your formal, wilder-style clothes mixed with Holistone refinement had wrinkled from your erratic sleep. 

  You were met with a white figure standing just a bit from the cabin. Lyca's deer raised its head to you, its sleepy turquoise eyes bright in the dimness. It must've come recently, moving briskly like it was excited. It bent its long, thin legs, inviting you on. 

  You had no choice but to accept, arriving near the edge of a lake lit by moonlight from one side, and by the rising sun from the other, glistening over ripples from restless fish jumping to catch food Lyca was throwing. She had changed out of her gloves and usual clothing, instead wearing what you could only assume was a nightgown, over which was draped a robe with traditional Dark Forest embroidery mimicking the patterns in insect wings and plants.

  Her rabbit feet dangled off the edge before the lake, and she sat on a tee stump. Far from the corruption the weather was perfect. 

  The deer stepped on a twig. It snapped. Lyca whipped around. Her under-eyes were darker than before, and she didn't have her usual eyeshadow on. 

  "You found me," she said, like she half-expected it.

  You raised a brow at her deer.

  "Tattletale," she muttered.

  She let you sit next to her, assisting you so you didn't have to hobble as much. The tree stump was huge- over a meter in circumference. It must've been an ancient tree once. 

  "You don't seem too surprised that I'm here." The deer hadn't been that loud before it snapped a twig. Either Lyca was secretly a windwhisperer, or those ears of hers weren't just cute, but had incredible hearing. 

  "I didn't think you'd sleep at all. It's a miracle that you could, though I didn't think you would find me." 

  Oh. The explanation was much more mundane. You didn't sleep much, and you wished you hadn't because you felt worse than if you would've stared at a wall all night. 

  Your dreams were nonsensical nightmares, patches of the past sewn together with your fears and worries, wrapping you in a blanket of fear and suffocating you until you woke up gasping, all alone. And lots of roots were all over each scene you were trapped in. 

  The horizon bled from gold to peach to a vivid red around the sun, mellow and lazy to rise above the short trees and calm water. 

   "When you were near the roots at night, did you learn anything?" Lyca broke the silence. Her eyes were trained on you when you stopped gawking at the sky, her visage made you feel much the same, and her colors matched her surroundings quite well. 

  Her eyes- like the sun, her hair, like the clouds, her skin, like the horizon, and her robe like the trees. 

  "Not much, it only confirmed what I thought, and I'd have to do more research to see if I am completely right. This is what kept me up and led me to the ankle thing... I don't like uncertainty." Squirrels chattered around you, flitting through the grass, and a bird began to chirp a strange tune. 

  "Me neither. I... have to ask you something."

  The breeze that had been disrupting the water's surface and cooling your face seemed chiller after her words, your heart sent into anxiety's clutch, gripping you by the throat. 

  You gulped, your voice a little meeker than before. You hated it when people said things that way. 

  "Go on."

  "Magister, your ears-"

  You wondered if that was the question she was going to ask originally. 

  "What of them?" You covered them with your hands in an instant, realizing that the breeze had betrayed you, pushing your hair off them. Too preoccupied with the Lucent Tree, you completely forgot to hide that part of your identity, as if hiding that you were Merlin wasn't enough of a hassle. 

  A look of horror overtook your face and you were ready to teleport out of there. 

  "Did... did I see that right?"

  She looked like she'd seen a Hypogean, and while that wasn't optimal, at the very least she did not seem aggressive. You took your hands off them, recoiling from her. 

  "I suppose it's useless to try and keep it from you. I've lost many of my memories, but I know my true form is half lightbearer and half wilder- tree sprite. I've kept it hidden for safety. I'm not sure how people would react."

  "That is so interesting! I've never seen anyone like you, in a good way. I think your ears are adorable." She inclined towards you, observing you with pure curiosity.

  "Really? Thanks," you sputtered, unsure if she was being truthful. You felt no malice from her. You expected at least a bit of pushback. 

  "Do you have horns?" 

  "Small ones. You can't see them much." You often forgot they were there. Unless someone pulled back your hair, they were virtually invisible. They were easier to hide than your obviously pointed ears. 

  Lyca brought her hand to the side of your face, which you first took as a surprisingly romantic gesture, but then you flinched, as she was trying to touch your ears. 

  "Hey!"

  "Oh, I got carried away, apologies," she said, shaking her head with a flush across her face, like shaking it would shake it off. You hadn't seen her get so "carried away" yet. 

  "I'm not letting you touch my ears until I touch yours." 

  Hers drooped immediately. 

  "Mine?!" She placed her hand on her chest dramatically, eyes wide with offense. 

  "Well, you're always waving them around!" You mimed them. She gasped. 

 "It's not like I can control them at all times." She pouted. 

  You folded your arms in wait, face placid and ass sat firmly on the tree stump, your request hanging in the air to be accepted or rejected. 

  She lowered her head silently, her eyes closed and tail low. You made sure to move slowly. It wouldn't scare her off if you did... right? 

  The outside of her ear was velvety, the pink hairs smoothing under your touch as you shifted to the edge. It was thin. The sun beamed behind her, dissipating through her ears, the inside soft like her skin. The ears gave her twenty more centimeters of height, being almost as long as your forearm. 

  You withdrew your hand, and she raised her head, your eyes meeting as you uncovered your ears from your hair. You didn't need to bend down, as she was taller than you.  

  You shivered under her touch. You didn't recall the last time someone had been that close to you- could it have been months? Years? The tension in your body fell, and you struggled not to fall over into Lyca's lap right then and there. You felt your ear move up. 

  That was the first time that had happened. 

  Guilt was the thing that interrupted what could've been a nice moment. You had to lie, or lie by omission, almost constantly to save yourself the trouble of bigotry, or the very opposite. 

  You couldn't face Lyca any longer with that burden on your heart. If she could accept you as half-wilder, she could accept the other part you worried about all night and every day. 

  "I haven't told you another thing." 

  ...

  She stared with bated breath. 

  "My true name is Magister Merlin."

  This time it was her who snatched her hand away. "The Merlin?!"

  "The Merlin. Please don't freak out."

  She shot to her feet, pacing around you in dizzying circles, her robe trailing her like the tail of a falling star. 

  "If I had known, I would've greeted you properly! We've been so uncordial, I'm so sorry-"

  "There's nothing to be sorry for, Lyca. I don't like people knowing or treating me like I'm special. My job is to study magic and help people, I'm not fit to be a celebrity. You've seen how quiet I get in groups." 

  You covered your face. There it went, the awe and certain trepidation you inspired in people burned bright in Lyca, ever hopeful, and probably starstruck. You didn't want her to see you differently. 

  You also didn't feel like telling her about the memory loss thing yet. You had dumped enough information on her. 

  "You're chatty with me." She stopped before she tripped over a root. If she hadn't, the same fate you had suffered awaited her. Eironn would for real have to carry you then. It wouldn't be the worst thing...

  "Because I like you, Lyca." Her deer turned its head to you attentively. 

  "L-like me?" she stuttered, plopping herself down next to you with shifty eyes. By then, the sun had risen sufficiently. 

  "Well, yes, isn't it obvious? I'm comfortable around you. I haven't known you for long, but it doesn't feel like that.

  "I do not want anyone else to know of my identity, none of your friends, and I mean none. It'll come out soon enough knowing how messy things get sometimes."

  She put her hands over yours, the glint in her eyes determined, her lips set in a serious line. 

  "I understand. I won't say a thing, Magister Merlin." 

  You breathed in easier after that, feeling a renewed sense of stillness in your chest as if it had opened after being locked for ages. 

  You stayed silent for a while, but unlike in the night, it did not feel heavy or oppressive. Lyca stirred, squirming, withholding a question.  

  "Hm?"

  "Will you stay a while in the forest after the corruption is gone?" 

  That question was not one you were expecting. Despite the fair treatment you had gotten and the unrelenting kindness Lyca had shown, you still felt like a bother to everyone, just there to do a job. 

  You wouldn't mind coming back. Not at all.

  "If you want me to, I will."

  "Splendid." She smiled. "I'm getting used to you being around. Please, make sure to visit again in the future- you'll always be welcome here."

  You wanted to jump for joy upon hearing that. The idea that she wanted to see you again, that you might see her again at all, made you elated. 

  "I don't know if you're being completely earnest, but that means a lot to me," you replied calmly, faking that calmness as best as you could.

  She was someone you wouldn't have to hide from.

  "I mean it." She put her hands on yours. 

  You knew the lightness in your chest was not platonic, because you'd been staring at her lips. Daydreaming about kissing her, half thinking about visiting again and half wondering if you should've made a move. 

  You withdrew. You were too cowardly. You might've not had another chance, who knew where fate would lead either of you, yet still, you couldn't bring yourself to spit it out. 

  "The sun is up, it's to go wake the others. My deer will carry you." Lyca stood, adjusting the seat on the doe.

  "Are you sure?" When you stood to meet her, she rushed to your side, guiding you, closer than ever before. She was still beautiful so close to you, where you could see every detail in her face, the hint of wrinkles between her brows, the lines in her glossy lips, the uneven cut of her bangs. 

  Your heart couldn't take it.

  "I'm sure. I wouldn't give you to anyone else."

  The way she said that with a hint of possessiveness made you believe, for a moment, that you had a chance. Your heart was so full it'd burst with a scream or a sob any moment. 

  "Lyca." Her eyes flicked between yours and your lips. "L- Lyca?" 

  She met your lips softly, hers pillowy and smooth from her tinted lip balm. The taste of mint tinglined your mouth ever so slightly. 

  It was all spur of the moment, and while you enjoyed the split second of bliss, you wondered what her expression would be when this fleeting moment was over. Would regret be etched on her face? Would she fall silent, or worse, leave you? 

  You separated and met her eyes. Wide, with her lips ajar. Her ears trembled. 

  She pulled you in like a curling wave, snaking her hand around your waist to support you. You didn't hesitate to bring your hands to her ears. They dipped low. When you broke the kiss for air, you saw her leg thump. 

  "You're adorable, Lyca," you breathed, placing a final kiss on her lips. If you hadn't you might've let the Lucent Tree rot away while you stayed occupied. 

  "Did you notice by now?" Lyca lifted you onto the deer, and you held onto her arms for a little longer. 

  "I noticed a while back. I didn't want to assume, thinking that it would be egotistical, you know, assuming that you're in love with me just because I thought you might be acting off..." you rambled. 

  She led the deer to town, and when everyone gathered, you dare not speak or make eye contact. 

  After this was over (that tree would not come to harm now that you couldn't disappoint Lyca at any cost) you'd come back. You always left eventually, you always traveled. Maybe you could make time for her, see where it goes, if it goes. You were not so quick to plan your whole life around her (tempting as it was).

  At the least, you hoped you wouldn't forget her. 

n o t e: i imagine that bruln heard and he's like I KNOW, YOU FOOLS!!!  lorsan will be pissed when he finds out. imagine you invite some cool ass mage to save your home and they rizz up your sister in the process. 

[bookwyrminspiration]

how are you finding studying linguistics????? can i ask what kind of stuff you do just bc im wondering if i might pursue it

personally I am having the time of my life

it'll depend what specific path/courses you take, but some of the foundational stuff has been linguistic analysis, grammatical analysis, that kind of thing

what is a language (what is the difference between a language and a dialect), characteristics of human languages (e.g. they're culturally transmitted, evolve, etc.), the components. what is phonology, morphology. learning IPA and the types/characteristics of sounds, how those characteristics impact how language changes (e.g. the omission--elision--of a sound because where it's produced in the mouth makes the word take longer)

what are the components of a word (which segments indicate subject, object, tense, polarity, etc.), what are the rules for where sounds can appear in a language and how do we analyze these things from data sets.

here's some example work:

This one is analyzing when sounds are allowed to show up in a language (it's simplified for practice). It's from my notes so you don't have the data set I was pulling from (my apologies, if this is confusing I can explain more in depth).

But essentially we'd be given a set of words in a language and certain sounds to look at (the ones at the tops of the columns). Using specific notation we'd mark what contexts those sounds showed up in to figure out when they could appear in this language. Like in english B and P are completely different interchangable sounds, but p and pʰ have rules about which goes where (and are both considered to be p in the cultural conscious. average english speaker doesn't know the p sound in pot and spot are different).

In this set, the first two have identical contexts (boxed in), so they're in contrastive distribution and interchangable. Second and third have a near contrastive, (circled), which is close enough and means the same thing. But if they didn't show up in the same contexts, we'd have to figure out why not, and which one was allowed to show up where (e.g. this sound is used before vowels, this one is used before consonants)

Here's another:

It's marked up pretty chaotically, but it was practice identifying form meaning correspondence. So I was looking at the words and their meanings and seeing what forms always showed up with what meanings--like '-pa' always showed up when the words were in present tense.

There's also rules about appropriate hyphenation, which we learned. And i'm using proper notation--like 3SG to mean third singular subject. and PST to mean past.

Of course this was also simplified because we're still learning, but I think you get the idea!

Essentially we have been learning how languages fundamentally work--how do they construct meaning, use sounds, change with time. There's also the social aspect. How does language shape society and society shape language. A little sociological. What are the theories and scholarship on that.

this has been a chaotic summary and I'm not super far into my studies, but! hopefully that's given you a bit of an idea. as a language nerd i am LOVING it, so if you're into language as a whole you probably will too. deadass considering going full masters/phd for this

[buffster]

Real Me (BTVS 5.02)

This is part of my ongoing Buffyverse Project, where I write notes/meta for every episode in an attempt to better understand the characters and themes of the shows. You can find the BTVS list here and the ATS list here. Gifs are not mine.

In hindsight, it's funny how they attempted to make Dawn seem mysterious and malevolent only to later reveal she's just a dramatic teenager.

This episode is largely about introducing Dawn as a character and her place in Buffy's life. Real Me is interesting from a meta perspective, because we're watching everyone acclimate to Dawn in real time even though they believe they've known her for years.

In typical little sister fashion, Dawn remains totally unimpressed by Buffy's slaying. If no one else is going to take Buffy down a notch, Dawn will have to. Her relationship with her sister is the most strained.

The addition of Dawn is also revealing of Joyce, who moves from having an understandably complicated relationship with her complicated daughter to just seeming like a negligent parent. She pawns Dawn off on Buffy a lot and doesn't seem much more involved with her normal daughter than her slaying one. Dawn also isn't getting the pseudo-father figure thing from Giles, who is characteristically only concerned with his slayer.

Dawn does enjoy Willow and Tara, who seem to adore her and treat her like a beloved little sister (and less like an annoying one). It doesn't seem like she knows they're a couple yet. Tara especially is very protective of her and worries about how much of an outsider Dawn feels like. Some of this is projection, but it's also true. Dawn is expected to hang on the sidelines and not be a bother, so she gains attention by being a nuisance. I think Buffy's friends also find Dawn easy to sympathize with, because she's the non-special weirdo rather than the popular chosen one. They get that.

When Buffy is forced to drag Dawn along to The Magic Shop, it's little surprise she finds trouble. What does Joyce expect at this point, exactly? The owner of the shop is dead. Harmony is now running a Sunnydale gang. Outside, Dawn has her first encounter with someone mentally ill that can sense something off about her.

Joyce still isn't ready to take Dawn that evening (she's working) so Buffy calls in Xander to babysit so she can patrol. Dawn has a crush on Xander. Her perception of events is child-like, likely reflecting how much they shelter her (she thinks he went "undercover" to stop Dracula). I love seeing Xander interact with people. He just has a friendly nature, so he's able to easily listen to Dawn's rant about Buffy and be supportive just as he listens to Buffy rant about Dawn.

It's fun watching Riley's confusion over Buffy's struggle to deal with her sister. Yes, Dawn is clueless about slaying. Yes, Dawn gets coddled. Yes, Dawn often gets more attention. What's new? Well, all of it. Buffy is struggling to adjust.

Buffy: I guess. It's just - I know it's always been this way… She's the baby. But, for some reason, it's really been getting to me lately. She's always around.

Tensions come to a head when Dawn accidentally invites Harmony inside. Buffy is furious. I'm assuming Dawn was slipped into everyone's memories as seamlessly as possible, meaning she had little involvement/impact on previous events. You get the sense this season that Dawn being in danger/involved in supernatural events is new and not something they remember.

Buffy: No, Dawn has to be coddled and protected from the big bad world. Well, you know what? We're turning Dawn into a little idiot whose going to get us all killed!

I enjoyed watching Buffy's frustration over everyone's easy forgiveness of Dawn. It's true that "put your big girl panties on" was pretty much the message a young Buffy got at every turn. She wasn't given a pass for being youthful and naive, and it makes her angry that Dawn gets one. Especially since there are rarely dire consequences for her mistakes. Buffy was punished pretty badly every time she messed up. Seeing Dawn living the life she should have had and be ungrateful must be hard. Likewise, being the kid sister to the Chosen One must be hard.

Buffy: Harmony, when you tried being head cheerleader, you were bad. When you tried to chair the Homecoming committee, you were really bad. But when you try to be bad… You suck.

Unsurprisingly, Harmony isn't difficult to defeat. Buffy beats up on Spike to get the info for her hide out. He seems to be growing resentful.

Buffy: Well, apart from the fact that magic shop owners in Sunnydale have the life expectancy of a Spinal-Tap drummer, have you ever run a store before?

Giles: I was a librarian for years. This is exactly the same, except that people pay for the things they never return. This will give me focus, help me increase my resources - and keep you lot from tramping about my flat at all hours. There may even be space for you to train in the back.

Buffy: Boy, you've really thought this through. How bored were you last year?

Giles: I watched 'Passions' with Spike. Let us never speak of it.

New location: Magic Shop.

Character Notes:

Buffy Summers: Buffy does not understand Dawn's reference to Hogwarts.

Dawn Summers: She has a Third Eye Blind Poster.

Harmony Kendall: She was stood up by minion Brad Bellamy (who she turned) in the tenth grade. She likes unicorns.

Riley Finn: Riley gets boyfriend points here. He sincerely doesn't mind her canceling plans (and totally forgetting him) here and is just sweetly supportive.

Rupert Giles: He bought a sports car as a sort of post-slayer crisis. It's not working out too well.

[worst-fake-bae]

So today I wanna rant about how I fucking hate how Hero is so underrated and overlooked by the fandom

How the hell did I end up liking one of the MC's for once and STILL barely get content for him.

Sometimes I even wish Hero had haters, a hate-dedicated reddit or something... Just because I want him to be at least somewhat discussed?? Some controversy going on? He's pretty controversial, I tell ya. Just like Basil, just like Sunny and Aubrey. He can be considered problematic or uncomfortable and I think it's NEAT. I want DISCUSSION. NOT... NOT JUST IGNORE.

Because that's what Hero is. Ignored.

It's funny how most of the time he ends up being the "trophy romantic interest" and/or "the parent of the squad" but, like, in a BAD WAY. By that I mean he gets put aside or outright forgotten up until someone needs to be a "cishet himbo to cook breakfast/be cute with mari". It's as if he doesn't even have OTHER characteristics or relationships with OTHER characters??? It's as if he was always about "grieving Mari" and don't even get me started on his state of depression, because it was SO MUCH MORE than "grief for a girlfriend". It was, in fact, about HIM. How he felt about himself, how he persieved himself, his actions, his life. It wasn't just the "my crush died", it was "my perfect-hero facade was stupid, I was being inconsiderate, selfish and useless and If I couldn't even help the one I love, how can I do anything at all? what if I'm really not that great and everyone is just confused about me? because if I was really a hero, I would be able to do something", and it's still brief. Hero is not about Mari, he never was. His character goes FUCKING. DEEPER. He's tied up with some of Omori's centric themes, such as "perfection", "lies", and "UGLY REAL coping", yet people seriously go and forget that??

Because THEY DO. Lemme just tell you when this shit made me go wild, it went to the extreme... I saw a meme. Y'know. A meme about "every character in Omori is depressed". And you know what? Hero wasn't there. They seriously cut out the character with ACTUAL DEPRESSION THAT'S BEEN STATED IN CANON, AND WHO'S ENTIRE THING IS BEING PRONE TO " SAD" EMOTION, from the meme about DEPRESSION.

It's just one example but it sums it up so well. ~~~ thanks, I hate it.

Oh well.

Anyway... To everyone who analyses Hero and thinks about his mental state and his character for more that one second... Thanks. You're great. I love you.

The rest of you? "Um", I guess?

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Hello! As a small project I'm making illustrations of the greek gods in modern times, but I wanted to put them in traditional clothing for some of the drawings (not from ancient times). I've seen so many different attires that I don't even know where to start so, since you are greek yourself (and sorry if this is a weird ask): which traditional attire do you think would "look/feel" best for each (olympian) god? Sry for bothering! And thank you!

Hello! Pretty cool concept that I think Greeks usually love!

Also this is not a weird ask at all, guys please stop minimizing your questions - and I say this with love! You always ask very nice and interesting stuff!

So:

Since most gods were worshipped in most Hellenic areas, I think you can use clothing from whatever area you like. But for a more targeted recommendation, I'd say look at what areas and towns these gods were big and prominent for their worshipers, or areas where they were born and raised; Eleusis, Attika for Demeter - Delphi or the islands around Delos for Apollo - Thebes, Voiotia for Dionysos - the Cretan mountain Ψηλορείτης (Herakleion and Rethymno mainly) for Zeus.

I make this suggestion because it would tie nicely with the history of each god and the history of the locals who still tell stories about these gods and their sacred places. (Like, "look child, they say this is where Zeus was born!") I also find most Hellenic traditional clothing amazing, so I had to narrow the search pool somehow 😂

Sarakatsans and Vlachs you'll find in many areas on the Hellenic mainland but since they are relatively newer groups in our history and have more foreign elements accumulated in their sub-culture than the average Hellenic genos, their clothing might not be the most characteristic/targeted recommendation for the ancient gods. I'm saying this in case you have researched a few areas and got confused about why they exist in many places and wonder how they could fit into your project.

-- I'm not implying there's anything wrong with Sarakatsans and Vlachs by the way! I know there's no such thing as "pure Hellenic blood/generation", and I also have great-grandparents from these groups, and they do have amazing traditional clothing and jewelry, as well as very interesting histories. It's only for the reasons mentioned above that I think these groups wouldn't be that fit for this specific concept. That doesn't remove their validity and long history in any way!

Good luck with your endeavor! If you have more questions, my followers and I are here!

[yinyuedijun]

Ao3 also heavily relies on tagging. Those multi-chap multi-fandom reader things have tons of tags. Unfortunately, if you're anything like me, once it comes time to tag... it's like someone asking your favorite song 😅. Like I was working through your ao3 a bit ago because I was worried old blog links wouldn't work well on mobile and ie I think you didn't have omega aventurine tag in night flower (sorry if I'm misremembering)? And technically that's a searchable tag that might have gotten you more hits because it's both searchable and relatively niche.

Just tagging is a huge help. There are tags for specific relationship dynamics, au's/Canon divergences that are popular, different nsft acts/positions/knks, tropes of course... however it can be hard to know which ones are searchable unless you're on ao3 enough. I wonder if anyone has ever made a guide? I also know for sure that tagging characters separately from the ship "/" tag helps.

And multi-chapter stuff does get more hits because you go to the top of the date sorted options more times. I have a lot of one-shots on my account (from cross-posting) and I'm pretty sure the reason any of them got over 1k is because I'm writing for rarer characters in a larger fandom or for a large fandom that still has surprisingly few fics (oh naruto). The only one I've got that has more is both complete and I restricted myself from posting all chapters at once even though I wanted to be done with it. And yeah, unfortunately, unless your fandom is so niche you end up on the last few pages of a search or the fic gets so popular you end up in the first few, fics tend to get buried after a few weeks.

Tl;dr more tags are better because it lets people find you from many different angles! But there is some fandom-characteristic stuff that tends to either help or hurt depending on where you are.

... and there's a lot of meh fics in the top spots of many fandoms 😅 just because of the numbers game (complete, multi-chap, popular fan ship etc). I read your piece! It's good and has that mao panache 🥰, I liked it even though world references go over my head since I've not seen the show. Don't let the numbers get you down 💜 you're a really great writer! It sucks when effort doesn't seem to reflect the reaction (also kudos are famously low, good-normal is about 10% of your hits and you *might* get 1-5% comments of kudos based on whether that fandom is chattier/ more social with each other) but I hope you know we still appreciate having fun with you 🤗

hi anon!!! omg thank you so much for that ao3 breakdown/guide haha it's quite useful! I have actually gotten this specific comment from ao3-only readers before - they always tell me to add more tags because it would have helped them find my fics sooner! I think I will take the advice to heart, but it may take a while because I'm quite resistant to over-tagging (I don't like spoilers in tags ALFJSKSSJK). once I get to the smut in this fic I will defs be tagging every single sex position though 🫡

it is funny how even on ao3 we run into the phenomenon where top interactions =/= top quality (speaking generally, ofc there's stellar fics out there with tons of interactions). I guess whether you are on social media or on an archive, it always becomes a metrics game in the end rip

and thanks for the encouragement on my current fic, I appreciate it a lot!!! 🥺 I also super appreciate you reading the fic despite not knowing the world, like that must be MEGA confusing for an asoiaf universe fic LMAO. "mao panache" made me giggle WAHAHHWFKJS I'm not sure what it is but I'm glad you enjoy it !!!