#This was prompted by a specific thing but it is also about dozens and dozens of things

[wardensantoineandevka]

is that piece of media actually bad, or is it just not following the blueprint you projected onto it? is that work actually not good, or are you just demanding something from it that is absolutely antithetical to its themes, genre, tone, and narrative goal? is that story actually poorly written, or do you just dislike that it is not the specific things you wanted from it that it never set out to be, never was, and never is going to become? is it actually bad, or is it actually well-executed and you just dislike the story it chose to be because it isn't catering to your specific desires and expectations?

[starflungwaddledee]

which ocs in the fandom do you find the most interesting? also, which ocs do you think have the most aesthetically pleasing designs? finally, which ocs have you only heard of but would like to know more about?

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh nooooooo ha haaa noooo i can't possibly answer this because it would be soooo unfair to have favourites wouldn't it's comet knight by @kittenvirus

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 266

Back on my Danny & Ras frienemies/rivals/maybe-lovers-nobody-can-tell-their-signals-are-very-mixed train. 

See, Danny has gone through time a lot. Often. It comes with being Clockwork’s charge-son-thing and honestly he finds it fun. And several times he’s used this time travelling to get some training in. Enter Ras, stage left, also a teen at the time and also learning swordsmanship from the same person. 

And they… utterly despise each other. They would kill the other for an apple slice, if the other one would die! But also, only they can kill the other, as it is obviously their right! 

And well, they keep running into each other. It has been a hundred years, surely the other would die by now? But of course their rival would live through utter spite. Probably to spite them specifically. 

The amount of times they have ended up sparring- trying to kill each other or not- the moment they see the other is actually ridiculous. But time is also passing. And… Danny understands, not having another to talk about things people are forgetting, or have already forgotten. 

How they ended up actually talking without a murder attempt was a long story that included a demon, a dragon, a pair of fae, some bandits, and a lot of alcohol, but it happened. And then it happens again. And again, and now it’s just kind of normal to share a drink after their spars, talking about things that no longer exist, and things they miss. 

Sure Danny can go back in time again, but he knows better than to do it willy nilly. He’s matured, he’s been an adult for a hundred years now, he knows there’s consequences for messing with time, even with Clockwork’s blessings. 

The first time they got married was technically for an undercover assassination. Well, Ras was there to assassinate someone, Danny was there to grab an artifact that should Not be in the realm of the living. And they got divorced after, it was fine. 

They just, also got married again when they met a few years later, for another job. And… okay, so maybe they have gotten married over a dozen times now and only divorced like half of those times. Half of those were for the bit or while drunk! 

And even if technically they’re married or shared a bed, it’s not like they're exclusive! As Ras’ daughters’ existences attest to (adopted in one case or not). They don’t exactly have a label for their relationship, despite others asking for one or trying to put a name to it themselves. 

Now Danny knows Ras isn’t exactly a good dude, or at least on the side of ‘good’ as he’s a literal assassin. But he also knows that good? Bad? Rather relative. He had gotten labeled as a villain when he was just trying to help all that time ago after all, and really who was he to tell someone else how to live their life? 

Which brings him to now, where he’s run into his old frienemy-rival and his youngest daughter. Who has a braindead teenager and a small toddler. Which is fine, really- but also, Talia dear, why are you using a brain dead teenager to guard your three year old son? 

…

Okay, Talia dear, Ras (Derogatory), why are you using your brain dead son and grandson to guard your younger son and grandson? Do you not have the Pits, which you were soo proud about Ras? Yes, he will spar with you, but for Realms’ sake, heal, what’s his name? Ah yes, go heal Jason and he’ll actually stick around for a few years, deal? Good. 

[ailelie]

Installing Linux (Mint) as a Non-Techy Person

I've wanted Linux for various reasons since college. I tried it once when I no longer had to worry about having specific programs for school, but it did not go well. It was a dedicated PC that was, I believe, poorly made. Anyway.

In the process of deGoogling and deWindows365'ing, I started to think about Linux again. Here is my experience.

Pre-Work: Take Stock

List out the programs you use regularly and those you need. Look up whether or not they work on Linux. For those that don't, look up alternatives.

If the alternative works on Windows/Mac, try it out first.

Make sure you have your files backed up somewhere.

Also, pick up a 5GB minimum USB drive.

Oh and make a system restore point (look it up in your Start menu) and back-up your files.

Step One: Choose a Distro

Dear god do Linux people like to talk about distros. Basically, from what all I've read, if you don't want to fuss a lot with your OS, you've got two options: Ubuntu and Linux Mint. Ubuntu is better known and run by a company called Canonical. Linux Mint is run by a small team and paid for via donations.

I chose Linux Mint. Some of the stuff I read about Ubuntu reminded me too much of my reasons for wanting to leave Windows, basically. Did I second-guess this a half-dozen times? Yes, yes I did.

The rest of this is true for Linux Mint Cinnamon only.

Step Two: Make your Flash Drive

Linux Mint has great instructions. For the most part they work.

Start here:

The trickiest part of creating the flash drive is verifying and authenticating it.

On the same page that you download the Linux .iso file there are two links. Right click+save as both of those files to your computer. I saved them and the .iso file all to my Downloads folder.

Then, once you get to the 'Verify your ISO image' page in their guide and you're on Windows like me, skip down to this link about verifying on Windows.

Once it is verified, you can go back to the Linux Mint guide. They'll direct you to download Etchr and use that to create your flash drive.

If this step is too tricky, then please reconsider Linux. Subsequent steps are both easier and trickier.

Step Three: Restart from your Flash Drive

This is the step where I nearly gave up. The guide is still great, except it doesn't mention certain security features that make installing Linux Mint impossible without extra steps.

(1) Look up your Bitlocker recovery key and have it handy.

I don't know if you'll need it like I did (I did not turn off Bitlocker at first), but better to be safe.

(2) Turn off Bitlocker.

(3) Restart. When on the title screen, press your Bios key. There might be more than one. On a Lenovo, pressing F1 several times gets you to the relevant menu. This is not the menu you'll need to install, though. Turn off "Secure Boot."

(4) Restart. This time press F12 (on a Lenovo). The HDD option, iirc, is your USB. Look it up on your phone to be sure.

Now you can return to the Linux Mint instructions.

Figuring this out via trial-and-error was not fun.

Step Four: Install Mint

Just follow the prompts. I chose to do the dual boot.

You will have to click through some scary messages about irrevocable changes. This is your last chance to change your mind.

I chose the dual boot because I may not have anticipated everything I'll need from Windows. My goal is to work primarily in Linux. Then, in a few months, if it is working, I'll look up the steps for making my machine Linux only.

Some Notes on Linux Mint

Some of the minor things I looked up ahead of time and other miscellany:

(1) HP Printers supposedly play nice with Linux. I have not tested this yet.

(2) Linux Mint can easily access your Windows files. I've read that this does not go both ways. I've not tested it yet.

(3) You can move the taskbar (panel in LM) to the left side of your screen.

(4) You are going to have to download your key programs again.

(5) The LM software manager has most programs, but not all. Some you'll have to download from websites. Follow instructions. If a file leads to a scary wall of strange text, close it and just do the Terminal instructions instead.

(6) The software manager also has fonts. I was able to get Fanwood (my favorite serif) and JetBrains (my favorite mono) easily.

In the end, be prepared for something to go wrong. Just trust that you are not the first person to ever experience the issue and look it up. If that doesn't help, you can always ask. The forums and reddit community both look active.

[heck-theo]

TMayNT Day 14: Favourite turtle movie.

The Rise one :P

Ok SO I disappeared because when I saw this prompt I wanted to finish this. Now to try and catch up, or at least continue TMayNT. If anyone would like to guess at themes and motifs I'd love to hear it because I remember putting a lot of thought into the initial concept ^^

More info about the creation of the video below:

So a lot of this isn't up to my personal standards BUT I'm proud of it because: I have started dozens of projects like this and almost never finished any. I am fighting my perfectionism and sporadic ADHD motivation. I believe I conceptualised this at the end of 2022 or early 2023 and reanimated/redrew the storyboard at least 3 times over the first half of 2023 before it was abandoned. Until now. Also I've never had a "camera" to play with before so I'm very inexperience with that.

It's a bit inconsistent: 1. because it was partially an experiment using Moho. It was my first time properly using it and I definitely need to look at some tutorials because I' strong armed it and made things a lot harder than I'm pretty sure I am not making the most of the features lol. Its also a vector program, which I'm not used to. 2. because I redrew the storyboard multiple times (and kept various aspects of it for the final ver) and then redrew it a final time after like a year.

So I credited those artists for popularising the meme but I actually have no idea where specifically I got the idea. I do not remember referencing any other "Is It Cold Outside" memes. I'm like 99% sure I sat down and wrote out a plan/script in word but it's possible I was inspired by or referenced someone specific and don't remember, so if anything is ringing any familiar bells please let me know.

I can't find the original sped up audio used in these memes but I believe this was the original original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KorGLK9VXcU (If anyone can tell me more info about the audio used in this meme, let me know). Storyboarded on Clip Studio, animated on Moho, minor editing on Kdenlive.

[the-kr8tor]

hey i was wondering if you could write a fic about the reader teaching Hobie how to roller skate?? It’s so oddly specific but i can imagine him just struggling with it and it’s funny to me. Plus my dream date is to teach someone how to roller skate 😭. Thank you so much. Also please remember to take breaks and rest. I lysm and appreciate all the effort you put into ever story ❤️

What a cute prompt! Thank you for requesting!! And I will!! You're too sweet ❤️

Pairing: Hobie Brown x fem! Reader/ Spider-Punk x fem! Reader

Word count: 1.2 k

Tags: No use of Y/N, no specific physical description of the reader (except for a mention of Hobie being tall and brief mention of clothes), cw food mention, set in Hobie's 70s dimension, FLUFF

ʕ⁠·⁠ᴥ⁠·⁠ʔ

Being a part of the spider society has numerous Perks— Free therapy if you're willing to wait months for a single appointment. The cafeteria providing three meals a day to starving spider people from all walks of life, (and dimensions) not to mention the unmatched camaraderie with your fellow spiders. That alone makes all the jet lag from traveling through dozens of multiverses, and all the aches and pains that comes with being bitten by a radioactive spider. But, there is one thing that trumps all of those perks, and that's hopping to your partner's dimension for a not-so-quick date at the roller rink.

Hobie didn't take much convincing, especially after showing him your timeline appropriate outfit to him. His dimension is practically stuck in the 70s, filled with groovy psychedelic colours from the top to bottom. And of course there's the leather jackets that you've grown accustomed to just by being with Hobie. Hell, you especially love those leather pieces like the one you're wearing now. You went all out with your outfit, researching the trends back then with a splash of punk looks that had Hobie almost melting the second you stepped out of the portal. You fit in, to say the least. But after all the research and countless hours in the library just scouring for history books and life in the 70s, they don't compare actually being there and seeing it with your own eyes.

A glorious disco ball hangs in the ceiling, twinkling lights dancing around the funky, swirly and fluffy walls of the roller rink. Everywhere you look there's a burst of colours, and there's no lack of laughter ringing above iconic disco music you've heard before.

Smiling, you sit on a bench, eyes turned upwards at the sparkling lights twirling around the whole place. Hobie kneels before you, insisting to tie your rollerblades for you, citing that if it's not done well you could fall over and smash your face on the polished granite. You of course don't refuse, loving how much he dotes on you when there's no mission to rush to or a certain Spiderman breathing down his neck.

Patting your foot, Hobie calls your name above the blaring music. “How's the weather up there, lovie?”

You tilt your head, chin tucked on your clavicle, admiring how handsome he looks under disco lights with his piercings and eyes shining. “How long have you been waiting to say that to someone, huh, tall guy?”

He takes your unlaced rollerblade, pushing it in your socked foot and then propping it up on his knee. He's smiling all through it, happy to indulge you even for a quick moment without anyone to kick or web up. “Believe it or not, I've said it a few times.”

You fake a gasp, and he chuckles at your antics while he ties a ribbon. “Someone is taller than you?! I thought that was impossible!”

“You're impossible.” Hobie's hand remains on your ankle, hand rising up to cup your knee, thumb drawing circles around your tights. Leaning up, he holds your hip with his free hand, pushing you down gently to meet him halfway; which you gladly let him guide you.

Beaming, you peck his nose and the space between his brows. Earning a soft chuckle from him. “Says the one kneeling before me.”

“Which makes my comment correct.” He follows suit, kissing where your Cupid's bow lies before standing up shakily on his rollerblades. (That he hides with his nonchalance.) “C’mon, let's get this over with before I change my mind.”

Taking his helping hand, you pull yourself up, effortlessly standing on the wheels. “It's not too bad, I promise. Even little kids get it right after a few tries.”

He raises a pierced brow. “Those little kids aren't as tall as me and don't have a reputation to keep.”

You poke his side, “I've seen you backflip off of Rhino's head. Roller skates are nothing compared to that. Besides, no one you know is here to see you fall flat on your ass.”

“You won't film it like last time we went ice skatin’?” He can't help but ogle you under the light and amidst the bright colours.

Leading him towards the rink, you hold his hand, slowly inching your way inside. “I promise I won't take videos this time.” He huffs in reply as you guide him to the shiny floors. “It was for personal use anyway.” You mumble to yourself.

Hobie immediately holds onto the railings next to him the second his feet leaves the carpeted floors and onto granite. His knees are bent and shaking while he tries to keep his balance on the wheels. “Love, why'd you let go?!”

Giggling, you reach for him with open arms, rolling towards him. “I didn't! You did!”

Panic spreads through him unlike all the times he has fought countless villains as his rollerblades smack loudly on the floors as his feet skidaddles in place, struggling to even stand up. After reaching for you, your six foot three baby holds onto you like a life raft. Long arms grasping with none of the cool nonchalance he usually exhibits.

“Do you want me to get a training cart for you—?”

“No, I've got this.” Hobie straightens up, hand holding on to your jean pocket as if he wasn't whining a few seconds ago.

“Oh okay—”

“Don't let me go this time.”

“I won't, Hobs. Maybe try moving your legs?” Smiling, you roll around the rink as he uses you as his personal guide while he barely moves his stiff legs.

His eyes roam around the rink where people of all ages whizz past him without a care. He looks over to you with a new found determination. If those children who are barely five years old can skate like they own the place, he too can do it. “What do I do now?”

You don't laugh or giggle at him, instead, you help and support him throughout the lesson like you promised him when you suggested the date. Hobie picked up on the skill real quick, quicker than he did for ice skating. Maybe the music helped him, or maybe he really wanted to impress you this time instead of the ‘baby deer learning how to walk’ he exhibited earlier.

After a while he's already skating around you. A bit wobbly but his form makes up for it. Hobie thanks his spider senses and balance for not stumbling and crashing into another person.

You're all tired out after the exercise. Head placed on his shoulder, arms looped around his middle as he's the one guiding you this time while you two skate mindlessly on the shiny floors as the skating rink dies down for the night. He blows air in your ear, waking you up.

“Thank you.” Hobie affectionately pecks your brow, you hum in content. “You've got some patience in you, love.”

“Nope, you're just a fast learner. And you're welcome, thank you for indulging me.”

“You chose well.” His eyes smile, hand splayed over the small of your back. “Next time it's my turn to pick the place.”

“What do you have in mind?” Tilting away, your hand snakes up from his back to his nape, kneading softly.

“It's a secret, innit. For now,” he skids to a stop, hand still holding on to you. “you need to see some food that your dimension hasn't seen in decades.”

Your eyes widens, gasping. “So much food that shouldn't be in jell-o.” You're already unlacing your rollerblades.

[anthurak]

Okay so rewatching The Full Moon with the context of Apology Tour made me realize something VERY interesting about how Stolitz could actually be different from all the other relationships Blitzo has been in and burned down.

Consider what we hear from Verosika in Apology Tour: that she told Blitzo that she loved him, and this confession was what prompted Blitzo to completely nuke their relationship, to 'send a message in the shittiest way possible' as Versoika put it.

And you know that does actually line up with what we see in The Full Moon, ie; Stolas ALSO confessing his love for Blitzo. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if what we saw in that scene, specifically Stolas' confession and Blitzo's initial reaction to it, is how many if not most of Blitzo's breakups have played out. Certainly the really BAD ones: Blitzo's partner makes some admission or confession of genuine affection and love, only for Blitzo to believe they can't possibly be serious and proceeds to mock and belittle their feelings, just like we saw him do with Stolas.

But here's the thing: A lot of people have pointed out that Stolas handled Blitzo's response to his confession in kind of the worst way possible; immediately assuming that Blitzo really didn't care and shutting him out entirely without trying to clarify things to Blitzo or otherwise give him time to process.

So, what if Verosika and really most if not all of Blitzo's other ex's actually handled things better than Stolas? What if she/they actually DID try to explain their feelings and make it clear they really DO care?

Well, given what we've seen, it probably did NOT end well. As in, Blitzo's self-loathing and belief that no one could possibly love him are so DEEPLY ingrained and internalized that the more someone tries to convince him they really DO care has likely only caused him to double, triple, quadruple and QUINTUPLE down until he's trashing his partner's hotel room, stealing her care, maxing her credits cards and whatever else Blitzo has done to the DOZENS of people who tried to convince him that they cared.

Until Stolas.

Have you noticed the twist yet? :D

Stolas DIDN'T try to convince Blitzo he really did care. Instead, he took Blitzo's response as proof that Blitzo didn't care and proceeded to shut things down and walk away.

(Part of) What makes Stolas so different is that he unwittingly BEAT BLITZO TO THE PUNCH. He effectively nuked their relationship BEFORE Blitzo could.

And for Blitzo, this has NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.

HE'S always been the one to walk away first. HE'S always been the one to end things. Every relationship he's been in has ended on HIS terms.

Until now.

For the first time, Blitzo just happened to be with someone who is JUST as shitty at relationships as HE is XD

[five-rivers]

If you're still doing prompts, may I suggest Danny learning about the legends following his time travel (what the Romans thought was up; the Buddhists, that one kid, etc

Physics and engineering major or not, Danny still needed credits in the humanities. Comparative Mythology and Folklore was the obvious choice for that. All through high school, Sam and Jazz had been on his case about knowing so little mythology, on account of his ghostly enemies and allies sometimes being mythological figures.

(Also the constellation thing, but they didn't bring that part up all that much, funnily enough.)

At the time, Danny had figured (see what he did there?) that there wasn't much point to it. Pandora wasn't all that similar to her mythic version, Medusa didn't turn people to stone, and winged horses were, by and large, not friendly.

Recent events had made him reconsider that stance.

Anyway! The class was a "two birds, one stone" sort of deal. He got both credits and practical knowledge. Theoretically.

So far, they'd covered creation myths and etiological stories, gods and goddesses, the monolith and the hero's journey, and now, in the tiny slice of time before they had to start studying for the final, they were looking at weird minor similarities without clear causes.

"Now," said the professor, "this next one is probably my favorite, because it's so specific and so widespread. Of course, the most obvious reason for this is that it's a story that traveled, much like how the pre-Indo-European gods traveled. However, the times and locations involved make that very unlikely, at least in my opinion. The other end of the spectrum is, of course, aliens, which are even more unlikely."

There was a soft smattering of laughter throughout the large classroom. Danny started to get a bad feeling about this.

"The other strange thing about this particular similarity is that it comes out of seemingly nowhere, with regards to the larger culture. There have even been several instances of it in this century - although, given modern information infrastructure, those instances may not be entirely organic. But Imperial Rome, China, Colonial America, just to name a few… That's weirder. Any guesses about what I'm talking about?"

No one raised their hand, and after a couple of minutes, the professor used their remote control to go to the next slide of their presentation. Danny sank down in his seat as he stared up at a collage of himself in a dozen different art styles.

"All around the world, there are stories about a young man or boy with white hair and dark clothing coming from 'distant lands' to either fight off 'monsters' or to retrieve unspecified objects. As you can see, despite some of these pieces being from cultures that never had any contact with one another, the resemblance of the figures is striking. The– Yes, you have a question?"

"Will this be on the final?" asked a student a few rows down from Danny.

The professor sighed. "As a general rule, if I'm teaching you about it, I'll be testing you about it. Moving on–"

Danny forced himself to start taking notes. He couldn't believe he was going to be tested on himself. Especially when he was pretty sure he hadn't even been to all of those places yet.

Clockwork must be laughing his head off.

[alfafilly]

Dyo concept art! It's so wild to me I only made him barely over a month ago, it feels like it's been ages! What went through my silly lil brain while making him is under the cut! It's long and rambly, though lol

History first: Darkrai have been in my top fav pokemon for uhhh I guess since The Rise of Darkrai, really?? I have a particularly fond memory of watching the movie broken up into a dozen 480p quality 9-minute parts on YouTube back in 2007. I watched it with my friend in either AIM or Yahoo Messenger! All I remember is us crushing over Darkrai being a lil deviantART emo boy looool I have joked on and off over the decade+ since that Darkrai was my "husband".

I've collected Darkrai TCG cards and have only a couple pieces of misc merch, so I've mostly only been a casual long-term fan. However, my partner got me that Astral Radiance Darkrai trainer box for Christmas and it made me fondly reminisce on the movie. Ended up watching it soon after and HELLO NEW HYPERFIXATION!

When designing Dyo my only prompts were "cunty Darkrai" and "This is my Husband". As I thought more into it, I specifically wanted him to have a couple features design-wise:

Leggies

A neck lol

Big hands for crushing me with

Scars (because my type is injured old men I guess)

He took on more animal qualities in his features as I doodled him. That wasn't really intentional, I'm just a one trick pony I suppose. I did not plan for him to have paws or a beak, for example. He was just born that way.

I wanted his body to be more humanoid, which is why he doesn't have the big carapace-chest-thing Darkrai have. I love that on Darkrai but I did not love that on Dyo specifically. Why? It's in the way for top tier cuddling! I don't wanna cuddle a carapace, okay?! I'm a carapace-cuddling HATER! There I said it!! To kinda make up for it, he just has a more stylized basic-bitch man chest and I made his neck collar have more pronounced spikes. I thought about making all the spikes big, but then his face would be covered in certain angles.

I've seen different versions of Darkrai with mouths and found it kinda funny we all give them goopy jack-o-latern styled shapes. Why do we DO that?? I ended up changing his bottom jaw to be like a graboid because I had an epiphany while at work and couldn't let the thought go. God, what a freak!

Misc:

His hand scars line up with the chest ones (as if he covered his face during impact) but it wasn't until I made the final ref that I realized I drew the scars incorrectly in all the concept art OOPS

I wanted him to have a mini-skirt initially, but I draw it different lengths now. Since Darkrai legs aren't real legs but some kinda appendages they stick out, I head-canon the skirt is made up of some weird matter he can shapeshift and the longer he makes his legs the shorter his skirt becomes LMAO

Nikki Minaj Booty?? I dunno. Don't look under there. That's private!

Darkrai hands are kinda funky in a lot of official art (especially in the TCG) so in addition to his thumbs being secret when idle, he also gestures his "thumb" as an index finger. They're just silly!

Originally his personality was a lil more moody which is why he looks like he has Resting Bitch Face.

He wasn't originally meant to be shiny. I honestly don't know why I made him shiny? I probably just thought the color scheme fit his personality more. Though I did end up making his eyes stay blue because I really liked the look of blue scars/fleshmeat and didn't like him having green eyes. It just looked weird to me? So I made the choice to just make his pupil green instead.

Last but not least... I named him Dyo after Dio Brando from Jojo because it just clicked and felt?? Right?? I didn't wanna name him that at first, though, because my partner and I breed mice and one of them is named Dio and it felt awkward having an OC named after a pet mouse loooool But I just couldn't stop thinking about how perfect it was! So I settled with keeping the name, but giving it a dumb spelling to match my Lugia OC Cady (pronounced Katie), to which he is Frenemies with.

Since designing him, several of his features keep getting more pronounced, namely his skirt, paws, and not-tail. What's he gonna look like by the end of this year?? Who knows!!!

I'm really, exceptionally happy with his character design. He's got really fun shape language and has been just super duper fun to draw!Honestly, he came out better than my plans for him! I feel like he still reads as a Darkrai but feels very "me".

Thanks for reading~

[sprintingowl]

Tales Of Crystals

Hey in the early 90s Hasbro put out a tabletop roleplaying larp for tween girls called Tales Of The Crystals, and there's a lot going on here, so I want to talk about it.

First, I want to give credit to @riseupcomus on twitter for doing a thread on it first. Riseup's thread is linked at the bottom, right after hasbro's pdf of Tales Of Crystals.

Now, what is Tales Of Crystals? Well, it's a journaling game. And it's an indie TTRPG. And it's a larp kit. And it's an audio game. And it's a cryptography kit.

It comes with its own map, rulebook, a cassette tape with multiple scenarios, a non-dice-based resolution system, four player roles, and a ruleset that's split up so that each of the four players is in charge of a different part.

If feels like a high concept, big swing indie title from 2024, but it's got thirty years worth of jump on the modern scene.

The basic premise is that the players are crystal bearers in the court of a fantasy kingdom, and there's an evil nation in the goblin swamp next door, and they have to guard the nation against treachery and ensorcellment and whatnot. It's not super duper fresh, but with how many things the game is juggling it's extremely reasonable that the plot's a little plain.

Each player's crystal comes with a power, and the powers are asymmetrical. The Leader gets the Crystal Of Shimmering Ice, which lets you oneshot enemies (nonlethally, by freezing them for a minute.) The Protector gets the Crystal Of True Sight, and can see through all lies and enchantments and mind control enemies for a minute (tbh this one is just better). There's a healing crystal and an invisibility crystal as well---and interestingly the invisibility crystal is given to the role responsible for journaling everybody's adventures. The game recognizes that at least one player of a fantasy larp for tween girls in the 90s is probably going to be a wallflower writer, and deliberately enshrines that role.

Tales Of Crystals has a solid core loop, with a deck of cards for prompts and a cassette tape for scenarios and a little circle with YES and NO marked on it that you can scatter your gems onto to get oracle answers to questions during play. It also has a LOT of gimmicks.

There's a tube of powder you can sprinkle on things to disenchant them. There's a mirror you need to read script that's been written backwards. There's three cryptographic cyphers at the back of the book. There's a box specifically for confining the evil Spider Crystal (after you've sprinkled it with powder to neutralize it.) This is a game of dozens of components, and it's a miracle the design is so tight that they all loop together so well.

Now, I don't have sales data (riseup might,) but I suspect maybe this thing didn't sell amazingly. It requires you to set up six or so distinct locations around your yard, pretty much needs a group of exactly four friends to play it, requires you to give clue elements to your parents---you'd have to be cool with it, your friends would have to be cool with it, your parents would have to be cool with it, and you'd have to have a big suburban yard in order to get a proper intended game experience. That said, its larp design is really stable, its gameplay is carefully thought out, and it includes a section at the start to encourage you to play safely and a section at the end to talk about your game together, journal your experiences, and to clean up the game components as a group when you're done.

This is good tech! And it even specifically recommends having a snack and relaxing afterward.

Tales Of Crystals doesn't use terms like bleed and session zero, but it's a good ways ahead of the curve on larp and ttrpg safety.

I didn't find the designer's name (they're listed as uncredit on BoardGameGeek, not mentioned in the PDF, and missing from the wiki page,) but they knocked this one out of the park. There's stuff in here that modern indie ttrpg designers could learn from---myself very much included.

So if you like ttrpgs, 90s magic, and stuff like Tamora Pierce and Sailor Moon, give riseup's original thread a look, and definitely check out the PDF link.

I'm thrilled this thing exists, and I hope more designers get to look at it.

[cozymochi]

bro apologies for not enjoying Emilio as much as Celil or Nyoka

and I want Tia not to be so underrated☹️☹️ our green queen💚

To be fair — It’s on me that Tia isn’t willingly brought up much. Offline and when reading twst (or if I encounter writings where the protagonist isn’t specified) She’s like, my main go-to person I default to and will base voice-line interpretations around when I’m not trying to be dead serious. Gives me brainrot and makes me kick my little feetsies.

However, if I’m being totally honest, in public fandom spaces she’s kinda… a dime a dozen. She’s just another MC or “Yu” stand-in, and that in itself especially to those who don’t really think about it that much, she doesn’t exactly stick out as anything particularly special or unique. At least, not in the grand scheme knowing that Tia is just one of hundreds of thousands of interpretations of a Ramshackle Prefects. And that’s not even getting into the inspiring her off a disney princess thing which also isn’t exactly a new concept for some prefects either.

I don’t really go out of my way to be special or unique nor is it something I’m too concerned by, I just do what I would be interested in.

Tia in execution might be different to me, but mind I know everything about her that isn’t posted. How she interacts with that world is a slight departure from what’s lined up in the #canon events (not in any extreme way), but outside of myself and the friend who was there since the start, nobody would really know that since I don’t talk about any of it. 🤡🫡 I don’t know if anyone’s noticed, but I’m not one to bring these things up without prompting first. And in the opportune chances I get to do so, I tend to sit on it for months or laugh it off cuz I don’t know how to articulate it properly in an interesting enough way. It’s not that I don’t have answers, I do, but I psyche myself out.

I mean, there’s a reason why her actual solo lore and information doesn’t even reach a tenth of a fraction of what the usual trio of NRC boys gets. It’s probably easier for a person passing by to briefly wrap their head around the idea of a new student rather than yet another version of an MC that-- due to the nature of the original game being soooo vague and almost entirely a spectator despite being called the “main character”— just isn’t all that eye catching or worth people’s time, I don’t think.

She might have a different pre-twst life, different way of handling Ramshackle, Tia-specific issues, and relationships with the main cast and how she perceives the events going on around her, and might be slightly more active compared to #canon (this being the “outline” in the game), and have different overall priorities when acclimating to TWST so long as she’s stuck there that are all influenced by the aforementioned— but all of that ultimately doesn’t matter. I don’t talk about it, and when there’s already a ton of different versions of the MC out there in official and unofficial media, it’s like! Why bother! It doesn’t do anything for anyone else to know these things.

So I just don’t talk about her. At least, not in any intimate character way. And even when I could use her in place of the Prefect in more generic scenarios, I opt not to most of the time, because again, I do not think people in general care about the concept of the MC that much. Not helped by the game at all, but what can you do when you want to leave room for interpretation on a wider scale? It’s for function and projection, even if it kinda leaves this awkward hole if the viewer doesn’t go out of their way to characterize the MC themselves.

Unless Grim looks at the camera and demands that MC make a sandwich for them it’s easy to forget that they’re even there, and if one thinks about it for 2 seconds it can really feel contrived that this random person who adds nothing is witnessing certain events. (Book 7 is more egregious about this, but I will not go into it.) If my brain switches MC to Tia then all of a sudden this issue leaves. You know what I mean? Idk.

Wider interest only seems to briefly shoot up when placed under the context of a ship situation, which, despite what others do, say, and how I sometimes play along, Tia doesn’t actually have one. (Not a “””canon”” one, anyhow.) So, she doesn’t have that going for her either.

She’s just some random girl who kinda acts like the character she’s directly inspired from- if from the 2020s instead of 1920s. Starting from that basis people can get an idea of how she acts if they’ve seen the movie, but it’s not always 1:1. If not, then because I don’t talk about her with any effort, people don’t have much to draw from except from generic Shrimpy. Not a great start. She can stand on her own without either, it’s just me not trying nor going out of my way to convey what I’ve been invested in this entire time.

But, yeah. She’s my baby gorl and will always be MY default and main point of interest when I’m personally reading TWST, but she has a lot going against her in terms of general appeal. It’s not even really her fault execution-wise it’s just. Y’know. Yeah. It’s on me. I don’t talk about her up here and don’t exactly have the nerve to do so on my own accord without asking myself what the point of doing so is.

So in a way, as a result she’s not underrated at all. Just exactly where a twst “main character” is expected to be. An afterthought.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Teens and kids with long COVID are showing surprising new symptoms - Published Aug 21, 2024

Rose Lehane Tureen is one busy teenager.

The 16-year-old is class president, an Irish step dance champion, singer, cross-country runner and straight-A student at her high school in Maine.

Her accomplishments belie the reality that she suffers from a debilitating headache that has lasted for more than four years, one of the several long COVID symptoms she's endured since an infection in March 2020.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

At the beginning of her illness, Rose went to the emergency room half a dozen times and was hospitalized twice with dizziness and blinding head pain. She also had red and swollen fingers, toes and ears; peeling skin; joint pain; problems controlling her temperature and terrible dreams.

She lost years of her life to long COVID and is trying to make up for it.

“I had to decide if I wanted to wither away on the couch in the dark or push through and do things that made me happy,” she said. "I'm reclaiming what it's taken and trying to live my life."

Rose is one of the estimated 5.8 million children in the U.S. with long COVID, many of whom have not been diagnosed because doctors, parents and patients fail to recognize the constellation of symptoms, experts say. A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health aims to arm families with information, identifying the most common long COVID symptoms in school-aged children and teenagers.

“Children aren’t just little adults,” said Dr. Melissa Stockwell, the study's coauthor and division chief of child and adolescent health at Columbia University. The more providers understand how long COVID impacts people at different ages, the easier it will be to diagnose children and provide prompt care.

Long COVID symptoms in kids, teens The study included 5,300 younger school-aged children and teens from more than 60 healthcare facilities across the U.S. between March 2022 and December 2023.

Researchers found teenagers between 12 and 17 were more likely to report fatigue, pain and changes in taste and smell, whereas, younger schoolchildren between 6 and 11 were more likely to have difficulty focusing, sleep problems and stomach issues, according to the report published Wednesday in JAMA.

Long COVID symptoms affected almost every organ system, and most patients reported symptoms that affected more than one part of their body.

In the report, younger school children and teens commonly reported back or neck pain, headaches, lightheadedness or dizziness and trouble with memory or focus. The study authors were also surprised to find that shared symptoms among the younger children included phobias, specifically the fear of crowded or enclosed spaces, and refusal to go to school.

The symptoms that showed up in younger children were less likely to overlap with symptoms experienced by adults with long COVID. The authors said this underscored the importance of age-based research.

“The symptoms that make up the research index are not the only symptoms a child may have and they’re not the most severe, but they are most predictive in determining who may have long COVID,” said Dr. Rachel Gross, the study's lead author and associate professor of pediatrics and population health at New York University Grossman School of Medicine.

Rose could have benefited from this research in 2020. It took more than a year to find doctors who would take her cluster of symptoms seriously. She eventually found that team at Boston Children's Hospital.

“I went from running a junior Olympic qualifier to being unable to walk,” Rose said. “It was dramatic and confusing.”

Missing 'whole boat' of data Despite the new research, health experts say a great deal is still unknown about long COVID.

For example, most of the data from the study comes from patients who were infected with earlier COVID-19 variants, not the latest version of omicron, said Dr. Alexandra Yonts, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and director of the post-COVID program at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.

The study suggests kids infected with omicron are less likely to develop long COVID, however, Yonts argues there isn't enough data to support that theory since omicron hasn't been on the scene long enough to allow for robust long COVID data.

"If we’re looking at kids that have been newly infected (and) what is their risk of becoming long COVID patients?" she said. "We’re missing that whole boat."

Authors of the JAMA study say their next research will be long COVID symptoms in children 5 and under. Yonts said the most urgent need for these patients is access to post-COVID clinics that specialize in identifying and treating lingering symptoms from a COVID-19 infection. She said these types of efforts are beginning to close down across the country due to a lack of funding and support.

"These are such complex patients," Yonts said. "It's hard to find a multidisciplinary team that can define those symptoms and support them."

That's why Rose, a California native, eventually moved with her family to southern Maine so they could be driving distance from Boston Children's Hospital, where she visits the long COVID clinic at least once a month. In addition to doctors at the hospital's specialized COVID clinic, she's seen nearly a dozen specialists including a sleep neurologist, acupuncturist, gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, rheumatologist and cardiologist, among others.

Rose is disheartened that post-COVID clinics are shutting down for patients like her, but not completely surprised. She sees the world moving on from the pandemic, but she's still in pain. She hopes the JAMA study brings renewed attention to the condition.

"There’s this illusion now that lockdown is over, that COVID is gone," she said. "It’s really, really difficult and invalidating for all the people with long COVID – especially children."

[ciaossu-imagines]

Sorry this doesnt use any of the event prompts but how do the Vongola tenth guardians and tsuna handle their Significant Other having a bad panic attack?

It’s completely fine that this doesn’t use any of the event prompts 😊 As mentioned, even when the event is ongoing, I’m taking regular requests as well! Thanks for sending in something and I hope you’ll enjoy the headcanons!

Tsuna

I’ve said it several times, but I do think that, when it comes to his romantic partners, Tsuna is very attentive and observant. He’s noticed that his partner seems more stressed than normal. He’s noticed that their emotions seem to be running higher than normal. He’s noticed all those things and he has tried to help in whatever ways he can. He does try to do little things to cheer them up or to take extra stress off them. He makes it clear that he’s there if they need to talk and he’s probably listened to them vent a little. He tries to be sympathetic and he tries to give advice. However, he’s also not going to push them too hard to talk to him and he won’t push them to open up to him. He doesn’t want to add to their stress by making them feel like he’s pressuring them.

He’s also noticed that no matter what he does, it doesn’t really seem to help his partner. They still seem stressed, sad, upset, whatever little bits of behaviour his partner shows before they get to the point where they’re liable to break down or have a panic attack (something that is a little different for everyone, so I don’t want to go too hyper specific here). Tsuna is quick to notice and internalize the fact that, no matter how hard he tries, he can’t really seem to help his partner. Tsuna is someone who does have the tendency to take the weight or responsibility for other’s feelings onto his shoulders, especially those who are really close to him. Because of this, he’s carrying some guilt already for not being able to do enough for them.

So, when Tsuna walks in on his partner having a panic attack or when, during a seemingly normal day, they just kind of melt down beside him and go into full-blown panic attack mode, he’s definitely taking it really hard. There is that slightly selfish part of Tsuna that makes his partner’s panic attack all about him. He doesn’t make it super obvious in the moment, when he’s more focused on his partner, but he definitely does blame himself for his partner getting to that point. He should have pushed them harder to talk to them. He should have done more for them. He should have found a solution to all his partner’s problems. Even if it’s completely unreasonable for him to think this way, he does. Once his partner is calmed down, and in the days after their panic attack, Tsuna is likely to apologize to them several dozen times for just not being enough or for anything he might have done to cause their panic attack.

In the moment of the actual panic attack though, Tsuna does try his best. He’s low-key panicking himself because he doesn’t know what to do. He’s scared of making things worse and it’s killing him to see his partner in such a state. Any time his partner cries hurts Tsuna, but this especially does, where they sound like nothing in the world could ever be okay again. Tsuna is so out of his depth.

I think, in the moment where his partner is having that panic attack, Tsuna tries to establish some sort of physical touch or affection. He hopes that will make his partner feel loved or soothed. So, he’ll hug them, hold their hands. He’ll keep asking his partner what’s wrong and, since they seem to be having breathing, he’s encouraging them to breathe. Deep breaths, in and out, right? He’s telling them to calm down, that everything is okay. He knows his words aren’t the right ones, but he doesn’t know the right words so he can only say these false platitudes and super generic things.

Once his partner is calmed down enough that they seem to be breathing okay and their tears have either dried up or calmed down to the point where they’re mostly silently calming, Tsuna just focuses on getting his partner out of public and back home, should they have been out together when the panic attack happened. He wants them to be in a place that is the most comfortable for them. If Tsuna was visiting his partner when their panic attack happened, he’s excusing himself. He figures that they probably need some time alone after something that seemed so exhausting. He’s making sure they’re comfortable and as well taken care of as he can and he assures them that he cares about them. He lets them know he’ll check on them the next day and to call him if they need anything at all from him.

Gokudera

The thing about Gokudera, within a romantic relationship, is that he tends to be kind of more reactive to his partner’s emotions. He’s still observant enough to notice them and he does genuinely care about his partner’s feelings and wellbeing, but he’s very strongly influenced by his partner’s emotions as well. If his partner is really stressed and emotional, especially emotional in that they’re dealing with a lot of negative way, that influences Gokudera’s own emotions. He wants to help his partner out and he wants to be there for them, he wants to be strong for them, but their sadness, their frustration, their negativity is reflecting and bouncing back off of him. In some ways, it’s made even worse by the fact that Gokudera will feel a little impotent in some ways. He prides himself on being strong enough to keep his partner safe and happy. He prides himself on being good enough for them and his partner’s constant negativity or sadness makes him feel like he’s failing. That gets his own hackles up and he’s likely to reply to his partner’s big emotions with anger, frustration, and sharpness. It’s not that he’s not trying or that he wants to behave that way, but his own emotions are hard for him to handle and he finds his temper hard to handle even at the best of times.

Both Gokudera and his partner are feeling a lot of strain within their romantic relationship during this period of time. Things are tense between them, they’re not connecting well, there’s a lot of bickering. They both still really love each other and they’re both trying hard to be better for each other, but that tension is high and that strain is felt distinctly by the both of them. All that tension and worry around their romantic relationship probably actually pushes Gokudera’s partner even further towards complete breakdown and helps push them into small panic attacks on their own time.

Eventually something breaks and it’s during one of those bickering sessions that Gokudera’s partner just goes full spiral into a bad panic attack. It’s severe and all consuming. They feel like they can’t breathe…it’s like an elephant is sitting on their chest. Their head is swimming. They’re feeling so much but they can’t think of any words to express any of them. They don’t know what to say and that’s frustrating. They’re crying hard enough to physically hurt and on top of all that, there’s this overwhelming, pure, terrifying fear that’s consuming their mind.

Honestly, Gokudera doesn’t deal with this the best internally. There’s some resentment on his part. He feels a little manipulated by his partner, like they’re weaponizing their feelings against him in the moment and in the aftermath, that is going to be something him and his partner will have to work out.

In the moment, how Gokudera deals with his partner’s panic attack will come across as quite harsh. He has a very tough love approach in this situation, where he does love his partner but he really needs them to calm down and get control of themselves so that things can be handled and solved. He’s going to make them sit down if they weren’t already. He will hold them down if need be. He’s making them focus on him. If they can’t meet his eyes, that’s okay, but they need to listen to him. He’s going to walk them through deep breaths to pull them out of their hyperventilating. “Yeah, that’s it. In…and…out. You got it. Just keep breathing. You’re okay, you’re safe, there’s nothing to be scared of.” He’ll wait until his partner is breathing right and they’re mostly quiet, their tears mostly dried. He’ll get them Kleenexes and a cup of water, keep a careful eye on them until they seem okay. When they do seem okay, he’s going to ask plain out if there’s anything else they need. He needs simple, clear instructions on what they need from him. He doesn’t want to discuss the panic attack, he doesn’t want to get into the emotions on either his or his partner’s part, not right then. He wants clear, actionable things to focus on in that moment. Once he’s satisfied all those clear and actionable moments, he will make sure his partner is comfortable and settled and then he will leave. He needs time to himself and space to get his own emotions under control and figured out.

In some ways, Gokudera does have a really healthy approach to this. He can and will draw healthy boundaries in that he realizes and makes clear to his partner that he is not their therapist. He’s not their mental health counselor. He’s not in charge of or responsible for managing their emotions, their panic attacks, or their mental breakdowns and it’s unreasonable for them to expect that of them. He gets that they have mental health issues but he expects them to be responsible for their own shit. He loves them, but if they want the relationship to continue, they need to start therapy, they need to work on their mental health, they need to learn proper coping mechanisms, and they can’t just melt down on him like that.

Yamamoto

Despite coming across as a little bit of an airhead at times, Yamamoto is surprisingly perceptive. He knows that his partner has a lot going on and that they’re not doing as well as they pretend they are. Even though his partner is likely putting on a really good face in front of him, smiling and pretending nothing is wrong, he knows it’s not entirely true. But he figures his partner is hiding it for a reason and that they’re just not ready to talk about it with him. He sees no point in pushing them to come out with it, not when they simply seem stressed or a little despondent. He trusts that they’ll talk to him if things are really bad, especially since he’s always been a good partner to them and has demonstrated time and time again that he’s a safe place for them and someone they can trust.

So, while it’s definitely going to shock him in the moment, it’s not completely and utterly unexpected on Yamamoto’s side when, in the middle of what was just a fun date, his partner gets overstimulated or overwhelmed by some situation, something they overheard, a text they got, something that was said, and all of a sudden there’s the heat, the pressure, the flood of emotions. They can feel the start of a panic attack coming and they’re trying hard to hold it off but they just can’t, not this time.

Yamamoto is very concerned about his partner. He’s super tuned in on them and the only thing in his mind is getting them someplace quieter, safer feeling for them, and making sure they’re okay. He’ll take their hand and he’s whispering or speaking really softly, trying to make his voice very gentle and soothing. He’s asking if they’re okay to walk or if they need him to piggy back them. If they can’t answer, Yamamoto will plain out just pick up his partner and he’ll carry them to a quiet area where they can sit – a park bench where nobody else is really around, the side of a hill by the river far enough away from the foot traffic that his partner’s state isn’t going to be noticed by most.

His first priority is making sure his partner, now that they’re sitting and are in a place that’s a bit more quiet or a bit safer feeling for them, is not physically hurt in any way. He’s visually checking them over, his hands gentle on their skin as he turns their arms side to side, brushes their hair back to look for any possible scrapes or scratches, things along those lines.

“Nothing hurts body wise? It just hurts inside?” he double-checks with his partner. Once they nod, he sighs a little, never taking his eyes off them before he wraps them up in his arms, pressing their face into his chest. “It’s okay. I got you. Cry it out as much as you need to. I’m not going anywhere.”

Ryohei

Ryohei in the face of a partner’s panic attack? Absolutely useless, really. Ryohei loves his partner, there’s no doubt about that, but when it comes to handling big emotions, particularly negative ones, Ryohei isn’t the best at doing that. He’s not prone to those big, negative emotions. Sure, he feels sad sometimes, but he tends to push it down or use it to motivate him to surpass his limits, to become better. He’s got a temper and knows anger, but again, it’s something he changes into a feeling of motivation. He’s not going to be able to connect well to his partner’s stress, frustrations, or large negative emotions.

I think he definitely tries his best. Ryohei puts his all into supporting and caring for his partner. Even before the panic attack happened, when it was just his partner struggling with their emotions or situations that were overwhelming to them, he’s doing everything he can to support them and cheer them on. He’s being endlessly positive and refuses to let them see any frustration or negativity from him. He’s pointing out everything they’re doing well; he’s telling them he’s proud of them. He’s offering his shoulder to lean on and encouraging them to tell him anything he can do to help. He’s giving it his all.

But his all isn’t really cutting it. His partner still, due to some little thing just breaking the camel’s back, gets hit hard with a panic attack out of nowhere and boy, does it freak Ryohei the fuck out. Legit, Ryohei gets scared. He doesn’t know how to handle this; he doesn’t really fully get what’s going on. His partner is melting down, they’re crying, they’re hyperventilating, they’re just spiraling out of control.

Ryohei is really paralyzed for a moment. His brain just stops for a moment. God, there’s something that breaks in him, even if just for a moment, seeing someone he cares about in such a state. Normally, he could just fight whatever caused his loved ones harm. He can just use his muscles, his fighting spirit, and get rid of the problem. But he can’t fight a panic attack. It’s simply impossible.

He’s a little all over the place. He’s a little panicked too. He doesn’t know what to say so he’s just telling them to calm down, that they’re okay. He’s giving all the platitudes and support that he’s already given. He keeps asking, over and over and over, what’s wrong and the harder it becomes for his partner to really answer, the louder his questions get.

Ryohei is going to make any panic attack his partner has a little worse, honestly, in how he reacts to it. It’s part of why I do believe that Ryohei really isn’t a great match for someone who has the sort of mental illnesses that leaves them susceptible or prone for panic attacks or big bouts of anxiety.

Lambo

While not quite to the levels of someone like Ryohei or Hibari, Lambo doesn’t really deal with a partner’s panic attack exceptionally well either. Or well at all, to be honest.

Lambo is a loving partner, but he’s not always the most observant or perceptive partner. He can be a little self-centered in a lot of ways and though he wants and does his best to spoil his partner and give them all kinds of love, support, and affection, he’s not always paying the closest attention to all the little things about their lives, the littlest subtleties of how they express themselves, the little things that suggest they’re hiding something or putting up a happy front. Those are all things that, unless they’re very obvious and in his face, Lambo won’t always pick up on.

Because of this, his partner’s panic attack is coming out of nowhere to Lambo. It’s like one second they’re completely fine and then the next they’re sobbing and melting down on him. It freaks him out and he falls into panic himself. He keeps saying sorry over and over, convinced that it must have been something he said. He’s flustered, his hands fluttering around. He’s almost touching them and then he’s pulling away as it occurs to him that he should find them a handkerchief. He’s a little all over the place because there seems, in his mind, about a million things he should be doing at the moment to comfort his partner and make everything okay.

He either digs up a handkerchief out of his pocket or finds the nearest thing to Kleenex, whether its actual tissues or even just a roll of toilet paper and he’s pressing it into their hand. He can see they’re crying hard; there’s a lot of snot, there’s some drooling. As someone prone to huge crying fits, even as he grows, he knows how uncomfortable that can feel and he imagines they have to want to clean themselves up.

“Come now, kitten. Dry your eyes. It’ll be okay, I promise,” he’ll be saying as he pats their head, their shoulders, tries to hug them. “I’m so sorry! I’ll do better!”

Hibari

Yeah, no. This is a hard no when it comes to Hibari. Plain out and out, capital letters needed, NO.

Much like Gokudera, and even to a further degree, Hibari has very clear boundaries about what he will deal with when it comes to relationships with others and especially within a romantic relationship. He expects his partner to be able to handle their own shit, to deal with their emotions in ways that are either healthy or seem okay within how Hibari views the world. That is their responsibility.

Honestly, in some situations, I can see Hibari walking in on his partner having a panic attack and just turning around and leaving, giving them the respect of letting them get themselves together and under control without having someone else witness it all. To him, that is truly a sign of respect and it is a compassionate response from him, in his opinion.

There are also situations where, if his partner is melting down in public, just going completely out of control, I can also see Hibari walking up and kind of gently just smacking them upside the head with his tonfa. It’s not enough to do any serious damage but they can feel it. With all the command he can put behind his words, which with Hibari is a lot, he’s going to tell them to calm down. “Get a hold of yourself. This is a pathetic look for you. I don’t recall having any pathetic herbivores in my life.”

[beritybaker]

It's time to hop to it on my card for the @steddiebingo mini event! I've decided to do one cohesive story, though each chapter will pretty much stand alone if you want them to.

Also on AO3 here! And without further ado...

🌹 A Baker's Dozen 🌹

Chapter 1: Truths and Roses

Prompt: Roses | Rating: G (note that later chapters will be E) | Word Count: 2,293 | CW: Brief Misunderstanding and Angst | Tags: Post-Vecna, Friends to Lovers, Oblivious Steve, Secret Admirer

It started about a week ago, and Steve keeps finding them everywhere. He’s found them on his stoop, floating in the pool, stuck to his front door. They don’t just turn up at his house, either—he’s found them in stacks of returns at work, crushed between tapes. There was even one sticking out of the bushes at Dustin’s house the last time he picked him up, but when he’d asked Dustin about it, the only answer he got was, “Maybe you’ve got a secret admirer,” muttered in an annoyed tone that suggested the kid knew more than he was letting on.

As he walks out of Family Video late Friday night and turns to lock up, Robin taps him on the shoulder and says, “Uh, dingus? You got another one.”

Steve follows her gaze. Sure enough, with its stem tucked under one of his windshield wipers, there’s a crimson rose on his car.

“You’re kidding me,” he groans. At first it felt a little romantic, coming across them all over town. Because they were so clearly meant for him specifically, always placed somewhere that his eye would naturally be drawn. But the fact that he’s gone several days without being able to figure out where they’re coming from is driving him nuts.

Robin? No, she wouldn’t get his hopes up like that.

Dustin? Couldn’t be him, either; if it was, he would’ve owned up and laughed about it the other day when Steve found the one at his house.

Steve wracks his brain, trying to think of someone who would be littering roses all over the place for him, and who knows his routine. The most likely culprit is a misguided prankster, but the thought that one of his friends might be that mean depresses him. He doesn’t even think Max would be capable of outright cruelty like that, even if she does like to antagonize him sometimes.

With a sigh, he plucks the rose from his windshield and sticks it into his breast pocket along with the other two he found during his shift.

***

The next day is one of those rare Saturdays when they both have the night off work. It’s Robin’s birthday, and she begged Keith to let Steve have the night off, too, because he was planning a party for her. If Steve had asked, he probably would’ve been shot down right away, but Robin’s argument (“Maybe the babes will come in expecting Steve, and then you might get a shot, huh?”) proved persuasive enough that he only had to come in for a couple hours in the morning.

He’s only found one rose today—tucked in conspicuously among the party decorations at Melvald’s—but this one was different.

There was a note attached.

He’s more than conscious of the rolled-up bit of notebook paper in his back pocket as he and Nancy hang the decorations all around his house. The four words, written in dark blue ink, are branded into his mind’s eye:

See you tonight, Tiger.

It proves to him, at the very least, that the roses are the work of one of his friends. He spends the whole afternoon mentally cycling through every bit of handwriting he knows, trying to place the familiar scrawl, but comes up short once again. More frustrated than ever, he starts the party with a sour taste in his mouth, and every guest he greets at the door gets a narrow-eyed stare.

Lucas? No, he’s too much like Steve. He knows how much something like this would hurt him.

Jeff? No, of course not. He doesn’t know him well enough to keep putting the roses where Steve can find them.

El? That one actually makes him shake his head. She’s too sweet for a prank, and she’s seen him beaten to a pulp way too many times by things she could destroy in her sleep to have some schoolgirl crush on him.

He knows Nancy’s handwriting too well, and Jonathan’s. It’s possible Mike has developed a mean streak, but Steve seriously doubts it. When he considers Will, he realizes he’s truly scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas, and decides to try and forget about the roses, at least until after the party.

That’s much easier said than done. Every conversation he has is like a pop quiz, though it’s hard to tell whether he’s taking one or giving one. It gets so bad that by the time the party’s in full swing, his hands are starting to shake and he’s having trouble taking a full breath.

Robin is, of course, the first to notice. She extracts herself from a conversation with Gareth and Dustin to march over and put a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Hey,” she says, her voice soft. “You okay, dingus?”

He tries to smile. “’Course I am.”

She raises her eyebrows and gives him a gentle smirk. “You’re not allowed to lie to me on my birthday.”

“Okay, fine,” Steve sighs. “I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

“Is this about the flowers?”

“Yeah.”

Robin grimaces. “I wish I could help.”

At her words, Steve imagines a cartoon lightbulb flicking on over his head. “Maybe you can. This was tied to one I found earlier today,” he says, pulling the note out of his pocket. He hands it to her and adds, “You recognize the writing?”

Her brow furrows as she takes the slip of paper from him. She studies it for a second, then her eyes go wide. “Holy shit.” She glances around, then dips her gaze back to the paper. He can see the wheels turning in her head. Slowly, she says, “I think I do recognize it.” Inexplicably, she shoots a brief glare back in Dustin and Gareth’s direction.

“Really? Whose is it?”

She purses her lips. “You really wanna know?”

“For god’s sake, Rob. I’ve been dying to.”

Again, Robin’s eyes shoot daggers at Dustin and Gareth for a moment, the two of them seeming desperate to look casual. Eventually, she sighs and says, “Maybe you should just go upstairs.”

“What?” Steve says. “But—”

“Trust me.” She meets his gaze with a weary one, and he sees the same annoyed expression he saw on Dustin’s face at the mention of a secret admirer.

“Fine,” he huffs, and he makes his way toward the stairs.

Once he’s on the upstairs landing, though, he’s not sure where to turn. What the hell, Rob? he thinks. She knows how big this house is; she should know better than to send him upstairs without pointing him in a more specific direction.

Whatever. Steve isn’t really inclined to go searching for the answer to his mystery. After a couple hours of watching his friends’ every move, he’s exhausted. He takes that as a sign to just go lie down for a while. If he sets his alarm clock for twenty minutes from now, it’s not like he’ll be gone long enough for anyone to miss him.

It’s when he starts down the hall to his bedroom that he realizes something is amiss, and he stops.

His bedroom door is open. The door he always closes, especially when he has other people over, is ajar.

For a second, all he does is stare at the gap in the door, eyeing his wallpaper as if it might give him some clue as to what he’ll see when he looks further inside. In the next moment, he’s taking two long strides to the door and throwing it wide open.

The intruder jumps and lets out a short scream when the doorknob thumps against the wall. In the process, the rose between his fingers falls from his grasp, landing right in the middle of Steve’s pillow.

Steve stares, dumbfounded. “Munson?”

Eddie may as well be a deer caught in a pair of headlights. He’s got the face for it, anyway, his doe-eyes about three times their normal size. He swallows, then stammers, “I—Steve—I can—”

Steve’s gaze flicks down to the flower on his pillow. “It was you?” he murmurs.

“Listen, Steve, I didn’t…”

He wants to control his face, but he’s never been too good at that. He feels it fall into a familiar, hurt look.

Of all the friends who could’ve been messing with him, Eddie cuts the deepest. He’d thought they were on good terms now, that they understood each other since what had happened with Vecna. With the way things have been going, Steve had thought that maybe, maybe they could grow as close as he is with Dustin someday. As close as he is with Robin, even.

Now he’s not so sure.

Eddie takes a shaky breath. “This isn’t what it looks like,” he whispers, staring at the carpet in front of Steve’s feet.

“Then what the hell is it?” Steve demands. His voice is thick, but he tries not to think about that. He can cry over how wrong he was about his blossoming friendship with Eddie when he’s alone; right now he needs to understand why it’s falling apart. “Why the fuck have you been leaving roses everywhere for me?”

Eddie squeezes his eyes shut and wrinkles his nose, and Steve is struck by how similar it looks to the expression he wore a couple months ago, when he’d curled into a ball and described what he’d seen happen to Chrissy Cunningham. Steve has trouble looking at him when he makes that face, because even as he feels his own heart shattering yet again after being carefully glued back together so many times over, there’s an extra pang that comes from seeing someone he cares about in obvious distress.

That’s what gives him pause, though. The fact that Eddie is this upset at being discovered makes him step back from his own emotional cliff to look at things rationally.

“I’m sorry,” Eddie mutters after a long while. “I’ll, uh…I’ll just go. Tell Buckley I said happy birthday.”

He tries to leave, limping as quickly as he can toward the door. But Steve is still standing there, and he stops him with hands on his shoulders.

“Harrington, please. I said I’m sorry. Just let me leave. It was stupid, I was stupid, and now…”

“Eddie,” Steve says.

His tone must snap Eddie out of the obvious spiral he’s headed down, because he finally looks up and meets Steve’s eye.

“Can you please just explain yourself?”

Eddie swallows again. “You’re not gonna like, hit me or anything, right?”

“Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know, because…well, because.”

Steve’s heart stutters. “Eddie, I wouldn’t ever hit you. Not unless you were really asking for it. Now can you please tell me what the hell is going on?”

His attempt at levity falls flat, and Eddie eyes him cautiously. At least he doesn’t look like he’s about to bolt anymore. “You’re not mad?”

“I’m a little insulted you think I would be. I mean, I’m cool with Robin.”

“This is different, though.”

“How is it different?”

Eddie closes his eyes again, but it’s only for a moment, and they don’t scrunch up in anguish this time. He sighs, then says, “I was leaving you roses because I like you.”

Steve blinks. “You mean…?”

Biting his lip, Eddie nods. “And when Gareth found out, he dared me to buy you flowers. A dozen roses. But I was too chickenshit to just give them to you, so…”

“So you…put them where you knew I’d be?” Steve feels his brows knit together as he processes the whole absurd situation.

“Yeah,” Eddie breathes.

“All around town.”

“Yep.” He folds his arms. “This was supposed to be the last one, and then it would all be over and I could fucking move on with my life.”

“Wait,” Steve says, shaking his head to clear it. “If you weren’t ever gonna own up to it, then why’d you write me that note this morning?”

“Same reason I was leaving the last one in your goddamn bedroom. Gareth found out about my loophole, and he forced me to up the stakes.” Through his teeth, he adds, “I’m gonna kill that little shit for putting me through this.”

“But just to clarify, you do like me,” Steve reiterates.

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Yes. Are you listening, man? The whole reason the kid put me up to this shit was because—”

Steve cuts him off—not with words, but by surging forward to kiss him.

It only lasts a moment, but it’s a moment that Steve is going to remember forever. Even if Eddie tells him to take a hike after all, he’s never going to forget the feeling of that startled mouth melting against his. Eddie’s arms, still knotted across his chest, go limp and fall to his sides before reaching for Steve and pulling him closer.

When he breaks away, Eddie murmurs, “Holy shit.”

Steve can’t help the breathless laugh that escapes him. “Jesus Christ,” he murmurs, unable to wipe away a grin as they stand in his doorway, foreheads pressed together. “You should’ve said something.”

“I was scared!” Eddie protests, and Steve laughs again, throwing his head back. “Vanquishing the forces of evil is one thing, but telling the Steve Harrington you wanna jump his bones is somethin’ else entirely.”

Raising an eyebrow, Steve smirks and says, “You wanna jump my bones?”

“Among other things, yes,” Eddie huffs.

“Like…what sort of other things?” Steve bites his lip. “You think one of those things might be dinner?”

Eddie stares at him for a moment, blinking rapidly. Despite the fact that they’re still holding on to each other, he sounds disbelieving when he says, “Are you asking me out on an actual date?”

“Sure am. You free on Thursday?”

[ptn-imagines]

Sorry tumblr is being a butt! Anyways, if I may, I'd love to read or hear any headcanons or imagines involving reader/f!Chief with either Countess Chelsea, Hamel, Eleven, Sumire, or Garofano. Whichever one(s) inspiration strikes for you. If I could be a tad bit more specific, maybe the prompt could be something like "the ways you and the specific Sinner(s) are kind and affectionate with one another"? Could be SFW or NSFW. Sorry if this is too much, been feeling kinda down with ennui and current state of the world and all. And please, take care of yourself and write at your own pace :)

I, uh, felt inspired. To say the least. Anyway, this has made me realize that it'd probably be faster to list Sinners I can't see as autistic... Also, in hindsight, I realize you may have meant this romantically. I mean, these can be read romantically, but they can also be read platonically. I hope you enjoy either way!

The ways F!Chief and her Sinners are affectionate and kind with one another

Countess Chelsea

It's a given that she'll shower Chief in dozens of gifts. Literally dozens. Whether Chief wants it or not. You know how she is. It technically counts as an act of kindness?

Also, with all the money and influence she has, she's definitely able to get Chief invited to many exclusive opportunities. The best seats at the theater, private movie premiers, exclusive, high-society galas, you name it; Chelsea can and will get it for Chief.

Honestly, Chief does accept these invitations from time to time, because not only are they a way to get away from the strain of her work, Chelsea is able to provide a nice buffer against her usual Mania magnet tendencies. In that she can help contain any disaster that breaks out, not that she can prevent the Mania from being drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Chief is pretty sure there's no Sinner that can do that.

Finally, the most lowkey way Chelsea shows affection is by letting Chief cuddle with Sitri on those days when she's tired. Sitri may be a terrifying big cat made of gemstones, but Chief has long since found that when it comes to cuddling, Sitri is a fairly nice substitute for a fluffy, domestic housecat. She also has the perk of being big enough to be able to curl around Chief, which is comforting. It's just a matter of getting comfortable, since gemstones are not the softest thing to lay against. Luckily, Chelsea is always willing to provide ridiculously ornate (but functional) blankets and pillows.

Honestly, the number one way Chief shows kindness to Chelsea is simply spending time with her. Though it's true she can be overbearing, Chief knows her heart is good, but deeply lonely; it's why she keeps asking Chief to be her sugar baby, after all. She doesn't seem to realize that Chief prefers spending time with her just for the sake of doing so.

Also, whenever Chief does wear a piece of clothing or an accessory Chelsea bought for her, you can count on the Countess being absolutely over the moon about it for the next week. Chief feels like it should be harder to make Chelsea happy, but… it's not, it's just not. The lapidarist is just too kind-hearted, too full of love and too earnest to be difficult to please, if you know her. And Chief knows her quite well.

Finally, when Chief has a spare moment, she helps Chelsea take care of Sitri sometimes. While she doesn't have the same needs as a flesh and blood cat, she still needs a form of grooming and brushing in the form of polishing, and unlike regular cats, that is a task best suited to human hands. Countess Chelsea is always diligent in this task, but nevertheless she has yet to say no when Chief offers to help, enjoying their bonding time.

Garofano

Like Countess Chelsea, Garofano has one really obvious way she shows affection to the Chief, and that is through mending and tailoring clothes. Half of the Chief's non-work clothes were handmade by the assassin.

Garofano is also really experienced with people and the human heart. If you need a shoulder to cry on but not a flat out therapist, Garofano is pretty much the go-to, and for the Chief? She's always willing to lend an ear. One time, an exhausted Chief actually passed out on Garofano during one of these sessions, and the assassin didn't move for hours, simply holding her close.

Finally… The younger Sinners in the Bureau tend to demand Chief's attention, a lot. While there's no doubt Chief would love to spend time with them around the clock, that's not feasible… So Garofano doesn't mind stepping in to corral them. Her warm, motherly vibes draw the kids in with ease, and they love spending time with her too; Chief is eternally grateful for the breaks Garofano has gotten for her.

When it comes to returning the kindness, Garofano isn't as easy to please as Countess Chelsea, but she's also far from difficult. She has a fairly mild temperament (usually), not tending towards either extreme.

Returning favors to Garofano seemed difficult to the Chief at first until she realized that Garofano was often so busy doing acts of service for others that she neglected herself. From then on, Chief did her best to help Garofano out in small ways such as assigning someone to tidy her cell when it got a little too haphazard, or bringing her meals when she got so engrossed in a project she forgets to eat. These little things go a long way with Garofano.

Most of the Garden would like to receive flowers as a gift, and the seamstress is no exception. It can be difficult knowing which flowers which assassin prefers, but Chief's got it down to a science: for Garofano, flowers symbolizing other members of the Garden (such as poppies and cherry blossoms) are best, but purple carnations, symbolizing Garofano herself, should be avoided.

Finally, Garofano's nature is that she very rarely finds herself in a position where she herself needs to vent… But she is still only human, with her own problems and feelings. When they all become too heavy of a burden for her to bear alone, she knows she can always trust Chief to take care of her.

Hamel

Hamel doesn't enjoy being touched – which makes the fact that she allows Chief to do so a gesture of deep trust and affection. Chief is always careful not to push Hamel's boundaries with this, but even on the days where this simply means being able to stand closer to Hamel than normal, Chief is grateful and honored.

Hamel is also a very withdrawn person, but she has a very vibrant and imaginative mind. While happy with her own company, it's human nature to seek companionship, and Hamel will almost always seek it from the Chief; if there's something interesting that has caught her attention, she can actually be quite excitable in conversation.

As long as it's what she truly wants to do and not being forced upon her, Hamel loves to dance on stage for an audience; however, she's a lot more hesitant about letting others see her practice. Yet, she often invites Chief to watch her rehearsals, seeking out her opinions on each movement. Chief, Hamel feels, is not only a safe and trustworthy person, but someone who can feel the emotions of her dance just as well as she herself can.

Compared to Countess Chelsea and Garofano, Hamel is probably the hardest to read and return kindness to. Still, Chief figured it out, and it was absolutely worth it to see Hamel's rare and precious smile.

First of all, Chief makes sure that Hamel can always find a stage – and an audience that'll appreciate her. While she's not against letting Hamel perform in Eastside if she feels up to it, Chief is quick to scare off anyone who might try to exploit Hamel. She respects her dance as an expression of the self, not a cash cow, and though she doesn't always have the words to express it, Hamel couldn't be more grateful.

Secondly, Chief makes a point of checking in on Hamel a lot. The dancer has an unfortunate habit of getting lost in her own mind, forgetting completely about the outside world and sitting still and quiet for hours. It's not exactly healthy for her and often leads to spikes in her M-value, so Chief always keeps an eye out for these moments so she can “wake her up” with the shackles.

Finally… It turns out, Hamel really loves stuffed animals. Chief never imagined she'd form a habit of buying sealife plushies, but here she was; besides, the noticeable brightening of Hamel's mood when receiving a new one was worth the expenditure. Hamel's bed was covered in plushies she'd received from the Chief, though her favorite was the first one she'd been given, a stuffed jellyfish. That one has a place of honor by her pillow, which it only ever leaves to be held by Hamel.

[snikt-and-chimichangas]

Discord Server Fall Event Starting 15th of September- 31st of October!!

Hey there, chimichanga lovers! This Fall Event kicks off September 15th and runs all the way through to October 31st, so you've got plenty of time to get your creative juices flowing!

We’re talking fanarts, edits, vids, fics, moodboards, cosplay—you name it. Oh, and we’ll keep you updated with cool stuff along the way, like a possible AO3 collection for all you fanfic aficionados.

Now, a quick reminder: This is just for fun! No pressure to do everything—seriously, no one’s going to send Deadpool after you if you skip a square or two (…yet). If you manage to cross off a full line of 4, you might even win something snazzy! Don’t be shy if you have questions, either. Just reach out and I’ll answer—probably with too much enthusiasm and way too many emojis.

So grab your pumpkin spice whatever, your coziest hoodie, and dive into the madness! It's gonna be fall-tastic! I'm going to share the respective bingo prompt cards (the NSFW one will be available in the ⁠spicy-writing channel! I'll also post some prompts here (I have like a dozen maybe but will update with more prompts in waves!).

[Here are 3/4 Bingo cards (the NSFW one is available in the server)] Halloween/Fall Bingo Rules:

Welcome to the Spookiest Bingo Ever! Get ready for a fang-tastic time as you dive into our Halloween/Fall bingo game. Here’s everything you need to know to join the fun!

How to Play:

Pick Your Bingo Card: Choose a bingo card from the provided list. Each card is filled with Halloween and Fall-themed word- prompts.

Complete the Activities: For each square on your card, complete the corresponding activity. This could be fanart, edits, videos, music, gifs, writing, songs, moodboards, aesthetics, cosplay, or anything else that fits the theme. Feel free to be as creative as you like!

Document Your Entries: Share your completed activities through the specified channels (e.g., social media, forum, or event page). Make sure to include a caption or description for each entry to explain how it fits the bingo prompt. (You can even add in your AO3 note a ref to the server's bingo!!)

Mark Your Card: As you complete each activity, mark off the corresponding square on your bingo card. You can use emojis or any creative method to highlight your progress.

Lines and Patterns: Aim to complete lines of 4 (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) or any specific patterns indicated on your card. Winning and Prizes:

Partial Wins: If you achieve a line of 4 completed squares, you’re in for a treat! Share your progress, and you could win a special prize or recognition!

Full Card Wins: Complete every square on your bingo card to be in the running for our ultimate titles!

Spooky Title: For those who complete the entire Halloween card, you’ll be crowned with a “Haunted Master of Fall” title!

NSFW Cheeky Title: For a playful twist, you might also earn the title of “Frightfully Frisky Fangster” if you complete the NSFW Bingo Card! This title is for adults only and is meant to be cheeky and fun.

Additional Notes:

Participation is Optional: You’re welcome to join in and try any activities you like. It’s all about having fun, so there’s no pressure to complete everything!🧡

Creativity Counts: Feel free to interpret the prompts in your own unique way. Whether it’s a spooky song, a chilling moodboard, or a fang-tastic piece of art, your creativity is encouraged!

NSFW Content Warning: The “Frightfully Frisky Fangster” title is for adults only. To keep things respectful and safe for everyone, please skip the NSFW Bingo if you're not 18+. We’re all here to have fun, but let’s make sure we follow the rules and keep it age-appropriate. Thanks for understanding!

Updates and Announcements: We’ll keep you updated with progress and announcements. Make sure to check in regularly for new updates and to see how everyone is doing!

We also shared some fall poolverine AND X-Men themed prompts in the server, so feel free to hop in to get access to them!! If you want to join our server, please send a direct message (not an ask) and we'll provide you with an invite!!🧡🧡🧡

_ Maul from the Mod Team