#Unique experiences in Chad

[lionheartlr]

A Comprehensive Travel Guide to Chad

Chad, a vast and diverse country located in Central Africa, is a destination rich in history, culture, and natural beauty. Though not widely known as a mainstream tourist destination, Chad offers intrepid travelers an off-the-beaten-path experience. From its ancient desert landscapes to vibrant cities, Chad has something unique to offer. Brief History of Chad Chad has a long history that dates…

[zanguntsu]

sorry to talk about iv again but shin is soo guy to me

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

And I loved Peyton and Lucas, like I, externally, I loved them as a unit. And so knowing that it was like curtains for these two, I just wanted him to know like, baby, it's been real. It's been so real. -Hilarie

You know, this was six years at this point where at six years of living inside this story. And yeah. It really, even though I know Hillary and Chad, I also know Lucas and Peyton and I was a part of their story. And to be in the storybook ending for their characters that we had walked with all this time. What a surreal, singular artistic, unique experience. It really was beautiful. -Bethany 

[ghostfaceaddams]

ibold | chapter one

summary: The five survivors of the 2022 Woodsboro massacre are now in New York City moving on with their lives or trying to at least.

warnings: cussing and a moment of violence in a flashback, that's all, I think.

word count: 3,060.

a/n: This is my baby so I hope everyone likes it! Feel free to pick an actress as Cairo or just have your own image of her in your mind or pretend you're Cairo; whatever makes the reading experience better for you guys.

series masterlist | next part

She was the most beautiful human being Cairo had ever seen in all of her eighteen-and-a-half years of being alive on earth. Living in New York City, you see a shit ton of people every day and that is literal. Hypothetically, you see a million people in a year; at stores, on walks, as extras in a tv show or movie, etc.

Out of all of those people, no one even compared to the raven-haired girl across the room. She was short, but Cairo could always spot her no matter the crowd. Most people teased her for her height, but Cairo genuinely found it endearing. Her smile was brighter than quasars, constantly leaving Cairo on her knees and rendering her useless. She had dimples accenting her marble, smooth cheeks. It was such a funny thing to Cairo, that dimples were biologically considered imperfections, but non-scientists find them alluring. All of the freckles kissing across her face were the stars in Cairo’s galaxy, the girl being Cairo’s revolving world. She had a unique voice that wasn’t like anyone else’s. There was a rasp to the edge of her words; sometimes the rasp was thickly coated, like when she woke up in the morning or was running out of breath or got excited. It could be deep, but not Sophia Bush deep. No matter what, it was always soft and pleasant sounding. A lot of people agreed with Cairo that listening to the other girl’s voice was calming, a remedy for anxiety even. Her eyes were big but not the repugnant kind. They were a deep brown that could light up and yet still remain mysterious. Her eyes were her most innocent feature and the ones that got her everything she wanted. She wasn’t just hot though. No. Her brain could remember the entire dialogue to The Babadook and graduated at the top of her class. She was very perceptive in a mostly subtle way. Snark was a fabulous hobby of hers and her heart was the most golden heart that ever shone. Selflessness and loyalty were the foundations of her persona, of who she was; what made her her. Everyone tripped over themselves at her natural, graceful beauty. Half of them were privy enough to see what she was about on the inside and fall head over heels for her. Cairo was definitely the latter. So was Chad. Cairo couldn’t blame him for falling for her childhood best friend. It’d be concerning if he didn’t. That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt any less to watch him give heart eyes to the girl she was in love with. ‘She could never be yours anyways. You know that.’ Falling in love with your best friend was the worst form of emotional pain imaginable.

Cairo despised the media and pop culture that romanticized the trope, especially the ones with a happy ending. Happy endings were overrated and unrealistic, especially when it came to “unrequited love.” It either ends up being requited, or they find someone else. That wasn’t always the case though. For eighteen years, Tara had only ever looked at Cairo with platonic respect and adoration.

Ever since she was a teen, Cairo tried to find someone else to crush on and hoped for someone to want her. The last part never happened until this year. She was still out of luck in the crushing department. At the end of the day though, as much as Cairo felt like she was suffocating, she was happy for Chad and Tara. They were both her friends that she cared about and loved deeply. She’d never risk their happiness for her own, especially when it wasn’t likely to lead to happiness for her. Cairo winced as she sipped the awful beer in the red solo cup. It didn’t matter how hard she tried with alcohol; it just didn’t fancy her like it did the others. “Hey, Roe.” Cairo didn’t need to look up to know that it was Quinn who was standing beside her. Quinn was the only one who ever called her that, her own personal nickname for Cairo.

Everyone else called the brunette girl by her full name - or Cai - and teachers called her by her last name - Miss Reed - or Cairo. She really hated her name sometimes. Well, most of the time if she was being honest. “Hey, Quinn.” The ginger got to work with grabbing two red solo cups and picking up one of the glass bottles of alcohol. Cairo bit her lip and scanned the packed room for any sign of her roommate or their other two friends. Cairo turned back to Quinn to shout over the music, “Where’s Anika?” Quinn was grinning when she spoke, her eyes glittering intoxicatingly. “She’s trying to help Ethan score a date.” “Key word trying.” Cairo teased earning a chuckle from the other girl. “Mindy is having fun watching, and I am getting drinks for myself and that cute boy waiting for me.” Cairo turned to follow the direction Quinn had pointed to with her eyes. The boy looked to be the same height as Quinn with curly hair & a stubble that made him seem like a fuckboy, but his boyish smile and awkward wave was contradicting. The brunette nodded her head. She took a step closer to the ginger and leaned in close so she could be heard. “I think I’m going to leave, maybe check on Sam on the way back.” Before the friend group had rallied together and ventured off to this party, the Carpenter sisters had gotten into it...again.

The arguing between the two sisters was becoming more and more frequent as time was going on. Everyone was on edge, wanting to say something to ease the tension but not knowing what to do or knowing if it was their place to even do or say anything. The twins and Cairo worried more than anyone, having grown up with the two sisters. Tara used to listen to Cairo and the others when they had something to say. Especially Cairo. Nowadays, Tara only ever listened to herself and only did what sounded pleasing to her. Guess Chad sounded especially pleasing to the girl. Cairo was really trying not to think about that though. About any of it really. “What? Come on, you said you were going to try!” Quinn lightly smacked the back of her hand against Cairo’s bicep. The brunette chuckled halfheartedly and raised her eyebrows. “And I did, now I’m leaving.” Cairo knew that if she didn’t move her ass at that very second, Quinn was going to showcase a frown and beg Cairo to stay “for herself and not me.”

(It was true, Quinn was doing this all to help Cairo take her mind off of the girl she couldn’t have. But it was becoming too much for Cairo.) Quinn was already in the midst of tilting her head to the side and parting those talented lips. But Cairo was quicker. She was quicker than anyone at everything, except for telling Tara her feelings. Which was precisely why she was in this predicament. “I’ll see you later, Quinn.” Quinn sighed but let Cairo give her a hug and turn to head out the door. It wasn’t until she was down the sidewalk and turning into the quad on campus that Cairo finally felt like she could breathe. She dunked her head down and placed her hands on her hips. She couldn’t stop seeing Tara with Chad.

Or with Amber. She had thought that watching Tara kiss or hold hands with Amber was painful, to watch Tara’s eyes light up whenever she saw or talked about Amber, having to encourage Tara to make a move and smile for her, she thought all of that hurt.

But this…this was so much worse. Cairo almost wished she was back in high school, watching the two girls parade around. Walking in on Chad and Tara, that had been worst of all.

It was her own fault, she should’ve knocked a second time and waited for an okay. But she could tell something was wrong with Tara and she had to get to the bottom of it before she permanently lost her mind. There were too many days spent canceled and nights spent on read. It wasn’t like Tara, not even when she was with Amber. She had left the apartment, bolting down the stairs and struggling to hold the bile in before making it outside. There wasn’t any shame in her body as she wiped her mouth with her sleeve and stood up. They lived in New York City, some girl puking on the sidewalk was the least weird thing citizens saw. Cairo went back to the dorm that night crying. Anika was staying at Mindy’s dorm, which was only down the hallway, so she didn’t have to worry about being bombarded with questions.

She spent the rest of the evening into later afternoon, hibernating under her covers with her earbuds in and curtains drawn. She was in the shower, changing out of her clothes from the night before finally, when Anika made it back. They spoke briefly through the curtain and then Anika was gone, off to hang out more with her girlfriend and their friends.

So, Cairo just dressed in whatever she found and got back into bed with a trashcan nearby. Having to pretend for another month like she didn’t know they were together was utter torture for Cairo.

Every time she was around Chad she felt nauseated, and she couldn’t look at Tara without her throat starting to hurt from suppressing sobs. At parties, she got blackout drunk so that she didn’t have to remember them being touchy with one another. She stopped texting Tara as much and didn’t ask to hang out anymore. For two months, Cairo had been smiling in the presence of the couple and drinking herself to sleep. She was getting tired of the drinking if she was honest. Being hungover and heartbroken was the most horrific combo.

The past few days she had been lying in bed with her hood blocking her from the rest of the world and earbuds drilled in. She hated how much of a baby she was about this whole thing. Hell, this felt worse than all of the stabs she received last year.

(Or the single one she received at eight years old.) Or worse than the betrayal of her older sister who she had idolized. “Tara will never be yours, Cairo.” “She doesn’t have to be, as long as she isn’t yours.” Then she headbutted Amber, sending the girl staggering backwards. There were three gunshots that sang Cairo to sleep.

When she woke up, Sidney was there. She didn’t see Tara until the next day. Since then, she hadn’t seen Tara a whole lot. She figured that the young Carpenter girl blamed her for the Ghostface attacks or wished that she hadn’t made it out alive.

Or maybe she cared more about Chad than Cairo. She wasn’t really sure. All Cairo was ever sure of anymore was that she missed her cousin Sidney. Sidney had wanted to adopt Cairo after being orphaned, but authorities thought it was best for her to stay with a closer relative, her father. He had no problem signing his rights over to Kirby three years later when she finally turned 21 years old.

For reasons that didn’t make sense, he didn’t want to give Cairo over to Sidney. Cairo thinks he just reached his limit and saw Kirby as the closest scapegoat. “You still want me?” “Of course I do. I might have adopted you, but you’ll always be my little sister, and I’ll always take care of you. Okay?” Cairo blew out a raspberry and started walking in the direction of the Carpenter-Quinn household.

It took two knocks in two intervals for Sam to open the door.

Cairo stood on the other side, twirling her earbuds around; to the left and to the right, raveling the cord around her finger and unraveling it. She immediately dropped her hand, holding her earbuds with both hands, when the door opened. Cairo grinned mischievously and cocked her head to the side. “Hello, Cute Boy.” Said man chuckled softly and smiled charmingly at the shorter girl. Cairo kept on smiling as the man turned back to Sam, who looked rather uncomfortable at the whole situation. “I’ll call you later.” The stranger said. Sam nodded her head and lifted her tense lips up. “Okay.” “Okay.” The man said, still smiling dreamily at Sam. Cairo had to duck her head down and scratch her cheek as the man walked by so he wouldn’t see her cheesing. She watched him walk down the stairs, turning back to look at Sam at the top step before continuing.

She raised her dusty brown eyebrows at Sam with the same antagonizing grin in place. “Cute Boy from across the hall, huh?” Sam scoffed and rolled her eyes. Her reluctant smile contradicted her previous actions.

All Cairo could do was laugh. “Get in.” Sam nudged her head behind her. Cairo did as she was told, plopping herself down on the couch. Sam gave the brunette a reprimanding look, but it didn’t succeed its message.

The younger girl had her hands clasped behind her head and was smiling gorgeously. It was the smile that made her gray-brown eyes sparkle and had Sam wishing for a different life for the girl. Sam smiled and crossed her arms in that sisterly manner of hers. “What are you doing here, Cairo?” The brunette shrugged nonchalantly. But her downcast eyes and moving feet said she was uncomfortable. “Just came to check on you.” When she flicked her gaze up, she saw Sam looking to the side and nodding her head. She released her bottom lip and ran a hand through her inky black hair as she descended on the couch.

The older girl smacked Cairo’s shoes prompting her to raise her feet. She promptly set them back down on Sam’s lap afterwards. Sam cupped the top of the girl’s bottom legs and turned to look at her.

Cairo no longer had her hands behind her head but clasped carefully on her stomach. She was looking at Sam like she was the older sister or the mom, patiently waiting for the girl to speak and waiting to catch Sam if need be. “She’s not dealing with this, Cairo.” The gray-brown eyed girl sighed empathetically, her head nodding along. “Does she talk to you about it?” Sam asked. Cairo glanced down at her lap and shifted. “She doesn’t talk much to me anymore.” It wasn’t like Tara had just dropped Cairo.

They stilled texted a lot and there were frequent phone calls. But ever since the attacks in Woodsboro last year, Tara had been keeping her distance from Cairo. When they did talk or see each other, it was as if everything was the same as it had been before. Ever since Chad and Tara had finally come forward with their relationship (even though it was painfully obvious to everyone), Tara had been more talkative and social with Cairo. The brunette couldn’t help but feel like maybe Chad had said something to prompt the change. He was a nice guy, very protective and loyal to those closest to him, goofy and definitely attractive. Cairo loved Chad. It just made everything hurt so much more. Cairo lifted her gaze from her twitchy fingers to gauge the older girl.

She was looking off into the distance, watching memories and worst-case scenarios on the blank tv screen. Sam looked miserable. That tended to happen when you worried about your little sister’s trauma. “What about you?” Sam stitched her eyebrows together and frowned at the younger girl. Cairo took that as a prompt to elaborate further. “How are you doing with…dealing about this? How’s therapy going?” Sam heaved a heavy sigh that left Cairo’s heart twisting uncomfortably. “I think I need to find a new therapist. This guy pushed me to open up the other night then wanted to assign me to someone else. Pretty sure he has a foot fetish too.” Sam added the last part thoughtfully. “Sounds like a douche. I say dump his ass before he dumps you. But don’t dump Cute Boy.” Cairo grinned like a cheshire cat. Sam rolled her eyes fondly, pushing the brunette’s legs off of her.

Cairo squeaked as she tilted to the side, almost falling off the couch and onto the floor. She watched as Sam got up, heading into the dining room to clean up. That’s when Cairo noticed the two wine glasses and two empty plates. (Cairo tried not to worry about the wine glasses. It was just wine…right? It was drugs and beer that were Sam’s vices, not wine. Christina was the one whose vice was alcohol in general. That woman would drink anything she could get her hands on. Anything that fuzzed her thoughts and shattered her inhibitions was welcomed to her digestive system.) There weren’t any candles or dimly lit lights on in the apartment, so it didn’t seem like they were going for an intimate night. Which made sense, because Sam didn’t know if Tara would be coming back or not.

It didn’t take a genius to piece together that no one knew about Cute Boy because Sam didn’t want to set Tara off in any way. Still, Cairo felt bad for interrupting their date night. “His name is Danny, and we aren’t dating.” Sam said lightly from the kitchen. Cairo shrugged as she picked up a weird looking piece of chicken to sniff. “Could’ve fooled me.” There wasn’t any noise except for the clinking of cutlery and spray of water. Cairo hoisted herself up onto the counter in the kitchen and cupped the edge. “I’m not going to tell anyone that I saw him here, I won’t even mention him at all. Now, tell me about how long this has been going on and who initiated it.” Sam couldn’t help but blush as Cairo smiled and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Cairo laughed softly at the flustered woman and playfully kicked her calf. When a minute passed by with no answer, Cairo raised her eyebrows expectantly.

Sam playfully scoffed and shook her head before begrudgingly starting.

[lebensmudewing]

Incels are not the (only) problem

They are males with low mate value, probably autistic or with terrible personalities. I don't buy for a single moment the idea that they are inherently ugly men, but more likely "mentalcels".

There are studies on them and they are most likely to have an external locus of control, mental illness, autism and obviously hostile misogyny and more prone to believe in rape myths. But they are not uniquely conservatives or alt-righters, nor fully "blackpilled", there are incels out there who don't believe in manosphere ideologies.

Blackpill is a set of beliefs around dating and women, it's often said that it is based on evolutionary psycology and biological determinism. But I disagree, there is evidence that these people can't read properly any study on the topic. Blackpill says that women are always looking for "Chad" and only tolerate regular males, that women are more superficial than men and that female choice is creating more incels.

Incels, in their communities, recognize that there are plently of men who are "fakecels". Men who are not virgins or even men who get laid on a regular basis, but support blackpill and manosphere ideologies. And also suggest that there are men who disagree with manosphere ideologies but are incels themselves.

What I see is that there are more men and people in general talking about incels as a male issue and using manosphere ideologies to explain inceldom than incel men promoting misogyny or blackpill ideology.

In that regard, the blackpill community who have more audience than incel content is MGTOW. And there is evidence that incel and MGTOW communities are growing and are more toxic and misogynistic than PUA and Redpill communities. Those are men who have experience with women, men who still sleep with women or hire prostituted women, men who have female co-workers, classmates or even daughters.

I see that what is happening is that, since regular people bought the "disbalance" in the dating market caused by women and accepted the term "incel", nowadays there are more men who are prone to identify with that label. I have seen 16 yo teens call themselves incels because this whole "male loneliness epidemic" and manosphere narrative includes early sexual experiences in the package, and since they are not having sex like "Chad", they see themselves as unsuccesful with women.

And also, they are more likely to be dragged to blackpill content. There are content creators who have been profiting from making blackpill youtube videos, and provide services of "objective rating inside the dating market". They re earning money by spreading harmful ideas about women and by sharing a kind of painful epistemology; the more inflammatory the idea is, the more truthful is.

The major displays of incel violence against women are not isolated, but they are also downplayed or excused within those communities and bystanders. It's seen like a feminist hysteria to call Elliot Rodger an incel who killed because of his misogyny and beliefs. Male surpremacism is not being met with instant censorship and banning on major social media plataforms, but it is subjected to a constant analysis, debate and support even from the most unexpected places,

Researchers have wasted time on it, multiple youtubers and social media content has been dedicated to this issue. And they usually call for empathy for "incel men". It's like most people are blind to incel misogyny, they are asking women to be empathetic with men who constantly express on the internet that women are inferior.

They are also victimized, it is said that is incredible that such innocent men with "complex feelings" are being labeled as terrorists and male supremacists, and it is taken as another proof of a "gynocentric society".

I see Rodger as a major piece in these scenario. It is assumed of him that he was just an isolated autistic kid, and sometimes, assumed that he believed in the blackpill. While I recognize that he held misogynistic and male supremacists ideas, in his manifesto there are observations about women who are not coherent with blackpill ideology.

He says that women he desired were dating men much more unfit than himself, something that according to blackpill ideology doesn't happen. Rodger also expressed that he wanted to date a blonde bombshell in order to obtain status among other men.

For me it seems like he wasn't interested in dating women for the sake of it, since he expressed to other men that he saw as something useless to try to talk to women and be kind in order to obtain a relationship. He was trying to compete with other men and feel validated and accepted by them.

The problem was not his desires of dating not being fullfilled, but his need of wanting to be in a higher position within men's hierarchy and men rejecting him for not achieving a major requirement. He grew resentful since his entitlement wasn't fulfilled. I also want to point out that he wasn't a real incel; he didn't try every single thing on the planet in oder to get laid and he was still young. There are plently of late bloomers in the world who lose the V card in their mid twenties.

My point is reinforced when I see incels talking about not wanting to pay for sex, because is not about sex, is not about being a virgin. Is about getting validation and being seen as a real man, a sexual being.

It's not women, it's not sex, it's nor virginity or celibacy. MGTOW ones preach that robots will replace women, but they don't offer sexdolls to incels even after performing empathy towards them. It is about being in a higher position, it is about their entitlement.

If all women were having sex with all men no matter what, I'm sure these men would find another reason to complain, another reason to compete each other, another reason to create and reinforce a hierarchy throught humilliation and labels.

I think that there are celibate men who have no problem with it, the same way I think there are men who are not virgins or celibates, but pursue their domination over women in order to feel better with themselves. They are the ones running the whole show with the excuse of feeling it for incels, they will pretend empathy and concern about society only to spread male supremacy rethoric.

It's not enough to understand incel men or recognize their more terrible acts, but the whole gearing around it.

[y-rhywbeth2]

Do drow have an equivalent of elven communion? I know they've got the chad-zak during pregnancy, but I was curious if there was anything outside that.

Ah, the question that plagues me. I personally know of no equivalent, and they certainly don't do regular communion. What I do wonder is if it's that they can't or don't. I don't have an answer for that, but I can babble and quote things to consider, I guess. First the 'short' answer:

I swear I've seen a High Magic ritual that can lift the banishment on a drow, though I can't seem to find it flipping through the sourcebooks (maybe I'm looking in the wrong one?) and turning an elf into a drow via high magic has been done three times since as a form of exile, which suggests the Descent locked them out. On the other hand, some drow can reverie, which suggests that the capability for communion is in there still.

On the topic of equivalents: drow apparently have a form of High Magic, although I don't really know anything about it so I'm not sure it utilises a form of communion the way regular High Magic does. It's also not an indication that drow normally experience an equivalent. If the chad-zak exists in realmslore then it might be a sign of some kind of twisted communion made by Lolth (it has been said that Corellon tied the dark elves' fate to her by making her the dark elven goddess of destiny back when she was called Araushnee, perhaps that formed a bond to her the way elves are normally tied to him). On the other hand it might just be unique exception like a half-elf being able to commune with a human child; a connection normally impossible but present due to the physical symbiosis.

And then me babbling about what communion and the bindings of the elven spirit is for anybody who doesn't know the details, with a side about how generic DnD lore isn't 100% reflective of what realmslore is:

Elves seem to have some sort of mental link between them [... allowing] another elf to project his mind into another's and the two share thoughts on some level. The closeness of elven communities comes from this habitual sharings of minds, and the elves do not understand other races without this ability, for they cannot conceive of being totally alone in one's own head. Apparently, elves look forward to sharing their thoughts with others and do it either directly or in "reverie" - Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves

Communion's a tricky thing, considering it was introduced in the Complete Book of Elves which is... uh, infamous for being the Complete Book of Elves. Still, communion made it into published Realms canon so it is canon and the stuff it says somewhat relevant. Worth noting that the former states half-elves can't enter communion, but then Ed Greenwood goes 'nope, they can.' Technically dnd rules do kind of support that since a half-elf counts as an elf for magical conditions that specify elves. Then, again, dnd canon has said that half-elves will only ever produce half-elven or human offspring and realmslore canonically said, multiple times, 'nah, a half-elf and an elf make an elf, actually.' Plus the thing with child names where an elf isn't named and picks a name as an adult (this custom fell out of use with the Tel'Quessir long ago, it was antiquated back in the times of Myth Drannor when Khelben Arunsun's dad pulled it out and decided he could name himself. Nowadays your parent gives you a name at birth).

As usual, what generic DnD might say about things doesn't necessarily apply to a specific DnD setting. As such I'm not sure the foetal murder orgasms exist in realmslore either, but who knows.

Negative feelings and isolation damage an elf's ability to commune, as Araushnee herself discovered when Malar had to tell her there were elves on a particular world because she was slowly poisoning her own spirit and couldn't feel her own people anymore. Not that murder and scheming and hating has stopped surface elves from being capable of it, but the deliberate attack on the dark elven mental health and sense of community ingrained on them from birth by Lolth is built to cut them off like her.

Corruptive forces also cut elves off from their elfiness. Such as Shadow Magic did to the elf Galaeron Nihmedu, taking his ability to reverie or sense the bonds between himself and his family. I suspect the Faerzress, Lolth's divine magic, fucking around with demons and such, plus the fact that Vhaeraunites utilise shadow magic can have a similar effect, and in total the dark elves feel like this to other elves (and probably each other):

“I want only to be certain this one is who he claims. There is a darkness in him I do not trust, and I would know if you will vouchsafe his conduct, and that of his friends.” The light faded from Morgwais’s face. “A darkness, you say?” She took Galaeron’s hand, then looked past his shoulder. Her gaze grew unfocused, as it would during the Reverie, and a single furrow appeared in her unblemished brow. She remained that way for several moments, then finally opened her eyes and nodded. “It’s true. You seem lost to me, child. It is as though you are…” She started to look away as though embarrassed, then hesitated and forced herself to look back. “It feels as though you are asleep.” 'The comment struck Galaeron like a blow, and he realized with a start that he did not feel the other elves either. The absence had seemed normal enough during his travels with the humans, especially given his trouble falling into the Reverie, but he should have sensed other elves as they traveled deeper into the High Forest. Instead, there had been nothing - no sense of welcome, no warmth, no safety. He had felt nothing - nothing but the anger and jealousy he had experienced upon seeing his mother on Elminster’s lap.' - The Summoning

Green elven polyamory aside, taking it personally when your mother is banging Elminster instead of your father isn't worthwhile. Just Elminster doing Elminster things.

(Slightly off topic, but this is also why I'm sceptical Astarion can still commune, since undeath almost certainly qualifies as corruptive dark magics.)

Off the bat, most drow are not going to be able to pull this off. It has benefits that would be useful (enough communing forges a bond between elves, allowing them such an unspoken understanding of each other to fight in perfect synch, and while communing elves are difficult to discover if you're looking for them). But they're too stressed to accomplish reverie they're certainly not going to accomplish this:

'All elves have the inborn ability to share their experiences, their feelings, and their lives with those elves they love or trust implicitly. This sharing, called communion, can only be undertaken by fully willing elves.' [Even the slightest hint of reluctance makes communion impossible.] 'Communion requires all elves involved (to a maximum of four) to be in a state of total relaxation. They must be in a place of peace, preferably where the world is not likely to intrude with its troubles and its cares. A natural surrounding works best for this operation. 'Communion requires the participating elves to be totally serene, thinking only of the others in this most intimate bond. (Thus, communion is not an effective method of relaying messages of any urgency.) All the elves must free themselves of judgments and prejudices about the others, which may take some time. Indeed, some communions have been known to take a fortnight or more merely in preparation for the bonding. 'When the participants have sufficiently calmed and retreated from the rigors of the world, they lightly touch palm to palm, finger to finger. They open their minds to the others, freely and completely joining together; if even a tiny reservation remains, the bond fails. During communion, the elves explore all the facets of the others' personality—the loves, hatreds, hopes, and fears. 'While in this trance, communing elves are totally vulnerable to anything that might happen to them physically for they cannot defend themselves against any attacks while communing. Mentally they are even more vulnerable to attack, saving at -4 against most mental attacks, for their minds are totally unguarded.' - The Complete Book of Elves

Lolth works hard at beating this wishy-washy stuff out of you.

I like to think they're capable of communing when they're safe and healthy, personally.

[hyperfixingfr]

A bit of a talk I did about an aspect of 2 and 4 I enjoy writing in Rebellion.

These two swapped when it comes to first impressions. I say that, because it's clear through the two interacting with others they trust that they are mostly the same kid that went up into space expecting things to be easy. Hoagie still has his gentle and kind nature underneath of his anger for the world, and Wally still has his aggressive and playfully mean nature underneath of his quiet, secluded front. Now, they definitely aren't the only ones who experience this. I focused more on 2 and 4 when most of what was going on had to do with them, but I really want to show more how those two were absolutely (and never were) the only ones affected. Aside from Abby being pretty stereotypically depressed, Rachel and Chad have sort of swapped personalities in a way. I know this probably isn't very clear with what has been seen, and the trauma endured by those two and Abby aren't ever discussed, but I plan on doing it eventually to help build a picture of what happened before the story started. I started it in the middle for a reason, and it was to build up what had happened in the months following while also progressing the story as usual. They've all been through their own unique traumas, and their way of coping varies from character to character. I really try to emphasize, especially with a character like Hoagie, that trauma can break a person and turn them into someone they never thought they could be. His "out of character" anger is because he's been through so much that he almost can't recognize his old self. Anything that appears "out of character" is because something, at some point, changed them. Maybe not permanently, but it impacted them enough to begin to uncontrollably shift from what they've known themselves as.

[spc-rambles]

I adore the steelworks gang, like more than I've seen other people express online.

First of all...

My little icon Lexi.

They have been known and initially regarded for their silly voices and jolly nature but I don't often see people looking into why they do it. Like their voices make them more wild than Marion who's generally loved by some fans but they also do it in spite of themselves. They and Theo did an entire upbeat song about how much they are failures to railway engineering with lyrics like:

"We're experiments gone bad

in other words whoever designed us must be mad."

These are not the words of someone with self esteem in how funny they are! They even showed them actually depressed when saying 'We can't do anything.' for the final time in the special.

And anyone who knew how long it took for more in-your-face LGBT+ representation in 2018 She-Ra will know that if this special just came out three or four years later, we might've had proper gender-fluid Lexi representation.

As for Theo...

He is still a pure little bean and I feel the ambiguity of his design makes it all the more reason for him to feel bad about his design. I don't know what about his design warranted gigantic cogs on his sides but we don't know what went on in whatever workshop he was built at. For all we know he could've had the Henry treatment, having been dumped on the doorstep on the first desperate railway executive needed an engine, as a last ditch effort for a dying manufacturer.

As for him being on the spectrum, I can still see it in his behaviour. Lexi was truly not gender fluid but once you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person.

And some characteristics are visible in him.

His unintentional bluntness. "Are you being scrapped?"

His tics and stutters.

His shakes in excitement, if you were to count it as stimming.

And who's to say he's not limited to physical disabilities? He and Lexi, depending on how successful you can view it having designs as unique as them on British rails, are the perfect ones to have given the body language they were adamant on giving all the engines back then.

Him being so gentle and anxious is generally adorable, so yeah, not so much to say about his actual personality.

Speaking of not much to say, not much to say on Merlin either, at least nothing that people haven't said already. We all know how awesome he is.

Beresford is MY MAN!

Beresford just wants a friend guys. He said in his own song that he was always ignored by engines who just want to get a job done. No time to chat with him. Loneliness can drive him mad. It is kinda sad that his appearance in Royal Engine was not only a sign of the further appearances these characters could've had but how it was also kinda a rehash of the scene we got in his last appearance, so maybe an episode of his own where he learnt to make friends properly would've been fun.

Ah well, at least he got some friends in another life.

And what can I say about Hurricane?

Keeping it real, working with steel.

Since 1902

He is such a chill guy, that while his companion might've had a lot of hard labour in mind for Thomas, he seems so genuine in wanting to take Thomas in while still acknowledging his terrible position. He could've done with standing up to Frankie though. But whatever, that's meant to be a part of his character, and he was voiced by the chad Jim Howick no less.

It's so funny when people say he sounded like a member of the royal family when he's played kings before.

And then there's Frankie.

Oh my god I adore her so much. Her manipulation being legitimately intimidating at the best times, especially when she's actually chasing Thomas down in the dead of night, her musical style bribing him into working for her, her VA's performance capturing all of her personality through line delivery perfectly.

Everything about her class, her demeanour, most of her lines makes me so curious about her whole life.

How is she running this steelworks better than the human manager of the works if there even is one? How are the human workmen so ok with her doing this? How did the other engines before Thomas get into doing her work? How did they get out? How did Hurricane stay with her for this long, let alone not encourage some potential friends of his to work with her? Was she indirectly responsible for Hurricane surviving as long as he did to still be a tank engine after she was built? Why didn't the railways surrounding this fictional steelworks not agree with this most likely non-existent human manager not just agree to get a lot of their engines to transport steel from their works? What did Frankie do? What are you hiding from us!?

The whole mystery surrounding her and her apparently feeling put-down and apparently not evil at heart according to her character profile and her role in the book 'Delivery at the Docks' makes her potential crimes such a goldmine for story potential that I really want to delve into very soon.

And yeah, that's what I have to say on them in canon. All beautiful characters that I feel need more recognition on a regular basis.

[creepyyanderegirl]

Yandere Chad Meeks Martin Alphabet

A=Affection (How do they show their love for you) 

Arm over shoulder, kissing,hugging,hair playing,holding hands

B=Bound (How much do they share with you) 

Tells you everything

C=Cruel (How do they punish you) 

Holding,takes things away,isolation,spanking,ties you up

D-Desire (How long until they take you) 

5 months

E=Even (To what level are they dominant) 

Same level as you

F=Future(What are their future plans for the two of you) 

Get married

G=Gifts (What do they give you)

Anything and everything

H=Hell (Worst experience with them) 

His jealous moments and his punishments

I=Insane (How insane did they get because of you) 

7/10

J=Jealous(How easily do they get jealous) 

Punches them

K=Killing (How do they handle killing) 

Quick but painful

L=Language (What is their love language) 

All of them

M=Manipulation(What could you do to get your way) 

If your sweet to him or show him a bit of affection

N=No (To what strength would they go for you) 

He'd do anything for you

O=Obsessed (How obsessed are they with you) 

9/10

P=Pet names(What do they call you)  

Sweetheart,sweetie,hunny,love, my love,beautiful, cutie,darling,angel

Q=Quit (How would they act if you died) 

Finds another girl

R=Runaway (What are your chances to get away) 

Goes after you

S=Stalking (How good are they at stalking you) 

8/10

T=Type  (What type of yandere are they) 

Isolating,Obsessive, Clingy,Possessive,sweet,Overprotective

U=Unique (Different from other yanderes) 

Jock type

V=Vine (How would they feel if you fought back) 

Holds you down until you calm down

W=Will (Would they do anything against their loves will) 

No

X=X-Ray (How much do they keep hidden from you) 

Nothing really

Y=Yearning (How much do they want you) 

7/10

Z=Zzz (How do you two fall asleep together) 

Holds you in his arms

[cloned-sheep97]

REASONS (haha reference) WHY I SIMP FOR RARO

Below cut if you want to see me go bananas

1. He's a boyfailiure

2.This also makes him pathetic

3. Kicks the homeless 😍😍🥴🥴 /j

4.no one likes him (me fr fr)

5.so fucking relatable this dude

6.High (haha get it? Bc he's a stoner) chance of being a single dad

7. Has a piercing, revealed by Ya No Se Que Hacer Conmigo (zoo wee mama)

8. Has a tattoo, revealed by Ya No Se Que Hacer Conmigo (zoo wee mama x2)

9. I like his glasses

10. i think he's kind of cute for some reason

11. them big ol' black eyes

12. dilf /hj

13. washed up

14. W rizz, in Yendo A La Casa De Damian a group of girls and a gay guy flirted with him so yeah, im not alone with the raro simpery BITCH @edgingattheedgeofauniverse

15. i feel like this is a weird thing to point but i like his body physique?

16. Probably makes fire food (or just fire since he has a high chance of being an arsonist)

17. I like his shirt!! Cool fashion sense!

18. ten inch dick.

19. Wow wtf was number 18

20. Anyways, free drug supplier

21. He likes going to karaoke!!! And grooming his students i guess /j

22. mmm veiny handnghfnfhfnf

23. I like men

24. I like raro

25. His name is unique, his last name is terrible, average canarian experience is the opposite tho so its ok👍 (guanamara torres if i see you ever again i swear)

26. He planted coffee in Nicaragua??? Wow!!! He's such a role model!! He cares about planet earth!!!! 😁😁😁

27. He went to therapy once, at least he tried

28. He lives in a place where everyone constantly beats the shit out of eachother, bonus points for survival

29. He gave children hederitary alzheimer, what a chad

30. He comes from the greatest fucking album of all time, need i say more? *Smug face*

31. he knows how to play the piano!!! That means he has a special ability with fingers...

32. Number 31 was so normal until the fingers part. Wtf.

33. He knows about mithology , hot

34. he has nice male knockers

35. What the fuck is going on,???? Wdym "male knockers"??? Can you please stop sexualizing raro?

36. Okay my bad, anyways, i can fix him type of guy

37. Has facial hair, i like facial hair most of times

38. was an accident (so me fr fr)

39. likes led-zeppeling and stuff (this would actually be a red flag if he was a FAN of LZ but thank bora he is not)

40. Middle aged, need i say more? *Smug face*

Okay this is the end of my rant, you can go home now

Me when raro

[laserdiscnvhs]

Double Impact remains amongst the seminal works of action films that can be credited to the sterling prowess of Jean-Claude Van Damme. Inarguably, the film is a tour-de-force that sets a high bar for an extensive sequence of action-packed content. It successfully integrates critical elements such as choreographed combat and an orchestrated narrative to invariably result in a visual feast for action enthusiasts.

The visiting card for Van Damme’s marquee talent has always been his unparalleled martial arts skills. The film, Double Impact, is no exception to this, providing an outlet for Van Damme to truly showcase his articulate control over martial arts sequences. His performance as the twin brothers, Chad and Alex Wagner, is a remarkable specimen of his capacity to deliver comprehensively. These two character roles illustrate the wide range an actor can play within the confines of a single movie, demonstrating impressive versatility.

Chad is portrayed as a light-hearted, jovial character, while Alex, his twin brother, has a darker, sterner aura about him. Van Damme manages to give each twin a distinct personality, proving his acting mettle beyond just his physical exploits. His brilliant execution of the two disparate roles significantly enhances the film's plot and makes it a gripping journey from the start to finish.

The narrative, presented in Double Impact, is marked by an intriguing set of plot developments. Built on the classic story of revenge, it takes an interesting turn as it uses the most vintage formula of the 'long-lost twin' trope. However, the trope is employed innovatively, not allowing the narrative to be hampered by any possible accusations of cliché or triteness.

As the twins accidentally stumble upon each other and subsequently, discover their shared past, the narrative escalates into a thrilling tale of action and adventure. The clever weaving of familial relationships into the tale, ties extremely well with the mechanics of action sequences. It enables the audience to invest more deeply into the violent pursuits unfolding on the screen.

As remarkable as Van Damme's performance, the film equally capitalises on its keen vision for choreography and cinematography. The fight sequences are crafted to perfection, with a striking balance of finesse and raw power, making each moment a fascinating spectacle. The iconic scene where the two twins take on the mafia is intensely breathtaking and stands as a testament to the choreographer’s prowess.

The film’s landscape is as dynamic as its characters, marching to the exciting rhythm of an international chase. From Los Angeles to inventively replicated streets of Hong Kong, the film offers a vibrant canvas for its action-filled spectacle. This constant change of scene injects a fresh breath of vitality into every shot, keeping the viewers hooked at every turn.

The director, Sheldon Lettich, who co-wrote the film with Van Damme, plays a pivotal role in realising the visions conceived. His mastery over staging action scenes and his acute style of direction brings to life the vital elements of an action film. The narrative and the action are seamlessly blended through his proficient sense of storytelling.

On the flip side, critics could argue some scenes are over-extended and some dialogues saturated with cinematic clichés. However, even these elements contribute towards knitting the film into its chosen genre, providing an authentic action movie experience to the viewers.

Double Impact delivers on the promise of an engaging, thrilling experience, driven by the compelling storyline, unique characterisation, and superbly choreographed action sequences. These combined with Van Damme's incredible performance as the twins, Chad and Alex, make the movie a turning point in the action film genre.

Jean-Claude Van Damme, with Double Impact, has indubitably etched his standing in the timeline of action films. The movie does not merely entertain but also impresses its audience with the craft involved in making such high-octane action films. It showcases an amalgamation of bold storytelling, powerful acting, meticulous choreography and an engrossing narrative setup. This combination of skilled execution and an action-packed storyboard ensures that Double Impact leaves an imprint in the minds of the audience, even long after its credits roll.

[beevean]

Sonic Forces

The music slaps. Sure, there are tracks I don't like, but that's not unique to Forces :P but y'all focus so much on Faded Hills that you sleep on Mortar Canyon and that is simply unacceptable.

Infinite is cool in both in an ironic and unironic way. He's a loser and a bully with Liam O'Brien's suave voice and I can't get enough of it. Peak design too, always loved the combination of sharp edgy points and his cute canine features. I do wish they kept his backstory of being Eggman's experiment, but oh well.

The aesthetic of City and Metropolis are really cool and blend together many elements from the Classics, Adventure games and Heroes. I can imagine people living there and they fit like a glove in the Sonic world.

Eggman was at the top of his game. Sure, I would have liked to see more of him ruling the world, but I love how he made backup plans for his backup plans and was always a step ahead of the heroes. He lost because of Infinite's cocksuredness, and eventually he got fed up and killed (?) him, learning from his past mistakes. Chad :P

[krikeymate]

Do you ever think that maybe the reason Chad and Mindy never make it to the end of the third act is because the writers don’t want them to see that Sam and Tara are literally insane when it comes to taking out Ghostfaces? Because that would change their perspective on the girls? Like it’s one thing to hear about what Sam (and now Tara in 6) did but to watch it happen?

And Tara giving Sam the go ahead to kill Bailey after Sam went stab crazy and stabbed dude 33 times and then Tara just watches closely as Sam stabs dude in the eye and goes “nice” that shit isn’t normal!

Oh, that is a galaxy brain thought.

You know what, it would. Like, the only people who have seen Sam lose it is Sidney, Gale, and Tara. Sidney and Gale, well they've been through this all enough times that they're desensitised to it and they recognise what you have to do to protect yourselves sometimes - a unique experience that people can't relate to (like what Tara said to Sam in 6, no one can relate to what you've been experiencing). And Tara? She loves Sam like no one else, she accepts Sam like no one else. She's accepting this violence into her life, because it means her sister will be there, and she's decided that's what's more important. And they may not share a father but the same blood runs through their veins all the same, the same anger, the same betrayal and loss, the same love.

Chad & Mindy, they can't relate. They'll never understand, even with what they've been through, although... I could see Mindy start to understand. I could see Mindy give in to the anger, to want to take revenge, only to falter in the last moment, to feel guilt and shame. Chad though, no way. The dude would be horrified - he would try to hide it. I understand, he would say, but if you do this then you're no better than them, he would claim.

If they don't see it they can rest with the knowledge that everything was done in self-defence. To see it, to see the brutality, the hunt, the enjoyment of their deaths... well, what is the difference between those in the masks and those out of it, are they not the same in the end?

[floralcrematorium]

Could you do 📚, 🏠, and 🔥 for the Hetalia ask thing? Oh and in honor of rare pair week, 💘?

Thanks for the ask!!

📚 What part of the webcomic/manga is your favorite? Could be a single strip, an event, a character arc, etc.

Hands down, it's the furby strips. I love furbies. And we got what? 3 chapters full of them?????? My discord and spotify profile pics are of furbies from the strips lol. I need to draw England with my horrible Princess Diana furby from my storyboard class lol

🏠 Quick! You now live in a mansion in the middle of nowhere and you've got your choice of three nations to live with. Who do you choose as your new housemates and why?

Francis -- Are we really that surprised with this one? We're gonna cook, draw, and then he can judge me for my fashion sense. I'm an adult who still shops at Hot Topic and he's not gonna like that Listen, it's the only place I can get edgy pants in plus sizes

Yao -- This man deserves more love and appreciation. Like with Francis, we can also cook and draw! I would also just love to talk to him. I want to hang out with him so bad. Like you don't understand. I don't know why he's been a longstanding favorite of mine but I admire him and wouldn't be irritated by him like I would be by many other characters.

Kateryna -- Ukraine's jumped up on my list of favorites in recent years. Like with Francis, when I write for her I take the bits and pieces I like and elaborate on them while I find a way to rebuild the weaker aspects of her character. I think she deserves to catch a break -- she's always been the one others rely on and she deserves to be Pampered and Appreciated. I think she's also got hobbies that I'd like to have more experience with (gardening, general outdoorsy activities/fitness, and textile arts). I also imagine her being a similar clothing size to me, so having a dress up kinda day would be really fun!

TLDR: Francis, Yao, and Kateryna because we have hobbies we can do together

🔥 Are there any popular/widely accepted headcanons you don't like?

Gonna be real with you on this one, I don't know what widely accepted headcanons are floating around these days other than if Prussia is a loser virgin vs chad sex god. I don't care about the spicy side of things because I just have zero interest (✨Asexuality✨), but I guess I'm on Team Loser Virgin because I think that's just really silly

💘 What's the most obscure pairing you've got a soft spot for?

Sigh. Framano.

It entirely has to do with the RP I have with someone. That's what introduced me to it. I was unsure how I felt about it at first, but it quickly grew on me

You will see rare pair week content from me, I just don't know if I'll be able to get it out during rare pair week. I've got a majority of part one written, so maybe I'll save part two for after rare pair week? Let's see.

I think this ship can go one of three ways. A: two people unexpectedly brought together and are uniquely positioned to deal with each other's baggage. B: horrible toxic codependeny. C: stubborn assholes gifting each other more and more expensive wine to one up the other. They are constantly competing

Hetalia Asks

[beautifulpersonpeach]

I am going to be brave and ask the question.

Why does Tae's personality seem so shallow? I know people will attack me as being a Tae anti. But Iam not. But that's how i feel about him. Everything he does seems so pretentious. I can't relate to him.

Do you feel different? I just want to hear what others think.

*I will also add that I know only BTS since their LA concert in Nov 2021. So I am new to BTS. I don't really have any bias as such so far. I enjoy all their content.

***

Hi Anon,

You're more than free to have your opinion on their behaviours. How you feel is influenced by your personal experiences, your personality, and your pre-conceived notions. Everyone has a different/unique combination of those things, which is why every member in BTS has someone who feels they are pretentious, shallow, manipulative, etc. We get limited visibility into their personal lives and so it's very likely Tae seeming shallow to you has more to do with your personal preferences than anything he's actually like in reality.

I'm a bit shallow myself so it's not something that registers much for me when I notice it in other people, but even then, I don't get that vibe from Tae lol. He just strikes me as the member that's as close to a Korean 'Chad' as is possible, without the incel vibes. He's a guy's guy that likes the finer things in life and he's a millionaire so he can afford it. His father and grandparents appear to have left a lasting impression on him and this plays out in how he dresses and the sorts of music he's acquired a taste for i.e. jazz and swing.

Everyone has their own opinions of the members, but most people recognize they're in a fan space where various people come to celebrate the members they love, and so people try (at least in theory) to be respectful when voicing said opinions. Personally, I don't care to harp on about what I don't like about the members, fandom, or anything really, since I've got better things to do with my time.

[geekygemsshoppe]

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