#YOU'RE THE NEAT ONE HERE OBVS

[couch-collector]

hello my dear friend Couch, i've come to humbly ask for a drawing request... i think your impressions and your works are neat (and you yourself hehehe) so i must ask it of you. i want to see your idea of the Fujiki family... thinking that a happy, maybe a little odd, glued-together, and sweet found family like them would be so cute in your style... if you want to... (runs)

HELLO MY EXCELLENT FRIEND CARO... wait you get back here how can you run after giving me the motivation I've been needing to draw Found Fujiki Family and then bestowing such generous words on me on top of it all, you know that's unfair! 🫳

I had a lot of fun drawing this though... if they could hold hands and spend time together and try all the things that make them happy that would be all I asked for 💖

But they should also be very peculiar it's part of their charm ^^

[aeide-thea]

so i went to reblog some fanart earlier and started to tag it #oh this is. incredible actually, and then paused and thought, @‍self why the 'actually.' what is that adverb conveying. and i contemplated it for a bit, and finally concluded: well, shit. it's reflexive deprecation.

the thing is, deprecation is my starting position pretty much always, and that's a problem in itself, but mostly my problem; but when you're talking abt somebody else's work, and you start backing defensively away from imagined negativity before anyone's even actually voiced any? you may think you're playing bodyguard, but in reality you're the vanguard of the assault, opening a wedge for enemy forces to strike.

i was talking a couple of weeks ago abt seeing ppl tag that kristin sue lucas name-multiplied-by-one post with tags like 'this is art To Me' vel sim., and honestly i think it's a similar sort of reflex—i think exposure to the tumblr vernacular often leads people (very much including me!) to produce turns of phrase like this, that ultimately serve to convey roughly

'i, a clever girlblogger,¹ am, yeah, engaging with this frivolous hai pollai²-coded material; but my relationship to it, unlike that of most she-ple, is Intellectual and Analytical and Examined! and to make that clear, i'll be dropping in these little verbal particles from time to time, in order to distinguish my own, elevated examination of the subject from the state of risible naivete³ i'm implicitly ascribing to the other, more ordinary audience members i'm conjuring up only to instantly put down—but like, it's fine, i'm a free-and-easy girlblogger(TM), so you can't think i'd ever deliberately propagate establishmentarian prejudices! never mind the effect my rhetoric might subconsciously be having, on me or on anyone else…'

and i think this framing is worth squinting at, and worth attempting to excise from one's speech and from one's mindset, because when you get right down to it? it's just yet another insidious manifestation of respectability politics, that's gotten people to adopt it via the cuckoo-chick strategy of positioning itself as cutesy tumblr idiolect.

and like, circling back around to that fanart i mentioned at the outset: yeah, the tag did feel weirdly prosodically truncated to me without that 'actually'! but this way, if the artist ends up seeing my discussion of their work in their notes, they won't be getting slapped in the face with a wet dead fish first, so like. what's more important, you know?

⸻ ¹ ""(gender neutral)"" ² https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoi_polloi in the feminine, if i haven't totally fumbled my declensions… ³ phrasing nicked from a comment of @‍proudheron's.

[lostinlovingrevery]

Logan and his... "Quirks"

Everyone is a lil weird. Logan is no exception

Some nsfw headcanons below the cut, it gets weird yall. some are tame. the rest are questionable. You're gonna ask me why i was thinking about it. you don't want to know

he CANNOT sit farthest away from the door. he has to be between the door and you. yknow in case of threats

feel like he would hate microwaves. idk why, i think he would extremely distrust the idea of food being heat up by radiation (Even if it wouldn't affect him?). he cooks everything by hand.

Don't let him catch you heating your food by microwave. He'll get pissy. then he'll make your food by scratch

uses phrases that were popular like 100+ years ago that no one knows. you've had to google some of them to figure out what the hell he was talking about

he taps his fingers alot. against a table, his leg, on you. it's an anxious thing

he doesn't laugh much but when he does it's loud, hes the epitomy of the word "guffaws" bc he's so loud. most of the time when you hear him "laugh" its a quiet chuckle. it's quite joyous to hear Logan across the mansion laughing

logan, as much as he acts like a wild man, is fairly neat. like, weirdly neat about his stuff. well- stuff he cares about. his jacket, his cigars, beer, maybe a few things you gave him. he doesn't need much.

this one isn't so weird, more cute- but he loves when you pet his head. only when it's just you two though

his nails grow faster than an avg person. He constantly has to clip them. BUT he does at least make sure to clean them up

i should add that logans is obv known for calling everyone bub, and gives nicknames to everyone

(he'll call you every petname in the book)

has to have his bed made in the mornings. he gets weirdly cranky if he or you don't make the bed and it's messy when going to bed that night (the man leaves his dirty laundry all over the room but doesn't like his bed not being made???)(nesting...)

hates the smell of incense (too strong) but he doesn't mind a few of the vanilla smelling candles. or the outdoorsy type ones

def will pick up new hobbies at random and then drop them (ahem i do that to)

doesn't finish his beer. he'll have a little left and go open a new one anyway

he acts like he's so gruff but he's actually like so polite about things when in someones house/the mansion. it takes you aback how nice he'll be. (x2 logan was just a bit stress don't worry about him raiding bobbys parents fridge)

ill add his fear of flying in here too

honestly he probably just doesn't like heights in general. he'll do it, go in tall buildings, planes, all of that (as well as we all seen) but don't catch him sightseeing out of the 70th floor of the skyscraper yall are in

he probably likes to wear all those layers because he doesnt let his hair grow out like he could. have you seen how much hair he can get? he keeps himself trimmed for you (if you want to call it that). the layers protects from the cold he gets from not being a hairy beast (let him be hairy)

oral fixation... i'll put this in nsfw

this isn't really weird...but he's able to sit in silence for a long time. just watching the view (you)

hes not an early bird. he'll get pissy if you are, because he wants you in bed with him. (people gotta work logan...)

leaves a clean plate of food. he doesnt like waste.

likes to grab you. hes gotta be holding onto you. even if he's single he's gotta be doing something (smoking, tapping his foot, leaning on someone), when he's with you though, you're his grounding.

NSFW

will drool during sex. he tries to control it. sometimes you feel too good though-

gets incredibly horny after missions. good luck.

also when after he goes into a burst of rage. good luck with that too

honestly he just has a high sex drive. he's a bit of a freak. it's not every time but rarely does he not get hard around you- at the scent of you

The moment you wake up in the morning, logan tells you "your period started" before you even have a chance to even fully wake up, only to realize that indeed you did start your period

he could smell it

dude is really intense about smelling

when it comes to you though he's REALLY intense about it. you know how dogs are when they smell you after you come home. logan is no different

can and WILL smell your armpits and feet if he gets the chance. it may gross you out but shits heavenly to him because thats where you smell the strongest. if you don't let him smell you he'll go for the laundry

your neck too

the man leaks so much pre-cum just at the thought of you. you'd think he came right there in his pants

does not care about you walking into him in the bathroom. he has no shame

honestly id think he'd like footjobs. not because he's got a feet thing- but like feet is where your strongest smells come from and if you...do that. his thang will smell like you

will eat you out and do you on your period btw. no shame

i don't think logan will say no to much in bed, except for the really disgusting ones, or the ones inviting other people in. he's not going to share you, or himself.

definitely has a thing about mounting you. he doesn't do it all the time but sometimes he'll lose himself and next thing you know is biting your neck and thrusting you doggy style, grunting and whining, and he won't stop till he's satisfied. the others have expressed worry over the deep teeth marks in your neck (Is he trying to maul you? - Scott)

doesn't like washing the bed sheets after you two do your thing. will complain but you have to bc you both are fairly active together in that department and you do not need your bedsheets become solid like rock. he just likes the scent :(

loves it when you lick his hands/knuckles

i think we all agree, the claws COME OUT when he cums. hes extremely careful about his hand placement bc of this.

back to oral fixation. if he doesn't have a cigar, toothpick, gum, his next best thing is you.

will SUCK on your skin. hard.

This is all i got for now, some probably really aren't a quirk but my brain was just typing what I could think of...might make more. Feel free to reblog and add your own!!

pain kink. a bad one. we all agreed on this i believe.

You know how animals have displays to attract mates? Logan is no different. When hes in the mood, hell puff himself out to you, do things he thinks youll like. I mean, i suppose avg males do this too but logan gets repetitive over it until you notice.

[ilions-end]

Hiii! I just finished The Iliad and I have THE NEED to get deeply into classics and greek mythology but I don't know where to start (obv next I'm reading The Odyssey lol) I'm also really interested in analysis of these texts, so if you have some recs on how to start and what should I read/watch/listen I would be very grateful! Thanks a lot! Love your blog!

hiii yay welcome aboard!

me 🤝 you: getting bit by the bug from reading the iliad

keep in mind i'm not a classicist (just a random nerd) and i'm obsessed with the epic cycle in particular, so i'm not super familiar with whatever parts of greek mythology don't bump up against the trojan war, lol. so here are just some cycle-specific reccs:

so for some PRIMARY SOURCES, somewhat in order of importance (according to me):

there's the iliad and the odyssey, obviously. basically they're our only two surviving -- and non-consecutive -- episodes of the ancient tv show that was the epic cycle.

there are several surviving plays by aeschylus, sophocles and euripides that portray other crucial moments in/related to the trojan war (in rough plot order: iphigenia in aulis, ajax, philoctetes, the trojan women, hecuba, the oresteia, electra, orestes, and more). a lot of them are excellent in their own right and well worth reading or watching imo.

(if i could go back and change one thing about my own initial reading order, i wish i could have read aeschylus' oresteia in between the iliad and the odyssey, to really appreciate and understand the implications whenever the odyssey alludes to agamemnon's homecoming. clytemnestra and orestes' deeds haunt several characters of the odyssey, and i did not fully understand the weight of that when i first read it).

there's quintus of smyrna's 4th century posthomerica, aka the trojan epic, which tries to cobble together the plots of the (now missing) epics that originally went between the iliad and the odyssey. the literary quality is markedly poorer than homer, but it really helped me understand the chronology of the events at the end of the trojan war. this one has the wooden horse in it.

the achilleid by statius (a roman, not greek) is a very unfinished epic that was meant to tell achilles' life story. the two parts that exist focus almost entirely on the skyros narrative (thetis disguising achilles as a girl to keep him away from the war). i think what little exists of it is delightful, but then i'm a statius fangirl who also finds achilles intriguing as a character.

as for ANALYSES, everything related to homer and the epic cycle has been actively analyzed for millennia (isn't it wonderful!), so i'd recommend simply looking into whichever facets interest you. like i love going to JSTOR and just searching up whichever character/scene/relationship from mythology i've got on my mind and read whatever catches my eye. if i land on a paper that i REALLY enjoy the perspective of, i'll look at its bibliography/sources and jot down whatever looks neat, to look for later (interlibrary loans rule for this).

personally i'm also a big fan of elizabeth vandiver's introductory audio lectures (she's got ones for the iliad, odyssey, greek plays, and classical mythology in general). the context and insights she presents have really helped my own understanding and appreciation of those works. if you want, you can drop me a dm and i can show you where to get them :)))

i realize this might look really overwhelming or like i'm giving you homework or something! you're forever free to skip straight to whichever parts interest you, that's what i did! wanna revel in odysseus' nastier side? try philoctetes. wanna cry some more about astyanax? read the trojan women (or check out the katharine hepburn movie). want a more faceted view of agamemnon? try iphigenia in aulis (or the 1977 film adaptation iphigenia). want to read breathless descriptions of achilles' androgynous beauty? that's the achilleid. there are so many stories out there!

[eurydicees]

pls can u tell me everything about fhq and esp fhq iwaoi i don’t really know what it is but every time i see you repost one of those beautiful heart wrenching artworks i want to die in the best way

YES GLADLY I WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING I CAN !!! under the cut because you're getting everything.

ok so some of the history lesson portion of this may be a little off, it's been a hot minute since i've done much research into this lol. but final haikyuu quest first appeared as a spread in one of the bonus pages in the manga! throughout the manga's run were occasionally drawings of the characters in little fake movie posters, one of them being an action/fantasy movie called final haikyuu quest:

this first poster and the original character designers are drawn by furudate! from there, it went on to become a mini bonus game in the haikyuu 3DS game, which is kind of crazy if you think about it too hard.

there's a playthrough uploaded on youtube here, but it's obv in japanese and i don't think there's been a translation of the game. there's a translation of part of it here on tumblr, but i don't think it's complete. poster from the 3DS game:

from there, it went on to be a CD drama (videos 8-10 on this youtube playlist, with subs), which is super neat. it's also one of the haikyuu light novels, but i have yet to find a full english translation of that.

i haven't read the novel or watched the videos with the CD drama audio myself, so i'm not sure how much it differs from the 3DS game. i assume they're pretty similar though.

so the premise at its most simple is that hinata and his party of adventurers are off to defeat the demon king oikawa and his henchmen! those are the basics.

the "canon" characters in hinata's party are hinata, kenma, aone, iwaizumi, and kageyama. on the opposing side we've got oikawa (the demon king), kuroo, and kiyoko. kiyoko has servants in the form of tanaka and nishionoya (they don't care for oikawa, they're just there for kiyoko). there's also michimiya, who is in the "fair princess kidnapped by oikawa" role that hinata & co. are trying to save. the full character profiles can be found here (everyone in game) and here (heroes only)!

now this whole premise is like. a little silly. the whole deal is a little silly. this is a volleyball manga.

with THAT being said, though, sometimes the most fun to be had is when you take the silly thing and make it devastating. and it's so easy to do that with FHQ. so let's talk abt iwaoi now <3

so in the story, oikawa is the demon king. because the premise is so simplistic and boiled down to good v. bad due to, like, this not being a real piece of media, oikawa is objectively on the "bad side." iwaizumi, on the other hand, is a knight, presumably human, and "oikawa's (former) friend."

iwaizumi being oikawa's former friend is literally his speciality and i think about that all the time btw. for context, kageyama's specialty is "prodigy" and hinata's is "strongest decoy." and fucking iwaizumi is out here like yea hey guys i used to be on the bad side but im mad at oikawa so now i'm with y'all. also my specialty in this fantasy universe is that i used to be oikawa's friend :)

like. what the hell. as you may imagine, the iwaoi angst potential here is ENORMOUS. iwaizumi who has betrayed oikawa and joined the heroes' side to take him down, iwaizumi whose greatest strength comes in knowing oikawa in and out, because the villains you love are both the hardest and the easiest to destroy. iwaizumi who loves oikawa, and who cannot save him.

(**side note, there's a lot of kuroken angst potential involved in this au as well, but let's focus on iwaoi for this post and save kuroken for another day)

so, as i said, the game's interpretation of all this is pretty simplistic and pretty silly. but personally i love thinking too hard and finding depth in things that are so not that deep. and it seems like most fhq fans also employ this as a favorite hobby because holy shit the angst people put in this au is INSANE.

the way i've interpreted it myself has been that iwaoi were besties/lovers/unclear situationship until oikawa kind of "fell into the dark side," because this is an au of every fantasy trope possible, and his reign over aoba became corrupted and "evil." iwaizumi betrays him to join hinata and take him down--save the world, at the cost of the demon he loved so much. but that demon, who oikawa was, is gone already, isn't he?

one of my favorite comics about them is here by @/ichigomaniac, where oikawa falls to the dark side and iwaizumi kills him to save the kingdom he loves. another FAVORITE similar one is here by @/hawberries! the premise of a lot of fics/art in this au run along these lines <3333

another super fun interpretation is a 5 part comic by @/duskisnigh, where oikawa and iwaizumi are running a kind of underground rebellion/safehouse in a world demons are oppressed by the human race. but as oikawa sees more and more evil on the behalf of humanity, he gets more and more unhinged until iwaizumi feels that he no longer knows him--and runs away with kageyama, with the intention of taking oikawa down.

personally i think the BEST aus are where iwaizumi--so loyal, so in love--is forced to leave because he can't stand to watch oikawa fall to more darkness, while oikawa himself is so devoted to iwaizumi that it's his love for iwaizumi that is corrupting him.....

in the fic i wrote, it's a story about forbidden love and how oikawa just wants to be allowed to love iwaizumi and he'll fight a war in order to do it. but iwaizumi can't watch oikawa fight this war anymore, because he's getting more and more dark as the war rages on. so he leaves, and was any of this ever worth it?

ggaahadhgjkadg . fhq. its crazy. i have a tag for it here, where i have been curating my favorite art. special shoutout to @/amezure who has some GORGEOUS pieces in their tag. OH ! and some of my fave fics in this au :

in the arms of loyalty and the hands of devotion (iwaoi, 23252 words), self promo lol

i can go anywhere i want (just not home) (kuroken, 3662 words) by keplcrs

wondering if your heart's still open (iwaoi, 683 words), by birdintheriver

Diorama (iwaizumi & kenma, 2027 words) by PlumTea

the ao3 tag is beautiful everywhere you turn, but i have a special love for those fics <3

so yeah that's the general deal! if you ever want to talk more about it, i am HAPPY to discuss !!! pls pls plsplsplsplsplssplsplslpslslslss!!!!!!

[pixiedust-poppers]

you know funny enough, I feel like Jake and the neverland pirates would actually do really well as a Disney channel show for older kids (like say Gravity falls) instead of a preschool show. You’d be able to get more into lore and emotional stuff. Maybe even plot?

I don’t know, if they ever did decide to reboot the show it’s a neat idea.

*grabs your shoulders and shakes you excitedly*

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!!!! LIKE!!!!

Ok, I think there is something to be done with Jake and his crew and his dynamic with Peter and Hook. Like for example how do the kids feel that Peter is only here for a day or a few hours, just enough to help with their issue? I'm sure the kids have a bit of an unhealthy attachment to him as he's really the only guardian figure they know, and as shown in Peter Pan's return, they all crave his attention so bad that they fuck up the mission trying to impress him! Like sure they can call him to bring him back to Neverland, but they don't perhaps he implemented a rule that they can only call him for emergencies. Which is also kinda hm. But you know he doesn't completely neglect them.

Word vomit incoming

Now let's take this a step deeper; what about Peter's relationship with them individually, it's clear he has a favorite, and it's Jake like that isn't a contest. Even if the show tries not to portray it in that manner it's obvious (I mean for fuck sake his name is in the title lol). His item(s)? A wooden sword personally hand-carved by Peter himself. After completing the Forever Quest, a golden sword called the Destiny Sword (towards the end of season 3) turns him into Captain Jake after giving the others a rousing speech about teamwork and how they can all get together to defeat Fathom with it. So it's clear he's the chosen (I'll touch more on that pressure later) by Neverland. But what does that mean for Izzy and Cubby? I mean sure they got items from him and he does care about them, but they're not as special as Jake. And they're never going to be, I mean god, Disney didn't even bother to make them Birthday episodes yet gave Jake two, then gave Skully and a minor character one. So it could develop into them realizing that while they are well-liked they aren't loved by Peter, Cubby is in denial about this revelation as he has gotten more gifts than Izzy. Izzy, the only girl in the main cast, is grated by this knowledge, she KNOWS and she has known for a long time. Enough to the point where perhaps she deserves a villain arc (then a redeemed villain arc) with the help of Captain Hook, who sees this opportunity to manipulate her for his gain.

Ok so jumping, let's go back to that Captain Jake issue. I personally didn't like Season 4, I thought it was shit BUT this new Captain Jake in a reboot could bring up an interesting little angst point called, "The pressure of being forced to be THE responsible one when you're only still a child." You might have all these other well-established Captains around you but, they depend on you to think of ideas, and come up with solutions to save the day, if you fail then it's on you but you're only 8 or 10 years old!!! A user mentioned this before but Jake could develop an entirely new personality as a Captain to make himself seem smarter and more capable than he actually is! This can go two ways A) he burns out and he burns out REAL bad and rather fast. B) The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and the realization of how much power he holds makes him realize he can almost do whatever he wants because he IS the 2nd most powerful person after Peter. This then comes his Power-tripping arc and the consequences of Peter not dividing this power between the trio, and being gassed up everyone, which raises his ego through the roof. This can only end badly obv and it does, how? idk but just know it does.

As for Captain Hook, because this is New Disney he can't be 100% back to his OG self but he can absolutely be raised to be more of an asshole in a Disney channel show and probably a bit fucked up. But you also would have to thread carefully on how you do these things, because one wrong move and Disney will have you rewrite the whole thing and tone it down more than need be. I also think there would be more to explore with the kids and their dynamic with him, since they also would have more nuance to them. They could have more stakes with him, and could honestly do more messed up shit with them he could make them have an inner conflict, he could manipulate one to join his side temporarily. Put the kids in more life-threatening situations that they don't come out unscathed from. Hell, you know what, I want him to win some episodes and get his way with Jake and his crew being powerless to stop it. It would teach a lesson that some days, you just can't win, someone who is nasty will win and get away with it and you have to be ok with that! (if you have resourced all your options first) Life will not always go your way. As for him and Red Jessica, show a toxic relationship, I mean come on do you REALLY think she has a thing for hook lol, it was shoehorned Hetero-shipping bait and it worked now can we do something else with it? As for smee, sharky and bones? I guess they can be less friendly to the sea pups, it would be more of a loyalty thing rather than a personal thing.

Also, the show could bring back the lost boys, to make the island seem less empty than it is, and maybe a different set of kids to replace the Native Americans.

Finally, to end this word vomit, the relationship between the kids. I really beg it be explored more. Now don't get me wrong they can have a wholesome and loving bond but not everything has to be peachy-keen. Like sure Jake is their captain but do they, not envy or resent him in some way? For example, they're all bright but Izzy is shown to be the brightest she has more knowledge about Neverland and its artifacts, so why is she not captain? Is it because she isn't naive enough? She isn't as nice or forgiving as Jake? She has no issue snapping at you when she's fed up? Then there's cubby, does he even have the real guts to be cut up for this type of thing? The classic "why him and not me?" type of deal. Then there's Cubby, does he hate being just stuck as coconut boy by his peers and other pirates? Will he ever break out of his shell, does he have a breaking point with his friends? Then Jake gets annoyed that they're not as in sync as they once were, he kinda hates that they're developing on their own and steadily gaining more and more independence. They're willing to talk back to him, be rude, and do less trio activities. Which leads to more conflicting ideas, possibly fights, and less "what I say goes!". He is scared of them changing and becoming their own individuals, he's scared that they might be growing up.

Sorry this is so so so long and rambly, I just have a lot to say about a reboot for this show that I cannot help myself.

[thechurchofsplatterdaysaints]

Made it to Friday and freaked out cause I can't abide not drinking on weekends.

I'm a fucking piece of shit. I get it. Week days don't bother me but there's something about weekend nights (Baywatch Nights) that I can't abide. Did I mention I have zero coping skills?

Got all emotional about some dumb bs yesterday and fucking froze cause I didn't know wtf to do with myself. Realize this is going to be bigger than just putting down a bottle.

Overwhelmed, unprepared. Lots of reasons for me to say fuck it but I won't. I'll take my lumps and get back on the horse. Maybe next weekend I'll be a better person.

When I was little my mom watched soap operas and I hated them. Couldn't understand why she'd choose to dwell in drama when our lives were way overfull with that bs already.

But the way they hovered beautifully distraught over their crystal decanters of coping mechanisms! So sophisticated w/ all the answers tied up neat in a glass. (see what I did there?)

Funny thing is with all my partners I try to get them to play "soap opera" with me. Gist:

Randomly I come at you with a *jazz hands* DRAMA!

"Dirk! But you can't leave me now! Mother's in a coma and Daddy has to meet with the board for the final decision on the Willomina line!"

*turns away, distraught*

Scene ends with a super dramatic (dreamy) closed mouth kiss that obvs turns into sexy biz but the point I'm trying to make is that it never gets that far because I'm the only asshole that wants to play.

You put down the bottle when you're in a one woman show that no one comes to see!? hahaha. Trailer park Liza Minelli over here with the saucer eyes and naivety.

We all knew Road House was gonna suck but it's incomprehensibly mouth-agape bad. You need to watch it. haha

[cynfuldelights]

what do you mean merlin made catholicism

Again staying awake at night, haunted by the implications of The Original Merlin helping to establish the Catholic Church. And on one hand I feel it's really easy to let this line slip by like a lot of other one-liners talking about long-term history. But this one takes the cake in terms of the sheer magnitude of implication. Like, Jim Butcher probably just thought it was a neat idea to throw in that he would never really expand upon further. BUT I DO. EVERY DAY. BECAUSE I FEEL IT'S SUCH A WASTE TO JUST BE A THROWAWAY LINE.

(Spoilers for Dresden obvs)

Like, if the Original Merlin helped establish the Catholic Church then that means they've been aligned with the White Council since practically its inception and vice versa. We're not sure when exactly this iteration of the White Council was created but regardless if it was created first or second this just cements the weird White/Christian ethnocentrism that exists in the White Council (a title that gets more accurate the more you think about it).

Like here's an obvious question: Were there wizards in The Crusades?

Probably, right? Like, sure, The White Council maybe has actually clung to their doctrine of non-involvement in human politics for thousands of years. But, like, that's kind of rich when OG Merlin was out there helping to create the Catholic Church, an organization that would be used to justify the monarchies of soooo many countries. You're telling me they remained apolitical, a THOUAND years ago when our conceptions of what counted as "political" are completely different? To say nothing of, wow I wonder if the Scottish magic practitioners were cool with the Anglo Christian wizards setting up shop in their ancient magical grounds. Do you think Britain/The Britons stole that too? Or are we to believe they just "handed it over willingly"? Or are we to believe that the Scottish mages got along with their invaders because of "apolitics"?

Another obvious question: Hey why aren't there any other wizard councils?

In some kind of United Nations-y situation, it feels like The White Council is supposed to be a conglomeration of cultures and practices across the world with a unifying board of diverse members who make major decisions. And that's really cool! I really appreciate the idea that there can be a global community for people who don't fit in to connect and learn from one another.

But uhhh. Why does it feel so hegemonic and imperialist?

Like, the Senior Council is diverse, that's true. Some of the members are POC, between Rashid, Listens-With-Winds, Martha Liberty, and Ancient Mai. But as you go through the list you kind of again wonder how any of these different people from different practices and backgrounds were able to cope with Western Euro Imperialism. Like, the most obvious example is Listens-With-Winds, a character who in his lifetime, witnessed genocide after genocide of not only his people but of all of the tribes across the United States. Rashid in his lifetime, likely watched the US turn the Middle East into a oil profit machine backed by US militarism and CIA support. Martha Liberty in her lifetime, watched Black people fight and claw for their basic human rights in a country that was built off the backs of their exploited labor. Ancient Mai, in her likely very long lifetime if the name is any indication, likely watched the exploitation of China and Asia by the Dutch, France, and the other European powers.

Again, are we to expect the White Council is WHOLLY APOLITICAL IN EVERY ONE OF THESE CONFLICTS?

And if they are, is that really being apolitical if it ends up working out in their favor anyways? Again, look at Edinburgh. Look at all the stuff Britain stole.

---

Ultimately I think this is a lesson in setting consideration for urban fantasy writers. Lindsay Ellis' video on Bright talks about this excellently, but to poorly paraphrase, you can't just import the real world without importing all of the baggage and strife that exists within it. You can't flippantly say, "Merlin helped found Catholicism." Without pedants like me going, "Uh. What the fuck do you mean?"

But also totally do that so I can harp on it endlessly this is the shit I love for.

I've got more like this brewing in my head I might put up, im also interested in what other implications people can think of

[goodpointsandbadpoints]

autism moment, can ignore me.

Obviously people play up how they feel about things. This makes it easier to connect with other people. "Oh you feel this? Me too! That's so cool! Now we have something to relate to one another about!" And there is an aspect of exaggerating one's feelings to match another person's energy.

I see this played out (for example) with my brother. He's willing to get invested in tv shows that he doesn't really like, just because his friends are. This gives them something to talk about. ("Nini, this is a normal thing for people to do, and you're talking about it like it's weird." yeah I KNOW, I KNOW—)

I'm living 24/7 on the "I can only do things I'm interested in" planet. On a related note, PDA North America recently made a neat document about PDA autism in adults...

So I don't know if it's more indicative of my autism or my asexuality that I sit here like, "Yeah, I don't really feel any of these things, guys. I don't have anything to contribute to the conversation." This is in the context of fandom spaces where people are attracted to people.

I could play it up. I could do the normal semi-pretending-semi-serious thing other people do. (funny voice) But that goes against my principles (aka I have tried, and it doesn't make sense to my mind, and I end up feeling worn-out and confused).

Sigh. If there's some insurmountable difference in communication and social understanding, people can't connect with you. (Obv this applies across all autism levels, 1–3. If people feel like they can't connect socially with you, there's kind of a bubble put around you. Not sure if this is human nature or the product of westernized society... so many factors...)

Anyway, all this to say that it feels so awkward to be me in certain circles. Anyone want to talk about knitting or sentence structure?

[videogametako]

baka review: touhou hero of ice fairy (+ prologue)

putting the prologue here because it is free and fun and not in the full game at all (which is fun but not free)

you get to fight the scarlet sisters and get a taste of the gameplay. emphasis on taste because the mechanics actually feel a lot better in the full game, so if you're hesitant on buying it because the prologue gameplay feels slightly clunky, you should buy it anyway and see for yourself and refund if you find you still don't like it. i managed to beat 3 of the story bosses before 2 hours so you can definitely get a good taste for it and your money back if you didn't like it

that is all about the prologue

baka game. real 9/9. link here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1955830/TouhouHeroofIceFairy/

overview

touhou hero of ice fairy is a bullet hell boss rush where you play as resident baka cirno, the hero of ice, on a quest to save her princess daiyousei from the clutches of the evil nightmare miko. it's a cute plot and the story segments are presented to us like a puppet show theater style that's super endearing with the art

even the tutorial stage plays into it, i love it

gameplay

cirno has two types of attacks, a basic shot and spell cards. hold down LMB or whatever is assigned to the controller to shoot and deal damage to the boss. to use spell cards you need courage, gained by dealing damage (i actually can't remember if there are other ways, but uh you'll mostly get it by dealing damage anyway). gain enough courage and you can use spell cards, consuming it. it's worth noting that some shot types do much better with higher courage, and all of them have additional benefits from being at higher levels of courage.

dash with RMB, and fly by dashing in the air. flying is completely free invincible movement and is really strong, but uses stamina obvs. the game honestly feels a bit like a souls-like, not that i play souls likes. there's a lot of dodging involved, but attacking is pretty much a continuous effort

i forgot to take pics of the gameplay and apparently this is the only screenshot i have. your goal is to clear the many phases/stages of the fight either by waiting out the timer or depleting their health bar. some phases force you to wait out the timer by making the boss invulnerable, indicated by chains

here's a store page screenshot

after finishing the main story battle, you can eventually choose to challenge past opponents in challenge mode. for completionists, there's no-hit and pacifist no-hit runs you can try

forgot to mention items, they're basically to modify your shot type and give you passives, you can see 'em in the lower right portion of the screenshots above

screenshot from the trailer

and, another thing i forgot to mention was the presence of an assist mode. it said it decreases boss difficulty as you lose so it's a pretty neat way to slowly lower difficulty as suited for you. it also gives cirno this cute chick thing on her head lol

story

the first stage sees us at the misty lake, where cirno begins her search for the nightmare miko's lair.

she's kinda dumb

we're then introduced to our first opponent, clownpiece

her being in a one piece latex suit might be a joke in itself i'm realizing. she's our first taste of real gameplay, and uses bullet patterns akin to someone who—as my partner so aptly put it—has a surface level understanding of what america is.

beating her shows her in a battle damaged state which i will not be showing here because she has her whole ass on display, but that'll be the trend for mostly everyone yeah. though, i think hers has the uh, most damaged outfit out of all of them. also losing enough times triggers taunting dialogue from them too, really made me wanna beat suika up more when i got it the first time.

oh yeah she promises to tell you the way to the nightmare miko's lair too! hooray! though, unsurprisingly, she is somewhat of a jester

and our hero is kind of dumb. in the forest, cirno stumbles upon some fairies harassing a bunny. after driving the fairies away, they invite us into their train

tewi's outfit is so cute

there are, naturally, bunnies on the bunny train

this bunny train serves as the menu and hub, i quite like it. there's an encyclopedia, a jukebox, etc.

reisen here changes your loadout for you

pls be nice to her, she's overworked

there's this cute board showing all the bosses you've beat thus far, too. incredibly charming

the story ramps up a bit later, coming with the difficulty spike (at least for me, idrk how others fared). will not be discussing it because uh no time rn, got other things to do

closing thoughts

this game is cute, charming, has great music. i'm impressed by it's quality, and it leans into its aesthetics very well. the redesigns i find quite interesting, and it's fun to compare and contrast the world they establish to canon lore

hmm, the english translation is a bit wonky, but it's honestly serviceable. other than that i've got no real complaints

edit: beat a challenge and like, this is a bit unfair i feel... i mean, i guess i could watch it on youtube....

if you like touhou for the shmup gameplay you will definitely find it here. if you like it for story and characters you will also find it here, feel free to use assist mode and stuff. if you don't like touhou, give it a try anyway

if this game looks fun, buy it over here:

[maiverie]

HI DO U HAVE ANY TIPS ON STARTING A TUMBLR BLOG? like how you format your links and everything i'm new and want to start a blog but don't know how 😭😭

hi anon!!! omg sure yes I dooo!!! when I started I didn't have anyone to help me so it was literally such a shitshow lmfao so I HOPE THIS HELPS!!

— (long post below)

disclaimer: this is all based on my experience and im sure there are other users with better tips than me so DONT TAKE MY WORD FOR GOSPEL BAHAHA

(also I'm going to assume you reached out to me because you want to start a kpop writing blog and not smth else, so all these tips are obv specific to writing blogs. I also don't know how experienced u are w Tumblr so I might say some obvious things,, sorry if you already know most of these things!!)

anyway tumblr is actually really intuitive and after about two days I honestly think you'll get it (probably even within a day tbh). here are some quick steps I feel like make sense in my mind:

find a url (if you're starting a kpop writing blog,, most people seem to include the name/a reference to their bias but in my case i kinda just went w my name and played around w it until I liked it 😭 you can also search for "url ideas" in tumblr if you're having trouble!!) keep in mind you can literally change it at any point in time so don't worry about choosing the -perfect- one

set up your blog! most of the time, people have a navigation post (the pinned post where everything is linked so readers can navigate ur blog easily), a masterlist (a post that shows everything you've ever written), a wip list (a post that lists all your works in progress, so fics you're currently writing and want to publish in the near future). additionally, people have a post about themselves (like an about me section with blog rules and stuff. this is my old old one). personally, i have a carrd right now (this is mine here) and you'll find other users have one or the other!

set up your navigation post: hyperlink honestly everyone's different (btw don't worry about taking these tips too seriously bc honestly u should do whatever you want on your blog — it's yours after all!!) but I think most people include their name, pronouns, age (sometimes), timezone (sometimes) and hyperlinks to their masterlist + wip list.

how to hyperlink im sure you've done it before for school, but it's really easy! here's a demonstration — this link will send you to my navi, and this link will send you to one of my fics! to do it, you just need to copy the link of whatever post you're trying to hyperlink (three dots in the top right of the post -> "copy link"), typesomething, double click onto the word you're trying to link it to, tap the 🔗 button, and copy the link into that! (in this example, it'd look like this: something.)

how to make ur navi neat/pretty personally, I used to just search for moodboards (on tumblr) and pick 3 photos that I really liked (obviously give credit to whoever made the moodboard!). what I have now is just something that I designed but you can have one or the other, it doesn't really matter! other tips I think I'd suggest is to keep it as simple as possible; you can embellish it later but make sure it's easy to read and people can see all the links! I really like searching for "symbols" on Tumblr, and then there are cute lil symbols u can add to your post :) or just use emojis! or dashes! this might be a little ahead, but I have a tutorial on gradient text if you really care, but maybe focus on the base first :D just as an example, my moot @.hazyyu has a really pretty navi!

apply the same principles to your masterlist + wip list + about me just search for symbols, add whatever images you think look pretty, search for "line breaks" on Tumblr and there are pictures of links you can use to divide stuff up! making a carrd is easy but time-consuming (just search on YouTube "carrd tutorial")

there are other caveats to a writing blog, but those were just the basics! here are some other things I thought I could mention:

a permanent taglist is a list of people you tag every single time you publish a story/update it (for the purpose of them being notified every time you post) — sometimes people will ask u to "add me to your permanent taglist!" which just means tag them every time you post a story. personally, I have a google form for anyone that wants to be on the permanent taglist, but I didn't do that initially — I used to just wait until people sent in an ask asking to be on it and then I'd have a separate post with everyone who did. for example, this was my old one! doesn't matter whichever approach you do ^^

people also organise their blog via the hashtags I do this too! it's so much easier that way :)) for example, every time I get an ask, I tag it with "#ask" (umm a lot of people are much more creative w their tags but personally icb lmaoo — here's an example of my friend who used a different tag and it's really pretty!). if you want help with organising your blog w tags, here's an explanation I wrote a while back!

if you want help promoting your work, you should consider joining a few networks! these are basically big big blogs that reblog all your work so more people can see ur stuff ^^ here are some of the ones I'm a part of: kflixnet, enhanet, k-labels!

you'll meet other users along the way and call them your moots; most of the time this just means you interact w them a lot via asks/dms. personally I'm not really active and I kinda find it hard to keep track of a lot of moots so I stick to myself and interact w anyone that comes my way!! but bae u can do whatever u want!! go find blogs of people that seem rlly cool and send an ask and just see where it goes; just don't badger people, be nice and I think you'll pick up on sm things naturally!!!

ur blog is gna look great!!! let me know when you finish setting it up!!! I hope this helps 😋💖

[castlebyersafterdark]

i honestly think its so real of you to admit that you find finn's music to be mid, and i will be one anon out here agreeing with you!

firstly, we can't help our taste, so why lie about something you think? its not intended to hurt finn. obv you appreciate his talent but it's just not your cup of joe. that shouldnt offend anyone.

and plus, you can love so many things about someone's way of going about in the world but not be a fan of certain creative expressions of theirs. for example, when i hear finn talk about his interests and passions and demonstrate his breadth of knowledge, it doesnt really match the output ive seen from him so far. meaning that what he makes is not what i would expect from him purely based on the way he talks about films and music.

but this isnt bad! i could learn from him in terms of questioning my own preconceptions, or giving his stuff another whirl to see beneath the layers. some things take a few listens sometimes. i remember giving a wedding speech once and loads of my friends came up to me afterwards and said i had seemed like a different person and they hadn't expected that speech to come from me. its fascinating how our insides translate to the outside, how people see us.

i think for me, it's finn's effort and dedication i admire most. he's a lifelong learner, and he's not lazy - and i really appreciate those qualities, because they're rare.

Right riiiiiight!!! It can be perceived as a little shade - but that's ok. It's not meant to be straight up rude. "One person's mid is another person's fave" and that's totally a sign of maturity to be honest to not let it matter? I have things I love that other people see as not great media or even cringe. And - fine! It's fun to tease and joke a little, to not be so blindly obsessed with some celeb that every single thing about them is something you fawn over. Admitting to yourself where your actual taste lies. I have some favorite actors/actresses and man they've starred in some shit movies. I'm not about to gush over the movie when I think it was bad. Still adore them. It's all ok hahaha.

Like you said - the passion and dedication and well-rounded interest aspect of Finn is what really appeals, even if I don't personally feel a connection to most of his projects to be quite honest? He's an interesting dude, without my shallow reasons of finding him attractive. He's still interesting besides that to me, and when I find a celeb to really truly follow, they've gotta be more than just a pretty face. His attitude in the Hollywood Industry is refreshing and that's what's the big appeal to me. He makes such niche references and seems so - and this is also with love - of the caliber potential of being a really pretentious indie guy. But - he actually isn't. He just has incredibly specific references and a berth of knowledge - but he's also such a guy. Down to earth. Mainstream and niche. That's the sweet spot. It makes it all genuine rather than someone putting on airs to appear "worldly" and that's cool.

He's been involved in such random stuff and I think you're right in that it doesn't always... quite reflect what someone might expect from him? But then again, he's into such niche low-impact music ventures and collabs and the fact that he plays these tiny venues and record shop shows while starring in some of the biggest movie franchises of all time is wild and fascinating. Photoshoots and campaigns with major fashion houses but he's out there in the same thrift store shirt and ugly ass South Park cap yet again. Dude's genuinely weird. That's so cool to me.

It's admirable to me and the bottom line is that if I was someone famous - I'd want a career and life like his, which is the big reason why I've latched on to following his life so much. I just think he's neat!

I'd imagine he's going to get involved in much different things as he gets older now with more freedom. Career trajectory of a more personal project interest route now that he's no longer maybe at the mercy of youth. And I like that's he's not an influencer or trying to be a "mogul" like so many stars of his age. (There's celebs I and many of us in this corner love who kinda fit that bill, but they also seem different than others who do the same so they get a pass 😉)

[morninkim]

What's your favorite example of an underdeveloped relationship/dynamic from the show that you put a lot of thought into for Rise? c:

Ooooooohhhhh good question good question

I think the relationships between the Rangers specifically were pretty well explored in the show, and I'll have to do a proper rewatch at some point to really get a feel for what could be missing from some interactions BUT I have a couple

Rise Tommy and Zack are so important to me. Like. They both love their mothers, Zack's a lot more open about it than Tommy since he's known his WAY longer. They encourage each other with their respective girlfriends - the S1 ep where they team up and Zack gets the dragon shield is so so good, that influenced a lot of my thoughts about them - and, especially when it comes to trans stuff, they feel like the other just gets it. They're T4T friendship goals fr

Kim and Trini, while I think is very cute and fun in the show, is another relationship I LOVE in Rise. I mentioned in the series outline post that Trini's there to let Kim cut loose when her parents get divorced, since hers did the same thing years ago, plus similar with Zack/Tommy, they both love their dads so much (idk if I'll design parents but I imagine that Trini's dad has obvious smile lines and Kim's dad's forehead is permanently wrinkled from Business Man Things) - Trini's also there to help Kim with queer stuff when she realises she likes Tommy, since she's never liked a girl before!! But she's excited about it!! But nervous!! And through Kim's excitement for discovering herself, Trini's able to get more and more comfortable with coming out to everyone

Skull and Billy's childhood friend thing from GGPR was something I wanted to carry over to Rise, difference being that they were friends in kindergarten until Billy's parents took him out of public school to teach him at home. Now in High School Billy sometimes lends Skull a hand with schoolwork (Autistic to ADHD Communication) and while Skull does get frustrated and they clash sometimes, they're good friends at the end of the day.

Similarly, Jason and Kim were friends in early Elementary School but went to different Middle Schools, so they're just kinda friendily floating around each other at first. But by the finale, Jason's like the older brother Kim never had but always wanted and acts like the biggest goober in the world around her to keep her smiling, while she's. Very Loud at football games to support him and Zack, and eventually Tommy as well she joins the team.

OH OH OH OKAY ACTUALLY REAL ANSWER Richie, Tommy and Curtis as a friend group are SO IMPORTANT. RISE SEASON 1 NEW KID TRIO. Richie and Curtis are lot more extroverted than Tommy and help her get a lil more comfortable around school, Curtis introduces her to Zack, which obvs leads to her meeting the rest of the Rangers and becoming friends with them. One of my fave things has been taking these two characters who really were just introduced to be White Ranger red herrings and making them MATTER. Richie sees Tommy getting close with Kim and is like "oh like, y'know, Kim's friends with Trini right? And you're also friends with her? Think you could,,, hook a butch up?" and Tommy just. Is terrible at being a wingwoman and is like "woahhh y'know Richie's preeeetty cool, she once saved a cat from a tree without using a ladder. Just fully flew up there. Ain't that neat, Trini? Don't you think that's sick?" and Trini's like. Ah. I know what's going on here. Curtis is sweet, but he does get insecure about being stuck as the "funny haha friend" no one really takes seriously but Richie and Tommy are like No dude. We love you. Let's go see a movie. Plus he's just so helpful and will drop anything to lend a hand, so Richie genuinely appreciates his un-asked-for-but-desperately-needed help at the Juice Bar

[forgottensaoirse]

OOC | Love Languages

continuing w this series...

5 love languages:

words of affirmation

physical touch

giving/receiving gifts

quality time

acts of service 

and here's what i said my initial instincts were re: my peeps...

Godfrey — appears as a words of affirmation dude but if he ~really loves you it’s acts of service!!

Tristan — acts of service he is literally a knight!! Send him on a quest!! He will goooo!

Eabha — bc of her ruling lady outlook she looks like acts of service but she’s really more physical touch

Cormac — giving of gifts

Ronan — acts of service!! I hope you like someone just wordlessly doing smth for you bc that’s what ur in for here bc sadly he’s pr rubbish at a lot of the others these days

Cillian — quality time

Saoirse — physical touch

Rosie — quality time

Valentina — receiving gifts

Eilia — words of affirmation 

Rian — quality time

Roderick — giving of gifts

Amira — tbd

Arthur — tbd

words of affirmation

ok so ive been thinking abt this more and!!! i think words of affirmation might ~actually be her primary love language even tho she just teasingly insults everyone all the time????? if not, its her second after physical touch but anyway im not sure!!!!

like amira, saoirse is a type 8 but ~unlike amira, she's a pr healthy example so, while her shared core fear is being controlled, like amira, she's much more comfortable w vulnerability than her counterpart/is capable of trusting in the ppl she loves in a way that amira can't bring herself to do so!! she's actually pr openly affectionate as we know, even if she does have to flavor it w teasing and eyerolling etc!!

saoirse had a pr healthy/safe upbringing, surrounded by parents (well...a mother...i kinda think saoirse was maybe a posthumous child for her dad but anyway), her two big brothers, and ofc the entire house of malconaire to back her up!! she's a v confident person, really, and that bleeds big time into this. being sandwiched right between brigit and aoife in age, and more or less growing up w the malconaire girls as sisters/cousins, i do think she also got a masterclass in communication skills that way, watching them be exhibited all across malconaire and got pr comfortable w vocalizations of the kind, since idk i just imagine the malconaires being really good in general w expressing themselves -- bran and sorcha, anyway, since the girls were also learning etc

however, she was ALSO growing up w those pesky brothers who would moan and roll their eyes if she got too sappy on them, so i think she learned pr quickly to play it all off as teasing which is why saoirse calling you a dumbass is basically her saying 'i would die for you' (girl's def the *angry voice* 'i love you, you idiot!' in the middle of a heated argument type smdh)

sooooo it might not be immediately apparant that what you're getting are, in fact, words of affirmation tbqh but once you kinda learn her language a bit!!!! if she likes you you will get lots of this loving ribbing smdh

physical touch

ok so if not the big one, this is def ~a big one (and honestly might still be the primary one!!!!), but this is one she developed pr quickly too. while the verbal communication came from hanging out w the ladies, this one came from hanging out w her brothers. saoirse learned v quickly that a light elbow to the ribs really meant 'ur neat' and that a slap on the back meant 'good job,' and she's fluent in this language too!

as i said, saoirse is a pr healthy type 8 so really for her just being open emotionally w her loved ones is saying ily!!! that being said, i do think she can be a bit confusing bc on the surface she's pr affectionate w most ppl uess she doesn't trust/like you in which case she's pr open abt ~that, so like!!!! idk how obv it is when she slips out of casual affection into genuine love for another person tbqh?? but allowing herself real vulnerability is the key. however, she does disguise this w her open demeanor bc...well...she ~is a type 8 after all!! alsdkjfsd and i think that's where physical touch really comes in?? like she'll be casually friendly w most ppl but she won't ~touch most ppl? but if she's ride or die for you, she will take you by the hand or grab your sleeve, or pat your shoulder, etc. these are usually pr subtle gestures, i feel, so again if you don't know her ~ways of communicating~ that well you might not pick up on it being any different from the usual affection she bestows esp bc she's def upped the ante w ribbing you so you might even think she thinks ur annoying but!!!!!! here we are laksjdflkjsdfj

growing up as she did, tho, i think she actually has a fairly good grasp of all of these bc i do think she was treated to a v loving upbringing so she can dip in and out of all of these when needed but i do think this one just comes v naturally to her

ok talking this out more...this ~is the big one for her after all!!

giving/receiving gifts

so idk that saoirse does a ~ton of this, but when she does that thing is hella heartfelt!!!!! and is it ~probably handmade!!!!!! and she will play it off like it was nothing!!!! but she went to some insane effort to make that for you!!!! and its mostly just that she wants you to know that she was thinking of you and wants you to remember that every time you reach for that thing she made you!!!!!! bc you are valued, dammit!!!!! also she is awko in giving -- again referencing rick o'connell's gift giving in the mummy!!!! this is a vulnerable moment!!!! but she wants to pretend she's not bc #type8 alksdfjsdljkf

i do think, frankly, that she's probs more awkward w ~receiving than ~giving gifts honestly like wtf how does she play ~this off like its all casual and not some vulnerable thing????? laksdjflkjdsjfa and, like -- and this goes for acts of service rendered to ~her, as well, she doesn't know what to do w feeling touched or someone else doing for ~her honestly??? saoirse's used to looking out for her stupid big brothers like???? being a nanny??? a literal servant????? this is an upset of the natural world order!!!!! so she probs just gets really weirdly quiet (for her) and is just really softly like 'thank you' and probs has a lil trouble looking at you frankly, esp bc the meaning def isn't lost on her like!!! this is one of ronan's big love languages she gets what she's being told here!!!! she just doesn't know what to do w that and doesn't want to embarrass ~you by making you feel any more vulnerable than you already do, either!!! bc she doesn't like that so she assumes others don't either!!!

but also she will later def make a point of wearing that/using that/displaying that/whatever so that you know how much she treasures that gesture!!!!!!!

quality time

so this is another of saoirse's favs!! honestly in her book the best way ~to increase affection as ~well as a way of displaying it without having to be too vulnerable w it!!! she probs prefers a mutual activity rather than smth like reading different books together or smth like that bc the idea, for her, is actively engaging you!!! she wants to be near and w you and hear your voice and know ur thoughts and, most of all, she wants to laugh w you!! she doesn't care ~what you do or ~what you talk abt, she just wants interaction!!!

acts of service 

so i talked a lil abt this in the giving/receiving gifts portion but kinda by nature of her position in both her family (only sister) and in society (servant), saoirse does a lottttttt of this!!!! tbh idk that its her most natural love language, but its one she's v much fluent in and practices on the daily, and frankly idk that she ~could serve someone she doesn't love even tho she's literally a servant!!!! lasdkjflksjdf she deffff has to at leasT respect you but i do think there needs to be devotion there (again, girl is type 8!!!!!! she literally fears being under someone's thumb!!!!! the trust has goT to be there!!!!)!!!!!! but it is CERTAINLY the case that her work for the lorcans and for the malconaires before them were all v much in the acts of service love language category!!!!! so she does all of that v willingly and cheerfully (tho w her brothers also w a lot of heavy eye rolling!!!!!!) out of love <333

as i said when talking about ~receiving gifts tho she's also extremely bashful abt receiving acts of service honestly!!!! it makes her feel suuuuper vulnerable!!!! she knows what that takes, but also she's not really that accustomed to receiving that way and!!!!!! she doesn't quite know what to do w herself!!!! anyway, she probs behaves more or less along the same lines as w receiving gifts, but since there's no way she can later symbolize how much it meant by like displaying it in some way, she'll probs respond w her go-to physical touch, clasping ur hand or smth and, depending how great the service, might not even say a word???? or if she does it'll probs be after a moment or two bc somehow??? that'd just spoil it all??? make it less meaningful bc she'd have to disguise that in some way or whatever??? idk i just feel like this would be pr raw for her really so yeah!! here we are!!

[fics-not-tragedies]

Dance For You: Two

one - two - three - four - five

It's just porn folks, here I said it outloud 😂 Folks, don't be silly wrap your willy, obv.

Words: 2195; Warnings: lots of Italian pet names, also it's just pure smut; Summary: You dedcide to visit Santino at his apartment;

Readers tag list:

@marytvirgin; @penwieldingdreamer;

The elevator doors slid open with a soft ping, revealing a sprawling expanse of polished marble and gleaming chrome. I stepped out, my heels clicking on the cool stone floor as I followed Santino into his penthouse. The room was a symphony of opulence, the soft glow of the setting sun casting a warm, golden hue over the plush velvet sofas and gleaming chrome furnishings. The dance pole stood provocatively at the center of the room, a silent sentinel amidst the grandeur.

Santino turned to face me, his piercing green eyes locked onto mine. "Drink, bella?" he asked, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through my very soul. "Wine, champagne, or something stronger?"

I hesitated for a moment, my heart still pounding from the intense orgasm he had just given me. "Whiskey," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Neat."

He nodded, turning to pour two glasses from a decanter on the bar. I watched him move, his muscular frame fluid and graceful despite his size. There was an air of power and control about him, a dominance that was both intimidating and exhilarating.

He handed me a glass, our fingers brushing as he did so.

I could feel the electricity between us, the spark that seemed to ignite every time we touched. I took a sip, the amber liquid burning a trail down my throat, warming my belly.

Santino watched me, his eyes never leaving mine. "You're beautiful, bella, you know that?" he said, his voice a low growl.

I felt a blush creep up my cheeks at his words, my heart fluttering in my chest. "Thank you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He reached out, his fingers tracing the line of my jaw, tilting my chin up so that our eyes met. "I want to fuck you, bella," he said, his voice firm, commanding. "Right here, right now."

My heart pounded in my chest, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. He didn't wait for my response, just took my glass from my hand and set it down on the bar. He reached out, his hands grabbing my hips and lifting me up onto the cool marble surface.

I gasped at the sudden movement, my hands reaching out to steady myself, landing on his broad shoulders. He stepped between my legs, his eyes never leaving mine, a predatory gleam in them.

"You want this, don't you, bella?" he growled, his voice thick with desire. "You want me to fuck you hard and fast, right here on this counter?"

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. I was wet, so fucking wet, my pussy aching for him. I nodded, my voice lost somewhere in the back of my throat.

"Say it," he commanded, his voice firm. "Tell me you want it, bella."

I swallowed hard, my eyes locked onto his. "I want it," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I want you to fuck me."

A slow, wicked smile spread across his face as he reached down, his hands gripping my thighs and pulling me to the edge of the counter. He pushed my legs apart, exposing me to him. I could feel the cool marble against my back, the heat of his body between my legs.

He didn't waste any time. He unzipped his pants, his cock springing free, hard and ready. I could see the pre-cum glistening at the tip, and I licked my lips in anticipation.

Santino reached over to the counter and grabbed a condom, tearing open the packet and rolling it onto his hard cock. He grabbed my wrists, pinning them above my head with one hand while the other reached down to guide his cock to my entrance.

"Fuck me," I begged, my hips bucking against him. "Please, Santino. I need you inside me."

He chuckled, a low, throaty sound that sent shivers down my spine. "Patience, bella," he murmured, rubbing the head of his cock against my clit. "I want to make you beg for it."

I moaned, my body aching with need. He continued to tease me, his cock sliding against my clit, coating it with his pre-cum.

I could feel the heat building between my legs, my pussy throbbing with need. I tried to buck against him, to force him inside me, but he held me steady with an iron grip.

"Please," I begged, my voice hoarse with desire. I need you."

He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. "You're going to get what you want," he whispered, his voice a low growl. "But first, you're going to beg for it, bella."

He released my wrists, his hands moving to my breasts. He squeezed them, his thumbs brushing against my nipples, making them harden even more.

I moaned, my head falling back, exposing my neck to him. He took advantage, his lips and teeth trailing down my skin, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

"Fuck, you feel so good," he growled, his voice thick with desire. "I can't wait to be inside you, bella."

I could feel his cock pressing against my entrance, hot and hard. I wiggled my hips, trying to get him to slide in, but he held back, teasing me.

"Please," I begged, my voice ragged. "I need you inside me."

He chuckled, a low, wicked sound.

"Cazzo bella, you're so greedy, aren't you?" he said, his voice laced with amusement. "You can't wait to have my cock inside you."

I bit my lip, nodding eagerly. "Yes," I whispered. "I need it."

He leaned back, his eyes locked onto mine as he finally, finally, pushed his cock inside me. I gasped at the sensation, my body stretching to accommodate him. He was big, bigger than anyone I had ever been with, and it took a moment for me to adjust.

"Cazzo, you're tight," he groaned, his eyes closing briefly as he pushed in deeper.

I could feel every inch of him, stretching me, filling me completely. I moaned, my hands reaching up to grip his shoulders, my nails digging into his flesh.

"More," I begged, my hips bucking against him. "Give me more."

He obliged, pulling back slightly before thrusting forward again, harder this time. I cried out, my body arching off the counter as he hit that spot deep inside me that made my toes curl.

"Fuck, yes," he growled, his pace quickening. "You feel so good, bella. So fucking tight and wet."

I could feel the heat building between my legs, my body tensing as he continued to pound into me.

His cock was hitting all the right spots, sending waves of pleasure coursing through me. I could feel my orgasm building, my body tensing as he drove me closer and closer to the edge.

"Fuck, yes," I moaned, my head falling back. "Don't stop, Santino.” He kept going, his pace relentless, his cock filling me completely. I could feel the cool marble of the counter against my back, the heat of his body between my legs. The contrast was intoxicating, sending shivers down my spine.

"Come for me, bella," he growled, his voice thick with desire.

"I want to feel you come all over my cock." I could feel my pussy pulsing around him, my juices coating his cock as he continued to pound into me.

"Cazzo, yes," he groaned, his pace quickening. "Take every fucking inch of me."

I could feel his cock swelling inside me, his own orgasm building. He leaned down, his lips finding mine, his tongue pushing into my mouth, dominating me.

I could taste myself on him, the salty sweetness of my pussy on his tongue. It was fucking intoxicating, and I moaned into his mouth, my hips bucking against him, wanting more.

He pulled back, his eyes locked onto mine. "You like that, don't you?" he growled. "You like tasting your pussy on my tongue, bella."

I nodded, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. "I fucking love it."

He grinned, a wicked, predatory smile that sent shivers down my spine. "Good," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Because I want you to taste yourself on me again. I want you to lick every fucking inch of my cock clean."

He pulled out of me, his cock glistening with my juices. I could see the pre-cum beading at the tip, and I licked my lips in anticipation. He grabbed my hips and flipped me over, so that I was on my hands and knees on the counter.

"Fuck," I moaned as he pushed back into me, his cock filling me completely again. "Yes, Santino."

He started to move, his hips slapping against my ass as he pounded into me.

The sound of our flesh meeting filled the room, a filthy symphony that only served to heighten my arousal.

"Fuck, yes," I moaned, my fingers gripping the edge of the counter for dear life. "Fuck me hard, Santino. Make me come all over your cock."

He growled in response, his fingers digging into my hips as he picked up the pace. His cock was hitting that spot deep inside me with every thrust, sending waves of pleasure coursing through my body.

"Take it, bella," he grunted, his voice thick with desire. "Take every fucking inch of me. You can do it, baby. Show me how much you can take."

I moaned, my body arching as I pushed back against him, taking him deeper with each thrust. I could feel my pussy stretching to accommodate him, the sensation bordering on pain, but it only served to heighten my pleasure.

"Cazzo, yes," he growled, his pace relentless. "You're taking it so well, bella. Such a good girl."

I could feel my orgasm building, my body tensing as he continued to pound into me. I reached down between my legs, my fingers finding my clit, rubbing it in tight circles as he fucked me.

The sensation was overwhelming, the combination of his cock filling me and my own fingers playing with my clit sending me spiraling towards the edge.

"Fuck, yes," I moaned, my body shaking as I felt my orgasm building. "I'm gonna come, Santino. I'm gonna come all over your cock."

He groaned, his pace quickening as he felt my body tense. "Come for me, bella," he growled. "Come all over my cock. Milk it with your tight little pussy."

I cried out as my orgasm hit me, my body convulsing as waves of pleasure washed over me.

Santino groaned, his cock swelling inside me as he followed me over the edge, his hot cum filling me up.

"Cazzo, yes," he growled, his hips jerking as he emptied himself inside me. "Take it all, bella. Every fucking drop."

I could feel his cum leaking out of me, running down my thighs as he continued to thrust into me, drawing out our orgasms. I moaned, my body still shaking as I rode out the waves of pleasure.

He finally pulled out of me, his cock glistening with our combined juices. He reached down and grabbed my hips, flipping me over onto my back on the counter.

He stepped back, his eyes roaming over my body, a hungry look in them. "Spread your legs," he commanded, his voice firm.

I hesitated for a moment, then did as he said, my heart pounding in my chest. He reached out, his fingers trailing up my thigh, making me shiver.

"You're so fucking wet," he growled, his fingers finding my pussy, sliding through my juices. "I can feel it dripping down your thighs."

I moaned, my hips bucking against his hand as he started to rub my clit in tight circles. "Fuck, Santino," I gasped, my eyes locked onto his. "You're going to make me come again."

He chuckled, a low, wicked sound that sent shivers down my spine. "I know," he said, his voice thick with desire. "I want to watch you come all over my fingers, bella."

He pushed two fingers inside me, curling them upwards, hitting that spot deep inside that made my toes curl. I moaned, my hips bucking against his hand as he started to move his fingers in and out of me.

"Fuck, yes," I moaned, my body arching off the counter. "That feels so good."

He leaned down, his lips finding mine as he continued to finger fuck me.

I could taste myself on him, the salty sweetness of my pussy on his tongue as he deepened the kiss. I moaned into his mouth, my hips bucking against his hand as he continued to work his fingers in and out of me.

"Fuck, you taste so good," he growled against my lips. "I could eat you out all day."

I moaned in response, my body aching for more. I reached up, my hands tangling in his dark hair as I pulled him closer to me.

He broke the kiss, his eyes locked onto mine as he pulled his fingers out of me. I whimpered at the loss, my body already missing the sensation of him inside me.

But Santino had other plans.

[moss-utmv-pockets]

ok ok, enough screwing around. im gonna ramble a lil abt my version of fluffytale now.

so, iirc the original creator of fluffytale is black-nyanko here on tumblr, and the story mainly focuses on ccino sans, who owns and works at a cat cafe with lots of lil kitties that bear suspicious resemblances to various sanses across the multiverse. this is amazing and wonderful and i love it dearly. however. as always, i would also like to think about the other characters.

so uh. what if, in fluffytale, each of the main cast specialized in a different critter? maybe taking care of non-magical animals has become a tradition underground, perhaps because mundane animals are simply more common in fluffytale, perhaps as a direct fuck you to all the humans who thought monsters were inherently evil and heartless, perhaps just because hehe kity.

anyways. heres the guys

sans takes care of kitty cats, and has even opened a cat cafe. obvs. same as og fluffytale

papyrus takes care of dogs, and is always either really good or really bad at training them. if no one can get your dog to stop being a lil menace, bring it to paps! he might just be able to help. it might not LOOK like helping, but chances are after putting papyrus through the ringer, your dog will return to you much calmer and less likely to act out.

gaster.... has some stuff goin on in the og that im not fully up to speed on, but i think he also used to take care of dogs. in fact, so did sans, but he also has a soft spot for cats, and understands that dogs and cats dont always mix. besides, papyrus is more than capable of handling the dogs.

undyne specializes in reptiles of all kinds, but typically cares for snakes and lizards. especially lizards, although snakes tend to be more popular with others. she claims it's just because she understands how to take care of scaly things, since she herself has scales, but anyone who's seen her interact with the royal scientist knows better.

speaking of alphys, she doesnt specialize in any animal per se (partially because she feels like she cant really properly look after any living thing after what happened with the amalgams OOPS) but instead builds terrariums and other habitats! she mostly ends up building stuff for reptiles, but also for fish and amphibians. she'd have to ask for a friend's help to build a proper habitat for cats or dogs though- they tend to need a lot more space, and they certainly aren't her specialty.

mettaton isn't really much of a pets guy- or at least, that's what he tells you. but he is clearly interested in more exotic pets that are often more difficult to take care of of- obviously because they're so unique and glamorous. not because he has a soft spot for anything different. unless you're friends, of course, in which case he's very open about how interesting he finds rarer pets.

napstablook still takes care of snails. just thought id mention them.

toriel takes care of all sorts of small things, namely bugs! snails too, and worms and such, but mostly bugs. she just thinks theyre neat! and tasty! ....and, chara was also rather fond of bugs.

asgore didn't originally intend to specialize in any type of animal pet- he was rather busy with his flowers, after all. but gardens tend to attract bugs, and bugs tend to attract birds- and, well, he kinda realized how much he loves the feathery lil guys. and they make so much noise too, the house is never quiet anymore. he can't bring himself to change the house's layout, but he has added lots of little bird cages and stands and feeders and such in and around the royal house, and birds can often be seen flying in and out of the windows. if you're ever lost in new home, just look up - you will likely see a bird flying to or from the royal house, which is in the center of the city.