#ah!! i'm afraid!!

[housederiva]

Hi! Hello! That fic I asked for vibe check on yesterday now has its first chapter up on AO3 right here and I'm sticking a few paragraphs below the cut if anyone is interested!

It's an expansion on the very beginning of Lucanis recruitment mission where you first go to Treviso but with more Crow Rook interactions

Whatever the reasoning for his lapse in judgement, it led to Rook bleeding out in Viago’s arms while she clutched onto the leather of his jacket. She could still feel the way her blood gurgled in her throat as she drowned. Now she wanted nothing more than the comfort of gripping onto his jacket as he muttered out with annoyance, “Well, that was rather careless of you.”

The two of them decided that she was at youngest fourteen and at oldest sixteen when her throat was stitched together and dressed.

Her former master ordered Rook to stand in front of him as a shield when Viago came for his contract. Without hesitation, she had complied. When the man realized that was not going to stop his soon to be assassin, he slit her throat in a bid for distraction.

It didn't work.

That first night in Antiva, other Houses had swarmed around her like vultures, appraising her as one would a lamb for slaughter. Giuli Arainai, the Eighth Talon, had grabbed the bottom of her chin with such force she thought her jaw would crack. Viago moved from his place after one stern look to their previous Guild Master before he draped his coat over her bare shoulders, drawing her close to his side.

“I take responsibility for her,” he had said with unwavering eye contact to his predecessor, “She will not be a disgrace to our House.”

Viago was impulsive when he was younger. It was the same kind that he reprimanded her for now. But, had he not moved then, she would have ended up in a warehouse pitted against other slaves fighting for scraps of food only to be tortured by crueler Crows.

“Rook?” Neve led the charge of the others looking at her skeptically, “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, yes. We have the Demon of Vyrantium to get” She cleared her throat, giving the group the smile closest to Varric’s she could mimic, “With any luck, we’ll be back before dinner.”

[vvildside]

kabumisu dressing up as cure black and cure white from pretty cure for halloween just because I can

[justcallme-ange]

Hello hello! I was more than a little inspired by @lookinghalfacorpse‘s post about pinning butterflies. I had this image of Sam talking to someone about his new... “hobby” and the double meaning of it.

[vanmarkus]

so we know buck likes to do flowers/hot air balloon/etc...

but curious what tommy's love language/how he'll be romantic is. Like, he def likes the flirty teasing to show affection, but do you think he likes giving gifts or cooking dinners... idk, Buck is more the romantic speech giver, tommy prob prefers action.

idk, just wanna know how tommy romances bc so far he's wooed buck by being a) muscly b)Cool and c) a dork

mm actually... i think Buck is into the actions and big gestures, though he is getting better at talking about his feelings, not just letting them take the reigns and see where he ends up with them lmao

on the other hand, Tommy is very measured. he doesn't seem to say anything without intention, even his silly little quips and dark jokes are all there as a stress response — plus he listened to Buck ramble on and on, before realising he had a shot and shutting him up with a kiss lmao

based on what Lou told us about what he imagines Tommy's background to be like and what we saw in canon in season 2 and season 7... Tommy's childhood traumas seem to be pretty similar at the core as Buck's; abandonment issues, feeling alone and lonely, looking for love and family, people to belong to and a place to call home — the difference is that Buck had Maddie (on and off, but mostly on) and then the 118 and Bobby, while Tommy had no one.

for most of his adult life, Buck has been surrounded by people who he could come out to without an overwhelming fear that he'd lose the relationships, so much so that he went for it after having one kiss and a botched date with a guy.

Tommy had a homophobic boss/father figure of sorts, and a bunch of guys who followed Gerrard's lead; even if he had a months- or even years long relationship with a man, I don't think he would've ever risked coming out at all.

Tommy learned what his needs and wants are, and how to recognise his feelings, what's the appropriate way to express them and how to be true to himself, probably through a lot of self-reflection and therapy. (and now he clearly has a lot of friends and is easy to make friends with — however deep those relationships run, we'll just have to see if they'll show us more of that in s8)

all this to say; Tommy recognises Buck's needs and wants because he has been there and is probably still there.

so the way i see it; Tommy would already know how he feels, but would wait for Buck to say 'I love you' first, allowing him to set the pace and show his comfort levels in the the relationship.

but after that? he would say it to Buck every day, he'd tell him how important he is to Tommy, he would make time for just the two of them, but would also include Buck in group activities with his friends, he would never stop checking in on him, even when he's kinda sure that Buck really is just tired and he would know when something is important to Buck even when he waves it off as 'nevermind' and if they ever had a fight, he'd let Buck walk it off, cool down and when he was back, they would sit down and talk and they wouldn't get up until they talked everything through and reached a peaceful middle ground

and when Buck would show up with the bouquets and the fancy tickets to monster truck derbys and packed lunch for their couple's hikes, Tommy would tell him in every which way possible with his words and his touch just how much he truly appreciates Buck's presence in his life.

TLDR: Tommy's love language is communication and reassurance.

[hollow-keys]

If Three met Ten he would take one look at this weasel looking suit and converse wearing mf disrespecting Martha and pathetically crying over the Master and have him dead in a ditch by the end of the day.

[ll-underestimated-ll]

This prompt been doing the rounds on tiktok- only the trauma started before his sire found him so this is just 'before embrace -> modern day'

[gofancyninjaworld]

Hello!!

I would like to ask. What do you think of the negative reviews regarding the current direction of the OPM manga?

I have seen a lot of negative opinions that OPM is going to failure because of Murata (and even ONE), because the Blast Vs Void fight has been uncertain for a long time since the manga break, and then we were introduced to the neo heroes arc. That many have found it boring since the story of the ninja village was interrupted, and that the last chapters have been very short and it feels that the work progresses very slowly. In addition, OPM has had constant redraws and the last arc of MA and cosmic garou was somewhat controversial for its resolution, added to the redraws.

In addition to this, I see that people support that the work completely forgets about Saitama, pointing out that the main character is not forgotten since he practically does not appear (beyond the covers). Finally, I have also seen that some people point out that ONE has decreased the quality of the work because of being involved in other manga. And that OPM has lost quality completely.

I would like to hear other opinions, because I feel that they are somewhat exaggerated. But honestly I have been frustrated not to see Blast and Void fight, and I feel that many people waiting for this fight makes them lose interest in Neo-Heroes because they feel like they introduced this reunion at a bad time. I feel that Murata and One are overlapping these WC arcs, and developed in parallel. But that's my speculation....

Lol. I laugh now because the reality of watching OPM being made is a bit like the pitch experiment. It flows but not a timescale that makes sense to sit and watch it.

I started following the manga in 2016, right at the tail end of the time when Murata would only get a storyboard every 2-3 months, and would often post only a handful of pages of redrawn stuff. Then it went to every 2-3 weeks with month-long pauses but at least new story, 15-20 pages. Then it started to be 30+ pages at a time, every 3-4 weeks. Then it started to be 30-ish pages at a time, every other week. ONE has managed to deliver storyboards consistently enough that there's a whole generation of people who joined in the last 3-4 years who have no damn idea it was ever any different.

This is far from the first time that many updates have gone into making a single chapter: Saitama vs. Genos, the Giant Meteor, all the chapters of the Alien invasion, King, to just name a few, advanced a few pages at a time over many weeks. This is not the first time that Saitama has been gone from the story for months: when it's compiled, he's away from the story for only a few chapters but it sure doesn't look that way following chapter-to-chapter.

And as for redraws, BITCH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE STORY WHERE THE FIRST CHAPTER WAS REDRAWN FIVE TIMES! If that doesn't tell you everything you need to know, I don't know what does. I used to tell people regularly that if you don't want uncertainty, buy the volumes or wait for the anime. That's when you'll see the story as it was intended to be seen. Want immediacy? Then you have to make peace with the fact that this work does change regularly.

As for whether it has lost quality... make your mind up for yourself! 'Quality' is a meaningless term without a set of criteria. A good quality F1 racecar is a poor quality 18-wheeler -- and vice versa. So what quality are you referring to? Sure, I've heard some people grumble about having fewer panels they can hang up on the wall as decontextualised art pieces but they're losing the point of the panels as being moments in a sequential story. There's people who are annoyed at it not being the webcomic with nicer art, to which I say, 'DUH!' The manga has only one job, and it's the only quality criterion on which I judge it: does it delight me? Its only job is to entertain... hopefully enough to induce you to part with some disposable income.

If you're not entertained, give yourself permission to drop it. Life is short and excellent works are many: don't hang onto something that doesn't bring joy to your life. The OPM manga delights me. If that changes, I will drop it.

Hope that answers your questions.

[mourn-and-watch]

one thing that especially irks me about cullen's so-called redemption is the attempts to redeem him through cole's words.

templars' abuses affected cole so badly it damaged his connection to the fade and his own nature. he was a spirit of compassion and witnessing what was happening in white spire turned him into a killer. he murdered lord seeker lambert in cold blood for what he did and most of the time he doesn't regret it — and then he just. drops the "he's not like the other girls" lines about cullen.

and this is such a lazy and annoying move. another thing that is established about cole is that you particularly can't lie to him — about your real feelings and intentions at least. whatever he states about other characters must be true and it is often used as a tool to deepen the characterizations of the main cast and in cullen's case it is just. blatant apologism. there's literally a banter where cole talks about atrocities commited by the templars and then he adds "oh no but cassandra and cullen aren't like that" and never elaborates. the game itself doesn't elaborate either.

like please don't tell me that the spirit who was shaken by knowledge that an innocent boy can die from starving because his jailors simply forgot about him would look in the eyes of a person who used to be meredith fucking stannard's right hand and still thinks that her methods were just a little too harsh but necessary and justified and say yeah. this guy is such a friend of mages. if only there were more templars like him

[rad-roche]

art done! just in time for chapter 6, which is where the text is from. fun to do something dramatic and noir-y

oh, the torment of loving somebody who keeps doing heinous bullshit!

[forcebookish]

i need a new strategy for like, cleaning my room and doing yoga and reading and leaving the house. the adhd has reached mythic levels of bad. i have the thought, "i should do X," and then i won't move. i make a to-do list and i won't do anything on it. i queue up a yoga practice and i won't do it. i stare at my room and get stressed out about how cluttered it is. i write 3000 words of notes for a fic i don't even know if i'm going to write. i think and i think and i think about my OCs and they won't let me write them. i spend hours looking at stuff i can't buy. i take like an hour to write this.

[zevrans-remade]

when u see a character and you just know they'd give you the best hugs of your life because they just so??? hug shaped! perfectly huggable, tender and strong at the same time to embrace u like their life depended on it

[housederiva]

Do you have a fear for veil guard for once it comes out? Like something happening in the fandom or in the game after Halloween that you're dreading? (i'm afraid of the folks who are going to be barking up the walls about 'racist' solas)

Dear listener, I do have something I'm afraid of but it's not Dragon Age focused. If anyone is also following my dnd/baldur's gate sideblog, you might remember my frustration upon realizing that my ex-best friend became obsessed with Gale and BG3 once it launched even though they made fun of me relentlessly and cruelly during early access for enjoying it and having him be my favorite. They carried that same sentiment to my love of Dragon Age and made me feel terrible for sharing something I loved with them

And while I do have them blocked in every conceivable way on Tumblr, if I see a drawing of Lucanis in their style... I'm going to need to set my phone down and go on the longest walk of my life

I'm also afraid of the younger companions and 'beautiful' face mods that are going to come out after launch

[curiosityschild]

I've had a few conversations recently, mostly with castmates, where they are very surprised to learn that I am 30. They keep pegging me as early 20's. And like...it keeps making me feel uncomfortable instead of flattered. And I've been wondering why because I really don't think I've unlearned the whole "30 is old" thing THAT well despite my best efforts.

And I think it might be partially because I kind of feel like I've been tricking them? Like oh no these 20 year olds thought I was one of them but actually I am a gross creepy old person. And partially also because I'm afraid that they're actually calling my actions immature? Like you thought I was younger because I don't act like a "real adult"? I don't know.

Like they literally keep staring at me open mouthed that happened more than once. Stop doing that! It makes me feel weird :(

[amee-racle-ofmyown]

Wilford Warfstache💖💝

[chirpos-pencil]

Reading Makoto Naegi’s Secret File again, there’s one thing about it that I disagree. It says at the end that Makoto getting the HPA invite is zenith of his bad luck because of the despair inducing killing game. But if Makoto didn’t get enrolled to Hope’s Peak than he and Komaru would be dead or in hiding. Junko will still be alive and the killing game will succeed to plunge the world into unfixable despair. Frankly, Makoto and the entire world are very lucky that he was enrolled because only he could have stopped the killing game.

Oh yes, I can completely see your point! However, I can think of reasons why Kodaka included that part about the HPA invitation being a stroke of very, very bad luck, instead.

Perhaps Kodaka wanted to end this little story impactfully by instilling a sense of dread in the back of his reader's minds.

In the story, Makoto experiences a whole day of misfortune from losing a simple game of rock-paper-scissors to getting into a hostage situation.

But by the end, all these unlucky incidents get resolved with the robber arrested and Makoto getting an acceptance letter from a prestigious academy.

Now, remember that throughout most of this story, you're in Makoto's point of view.

After everything he had gone through that day, when he recieves the letter, he gets happy. He sees that letter as a gift for making it through. He says it here - an undeniable reversal of his unluckiness.

But then, the narrator voice pops up - "Ah, but do you really think that's all? Do you really think this is the end of Makoto's unluckiness? Well, this poor bastard doesn't know what's coming!" - with these lines:

Personally, I believe this immediate switch of POVs (Makoto and the narrator) in the end makes for a greater impact - a haunting conclusion to the story. Especially with these lines:

So, I believe the mention of the acceptance letter being a stroke of bad luck here is fitting!

Then there's another question that dwells on my mind.

Who can actually decide if Makoto's receival of HPA's acceptance letter is lucky or unlucky?

Let's imagine you ask Makoto himself whether he feels lucky or unlucky about his acception now.

Lucky? Because ultimately, he stops the killing game, saves his remaining friends from falling into despair, dismantles Ultimate Despair (since it's mentioned that majority of its members committed suicide after Junko's death), and is hailed as a hero and 'Ultimate Hope' by the world. Many, many people gaze upon him with starry eyes.

Unlucky? Because, eventhough he escapes the killing game with his survivor friends, that trauma and immense guilt lingers on. He has lost several of his friends. He has to bear the guilt of sentencing his classmates to death, lest they all get killed. He has inadvertently caused Komaru's imprisonment (for his motive) and his parents are missing, presumably even dead. He has to face a mountain load of burden that comes with being an 'Ultimate Hope' to people in a despair-ridden world.

The damage has already been done, no matter how good things turn out to be in the end.

Maybe in the eyes of the world, they see Makoto's acceptance into HPA as lucky.

But how does Makoto personally see it?

Maybe lucky. He has ended up saving the world, gaining inseperable friends, and earning great respect.

Maybe unlucky. He has to go through the most painful moments in his life, developing trauma and guilt that might follow him until his death.

Or maybe, he sees it as just is - neither lucky or unlucky. It just . . . happened. It's all just how things are. It's all just how things turn out to be.

Like life itself, you see? Many things happen out of your control - good things and bad things. Life is neutral like that. Maybe you can accept that aspect of life and keep moving forward, striving for change in the future - just like Makoto!

Like the old man said:

There you go! ( •̀ ө •́ )✧

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

I hate when I get into these phases when once I process through one thing causing me anxiety there's another thing right behind it