#also its funny by how many things are just a huge constant

[sleepdeprived-idiot]

one important thing to remember is that i have almost 3k posts in my drafts and 99% are reblogs (most of fanart) so whenever i work on emptying them theyve been there for months

[not-goldy]

Looks like they went into solo chapter, not defining how want to carry on with their relationship. That's why they weren't on the same page in terms of expectations. Jimin seemed fine being away, while jk was pouting about it.

My kind of gossip 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Well may be....

But I do think they had clearly defined plans strategy and expectations but had a problem with its execution....

It's one thing to plan something and another to execute it. And I mean these are not robots they can't just shut off their emotions and feelings or needs.

If constant communication with JM is what Jungkook wanted he could have said that to Jimin. He could have said, look man I know we said we were gonna do this and that and focus on this and that but I'm not doing so well and I need to hear from you more.

Jimin probably over there thinking damn this dude is doing better than I'd thought he would he's handling this phase so well and if he's doing well I better suck if up and do what's needed of me.

and I don't think it's a case of JM being okay being away- it's more he's committed to the plan even it guts him. He's that type of guy.

And let's all not act like we weren't concerned for them in their Solo phase going into Military due to their seemingly over dependence.

I mean towards the beginning of solo we did say they seemed to be acting professionally less codependent and what not and then Jimin went and got his own place and all.

And human emotions are funny.

They can both agree to keep separate homes but that doesn't stop one or both from feeling rejected by the very idea and execution.

Let's flash back to the time Jungkook said he didn't want to be teams with Jimin- even though we all know he was just joking you could tell it did get to Jimin.

Talking of which, they both sometimes aren't aware how they each make the other feel. We are out here watching them from the outside in, and we see how JMs absence affects Jungkook but unless JK tells him that there's no way of him knowing but we know cos we see the other side they both don't.

Jimin is good at saying to JK his vulnerabilities but JK just acts out his vulnerabilities.

They can agree to concentrate on their Solo careers and work hard but doesn't stop one or both from feeling lonely etc.

People are quick to bring up JM saying he's lonely but also fail to see how that's him saying and expressing how all these things make him feel.

I'm talking about the life he lives, not just that he misses Jungkook, the compromises he makes in his life, the distance he keeps from people to protect them or himself, the performance he puts on because it's expected of him, all the hiding a huge part of who he is if he's queer can be lonely.

He's relationship with Kook is expected to be complicated and at times even less fulfilling if this is what they have to do to keep it.

It's why I don't really pay attention to people who talk about that or bring up the quality of their relationship. We don't expect this to be a bed of roses for them.

Some people express chronic loneliness as an offshoot of burn out and depression or when you feel there aren't many people around them they can relate to.

When I see Jimin I see a man who doesn't have that many people he feels he can relate to and that can feel pretty lonely as well especially if you are surrounded by people whom you have to cater to all the time, people whom you have to walk on egg shells around, never being able to let your guard down, always having to be the reasonable mature one who can't make mistakes you always have to be the thoughtful one thinking twice and three times about things anticipating everyone's needs while those around you are just too slow to keep up or are simply not like him at all.

I think depending on how you look at things they are on the same page in so far as they've been able to successfully pull all this off.

For Jungkook if all this got to him at some point then I'll say he lasted longer than expected cos dude has a very low tolerance of their closet with its glass ceilings.

He's doing so well I'm proud of him and for once he saw the plan through 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[with-my-calamitous-love]

FILIPINO READER HCS!

bnha various x reader

general fluff headcanons, some tagalog! i am filo myself so i tried to make this as accurate and appreciative as possible, a few mentions of filipino toxicity and generational trauma

a/n: i’m SOOOOO EXCITED for this one 😭😭 currently packing for bulacan right now to visit my mom <33

a/n: yes i am distracting myself with the new chapter by writing about some light headcanons

IZUKU MIDORIYA

- TEACH HIM HOW TO MANO!! he definitely saw ur younger cousins do it at a party and then he tried doing it and accidentally kissed ur grandmas hand but he’s more than happy to learn for you <3

- is such a nerd when it comes to learning about your culture and language,, as a young hero he knows how important it is to learn basics from other languages so he can help everyone! but it becomes especially important when its with you

- his accent is terrible at first 😭 BUT HE LEARNSS

- will call you mahal <3

- one time he randomly facetimes you and just stutters may gusto ako sa iyo

- AND IT MAKES YOU SO HAPPYYY

- loves the food your titas and lola make SO much, i can see him really liking pork adobo or lumpia

- your titas always pack him SO MUCH extra food whenever he’s leaving your house and baby boy is so grateful he doesn’t even know how to react 😭

- is absolutely shocked with all the gatherings you have. like theres at least 3 groups of relatives in the house, a colossal amount of delicious food and a whole classroom of kids running around and screaming

- let him play with the kids at the party! he’s great with little cousins and it warms your heart when they call him kuya izu

- overall, loves you for who even more for your roots. just wait till the you guys have the huge filipino wedding

KATSUKI BAKUGOU

- i’m gonna be honest… he’s kind of an ass at first 😭

- like, he doesn’t really understand a lot of the things that are normal to you. but its important to you, and thats enough for him to wanna learn

- ask him to pronounce pasko, paksiw or nakakapagpabagabag but he WILL rage when you laugh at his accent ITS SO FUNNY THO

- high key judges you for running on filipino time.. 5 minutes late to everything but BRIGHT AND EARLY for anything airport related

- you have so many relatives he has to learn the names for, sometimes you can’t even remember them all- but he does and treats them with the utmost respect <3

- bakugou’s a good cook but he only gets better after you teach him the sacred secrets… and when i say the finger technique GET YOUR DIRTY MINDS OUTTA HERE

- basically its a way to measure rice perfectly. he sees you doing it and thinks ur absolutely insane for just sticking ur finger inside the rice pot, absolutely LASER focused, but after you explain he does it too

- the rice comes out perfect <3

- also loves the food your titas and lolas make, but he likes yours the most. i can see him really liking sisig because of the spice

- much like midoriya, he definitely tries to learn some of your language, but unlike the other he doesn’t tell you that

- one day he’ll just remind you that he loves you, mahal na mahal kita <3 and ur just there FLABBERGASTED.

SHOUTO TODOROKI

- i strongly hc shouto knows a few languages already, so he’s MORE than willing to learn yours

- already knows mano, and what to call your relatives

- his biggest goal is to be able to call your dad tito and be close with him, and it makes you *so* happy

- but he also really understands filipino toxicity, how you can be ridiculed for the smallest things, constant shamed for just existing.. he’s been there </3

- he sees the way your relatives, mostly the men, will push down their feelings and think that they’re so strong! when really they’re just continuing the same cycles of generational trauma and abuse

- so he’s so quick to validate your feelings, especially when it comes to family issues, like i said he’s been there too ♥️

- he definitely wasn’t used to not eating with chopsticks, but after seeing its a norm for your family and culture he’s very appreciative of it <3

- listen… i know you have at least one manny pacquiao shirt… he has no idea who tf that is at first but he does a lot of googling for you 😭

- HELPS IN THE KITCHEN! winning the approval or your titos and titas, lolo’s and lolas is SO important to him

- i can see him being really into pancit bihon, especially after knowing the significance it has on birthdays and other holidays after learning it grants you longer life he makes the noodles as LONGG as possible so u can stay with him <3

- GET HIM TO DO KARAOKE AT PARTIES oh god forgive his pronunciation 😭 kunin lang ang mga baterya sa kanyang mic

- overall, loves you so so much and loves every part about you <3

- for ppl who responded to my post a while back! sorry if you wanted bsd i’ll write that version too lol 😭 MAHAL KO KAYO <3

@raccoonkaz @ladylapize @strayruway @yumiruhisu @hungergameswho

[meddling-in-horror]

Giving Them the Moment: How Our Flag Means Death and it's Portrayal of Black Men is the Most Important Thing on Television Right Now

Note: written April 20, 2022

Media is an incredibly distinct way of communicating. It has a wide reach, and each person has their own interpretation of what they see. That’s the beauty of the medium as a whole. However, there are often downsides, especially when it pertains to the West. In the US in particular, there is a trend within popular media to lean towards propagandization. Whether it’s the idea that communism and socialism are products of the ‘Evil East’ or the lingering effects of the Motion Picture Production Code - also known as the Hays Code, the media monopolies have a firm grasp on what we as a society watch and enjoy. 

When you begin to play close attention to how the media portrays Black men, this becomes abundantly clear.

It is a rare thing when we see Black men whose characters aren’t portrayed as being the object nor the perpetrators of violence. In fact, only one mainstream popular show comes to mind: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. But even then, the given circumstances of Fresh Prince revolve around Will’s escape from the violence of the ‘urban’ inner city. This vilification of Black men dates back to the 1910s with D. W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation, and continued into the 1930s, where Black people were often personified as the monsters, representing the ‘exciticism’ of the world beyond the West. It is the ‘exoticism’ that has played a huge part in the dehumanization of Black men as a whole. But as a Black Queer person watching Our Flag Means Death, it is breaking that mold in an incredibly important way.

The Black men in the show are allowed to have fun.

This show is breaking barriers left and right. Of the major recurring cast of 15, over half of them are people of color. It’s overt and unflinching portrayal of Queerness when so many of its older viewers - myself included - have lived through the Bury Your Gays and Dead Lesbians tropes time and time again is overwhelmingly refreshing. Nearly all characters are Queer until proven straight and represent all parts under the umbrella, including Leslie Jones’ polyamorous pirate queen and Vico Ortiz - a non-binary actor - playing a non-binary character. 

But in a world where the narratives of Black men are so often framed around violence and brutality, the Black crewmates of the Queen Anne’s Revenge - Frenchie, Oluwande, and Roach - are allowed to be funny and vulnerable. Each one of them is starkly different from the other with identifiable characteristics that allow the audience to humanize them. The trio quickly became my favorites among the crew, with Roach being the stand-out amongst them. Samba Schutte’s often deadpan delivery never fails to draw a laugh from me, in particular the assertion that “meat is meat”. Frenchie, played by Joel Fry, is the quickest on the draw where his intellect is concerned, being posited in the show’s fifth episode as having had a hand in inventing the pyramid scheme while spouting the wildest of conspiracy theories and being afraid of cats (they’re witches, they steal your breath, and have knives in their feet, you know). The softness and constant vulnerability of Samson Kayo’s Oluwande may be one of the most important aspects of the show, as it establishes him as a reliable and trustworthy confidante to not just Jim, but to Rhys Darby’s Stede Bonnet as well.

They exist in their own separate spheres on the ship, going about their own separate business completely unbothered. While it is implied they lead violent lives as pirates, this violence isn’t used to define them as characters. In fact, Oluwande stated that both he and Jim engaged in piracy because they “had no choice”. The brief mention we get of Frenchie’s backstory implies that he lives a life of servitude, though whether that was as an enslaved person or a freed Black domestic worker is not mentioned. While there is little known about Roach so far, it is implied that his culinary skills are far beyond the levels of what is needed aboard a pirate ship.

The friendships and relationships they form within the crew aren’t built on violence either, but on open and honest communication. Most notably, the friendship of Frenchie and Wee John Feeny, played by Kristian Nairn. Fry and Nairn are an impeccable comic duo when their characters become ‘room people’, and the scene where they begin to design their new space is a personal highlight of the episode. Oluwande and Jim’s romance - played to perfection by Kayo and Ortiz - is one that revolves around both characters being almost devastatingly open with each other. Both actors play the emotional vulnerability of the characters well, and it is important to emphasize that it is Kayo’s Oluwande that moves to meet Jim where they are. 

While the show allows all its men to show varying levels of emotional vulnerability - an exception being offered to the emotionally constipated Izzy Hands, played by Con O’Neill - there is something so special about seeing that luxury afforded to Black men. This show has, in just ten episodes, has become a game changer for the television industry. It has proved that a show with explicitly Queer characters can become a massive sleeper hit, and that sometimes the best kind of historical show is one that is historical fiction. But it has also proved that you can create a narrative with Black men that doesn’t include their stories being framed in violence or brutality, that they can be funny, charming, witty, vulnerable, intelligent, complex characters with their own narratives that serve a purpose outside of a device of exoticism. It is this rare thing that makes these characters, and indeed the show as a whole, so important to its viewers. 

We deserve more vulnerability, more humor, and more humanizing content from these three men, and this show is one that is truly deserving of a glorious second season.

Sources:

Donaldson, Leigh. “When the media misrepresents Black men, the effects are felt in the real world.” 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/12/media-misrepresents-black-men-effects-felt-real-world.

Kumah-Abiwu, Felix. “Media Gatekeeping and Portrayal of Black Men in America.” 

Opportunity Agenda. “Media Portrayals and Black Male Outcomes.” 

https://www.opportunityagenda.org/explore/resources-publications/media-representation-impact-black-men/media-portrayals.

Our Flag Means Death, (2022-). HBO Max.

[sukunasweetheart]

//just me venting about sukuna haters sorry

Not me seeing so much discourse about whether sukuna is a well written villain or not... he essentially has no backstory shown as of yet and we barely know anything about him but he is still one of the most naturally interesting and compelling characters in the whole damn series bro 💀 buckle up bc its about to get lengthy (im just glazing sukuna in this post ngl so 🧎‍♀️)

so many whiny ass mfs are weeping about how he "doesn't have any personal goals or a proper reason to be a villain" when that is the whole point???? He lives on his own desires and satisfactions and does whatever he wants to, because he is capable enough to do that. Mfs want "real villains" but cant even handle sukuna 💀 ive seen too many shit ass threads and poorly articulated "critiques" on his character that dont make any valid points. If you can't even separate your personal dislike of a character from your analysis of their writing, dont even bother posting that shit please 😭😭😭 the fact that we haven't even gotten any information about his background yet and people are jumping the gun about him being "poorly written" is already saying a lot 🤨

The fact that yall are so bitter and angry about him that you can write 500+ words about how oh-so-terrible of a villain he is kinda proves that he's doing his job well tbh 💁‍♀️

What also bothers me to no END is how people compare him with villains of other series, who had compelling sob stories that made people empathise with them. Thats nice and all but why should all villains have grand ideals and be subject to feelings of empathy/sympathy from their audience?

Part of what makes sukuna so interesting is how he's not tied down by morals, rules or long term goals in life. He doesn't limit himself, which is what makes him an unpredictable character. He's completely left behind what it means to be human in many ways, and he's clearly not a character written to be empathised with. He is very purposefully inhumane and distant from everyone else, and that feeling transcends from within the series to real life as well. There is a clear lack of understanding bc most of us can't comprehend what its like to just live without being goal-oriented.

Sukuna is a true anomaly in the sense that he doesnt really fit in any kind of box within the series. He's born from man, but its clear that he separates himself from humans (and nobody else considers him human, either). He's not a cursed spirit. He hovers between life and death. The narrator referred to him as the honoured one, whilst angel referred to him as the disgraced one.

These little contradictions in his character make him all the more complicated and interesting to think about. And even recently, he's been shown to waver a little bit momentarily in the manga, questioning his own irritation at yuuji. He's capable of self reflection, and though sukuna does whatever he wants for the most part, he doesn't blindly go into things without some thought first, he's a constant thinker and analyser, and an intelligent one at that.

And honestly, he is always such a joy to watch and read, his personality is so flavourful, and the way he carries himself is very attractive. He's not afraid to get messy or of getting hurt, theres so much chaos in the way he does things and yet he also has a huge element of gracefulness to him, which shines through the poetic way he speaks. Its undeniable that sukuna simply oozes charisma...

And this isnt talked about enough but this man is genuinely so effortlessly funny (in a kind of sinister way i guess?) Like yes he is an old ass man having real beef with one FIFTEEN YEAR OLD for very little reason, he accidentally healed yuujis arm and somehow expected him to be grateful for it despite how he literally ripped his heart out afterwards, then he proceeded to sit on him after kicking him down likeeee 😭 what kind of behaviour is this sir

His facial expressions at yorozus yapping 💀 THE WAY HE COMPARED YUUJIS FACE OF DESPAIR TO THE HARIMA STATUE 😭😭😭💀😭💀💀😭 omg that was so foul but i was fucking losing it ngl

How he randomly compared gojo to a fish and started talking abt his scales... thats a very unique and descriptive comparison, isnt it? Even in the recent leaks, he was 100% ready and squaring up to a literal child talking abt "youre starting to get annoying" LIKE HELPPP 😭 HE FR SAID "fuck them kids and fuck you too"

I saw someone saying that sukuna has no passion, like are we talking about the same character....? This man is a literal jujutsu NERD 💀💀 he truly recognises talented sorcerers and the only time hes seen to be having genuine fun is when hes fighting a mf... is that not passion? This is literally sukuna when it comes to jujutsu: 🤓

Anyway im done here now, im pretty sure i missed a lot of things i couldve talked about as well but ive done enough yapping

[gatheredfates]

(COUNT)DOWN TO DAWNTRAIL FREE DAY ･*☆

When I made the (Count)Down to Dawntrail challenge, the one thing I was most excited for was the Free Day. I had specifically stated one of the options you could do for this day was to talk about how the people you met through XIV and how they made a positive impact on your life, and that was what I was going to do.

For me, when I started doing my question drives however long ago, I was committed to being the change I wanted to see in the world. While the XIV community is a cut above the rest in that people are genuinely interested in other oc's, ships and work(s), I have been in communities where that's not the case, and I know the sensation of feeling like you are putting your work out there, putting your work out there and putting your work out there... and it feels like no one is interested.

Equally, I have also felt the cut of anxiety as it goes, 'I really want to interact with this person, but what if they think I'm weird? What if they take it the wrong way?'

—So what if they think I'm weird?

That was kind of my whole mantra. I was going to make as genuine effort as I could muster to interact with the community, send asks to people and to try and learn/remember as much as I could. I wanted people to feel like someone was reading their work and confident to reach out to people they were interested in getting to know.

If someone wanted to take a bad-faith interpretation of my work, so what? So what if they think I'm weird; so what if they don't like me? Nothing I could do was ever going to change their mind, so why should I worry about an insignificant possibility that wasn't going to affect me beyond a block and a funny story to tell my friends? And if that small risk was going to earn me more friends with whom I could share more funny stories with... isn't the risk worth it? Be kind, take no shit; the same mantra I have carried with me since 2023.

Not only that, but if I could inspire other people to reach out and interact too, wouldn't that be amazing? I think we're all conditioned online to be afraid of being 'too much'; too weird, too forward, too outgoing. We all want interaction but are afraid to interact in case its misinterpreted. That sucks. In my mind, if I interacted—if I even showed other people who would respond to their efforts positively—and they reached out behind me, that was worth it.

Cultivating that kind of community is always worth it.

It's been a very healing journey for me, honestly. I've come out of my shell a lot, dispelling my own anxieties and coming to grips with my traumas that were honestly the result of just bad happenstance and the fact I was young—rather than me doing anything obscenely wrong. I have met lots of wonderful people, read so many interesting stories and learned so much about a myriad of fascinating WoL's (and regular ocs!). I've also met people who are interested in my work, even if I tend to showcase it a lot less.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Thank you for supporting me with the Compendium. Thank you for enthusiastically replying to my asks. Thank you for supporting me with (Count)Down to Dawntrail. Thank you for setting aside a little space for me in your day, because none of these projects would have a hope of working without the support of the community. That's the honest truth.

Before I go, I'd like to extend a couple of personal thanks:

—To SEAFLOOR (Tumblr Community & Discord): thank you for your constant support for my projects. A huge thank you to everyone in the discord with the social role who just wanted to hang out and be friends. I am honoured to have fostered a healthy, vibrant community full of wonderful people who uplift, support and help each other. Running this space hasn't once felt like a burden and that is entirely a credit to your maturity, kindness and accommodations. Thank you. Sdmin and mof are warm in my heart.

—To Firelight Trading Company (and associates): my best pals, I love you! Thank you for always being by my side. Thank you for all the laughs, the endless shenanigans and your unwavering support with The Fireside and the Parlour. Without you, none of my stories would be where they are. Thank you for making my life (and my roleplay) richer. You all mean the world to me, really. Even if you are little shits.

—To Pepper, the platonic love of my life: I love you. This goes without saying. Thank you for being my best friend for all these years. Thank you for being a grounding force and support, even if you're an introvert riding the coattails of a sadistic extrovert who loves thrusting you into 'situations'. I'd like to sum up our friendship with two images that articulate who we are as people.

Okay, okay. I lied (kinda). Here's the real one.

—To anyone who has ever liked a post of mine, made a nice comment, tagged me in a dash game, went to the Fireside, etc. etc: know you hold a special place in my heart. I really, really mean it. I am god-awful at sincerity, but I hope it reaches you all the same.

With that, however, onwards—to Tural!

[enaspaces]

my shuri headcanons 𓃠

a dump of my thoughts because i love her and she’s taken over my mind

• on the trans/nonbinary spectrum. more specifically a demigirl and doesn’t care what pronouns you use on him. owns a binder for specific days that she wants her chest to look flat.

• very lesbian. her heart is for women and non-men 🏳️‍🌈

• i view her as a stud or a stem. it depends on how i’m feeling atm.

• she’s not just a nerd in the science sense she’s a huge fandom geek and has a stan twitter account to talk about her interests.

• also has fan edits of her favorite characters and interests saved on her phone. probably makes her own edits too.

• average minecraft enjoyer (she’s obsessed)

• reads a lot of wlw comics, novels, and other media bc they’re a gay ass.

• has AuDHD, argue with ur mama.

• is almost always seen wearing noise cancelling headphones or earbuds because she gets overstimulated at times. when she visits riri in chicago for the first time, the constant loud city noise is something he’s not used to. he had forgot to pack the headphones he made for himself so riri makes him a custom made pair to help him relax. they end up using riri’s more than their own. (riri indulgently put small cat ears on the top of them and shuri almost cried at the sight).

• catgirl energy. riri may make her look tall but that’s still a 5’5 girl twink that stopped growing at age 13. she’s small and likes to sit on counters, lab tables, the floor and any other weird place that’s not meant to be sat on. she curls up in a ball when she sleeps alone, and if she’s in the bed with someone else her limbs are all over their body. has cute sounding sneezes that m’baku makes fun of her for. one of the lab workers once found her asleep in a random corner of the room. naturally very light-footed and basically has human toe beans, making it very easy to sneak up on people without them hearing.

• has quite a few fidget toys to help her focus on work in the lab and ease her anxiety. a rubik’s cube, fidget spinners, stress ball, pop its, etc.

• she stims. so much. especially after she successfully completes a task or experiment and she’ll do a dance or do the lil hand flapping thing. her vocal stims are always random song lyrics or tiktok meme audios lol.

• has a sweet tooth. when okoye was a dora she’d occasionally bring candy or other sweets for her to snack on. riri goes to the store and buys him all the popular american snacks for him to try. nakia always has a mini stash prepared for when they visit her and toussaint in haiti.

• favorite color is purple. it just suits her.

• a GAMER™. she plays all genres but her favs are probably minecraft, puzzle, or rhythm games. did i mention minecraft? she loves it. riri loves rpgs and pvp games the most and has her play smash bros ultimate pretty often. they’re super competitive with each other and both sore losers lmao. shuri got her to play minecraft once and riri kept getting blown up by creepers.

• ↑ she becomes super close with mj, ned, and vivian through riri. they’re always on discord vc together playing games and doing many other things and it’s the most chaotic shit you’ve ever seen.

• if the word ticklish was personified. simply elbowing her in the stomach on accident would get a giggle outta her. every ticklish spot she has is extremely sensitive and you could have her curled up cackling in tears with ease.

• funny as hell for no reason. life of the party fr. she takes her jokester persona very seriously but sometimes she’s hilarious without even trying. the first time she ever smoked weed was with riri in her dorm and riri never laughed so hard in her life that day. shuri was literally all over the place. she’s definitely a lightweight too, just as goofy, giggly, and clingy in her drunken state.

• definitely likes kpop girl groups. I can’t prove it but they love loona you just have to trust me.

• also loves vocaloid and has a hatsune miku figure in her room somewhere. trust me on that.

• has a list of favorite black american artists. riri definitely put her on some r&b classics and less mainstream artists. has a massive celebrity crush on black women rappers.

• music taste is very versatile. her playlist has almost everything. she just can’t listen to one genre only, she’s too open minded and exploratory for that.

• he’s not one to fall in love easily, but when he does he falls hard. riri was the first person he ever fell for and it changed the trajectory of his life, poor thing had no idea what to do with that information.

• a romantic, lovesick loser. cannot flirt to save his life. flustering him is so fucking easy lmao. riri once called him shawty and he malfunctioned for 5 minutes. whenever he’s on the phone with riri his crush is genuinely so obvious to everyone around him. he be giggling and cheesing real hard 😭. kicking his feet squealing on the bed when he’s alone thinking about the cute nickname riri called him.

• her love language is acts of service and gift giving. she’s not always good with words or emotions so she expresses her appreciation towards her loved ones by distributing her wealth in many ways. buying riri things she might need for college, fixing stuff that breaks in nakia’s home. things like that.

• has trouble being vulnerable with those close to her. she’s lost so much, so opening up to new people is always a scary, big step. it took a while for her to let mj, ned, and viv into her heart because the closer she becomes with them, the more it’ll hurt if she loses them. they take her in with open arms regardless, because having a support system with people her age is something she needs. they take her seriously in ways that the elders don’t. they see her for who she is outside of being a royal figure to her country and allows her to be her full, authentic, geeky self. she’s able to grasp onto the youth that she almost lost when her family was taken away.

• very talkative. can infodump about an interest for hours and completely lose track of time if you let them. they cannot stay still when excited, nor can they keep eye contact, pacing around the room and darting their eyes everywhere while rambling about the history of vibrainium or something.

• maladaptive daydreaming. will lose herself in a song and start imagining scenarios in her head. t’challa once caught her in the act and refused to delete the video footage. sometimes, she pulls up the video her brother recorded just to hear his laughter in the background.

[shirefantasies]

From mossthebogwitch I had no idea what i was doing but I did my best.

Since it was now a dare i am submitting myself for a matchup: presently I am mortified.but too curious to back down now. I have sealed my own fate per usual. I appreciate you taking me on this journey and hope you enjoy the experience! I don't know what gender I prefer in partner: I have a huge weakness for Kíli - I have no hard fast rules- just have fun it's a Tumblr matchup yknow?🤣

I would prefer Hobbit based matches since that is my current hyperfixation.

I radiate golden retriever energy: loyal, never gonna give you upn never gonna let you down, never gonna turn around and desert you. I'm the unofficial security guard according to my boss. I have a level head under pressure and I don't back down.  I have a constant stream of humor. The comedy doesn't end. I enjoy being an artist and writer in many media's. I study folklore and weird nature things. Im the weird facts kid grown up to the ' adult who knows how to do a bunch of different things'.

I have trouble socializing due to anxiety and OCD. Because of this I'm naturally more of a watcher until I feel comfortable.  I'm either casually friendly or hiding behind other people talking.  I'm a mom friend and the one people go to for help. I work in counseling its natures pipeline.

If I'm not working, reading, tending my pets, wild foraging for supplies or exploring hiking trails, I can be found cobbling together my house and garden from whatever I get my grabby hands on.

I have a community garden and regularly supply winter camping gear, food, first aid, and hygienic supplies. I do feral cat housing too so I just do a lot of weird stuff. Last week I saved a squirrel?? Befriending crows is starting this week lol. Never dull.

I plan on painting my entire house in fantasy based murals and hiding meme paintings behind appliances..Spock is behind my stove.

One funny thing i do that my coworkers thinks is hilarious is I have an entire measurement system for measuring animals using only potatoes as a counting system. Yknow how you count horses with hands?I count animals using potatoes and i am right every time the key is when to switch your counter between Russetts and Yukon golds. It's a good day when a growing animal graduates from being counted from russetts to Yukon golds.

I'm 5'0  and don't mind because I grew up LOTR with Gimli!! He's short and I'm short too!! I am told I have mood ring eyes that change shades of blue with my emotions and I'm red green color blind so that's fun.

Voted most likely to have a mug of coffee or tea in hand at work while I give one of my coworkers a gentle peptalk which turns into me pulling out the Gimli scale and asking them where they are on there today.

Yes, this is great @mossthebogwitch ! More detail always helps on my end 🥰 also you sound like such a fun person I wanna be friends 😆😆😆 the potato counting & secret memes are legendary OMG! I definitely saw you with a dwarf right away, but after some thought, I decided on...

Bofur!

You meet under curious circumstances, you having settled at the foot of the great mountain after the war. Thinking you are alone, you had made your way to the woods, idly walking until a chattering squirrel spiraling up a tree distracts you. Given your love of animals, you strike up a conversation, getting quite lost in it all when a jovial voice rings out behind you, asking if you’re getting along, then. Turning, you see a dwarf with a large floppy hat and twin braids standing a ways behind you, apologizing for startling you- you must've jumped more than you realized. In the end, he introduces himself as Bofur and offers you a piece of one of his brother's biscuits from his pockets to give to the squirrel. Finding out that he works as a toymaker, you promise to visit his shop, and when you take in all the wonders he creates with his cousin, well, you can hardly stay away! Bofur ends up enlisting you to paint murals upon the walls of his and Bifur’s shop, which the young ones of Erebor and New Dale alike delight greatly in. Bifur is very impressed by your art and building skills, elbowing Bofur at every chance he gets and waggling his eyebrows over the amazing lass that’s seemingly just fallen into his life.

The first time Bofur actually initiates some time alone with you, he asks you to join him for a night in town, and that’s when he learns you work with livestock. You best believe he laughs his mustache off at your counting technique and also vows to steal it. You can see in his manner, though, and what you know of him that he would be great with the animals too. He can see that you prefer him not to ask so many personal questions and to lead the conversation which he is more than happy to do! He tells you all about his family, the quest he went on, his funny nice hobbit friend Bilbo, where to get the best ale in town if you’re into that sort of thing, a cool rock his brother found in the mines the other day, you name it! Everything is lighter when you two are together. Ever the gentleman, he waits to share your first kiss until he is completely sure you’re ready.

Bofur loves your height; you are a few inches taller than him, not much but just so that he can rest his forehead against yours and put his head on your shoulder. Either one of you can cuddle against the other’s chest as desired. Knowing how much of your time goes to helping others, though, brings the dwarf to lean heavily towards caring for you whether that means he is the one holding you or singing for you or simply by giving you lots of time to get comfortable and express your needs, even if it’s hard. Even in your most tender moments, though, both of you are cracking jokes. Always laughter between you two! Anything big gets called a Yukon Gold with you two because he just loves that saying so much.

If you are comfortable with it, Bofur loves to take you dancing just to show you off! He also adores the way you’ll stand up for him if anyone is mean or pushy- your loyalty is astounding and you truly have a dwarf-like spirit. He gets heart eyes when you become a de facto bouncer and actually throw a drunk or two out of the place. He also takes you camping, pitching a tent and bringing your supplies so you can stay wrapped outside with your animal friends and some weenies to roast beneath the stars.

Teases you to high heaven about being colorblind, though. Overdramatically reminds you what color you’re painting that toy, asks you if you’re sure that’s the right color for the leaves on your mural. Feel free to smack him lightly, he knows he deserves it and he’ll just laugh! If anxiety or OCD symptoms lead to you having a routine or a placement of things that being comfort (if so, big mood friend!), Bofur is definitely the best at remembering to have them out there and follow that for you, no questions asked. You’ll feel so cared for, that his house is a home. You are his warm hearth, his neverending laughter, the only person who could convince him to take home a wounded opossum and call it Bofur jr. but this is his life now and you know what? Bifur was right- he’d run into quite a catch in those woods, a lass far more beautiful than any old fern or flower.

Taglist: @lokilover476 @fuckyoumakeart @kilibaggins @pirate-lord-of-narnia @ibabblealot @joonies-word @stormchaser819 | Reply/Ask/Message to join!

[stupidlovergirl]

https://www.tumblr.com/stupidlovergirl/718382323745341440/tldr-hes-hot-getting-caught-about-how-attractive

Hey! How’s your day been?

I saw that your requests were open on your pinned post and I was wondering if you write for/would you do a version of one of these for Mephistopheles? I feel like that purple haired nerd would become so smug and smarmy after hearing you say something about him y’know? Anyways thank you so much and I hope great things come your way!

Nonnie... Your brain is so huge... This one is for you bestie. Insufferable idiot, I want to punch him in the gut and then kiss him when he doubles over in pain <3.

Bros Vers

Datables Vers

Not edited

If anyone had asked the demon what he thought of you, he'd say a lot of things, a lot of backhanded compliments definitely. Now, though, he isn't so sure.

"He's dedicated, and he tries so hard. Its admirable. I really like when he doesn't feel the constant need to uphold his reputation and actually starts being his self. It makes me really like him. Also, you not tell him, I think, he's like, super attractive too. His hair is sooo pretty. His eyes make me understand why people wax poetry about their lovers eyes for so many lines it makes you want to die. To be completely honest, I think I'm into him, like, romantically. Ugh, kill me, I'm in love with an egotistical idiot."

No one just says things like that and doesn't mean it. His eyes are wide, a he thinks his jaw is open. He quickly compses himself, and just...walks away. He has to come to terms with this.

The next time he sees you, your bringing him a document from Diavolo, smile big as you hand it over. He smirks, and kept help but mention the converstation he overheard

"A little birdie told me you find me attractive" he simply says. Its funny, how the color seemingly drains and comes onto your face.

"I don't know what your talking about Mehpisto" you simply say, voice strained.

"I think you do. Something about how my eyes make you understand why people spend so much time describing their lovers eyes, or am I mistaken?" He's smug, and he can see the fear and anger all over your face.

"Why would I say something like that?" You've regained some composure, and roll your eyes. Your trying to shake him off, but he's not letting you do that. Oh no, he's going for the throat.

"Because you like me. Romantically." He simply states, and he watches as you crash and burn.

"Who told you?! Was it Mammon, I swear I'll kill him!" Your furious, and lunge for him. That, he wasn't expecting. He panics, and you grasp his arms. "If you do not tell me I'm beating you. Then I'm going bird hunting." You sound so crazed, he might have been scared if you didn't look so...cute.

"It was you. Your so loud, talking about jow much you like me. It was like you wanted everyone to know. Except for me, evidently." He says, voice smug as he rolls his eyes.

Your hand move to hold your head, hands covering your face. He feels a little bad, but only just a little. Yet, he knows he's had his fun, and decides to end this little dance. His hand reach to hold your wrists, and yank your hands away from your face, and uses them to pull you closer.

"Don't worry, I think you're attractive too. My affections for you are also romantic"

The anger and love in your eyes is so worth it is all he can think as you start to yell about his teasing.

[logos-primes-pr-guy]

On Earthspark Rumble And Trauma

[Earthspark Spoilers]

If the rest of the season drops and it turns out that the other cassettes are all fine and alive and Bumblebee just phrased *that line* so ominously purely by accident... The Earthspark team is surely having a whole Moment seeing the sheer volume of memes pouring out over what may potentially be a misunderstanding.

Do not get me wrong. I, too, was awash with dread after that scene, but at the same time, I also think it's funny that we all heard "An unspecified cassette exploded when Soundwave tried to eject them" in the context of an apparently amusing story told to two children, and every single one of us collectively agreed that Rumble has died in a horrific and gruesome manner, forever traumatising Soundwave and the cassetticon family. The explosion may not have been fatal. It might not have been Rumble. Buzzsaw and Ratbat are also missing (and so are the many other cassettes, but they don't usually get screentime, so I'll let that slide). Where's all the art of Laserbeak tragically chirping over the loss of his counterpart? How come Frenzy gets all the angst to themself?

To be clear I do share the theory that the explosion was fatal because it explains why a loyal and rational mech like Soundwave would become a feral ball of rage, and why Frenzy and Laserbeak no longer want to follow him when they used to be such a close-knit family (in the family-themed show, no less! The show that gave us Hardtop shoving Swindle aside and letting himself be trapped in the very first episode, proving that it is indeed willing to acknowledge the Decepticons' familial bonds as well).

Nonetheless, assumptions are being made. I want to see the cassettes all happy and safe, but I'm also curious how this plotline is going to pan out. Even if one of them didn't die, something very bad clearly *has* happened. They were starving. Soundwave malfunctioned. Someone maybe got hurt.

We might see a plotline about how grief and one big traumatic can tear a family apart. But we may see instead how hardship and poverty and very difficult situations can wear down even the closest family, change people slowly over time so that they're no longer the person you trusted and respected. Maybe Rumble, Buzzsaw, Ratbat (and the others?) are not dead. Maybe they just left. They couldn't take the starvation, the constant danger, the isolation of running and hiding from the Autobots and the humans every day, so one day they left and joined one of those government-designated areas where Decepticons are allowed to live that got mentioned in Decoy. And Soundwave grew bitter and resentful because why can't they see that he's just trying to keep them safe and free and alive, and the life they've chosen isn't even really living, it's not freedom?

Sometimes trauma is one huge thing that devastates you forever. But sometimes, it's quiet, insidious, worming its way in slowly and steadily until you don't even remember how things used to be, and that can be one of the hardest wounds to heal.

[gideonthefirst]

3, 17, and i'll re-ask 16 to get whatever other one you meant!

3. What were your top five books of the year?

WAHOO! I like this one it's made me realize that I actually loved way more books this year than I was giving credit to. Let's say:

5. We Have Always Live in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Loved loved loved this one it's turned me into a big #ShirleyHead and also (along with Hill House) is responsible for some other takes I've had about books this year which I'll expound on later.

4. Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes on a Tribe Called Quest by Hanif Abdurraqib. Nobody's doing it like him. Only music writer I've ever read who is actually capable of communicating the music itself just over text, loves the things he writes about so strongly that it makes you as the reader love them too, beautiful beautiful collection and piece of work. A Little Devil in America would be on here too but I'm limiting myself to one book per author to resolve both this and the Nabokov problem.

3. When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb. First book I finished in 2023 and one of my all-time favorites :] It's so smart and so lovingly written and so complex and doing such fun things with religion and history and gender and also it's a fun and excellently-paced read. Recommend without qualification

2. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. Well. It's Lolita innit

1. Stephen Florida by Gabe Habash. Would I argue that Stephen Florida is "better" than Lolita? Who knows. Depends on the day. But I did love it more than any other book I've read in recent memory. The most directly invested I've been in a story in a long time, spent huge stretches of it being so stressed out about multiple things at once that I had to pause every five pages to catch my breath. Stunning depiction of a deeply unlikable character who you still want to win an unwinnable situation. Hostile to any attempt of a reader to figure out what it "means" or is "saying". Fantastic commitment to character voice. Perfect ending that had me totally motionless and speechless for maybe ten minutes. Have never in my life been more disappointed to find out that an author hasn’t written anything else. Man. Nobody is doing it like that.

16. What was the most overhyped book of this year?

Sob really funny of Sarah to get Annihilation and you to get The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. This wasn’t my first answer because it certainly is less broadly overhyped than Annihilation but I haven’t heard a single other person have negative feelings about it and I’m baffled by this. It fell into such a constant and repetitive trap of overexplaining things to me, both exposition and description of things that were supposed to be scary, and it drove me nuts. It being the year of Ms. Shirley Jackson certainly did not help, since she really has the perfect balance of how much to describe something to keep it scary, which isn’t super fair to Mr. Jones but it’s true regardless. Plus I thought how it treated women was really strange (derogatory), which I would have cared about much less in a better book but in this one really stuck out and weakened it further. And overall I just did not at all really understand what it was trying to do, which could be on me but I’m certainly too annoying to admit it, the pacing did not work for me at All and it just. Ugh. Didn’t like it!!

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

I was kind of shocked by how much I liked Where Are Your Boys Tonight? but I have already talked about that one. So let’s go with The Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb. It wasn’t like life changing or anything but it was a much more fun read than I was expecting since last attempt I made I bounced off the narration style immediately. But despite its many many concessions to the great weaknesses of epic fantasy I still intend to read the sequel and I especially love how Hobb engages with, uh, pain and sickness and disability and how she refuses to let them fade away and seems to really understand the extent to which pain and extended sickness alter people. I’m so so so excited to get to the torture because of this

[talesofsonicasura]

Of Bug Cults and Living Stone

Prologue: Agent meets Legend

Mind controlling parasites and trying to rescue the President's daughter can be a huge stressful pain in the ass. Leon thought a taxidermy bear wouldn't make things harder. Too bad no one said anything about the owner being a troll. Literally.

Can be read gender neutral or preferred gender. Also can be read romantic or platonic. Enjoy.

Myths were a funny thing. Tales of creatures unlike anything that roamed the Earth. Fire breathing dragons, shipwrecking krakens and the constant between every continent whether it be a horror story, cheesy movies or children's nursery rhymes: Trolls.

Beings from Norse Mythology described to be made from living stone with various sometimes frightening sizes to boot. Creatures that could be a slow witted hideous monster or so human in appearance and mind it was mystifying. Although trolls rarely helping mankind isn't exactly a secret.

Now if you were one Leon Scott Kennedy, it was just a painful reminder about those creepy dolls often marketed towards children. He couldn't count how many times he had one of the ugly nude buggers look back at him in stores or the rare nurse's office. Now why would this be on the blonde's mind?

Imagine being an government agent sent to Spain since someone decided 'Why not snatch a very important thing from the United States' president?' That 'someone' was actually the leader of a bioterrorism aligned cult who uses parasitic bugs to control the populace and make them abominations. Finally with the nasty cherry on top this shit sundae is you might have said parasite inside your body.

Overall, a pretty shitty day so far as Leon rather be in bed fast asleep than relive a foreign version of Raccoon City. Man already had to kill a mutant amphibious creature as if someone drag him into a bootleg Moby Dick. The captain being a 5'11 well built false blonde agent while the whale was a man eating parasite infested salamander.

At the moment, Leon decided an inventory check would be the next best move. He'll need everything completely functional if the agent was going to make out of this shit show alive with 'Baby Eagle'. And waterlogged guns isn't gonna help unless they were a makeshift bat.

Now before he reached the village, Leon did remember one of the cab drivers mentioning a cave near the lake. An infamous place that only the bold dare to visit yet any Los Illuminados member seem to avoid like the plague. Perfect for a much needed break and inventory check.

The cavern's outside was surprisingly decent looking almost if someone once live there. Root vegetables planted in a small messy garden, mossy rocks stack on top each other by the entrance and an old clearly stolen dirty clothes pile. It was enough caution to have Leon draw his handgun.

He took a step forward unaware of the thin tripwire before his feet or the chain reaction to come. The string snapped as a soft hiss from fast pulling ropes hum around the man. Leon only had a second to notice the large creature lunging out of the cavern and instinctively fires his weapon. *BAM*

It was a direct shot as something brown hit the ground with a loud thud before it haphazardly roll at his right foot. "A bear head???" Leon looked at the taxidermy head and to the still body that now stood ferociously before the cave's entrance.

There were thin yet sturdy strings connected to each limb almost like a puppet. It was clear no one left it behind as it was too well kept and show barely any sign of wear. Yet that begged the question, who built the bear puppet?

A deep piercing growl tore through the silence as Leon's blue eyes met angry glowing slitted ones in the darkness.

The sound of a gun shot and its spicy companion scent awoken you from your slumber. Predatory eyes were quick to notice the head puppet string that now laid slack while its fellow siblings hung tight from their vessel's weight. Your irritation quickly rose as you caught the other two still present scents.

One was those accursed Las Plagas and their no doubt human vessel. A deep heavy growl tore from your throat as you rose from your comfy nest. Large curled stone hands rake the dirt alongside taloned feet, long bulky tail scrape the cavern walls, magnificent horns low enough to not hit the ceiling, thick moss like fur that coats a powerful frame, jagged sharp fangs paired with equally fierce tusks, long deer ears for sharp hearing, bear like snout and eyes capable of piercing the darkness.

A sight known to make even the bravest men piss themselves in fright much to your constant amusement. Trolls weren't a species who plays nice with humans. Especially for you as a certain group that believe they're gods earned your fury.

Now it's quite easy to recognize puppets of those vermin worshippers. You witness their ritualistic plagues infest the locals and later bloody your fangs to free their forsaken souls. What stood here was neither of those parties.

A mortal man whose blue eyes already knew horrors familiar yet unknown, dark grey shirt, black fingerless gloves, black combat boots alongside dark grey combat pants held snuggly tight against a body type built for speed, browning blonde hair which reek of dye and the only casual thing he wore was a snug brown jacket.

The warrior look back at your hidden frame with shock yet held no fear. It wasn't difficult to smell the slowly budding larvae inside his little body. "A human not consumed by Las Plagas? Quite a rare but pleasant sight for old eyes to behold."

The deep rumble of your voice made the mortal raise his gun at you. An amusing sight worth the small hearty chuckle. "What the hell are you? One of Saddler's pets?" That earned the man a harsh growl as irritation nearly boil into fury.

"I would never serve such a pathetic fleshbag! His kind destroyed the beautiful harmony of this land with those horrid vermin! Not even my dwelling escape those thieving destructive hands! As for what I am, I'm a troll who calls this broken land home."

The man slowly lower his gun but kept a finger steady on the trigger. "A troll? The ones that turn to stone in sunlight and often live under bridges? *You nod* Of course this fucking mission had to get weirder. It sounds like Saddler and his goons did something to piss you off." A disgruntled huff was enough to confirm his suspicion.

"We've been at war for quite some time. You see their "god's" power is completely useless against me. I can sap the parasite of its strength, like the larva nestled in your chest. Can even kill their entire hive if I lay my claws on the Plagas Queen. That very fear drives their numerous failed attempts to slay me. Bastards then stole something I consider invaluably precious."

A look of hope immediately cross the man's face upon hearing your words. "Then we have a mutual enemy. Saddler took something important from my country and done the same to you." It didn't take a genius to know what he's insinuating.

"You wish for my assistance? AHAHAHA! I never met such an amusing human in a very very long time. You don't know the dangers of making a pact with a troll, huh? My weakness to sunlight will be nullified in exchange for my power. I can crush your skull and rend your flesh like moss."

That didn't seem to intimidate the mysterious man one bit, in fact it made him even more determined. "Raccoon City already tore apart any sense of self preservation. Plus I'm dead either way if I can't get back Baby Eagle. Getting killed by a troll would be a spectacular way to kick the bucket though."

You couldn't help the bout of earth shaking laughter at the small human's words. "Quite a suicidal bastard, aren't ya? I like bold foolish mortals willing to dance with death." You tossed something metallic at the brave man. He caught it and saw the item was a small metal goblet.

"Pour a bit of your blood inside and prepare a title for me. It's required to form a familiar pact between us. The blood links my magic to you and the title being a way to summon me. I shall suppress the parasite's too so Los Illuminados can't interfere with the pact. Please tell this old troll the name of their contractor as I grant mine."

The stranger look at the goblet in his hands, then you with an amused grin on his face as your name grace his ears. He holstered the gun in favor of a small combat knife and made a decent slice on his left palm. Blood delicately pouring into the gauntlet then placing it before you in the shadows.

"My name is Leon Scott Kennedy. Saddler's cult has remain top dog for too long, haven't they? It's only fair that the bastards should take the role of prey. You want a title? I hope 'Hunter' is good enough for a mighty troll." Leon barely saw the large fang filled smile on your muzzle.

"Well then, Leon Scott Kennedy. If it's a hunter you want..." Sharp claws delicately grab the goblet of blood. "...then I'll happily serve the role!" And you drank the crimson liquid with vigor. A look of pain split across his face as he felt a burning sensation on his back. Leon would've think it been a trick if Saddler's whispers hadn't fell into silence.

You knew it was the familiar sigil since a troll's pact forms on the back. The pain quickly subsided as Leon's eyes return to the beast before him. He couldn't help but stare in awe when you lumber out into the sunlight.

The man had to look up to maintain eye contact as the size difference became very obvious. You were twice maybe even thrice larger than him and looked equally powerful. A massive smile took over Leon's face as he evilly rub his hands together.

"Oh hell yeah! I think it's about time to even the playing field. Hope you're ready for a bit of a hike as we have a Baby Eagle and precious belonging to recover. I'm pretty sure that ravine is a good place to start." You let out snort as you had a better solution.

"Got something with Baby Eagle's scent on it? A troll's sense of smell is better than any hound you humans train. I can easily track the lost chick down even when the scent goes stale." Leon grinned as he pull out a human invention: a cellphone.

"Take a good whiff." You sniffed at the object, catching a gentle citrus scent with a bit of cinnamon and mint to it. Clearly Baby Eagle was a young human female since they had a more fruity smell than men. "Got it. Follow me Sir Leon and I'll lead you to her."

The man was a bit surprised but quickly brush it off. He isn't going to look a gift horse, well gift troll, in the mouth. Leon needs all the help he can get if he wants to take on a cult.

Something the both of you knew quite well.

And that's it! This is a bit more dialogue than usual but some setup is needed here. Yes, I know trolls are primarily Norse or Scandinavian in origin but there are reasons why Reader is in Spain. Now for their precious treasure, you guys have to figure it out for yourselves.

Only hint I'm giving is that it's magic in nature. Leon's the type who would a make a deal with the devil especially since Raccoon City messed up him real bad. Any help is appreciated but it doesn't mean he fully trusts Reader. They don't trust him either hence the threat.

Quite normal as trolls rarely help humans whether in mythology or multiple stories. Next chapter will delve into the ravine and maybe the boss fight with El Gigante. I'll be drawing the familiar sigil later, maybe even the Troll Reader's visage.

Until next time folks, continue to thrive in the wake of Raccoon City.

[dreamtydraw]

Glub Glub

HAHA I’ve made it back home to my fishbowl!!! And guess what~ I played through all of your games! (I finished at.. 2 AM fishy time… I’m very sleepy lmao) I have oh so many thoughts about them all… >:) Ramble incoming! Apologies for the atrociously long ask and grammatical errors-

I played the games in order of release so first up was Night Shift, which was such a fun and quick play!! I loved how it sorta just throws you into this confusing supernatural world and is just like “You’re stuck in a time loop, good luck!”. I tend to go into video games expecting them to be super difficult for me, especially when they involve choice, so at the start I was listening to Françoise’s instructions like a hawk 👁️👁️, the atmosphere of the game was so cool too, the little inconsistencies in logic was so cool to watch unfold (I vividly remember reading the bit where the MC picks up the axe and flipping out cause “YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT!! THE GAME SAID DON’T DO THAT YOU IDIOT!!”) I forget the actual word for it but the entire setting really gave of the feeling of being in a huge place that’s typically filled with people but is for some reason deserted.. well except for Sam. Speaking of! Sammy’s fun I loved them! I was so intrigued as to what their whole deal was, like how did they get there? Why are they there? Whats up with them and Françoise and the whole “Deary” thing?? Overall it was such a short but sweet experience and a very nice introduction into the Paranormal Club world

Next was Apple Bag! I was actually originally going to play this last cause of its open ending, but I figured since it came out directly after Nightshift, I might as well just play it right then and there. This was also tons of fun! I actually really liked the MC’s personality a lot, I dunno why but their dialogue and thoughts were just fun to read through. I played through the mystery strangers route (I swear to god their name was said somewhere but I cannot for the life of me remember what it was) and it was a good time! I love their design a whole lot and it was funny seeing them get introduced as this terrifying menacing stranger to chill and sleepy customer, funnily enough when the MC kept describing them as really scary I was pretty confused as to why, then I realized that I kinda tend to act a lot like the stranger when I’m going out sooooo.. no wonder I didn’t find them all too spooky. The mystery of the literal apple bag and Sammy’s disappearance was also really fun to see, I wonder if it’s talking about Nightshift? Idk, I’m not a theory making expert so who knows! I’m just eager to watch the story unfold!

Next up Tulipe! The creation of this game was when I really first started seeing your Paranormal Club stuff so needless to say I was really excited to finally play it, and boy was I not disappointed!! Getting to see Achik in action was so so nice considering he’s the one that really got me into Paranormal Club. The game overall just had this constant feeling of fleeting bittersweetness? If that makes sense? And I mean that in a good way, I loved how the story (when doing the good endings) were sweet overall but kind of had this melancholic tint to it that I couldn’t ignore, kinda reminded me of my time playing blooming panic if that makes sense. I played through every single ending cause they were easy and quick enough to get and every single one of them was great! The good ending where you tell Achik the truth about why you approached him was, predictably, my favourite ending, I actually liked how you don’t really become besties by the end of it and remain as friends who are close but ultimately aren’t ever gonna deepen the relationship. The other good ending was also very nice but man did I feel awful telling Achik I only pursued him for his looks, it made me feel so bad I for the poor guy. And getting the bad endings? Man. Being generally mean in games already makes me feel terrible, so in Tulipe where I flat out have to use manipulation and spike someone’s drink???? YIKES. All I have to say to that is thank god I can consider it wildly non canon! (I didn’t know where to say it, but Achik’s sunglasses make me giggle, they look so goofy in a good way!)

And lastly, I played 21 Questions…. *sob* Clem… love of my life… I finally got to be with you like I always dreamt!!!! Yeah, jokes aside as you can probably tell Clem’s become my #1 fav of Paranormal Club. He’s just so cute and lovable and relatable! I could rant about my love for them for hours. I adored how down to earth the story and its characters were, and my heart goes out to everyone on the dev team for breathing so much life into the game. Clem and Aurore are such fun characters to watch interact and I never doubted for a second that they were best friends! The duo also really remind me of myself and people I know irl so I was like “Yeah I’d fit right in with these too if they were real” the whole time. Speaking of relatability, boy did Clem’s vent scene hit so hard- it feels weird to say but I just adored how depressing that scene was, not to get personal but Clem’s entire vent just reminded me exactly of myself, like I’ve had the exact thoughts that they had, so the entire time I was ugly sobbing right there with Clem, it felt nice, cathartic too. I always really appreciate any piece of media that’s able to do that, so Clem’s kinda become pretty special to my heart <3

Every single one of these games was an absolute delight to play through, they’re all filled with so much love and care that I can’t help but admire each and every one of them. I hope you and everyone you’ve worked with on your games are proud of what you’ve made and know that they’re all such amazing experiences :) Whenever you decide to make your next project (after a nice and healthy break), know that your fish anon will be right here in my fishbowl ready to support you!

And with that I must take my leave and turn in for the night, I’m so ready to knock out. Goodnight!

-🐟

First off… OH MY GOD

Your ask has been screened and sent to the other teams member + added to my personal gallery to remember because oh my 😭😭😭

I can’t put words on how much this ask feels to me, like, this is the reason i want to make art it’s for people to enjoy but i always doubt myself and like having point blank long comments about enjoying the biggest projects i worked on in my life so far is like- so important to me thanks you so much fish anon thank you !!! ( this is all i’ll be seing when i goes to sleep )

I’m really glad you liked the game, even nighshift ! This games is in my standard bad and i aim to remake it one day but i’m glad you add fun.

Answering some of the questions :

Yes Sam from nighshift and Sam from apple bag are the same person ! That why you meet erinna in both game. The events also happen at the same période.

The stranger’s name is Leila and they go by they/them.

The canon ending of tulipe is the first good ending :}

I will be taking a break as a dev yeah disidod need some rest.

Hope you’re also resting well !!!

Tons of love fish anon and again multiples thank you for not only playing my games but taking the time to writte all of this. It warms my heart and i’m grateful for your message. ❤️

[zhongrin]

The server maintenance started but I want to play for a while longerrrr— I so very much enjoy Kazuha's gameplay, I can't get enough of it

But that makes me think...

...if our companions were aware of everything (like they know the whole thing is a game and that stuff), do you think they get together like a huge barbecue and gossip about us?

Or perhaps our characters and those a coop friend has just gets together talking about stuff? Maybe they complain about us feeding them the same food/food they dislike, or that they talk about how we decorated our serenitea pot or any funny things we did?

yeee pair this with the fact that in genshin time pass quicker than our world's time. so whenever we 'leave' them even just for a short period of time, for them, it feels like days....

there's a few directions this can go, i feel? it depends on what they think we are, mostly. like are they indifferent to the fact that they're in a game? what do they see us as? god? creator? just some otherworldly being that can take control of their bodies? their purpose of living? based on what they think, it would influence how they talk about you and what kind of topics they would talk about.

personally am split between them seeing us in the "you are the reason of our existence" way (dark yandere routes mmmm) vs "you are a constant presence in life and we've long since lived this way so this is perfectly normal and we're just hanging out" way (many platonic relationships, high potential for crack and silliness).

in my world, i'd like to think zhongli would be the envy of all because the man gets to drink all the tea he wants and gets taken in literally almost every adventures i have. he's clearly very favored. and al haitham too, ever since he was released. also probably shinobu because she keeps me alive with that healing + electro application. and the fact that i always teleport to liyue waypoints for resin converting and adventure guild stuff will probably mean liyue in its entirety is probably so used to my presence lol

i've only coop-ed with my brother so far and honestly i love picturing (mine) zhongli & alhaitham + (his) dehya & nahida hanging out lol nothing to see here.... just two archons, the former acting grand sage, and the infamous mercenary hanging out together...... dehya and nahida probably talk about the nice artifacts and weapons everyone has in their world while zhongli and al haitham are just standing there like "ah. yes. our player.... isn't as lucky, unfortunately."

[jayciethings]

A Review of Barbie ... sorta

Once upon a time there was a little girl who really liked pink.

She wasn't obsessed with pink. It wasn't the only colour she loved. But she did really like it, and wore several pink things.

She also had a Barbie doll. And it was enough of a favourite that it came on a family walk in the woods with her (and had its hand torn off on said walk by a bored sister, but that is another story). She also loved several supposed "boys toys" too, like construction toys and a Fisher Price trainset she still maintains as an adult is totally awesome. But she did love that Barbie.

That little girl grew up and went to uni and learned all about gender and culture and how arbitrary and nonsensical so much of it is. Learned that 300 years ago noblewomen weren't allowed to wear pink because it was too "masculine" a colour. Learned to spot the male gaze in every movie (which is a deliberately imposed filming construct not an indictment of an entire gender). Learned to be hugely wary any time someone trotted out lines like "it's just nature" or "that's just the way it is".

She also experienced subtle and not-so-subtle misogyny. Met guys who were nice and mostly kind but also subtly scathing towards feminine things and female people. ("Four girls? Your poor dad." "Do you think he ever wished he'd had a boy?" "There's *no way* your dad isn't disappointed to only have had girls.") Met people who would consciously or unconsciously disregard the opinions of women they saw as overtly feminine. She called the guys out on the overt and not-so-overt sexism (and earned the euphemism of "strong" as a result, where "strong" really meant "a bit difficult"). And somewhere in that mélange of hating being stereotyped (if you liked one feminine thing bang! that's it. You're a girl and that's not a compliment) and not wanting to be thought difficult, she didn't always take a stand when she should. And she started to resist the pink. To dislike the dolls. To dislike the narrowing of individualism and possibility that came with them. To dislike how boys who wanted to play with them were gently or ungently told no because they're "only for girls", and to dislike the underlying message of this - that to be like a girl was A Very Bad Thing. To dislike the ads that were geared towards girls, to dislike the unconscious constant culture that pushes boys towards toys that encourage STEM skills and girls towards dolls that encourage traditional female pursuits. And to dislike how boys weren't allowed to wear pink. Weren't allowed to cry. To really dislike how the patriarchy hurt and trapped and damaged them too.

To this day she hates those ads. Hates that unconscious stereotyping. Maintains that it's harmful and limits little girls. Points to the suicide rate amongst young men and wants to despair.

And the funny thing about dolls, about Barbie dolls, is that Barbie became the flagship of bimbos. The embodiment of impossible body standards and of ditsy blondes who only care about pleasing men and looking pretty. A betrayer of her sex. The enemy of feminism. Even though Barbie was a doctor, a business woman, a marine biologist, a lawyer. Even though she took many shapes and later (finally) many colours. She became a symbol of female oppression. So, down with Barbie! She is the symbol of capitalist patriarchy. Resist the pink. Bury Barbie and by doing this, magically we have cured internalised and externally imposed misogyny. Whilst all the while those impossible beauty standards and stereotyping and limitations are still imposed on little girls and women on every front. And it wasn't even okay to vocalise that any more in some circles. Cos haven't we won? Aren't western women fully liberated and empowered now?

The truth is so much messier than that. Often so much more painful than that.

And Barbie the movie captures that messiness perfectly.

In the first few minutes when I saw an element of my childhood I had resisted being openly shown on-screen, being celebrated, I was reminded of how I'd once really liked pink. I was reminded of that little girl and I wanted to cry. Then minutes later I saw the stereotyping and it got shoved down again in the annoyance.

But I don't think there are many lines in movies that have resonated with me more than, "I’m expressing [my emotions] and I have no difficulty holding both logic and feeling at the same time and it does not diminish my powers and expands them.” Even while knowing that has not been my experience. Has not been how I have been perceived.

I could say so much more, but I've already said so much, and don't want to go into spoilers.

This movie healed and hurt my heart, probably in equal measure.

Barbie is not a perfect movie, neither technically nor thematically. And like all of us, it's not totally outside of its cultural moment. (Why does a film about Barbie spend so much screentime on Ken?). It's not a perfect movie by any means, but it is an important one.

Maybe one day I'll put on pink and not worry just a little about it.

[dorianepin]

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end of season thoughts: the canucks are not in a good place systemically and while they were never on route to an actual tank attempt they at the very least fumbled a golden opportunity to ease their foot off the gas pedal in a subtle enough way to still improve team morale while boosting their chance at drafting a generational hometown talent who has announced his loyalty to this team and his admiration for several of its players over and over again. no matter how much tocchet and foote have instilled new structure and habits or reshaped defensive instincts, this remains true.

it is interesting to hear miller and petey talk about their relationship because 1) it’s so hilariously revealing for him to be like “well... we have nothing in common hobby-wise. lol. but we have fun on the ice” (which i do think is true) and 2) i think miller is just a very specific type of personality and player archetype and that makes their dynamic easy to scrutinize, but while i believe he is reflective of a larger cultural problem in vancouver it’s not necessarily in the most straightforward sense, and maybe presenting it that way is unfair to him. like i do think how a player self-motivates and responds to coaching expectations is always going to be unique, and thus it’s never so much about the universal value a coaching system brings to a team but rather how much each player’s skillset and personality naturally complements the inherent dynamics of it. of course, it still falls onto the player to be adaptable, and when it comes to game-breaking talent or hockey iq there is an expectation that they can perform past the limitations of a restrictive or uninspired system, but obviously you can’t expect that of every player in the league and i think it’s understandable to say at the base level that certain players just need x or y to be productive and cannot perform maximally when expectations are loose or otherwise unstructured. miller does not have an elite gamer mindset but that’s fine. you can still be a largely effective player that way

another thing that is slightly like, i guess misconstrued to me about the thought of quinn leaving to play with his brothers or petey’s contract etc. is that i think there’s so much presumption present re: the future of the club and a lack of consideration for how much variance in team success shapes these decisions in the long run. i don’t think the canucks are in a good place, roster-wise or prospect-wise or organizationally, but beyond the bleak image of continued mediocrity how much can you really predict of the next few years down the line? i wonder how much of the players’ self-imposed belief in tocchet’s system is genuine, because i think it mostly is but they also don’t really have a choice at this point, and it’s a double-edged sword where i think he’s been a noticeable improvement structurally but so many of us also said that the coaching overhaul was conspicuously designed to disguise the roster’s issues by falling on the easiest stretch of the schedule possible. plus demko’s convenient return to form.

i do think quinn is motivated to win in vancouver, but obviously the huge caveat here is not vancouver, it’s winning. i also think it’s giving players (who rely on their agents) either too much or too little credit when the only reactions are: 1) he is 100% out of here once he hits ufa because he wants to play in new jersey more than anything in the world, or 2) he is never leaving vancouver because he is loyal to the city and wants to make it work. like in reality it’s a sticky middle space in which things happen as they happen and no one really knows. this is also how i feel about norris and mcl but the funny thing about motorsports is that there is actually more ambiguity to developmental timelines that are often more simple to approach in hockey and yet the canucks are just belied by constant high-level organizational apathy. and of course it is the plight of a sports fan to be foresight-driven, especially when the organization they follow seems to continuously resist any marginal attempt at honoring it.

+ trawling old locked posts and one from around the asg