#and especially don't beat up on those just trying to survive

[foone]

The game Lonestar has a couple battles where you have to match the damage in each column to either 0 or 1.

Which... Goes against everything I believe in in these sorts of roguelike deckbuilding games! My entire ethos in these games is to build a deck which I can use to hit them very hard.

I get the maximum damage and the points! And the other guy goes DOWN. I don't think this is too unusual of a way to play these games..

So having like three missions out of a hundred that are "try to match an exact amount of damage!" is just annoying. All the strategies I've learned FROM PLAYING THIS GAME are centered around maximizing damage! Because that is how you win the game. You hit them more than they hit you.

I'm all for these games having multiple different viable playstyles, of course! Inscryption did that very well (and basically guided you into it with the deck choices in Kaycee's mod). You could build your deck a couple different ways, and there's many synergies you could play with.

But what Lonestar is doing here is asking you to change up your entire deck mid game, with no notice! And then if you survive, you've got to put it all back again!

It's a unique idea for a puzzle but it just gets annoying once you've gone through it so many times!

Especially once you've played the game a bunch, actually. Because you get better at building ships, you show up to this event with better ships! So it's like "match this lane to 3, this one to 4, this one to 7" and you're there with a ship designed to hit them with 60 damage in the center lane.

It's like... This is a game about winning battles. I'm sorry I showed up at your war with a warship and not a precise power generator. I was trying to build a ship that could defeat the enemy at any cost, not solve Myst puzzles!

If this was a game about solvin' Myst puzzles, I'd be building ships that are good at that! And that might be an interesting game idea to explore, you know? Like it's not combat... It's compatibility. Maybe you're not killing each other with your space lasers, you're establishing contact. That's why you have to meet them in the middle with your connection. See? That could be an interesting game!

But it's not this game. Lonestar is very much a game about building a ship that can use its lasers to beat the other guy's lasers and make them die.

Except somehow three levels of that hypothetical game actually got made! And stuck into the middle of the different game Lonestar, where they surprise players in the middle of the night!

Sigh. I think it's one of those things where the rest of the game design is so good and so much fun, that this one annoyance seems so much worse. It's this one real bump in a very smooth ride.

(Especially because it gets worse the better you get at the game)

[theresattrpgforthat]

I'm looking for TTRPGs that have... for lack of a better way of putting it, mechanics where like, your character is under a profound amount of stress, and if they don't manage it and additional stress that comes in, they'll break or snap and do something horrible and then have to deal with the consequences. So something that mechanically 'forces' your character to do something they'd normally never do due to external stressors.

THEME: Stress Clocks.

Oh this is my shit. Get ready for a Hall of Fame style of recommendations from me this week (as well as a bit of self-advertising)!

Also a note: this was (mostly) a chance for me to get very excited about a number of games that have specifically inspired me, and I am aware that it means that I’ve kind of neglected certain houses of design as a result. For this post especially, I encourage anyone who can think of a game that fits this request that isn’t listed here to give it a shout out in the reblog and the replies!

Mothership, by Tuesday Knight Games.

Mothership is a sci-fi horror roleplaying game where you and your crew try to survive in the most inhospitable environment in the universe: outer space! You'll excavate dangerous derelict spacecraft, explore strange unknown worlds, exterminate hostile alien life, and examine the horrors that encroach upon your every move.

Mothership inflicts Stress upon you with every failure, and hitting your Stress cap reduces your most relevant Stat or Save, thereby consistency reducing your chances of success with every roll. That’s not all though - your Stress cap also makes it harder and harder to stop your character from panicking, by representing the threshold you must beat every time you make a Panic Check. If you roll less than or equal to your current Stress rating, you must take on a new Panic condition.

You make Panic checks whenever you roll a critical failure, but also whenever you witness something traumatic. These conditions don’t necessarily force your character to do anything, but they represent the toll that being in a constantly hostile environment takes on your mind and body. You have to work harder and harder to prevent your character from attacking allies, giving in to the demands of whatever is haunting their psyche, or going straight-up catatonic.

You can also try to mitigate this stress and panic by resting and doing something that helps relieve the pressure - having sex, taking drugs, praying, etc. There’s even a Shore Leave mechanic for long-term games that allow your character to turn their stress into a character improvement.

In some respect, these conditions remind me of the Morality and Clarity tracks of Chronicles of Darkness and Changeling: the Lost, but with less of the errant language around mental health. The dice rolls also make the consequences much less predictable, so if you want to be surprised by what exactly causes your character to snap, I recommend Mothership.

Urban Shadows, by Magpie Games.

The streets bleed shadows as the supernatural politics of the city threaten to swallow you whole. Will you die a hero—a savior for those who have never had enough—or live long enough to become the villain? Will you fight the darkness…or give in for power?

The choice is yours. 

Urban Shadows is an urban fantasy tabletop roleplaying game in which mortals and monsters vie for control of a modern-day city, a political battleground layered just under the reality we think we know. Vampires, faeries, hunters, and wizards fight to carve out a piece of the streets and skyscrapers, ready to make deals with all those who have something to offer. 

The ‘consequences’ track for Urban Shadows is called Corruption. Each character playbook in this game has a couple of special moves called Corruption Moves, and when you start playing, you start with two Drama Moves the tie into this. The Drama Moves describe specific situations in which your character must mark Corruption. If you fill your Corruption track, you take a Corruption Move. Corruption moves give you special powers that are super-effective, but fill up your Corruption track faster. You can only fill your Corruption track so many times - fill it one too many and your character must be retired, because they’ve just become an antagonist.

I really like how this feels like a slow descent that speeds up the more you lean into it. Your character is consistently tempted to give into their darker sides in order to keep themselves afloat in this unforgiving city - but lean too far and they become exactly the kind of person they were hoping to stop.

Antiquarian Adventures, by acegiak.

Antiquarian Adventures is a pulpy tomb raiding and treasure hunting Blades In The Dark hack in the style of Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and The Mummy.

So Antiquarian Adventures is a pulp game. It’s not grim dark in any sense of the word, but I think it introduces a unique use of the Blades’ Stress mechanic in a special “ability” that happens when your character uses up all of their Composure (this is the “Stress” of this gam). Once you’ve used up all of your Composure, you cannot resist anything that comes your way and your dice pools are reduce to 0 until you do something (specific to your playbook) that usually invites a new consequence.

For example, The Veteran’s version of this is called “Not As Quick As I Used To Be,” which hamstrings the character until the player allows themself to be left behind or separated from their comrades. This kind of mechanic has directly inspired one of the projects that I’m working on, and I think that if you tweak the amount of Composure your character has, or makes the reaction harsher, you could absolutely make it work for a game that’s a bit grittier than Antiquarian Adventures.

Last Fleet, by Black Armada Games

The last of humanity are fleeing across space, pursued by the implacable inhuman adversary that destroyed their civilisation. They're outnumbered and outgunned. Supplies are running low. The actions of a brave few could be all that stands between humanity and extinction.

Welcome to the Last Fleet.

Last Fleet is a PBTA tabletop roleplaying game where you play brave pilots, officers, engineers, politicians and journalists struggling to hold the human race - and themselves - together under unbelievable pressure. The game focuses on action, intrigue and drama in this high-stakes situation. You'll fight space battles, search for enemy infiltrators, tackle supply shortages and navigate faction politics. You'll strive against your own self-doubt and sometimes crack under the stress.

Last Fleet has something called a Pressure Mechanic, which can be used as a player resource, but also activates when you take weather harm or get called out on your shit. Hit your cap? Clear your Pressure and take a Breaking Point action, which often puts you at odds with the other characters, making the situation worse. The whole situation is a designed to act as a pressure cooker, making the situation harder and harder to bear until you finally pop. I love it, and it’s also a direct influence on one of my games.

Apocalypse Keys, by Rae Nedjadi (@temporalhiccup)

Unmask your feelings, uncage your ruination… The Doomsday Clock is ticking down and emotions run high as you and your team of DIVISION agents struggle to find the Keys before the villainous Harbingers unlock the Doors of Power and bring about the apocalypse.

As an Omen class monster, you are the only thing capable of holding back the apocalypse. Combat occult threats and investigate supernatural phenomena alongside your team of supernatural agents working for the shadowy DIVISION. But in a world that shuns monsters like you, only your deepest, most heartfelt bonds can grant you the power to stop those who seek to unlock Doom’s Door.

Taking cues from Urban Shadows, Apocalypse Keys gives you a Ruin track to follow as your monsters try to stop the world from ending. The Ruin track gives you a Ruin advance every time you fill it, unlocking Ruin Moves, permanently marking character conditions, and eventually forcing your character to turn into a Harbinger if you let it. Your Ruin moves are powerful and dark, generating even more Ruin when you use them, and in some cases (like with the Hungry’s "Only Hunger Remains" move), your character can actually halt the current mystery as they get close enough to becoming a Harbinger that the entire party will have to work together to stop you from ripping the world apart.

Protect the Child, by Mint-Rabbit (that’s me!).

Humans have always been protective of their young, sometimes overly so. Humans have also always feared that which might make their young strange or different, and so insist that only humans can raise their own young. Monsters cannot raise human young. This is known.

You have a human baby. You cannot find its parents. What is even worse, is that this child has powers, powers that others covet, and so everyone wants it. If you want to prove that you’re not the heartless monster that everyone says you are, that means you’ll have to raise it, at least until you find someone who is better suited to it than you. 

You are creatures of fur, scales and fangs. You have claws that can rend flesh, faces that can crack mirrors, howls that can cause ears to bleed. 

And your charge wants a blankie.

Protect the Child is a Forged in the Dark game about monsters caring for a young human, a human who contains strange and mystical powers that make them a valuable asset in any monster crew. The setting and factions present in this game are flexible: you might be aliens in a far-flung future galaxy, fantasy monsters from rival kingdoms, or even everyday wild animals that fear human society. 

Alright, so this is my baby and I can tell you exactly how to push your character towards some really unhealthy coping mechanisms. In Protect the Child, your character is constantly battling the stress of being a parent. Stress, like in other Forged in the Dark games, is a player resource, but it’s also inflicted on you when you resist consequences, and when the kid has an emotional breakdown.

Should your stress clock fill up, you’ll have to take a reaction from the list attached to your playbook before you can take more Stress, and these reactions range from doing something for selfish gains to lashing out to your fellow monsters to being fully monstrous at exactly the worst time. Your tools to manage this stress are also limited - you have to be willing to confront your fellow monsters and be honest about your relationships with each-other if you want to stop your emotional kettle from whistling all of the time. If you want a game where building relationships is the only way to deal with the pressures of monster-parenting, then check out Protect the Child!

[darlingatlas]

You know what's a better way for DC writers to paint Jason's Robin era as something other than calling him brash and reckless?

Having it be that he burned with a fire for justice hot enough that it was used to burn himself.

He cared about people, but saying that he treated Robin like it was a game and that's why he died is both inaccurate and gross victim blaming. He literally got tricked by his bio mom, who he knew was being blackmailed by the Joker. He wanted to trust and help her because she was his birth mom, and that ultimately ended badly for him. Plus, so many people brush over the fact that he was a fifteen-year-old with trauma relating to parental figures. His dad died in prison, his mom died when he was young, and his relationship with Bruce was rocky. Of course he's going to try and see the good in someone who he could have a parental relationship with.

So many writers love to ignore/retcon that part of the story because they want to paint Jason as the black sheep of the family. He was the one who died and it was his fault; it's easier to paint him that way rather than explore the nuance of his relationship with authority figures and trust. Plus, writers use it as a way to prop up Bruce's tragedy narrative, even though it was Jason that died.

People forget or don't know that Jason's characterization was butchered by inconsistent writing. One issue had him beating criminals hard enough to be benched and then another had him literally wanting to stay in to do extra credit homework.

Towards the end of his Robin era, he definitely exhibited more emotional issues that stemmed from unresolved issues. But blaming a fifteen-year-old for his own death is wrong. He was just doing what he was taught, which was to help those in need and Sheila Haywood was that someone. She took advantage of that.

Was he emotional? Sure, but what teenager isn't? Hell, calling him the angry Robin ignores the fact that Dick literally created the role to enact justice against his own parent's murders.

But more than that, he was a kid that was still good at the end of the day. He stole only because he was desperate and wanted to survive; he enacted rules that protected kids from being preyed upon by drug pushers during his Red Hood debut; he killed because he knew first-hand how damaging it was for his perpetrator to still be around to do more harm. Is he right in that? That's another issue of debate entirely, especially with comic world logic.

But calling him brash and reckless and that's why he died is inaccurate and a disservice to his character. Because at the end of the day, he was a child who burned with the desire to provide justice to those who needed it, and that was used against him.

[penkura]

knowing [3/8]

Summary: Sanji knew you were the one the moment he met you.

Pairing: Sanji x Reader

Warnings: None really. Normal One Piece stuff I guess.

Note: Chapter three whoooooo. I like how this one turned out.

[Ch. 1] ● [Ch. 2]

Having left Water Seven with Franky as a new addition and Usopp back in your crew, you all ended up finding a ghost ship and meeting a living skeleton named Brook. Luffy of course wanted him to join you all, despite most everyone being either terrified or concerned, it made you laugh and was the one time you agreed with Luffy, surprising Sanji more than anyone.

"Why not? Could be fun."

"He's not joining our crew!!" Zoro shouted at you which just made you stick your tongue out at him in return.

Arriving at Thriller Bark, you were starting to get a chill down your spine even as Nami, Usopp, and Chopper took the Mini Merry out, only to get lost it seemed and you all still on the Sunny being attacked by an invisible creature, whatever it was being weird enough to sniff at Robin and lick up your face, absolutely disgusting you. Sanji kicked whatever it was away, making sure you were all right before the rest of you left to explore Thriller Bark.

You stayed closer to Robin this time, getting even more concerned about the things going on when Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji disappeared.

Robin kept you near her even as you fought various zombies, eventually learning more about Brook and how he once knew the whale Laboon, who you'd met all the way back when you entered the Grand Line, then hearing you needed to return to Sunny, your missing crew members having been taken there after their shadows had been stolen. Your next mission being to get them back and rescue Nami from a creep that was trying to marry your best friend.

You and Sanji went to find and rescue Nami, him leaving her in your care since she'd been knocked out while he attempted to defeat the weird Absalom guy. She did wake and ended up beating Absalom on her own in the end, but it was the thought that counted (she did thank you later for saving her from some random creepy guy).

Eventually you ended up outside and Luffy, turned into a monster briefly by another pirate and her crew stuffing shadows into him, defeated Gecko Moria just in time for those who had lost their shadows to regain them. You wouldn't dare tell anyone how terrified you were seeing people starting to turn to ash from the light, especially Sanji of course.

The Warlord Bartholomew Kuma appearing and using his powers to knock the majority of you out was unexpected, as was seeing Sanji run off after Zoro once you'd all awakened, and you ran after him, just in time to see Zoro nearly on the ground and bleeding heavily.

Thankfully, with Chopper of course, Zoro had survived whatever had happened and was bandaged, awake after a couple days as you all prepared to leave Thriller Bark, Brook joining as your newest member and musician.

The night you left, Nami demanded a girl's night with you and Robin, mostly so she could get even more information about your relationship with Sanji out of you. You answered what you could for a while, before realizing how late it was getting, standing up from your place on the floor.

"I'm gonna go help Sanji if he needs it. I'll be back later."

"Take your time." Nami gave a grin while you smiled and left the women's bunks, hurrying off to the kitchen. Even with all the events of the last few days, now that your crew of ten was on their way to the next destination, you only wanted to be around Sanji and see if he needed anything. Brook joining meant more work to be done all over the place, your dear boyfriend probably would need help with any kitchen prep now.

Even though he denied it as soon as you showed up and offered your help.

"I can handle it, I promise!"

You pouted which made Sanji laugh, while you threw your arms around him in a hug that he returned.

"I don't want you to overwork yourself."

"I won't, I'm used to this. You forgot I worked in a restaurant?"

Shaking your head, you looked up at him, giving Sanji a smile. "I just want you to take care of yourself. If I can help in any way, I want to."

Sanji didn't say a thing, just unable to believe how lucky he was. You liked him so much, you wanted to make sure he didn't overdo it and had help to finish his work early enough to sleep. He had the second watch that night, but still, you wanted him to get some rest and take care of himself. You cared about his well being so much, even if it meant you had to wait to sleep or even do your own chores.

What a far cry from the life he knew as a child. Someone who truly cared and wanted to care for him in return for how he cared for them. What did he do to deserve you? What higher being did he impress enough to be so blessed with you in his life?

"I love you."

The words slipped out before he could stop them, your eyes going wide as you held onto his shirt a bit tighter. It took a moment for Sanji to even realize what he said, but your very quiet 'what' in response made his face turn red and he tried to push you away and apologize but you gripped even tighter.

"What…what did you say…?"

"I…nothing, sorry, I didn’t–"

"Say it again."

Blinking, Sanji's breath caught in his throat as he looked at you. Your face had a slight blush but you looked like you were going to cry, he wasn't sure why.

Had he freaked you out to the point of tears? Was it too soon for those words?

"I…I love you, [Y/N]."

Hearing it again, you just couldn’t help it and started crying, highly concerning Sanji as he started asking what was wrong, telling you that you didn't have to say it back if you didn't feel the same way, it was fine! He wouldn't stop loving you, you had to know that. He hoped he hadn't scared you and that this was too soon, he really didn't mean for those words to come out yet.

Damn it, of course it was late and in the kitchen of all places! Sanji had thought this through multiple times, thinking he'd get to take you on a real date somewhere and tell you those words, instead of them just tumbling out while in the kitchen. His hopes were dashed for that, you probably didn't even have those feelings for him yet. Of course he screwed it up, he really was a fail–

"I love you too!"

You hugged him even tighter and buried your face in his shirt, making Sanji tear up now as he held you closer. He couldn't believe it, you loved him back.

You loved him! He didn't want to cry, trying so hard to stop the tears, despite how happy he was about it.

He hadn't told you how much it meant to hear you say that, not that night. He wanted you to know about his childhood, but not then, another time would be better. He didn't want to ruin this special moment, and prayed that none of your crewmates would interrupt, especially once you leaned up to kiss him, saying another 'I love you' when you pulled away, which he returned.

Nothing was going to ruin that moment.

+!+

"Morning~"

"Morning." Nami took a sip from her coffee, giving you a look while you yawned and rubbed your eyes, taking the seat across from her and laying your head down on the table. Sanji gave you a smile and asked if there was anything you wanted, you replied that you'd take a coffee to start which he gladly provided you with. Nami watched the two of you, her knowing about your relationship obviously made the two of you more comfortable with her around; she smiled knowingly to herself as Sanji gave you the coffee you'd requested just as you like it, kissing the top of your head and making you smile sweetly at him before he returned to making breakfast for the crew. With Brook having joined, that meant more to be done, but Sanji didn't accept your offer to help this time, saying he'd have to get used to it. Nami looked between the two of you, as you watched Sanji work with your smile still on your face.

Oh, she had noticed you never came back to the girls' bunks the night before. You'd left at one point, you said, to see if Sanji needed help with the dishes or prepping for breakfast, telling her and Robin you'd be back but you never returned. After nearly an hour, Nami was close to going after you to make sure everything was all right, before Robin told her that she shouldn't interrupt the two of you. She didn't elaborate, but her smile made Nami think something more was going on that night. Robin didn't tell her a single thing, instead going on to bed and leaving Nami to wonder what on earth could have been taking you so long. She stayed up and tried to wait for you, a thought crossing her mind that she didn't want to entertain for the sheer weirdness of it, but the fact you never came back to your bed made her wonder if she was right so she chose to ask after watching you that morning.

"Did you guys have sex last night or something?"

You almost spit your coffee across the table while Sanji nearly cut himself before he turned to Nami in shock at her question. 

"What?!" You both shouted, faces bright red at the thought.

Shrugging, Nami took another drink before continuing. "[Y/N] never came back to her bed last night, and you guys are being even sweeter to each other today…"

"Nami, that doesn't mean–"

"Oh, and you're wearing the hoodie Sanji had on too."

Your eyes widened and you sunk down in your seat, realizing she was right about that. You'd taken it that morning without thinking, almost leaving it before Sanji said you could keep it on, he thought you looked cute in it. You had no intention of giving it back, but even so, just you wearing his hoodie didn't mean you'd had sex.

"I…no! We…we didn't…absolutely not!"

Your face became an even darker red than it already was, Nami grinning like a devil and Sanji completely frozen behind you. He didn't even know how to react, never expecting Nami of all people to ask such a question! Robin, maybe, due to her Devil Fruit powers if she so chose to use them, but still! That was an awkward question for the two of you considering you had slept together but didn't have sex since you had followed Sanji to the crow's nest when he took over from Usopp.

Would Nami believe you though?

"N-Nami-swan," Sanji nervously smiled at her while you started to pull your hood over your face, the orange haired girl's grin never leaving, "We absolutely did not…um…"

"Have sex?"

"Y-yes! I mean, no! We didn't!"

"Mm-hm…"

She didn't believe a word of it. Not with your reaction and Sanji's nervous voice.

Nami was about to offer you her silence in the form of interest, but Luffy bursting in asking for breakfast was the reprieve you needed. You hoped and prayed no one asked why you were wearing Sanji’s hoodie, and luckily none of your crewmates seemed to care, besides Zoro who gave you a questioning look before you shook your head and he nodded in return.

You were absolutely going to hide that hoodie as soon as you were done with breakfast.

+!+

"You gotta run!! Don't let him touch you!"

Sanji held your wrist tightly, pulling you away from Bartholomew Kuma in Sabaody. He'd already used his powers to remove Zoro from the equation, you were fighting to not be in terrified tears as you tried to escape. Each of your crewmates disappeared one by one, Sanji was trying his damnedest to get you safe.

You tripped over debris, Sanji's hand losing his grip on you and his eyes widening as you tried to get up and reach for him, causing him to do the same as he ran back to you. His fears increased as Kuma stood over you and raised his hand.

"[Y/N]!"

"Sanj–"

He didn't get to you in time, you were gone in an instant, like everyone else.

Sanji opened his eyes to pink everywhere once again.  He'd finally found a room he could slip into and hide away from the Newkama that were now chasing him day in and day out, attempting to force him into a dress while he fought for the 99 recipes he'd learned about from Ivankov.

He'd been woken again from the same dream, nightmare, he'd had the last several weeks. He knew he wasn't going to be able to keep Kuma from sending you away, but at the time he tried desperately to do so, out of fear that Kuma's attack was a deadly one. Now knowing it wasn't, he was relieved, but there was an intense feeling of guilt since he hadn't been able to protect you. He couldn't protect anyone, but the guilt of letting you be sent away was eating at him every night.

He hated feeling like it was his fault you were sent away, somewhere he wasn't, but even if he had protected you more, there was no guarantee you would have ended up in the same place.

Iva had noticed the guilt Sanji felt, somehow, just by watching him. Every now and then, he'd slip up a little and nearly cut himself while cooking, he'd almost burned his dinner the night before, and more than once under or over salted a dish. None of it was normal for Sanji, even Iva could see that.

"Ah, damn it."

Another knick on his finger was enough to make Iva speak up.

"You've nearly chopped off two of your fingers today alone, boy! What's got you in such a tizzy?"

Sanji stayed quiet while he bandaged up the cut he'd given himself, before turning back to his work with a shrug.

"I don't know…just…thinking, I guess."

"Anout something or maybe someone?"

He laughed a bit, nodding. "Yeah, someone…"

"I see, hee-haw! A special someone then?!"

"Honestly, the most special person in my life."

Sanji couldn't help himself, he just started talking about you and nothing else. Everything he loved about you, how long you'd been together, how you met, he told Iva everything while he continued to work on his meal for that day. He seemed so focused while he spoke about you, that it made Iva smile while he watched Sanji. The look on his face, his voice while he spoke, every bit of it and Iva just knew, but wanted confirmation from Sanji first.

"All right then, let me ask you a question, little lover boy."

+!+

"Wait he told you he loved you in the kitchen?!"

You laughed at the shocked face of the girl you were working with. You'd been lucky enough to land in a village for kunoichi, spending your time training and learning new techniques, while making friends with some of the younger girls. The one you were speaking with, Akane, was a few years younger than you, but she loved hearing your stories of the adventures you'd been.

She was mostly interested in your love story with Sanji when she heard you had a boyfriend, always asking for more stories about the two of you.

You thought it was cute, it was like being back home with your younger sisters and telling them all kinds of stories.

"Yeah, I know he didn't plan it, but that made it even better. Doesn't change my feelings for him, and I'm sure he was just relieved to hear I love him back."

Akane sniffled a little, but nodded. "That's actually kind of sweet then. I want a boyfriend…"

"You're seventeen! You'll find one!"

You laughed while Akane whined about the boys in her village being less than ideal, aside from one, and just listened to her. Truthfully you were glad you didn't have to deal with any of the boys in your home village, Sanji beat them all out by miles when you thought about the ones you knew.

"Hey, so, umm…"

"Mm-hm?"

Akane blushed a bit, looking away. "Do you think he's …you know…the one?"

You stopped sweeping the room you and Akane had been cleaning, thinking a bit, but not if Sanji was the one or not.

You already had your answer. The late night talks you two had whenever you stayed up with him, your walks through island towns to stock up when the Sunny docked, the small gifts he'd given you including your necklace. Every bit of it made you feel happy and safe when you thought about those moments. You two often talked about your possible future together, it always made you giggle a bit when Sanji blushed bright red at the thought of you two being married and having a family of your own.

But those moments were cute and special to you, so you knew your answer. You gave Akane a smile, shaking your head before you went back to work, noticing how her shoulders dropped a bit before you spoke again.

"No, I don't think he's the one. I know that he is."

"When did–"

"Honestly, I think I knew the moment we met, but it didn't hit me until recently. I can't wait to see him again."

+!+

"So, little lover boy, do you think she's the one?"

Stopping his movements, Sanji didn't really have to think about Iva's question. Speaking about you while he cooked came naturally now, it's what he'd done every day since you got together and not another person occupied his thoughts. Thoughts of you and him, together again once your crew reunited. Sanji thought maybe you should tell everyone when that happened, but also thought it might be better to wait at least until you all had visited Fishman Island finally.

His thoughts would often drift to potential futures with you. Would you get married? He hoped so. What would your children look like? Sanji wanted at least two with you, something you had agreed with the one time you briefly discussed it late at night. You made him blush when you grinned and said a little girl that looked like him would be amazing to have. Sanji in turn said a boy that was like you would be a dream, which made you blush just as red with a smile still on your face.

No one else had ever made him think of such a future, not a single woman he met while at Baratie nor anyone else since he'd met and gotten to know and fall in love with you. He was thankful to whatever higher being there was that he'd told you he loved you before you all were separated, and that you responded in kind. You'd basically stolen the hoodie he'd been wearing at the time but Sanji didn't mind, as long as you were happy.

Smiling to himself and returning to his work, Sanji nodded at Iva's question after a moment.

"I know she's the one. I have since the very moment I met her."

[intimidating-fettuccine]

Hihi!! Can I request (platonic) Jeff, Ben and Toby having an older brother-like relationship with a new teen/child!reader that’s been taken in by slender who has a habit of running off on adventures, climbing things they aren’t supposed to climb, never turning down a challenge no matter how dangerous or dumb, getting in trouble a lot, etc (except they survive every time somehow?? Who knows why.) please and thank u :) have a lovely day!!

Protective big brother figures, here we come.

BEN:

Honestly, at his extremely old man age (of 28), he doesn't have the energy for this. BEN does his absolute best to look after you and keep his eyes on you, but he finds that to be challenging when you're constantly on the move. He finds it's better off that he just goes into your phone so he can be with you while you're running around doing stuff, so he can yell at you through the speakers to not pet that animal because it's extremely dangerous, don't try and climb that plant because it's poisonous, and do NOT challenge those demons to a fight, they WILL beat your ass. He feels like he'd have a heart attack if he wasn't already dead, but he keeps his eyes on you and proves to be a good big brother figure, just as he did for several other residents of the mansion. If you ever do get in trouble, he's quick to leave your phone and help you out, and shockingly, lectures you just like Slender always lectures them. He cares for you a great deal, and he doesn't want you to get gravely injured, especially with how dangerous the Underworld is, so he accompanies you whenever you're out and about. It gets him out of the mansion for a change, which is nicer than he'll admit to, and it allows him to keep watch over you, to the best of his abilities. Keeping you safe and happy is his biggest priority, and he does a damn good job of doing both of those things. 

Jeff:

Jeff has always been protective over Liu and everyone dear to him, but that really gets kicked up a notch with you. The man watches you like a hawk, because he knows the second he takes his eyes off of you you're gonna run off and do something stupid again. Jeff is tall and pretty damn muscular from all of his training, so if he physically has to hold you back or carry you away from something he will, and you aren't gonna get out of his hold. He honestly starts threatening to wrap you up in layers of bubble wrap before you leave the house every day, and if you seem particularly mischievous one day, he trails after you, knowing if he doesn't you're gonna come home with some form of injury. Jeff is honestly a good big brother figure, because despite the bullshit he gets up to, he never encourages it, and he never does it around you, and he's pretty damn good at getting you to relax quite a bit. He still lets you have fun, of course, but he hates seeing the people he cares for in dangerous situations, or constantly getting hurt, so he shows you some tough love. Jeff is honestly shocked at how much like Slender he starts to seem around you, in a good way at least. He gets better at explaining why you shouldn't be doing something, and he gets better at pushing you to put all your energy into more reasonable things. He's not perfect, of course, but he's a pretty damn good big brother. 

Toby:

Toby, for the first time in his life, understands why Tim is always so fucking frustrated with him. You're exactly how Toby was when he first came to the mansion, and while he didn't see anything wrong with his behavior then, when it comes to the possibility of you getting hurt, or worse, he finally understands why Tim was always yelling at him for doing stupid stuff. While Toby still does stupid stuff, he tries to encourage you to do safer stupid stuff. If you wanna climb something, climb one of the trees safely on the mansion's grounds, instead of a tree directly next to a cliff. If you're gonna accept a challenge, at least make sure it's something you can do successfully, because he swears if he has to watch you get hurt from doing something you know is dumb one more time he's gonna blow a gasket. Toby teaches you the art of putting your chaotic energy into safer means, and while you still get in trouble every now and then, you come back to the mansion with far fewer injuries, and you seem much happier, now that you have your big brother Toby looking out for you and partaking with you. Tim teases the fuck out of Toby now though, because Toby will always come home with you and sigh in exhaustion, giving Tim a look that says he finally understands, and Tim says he deserves it to make up for everything he did to Tim and Brian.

[teabutmakeitazure]

Zuri's Declassified University Survival Guide

This is a post about survival tips in university (undergraduate), especially if you're an international student living alone in a different country in this circumstance. I will be adding onto this later on if there's something I want to add, so keep an eye out for update reblogs of this I guess.

General Tips:

it's okay to make mistakes. you are here to learn and grow. no one is perfect, especially in the first and second year of their studies. those are mandatory experimental years. you're not expected to get magically mature and perfect when you get to university (or college for you americans). be kind to yourself and analyse your mistakes instead of beating yourself over them.

don't bother too much about your wardrobe. just wear whatever's comfortable. you might think people care but no one does. more than half of the people at campus will be in sweats or pyjamas and if someone IS dressed up, they're probably arts kids or business majors and they're the ones with the least workload (yes i am dissing you guys I've seen your workloads stop lying).

put yourself in uncomfortable social situations. yes i said that. the only reason i somewhat learnt to make small talk and learnt to talk to strangers is because I go to every single social event that I can. it's not necessary to make friends in all of them. just talk to people, exchange contacts, laugh while the event lasts even if you never see them again. this is how you survive in the lonely dorm life. and if you make an actual good friend? amazing! it paid off. even if it didn't you'll probably network and build rapport and have acquaintances from different majors.

if you're an ethnic minority, don't be afraid. I cannot stress this enough. don't be afraid to be there and take up space. you are there because you deserve to be and qualified. sure, it sucks at times because a good amount of people won't interact with you because you're 'different' but the international students will and trust me they're the coolest bunch to be friends with (I have 0 such friends so far). most times you will have to take the initiative to talk and sometimes they won't respond or worse flat out ignore you but don't let that get you down. just don't interact with them again. the world is big. not everyone will like you and accept you. find the ones that will.

eggs and milk are your best friend. a glass of milk everyday and 2 eggs. make that a staple. eggs are also very versatile for recipes. more on that in the recipes section. also yoghurt. a smol cup of yoghurt everyday too and nuts whenever you can buy them.

always have a few pack of instant noodles at home. sometimes you have deadlines or you forgot to cook or need a quick dinner because there's so much to do and you didn't get groceries. always keep them in stock. they're a quick fix for food. I'm not promoting them for frequent dinner but it's better than starving. just eat the noodles man. there's already so much shit to keep track of just eat the damn noodles.

incorporate veggies into everything food. they're good for you. if you're like me and don't like veggies, experiment with different recipes and find the one you like best. one good way is fried rice or rice with mushrooms, veggies, and meat in the rice cooker (I don't own a rice cooker when I'm writing this). just eat your veggies and thank me later. if you don't wanna cut them up, get a pack of frozen veggies. it's better than nothing. baby steps.

meal plan. if I don't plan my entire week's food on sunday night, I do it the night before for the next day. eat out as less as you can. homemade is better even if you're a horrible cook. practice makes perfect and you'll be grateful for learning a few basic cooking skills along with your degree later on. cooking your own food also gives you the liberty to add more veggies or save money.

treat yourself to stuff sometimes. yes you deserve it even if you don't meet your goals. you're trying. be kind to yourself. get that boba.

study everything done the week by that week's weekend. do the day's content that same day and don't lag behind. utilise reading week and read. don't slack off please I'm begging you. I'll even get on my knees if I have to.

you're gonna miss home and it sucks. yes you will be having your fourth mental breakdown of the week on a wednesday night and you will be alone or hiding under the blanket as your roommate is asleep. you're gonna have to tough it out soldier. I see you and I feel you. it gets easier with time and when you're doing better, you'll feel relieved for toughing through. it's so lonely sometimes and it sucks but it's worth the pain. don't lose hope.

seniors are your friends. they will give you forbidden knowledge for free. from hidden places with good food or convenience things or just life advice exclusive to your institute, they have it all. they're also generally very friendly so don't be afraid to interact with them.

annoy the living hell out of your professor during office hours if need be and utilise the student help room for help. your tutors will be happy to help you so don't be shy to ask for help. they will appreciate you coming to them, trust me. as for your professor, they're lonely people. go to office hours if you need to, chat, ask them what you need. they'll appreciate your presence and happily help you.

the security guards and cleaning staff will be witnesses to your worst states (freshly out of bed or haven't showered in 2 days) but they don't care. they're just happy to be of service and have you around. be kind to them. greet them whenever you pass by.

sometimes coffee is bad.

if your classes start at noon or later, get an hour of exercise in the morning at around 8 or 9 am. the serotonin that will hit you will be unreal. trust me.

make local friends. they're cool people and friendly and very helpful and accommodating. I may be biased but it's true.

being a student helper, student tutor, or a research assistant looks good on your resume and helps you win more scholarships.

put headphones on when in public if you don't want to end up talking to someone you might bump into. it works.

your body also has rights. treat it with care. don't abuse it. nourish it. you should take care of your body like you would a loved one. feed it good things, clean it everyday, and so on. when you feel good by taking care of yourself, you still do better and feel more confident. wash your hair with a set schedule and use good products.

make your wardrobe easier. hang your usual shirts and maybe wear the one in front each day, the previous day's being hung in the back or in the laundry basket. it saves time.

there's no shame in not having stuff. I still don't own a proper laundry basket it all goes into an IKEA bag. you live in a dorm, not a house. sometimes not having every single kind of furniture or accessory isn't bad. don't compare your setup to others. if it's convenient, clean, and homey, it's good. you don't need those expensive lights or those expensive posters to make it seem cool. what you have and what you may collect among the way is enough.

notes on paper are better than laptop or ipad

take breaks. be kind to yourself. it is you for yourself. treat yourself with love.

manage your time by designating time blocks to a certain task. it might not always work but it will help create some discipline in the routine.

having a set everyday routine helps. you don't have to think what to do, thus saving you brain power.

use a semester planner for deadlines and important information. it's useful. I highly recommend. I also have a template if anyone wants.

write down your thoughts, what's bothering you, your feelings, everything on a piece of paper or journal at the end of the day. it'll help process your emotions and you won't have to let the thoughts and emotions fester inside you, slowly simmering and coming to a boil. remember, you are your best friend.

Recipes to help you stay afloat (they're all quick and easy dw):

right off the bat I want to say boiled jasmine rice with sunny side up eggs. you drizzle a pinch of salt onto the yolk, break it over the rice, mix it with the rice and eat it and it's just *chef's kiss*. definitely a comfort food and a very easy quick dinner.

a lot of these I found while scrolling through instagram and some are from when I was trying to lose weight. hope they're helpful!

oyakodon

one pot rice cooker rice with veggies

veggie and meat single serve in one pot

chicken wrap (primarily for weight loss I think)

chicken gyros (this guy makes amazing food)

minced meat weight loss meal prep

chickpeas (chana masala. this shit is bussin i swear)

something tomato + onion + egg

one pot veggie rice (recommended)

chicken shawarma (not dorm friendly cooking but looks delicious)

egg sandwich in one pan

potato marraka (THIS IS SO GOOD)

one pot rice cooker with meat and veggies

daal

chicken and rice

pizza style chicken wrap

five different chicken marinades for meal prep

one pot biryani

takeout style egg fried rice

rice cooker carbonara

one pot yoghurt curry chicken rice

weight loss chicken shawarma

healthier mac and cheese

chicken fajita

chicken tikka masala crunch tacos

one pan braised eggs

air fryer garlic bread pizza

another veggie and rice in rice cooker

fried rice recipe

hainanese inspired chicken rice in rice cooker

tomato orzo(?)

creamy tomato pasta

tomato and egg rice

mushroom sauce (can be eaten with rice)

creamy tomato tortellini

grilled cheese sandwich

[omni-present-god-send]

A short crack-fic

A short crack-fic I made based on @lets-try-some-writing

and their Unicron is a Dad AU. Enjoy. Or don't. I don't give a shit.

Basically: Unicron learns about that one time Megatron almost killed Raf with a blast of Dark Energon. Let's just say, don't try and kill a favorite child of a God of Chaos.

~

Unicron has been watching over the children for some time now. Always as Chitters. A small squirrel that Raf has brought on. He loaths to admit it, but the three children have very much become his favorites. Esspessially Miko. A child of his own spark.

Unfortunitly, this is not about Miko. It's about the youngest of his favorites. Rafael.

Of course the day started as normal. Chitters would chew some wires, Ratchet would try and cut him down; Chitters would remain victorious. 27:0 to be precise. But who's counting? Certanly not Unicron, definatly.

Then something...odd happened. Bulkhead shot at something on the wall. Whatever it was, Unicron couldn't give two shits, as Raf immediately hit the deck. Raf covered his head with his hands and started shaking. Violently.

"Raf! Are you ok? Hey hey hey. Breath." Jack soothed. Miko rubbed Raf's back as Chitters slowly crawled his way to Raf's face. Rubbing his head against Raf's tear-stained cheek.

It took every ounce of self-restraint for Unicron to not smite Bulkhead right then and there. It was only what Jack said next that stopped Unicron in his, metaphorical, tracks. "It's alright Raf. Megatron can't hurt you here." He said it so quietly that Unicron almost couldn't hear it. He decided to wait on any smiting until after he got more information.

That turned out to be a very wise decision. As, that night, Unicron paid Raf a special visit. It was not uncommon for Unicron to visit his little ones. Especially his Special Three. NEver telling them who he actually was, out of respect for their fears. What? He may care for them but he is a God of Chaos and they know it. He doesn't exactly have a reputation for being super caring. This visit was different form his previous ones. He was not just here to comfort Raf after his day. He needed to know what happened.

As Unicron sang an ancient song to bring comfort and safety. He did a bit of exploring in Raf’s memory. Nothing invasive mind you. Just enough to get the information he needed. What he found sent fire through his very spark.

Megatron had nearly killed Raf. Deliberately. Firing a blast of Dark Energon at Bumblebee with Raf inside. A little more investigation was required. The next night he went to Jack. Then the next, Miko. He found memories of Raf’s near corpse. The felt the panic. The fear. The pain. The anger.

In his search, Unicron gained something other then just a new-found anger at Megatron. His opinion of the Special Three have changed as well. Not in a negative way. Each night just further proved why they were each the favorite.

Raf stayed alive for over an hour out of sheer force of will after the blast. Jack tried to be level headed and came up with practical solutions to help Raf survive. Miko, once again showing their similarities, made so many detailed plans to make Megatron suffer it was almost concerning. Each one got a special song those nights. Unicron had almost forgotten how much he enjoyed singing.

Unicron was furious. His once chosen champion, had tried to kill one of his favorite Children. This would not stand. The good thing about his brothers children is that they didn’t sleep, not like his superior children at least. So it was incredibly easy to torment Megatron.

For days Unicron tormented Megatron. Visions of Optimus ripping his face off. Of dying in the endless vacuum of space. Of rusting at the bottom of the ocean. Of getting his still beating spark ripped out. That last one was straight from Miko.

Unicron watched in amusement as Megatron became more and more paranoid. Praying to him, asking what all the visions mean.

While this was happening, Things were slow back at base. Chitters was still winning. 30:0. Things had quieted down. As since Megatron was being plagued by visions of his demise, the Decepticons have had little activity.

As much as Unicron loved tormenting Megatron. His focus would always be his children. His Special Three.

I wrote this instead of doing my math homework lmao.

[honey-minded-hivemind]

You know how sometimes in school a teacher will compare or maybe even treat someone different because of their siblings? Like if one kid was a massive trouble maker one year and then a few years down the line their sister/brother/sibling joins that teacher's class and the teacher instantly stereotypes them?

Yea I feel like Something Wicked This Way Comes Reader (both versions) is dealing with that effect a lot. It's not too bad in the normal version because since most people don't know that they're ll siblings it just feels like a feral stereotype in a way. But it's so bad in the Dark au. It's worse because Reader has no idea why they're being treated a specific way.

Their claws come out and a group of humans scatters because they've dealt with claws like those before and they do not want to deal with it today.

Reader is so confused and tired it's not even funny.

But unfortunately for them they radiate strong "exhausted younger sibling" energy that attracts their big brothers like sharks. Who did this to their baby sibling??? Why are they so annoyed? It's supposed to be their job to annoy their youngest!

Reader is gonna end up smothered in cuddles and they're really not sure if they should enjoy it...or if they want to.

I know what you mean.

In the Dark Edition, Reader feels exhausted, they're tired, and they haven't even reached Wednesday... People run whenever they see their claws, or flinch when they see their fangs, and it takes everything in Reader not to get upset, deflating at how hard it is to survive when everyone is terrified of everything, especially them, and mutants in general...

Wolverine amd Sabretooth find out Reader is back and alive, and they're trying to hug them (and kidnap them, because who left their baby sibling on their own?!), yet they keep meeting thin air as their sibling runs from them. It takes a while for it to dawn on them that Reader doesn't remember them. They don't know their own name, they don't know who they are, they don't know those two as their brothers, amd they have no clue how to survive in such a changed world. Oh... They're getting them in a nest, mark their words. Their little sibling won't need to worry for much longer. They'll bring their memories back, they'll join them, amd then they can be united once more...

Reader takes one look at those two, and decides they're avoiding them at all costs. Those two are large, dangerous, and have too many tricks and schemes that would eventually catch Reader. So it's best not to risk it at all. But hiding from two of the beat trackers and hunters isn't an easy task... nor is trying to make it on your own without help or knowing who you are...

(Good ask, @vivid-bun! I like it! And yes, those two are trying to scoop their sibling up into a hug amd cuddle them, and will take any bites or kicks Reader gives them, just as long as they can hug them and feel and hear their heartbeat...)

[r0-boat]

Games with random play siblings

Wise

Wise it's Good at board games and card games like very good. Like used to be heavy Yu-Gi-Oh Super Fan good (still a Yu-Gi-Oh fan) He doesn't have classic board games either He has a lot of weird board games that you've never heard of before. And he has a whole shelf full of them.

The first thing he does when the two of you open up a board game with a bunch of friends is he will read the rules. And mans reads the rules like he's reading a math textbook an instantly becomes a pro. Then he teaches everyone else at the table.

He loves video games too He has a big ass PC if it's not for work it's for games. However He likes survival or tactical RPG games the best.

He really wants to like horror and he tries really hard but he cannot sit through games with gore or anything involving.

Has been trying to learn D&D recently thinks it would be really cool to host d&d nights at Random Play but decides against it because he doesn't want to deal with the consequences.

Wise has a dark secret. He plays Otome dating Sim games He has a few on his phone. He's also the type too pick the girl character when playing a game.

Belle

Belle wants to be a streamer. BUT HER DUMBASS BROTHER WISE THINKS IT'S A BAD IDEA BECAUSE IT'S TOO MUCH WORK (totally not Belle's thoughts)

Belle absolutely loves action and shooter games bonus points if it's a nice sandbox game As much as She absolutely adores cute art styles and cute creatures She absolutely cannot sit there tactical RPG games or any farming game especially pokémon and stardew valley even though she's probably a huge fan She just can't sit though those games without falling asleep. But she will definitely play with you if you ask And who knows maybe she'll start liking them she's definitely not opposed to trying.

HUGE HORROR GAME FAN. If you even mentioned five nights at Freddy's her head will turn 180° and she'll get possessed by the spirit of Mat Pat himself.

Never Play Mario kart and or smash Brothers with her and if you win you better keep your eyes open when you sleep. She will get you back. She will get you back It doesn't matter on the game or not.

her favorite games are Fps games, She hates them because how mean she gets. And how toxic other people are but she cannot put them down she's addicted, please don't get her into another one.

A huge Kingdom hearts fan (I have no explanation I just feel it in my soul.)

Both

Belle 🤝 Minecraft 🤝 Wise, of course, they play it a lot together Wise has definitely set up a free server on his computer so they can just hop in whenever they want. Wise takes forever to build a super nice house. While Belle has a hole in the side of a mountain with her chests all over the floor in no particular order because she is too busy killing everything in sight.

Belle had tried to get Wise into FNAF. He's having a hard time following it but Belle genuinely looks extremely psyched so he might do more expensive research later.

Despite Wise being a board game master Belle and Wise had never actually played a board game together since it would be boring just to play with two people but now that you're here or their friends come over they are insistent that they have to try a board game. One day their dream is to have a D&D party.

Despite Wise not liking most competitive games or games that Belle has in general He just nonchalantly beats them and makes Belle so pissed that's why he doesn't play with her.

Belle gets so annoyed to see Wise smothering you with affection. Because she's jealous it's not her smothering you with affection. Clingy siblings...

[ash-says]

Cheating Anxiety With Me

Seatbelts tight? Hands Steady? Are you still shaking? No, then lets rideeeee.

Anxiety the feeling of dread, uneasiness, fear, shaking, restless, heart beating rapidly, etc

Coping with anxiety is difficult especially for the mentally deranged girlies. No hate I love you all. You are just so my type of people.

Today I am going to tell you how to deal with it because you know what I say, "Kill or get killed."

The classic deep breathing technique: Start from 1 breathe in to the count of 4 then hold at 5 and breathe out from 6 to 10. This will help in evening out your breathing and slow down your heart beats.

Move, Sway and twirl: You feel an anxiety attack taking over you the best way to tackle all that excess energy released through FFF hormone is by MOVING YOUR BODY. Exercise. Dance. Run. Anything just move.

Sleep: Yeah, you read it right. Just shut down your system and sleep. This is my personal go to. Overwhelming anxious thoughts, feelings, anything we let it marinate over a nap. Works wonders for me.

Talk to a friend: Another personal go to. Sometimes the feelings are so loud, disturbing and dark that sleep is no longer an option. At such times talk it out. Seek a friend. Best if they are physically present with you. Ask for a hug. Loving touch. Don't be embarrassed. It does wonders. Trust me.

Nature therapy: One of the ways I accidentally discovered was that trees, plants and flowers can be extremely calming. No one to rely on. Go and hug a tree. I promise you it works. Social anxiety? Okay I got you also covered. Buy some fresh flowers or if you have house plants touch them. Inhale their scent. Graze the petals or leaves lovingly and tenderly. Feel them. It will calm you down.

Sugar saves the day: Okay some people might come at me for this one but honestly anything sweet is the holy grail for dealing with it. Now the trick here is not eating desserts and chocolates but rather fruits like grapes, banana, watermelons, etc. Basically eat healthy things. We don't want diabetes now, do we?

The 333 rule: This one goes like name 3 things in your surroundings, identify 3 sounds and touch 3 things. This helps in distracting your brain and calming down your wreck of a system.

Positive self talk: Keep on repeating like a broken record that it is going to be okay and you will get through it. As loud as your inner thoughts get that much loud this self talk gets. Basically overpower that annoying bitch inside you. Winning is the only option.

Identify the triggers and face them: Literally be a detective and find out your triggers and then put yourself through it by yourself until it becomes a normal thing for you. I am not advising this for dangerous things but you can try this on smaller triggers. Example: A song, a scent, a topic is a trigger to you. So now listen to that song, inhale that scent, read things around that topic willingly and train your brain and body to tackle it so that when it comes up suddenly your brain doesn't go in survival mode.

No to drugs, alcohol and risky behaviors: You should be going to them over your dead body. Please I am begging you don't indulge in them. Yes I am asking you lovingly, with teary eyes please don't do this to yourself. Don't punish yourself more. The world is already a harsh place if you won't be kind to yourself, who will be then?

Bonus one: Find a strict no bullshit friend who isn't afraid to call you out on your toxic behavior, put you in your place and is ready to be the pillar on which you can rely on. Because we are not able to differentiate in right and wrong during those times. Its really difficult to maintain the moral compass. That's why you need a community of trusted people to hold you down.

Fight your way back. Because this world is a cruel place babygirl. You do anything to survive. If you are still dreaming of a saviour. Dream on.

[ohnoitstbskyen]

one piece live action thoughts?

It looks very much like a live action adaptation of One Piece. For better, and very much also for worse.

I mean this in the sense that it's adapted to fit a form that helps it make sense 1) in live action and 2) to a general audience which isn't intimately familiar with manga or anime, and which a broadcaster or streaming service would want to reach.

Luffy especially, at least going by the relatively tiny snippet we have seen so far, seems to have had some of his more peculiar edges sanded off to fit more comfortably into the mold of a typical young adult protagonist, which includes the... I guess what people call "marvel speak" now? The little funny quips and asides and ironic saying-the-obvious-thing-out-loud beats, which are more Americanisms than Marvel specific but I digress.

In One Piece, Luffy is most often not the point of view character, especially early on. Luffy is usually observed from outside by other characters - Koby serves this role in the early chapters, and from then on usually we see Luffy through his crew, or through whatever secondary characters they're interacting with in that particular arc.

People have observed this before, but in the manga, we essentially NEVER get any internal monologue from Luffy, he always either SAYS what he's thinking, or he runs on head empty no thoughts just vibes instinct and gut reaction.

And that... probably doesn't really work with a typical young adult protagonist. If adapted faithfully to screen, I think a lot of audiences would read him as just a reckless, inconsiderate and kinda heartless asshole, because a framing and presentation of Luffy that makes sense in a manga or anime just doesn't read the same in live action filmmaking.

Like, One Piece opens with Luffy recklessly sailing off to sea despite having no idea how to sail, getting sucked into a whirlpool and surviving on sheer dumb luck, getting picked up by some pirates in a barrel. Then he meets an abused child named Koby who has been getting the shit kicked out of him daily for months and immediately calls him a clumsy, stupid, cowardly worthless loser to his face and laughs at him.

Like, if you adapted that faithfully, how would that come across to a general audience? Imagine this scene staged in live-action, with human actors having to portray this conversation rather than stylized cartoon people. It simply wouldn't come across the same way, Luffy would come across as an It's Always Sunny character at best. Why would a general audience sympathize with him? Why would they find him compelling or worth investing emotionally in?

And I'm not saying there aren't ways to adapt One Piece faithfully into live action, there absolutely are (much like the manga, I would make everyone ELSE the point-of-view characters looking AT Luffy rather than try and present him as a Likeable Protagonist, for example).

My point is just that in any translation into live action, there are going to be concessions to the medium, there are going to be concessions to film language, concessions to audience expectations, concessions to the market conditions, concessions to the studio funding the filming, and so on. That's just the nature of the endeavour.

When it's done well, you get an adaptation that preserves the spirit of the thing while fitting its medium. Lord of the Rings comes to mind, an adaptation which changed huge amounts from its source material, but preserved the spirit.

When it's done poorly you get... well, Cowboy Bebop on Netflix.

I don't know from the tiny trailer snippet we've seen whether this show will preserve the spirit of One Piece, it very well may not, and end up another victim on the pile of bad anime adaptations. But I don't think the fact that it changed the vibe of the characters or Main Character'd Luffy alone are reasons to dismiss it, at least not yet. Those might have been necessary concessions for the show to work in live action at all. We shall see.

I'm not super optimistic or excited (because, again, I remember Cowboy Bebop), but I'm not despairing of it yet either.

[mageknight14]

The Dangers and Flaws of Idolization: A NEO TWEWY analysis post

Transplanting and expanding on a thread I made on Twitter to fit within a Tumblr format.

One of the most interesting aspects I see in NEO TWEWY that I don’t see many people touch upon is the commonality between Rindo, Fret, and Shoka in how they look up to others as role models while simultaneously being blind to their flaws/who they actually are up to the end and how the game's themes are reflected in those relationships and today, I'd like to showcase why.

First, we have Rindo and Motoi. With that relationship, the game makes it pretty clear that Rindo looked up to Motoi as An0ther and used his words as encouragement to get through his own daily life and anxiety. The kid could barely decide what he could even eat for dinner before he had come across the account, so if you thought his current indecisiveness nature was bad, he was even worse before the events of the game.

However, what I find interesting is that even though he constantly spouts An0ther's sayings in an attempt to try and steel himself for the challenges he faces, he thoughtlessly does so and only lives by the sayings half-heartedly, since his indecisive nature and fear of responsibility prevent him from committing all the way. I think it's telling that despite claiming that "don't miss your chance to make a friend" is one of his favorite quotes, he's constantly at odds with the idea of bringing potentially new players on board the team even before he gets the chance to properly know/meet them and grimaces at the thought of the structure of the old Reaper's Game in the original.

Keep in mind that Beat saved Rindo's life at the hands of Susukichi at least two whole days ago before this occurrence.

Nagi’s Dive into his head on W1D3 actually does a LOT to reveal aspects of his character: he puts other people at arm’s length (besides Swallow due to their online anonymity) because he’s afraid of the fallout of what would to happen if he got involved with them.

"What if I end up taking on more than I can handle? What if other people end up dragging me down with them? If I just stay at the sidelines and shift the blame onto others, I won’t get into trouble for this."

"I'm in a group project; everybody is contributing and making decisions about how we should go about doing things. I keep my mouth shut and refrain from pitching in despite maybe thinking some of their ideas misses the point of the assignment, because God forbid my ideas could be helpful (or maybe they won't; that's life, but I won't know unless i speak up). We end up handing in our project and whoops, we got a C-. I guess I'm not responsible for receiving that grade because I never made a decision, therefore I shouldn't be accountable for my lack of contribution. It just makes sense."

If you've known/are a person that have had similar thoughts to this mindset, then congrats; you know/are a Rindo Kanade in real life.

This culminates into him latching onto others he finds capable and taking the relationships around him for granted, tying other people's worth to their prowess in might or influence. After all, why bother relying on yourself and others when you can just rely on someone else for you to solve your problems? Especially since it means that if everything goes south, YOU won’t take the fallout for it. After all, they’re clearly much more capable than you are.

To get back to his dynamic with Motoi, Rindo looks up to him immensely after finding out that he was his idol an0ther and came to value his input regarding matters within the Game. So when he eventually finds out the truth and is forced to confront the fact that his hero was nothing more than a content thief and a schemer who would trample over others just to survive, he’s understandably heartbroken.

However, instead of just leaving it there, the game decides to flip the script and have Motoi legitimately apologize to Rindo for his actions, leading to the lad in question learning to recognize that Motoi is ultimately an incredibly flawed human being instead of just writing him off entirely, (even giving him another chance!) and is, in many ways, a mirror to Rindo. Like Rindo, Motoi was deathly afraid of responsibility and the fallout of letting other people down, leading to him copying and pasting other people's quotes so that he wouldn't have to face that possibility. This aspect of himself only got worse when he got trapped in the Reaper's Game for multiple loops on end, forcing him to become a worse version of himself, lying, cheating, and backstabbing just to survive and even looking towards becoming part of the Reapers, the same group that trapped him there in the first place, just so he wouldn't have to be Erased, un a manner that's eerily reminiscent to how Rindo would took towards overly relying on others so that he would make it out okay. In that sense, Motoi is a look at what a grown-up Rindo would look like if he didn't take the lessons he learned within the Game to heart, which is part of why the latter decides to take Motoi’s copypasted quotes and apply them to his life in a positive way, deriving his own meaning from them so that in a way that contrasts him following them in a shallow manner from before.

Next up, we have Fret and Kanon, who form a interesting parallel to Rindo and Motoi's dynamic. Whereas Motoi is a look at one of the worst possible paths that Rindo could take if he didn't learn how to properly deal with his flaws, Kanon actually tries to coach Fret into becoming more true to and genuine with his actual self. She also shows herself to be a genuinely affable and honorable person even in spite of the bad first impression that she had given at the beginning of the game by stealing Rindo and Fret's pin for herself.

However, that's only the surface level stuff, as the game actually goes deeper with her character. While Kanon at first seems to be true to herself and genuine at her core in a way that Fret isn’t, we can see from the Dive into her head on W3D3 that she’s holding back a LOT underneath the surface.

"You always did have a way of destroying things" tends to get glossed over by some and for those who do look at the words, they seemingly come out of nowhere and can be seemingly brushed off as her just being under the influence of the Plague Noise. However , when you look back at some of Kanon’s actions and her words towards the Twisters (accusing the Twisters of sabotaging Fuya and making Motoi drop out of the Scramble Slam against his will, her mood changing when she finds out about Fuya challenging the Ruinbringers in one timeline as opposed to her more cheerful attitude towards Fret when she didn't find that out just yet, her acting suspicious towards the Twisters regarding their prowess as a team, etc), the implication is that she doesn’t just resent the game as a whole but also secretly the Twisters as well.

The thing about the Player teams is that they have formed an unspoken agreement where the top 3 teams (sans Ruinbringers of course) keep their footing by sending new players and other teams to last place, which the Wicked Twisters screw up just by existing. Their synergy and impressive Imagination powers (well, Fret, Nagi, and Sho’s at least) threaten the balance the teams have struggled to keep up for so long, hence why Kanon initially just sees them as another team to point snipe before she changes her mind on them. And while the Twisters do almost bring about change by beating the Ruinbringers, it ultimately doesn’t even matter in the long-run due to how incredibly rigged the Shinjuku game is and as a result, the DRS are eliminated, getting rid of Kanon’s and Motoi’s safety net.

Imagine this from the players’ perspective: you’re stuck in essentially what is a never-ending death game but you’ve got a system going where you can at least stave off your deaths for a bit longer. Then a couple of kids come around and throw that whole system entirely out of whack. And you think, "well, at least they can take out the top team and give us a fighting chance, right?" Only for those hopes to also get dashed because the rules are just that rigged. Like Kubo said, life ain’t fair and the afterlife sure as hell ain’t either. W1D5 and W2D4 are excellent explorations of this kind of mindset as it showcases the player teams falling victim to their desires and abusing their powers as a result of being stuck in an endless loop of playing the Game over and over again with no hope of escaping, as well as highlights paints certain comments made by the leaders in an even darker light.

With all of this in mind, it’s honestly no wonder that Kanon resents the Twisters but what’s interesting is that she tries to keep this resentment under wraps because she knows that it isn’t fair to them. They’re just kids after all who would have no idea about all of that. Hence why she admonishes herself in her Dive for wishing that they had just wipe out the Reapers altogether and why Fret is shown to be hurt hearing her inner thoughts about the Twisters in a way that’s pretty reminiscent of Rindo’s reaction when he found out about Motoi.

And finally, we have Shoka and Ayano. While it’s pretty clear that the two do genuinely care for one another, it’s a relationship that’s been tragically scarred by the events surrounding Shinjuku and the Reapers in general, resulting in a mutually unhealthy dynamic. 

What I find interesting about the relationship is that while Shoka gets pissed whenever Rindo insinuates that Ayano must’ve treated her badly, she sadly realizes in another convo that she doesn’t know much about Ayano on a personal level or what her interests even are.

In spite of how close they are and how much they mean to each other, Ayano still put up emotional walls and closed herself off, never allowing herself to be on equal footing to Shoka and instead just be someone who guides and mentors her over the 4 years they were together.

This is due to her feeling betrayed by Shiba/others while simultaneously using Shoka as her one stable point in life regardless because everything is going up into chaos surrounding the Shinjuku Reapers and she finds herself unable to trust anyone around her anymore. And Shoka herself doesn't even realize this until the end when it’s too late because she was just happy to simply have Ayano by her side without thinking deeper about her and their relationship as a whole due to her own emotional issues and troubled past.

When it comes to children from broken homes, they are prone to imprinting on any adult figure that interacts positively with them and in Shoka's case, this is exactly what she did with the Shinjuku Reapers, especially Ayano.

A running theme throughout all of these instances is how they all involve the younger generation looking up to the adults in their lives as idols as opposed to just role models and thus fail to see them for who they are as actual human beings. And by the time they that finally do, it's too late for the adults.

You also see nods towards this theme via the Shinjuku Reapers and their relationship with Shiba or Shiba’s (who himself is parallel to Rindo if his tendency to subconsciously take on the values of others and mistake his as his own was twisted into the worst possible outcome) relationship with Kubo, with Hishima even flat out stating as such. "You fell at the feet of an idol like an utter fool", indeed.

And this all fits, as well, into NEO's larger theme that even as a 'follower', you have to question the 'leader'. Role models aren't bad -- but idols and failing to recognize their limits/flaws/toxicity are and will end up screwing you over in the long run if you aren’t careful. And I think NEO did an excellent job at exploring the little nuances that come with that, from Kanon’s internal resentment she knew wasn’t fair to the unseen distance between Ayano and Shoka to Motoi being a complete deconstruction of it all. It shows the good and the bad of idolizing someone too much. It shows how you can see the real them and turn the image you liked into something more with Rindo, or how to hold them in your heart while moving on like Shoka. It's okay to acknowledge the flaws and shortcomings of the people you look up to. Hell, it’s probably healthy to do that in some ways. As long as they’re still a good person or even helped you grow, you can still celebrate the good they brought

[ruexsdrty]

Petty Thievery

Pairing: The Ghoul x Reader

Note: Mentions of the game Fallout 4 setting/gameplay because duh I played it too fucking much.

Gloved fingers gripped at the slicky thin bobby pin, twisting and turning gently just in the await of that sweet click. The wind was strong tonight but her overhanging hood saved her eyes from the unforgiving—and probably radioactive—sand. It was ironic that a radaway bag hanged on the inner side of her coat while she donned a gruesome ghoul mask on her face like second skin.

She had found it hanging alone on a wall shack in the corner of an empty costume house when she was seeking cover from the blazing raiders and mutants outside. There were a few of them until she had shot one with her .308 pipe revolver, awaiting a horde of sick grunts and snarls only to be met by silence. That was when she realised that it was no feral, just a harmless mask. Those were probably zombie masks but, well, there was nothing she couldn't fake.

‘Well, I had this idea...’ she narrates, her eyes catching the glimpse of a distant man coming towards her again through the sides of her vision. She wasn't mistaken, that silhouette was distinctively clear in her head. Only one man she knew held himself with grace and sickening danger altogether. The cowboy hat, the overhanging coat... ‘And when I thought I could handle lying about being a ghoul with wastelanders and other ghouls alike, I wasn't fucking counting him.’

Her fingers trembled as yet another bobby pin snapped, spitting curses under her breath that would make a sailor blush. She heard the familiar reload click of a shotgun a few feet away.

“Tell me why I shouldn't just shoot you right now, sweetheart.”

Oh, yeah, that voice. She knew it, was familiar with it. She has had one too many run-ins with him whenever she played the role of a runaway vaultie, and she could recall none of them to be pleasant. She just hoped he won't recognize her voice.

The flickering neon board hung overhead, a few lights hanging off its hinges, it read, ‘Pharmacy’.

“Nothin' wrong with a woman trying to survive,” She grumbled with an intentioned rasp in her voice, deepening it. ‘We practised this,’ she told herself to take deep breaths, ‘Just don't overdo it.’

“Well, darlin',” His southern accent was strong, dripping off each syllable, “Ain't nothin' wrong with a man wanting it all to 'imself, eh?” The barrel of the shotgun dug into the sides of her forehead through her hood. Ofcourse he'd want the whole store. Who wouldn't?

She sucked in a deep, slow breath, quiet and shaky. “That's not nice.” At a loss of words, that was all that she could've come up. She wasn't particularly proud of it, especially when even he couldn't bite back a short laugh.

After a long pause of silence, she huffed, “If you kill me, you can't get it. The lock's pretty tight!”

“Yeah?” He drawled, she peeked through the edge of her hood to catch a glimpse of his uninterested eyes. “And what gives I don't just break the damned glass?”

Again, a silence befell them. “I'm fucked then.” She had stopped fumbling with the lock now, looking at him with distrusting eyes while the wind furled gently against her hood. His fingers repositioned around the trigger.

A guttural growl filled the air as heavy steps shook on the ground they stood on. Their gazes widened at each other. He hit the barrel on her head lightly to accentuate the tension, “Get to it,” he barked.

She returned to pick the lock, the nearing footsteps of the wasteland creature and the edge of the gun digging on her head pushing her hands to shake more. With an irritated groan he knocked the glass with his elbow before opening the lock from the inside. With heavy breathes they rushed inside and pushed the door close.

He turned to her with an exasperated frown. She huffed, a hand to her chest to contain her beating afraid heart. “Don't blame me for having performance anxiety!” He looked at her incredulously like she was crazy.

It was dark, her feet hitting some clutter or the other as she creeped closer to the wall for safety. She stumbled behind the counter and slid down the wall, sitting on the floor as she stared out the glasses in fear. The sudden ticking of radroaches' mantis caught her off-guard and she let out a yelp, fingers curling around the revolver in her holster and shooting the creature before it could close in on her. Silence befell and she collected her breath with a heaving chest. Her legs sprawled in front of her, back hitting the wall in exhaustion but her fingers stayed tightly clutched on her revolver.

The Ghoul clicked his tongue, “You don't sound much like a ghoul.” Was that a joke? A threat? An accusation or just an observation? Whatever it may be, she knew she didn't way to stay around him much longer than necessary.

The fucking Deathclaw outside was an absolute epitome of her bad luck.

Heavy footsteps neared her. It was The Ghoul this time. For some reason, she thought it'd be easier to take down a Deathclaw than this man. “Gun,” he demanded with an outstretched palm in front of her face. She glanced at it once.

“And why should I?”

His foot striked down her wrist, the gun falling out of her grasp to the floor. He stood over her, kicking the gun to the corner and out of reach. His boot planted on either side of her legs. There wasn't much she could to save herself in this situation... or, well, position.

“Smooth skin, soft voice...” He observed, “When did ya' start turning?”

She hasn't done her research. “Seven.” But she figured seven years might hit the sweet spot.

He hummed and leaned downwards, the barrel nudging against her shoulder. ‘Don't panic,’ she met his gaze. He tilted his head down at her, sighing heavily in thought. He laughed short, fingers tightening around the trigger. Gunshots don't kill ghoul, at least not until their brains paint the floor.

"Well, sweetie,” he drawled, his voice deep and ruthless, “Let's see how much of a liar you are, huh?”

Deafening gunshot filled the small store.

[secretpostsposts]

Brooooo at this point I'm literally trying to find out EVERY POSSIBLE OUTCOME of your obsessive brozone au. I AM ADDICTED🤣

So say if the special juice(I forgot how to spell it) doesn't work when jd makes branch drink during the fight. Because maybe over those 20 years of learning how to survive branch went as far as training his body to handle and fight a variety of different poisons naturally found, one of them being the special juice. So it only really weakens him and slight blear of his mind but other than that he's fine. Now say branch just gags the juice into jd's face and he's like "ew🤢" so branch takes that opportunity to pin down and knock out jd. Not killing him but probably giving him a concussion. Now that jd is out of commission, and the juice doesn't really work on branch, what do the rest of the brothers do? If branch was able to take out jd who I believe to be the strongest in terms of combat among the brother, then the others wouldn't stand a chance. How do the rest of the brothers react to the situation? Especially floyd.

Belladonna Juice; and they certainly panic, what the hell has Branch been holding on to? Has he also mutated some part of his body? At this point they are just waiting for Branch's tail to turn into the tail of some scorpion or something like that.

Clay and Bruce take care of John Dory, and Branch just looks at his brothers with betrayal, because they are crazy enough to drug him with something dangerous, although this would only leave him with the question of who twisted the 4 of them so badly.

so while Branch watches over his 3 older brothers, they are a greater threat, Bruce and Clay may not be expert fighters or have the knowledge of how to fight, but Clay is smart, too smart, and Bruce is strong, he can carry to Clay, Floyd and Branch at the same time and not to mention that he is capable of carrying one of his hybrid children, Branch knows that they are a threat just as big as John Dory.

but they are so distracted trying to wake up JD (Branch can't help but think that John is the leader, even if each one thinks individually, his other brothers will follow John almost instinctively, like a pack thought, follow the strongest ).

So he is not paying attention to Floyd who is behind him, Floyd is still weak from his captivity, so Branch does not think of him as a threat per se.

Floyd on the other hand is mentally collapsing, his baby brother beat the older one, and Floyd knows what John is capable of, he has seen his brother do horrible things to other Trolls just for breathing the wrong way in the direction of any of them. .

has seen John kill someone…

But they are talking about Branch, his brother, the baby of the family, his reason for living, John is not capable of harming him, but Floyd knows that if they don't do something they will lose him forever.

Branch didn't see it coming, he was so focused on keeping an eye on the biggest threat that he didn't see the literal predator behind him.

Clay yelled at Floyd when he saw him.

Branch turned and.

CLANK

and Branch fell to the floor unconscious and bleeding from the head, Floyd was behind him holding (I don't know where they are so I assume it's the bunker) a shovel, panting from the effort.

Clay is in shock still holding an unconscious John, Bruce runs to Branch and holds him.

"Don't leave his room" was the only thing Floyd said.

I am taking advantage of this question to say this, yes John killed (body count 2), and he was possessive with his brothers too, but as the others arrived he had a small change of priorities, Floyd and Branch have been together for 10 years so during that At the time, Floyd was the center of his brothers' "care", he did not mind losing that attention (he was already somewhat disturbed by the time Branch was born, in fact he was glad to be able to experience the same thing as his brothers, being an older brother). , but Branch is the baby, he is important

[thestarfishinjootsoffice]

Hii, I have a lil request for slasher & child!reader. It’s a little bit personal, sorry haha.

Do you think you could write something with a child reader who has anemia? It’s sometimes literally just called “lack of blood,” so you can get an idea of how crappy it is to have.

It makes it really hard to breathe and makes my heart beat abnormally faster compared to people who don’t have it, and lots of chest pain. It also causes extreme cases of fatigue and headaches, and I have fainted because of it before.

I feel like having anemia would be a big struggle for slashers, (what with having to constantly run, lift thing, being real active) so they’d def feel upset that their kid has it.

There’s a lot more stuff, but you get the idea. Sorry if this one’s a bit more personal

No, no. It's perfectly fine. I hope you're doing well, I'm sorry if I made the condition sound worse than it is. Apologies for my ignorance.

And take care of yourself, anon. 🏹❤‍🔥

Cw:

Relation: platonic.

Slashers in this: Michael, Jason, thomas, bubba (sorry I couldn't write for billy & stu and sinclair twins)

Slashers x anemic! child! reader

Michael

It didn't bother him that much, but it did worry him. He didn't particularly have to worry about running... Well you running because he'd prefer you stay at your parents' house when he does murder but if you don't have any.... Well, he would rather carry you to safety if you're having trouble anyways. He'll survive. With Michael, there's always a home but never a home to stay at though.

he doesn't like standing and observing you whenever he notices you're having trouble breathing and when you clutch your chest in pain. He doesn't know what to do and he wishes he does.

Do you need.. What were those things again? Inhalers? He witnessed a few people use it when their breathing was erratic and rough so he wonders if you need it too. But for now he'll rub your back and hope it helps to support you emotionally that you're not alone and he's here. Whatever you need him to get, tell him and he'll try his best. Supplements? Give him an hour. I think he knows a pharmacy somewhere that he can break into. And don't even try to refuse them, he won't have it.

Since you're a child he worries this might be too hard for you – and he hopes it won't be the end of the world for your life anytime soon.

You're tired? That's fine, sleep on the couch or floor. Anywhere, he doesn't care. Just not on him. (You can convince him if you try hard enough.) He doesn't care if you nap 3 times a day, sleeping is good for you and helps you grow. Or so he heard. He doesn't even sleep that much anyways – your deadly father figure Michael approves. What he doesn't approve of are the headaches you get, the more painful they seem the more frustrated he gets. God dammit, why is your life so difficult? Where are the painkillers again?

Okay so the real panic sets in the first time you passed out in front of him. Fuck, did you die?

He's shaking your body slightly and pressing his ear up your chest, letting out a silent sigh when he hears your faint heartbeat. He gently lifts your body and places it on the couch – he sits beside you, watching you over like a hawk. Michael can't believe it. Never in his life had he thought he'd look after and stress for someone this hard - especially not a child. You must be absolutely insane if you think he's the type to care for one and yet here he is, listening carefully for your breath to hitch and your eyelids to be open.

He sighs, why can't he just murder peacefully? He's questioning everything. But he'll get used to it eventually. Sometimes he acts like you're a burden on his shoulders and a source of meaningless grey hairs but that's not exactly how he feels. It's.. Different.

But never hesitate to trouble him, not even when he comes back after 2 all nighters.

Jason

He is always so scared that one day your body might give up and die. The thing he stresses really hard about is that he can't give you the supplements and things you need. He's in the middle of buttfuck nowhere in the woods but he does know where the end of the woods are and he's kind of willing to step into civilization if it gets really bad, he really doesn't want to see his kid in pain and do nothing about it. He's not going to Manhattan again though. Always extra painstaking when he takes care of you and makes sure you don't need to use your body as much.

Anytime someone enters the camp he's immediately shoving you somewhere safe and deals with whoever trespassed himself. Although he's in immense discomfort when you have your headaches and difficulty in breathing. He's begging for his mom for help in his mind what he can do to ease whatever pain you're growing through.

Although Jason doesn't need to eat, he knows you do. So he searches for fish in nearby lakes (if there are even any) and he gets nuts, whatever is rich in iron. He'll get em for you.

Secretly hopes that people do trespass into camp crystal Lake. Those who happen to carry iron vitamins and supplements that is. He feels extremely relieved after going through the bags of one of the victims he's beheaded and finding a bottle, happily handing it to you and if you don't want to consume it he's very gently shoving it down your throat. Nope, you're going to eat this and that's final. Mama pam says so.

Sighs and lays you down when your chest starts hurting and stays by your side. Why do you have to go through so much? He thinks as he rubs your hair and waits for it to go away so you both can carry on whatever you were doing. Because of this, he doesn't allow you to lift the wood that he's chopped. If you insist it's either he stays stubborn or he allows you to carry the thin ones one at a time. You don't have to help him, and while he appreciates the thought. He would rather you stay inside and be safe.

Unfortunately for him, he doesn't catch on that this act of overprotectiveness and treating you as if you were made of bubble might upset you. Tilting his head to the side slightly as he watches you sulk in the corner in both frustration and feeling of being heavily underestimated. He really doesn't mean any harm. A little confused but Jason's got the spirit.

Panicks really hard every time you faint, his mind always wanders to the worst possible case scenario and assumes you have died. Incredibly frustrated since he's technically dead and a lot of his senses don't work properly. He's losing his touch and things are getting a bit hard to hear. Ear pressed hard against your chest, hoping his eardrums will be met with the thrum of your heartbeat and his fingers checking for your pulse, waiting to feel the throb upon his skin.

Got used to you getting fatigued and actually encourages you to sleep. It's better than following him outside of the cabins and into the woods where you risk getting bear trapped. Strict, very strict.

Thomas

Thomas is already very grateful for his family but he's even more grateful for them right now cause he would have no idea what to do without them. It depends, whether you're blood related or illegally adopted he will get used to it eventually. This ain't the craziest the family has dealt with.

He brushes you off whenever you try to help him carry things, what if you get dizzy and get headaches again? No! He won't have it. He carries you in his arms and sits you down somewhere. You can sit on top of his shoulders if you'd like.

Gets especially anxious when there are people comin in. He knows you won't particularly be targeted nor would the family allow you to exert yourself, but if something goes wrong? You have to run, and then your breathing will get roughed and- he doesn't want to think about it. But it does stay on his mind a lot. He makes sure to reassure you however he can when Hoyt makes you feel like you're a hindrance to the family, he doesn't know what he's talking about, is what Thomas tries his best to tell you. 'He's just scared.' He thinks and pats your head.

Heard from mama mae that meat, dark green vegetables and nuts will help raise your iron. (Assuming that he has been somewhat educated on your condition.) And then from now he will pester you to consume those. You don't wanna eat the meat? Why not? But fine, eat your veggies and nuts then.

Iron supplements? What are those?

Your chances of getting them are pretty low, I'm not sure if there's a pharmacy or clinic nearby but fingers crossed Hoyt might get in that damn truck and drive to get them for you if he feels nice enough. Tommy's not allowed out into the public.

Frowns a little when he cuddles you in his lap for you to fall asleep and feels your hands are cold. Why are they so cold?, hell why are you so cold? It's not even winter yet. Oh but when winter does come he's smothering your body with lots of layers. Will add more layers if you fall sick. And no, that's not up for debate.

When you faint he'll first stare at your unconscious body in shock before picking you up and putting you down on the couch, he puts his hand in front of your nostrils and feels air hitting his fingers. With a relieved sigh he patiently waits for you to wake up. Not too alarmed.

It's a different story when you're in pain, his heart breaks a little when your chest hurts and your head aches. You want water? Give him a break, he's trying his best.

Bubba

Out of this list, he's the one to handle this the worst when one of your more serious side effects takes place. And it really doesn't help that his family kinda don't know what to do either. They can try to help but it probably won't work that much.

It's lowkey over for you.

It also depends. All he knows is that something is wrong with you; you get dizzy, your breathing gets all incorrect, your chest hurts and you (guessing because of the rougher environment) faint a few times too much to what he'd prefer. Absolutely clueless.

Although you do have more of a leverage if you have at least somewhat knowledge about your condition. (Reading books or you were adopted and knew it beforehand way back prior to when bubba killed your parents.) This way Bubba can learn and know what to expect, he's very much happy to learn about you and take care of you to the best of his abilities.

Quite sad actually that you can't properly take part in revving the chainsaw and chainsawing people. Though the times that you can are when the victim is tied down and helpless. It's up to you whether or not you want to partake in it, though you don't have much of a choice. The family's set on tradition and won't understand why if you don't want to; 'you WILL be killing people with this chainsaw! I'm sick of this phase of yours!' 'It's not a phase.'

Seeing you faint will almost send Bubba to tears, hell, maybe it did already. He's just shaking your body while whining and babbling incoherently. After the whole incident he'll rarely ever let you out of his sight, great, now he's dragging you everywhere.

There will be a lot of problems being in the Sawyer family. But at least you're still alive... Right?

[flightfoot]

Fics with major Alya focus that Alya fans should read

So it's hard to find fics where Alya's a central character, where she has a character arc, focus, development of her own to a significant degree, so I figured I'd rec some fics that Alya fans might appreciate! She's not necessarily the main character in all of them, but if she isn't the MAIN main character, then she's still a major character (and almost certainly POV character) in her own right in the fic. I'm only reccing completed fics for this, btw. If anyone knows the tumblr name for any of the authors involved, let me know!

Also I have a blog dedicated to Alya at alyappreciation, so check that out if you're interested!

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In Direct Opposition by @generalluxun

Alya Cesaire is a brand new student to Francis Dupont, to Paris even. The first student she meets is one Chloé Bourgeois, and Alya is determined to make a friend. Things advance Chaotically. Her new 'friend' is definitely a handful, and suddenly Paris has a supervillain and two brand new superheroes! Alya finds herself balancing a lot of things, trying to live up to her ideals and those of her icons. And then reality seems to contradict itself. As time progresses it seems to happen more often. Becoming a hero, battling villains, staying alive, working through friendships. Something is lurking, tweaking events at times, changing them, and no one seems aware. Alya will need all her wits to get to the bottom of this. Her investigative mind can only get her so far though, and then she needs to rely on her friends. This is not a foe you can beat head on.

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Alya's Guide To Surviving A Magical Terrorist Which You Can't Remember by PumpkinPatchworkQuilt

In a world where the fight against Hawkmoth is kept secret from the public, one Alya Césaire sets out to bring the whole thing to light, (and possibly win a journalism award while she's at it)

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Hold Me By Both Hands by @angelofthequeers

“I know he said never to take you back,” Plagg mutters. “But he’d change his tune if he knew.” He looks Adrien straight in the eye and, more serious than Adrien’s ever seen him before, says, “There’s someone you gotta meet. He’s been looking for that book for ages.” How differently might the events of season 2 have gone if Adrien had also known of Master Fu from the start?

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Vantage Point by @ashes555

Most of the time, with more information, life get easier and things make more sense. But Alya discovers that sometimes, knowing everything is just plain complicated.

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Trust by bi_skyes

They thought that because they believed Lila’s lies, they would not be trustworthy to Ladybug anymore. They thought wrong.

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Closure by bi_skyes

After the events of “Trust”, Alya tries to find closure.

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Lean In by Rachelea3

Marinette spills her secret, and Alya does the only thing she can do.

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Alya Cesaire Should Be Allowed To Swear by @stripesandblossoms

Akuma attacks don't stop just because Alya is no longer a Hero, but that's fine, because she can still help clear civilians from the danger zone. Even celebrity-friends like Adrien Agreste.

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Justifying the Means by @ashes555

When the worst happens, Alya finds that she may be willing to do the unthinkable. Is any sacrifice to big to make for her friends?

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Accidents Are Also Miracles by @liiinerle

After some turbulent days that end with five people knowing her secret identity as Ladybug, Marinette loses faith in her ability to keep herself hidden. Wracked with doubts and insecurities, she pleads with Alya to take over as Scarabella, and tries to disconnect from heroing altogether. Along the way, she starts to date Kagami. Hard as she tries, though, she can't stop worrying - especially not once Monarch takes a particular, and personal, interest in her. At the same time, Alya tries to adjust to her new role while she works to uncover who Monarch really is, and makes some realisations about her own wishes. Kagami struggles against a controlling and abusive parent, and a girlfriend who seems bent on destroying herself - with or without Monarch's involvement. And in the meantime, Alix keeps popping her head back in with offers to help (because cool though time travel is, she misses hanging out in her own time). [Contains some spoilers for early s5 episodes, but otherwise diverges significantly from the plot of the season.]

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Alya's Amended Guide For Internet Safety (The RPF Remix) by @redrikki

Alya hadn’t meant to fall down the Ladynoir fic rabbit hole. It just happened. She didn't mean to make Ladybug to read fic about herself either. That just kind of happened too.

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You Are Just A Grin by Midnightdemonht

Oblivio was the only one to need a second separation, even after the butterfly was torn away.

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the best laid plans (of bugs and bakers) by @mexicancat-girl

Paris is buzzing with the appearance of a new ladybug-themed hero, Scarabella. Alya decides to use her second hero identity to help her best friend Marinette. A bit of her flirting with Marinette is bound to make Marinette's crushes jealous and finally ask her out! Her plan is fool-proof…! Except when it's not. Not enough people are talking about Scarabella flirting with Marinette. How can Alya properly help her best friend if the news can't be bothered to cover Marinette's budding romance with Scarabella and only posts things about Marinette with Chat Noir?! So Alya puts her all into her plan, upping up her flirting each time she appears as the newbie hero Scarabella. This totally does not backfire in any way.

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Radio Silence by @into-september

When an inexplicable change between Marinette and Adrien brings the two closer than ever, Alya is left on the outside of a secret too confounding to be about cheesemaking or puppy love. [No S4 AU]

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Creative Lies and Destructive Truths by @azuriteartist

Alya and Lila are two sides of a never-ending fight. The fight between truth and lies, between honesty and deception, between justice and personal gain. And now they have the powers to elevate that fight to a city-wide level. Can Alya stop the deception before it destroys the city? And can Lila stop the truth before it destroys her?

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The Investigation by @11jj11

Adrien and Marinette are finally dating-- which is what Alya has always wanted... but yet this sudden transformation in their relationship overnight? Things aren't adding up. They are suddenly so much closer than they ever have been before, Adrien is apparently a flirt, Marinette is no longer a stuttering mess, and not to mention the nicknames that came out of no where. Alya is happy for her friends, but she knows there's something more going on, and the reporter in her is going to get to the bottom of it.

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Cat Naps by BookGirlFan

Chat Noir doesn't care if he dies temporarily. Alya's starting to think he doesn't care if he dies permanently. Marinette's way too stressed for this, so it's up to Alya to find out why Chat Noir's willing to let his cat naps turn into the long sleep.

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Where were you the first time you were possessed? by @zanzquest

It should be an easy assignment: write about the first time a ghost took over your body to make varying degrees of mischief. There’s just one issue: Alya hasn’t been possessed yet.

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Is it chill that you're in my head? by @bringthestorm

Alya stared at the picture plastered across the homepage of every single tabloid and news site, whispering every curse she could think of under her breath. SHOCKING SECRET ROMANCE BETWEEN LADYBLOGGER AND PARISIAN SUPERVILLAIN REVEALED!!! the headline announced, casually shouting the words she had been dreading for all of Paris to read. --- Alya had always assumed that someday Paris would discover that she had secretly been kissing their most wanted vigilante, but she had never thought it would happen so soon. As the domino effects of her relationship with Ladybug go spiraling through her life, Alya turns her sights towards the one responsible: the elusive superhero Hawkmoth. AKA Someone outs Alya and her girlfriend so she retaliates by deciding to take down Hawkmoth 

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Lady and the Fox by @ck2k18

Marinette and Alya, known to their subscribers as “Ladybug” and “Rena Rouge,” have a popular cooking vlog using their parents’ kitchens. While moderating comments, Alya realizes that their viewers assume the two anonymous hosts are a couple, and it causes her to look at her relationship with Marinette in a new light.

(punch punch) fall in love by @mexicancat-girl

One day, Sabrina walks up to Alya. Alone. No Chloe in sight. Sabrina wants to learn self defense. Alya agrees to teach her. Alya ends up getting way more invested than she originally thought she'd be, because Sabrina is a quick learner and sometimes her smile makes Alya's insides go weak.

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When I Grow Up by waltzofthewifi

-I want to be a superhero." The class stifled laughs. "But superheroes aren't real!" Someone called out. A look through Alya's life. One-shot.

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disconnected by just_an_ordinary_fan

Lady Wifi believes she might be the only one who does not want to obey Hawkmoth's orders. When she sees another akuma hesitate in the battle, she finds she might not be entirely alone.

Walking that Mile by @nomolosk

Nino and Alya wake up in the wrong bodies. Several things result from this, including, but not limited to, identity reveals and a better understanding of what their respective best friends are going through.

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(may we write it all down) in cursive light by @sunfoxfic

Since retiring as a journalist, Alya hasn't been involved in an interview in several years. But now that her identity is out, that's about to change.

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Strangely Familiar by @sunfoxfic

Alya Césaire’s life is perfect. Indeed, between the success of the Ladyblog, how well she’s doing in school, and the fact that she’s a superhero who has never bore the weight of a crisis of epic proportions, her life almost couldn’t be better. Almost. But Alya has always been a go-getter, and so she’ll chase after that perfect life if it kills her. Which is how she ends up rushing to move out of her father’s apartment and in with Marinette, Adrien, and a complete stranger: Nino Lahiffe. And in fact, her life does seem perfect — she and Nino are fast friends. They spend a lot of time together and get to know each other really well. But in the end, fortunate situations will bear unfortunate truths, and she learns things about herself that aren’t quite comfortable. Like I said, though: Alya has always been a go-getter, and she won’t let new feelings deter her from chasing after her perfect life.

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Trust your instincts by @ultrakart

Alya has the instincts of a fox. Nino finds it hilarious.

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Foxy Lady by WizardlyMagik

In which Nino finds himself unexpectedly attracted to Rena Rouge, tries and fails to tell his friends and get some advice, and desperately attempts to hide it from his girlfriend. (Who in fact, is planning to use it to her advantage)

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No One Can See Us Here, Alone; or, The Behaviors of Binary Stars by artEngine

"Yeah, about that," Nino turns to fall in step with her out the door, "Hows about we take a small break from the quests? Chillax, enjoy our money and things?" "You say that now," Alya eyes him from the corner of her vision, "but would you still say that if I told you this special quest was to find a hidden genie for three free wishes?" "Dude. Yes." "Fine. Look, I promise to chill if we go on this quest. Okay?" Nino narrows his eyes down at her pleading expression. This dialogue is suspiciously familiar. Somehow, he gets the feeling that this time will be different. And for some reason, he listens to that feeling. "You're lucky I like you," he concedes. Alya hip-checks him with a winning smile. "That I am." : : A series of Alya and Nino's exploits as a part of the 10,000 gamers who found themselves trapped in Akihiko Kayaba's VRMMORPG game, Sword Art Online. For AU April with the Miraculous Fanworks Discord. (Knowledge of and/or interest in SAO or ALO is not required to enjoy this fic)

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well somewhere along the way in our words i must've gotten lost by @noirshitsuji

Beelya where Queen Bee visits the Césaire house after Alya writes an article about her fighting Mr. Pigeon alone. Normally Chloé would like the publicity but Alya had titled it ‘The Birds and the Bees’. After that she ends up coming back to complain about her mother. And her father. And about the fact that her oldest friend seems uncomfortable around her. Her visits becomes weekly, then almost nightly. (Don’t forget to include Chloé redemption (and some “Bee Movie” jokes).) * Alya isn’t quite sure how she ended up here, in a place where she isn’t even surprised Chloé would seek her out to talk about her dad, where she wouldn’t even mind her doing so, where she would expect it, where she would– (–thud. She might be in trouble.)

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Me, My Best Friend, and Her Cat by @ladyofthenoodle

Ladybugs aren't known for being particularly sneaky. Good thing this Ladybug has a fox in her corner, watching her back. (And giving Ladybug's love life a nudge along the way. Maybe more than a nudge. In Alya's defense, Ladybug can use all the help she could get.)

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Best Laid Plans by @captorations

Alya Césaire had always known she was going to be a superhero one day. She even had a rather unique plan to protect her secret identity, and it worked like a charm. But tricksters have to be careful, lest they end up tricking themselves.

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Outfoxed by @captorations

Lila Rossi is not a Miraculous wielder. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have power. Alya was under her spell, along with so many others, until the day Lila unknowingly overstepped herself. Freed at last, the true Fox recognizes magic when she sees it, even if it doesn’t come from a source she understands. She is none too happy about this pretender abusing her natural gifts to make fools of Alya and those she loves. Alya Césaire might need an enchanted necklace and the aid of a tiny deity to cast illusions, but she swore to use her borrowed abilities for the greater good long ago. There is none better suited to facilitate the liar’s downfall. And maybe she’ll help her best friend sort out her increasingly complex love life along the way.