#and seeing all of em with what. 1 note? a Like most often

[oatmealdaydreams]

Black Hole Fantasy: I'm pulling in the driveway, I'm turning off the car

Let me know if ya wanna be added on or taken off the general taglist!

Part 1

Inspired By Works: the Shifter Stan AU made by @the-east-art! Check out her stuff, it's super good. Shout out to East!

Pairing: Stan Pines & Ford Pines, gen

Warnings: Homelessness, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse

Summary: After reconciling, Stan answers what he can while Ford asks questions about his shifting abilities. Most of them are expected from his nerdy brother: how certain shifts work, what kind of limits there are, what the deal is with partial shifts, and all that. But then Ford asks about how he found out about his abilities, and…and Stan debates if it’s a good idea telling his brother about his time driving in Mount Tammany.  Stan cannot lie to Ford without him seeing right through it, anyway.

Notes: Wrote a majority of this today (as of posting) because I damn well know a lot of us need some comfort right now.

[Masterlist] | ao3 link

[read under the cut]

Stan expected this. It’s Ford, he’s gonna be all nerdy and ask questions and wanna know more about things he doesn’t understand so he can understand them. He expected this. 

As soon as the question leaves Ford’s mouth, he can tell it probably isn’t the best thing to ask, for whatever reason that may be, because Stan tenses in his seat and his gaze darts away from his brother. 

Stan expected this. It’s Ford, he’s gonna be all nerdy and ask questions and wanna know more about things he doesn’t understand so he can understand them. He expected this. 

The younger twins are due to arrive within the next week or so for another summer. Stan’s surprised their parents are letting back to Gravity Falls—depending on what they told their parents—but he’s not complaining. He grew attached to those chaotic gremlins rather quickly. They’re family, after all. Stan knows he’s got a weak spot for ‘em. Ford gives him shit about it sometimes when he’s being all stubborn and grumpy. It doesn’t come from a place of hypocrisy, though. Ford’s just as bad as Stan is when it comes to their niblings, and he most often admits it.

The time sailing across the vast seas on the Stan O’ War II with Ford helped with remembering things. Stan had remembered most of his life—the important bits, at least. There were still holes in his recollection here and there, still are, but important memories stuck before the rest of it. The fact that he had a twin brother named Stanford, his niblings, most of what he’s done while in Gravity Falls, the entire Portal Situation, and almost everything that has to deal with a certain triangular dream demon. When he has relapses, Ford is always there to help him remember and support him until the memories come back. Childhood can be a bit blurry sometimes. He doesn’t quite remember much about their father, but Ford reassures him that he’s not someone to worry about; Stan trusts Ford. That, and the way Ford’s eyes darken every time he mentions him…well, he can piece things together on his own. Some people aren’t worth remembering. That’s okay. 

One of the periods in his life he struggles to remember much of is the ten years before he arrived in Gravity Falls. Ford doesn’t know much about them, either. When a memory from then resurfaces, it can be…really shitty. Sometimes, when a relapse happens and it involves something from his years being homeless, it gets a lot harder to calm Stan down. Especially since all the memories he’s remembered from then so far have been what his niblings would call ‘unfairly traumatic’. Stan knows by now where he got all his survival skills, at least. 

There are a few memories from when he first got on the streets that aren’t so bad. A few failed attempts at cheap products that got him banned in some places. He vaguely remembers his Stan Vac, the whole not-rash-causing rash-causing bandaids, little things like those. His leaky towels that made stains worse. 

His drive up through Mount Tammany. 

Stan remembers a particular night from that. Getting banned from New Jersey and trying his luck in the next state over. Dark nights where the skies were perfect for stargazing if he’d only let himself stay still for a few minutes. But then again, staying still for even a second on the road is the kinda thing that gets ya killed. So. He can always stargaze now, though. Ford always watched the stars when they got the chance at sea. Maybe they can do that again, now, in a place that doesn’t involve a surprising constant of sea-bound critters out ta get their asses. 

The fucking point: he remembers sitting in his car on the roadside, alone, in the middle of nowhere up on a mountain, getting all teary over his stupid fucking hands. He’d shifted them by accident, and suddenly six fingers replaced five. Missing Ford did that kinda shit, he supposes. Intertwining a five-fingered hand with a six-fingered one nearly broke him. Stan can punch a pterodactyl in its damn face, but he’s weak when it comes to his family. To his brother. 

Stan hopes Ford never finds out about it. He hopes he does find out about it. It’s a complicated mess of things. 

They sit in the chairs in the living room. Some rerun of an earlier Ducktective episode plays at low volume, perfect for background noise. Ford noticeably has a notepad and a blue-inked pen out on his lap. Stan’s counting down the seconds it takes for his brother to ask whatever questions he has on his mind. It only takes about thirty seconds for him to burst. A new record, really. 

“Can I ask you a few questions about your shifting?” Ford’s eyes twinkle like the fucking stars. 

Stan shrugs, genuinely open to it, “Sure, why not.” 

Ford’s excited little smile is plenty of reward for agreeing to this. He knows if he said no, Ford would back off. He’d be a bit disappointed, yeah, but he’d back off. Brothers are like that, y’know. 

His brother readies himself with his pen and all, eagerness leaking off him like some weird mist or something. 

“How can you shift into a mermaid but not into a partial fish shift?”

“It’s not that simple, Poindexter. There’re limits to it.”

The sound of a gliding pen across paper, “I suppose that makes sense. Even with Shifty, he had to learn through visualization before he could shift into something. Perhaps you mimic in a similar fashion,” There's a brief pause as Ford writes another note. “What are the limitations?”

“Well,” Stan grunts out a sigh, “for one, shifts hafta be made of the same base stuff that humans are. Size is another thing. Can’t shift inta somethin’ too small or too large. And, uh, partial shifts are their own thing, not very sustainable. ‘S why I gotta shift into a full merfolk instead ‘a partial fish.”

Ford nods along to his brother, scribbling notes hastily as he talks. There’s a sense of ease that blankets the air between them. Lounging in the tv room, talking, listening, just hanging out with each other. When was the last time they did shit like this? When was the last time it started to feel easy? Maybe it’s because he’s answerin’ the things that he does know about his shifting abilities, but a warmth blossoms in Stan’s chest at the realization of how much it reminds him of being kids. Yappin’ with each other. No arguin’ or nothin’, just…yappin’. It’s nice. 

“Wait, so—” a readjust of Poindexter’s glasses, “Then how come you’ve shifted into partial cat eyes or…ah, the partial bear shift the kids told me about?” 

“It ain’t sustainable, so it doesn’t last long,” Stan tries, though he’s pretty sure he just explained the partial shift thing. “Wouldn’t wanna randomly shift underwater, y’know? And fish shifts are always a bitch to shift in and outta.” 

“Ah, I see. Why are fish—”

“The gills, nerd. Breathing’s all different an’ shit.”

“Oh, well, nevermind then.”

Stan snorts at him, and Ford playfully rolls his eyes. He writes a few more notes down. Stan taps his fingers on the arm of his chair, lightly drumming out a tuneless rhythm. A companionable silence fills the room, and for once, he doesn’t feel the need to replace it with some sort of sound. Probably because he’s already making noise with his tappin’, but still. It’s like a gentle inhale of fresh pine air, drifting around them. It’s calm. It’s as quiet as any ambience can be. It’s peaceful. 

And it only lasts for a few minutes, thankfully, because Stan might’ve started tappin’ with two hands instead of one if it went on for too long. It’s still silence, after all. Nothing good has come with complete silence.

“Given what you’ve explained…how does your shifting work?” and this question has the stars in Ford’s eyes turning into spotlights that gleam onto Stan. 

Stanley clicks, shrugging, “Tch, I don’t know.”

Ford glances up from his notepad, pen stilling, “What?”

“I don’t know how it works, Six.”

“How can you not know how it works? It’s your shifting!”

“I’ve been busy.”

“But you just explained—”

“I know some things, just not everything!”

“How—wait, okay. What were you so busy with that you didn’t explore your shifting more?”

The peaceful air thins. There’s a slight pressure, tension, something that threatens to smother them if they don’t tread this carefully. A choking hazard. 

Stan scoffs, a biting voice, “Jeez, Six, do ya not remember bein’ shoved into a massive fuckin’ portal? And I thought I was the amnesiac.”

He winces as soon as he says it. That was a bit harsher than he intended, honestly. It’s in the past. Sure, there’re still some shit they gotta work out, but now wasn’t the time. Why is he always biting like a wounded feral dog when it comes to shit like that? What is he, a beaten hound? 

Ford goes sheepish, “Oh, right…”

It’s awkward. The tense air simmers like New Mexico’s summer heat. It blazes underneath the first layer of their skin. It fizzles and crackles and makes both of the older twins fidget in their seats. Stan shifts his weight in his chair, and his finger-tappin’ gets quicker. 

Ford clears his throat, “Right, well, I—thank you, Stanley.” 

A small, fond smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. Warmth fills his chest like waves of the ocean, his heart sighing pleasant beats. Ford’s said it a number of times while they were sailing. Some nights, when the beer was cold and the stars were glistening across the vast seas, they figured out talkin’ about shit. Not everything, no, not even some of the things they probably should, but they were still important things they needed to talk about. The portal was one of them. At least, some of it. The parts that Stan remembered in flashes. Memory of its entirety came back before they returned to Gravity Falls, but he digresses. They talked about some shit, and Ford made a point of saying ‘thank you’ a lot more. He still does it. 

The tense air dissipates a significant amount, easing, calming, gentle.

“Yeah, whatever, Poindexter,” Stan waves it off, but he couldn’t wipe the little smile on his face if he tried. “What else ya got, huh?”

Ford shares his own little smile, glancing down briefly at his notes, “Well, let’s see…oh! How did you initially find out about your shifting?”

And the tense air returns with a sharp bite. 

As soon as the question leaves Ford’s mouth, he can tell it probably isn’t the best thing to ask, for whatever reason that may be, because Stan tenses in his seat and his gaze darts away from his brother. 

“Of course, if you don’t remember it,” Ford adds quickly, “Just the earliest you can remember.”

Stan considers what to do here. He’s been given an out. He can just give the easy excuse that he doesn’t remember. It wouldn’t be too far a lie, what, with how fickle his memory from that far back can be. It’s still a lie, though. He does remember that night driving through Mount Tammany. Although it may not be his first experience with his new-found shifting abilities, it is one of the earliest. It would be around the time he first found out, anyway. 

And he’d promised Ford on the boat that he’d try and talk to him. They both did. They made that promise. Stan is tired of breaking things. He won’t break a promise to Ford, especially now that they’re on much better terms. He can’t risk fucking this peace up. It’s too precious now. There’s been too much work and hard nights and shed tears they’ll never comment on. Stan won’t break it for anything. 

He sighs, refusing to face Ford while he does this. 

“It ain’t much. Just a drive through the mountains,” he forewarns, “Nothin’ pretty, nothin’ ugly.” 

Ford’s eyes widen in momentary surprise, as if he’d expected Stan to take the out. He shakes it off, leaning in slightly. An eager listener. A nod to show he understands. 

Alright, we’re fuckin’ doin’ this, Stan thinks. 

A gruffer sigh, “Just been banned from Jersey, I think. A few failed business ventures or whatever, and I was drivin’ up through Mount Tammany.”

Stan ignores whatever Ford’s reaction is to him being banned from their home state. He can’t handle reactions if he’s gonna commit to this. Grabbing a half-drank can of Pitt Cola, givin’ something for his hands to do. Idle hands ain’t gonna do good. He can’t risk havin’ idle hands that reach for violence and excuses. This ain’t the time for it. Not now, not now. 

He swallows, continuing, “It’s dark, probably in the middle of the night. Got used ta drivin’ in late hours so much I don’t think it made a difference.” 

The scene itself starts to unravel in front of his mind’s eye. He can almost see it, hear it, smell it. He keeps talking. 

“Mind kept driftin’, so I had ta pull over. I was wonderin’ about…people. Where they were, how’d they been, all that. Guess they really got to me, heh.” 

Ford doesn’t need to ask who he’s referring to. This one, he knows. He knows what Stan is like when he talks about missing Ford. It’s one ‘a those times. 

“Not even twenty yet, y’know. Still young enough to have a weak stomach about things. I couldn’t keep drivin’ all those curves up in the mountains like that, else I was gonna crash or somethin’. I pull over.”

Stan has to pause for a moment, swallowing again. He tries not to get lost in the memory. He fidgets with the can in his hand, thumbing across its smooth surface. Remind himself where he is. Remember he’s in a chair next to his brother, and not breakin’ at the sight of holding a five-fingered hand and a six-fingered one together. Five plus six is eleven. It’d only been ten years when he saw Ford next after that, but it sure felt like eleven centuries with the way they’d changed. 

No longer lookin’ like each other. Both scared outta their minds and desperate. They’re twins; but back then, they’d been strangers that shared a last name. Not even that. Stan’s used many names throughout the years. He’s worn many faces, too. Droppin’ his shift for the first time in years, just to see his brother, had been a lot more unsettling than he thought it’d be. 

Right, explain’ Mount Tammany. 

Stan shakes his head lightly, ignoring his lingering thoughts of triangular portals. 

“I felt the extra fingers before I saw ‘em,” a hitch of breath besides Stan, but he continues through it, “Six fingers on each hand. The last I recall, I wasn’t the one with hands like that. Turns out I shifted ‘em without thinking.” 

Stan does that sometimes. In moments of heightened emotion—distress, usually—his body decides to kick into gear without askin’ Stan first and shifts itself into whatever it deems necessary to survive the situation. He heard Wendy explain it as a trauma response once. She’d been taking this psychology class to avoid some shitty required course that had a shitty teacher. She’s smart. Gonna do some pretty great shit one day, that kid. Badass enough as it is, really. What highschooler can say they’ve survived the literal apocalypse without referrin’ to a video game? 

“I was already a weak mess at that point,” Stan hesitates, thumbing the can in his hand again. Quiet noises come from Ford’s chair, and he tries to write it off as squeaky furniture. “I, uh…shifted one hand back, and…intertwined them. ‘Bout broke me. I was already fucked-up with drivin’ in the middle of the night, anyway. Y’know, lackin’ sleep and all. That shit.”

Stan cannot look in Ford’s direction after he’s finished. He keeps fiddling with the Pitt can in his hand. His other hand drums a tuneless rhythm on the arm of his chair. He can’t have idle hands. They reach for things. Reaching for Ford might not be a good idea right now. Hey, at least Stan’s actually thinkin’ for once in his damn life. Mabel’s childlike optimism is rubbin’ off ‘a him. 

The quiet noises include a sniffle, and Stan feels something in his chest crack like a statue about to fall off a breaking cliff. Something’s about to break and fall into the churnin’ waters below. The sea can be just as much of a hell as it can be a comfort. Life’s like that, he supposes. Your greatest comfort can be your easiest weak point. 

They sit there, not talking, not looking at each other, hardly making a sound. It’s a fragile air. It’s a thin glass sheet. They’ve had practice on the Stan ‘O War II with learning how to navigate moments like these, but this? This is something else. This is about an earlier memory of being kicked out from home. This is about when Stan learned he was just as anomalous as his brother. This is about one of the first times Stan lost a little hope. This is different. It’s fragile, and Stan’s never been good with fragile things. He breaks what he touches. He doesn’t know how to touch this without cracking the glass like a hammer to a stained glass window. 

Neither of them breathe for a moment. 

How the hell do you navigate a conversation like this? How did it turn into thinly-veiled raw emotion with the steadiness of a paper house? The pivot from your average sibling bickering and stupid smiles to something made of a deck of flimsy cards. A sharp pivot. A sudden pivot. Where did the fragility come from? 

Ford, surprisingly, is the one to break the stained-glass window. 

“Lee,” his voice is thicker, choking, full of hitching breaths and sniffling that becomes all the more noticeable with the uneasy silence. 

Stan can’t help but turn to his brother as soon as that nickname is uttered. There’s a lump in his throat at the sight of Ford’s red-rimmed eyes behind the guise of his blocky glasses. He doesn’t have it in him to swallow it down. 

Okay, they’re doing this. Great. This is fine. 

“Six,” Stan responds, and he sounds just as bad as Ford.

He ignores the prickling droplets in his eyes. 

“You—when did—” words come tumbling out of Ford’s mouth like foreign concepts of another dimension. 

“It’s fine, Poindexter,” an attempt at waving things off, even with how messy their voices are right now, because he cannot stand seeing his brother look so distressed.

“It’s not fine, Stanley.”

“...It’s not.”

“You were banned from Jersey?”

Starting there, okay.

“‘S what happens when yer products are a total sham.” 

“I–yes, I get that, I just…I saw the commercials. Thought you figured it out, and  not…”

“You saw the commercials?”

A pause, “Ah, well, yes. It was the only time I ever saw you.” 

Something about that twists a heart or two. Neither of them can tell if it’s their own or each other’s. It doesn’t matter, really. It twists all the same. 

“You went through Mount Tammany?” Ford continues. 

“Headed towards Pennsylvania. Business opportunities and all that.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah.”

Moses, they’re pushing towards seventy and still this awkward? What are they, pre-teens?

“Can you show me?” Ford is so quiet that Stan almost doesn’t hear him.

“Uh, what?”

“Just—you said you shifted into six fingers, so…” the shrug he gives is a little unlike him, but this entire conversation is a little unlike them. Too many emotions going ‘round in a circus display of some spin-top toy. 

Well…not exactly where Stan thought this conversation would go, but it’s not a bad direction. Just show his brother that he can have six-fingered hands like he does. He’s done it before. It’s not the shift that holds a heavy weight behind it, but it’s the reason Ford’s even asking. He’s not gonna point out that Ford’s already seen him with similar hands before. 

Stan tears a hole in the paper house, and he nods. 

Ford watches with a gaze of…something. Careful curiosity is in there somewhere. Along with whatever else is racin’ through his damn head. Lots of things today, huh?

Stan doesn’t need to concentrate as much as he usually does with partial shifts. This one is something he’s practiced and done so often that it’s instinctual. In fact, he glances down and notices one of his hands already has six fingers. He shifts the other to match. Ford stares. He fidgets with his own six-fingered hands. They twitch like they wanna reach out. Stan feels that echo in his knuckles, his joints, the bones of his wrists and hands and even in his sockets. 

Stan slowly reaches out first. 

Ford spares a darting glance at his face, and he meets him halfway. 

They hold hands. 

The very much not-there-at-all tears glide down Stan’s face. Ford’s sniffling again as his breath hitches again. Quiet sounds flitter around the room. Little sounds. Sounds they won’t admit to making because that means admitting to crying over holding hands, and they sure as hell ain’t gonna do that. Doing that means facing the truth of how heavy it feels. Holding hands with your brother isn’t supposed to be heavy. He’s seen Mabel and Dipper hold each other’s hands, and they certainly don’t get weepy over it. Not that Stan would dare to make fun outta them if they did, no, he rather shift in and out of bein’ a fish a million times before he even thinks about doin’ such a thing. 

Ford squeezes, and Stan squeezes back. 

A deck of flimsy cards topples over and scatters across the floor in a whirlwind of sad old men and old wounds. 

Little birds keep close together for winter. 

A sparrow holds his brother’s hand, and it brings more comfort than he’d thought possible. Maybe the scared teen that drove through Mount Tammany heals a little. Maybe the lost kid that cried over his hands while stranded alone in his car starts to smile again. 

A small, teary smile tugs at the corner of Stan’s mouth.

Taglist: @lost-in-thought-20 @thegoldenduckie @not-sure-what-im-feeling

[ardate]

I've been checking out the OC tags for a little while, and I can say the state of OC sharing on tumblr is in absolute misery.

We've all discussed how bad the ratio of reblogs has become, how the amount of them have been dwindling those last couple of years, but I think an extra important emphasis has to be made on original creation. Though everything is hit by the lack of sharing, fanarts at least have a tag people will look for, improving their visibility - fandom OCs are sadly shared less than fanarts, in general, but they still enjoy that same visibility.

But what of the purely original? People who have OCs belonging solely to their own world, with a tag nobody will look for? I've been seeing awesome OC art that has been sitting for days and weeks with 0 or 1 notes, sometimes 5 or 6 with luck (though most of the time only likes)... And though there are exceptions, overall, it's a frankly saddening sight.

The way for someone to get attention on their OCs is to already be a well established blog or to produce fanart on the side to build a following. Blogs solely creating original content sit at the bottom of the note pool with no escape in sight.

As much as we praise tumblr for its tagging system and the fact it doesn't kill old posts the way other social media does, it still does fail in the way of uplifting creation that isn't fandom-based.

I don't have a solution to this. It is merely a sad observation. It's only natural that people would look for what they already know and love. But in a world where all of our interactions are linked to consumerism, in a world where automation replaces human imagination, I'd love to see a community of people willing to actively search for, and uplift, the creatives that are trying to peek out of the water.

One reblog may lead to another may lead to a follow, may lead to a creator feeling like their work matters.

So I'm doing it, one reblog at a time.

[popponn]

boyfriend hcs | isagi yoichi.

notes: im done pretending to be sane. "things and hcs about isagi yoichi" post because world hard and cold isagi yoichi soft and warm. this time, really mean it when saying no brain just isagi big love. please don't look at this too closely, other than that: no warning.

the "natural rizz" type who is honestly not really good at being purposefully suave. if he tries, it will either go boyfailure route or cute babygirl route. if he doesn't, it's a full package bf who will get your whole family & friends' approval.

at first, he tries really hard, but the moment you get him to calm down and kick the nervousness away, you will get: casual affection, unconditional support, a cuddly & clingy bf on weekends, etc.

looks at matching keychains once and the metavision is telling him it will be cute if you two have that.

he seems like the type who is not obvious when he is in love. at first. the moment his friends accidentally stumble upon your dates and see his smile, his smile is fooling no one.

somehow could make the most mundane unromantic activity cute as long he does it with you. accidentally. somehow.

when he starts dating you, his clothes will reflect your taste because: 1) he will shop for those clothes with you and ask for your opinion; 2) if you are a sane human with a bare minimum level of taste you should know his fashion sense level is in minus already—please do a favor to mankind and get him away from that neon orange trousers and bright green jumper; 3) he just wants to see you happy; 4) despite his humble look and usual demeanor, he likes showing off that he has you and you have him.

doesn't mean he can pick your clothes. do yourself a favor and think thrice or ten times if he suggests clothing or god forbid a mix match. love makes people dumb but it has to have a limit. your man is not trustworthy in the style department.

getting his parents' approval should be the least of your worries. his blue lock fellows and noel fucking noa should be your concern. good luck, high chance you have to verbally fight people like michael kaiser and barou shohei.

your phone is guaranteed to have at least 5 country clocks in it because yoichi is an international sensation. and when he is not busy practicing, you barely leave his mind at all.

it ranges from "oh, they will like this as a gift" to longingly gazing at his phone because while he is an understanding & secure attachment-style boyfriend, it doesn't mean he can bear with you not contacting him for three days. call your man. text him.

his favorite songs will be that cm song and whatever you often listen to around him—"it just sticks". his favorite movie will be totoro and your favorite movie. attachment and fond memories are the main driving force for his favorite stuff.

is pretty independent and self-sufficient that is not clingy most of the time. unless when he is sleepy. he hugs his pillow when he sleeps, now that he has you get ready.

if your main love language are acts of service and words of affirmation, it will be an instant match. "i do this for you, you do this for me" without any talking needs to be done, just like second nature. and he likes to be praised.

in case of quality time and physical touch, it will take some time to get used to, most probably. while he clearly enjoys time with his closest ones, isagi also enjoys his alone time and thinking time too. and he used to be a shy boy who doesn't share touches with people much. but believe in his adaptability, as long as the parties involved are willing to figure this out it will get figured out.

made a whole post about this once like a besotted fool, but is a really good listener who likes listening to you. it's like you "giving him a piece of you"—especially if it is a part of you that you don't share much.

please do listen and try to figure him out though. moving on soon and focusing on the present's solution is good but in some cases, it really might lead to what people call "pent-up emotions". isagi doesn't enjoy looking or being "weak", but really understanding the emotions he doesn't say out loud will benefit both of you in the long run.

keep the balance in everything—because isagi as understanding and adaptable as he is, still sometimes has a lapse in judgment.

before this gets into angst territory let's stop here. moving on.

is canonly described as poetic in one of exhib dialogues—which means this man is scientifically proven to be cheesy as hell.

sheepish, boyish, cute, sometimes nervous, very boy next door yes. but when he is in the moment, aka the romance flow is kicking, get ready for the most heartfelt, the most sincere profession of love under the sunset. an "i'm glad you are in my life", an "i will happily choose you again", etc.

learn to kick a soccer ball if you can't. 1) good for self-defense; 2) he sometimes brings the ball to sleep and if you don't want it, really think of it as self-defense. (not kidding, check his PWC sprite and that one sleeping anime official art merch)

at first gets bashful at pet names, but if someone makes fun of him—especially during a match—that's just asking for it.

remember his habit of being unable to say "no"? In a very loving manner, it comes back in full force with you. he will spoil the hell out of you even when you don't ask him to. what you want, isagi will get.

you have to be his #1 supporter. because he is yours. sometimes he can give advice and help for you, sometimes he can't. but if anything, he will always be there.

has a soft spot for you smiling while hugging something. in other words, while his gallery is full of your photo with plushies, animals, etc—the number of mirror selfies with the two of you hugging each other is enough to make anyone blink in astonishment.

if someone badmouths you or tries to harrass you, oresagi aka on field persona comes out without any hesitation. and while isagi's appearance doesn't come in the most intimidating form—we have seen him. hold him back, please.

even after everything, is honestly a pretty simple guy who thinks a simple breakfast with you worth much more than expensive dinners. home dates with him is always the coziest thing on earth, no matter whether under a sunny sky or rainy clouds.

when he is dedicated to you, he is dedication itself. certainly still have to do pr and fanservice when he meets some fans in the street, but before he leaves he will always squeeze your hand like asking for permission and he always does it with such efficiency that some of his friends wonder if he is trained to return as quickly as possible to your side. (yeah. isagi values efficiency and like how he wants a goal, he wants to enjoy his date with you.)

comfort hcs tho, when you feel insecure or down in some ways talk to him. he might pick up the bad mood but he isn't the type to try and overstep when you don't want to tell him. and as said before, he is a really good listener who is always there for you, so it will really do you good.

sometimes protest but he loves it when you play with his hair one way or another. ruffle it, pat it, style it—do as you wish. bonus if you are in front of him, in his lap, in the comfort of your shared abode. clingy isagi coming out again.

he hugs in the same way he kisses. they are long and heartfelt. one could use "passionate" to describe them, if it isn't for a certain chaste-esque mannerism that is almost always there.

the only time it is not is when the two of you are in private but because this is a family account. not going there.

[mechaknight-98]

Party Time (NSFW): Session 0 FT: Dahyun

Author's note: For this chapter, I will be changing the character perspective of this story slightly. the characters will still be the same however I wanted to try something different. As I learn more I'll probably come up with a much better way of writing the characters and differencing between them.

PreSession 0

You were blared awake by your ringtone Our Song by Silverstein. you looked around confused to see what was going on when you picked up your phone to see it was a call from Atticus. you grab your phone and answer,

"Yo, what's up?"

"It's session 0 of our Uber campaign today," Atticus responded. "Don't tell me you forgot Mordekai." You groan because you had an alarm that was set to go off in 4 minutes.

"Atticus Why are you like this? Look I know you are anxious but you beat my alarm by 4 minutes. I was going to be there."

"But you said you didn't have a character."

"Yeah because I was going to choose based on what everyone else was."

You rub your face before responding, "Dude I just got off work. I don't have the patience for this conversation I'll talk to you in a bit."

"Okay see you soon, and get here safe. As..." Atticus began

"Yeah I know My safety is a priority," you respond

finishing Atticus' statement, and hanging up. "Ahhhh. you groan." knowing you lost the last 4 minutes you get up and start your character. when you start getting deeper into the build your alarm goes off and you begin the rush to get ready. You shower, brush your teeth, and leave to go. Unsurprisingly you are early. Atticus is happy to see you and asks to see your character sheet.

Atticus looks at your character sheet and groans before asking, "Monty...Why is there only a Name and a Class?"

"Well, I figured we could hash out more of the details when it came time, Like what subclass and what race?" You begin. Atticus looks at you annoyed before you qualify the statement with, "I don't want to encroach or step on toes and I know people don't play Monks all that often." You say

Atticus shrugs in understanding, "Okay Fair. How about this then You play the Avatar Race."

"the Avatar race? Never heard of em." You say flatly

Atticus laughs as he explains "Well that's because it's a race I made specifically for this campaign."

"Okay so what's it do?" you ask intrigued to play a new brew of Atticus'

Atticus pulls out a little cheat sheet with the races he had available, "Well it's simple. It's just a generic humanoid in all aspects that is just molded to your character. they gain; +1 to three ability scores, a Feat, A language, and a skill."

"that's a lot." You exclaim

"On paper sure but ultimately not really because those +1s are so marginally good." Atticus elaborates

You roll your eyes before saying"Well if I roll a bunch of odd numbers it's pretty good, or do point buy."

"Oh about that. so to ease everyone into the game we are doing actual character-building with our physical selves. so how good you are at things determines your actual stats." Atticus explains

"Huh?" You ask

"Yeah," Atticus affirms

"That's dumb and I love it Atticus." You say

The door to Atticus's home opens and you hear a tiny voice say "Hey Atticus my Unnies are on their way." you turn around to see Dahyun of Twice. You quickly turn back to Atticus who you look at.

"Hahaha." is Atticus's only response. you blink slowly and turn to face Dahyun.

"Wow like you are way prettier in person," you say to her Seeing her gorgeous face up close and not separated by a distance of several thousands of feet. Dahyun smiles at you with the most adorable smile.

"I like your necklace," Dahyun replies shyly. you smile at her.

"What are you playing?" Dahyun asks

"Oh I am just playing an Avatar monk, and you" you reply. You notice Atticus smirks and when Dahyun goes to grab his character sheet you shoot him a furious look.

"Oh Changeling Blood Hunter."

you raise your eyebrows surprised and reply, "Impressive." Dahyun was listening intently

Dahyun blushes slightly then smiles and says "Thank you"

"Great my two Chingu are getting along great Atticus says happily

Dahyun looks at you surprised "We are the same age?" you nod. She eases and replies "I thought I'd be the youngest."

"Nope, I believe that is David who is one year younger than us," you answer Dahyun nods and eases into you more. You smile at her and say “Excuse me miss. Are you trying to charm me?”

Dahyun gives you her dazzling eye smile and says, “Maybe I am. What are you going to do about it?” you are taken aback by her boldness. You lift your hands in surrender, which causes Dahyun to laugh heartily.

The door opens again and Dahyun and you jump upon hearing it, taken out of the little world you two found yourself in. You turn to the door to see a young lady with pink hair apologizing profusely “Sorry for scaring you.” she says meekly. Dahyun and you quickly work to attempt to diminish the fears of the young girl as you both wave off her apology citing that you and she should have been paying attention. The girl smiles and hugs Atticus. You tilt your head but say nothing. The young lady then turns to the two of you and says “Hi I'm Jeewon nice to meet you.” Dahyun and you both wave at the girl. When she asks your names

“Mordekai. but everyone calls me Monty,” you say

“Dahyun” Dahyun adds Jeewon smiled brightly as she sat next to the two of you.

"So what are the the two of you playing ?" Jeewon asks brightly

"Avatar Monk," you answer

"Changeling blood hunter." Dahyun follows suit

You clap your hands in approval, "Ooh it gets sexier each time you say it." you say hyping up Dahyun who turns to you and blushes. she hits you and says "Stop it" but her gaze tells you not to stop.

"Are you two dating?" Jeewon asks intrigued.

"Nah we went on one date." You answer. Dahyun looks at you confused.

"Wait...Mountain?" Dahyun says as she realizes who you are. You smirk at Dahyun who smiles at you further. Atticus laughs when he makes the connection that when the two of you did that Rugby tournament a few years back and you said you had a date with a pretty girl was with Dahyun, but before anything else could be said the door opened again and a very bright voice crashed.

"Sorry, I am late. Traffic was really bad" A cheery voice says. As the group turns you see Sana skip into the living room. Sana recognizes you instantly and smiles

"Mordekai! How are you cutie?" Sana says as she envelops you in a clumsy hug.

"I am good noona, how about you?" You reply to Sana

"Oh, you know. being the prettiest in Twice is tough." She said

"Oh come on you know Dahyun's the prettiest." You counter

Sana feigns a pout before smiling at you and giggling. She took her seat next to Dahyun. After that, the rest of the "Party" fills in which includes members from Red Velvet (Irene and Seulgi), one from Twice (Nayeon), and surprisingly one member of Dreamcatcher (Handong). There are also four more guys who show up in this order David, Timothy, Alan, Kento, and Charlie. As more people show up you introduce yourself and appear friendly enough, but for the most part you stick to Dahyun and Atticus (When he's not swooning over Jeewon) as Dahyun speaks the best English and you know her the best. Eventually, Nayeon approaches you and says "Hey so we have a playlist featuring a song dedicated to everyone's character. Do you have anything in mind?

You scour your mind trying to find something but as it goes blank the choice rises from that.

"Power to Tearer." You reply. You notice Kento and Sana look at you as Nayeon nods.

"got it. I'll add it" she says.

Sana slinks over to you, "That's an interesting choice for a Character-inspired song."

"Well I figure this is the only place where it will be appreciated and understood," you reply. Sana smirks.

"You're pretty interesting Monty." Sana coos with a mischievous smirk, that worries you.

After y'all mingled for several minutes Seulgi stepped to the front and said, "Okay now that everyone knows each other partner up and each one of you give backstories for your characters."

you turn to Atticus but when Dahyun claims you as her partner. She seems anxious so you smile and say "Okay" to her.

"So what basic things would you like for me to include?" you ask Dahyun

"I want you to use your best judgment." Dahyun says and you give her a thumbs up and say, "Do you have any idea for a character name?" Dahyun shakes her head before saying just use her name. You nod and when Dahyun asks you the same questions your only response is the name, Montaigne. Dahyun gives you a gummy smile and gives you two thumbs up. you both begin spinning tales about the other as you write. you find yourself connecting with Dahyun more and more as you start looking at her and noticing her little ticks like how she puts her hair in front of her face when she's embarrassed or when she drops something the repeats "Oh mo mo Oh mo mo." It helps you write a more authentic Dahyun (the character)

After you two finish up Seulgi notices and says "OH Dahyun and..." She gestures to you and you give her your name. "Mordenkainen?" Seulgi asks for clarification.

"Mordekai." you clarify Seulgi nods focused and asks for you two to give your partners' backstory. You nod. seeing Dahyun's anxiety you go first.

You stand up in front of the party and muster all the confidence you can," Gather around as I tell you the tale Of Dahyun the Blood Hunter..." You hesitate and turn to Atticus. "Hey, What's the name of the World Again?"

"Daebak" Atticus answers

"Cool." You say to Atticus

"Not Cool, it Daebak" Atticus teases

"I freaking hate you." You reply

"Coming to Paradise from her small religious home of Songnam the changeling knew little of the big city but her hopes for reaching the big time brought the young changeling girl to join a traveling dance group where her comedic skills and quick wit brought her quicker fame, but what captivated people was her even larger heart. despite being a relentless flirt and tease no one could ever stay mad at her. She brought smiles and laughs everywhere she went regardless of her previous disposition there. this kindness was so profound in fact that all who interacted with her had to be careful not to fall under her charms lest be driven to be one of her many admirers, but there is more to the small Changeling. She is feisty and a passionately hard worker who hones her skills and her beliefs on every test she receives and usually passes with flying colors, but why does she do this? What is Dahyun's true motivation? Dahyun's motivations are simple. she wishes to leave the world better than she left it, and do her family and her community proud in her adorable and sometimes clumsy way." You say. Dahyun smiles before clapping. Everyone besides Dahyun, Jeewon, Timothy, Seulgi, and Atticus Looks at you a bit confused. You shrug and hand your notes to Dahyun who says to you "Thank you. I love it." you smile mission accomplished. She stands up courageously and says

"The Hero of Sunrise, The King of Beasts, The Sword of Ruin, the Shield of Restoration, The master of Arms, The Gentle Fist, The War God's Instrument, and The Wiziend One are all titles garnered by The warrior Known as Montu. (You blink thrice at her name, but you smile regardless) Forced into the fight at an early age against all kinds of monsters and Mayhem. Montu grew up quickly adapting and finding his style along the way, but he never lost that spark of wonder that drove him to be larger than life. However in those soft eyes and that Joyous personality hides a sadness and a darkness that desires the destruction of all around him who would disturb his "Endless party".He fights, loves, laughs, and Lives for thrills, but is kind and considerate. He surrounds himself with joy and life. He desires the people around him to feel loved and valued, but beware because he will face any odds and destroy any obstacle to win. Proof of this is when he killed 1,000 men in a battle to secure his home from an invading force. He is a man of Duality. A man of Great Honor and equally Great Ruthlessness. He is confusing but what I can say about him is that he is a Legend in the making that lives up to all of his titles." Dahyun says then you assume she repeats the same thing in Korean. Everyone looks at you surprised to hear Dahyun's backstory for you. You thought you were going to be a normal pit fighter but her words inspired you to be more, but that's just who Dahyun was anyway. you got up and hugged her there were woos and hollers but you didn't care you just carried out the hug and smiled at Dahyun before saying thank you to her. The smile you garnered was the softest yet brightest one yet. You sat down as an energetic Nayeon and Charlie got up

Atticus translated the much less intensive Backstories for you, "Nayeon was a farm girl who rose to prominence performing with Sana and Dahyun, Chrom (Charlie) was a Privateer of the Paradisan Crown. Seulgi was a sorcerous whose power awoke after Her parents informed her of an arranged marriage. So on an Impulse, she and her Tutor Irene left the Kingdom of Paradise and worked adventurer jobs to bide their time. The arranged marriage in question was a Plasmid prince named (Timothy) Thordak who was more interested in Courting the powerful Goliath Herd leader named Handong. Handong was currently visiting Paradise to negotiate Peace talks between her nomadic herd and the crown, but also to meet her Friend The Harekin Warlock Sana, who worked with Dahyun and Nayeon. Her pact with The Powerful Archefey led to several chaotic encounters including A wizard student Named Alan (Alan) who was currently working a magic shop with an Orc Artificer named Demyx (David), and a Twin soul Echo Knight and Captain of the Kingdom Guard named Kaido (Kento)." all that was left was Atticus and Jeewon's backstory.

Jeewon stood up nervously and began her account of Achilles’s (Atticus) backstory it wasn't in English but you were able to manage a few pieces like exiled child warrior, on the run, and very powerful. after that Atticus did Jeewon’s and you kinda spaced out as your brain just couldn't take any more information. After that, Alan stood up and said “Now for the test of strength.” we followed him to the garage where several weight stations were set up.

“The rules are simple we are maxing out on lifts today.” Atticus translated for you. You nod but when Alan turns to you and Atticus he says in clear English

“Not you two. You two will “spot” us. You're both set at 18.” Atticus and you looked at each other sad but understanding why. So over the next hour Atticus and you worked to help the others with their test of strength. No surprise that the top ones were Nayeon and Handong for the girls and Kaido and Chrom for the guys. The next test was one you could participate in and was led by Dahyun. it was the test of Wisdom. The test was simple we have a product we know is less than Ideal on release but need to sell it to gain the capital to sell more how do we sell more products? Most of the responses you heard were good. some on the more shady side but still good nonetheless, but a lot of them failed in a very simple manner from your perspective. None of them mentioned lowering the price. So when it was your turn you gave that as your major first answer and then was honest about everything after that, which led to silence in the group until Dahyun wheezed and said, "FINALLY someone said lowering the price." you blinked three times before Dahyun smiles at you and says "Good answer." you nod confused but accepted the compliment.

The rest of the tests follow this structure and you place well in most so when you get your Ability score distribution you are pleasantly surprised to have all positive scores, but as you looked over everyone else also had higher scores so you don't get too stressed about it. after finishing up basic character design and the like All that's left is to start the game.

session 0

You woke up to another day in Paradise. It was a cool Spring morning which led you to eat on the patio of the inn you were staying in. You ordered a simple breakfast that consisted of egg, pork, spinach, tomatoes, rice, and a couple of pastries you didn't recognize. While you are a very tall and very attractive Goliath woman approached you.

“Hey you are Montu right?” she asks you nod hesitantly until you recognize her

“You Handong you won the tournament yesterday. Congratulations hope the 2,500 gold and magic great sword are to your liking,” you reply. Handing smirks and nods.

“I am surprised that you only wanted third.”

“Well, I have been looking for a bag of holding, and getting third fighting random people seemed like a reasonable way to do so,” you answer. Handing laughs

“You are silly well see you around,” she says. You nod and tell her

“We are all silly in this crazy world, and I wish you well as you navigate it.” Handong chuckled as she walked away from you. After breakfast, you go to the celebration event in the palace where you meet the Queen, King, and Princess of Paradise along with other visiting leaders. You relax at the party by finding a high and dry area (you despise alcohol and its many debilitating effects) while on a balcony one of the performers approaches you. A changeling with jet-black hair and two short blue horns growing from her forehead approaches you timidly.

"Well hello there." you greet the timid changeling without turning around.

the changeling approaches next to you and says, "You are missing quite the party down there."

You shrug and reply, "Well I prefer my celebratory engagements more intimate, and with less show."

the changeling smiles at you and says, "I know a spot that might fit your tastes?"

You turn to the changeling and say, "Oh really tell me more."

The changeling grabs you and states "It's better if I show you.", As the changeling drags you, you ask her name she says "Dahyun," and you smile as you follow her out of the palace where the celebration is occurring.

With that, she whisks you away from the garish and loud party to the base of the hill that borders the capital city's edge. It's a quaint town that is quiet and peaceful. You turn to the changeling and say, "This is more my type of engagement." The changeling smiles as the two of you venture deeper. you find a small tavern where the two of you get Lunch and journey to a book shop where the two of you spend hours reading a book that piques your mutual interest. The changeling loves it when you read to her and nestles in your lap as you read off to her tales of Heroism and Champions of long ago. She falls asleep but is stirred when you begin to stroke her hair.

"Why'd you stop?" she asked groggy as she woke up.

"I didn't wish to wake you sleeping beauty," you say to the changeling whose face blushes a deep azure shade. she smiles at you and your heart begins to race.

"There is one more place I want to show you." you nod and follow her out of the bookshop, but not before purchasing the one you read to her. you store it in your bag of deep pockets and follow her to the cresting hill line where you see the entrance to an inn that houses both Hot Springs and Saunas. Dahyun Checks the two of you in for the night. You get to your room but before you can unwind Dahyun says, "Come on let's try out the couple's springs." You follow her lead into the hot springs and follow her to the dual-gender springs. As she strips before you, you marvel at her shapely ass and dazzling ravenous figure. Dahyun notices and begins to make a show of it. teasing you more and more hoping to get you to make a move, but you remain disciplined, well parts of you do, as you follow her lead she sees your raging erection and smirks at you while licking her lips. eventually, the two of you manage to get to the springs and share another Chaste moment. you sit at the edge and Dahyun nestles in close to your body. As she shuffles to get comfortable you make space for her. when the two of you intertwine in peace Dahyun uncoils herself and you feel all of her tension release.

"This is nice," she says as the two of you watch the sunset from the springs which leads into the night's fireworks show. you nod at peace and are comfortable with her. She kisses your cheek and then turns your face to hers. her breath is soft and heavy. her eyes stare deep into yours. her brown pools stir your manhood to attention once more. she lifts herself to straddle you. you continue to stare at her unable to speak,

"Are you sure?" you ask bashful.

"Why so shy?" Dahyun asks voice hungry with desire but also affection drawing a light groan out of you as your cock grows harder.

"I just never have done this before," you say.

Dahyun smiles and replies, "Let me be your guide." she slides down and takes you inside of her. you moan as the feeling overwhelms you. A moan escapes your lips which eggs Dahyun on. "Let it all out Darling." She says as your hips buck into her. she yelps and moans in response. She moves your hands so one is on her tits and the other massages her ass, but all you can feel is the tightness of her womanhood as she takes more of you in. As she does she draws more of you out.

You stare into her eyes and say “Are you like this to all the champions?”

Dahyun smirks, “no just the reserved ones. The others are usually either not loud enough or too loud for my tastes.” she teases as she grinds on your crotch. You moan again as she gives you the first orgasm of the night. You look up and see stars as you cum in her Dahyun smiles at you. When you finally come down she grins madly at you and says “We’re not done.” and just like that gone is the reserved martial artist. In his place the frenzied and skilled wandering warrior scoops Dahyun. She yelps in joyous surprise as the two of you barely make it to get clothed and back to your room before you're all over each other. The tenderness and shyness of earlier are gone now both Dahyun and Montu are exploring each other’s bodies with earned confidence. In between fights of dominance in the form of fevered kisses Dahyun nibbles on your sensitive ear lobe. You counter by tracing circles around her right nipple. Dayun moans before she climaxes but it doesn't calm either of you down. It only adds more to the wild hunger you have for each other. Which leads to you bending the flexible changeling over and smacking her ass as you ram your cock into her pussy

“Oh gods yes. She screams as you pound into her from behind. You marvel at her fantastic ass as it jiggles as you pound her relentlessly from behind. Your cock is suffocating in her warm and dripping snatch. It's like the rougher you go the wetter and tighter she gets. It makes you grow harder inside as both of you use each other for more pleasure. However, this tempo can't last forever and the both of you cum together.

The both of you can't stop however as Dahyun pushes you into the bed and begins riding you ragged. Her small but perky breasts bounce hypnotically. You reach out and trace circles around her right nipple. This sends her into further ecstasy. It causes her to get tighter and wetter around you. Dahyun her head back and moans vocalizing the pleasure without words. While riding she rings another fervent orgasm out of you while giving herself another. The two of you now finally fall to the bed exhausted. Dahyun spoons you as the both of you drift off to sleep. Your dreams are full of her as hers are full of you.

You wake up to Dahyun facing you. Your body jolts and her eyes flutter open and she smiles brightly at you. She caresses your face. “I know you plan to leave again but can I ask you to stay Darling?” she asks. You nod as she wraps her left leg around and pulls you closer causing your rod to rub against her folds forcing a jolt out of both of you but before anything else can progress Dahyun's bag begins vibrating you point this out to her which makes her sigh as she pulls out a blood red scroll. You notice her face grow pale (well paler her skin was already porcelain adjacent). She unfurled it, read it, and looked up to you with a face of need.

“Darling I know it's a lot to ask, but…” Dahyun began sensing her anxiety you made your move.

Before she could finish you reply, “It's done.”

Dahyun nodded worried and the two of you got cleaned and then got dressed before heading into town. You look back through the pamphlet given to you and notice the couple's hot springs clearly say that the waters have an intense aphrodisiac effect which makes a lot of the haze of last night make more sense. Upon arriving in town you are devastated to see massive burns across the city, but these were not fire burns but electrical ones. You notice Dahyun's shift in affectation and bring her in closer. “No Dragon who rampages will prosper,” you say to alleviate her worries. This works to some degree as some of the color returns to her face. You follow her to the palace where ten vaguely familiar faces (plus the Queen and King) reside.

Nayeon… you think approaches the two of you, “Where were you ?” she says frantically

Dahyun points to you and explains how she was with you at the Kimura hot springs. The rest of the group sizes you up as they vaguely recognize you. You nod curtly and politely.

Handong steps up and says, “So how are we talking this Dragon down?”

Surprise happy New Year/Christmas gift to my readers Enjoy.

[rebouks]

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hmmmmmmm where to even start, I love these past few scenes with the og Finch fam cos I think it does a really good job of encapsulating their family dynamics..

We already know that Oscar's pissed off with Noah for what he said but I don't think we can really blame him for thinking Oscar might just be like meh if something happened to Sid. It's no secret they don't have the best relationship-.. not to say they don't love each other cos they do, a LOT, but I think you can love and admire someone and still find it really hard to get along or be around them for too long.

I think what's REALLY interesting here though, is how Oscar's always felt second best to Noah (aka Golden Boy) but in reality, it's actually been Noah in the backseat all along.

I rewatched Breaking Bad recently and there's a scene where Jesse says something to his brother about him being the favourite cos he's well behaved and does well in school and wins trophies etc etc. but his brother's just like ?? are you kidding? you're all they talk about! It made me think about Oscar/Noah and how similar it is with them.

Almost since the moment he arrived, everything was always about Oscar. He's the one they worried and argued over, the one who took up more of their time and attention, the one who needed them the most, yet it still wasn't enough.

Sid's always been brash and a tough love type of person and in terms of the type of mother she was/is, probably not what Oscar needed. I don't think it's either of their faults, or that either particularly did anything wrong, it's just the way they are. Alton's always been inert too, which doesn't help. He's rubbish in an emergency, never makes any decisions until it's too late, never steps in when he should-.. and on the rare occasion he does, he'll probably go about it in the wrong way. Noah's the placatory one on the side-lines, trying to pick everything up once it's fallen apart; except he's clumsy with it and he's not very good at reading the room or putting himself in other people's shoes so his "help" often feels insincere and judgemental and that doesn't help either.

Sure, Noah's closer to his parents and spends WAY more time with them, he's barely ever fallen out with them and he's never felt neglected by them/resented Oscar or anything but I still think he's undeniably aware that he's not the favourite Oscar claims he is. He was just easy in comparison. I think Oscar's somewhat aware of it though, he briefly mentions it in this scene, saying; "They didn’t prefer you. You just weren’t a little cunt like me." Although.. he kinda overlooks this fact most of the time, probably because of his bitterness toward feeling like a misfit in his own family and general penchant for ruminating on the past.

Sid/Alton were just never equipped to deal with a kid like Oscar. He needed patience, empathy, trust and guidance but he didn't get any of that-.. like they gave up on him before he even knew what that meant. As guilty as it makes him feel, he'd be relieved if Sidney wasn't around cos he'd have no one to prove anything to anymore-.. like how Wyatt felt free when his father died!! A strong comparison maybe but the same undercurrent of never feeling worthy is there, y'know? Even if the relationship is much, much different.

It's a shame really, but no matter how much Oscar grows as a person, his family still kinda see him the same way that they used to; the unstable and impulsive one. It's like they're blind to all the nuances of his personality and sometimes I just wanna shake em like ahhhhhsdkjskdjk.. Oscar could do 9 good things and 1 bad and you can guaranteeee they'd focus on the bad :/ (side note: this is probably the main reason Robin is sorta like eh toward them all as well - more so than the other kiddos - cos he can sense all this and it pisses him off almost as much as it does me fkjfjk)

I don't know, this family is SO interesting to me.. like I don't think any of them are wrong for how they are or how they act with one another but they're so inherently mismatched that they just don't work. They've never been much of a functional family unit if you include Oscar, however cute they can be sometimes, and they probably never will be. That's just the way it is...

[ms-demeanor]

Heya, got a question about cybersecurity meetups. Do you think folks would be cool with a rando showing up because they're curious and like learning new stuff, especially for writing? And also because internet privacy is super important rn and there's no good books or written sources I can find on hacking, the dark web, etc; let alone digestible to somebody who knows what a directory is and how to use command line and not much more.

Also. I know it's gonna vary per location, so if you can't speak for all of 'em, I get it. Are these kinds of spaces like 2600 and Defcon queer friendly? Or I guess what I'm asking is are they notorious a place queer people should avoid. I'm non-binary and don't rly pass as remotely normal or straight, and I have nobody to go with me :|

Thank you!

Meetups that are publicly listed are very cool about randos showing up to learn new stuff and talk to weird people. Most meetups tend to be about 5 parts socializing and 1 part "tech activity" like a talk or a demo if they have a tech activity at all, so you're mostly just going to be meeting people and talking to them about themselves.

I will say, if you show up specifically saying "i'm a writer and i'm here to learn about stuff for writing" you're probably going to get some trolling - that's pretty common and a lot of meetups do have to deal with stuff like journalists periodically showing up to get the inside scoop about the scary hackers and that usually gets some fairly mean-spirited teasing directed at them.

So it's better to show up because you want to learn generally. People don't like being used as reference material during their socializing; they're there to hang out and talk to people with similar interests, so ask them about their interests. You can just say you're new to the scene and you heard about hacker meetups online and wanted to learn more.

If you want to do something to pregame and learn a bit about hacking ahead of time you may want to try hackthissite.org, check out 2600 magazine, or look on the DefCon forums to see what's going on in your local DC Groups. There are some good books about hacking; I like The Cuckoo's Egg and am asking anyone with good books or memoirs about hacking to chime in in the notes.

I will say, asking about the darkweb specifically might get you some eyerolls because it's something that sounds a lot scarier and more intimidating to most people than it actually is. You can get on the darkweb now. You can do it on your phone. Here's a very basic get-started guide. I don't think it's necessary to use a VPN to use Tor (most guides recommend it and then link to pages full of affiliate links for VPNs), and here's the Tor user manual to get started if you want to. Be careful, and if you're planning on doing anything that requires actual anonymity do a LOT more research before you follow the advice in any guide, but yeah pretty much everybody with an internet connection can get access to the darkweb in about twenty minutes. It's just websites that you need to use a slightly different set of tools to navigate to (granted, the content of the websites might be horrifying, so. Again. Be careful.)

Anyway moving on:

Defcon has had Queercon (a queer party for queer hackers) as a part of the con for at like twenty years and I know many queer and trans people who are part of the scene. And there are a lot of trans folks who I know who are volunteers at defcon and help to run hackerspaces and who volunteer and attend and run all manner of cons. I can't speak for your local group, but I've found that hackers in generally are more tolerant of a *lot* of things than the broader population is (they are weird people who engage in a hobby or who engage in work that is often technically criminal - they don't have a lot of room to judge and the more sensible ones among them know that).

HOWEVER I have personally had problems with defcon the conference specifically about harassment and infosec does lag behind other parts of the tech sector in participation from women. Defcon is working on it and i know their current head of conference security is very serious about ensuring that it's a welcoming space for people and that if people DO have problems at the con it is handled in a serious, sensitive way. (Legitimately, he's a good dude) I just. I don't go to defcon. There's more info in my pinned post. That conference is burned for me.

BUT there are a lot of other conferences, big and small, and there are a lot of local groups to look into. You'll have to get to know your local scene, but I'd bet that if one part of your local scene is unwelcoming that other parts are more open.

[gottagobackintime]

Tedependent (and bi Ted) in season 3 episode 7

We have Ted whistling and being impressed by a man's hair “Look at that head of hair”. Ted and Trent have both talked about Trent's hair before "Because of the hair and the whole vibe?" and Ted's: "You know, they got a big old Ziploc bag full of your hair ties down at the lost and found. You should pop on down, if you still want 'em." As far as I can remember they are the only ones who has ever talked about Trent's hair in the show (correct me if I'm wrong). To compare it to another scene, we have a scene between Roy and Keeley, which is meant to be seen romantically between them where they say this: "Yeah. Woman with the hair." "Keeley Jones, The Independent Woman Magazine." A scene set in the pressroom where most of Ted and Trent's interactions, with a few exceptions, take place during season 1 and 2. She also uses The Independent as a joke about her being independent while still looking to be in a relationship. Which is similar to Trent always introducing himself in the pressroom with "Trent Crimm, The Independent." And Ted and Trent's last scene of season 2: "You know what this makes you now, though, right?" "Trent Crimm. Independent." Hair is also talked about with other couples we're supposed to look at romantically. Roy and Keeley, Higgins and his wife, Sam and Rebecca.

More under the cut:

When Beard is talking about Jane dropping hints and Ted thinks he’s talking about marriage but Beard is talking about pegging and Ted doesn’t seemed shocked or outraged or anything he just “Oh. Well, still.” Ted have been pegged confirmed??? (And then he asks what magazines contains the topic of pegging, just for normal reasons, no big deal). And while pegging can be enjoyed by people of all sexualities, I find it interesting that they brought that up and the "straight man in middle America" isn't at all fazed by that. Not even a double take, just "yup, that's a big commitment", with all the other hints that Ted is not straight... yeah...

“Hey, Trent” “Hello Ted” Now this isn't really evidence, because even non queer people say hello to each other. But I wanted to include it because it's just Ted that acknowledges that Trent is standing there. Beard and Roy doesn't say anything, nor does Trent say anything to them. It's an interesting moment to include, if they hadn't said anything no one would have really noticed. Because you'd just assume that they'd seen each other earlier that day so there is no need to say hello again. But they did include it. It's about Trent being present and Ted noticing it. It's like the scene in the last episode of season 2 when Trent is absent from the pressroom. Ted notices and he stops speaking for a moment while looking worried/confused. Only for him to be happy to see him, even admitting that he was worried he'd been injured. Ted's excitement when he sees Trent in Rebecca's office in season 3 episode 2. We see them talking after the match against West Ham (they could have had him talking to anyone, but he was talking to Trent). It's Trent being the one to notice and the first to acknowledge that something is wrong when Ted gets the text about Henry being in a bullying incident. It's the fact that these two seem to be drawn to each other, seeking each other out and noticing each other.

Ted not knowing what step number four is yet and Trent being obsessed with finding out what number four is. We even get to see his notes about it, something we haven’t seen before. And with Trent's newfound confidence since his talk with Colin, he's being more comfortable around Ted and Ted rewards him with smiling and even a touch to the shoulder (that Trent even reacts to by looking at his shoulder afterwards). Just look at the way he runs after Ted and just gushes over Ted's work as a coach. (Would he have done that pre-Amsterdam, I doubt it.)

Ted talking about people being put in boxes since an early age. (Children are always assumed to be straight and are often told to stay in that box for the rest of their lives). In Sunflowers Colin talks about not wanting to be a spokesperson, he just wants to live his life, to have his two lives combined. But if he were to come out he'd be a spokesperson whether he wants to or not. Because he'd be put in a box, his box would be "gay footballer". What boxes are Ted put into? American? White? Straight? Which one of those boxes are something he could have actually have been forced into? Straight. He may or may not have already realised that it's not a box he fits into. But to have him talk about being put into boxes when we know that he's being looked at as straight by everyone around him, including the TV audience...

Trent asking Ted if he thinks that it's a good idea to use a tactic the boys don't understand and while doing so he's holding his glasses with his little finger out (while we can see the two threads of red on Ted's jacket). Later Ted explains to the team: "In Japanese culture, they have a myth where they believe that all soulmates are connected by an invisible red string. And those strings are attached to each of their little fingers."

"Well, Trent, the way I see it, it's kind of like taking a hike with Robert Frost. It could go either way." That's a very bi thing to say, Ted. Also this poem by Robert Frost: The Road Not Taken: Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Two roads, coming back to the other one another day, not knowing if you'll come back. Taken a road less traveled and that made all the difference. Pretty queer if you ask me. Especially considering bi people are constantly told to pick one, pick one side and stay there, you're either gay or straight, you can't walk both roads.

Ted feeling the need to express his individuality by growing facial hair. He didn’t go for the beard (because he didn’t want to hide his sexuality aka use a beard because Beard already had that) so he went with a goatee. And then Beard pointed out that he shouldn’t have a goatee right before he was about to walk down the isle (get married to a woman) and instead he went with a moustache. When we think of bisexuality and moustaches, who do we think of? Who do we know that Ted saw perform at Wembley in 1985? "I remember being a little kid, sitting in front of the television and watching Queen perform right over there during Live Aid." Who in Queen famously had a moustache? Freddie Mercury. Freddie Mercury who wrote "Love of my Life" for Mary Austin, his then girlfriend. Freddie who, as we all know later got together with Jim Hutton and they were together until he passed away. Ted has said that he will always love Michelle, because they are still family. He still loves her, but they are no longer together.

Trent running after Ted to excitedly tell him that it's going to work. Telling him how he's noticed what Ted has been doing for three seasons (again, it's about being seen). How he's created a space that is filled with trust and support, something he himself has been the recipient of. Ted has both trusted him (allowing Trent to write a book about the team, having him follow them around even after Trent wrote that article) and supported him (when Rebecca, Higgins and Keeley wanted him to say no to Trent and he said yes anyway, him telling Roy to knock it off with his treatment of Trent, Ted inviting him in to share his ideas).

“Yeah, but he’s our dork.” Ted says smiling fondly. It's about the fondness. Roy is the one who refers to Trent as a dork first, but Ted is the one who turns it into something that is only positive. He's smiling and to him, having Trent be their dork is something that makes him happy. The other two are more like "yeah, I guess he's cool" *shrugs*.

Does this mean that Ted and Trent will get together? No. But I do find it interesting to find all of these small details that connects the two of them. It's the way Trent went from "Is this a fucking joke?" to excitedly telling Ted that "It's going to work!". Ted changed Trent's life, and in a way I believe that Trent changed his. Trent doesn't have a problem asking the hard questions, but he also sees Ted. He can see that Ted is a mess (when it comes to coaching and possibly also on a personal level) and yet he believes in him. He challenges him on his tactics and his way of doing things, but he believes him and the thought of Ted succeeding makes him excited enough to run after him to tell him that he's done something with the team that is going to work. Something he could have told him calmly and in private, but he couldn't wait. He had to tell Ted right at that moment. It's the running through the airport at the end of the movie.

And as for Ted being bi or not. Well, I know that he's referred to himself as both straight and an ally. But as someone who once thought they were both straight and an ally before they realised that they were in fact bi, because they fell in love with a girl... he might not feel ready to deal with that, or like me he knew about his attraction to women in his case, men in mine and so we must be straight, and then just assumed that all straight people think that people of the same sex/gender are attractive.

[solarsleepless]

hello all

welcome back the kristy thomas autism analysis, where i'm rewatching the show and writing down her autistic traits as i see em (as well as noting any neurodiverse traits in the other girls). here's part one if you haven't seen it.

this ep is not narrated by kristy, so she is not the 'main character' in this episode, which basically means there's going to be a LOT shorter than before

without further ado, let's jump right in!

Episode 2

"did he ask you to the dance or not?!" autistic people often don't pick up on things when they're indirectly stated, and much prefer a direct way of speaking because we tend to not pick up on the double meaning, which is clearly showcased with how much value kristy gives on the exact phrasing here

"subtlety is not among her many talents" more examples of kristy's bluntness—she doesn't feel the need to sugarcoat anything she's saying, she's just stating what's true

kristy is extremely and visibly confused by the notion that him saying he'd "see her there" is him asking her out. again, more emphasis on how she needs directness

oh also good time to note: comfort clothes!!! autistic people tend to gravitate towards clothes that feel nice. from this point onwards we see kristy wearing a lot of hats, which can feel good pressure-wise or even texture-wise.

oh also also, kristy is pretty queercoded!!! research right now indicates that autistic people are much more likely to identify under the lgbtqia(+) umbrella

something i didn't have enough space to note last time is that kristy generally wears much more comfortable clothes than the rest of the bsc. not that they actively wear uncomfortable clothes, but she's the only one who really dresses plain, with sweatpants, jeans, and soft shirts.

stimming: fidgeting slightly with the twizzlers :)

even More issues with bluntness: she doesn't understand how rude it is to say that her friend's dad is crazy and so forth because of his being obssessive over aforementioned friend.

not much to say on her response to mary anne's "and what would you know about having a normal dad?!" (ouch, mary anne), it's perfectly understandable. the way she just ups and runs without saying anything can be read as autistic.

additional notes

as this episode is claudia centric, we get a much bigger view into what she's like at school and whatnot. almost straight away, she tells us that above everything, she's good at art—which isn't in and of itself a sign, but with everything else, it can be! people with adhd can like art for a variety of reasons: the ability to just sit back and focus your mind on just one thing you want to create, the fact that you can create as well is important, the textures you can use and feel, the way you just sort of disconnect your mind from everything else. she remarks that she also likes it because there's no homework or tests, things adhders are notoriously bad at keeping track of due to their executive dysfunction.

this episode showcases most of all how she struggles with school. especially if claudia is dyslexic/dyscalculiac as she's slightly implied to be, pair that with adhd, and she's not living the vida loca.

as well as showing the same traits listed in part 1, janine also mentions she has noise-canceling headphones, which are common party of autistic culture as sound generally affects us the most. adhd and autism are also often hereditary, so if janine is autistic, it's likely that claudia is similarly nd.

claudia is shown to not understand how the math works, even when stacey explains in depth. she asks "and how do you do that?" and dyscalculia impairs how easy is it to understand mathematics, even if they're regarded as "simple" to others. there's also a pretty high comorbidity rate between dyscalculia and adhd with 11% having dyscalculia. generally, it's common to see adhd paired with another learning disorder, with 45% of ppl with adhd also having a learning disorder

stimming: tapping her hands on the table and swaying her leg

mary anne sits cross-legged in her chair: autistic people tend to have a heightened proprioceptive sensory input, which is basically why we sit funky, and why it is physically uncomfortable to sit "normally", with both feet on the ground.

anxiety is very common in autism, which both mary anne and especially her dad display. her dad's very autistic coded as well, but we can get into that in later episodes.

[starqueensthings]

Hi pals!

I’ll still be travelling when you’re seeing this and haven’t watched the finale, so I don’t have any new content to share, but last week (maybe longer? I don’t know— rainforest brain lol) I posted a poll asking if anyone was interested in seeing a snippet of my editing process, so here it is feat. possibly one of my favourite Wrecker moments.

I use a myriad of different software depending on: my mood, what computer/tablet I’m using, what the image looks like, and how much energy I’m willing to put into it lol In this video, I’m using Lightroom on my iPad.

The three main factors I look mostly closely at when I’m editing shots are 1. lighting, 2. noise, and 3. resolution (read: clarity).

This image required pretty minimal work so it’s probably not the best example, but ah well. The process in the above video is as follows, and please note the video had been sped up to 2x for file size reasons lol

The first thing I’ll do is see what the auto edit function defaults to. Often times it overexposes the image, resulting in significant colour noise, but it gives me a decent idea of what I should expect in terms of colour corrections and exposure mapping. The auto edit function wasn’t terrible in this case, but did produce some colour noise, mainly on Wrecker’s chest plate, his sleeves, and the officers hat. Once I’m done the initial scope out, I’ll exposure the image as high as possible to crop it— usually with the subject being as centered as possible.

This software lets the user tweak the bones of the image individually in three ways, all of them very quickly demonstrated here. The first is the curve method which I despise and NEVER use— because it alters multiple aspects at once, I don’t feel like I have the same degree of control as the other methods. Next is HDR setting (the default upon import) using the sliders on the right. This is effective for images that are already pretty well lit, and does give me a little more control, but most of the time because the screenshots are so dark, I’m editing in SDR mode.

Once I’m satisfied with the exposure/lighting, I’ll move on to correcting colour distortion and saturating the image. This software also provides three methods for colour alternation and I’ll typically use all three in conjunction with each other. Colour mixing is extremely crucial when it comes to reducing odour noise and distortion. Because this software lets me isolate certain colours to adjust their hue, saturation, and luminance, I can typically reduce most of or all of the colour noise. However, it does have its limitations. In this particular post, desaturating the colour noise in Crosshair’s rifle coincided with blanching his skin tone, because this software does not let me isolate certain areas of an image. It was also important to me to emphasize the warm tones from the sunset in the background for the overall mood of the shot, so I opted to remove what colour noise I could and leave the rest. (You can’t win em all… especially when the starting image is near-black lol)

Correcting the colour distortion in this image was not particularly difficult, desaturating all purple tones removed the noise from his chest plate, and shifting green tones to something near a yellow instead removed the noise from his sleeve. I didn’t notice the colour noise on the officers hat until a little later, but that was pretty easily corrected too.

Once I’ve fixed the colour noise, I’ll shift to toning the overall image. Wrecker particularly looks good in cool tones, but It’s nice to contrast a cool tone background with the warmth of his skin.

Once the toning is done, I’ll move on the image clarity. I don’t have the means to alter the actual resolution of the image, but I’m particularly picky with balancing texture and clarity. Wrecker always looks the best with texture and clarity increased, because it brings out the scarring on his face and further humanizes him, but overdoing the texture can also emphasize pixelation. Once that’s done, I’ll reduce the overall noise only slightly (doing too much makes them look airbrushed and unnatural), and whatever is left of the colour noise (too much of this setting makes them look like ghouls LOL)

This software also offers a series of preset alterations/filters briefly shown in this video… but I’m not the biggest fan of any of them. I’m a bit of a control freak and would rather tweak each aspect individually to the degree that I like, instead blanketing the image with present modifications and then undoing certain aspects.

Before exporting the image I’ll do another once over and make sure I’m happy! In this case, I opted to go back in and add some darker tones back into the image. I don’t do this often, particularly when they start so damn dark, but I wanted to keep the focus centrally on Wrecker’s radiance lol

That’s about it. If I’m working on multiple edits in a set, this software lets me just copy and paste the settings, so the following images only require extremely light tweaks and take almost no time. And that, I’ll export, autograph, and upload!

Thank you for attending this unprofessional Ted Talk.

[yakuzacanons]

Finally, inbox is open! ✨ So, boys finding out that their s/o works at the maid cafe? "Okaerinasai, master ~ You can relax here ~ What will your order be ~ ? Omuraisu made with love or fuwa fuwa pancakes ~ ? ♡ " D A M N ! I just imagined the whole situation 😆😂🤣

Heeheee make brain go BRRRRRR

Kazuma Kiryu

Outwardly, isn't phased and honestly doesn't care what your profession is as long as you're safe. Inside, he can't help but imagine what you might look like in your work outfit or the things you say and do. It makes him blush a little. Maybe he'll stop in sometime? Maybe.

Majima Goro

This man has two modes and two modes only. He's either super cutesy about the whole thing, sometimes even greeting you with a phrase you might say at work in a cutesy voice, or he's very protective, saying things like "Tell me if a guy creeps on ya at work, okay?".

Saejima Taiga

For the most part, he just thinks it's really cute. Also probably one of the only guys to ask how your job ACTUALLY works. Like do you come up with the cute phrases yourself or is there a script? Things like that.

Akiyama Shun

Most likely of all the boys to actually visit your work just to get the adorable special treatment from you. Knows how your job works and will gift you little accessories to wear to work. He secretly think it's really hot.

Tanimura Masayoshi

Kind of surprised but not bothered by it. It's just not a job he would've really put at the top of his list of guesses as to what you or anyone would do for a living. Likes to stop in on rare occassions to share an adorable dessert with you.

Ryuji Goda

As long as you like the job, he's content. He just wants you to know he could easily financially support you and that you don't have to strain yourself to work if you don't want to. Silently cheering you on. In his heart, you are the number 1 maid at the maid cafe and anyone who tells him different can chew on his fist in their face for all he cares.

Nishikiyama Akira

Secretly a little jealous and he hopes customers don't get the wrong idea or try to get too close to you. He tries to work through it himself as he doesn't want to make you feel bad. Might be a little physically clingier than normal, like walking around with his arm around your waist more often.

Daigo Dojima

Similar mindset as Ryuji. He just wants you to be happy and to know that financially you're both quite secure. He does secretly think the outfits look very adorable on you. He won't ever say it though, he just avoids eye contact with you every time he sees you in a new outfit.

Mine Yoshitaka

Actually probably totally gets off on the idea, more so than Akiyama even. He'll definitely visit you at work at least once just to get a feel for it. Of course, he'd much rather it be just the two of you at home.

Tatsuo Shinada

Also sort of the jealous type like Nishiki, although he might actually say something about it. Not necesarily in a way to make you feel bad or that even needs something to be done, he just wants to get the thoughts off his chest and in the open. Totally supportive though, says things like "Knock 'em dead!" a lot when you leave for work.

Ichiban Kasuga

He turns red as a tomato every time your work comes up. Poor man can't help himself, he just thinks it's so adorable! He'll totally help you practice your cute phrases at home. Ichiban can get very into the spirit of things, but for the most part it's not sexual. He just thinks it's that cute!

Tianyou Zhao

Honestly neutral, even more so than Kiryu to an extent. Wants you to do well and hopes no one tries anything that makes you uncomfortable. Packs you work lunchboxes before each shift you have, sometimes with little cute notes inside.

Joon-Gi Han

Probably has the most of an opinion about which accessories go with which outfit. Lots of times he'll be outside and be like "Ah, those shoes would be good... I should get them" and most of the time he's almost scarily spot on with his taste for your work clothes. Seldom stops by your work but when he does, he usually brings you a gift.

[ant1quarian]

Undertale Worldbuilding

I don’t take complete credit for all of this, considering it’s my own headcanons and also ideas I’ve picked up from Fics I’ve read that I really like.

Contains:

General Monster Headcanons

My headcanons about LOVE

And my headcanons about MAGES.

LOVE and MAGES have violent topics, so be aware of that.

Putting anything on the South Wall is considered to be weird and also bad. No one knows why it’s bad. It just is.

All monsters make a variety of noises, but no two people’s growls/snarls are ever the exact same.

They have a specific language they speak in called “Font”. It’s basically them speaking through their SOUL, meaning it can create a massive variety of noises that is fully unique to them

Magic is aligned to a certain kind of element, which dictates what their Font sounds like.

For example, Dust Sans has a Blizzard Alignment, which allows him the ability to make things extremely cold and sometimes he can even start blizzards himself. His attacks often shed off a sort of snow-like substance that persists for as long as a week. 

His Font would sound something like wind howling, maybe the crackle of quiet thunder in the distance, and the sound of trees breaking under the weight of heavy snow.

When he gets angry, there’s more cracking and shattering noises mixed in.

Big Boss Monster SOULs have all of the alignments mixed into one. It’s what makes them so powerful.

Monsters are attracted to one’s scent among all of the personality stuff. 

The stronger and more comforting one’s scent is to them, the closer they are. This cannot be a one-sided closeness.

Not many monsters can purr, but those who can are: Ghosts, Cats, and Skeletons.

Ghosts and Skeletons are only capable of purring because when Monsters are especially content or happy, their SOUL gives off little pulses that attempt to communicate it.

This results in their SOUL’s shaking slightly and that usually creates a little buzzing noise in most monsters. It sounds more akin to a purr in Skeletons and Ghosts because there’s a lot less insulation.

LOVE and EXP

LOVE, for Monsters, stays the same number as the amount of LOVE you managed to gain.

LOVE, for Humans, is a bit of a variable. It’s easier to see how much LOVE they can have by the amount of EXP they have. However, no matter how much you’re not intending to hurt anyone, your LOVE will never be able to be 1 again. Instead, at the very least, you’ll sit at LV 2.

LOVE, for Mages, is a very different thing. For mages, that shit just doesn’t work the same. A mage can appear to have an LV of 1 and can still have EXP in the millions. When Judging a mage, you have to check their EXP.

And if it appears glitched or distorted?

You fucking run.

Mages

Mages are actually on a very similar power level to Monsters when it comes to magic-use. They’re not all-powerful “you-couldn’t-kill-me-if-you-tried” beings

They’re humans, capable of using the powerful magic from within their SOULs.

No, what makes them so feared is the fact that when you enter a FIGHT– the only easy way a Monster can kill a human or mage–... is that they can just…

Change the playing field.

When you enter a FIGHT with a mage, you are entering their most powerful domain. They are capable of dropping them and the monster abruptly into a desert. Into a forest. Up onto a cliff. It’s like illusion magic, but it feels much more real, so the mage can’t just toss ‘em off a cliff, but they can use the landscapes to their advantage.

And also the fact that mages just don’t give up. They can be on their knees, almost dead, and they’ll still be going.

That’s because of the determination in their SOULs. It pushes them onwards no matter how broken and battered they may be.

On a much lighter note, they also have specific alignments their SOUL Traits adhere to.

Mage EXP gets glitched and distorted when they’ve passed LV 20. They don’t have to be LV 20 at the time for their EXP to look all glitched/distorted, so it’s the only real way to tell just how violent that mage is/has been.

[dragonatthedinnertable]

25 questions

Tagged by @malapertmarquess

1. Why did you choose your url?

I found a D&D blog I liked called Breakfast with Bugbears, and saw that they directly inspired a blog called Lunching with Lamias. So I decided that was a cool trend (of 2) to jump on, and I carried that over to my Tumblr.

2. Any sideblogs? If you have them, name them and why you have them.

When I started transitioning, I started a “trans stuff” sideblog, and when I started converting to Judaism, I started a “Jewish stuff” sideblog. Mostly to contain the screeds of specific stuff I was reblogging on those subjects from my main.

I also have a Movie Quotes in Iambic Pentameter blog, which is exactly what it sounds like, but only has like 1 post. @iambicmoviequotes

3. How long have you been on Tumblr?

Since mid-2012. My then-crush, now-wife was on it, and I looked over her shoulder & bugged her to explain.

4. Do you have a queue tag?

No?

5. Why did you start your blog in the first place?

See #3

6. Why did you choose your avatar?

I picked it somewhat at random from my downloaded D&D-themed pictures, and have decided to stick with it forever (background notwithstanding lol).

7. Why did you choose your header?

It’s rainbow dice. What’s not to like?

8. What’s your post with the most notes?

https://dragonatthedinnertable.tumblr.com/post/185651522926/i-always-thought-that-i-couldnt-sort-my-life-out

9. How many mutuals do you have?

How do I even check that?

10. How many followers do you have?

994?! Why do nearly a thousand people follow my blog???

11. How many blogs do you follow?

259.

12. Have you ever made a shitpost?

Not that I can remember.

13. How often do you use Tumblr each day?

A couple hours every evening, scrolling all the day through my dash.

14. Did you have a fight/argument with another blog once?

No, I’m too conflict-averse lol.

15. How do you feel about ‘you need to reblog this’ posts?

Hate ‘em

16. Do you like tag games?

Yes, though I don’t like tagging people.

17. Do you like ask games?

I did back in the early teens, when people would actually send you asks.

18. Which of your mutuals do you think is Tumblr famous?

None of them?

19. Do you have a crush on a mutual?

Two or three of them. But only one of them is married to me :)

20. What is the last song you listened to?

Rolling Over, by Skinny Lister (on repeat, as I struggle through a shitty assignment)

21. What are you currently watching?

We are between shows atm

22. Sweet/savory/spicy?

YES! / Yeah / Sure

23. What is your current relationship status?

Married to the delightful @malapertmarquess

24. What is your current obsession?

Board game components. I’ve literally just been pulling my spare ones out of boxes & trays to fiddle with & count & stack.

25. What are nine albums/songs you’ve been listening to lately?

I basically don’t listen to albums. I’ve got my comfort playlists, and that’s mostly it.

That said, stuff that I’ve been looping (either actually or on my head):

“The Mariner’s Revenge Song” by The Decembrists, which is banging.

“Hot Shit”, by Tom Cardy

“Hardware Store”, by Weird Al Yankovic

“Gangnam Style”, by Psy (sadly not as good when divorced from the music video)

“Forever Tuesday Morning”, by the Mockers.

“Town Called Malice”, by The Jam. It disappoints me that none of their other songs hit like this.

“Sebona Fi”, by Yws Gwynnedd

[joshhere911]

First, i want to apologize in advance for bad grammar and long paragraphs . I am not a writer, but instead a rambler at heart <3 some of this is just me straight up screaming LMAO

ALSO SPOILERS FOR THE EXTRA STORY OF PSYCHICS 1 N 2

I will not really be talking about the anime , since the anime covers most of the manga but is really quick and cuts some scenes (that i honestly thought were the funniest but it may be that i havent seen em before thst makes it funny) so i will peimarily be using the manga and novels (Extra Story of Psychics 1 and 2) as references .

Its in total agreement that saiki is a toootal tsundere, or at least i prefer kuudere for him (tsunderes are often aggressive or soft and generally alternating, whereas kuuderes are cynical and appear emotionless but of course have a soft side . Its just behavior difference but still makes a difference jn my heart <3) and of course what with it being confirmed By him in the manga its like Duh. But we dont necessarily see his soft side ? Bc of course we know his 'soft side' is generally sheep herding his friends and caring for their well being, but he doesnt explicitly like ,, say it . And im not counting what he said at the volcano and also i sort of rely on words so having a BOOK of words that i can grab at and string along to my brain is SO good for me honestly dude i love the books so unibelievebly much

Of course, like in any good saiki media the first chapters are generally getting caught up in his friends shenanigans. I was so delighted to note that it was all in perspective of saiki himself ! The first pov!! I usually dont like the first perspective , but in novels its more expected and also its saiki! (Im insane) anyways , we cant really rely on saiki as an output of his emotions to the reader bc hes an unreliable narrator, he doesn't necessarily speak out his emotions or show them that much .

Anyways, besties being besties !! Saiki quite literally follows his friends around . Everywhere . It still amuses me that even though he can just Teleport away when theyre not looking and they wouldnt find it super suspicious (hes done it before in the manga im like 80% sure) he still hangs out with them and now , in the last chapter of the first novel, we know why !! He usually says its an obligation or a social thing in a typical tsundere fashion , but in the last chapter he feels . Sad . THAT SHIT CAUGHT ME SO OFF GAURD . In this chapter , he stays home due to a premonition of his house being on fire . He takes a nap and wakes up to see kaidou and nendou hanging in his room, saying that Saikis mom let them in while she went out . They ask if hes sick and then go cook ramen for him , and he uses clairvoyance to make sure they dont set his kitchen and then his house on fire (being paranoid after the premonition, and end up caring for his friends safety) and afterwards he ends up esting their ramen and tries to send them home . He ends up getting another premonition in thst moment (doesnt explicitely say it to the readers yet), has seconds of the ramen (bc it wasnt bad) and then his friends go home, stepping on a cigarette bud that would have started the fire.

One thing that gets me when i read this chapter is that after the second premonition, he could have still sent them home ! He now knew the cause (that he now revealed) and he couldve nipped the cigarette himself but instead he lets fate do what it does best and they leave later and step on the cigarette then . Its so interesting ! And !!! Right after that, he claims he felt empty, that his room felt larger and more quiet . Of course, in his typical fashion he tries to reassure himself thst this is what he Wanted, and that he should feel happy that he could have peace and (mainly) quiet in his house now but he just . Doesnt . He says he feels lonely . And he explains thst in elementary and middle school he never had people check up on him at home, and thus he preferred the quiet. He is literally defending himself against his OWN FEELINGS . Oh my GOD that shit made me want to CRY . I feel mang emotions a lot of the time and THAT ? THAT WHOLE SEGMENT AT THE BOTTOM OF WHAT FEELS LIKE A BOTTOMLESS PIT OF LONELINESS WHEN YOUR FRIENDS LEAVE ? THAT MADE ME WANT TO CRY!! And even !! At the end, he says "I start reading a manga in my quiet room." OH MY GOD NO FUCKIN WAY .... first , he reiterates that his room is quiet ! Second, he says he starts reading a manga and considering that nendou had bought a manga for him and then gave him said manga when he first woke up, i like to think that he started reading the manga that nendou gave him !! This is SO important to me because hes being VULNERABLE !! In the manga, He never really expresses negative emotions towards the thought of his friends leaving, infact many a time he tries to play it off as a relief (he sucks at playing it off though) , so the fact that hes being OPEN about his feelings to readers about these emotions of a sort of lasting and lingering and Yearning and the fact that its Most Likely (im unsure but for now i will say that it IS) canon!! Hes so silly !!! My silly little guy! He literally says his friends are destined to be there with him!! Thats crazy!! And he proves it in the next volume !

Moving onto the next book :D first , i want to address toritsuka . Though he is fucking crazy , its important to note that saiki Still cares for him !! In the book, first chapter in pov of toritsuka, reita says that saiki looks at him with pity several times and even in saikis pov at the end he feels bad that toritsukas luck is so shit bc his gaurdian spirit(nendous dad) is never around, and even debates talking to the guy . He feels genuine pity for toritsuka , so i cant say saiki is cruel or a distrustful guy bc LOOK AT HIM!! Caring for his buddies !! Even the less honourable and more crazy ones !!! :DD

Back on topic with saiki n his friends! The last 3(or 2 n a half??) chapters are all for one arc !! THE MOST SILLY ARC ! You have probably read it and i dont want to repeat summaries of chapters if yall have, so ill spare yall the big picture!! The chapter thst makes me want to swoon so Badly is the interlude, where saiki is under the spell thing of the parallel! Saiki Kusuo, so hes supposed to be in a dream . In this dream, he is at a festival . No powers . No limiters . He doesnt even know Why he is think of powers or limiters . He thinks hes starting to have 8th grade syndrome . The FIRST person that his subconscious places into his mind to talk to him first was NENDOU! He doesnt know anyone at this festival, all he knows is that this random guy with his face blurred and black out recognized him and is dragging him to a nice hideout . And he lets him !!! Without realizing, in all his thinking, his body moves by itsef, similarly to the chapter "eat all you can!" In the first novel, he just follows and doesn't necessarily register his total surroundings (trusting his body to whoever is guiding him - he can easily fend off anyone that Tries to attack, but right now he is subdued and right now he is a sheep until he becomes a wolf) and he just thinks ! Eventually, nendou leads them to a place to watch the fireworks and is SO genuine with saiki that saiki cant help hut realize just who is leading him, who he trusts the most with his subconcious and honesltly probably dissociating body is Nendou, and he says to Us (or namely to himself but yk) that the person that will Always be there for him, esper or not, real or a dream, is Nendou.

FUCK. i FUCKING LOVE THEM . Especially considering that he had teleported to a parallel universe where Nendou didnt go to PK academy, it brings so much emotion to me knowing saiki truly believes thst he and nendou are like . A destined thing . This could be taken romantically or platonically . i dont think it matters that much, although its probably meant to be taken platonically. its so much more meaningful thst Nendou has changed the course of action in his life because he was just being Himself to Saiki, because no matter what in Every universe (namely the only two parallel universes that he has been to) Nendou has attatched himself to Saikis side and isnt really meant to let go . The only reason why this parallel universe is like the worst ever is Because the Saiki Kusuo in this universe gets Rid of nendou, and then all goes downhill. Our saiki originally thought it was a good idea(in the way that he actually was concerned on where nendou was the ENTIRE time he was in class) before he realized just how shit it is without the power of Friendship . AHHHH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH !!! This is what caused me to keep thinking of saiki and nendou, intimately familiar with each other and stuck with each other until the end of days, because saikis omnipresence is all for naught without nendous stupidity . In the last chapter, Saiki even says that a life Without nendo is one he doesnt prefer to be in . Saiki is on the Right track, the Most correct pathway ever , from saving the dog in chapter 1 and indulging in his friends antics in every media ever, he is Correct .

The moral of the story is now my head is exploding st the seams with need for more nendou and saiki twinning . I need more saiki listening to his friends, seemingly uncaring but then reciting their stories or giving them gifts based on what they ramble on unknowingly to him . I Need more nendou not really getting social cues, but understanding his Pals uncomfort in certain situations . I need them to be Best Friends . Twinning . Sillies !! I miss them so much and i just i just 💥 im really losing it i love saiki and his friends interacting , he Knows that he Cares and protects Them, but he is like almost Clueless that they love him back and he most definitely doesnt realize or believe he doesnt need Their protection (AND THEN NENDOU COMES ALONG AND JUST . OBLITERATES HIS WORLD VIEW(LAST CHAPTER IN MANGA))

New challenge !!! Take a shot everytime saiki says "my name is saiki kusuo, and i am an esper(psychic)/i have psychic powers(esp)" <3

[aureliacetinn]

gerodi la forge differently designed

(image desiption

Gerodi la forge without vizor eyes unfocused going in slightly different direction, wearing his yellow uniform standing stoic but proud, the spectrum the vizor lets him see from (or should only read thread as to why I think that) it refracting of his face as the effects  surrounded him a lil like he being beamed up to a ship.)

Embrace the spectrum of blind/V.I eyes artists!, embrace the nuance of disabilities people!

Gerodi la forge is a complicated representation for the blind/chronic pain  community though probably more positive than most but still falling under the technology ruining the nuance of disability.

So I wanted to draw him and show a more accurate(imo) portrayal of his eyes without the visor to 1 cuz white clear eyes trope annoys me

2 to not want to hide blind person eyes as media often tends to do (minus sunglasses needed for blind actor due to sensitivities)

3 cuz they cause pain and so he should have them off more often.

to note a lot of what im going to say is written way better an documented better by janet jay a lot of my sources are from here amazing piece on gerodi you should read: https://www.janetjay.com/what-star-trek-got-wrong-about-geordis-disabilities/ also if you in blind community are fine with his eyes portrayed as more cataract, that’s valid too.

So gerodi la forge for me as a avid star trek fan was important, hey I can exist if he can he not been erased!  Buuuuuuuut,

 it did urk me that 1 he was kinda a lil nerdy creep trope that never got a gf which levar burton himself has called out as racism from the shows writers (sources at bottom of thread) id also argue ableism also and many able bodied people treat disabled people as sexless.

 but also that he never got to be disabled really, he suffered from chronic pain form the vizor but kept choosing to not take pain pills or treatment, which you know that’s some inner ableism right there I did to myself as a teen, and I kinda think gerodi reinforced it a lil in me,

“look where he is, he deals with the pain he never shows it”

Not a great message really, gerodi never is allowed to show the struggle they choose that the vizor existing was enough, and yes we got that amasing ep where he didn’t want to be fixed, but that would then be countered by never showing the struggle. Women at warp did a great ep where on disability karrisa mehr calling gerodi a disabled version of a “manic pixie dream girl” feels very apt.

Never allowed to complain just be quirky gerodi.

And on to the vizor

The vizor is complicated , it apparently let him  see much of the EM spectrum", ranging from simple heat and infrared through radio waves” now I personally am all for mobility aids that have cool attachments but it’s a delicate balance of unique features and fixing and or making them more powerful than able bodied colleague-cuz thats fixing, and I feel gerodi with how show wrote it and portrayed him it was a magic fix more than an aid, why I chose to only show the thermal spectrum in image, instead of how it apparently can see everything more than human eyes can anyway which yeh defeat aid purpose.

image of vizor silver sem ring over eye with gold lines across not fullyblcokign vision 0

and it gave him chronic pain, they choose this as a balancer, okay…but then never portrayed it just did to show how gerodi overcame his disabilities and gets on with it like a good soldier. So yeh im mixed on it. They made great use in ep when it was hacked by cardassians this is the cool thing you can do with mobility aids (unless you just destroy them, fuck you then) and that was interesting for the time, but um then in he insolence of office the ebook gerodi forced to have his vizor REMOVED so he can stay in star fleet as its now a security risk- NOT OKAy you could have just had a redesign or a arc of gerodi having to fight for it if you must but no , brain surgery remove this part of you!!

(gif desicription men seeing tea they drink is funky to show how gross what they did to gerodi waas)

so yeh my ending take is gerodi is complicated overall that’s still a positive over most disabled rep in sci-fi but many mistakes were made and some part of gerodi was harmful and picard sure as hell didn’t address that. They show his eyes now but its still the white cloudy trope and knowing its for awful reasons kidna ruins that. So I hope my art here just shows his potential and blind eyes diversity, but opens up discussions in not fixing and overcoming can be toxic and that

pain is part of a disability its part of the rep and it sucks

this is very important to remember when depicting disability that there’s nuance guys.

Thank you

Levar burton on gerodi: https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/12/15/star-trek-the-next-generation-star-levar-burton-says-geordi-laforge-never-finding-love-was-racist-those-white-men-who-wrote-the-show-had-an-unconscious-bias-that-was-on-display-to-me-and-to/

[i-loves-2dguys]

Obey Me OC Headcanons (Part 1)

Author’s Note: So to start my Obey Me fanfics, I’m gonna write out this headcanon in order to describe how well I would get along with each character. I’m not including Thirteen, Mephistopheles or Raphael cuz idk em that well-

But also the fanfics will be “x Reader” cuz I want y’all to feel included <3 (sorry if the personality doesn’t match tho)

Two parts cuz it’s so long-

Part 2

____________________________________

Lucifer

At first, it was hard to communicate with him due to his coldness

But after a bit, we start talking more by discussing about the brothers

We get along for the most part, except for when I get involved in pranks and mishaps with the brothers

As someone who tends to get good grades, I feel like I would avoid so many lectures from him 😎

Only lectures I would get is getting proper sleep and eating properly

Visits him from time to time while he works to make sure he’s taking care of himself too (no hypocrisy will be allowed)

Helps discipline the brothers in a more peaceful way

Will try to convince him to do the same

Oldest sibling 🤝

Gives him motivational messages so that he can have a nice day

Moon 🌙 x Moon 🌙

Mammon

Instantly connect due to his fun personality

Cuz he’s Mammon ofc

Actually lets him have Grimm but on the condition that he spends it properly and gives a lil kiss

We hang out a lot for studying, shopping, eating at a restaurant, etc

Flirts with him and compliments him just to see him blush 🤭

A little surprised that he has a crush on me, but it’s so obvious too

Defends him from his brothers and comforts him with affirmations afterwards 🙏

Loves to see his hands and feel them (I love his jewelry covered hands so much)

Collects every magazine with a photo of him

Simps as much as he simps (simp synchronization)

Goes to the casino with him just to make sure his debt doesn’t increase that much

I would let him be my first fr

Best friends to lovers 🫶

Levi

GAMER PALS

You’re weird? IM WEIRD TOO :D

He’s a lil emo at first but I just gotta act my weirdest and bam! Status is now fellow weirdo

Shares memes and references

Gaming nights are very often cuz yes 👍

Spends a lot of time with him cuz 1: I’m an introvert and 2: he’s so lonely 🥺

Cleans his room sometimes just to help his mental health

Helps him find any rare items

Cosplay together :D

Pays at least half of what Mammon owes him

Compliments him at least once a day to help heal his insecurities 🫶

Kisses his cheek often to show my love for him

Weirdo couple ✨ (but in a not cringe way)

Satan

YOUR BEAUTY NEVER EVER SCARED ME

I see his sin as a part of him and not ALL of him

He has much more to offer and I wanna remind him that 😔

Plus I have anger issues too-

Yk I always wanted to read books but I didn’t know which ones to read

I would probably ask Satan to recommend some as a way to get closer to him 🤭

Helps him find cats and gets them close enough to pet them

They might start a lil book club where they discuss the same book they’re reading or decide which one is better

Cleans his hoard of books from time to time and leaves a lil map to help him find em easily

Hopeless romantics 🤝

Cat cafe dates :)

We write each other poems >:)

Poetic rizz duo 😎

Asmo

Besties!

It was instant connection due to love for fashion and slaying 💅

I want some makeup advice cuz I’m still a noob at it

Would def also ask for a skin care routine

Paint my nails too? 🥺

Shopping :D (cuz why not? we’re rich)

I mostly see him platonically, but he can kiss me :)

We have fashion shows so we can see what outfits we would slay in ✨

Would go clubbing with him if I felt really sociable

Is involved in his fan club

Two pretty best friends 🫶

Beel

My himbo <3

I love to eat as much as he eats 🤝

And he wouldn’t make me feel bad about it :)

I think our constant running into the kitchen would make us pals

I can’t cook much but I definitely can bake a lot

A bunch of restaurant dates

We could make mukbang videos fr 🤭

Helps him work out

Works out with him too sometimes

Have snacks in my bag just for him 🙏

Gentle giant x their protector

Belphie

I trusted you smh 😒

I personally headcanon a fight with him after I come back to life

But then we’re good :)

He’s a demon so what can you do?

Also very adorable 😊

I would happily nap with him since I’m tired 24/7 😴

As a touch starved person, I would appreciate the cuddles

Enemies to friends to lovers? 🧐

—————————————————————————

Note: I ran out of ideas towards the end but yk this is an introduction after all! I don’t know how many people will read this but thank you if you <3 I’ll be back again when I finish making an official fanfic so until then cya!

[isatumbles]

OKAY

NOW THE PROMISED RAMBLE

So uh I have weird obsessions every now and then and I thought why not ramble about em here bc Twitter is scary and idfk I wanna see other people get into new stuff

Topic of the day: Mahjong

When I was taking a plane back home after visiting with family, I saw that the plane had a game called Mahjong. I thought "Huh, like Solitaire Mahjong?", but nope, it was a completely different game to what I was normally accustumed to. So as usual, after the plane ride was over, I decided to research the game and found myself a really fun game to spend time on!

So Mahjong is a really popular and old game that originates in China. It is a four-player strategic game often played with marble/wood tiles that are used to create hands to win the game. This game has sO many variations around asia, hell even America made their own mahjong variation (Which I personally dislike bc it makes it wayyy too close to poker). The main premise of the game is similar across the variations, so its not hard to get into different types of mahjong if you started off with something different. The one I got into was Riichi Mahjong, which is the Japanese variation of mahjong. (Note: Imma delve into the basics of the Jp variation of Mahjong bc I think it is the most readily available to play online and is the most popular)

So how does one play this game? The game has several tiles and your goal is to make a complete hand of 14 tiles having four sets of Chi/Pon/Kan (Will explain in a bit) and a pair of the same tile. The game has three suits, all numbered from 1-9. They are known as:

Pin/Dots: Use little circles that go from 1-9

Sou/Bamboo: Use bamboo that go from 1-9, the 1 is unique in which it is often represented as a bird such as a peacock or a sparrow.

Man/Characters: Use the chinese/japanese symbols for the numbers 1-9 (一、二、三、四、五、六、七、八、九) and the symbol for 10,000 (萬)

Along with these suits are the honor tiles:

Winds: Use the chinese/japanese characters for the cardinal East, South, West, and North directions (東、南、西、北)

Dragons: Arent denoted by their character, but instead by their color. So they are simply known as the white, green, and red dragons.

In other variations, there may be flower tiles and season tiles, which represent the four seasons in a year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall), they serve as bonus tiles if they are drawn and can grant bonus points.

So now that we are familiar with the tiles, our goal is to now make that 14 tile hand that we mentioned. This is achieved by drawing a tile when it is your turn and discarding one you dont need. As you do this, you start forming a pile in the center that consists of all of your and your opponents discards. These discards are very important bc you can actually take your opponents discards to gain a hand! This is known as Chi/Pon/Kan!

A Chi is a set of three tiles of the same suit that go in a sequential order (So like a 1-2-3, 5-6-7, etc.), note that only the suits can do this, you cant do this with honor tiles! A Pon is a triplet of the same tile, and a Kan is a quad of the same tile! Kans are harder to get bc each tile has four copies of its own, meaning you have to be really lucky to draw all four during a match!

When you see a peice that has been discarded but can complete a Chi/Pon/Kan, you can call the piece and take it as your own! For Chi, you can only call to the discards of the player to the left of you (The turns are played counter-clockwise), but for Pon/Kan, you can call whichever player who discards it.

Here is an example of a player who called Pon on the 9 Sou and a Chi on the 2-3-4 Pin. The tiles are tilted on which player they got it from, so the Pon was called from the player to their right and the Chi has to be from the left so the left is tilted.

This makes the game really exciting and strategic, making you think about what tiles you discard while making your own hand.

Now how does one win a match? There are two ways to win, and these are either by Tsumo or Ron.

Tsumo is when you finally get the last tile you needed by drawing it, this one is pretty tough to get imo. Then theres Ron, where the piece you needed is discarded by a player and you call on their discard to win. This one I think is not only easier to get, but also more brutal since Tsumo makes everyone lose points depending on the hand, and Ron instead takes a BUNCH of points from the person who discarded it.

Heres an example of someone winning by Tsumo, they drew the 5 Sou to complete their hand!

SO UH

Imma wrap this up bc I realized theres so many more rules to go off about but I kidna wanna keep this short so if you want to get into this, you can do some research on other details such as Riichi, Yaku, Dora, etc.

I do wanna end this with how cool some of the Mahjonf equipment is. There are these tables that are fully automated and can help start the game with a simple push of a button!

I MEAN LOOK AT THIS THIS IS SO COOL

I also own a physical set myself, but due to image limitations I might have to show that in a sep post lmfoa

So yahoo thats me going nuts about a game I like. Will I do more of these? Possibly, I might do Yugioh or Chess if Im in the mood.

For now Imma detonate into confetti bc this took half an hour or more so sæyAA