#and yes I put No. 3 there intentionally hehe

[corvids-corner]

Tagged by @ladytemplar to post 5 songs in my recent rotation (songs I’m really into rn)!

1. Anti-Hero - Sekai No Owari

2. Cry Me A River - Michael Bublé

3. No. 3 - Cosmo Sheldrake

4. Labyrinth - Miracle Musical

5. Your Head’s On Fire - Louie Zong

Im tagging @madslad @nostalgiamonster @polymechs @ceph-lol-pog @crayfurbs @strawberryblacktea25 @emery-reblogs @littengamer909 @green-cryptid @crow-enthusiast

[galesdevoteewife]

Wedding asks!!! 14 and 21/28 (either or, or you can do both! they’re both about dancing) <3

✨✨Thank you my friend for spoiling me!! hehehe yes these I had given them thorough thoughts!! Imo symbolism is always a big thing in weddings so I made up tons of them LOL✨✨ 14. Rings -

Rings, yes! They looks like this.

I adopted Ed's traditional Waterdeep wedding ring setting (in short, 1. each party contributes a ring, 2.each ring is cut in half and 3.reforged/resized into two half-and-half rings). But I replaced the half-and-half metalworking method with Mokume-gane. At the center of each ring is a small round diamond, and they had chosen colors that best represented their impression of each other. The wearer should always take good care of and maintain the ring, keeping the diamond shining to signify the importance they place on caring for their partner. The ring Gale gave was infused with raw magic. Assume he was 35 years old in BG3 (1492). He was born when the Weave was broken, and it wasn’t restored until he was 22. But he could cast magic from infancy, so my HC is that he can conduct raw magic to some extent. As the foundation of the world and his core, he chose such a ring.

Zilvera chose to forge her ring from small pieces of adamantine shaved off her beloved hand crossbows. She had an almost fetishistic attachment to these hand crossbows—she considered them reliable companions, her pride, and friends that saved her countless times. It was a tough decision for her. She knows them inside out and the change in weight does bother her greatly. 12. Music + 21. Dancing + 28. First Dance -

🕺🎻🎶All-out-Party-Hard, Tavern Music DancePartY🎵🪘💃 The only step that matters in this entire wedding is dancing! I HC a whole set of— ᔓ Dekarios family wedding traditions ᔕ They are a long-standing and large family with many traditions. Every couple picks and chooses whichever they like, but this one most important/beloved dance is the one almost everyone retains. I'll call it "Wedding Circle Dance."

First, everyone forms a circle, with the couple on opposite sides of the circle so they can look at each other the entire time.

People who are next to the couple move to the outer ring, and every other person also moves to the outer ring.

Repeat until only the couple remains.

What's special about this dance is that the music starts slow and gradually gets faster and faster, so by the end, many people can't keep up, which makes the scene hilarious and brings laughter. Young /elder/limited mobility members are intentionally assigned to positions where they can move to the outer ring soon, ensuring nobody gets hurt.

The couple's coordination is tested, and they should strive to keep up with the dance until the very end of the song, symbolizing that they can overcome challenges together. (By the way, Gale and Zil nailed it like pros, hehe)

^ A reference of how the Wedding circle dance looks/feels like Then the music switches to a very slow, romantic tune. The couple slowly circles each other, catching their breaths. Whenever they feel ready, they may exchange vows and put the wedding rings—which hang on their necks with fine chains—onto each other.

The wedding is thus concluded. The officiant can give a speech or start the next dance.

The family loves dancing and everyone is encouraged to dance all night! Whoever wears out their shoes that night is believed to share the couple's luck and will find a great partner soon.

Other dance vibe reference:

These dances are all about having a great time together regardless of age or ability. That is the spirit of their family traditions! ♡ Wedding Prompts ♡01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

[saintelilore]

Hello helllo Dellya and Rosie!!

So, I have me some questions—

1) I know that Assad’s relationship with Charlie is rocky. Was there ever a situation where Assad has shown even a slight inclination towards protecting Charlie?

2) Reigniting the Hakeem x Rosie x Rodrigo debate, according to both of you which one of the boys is actually better for Rosie? (As in who has the scale tipping in, even minorly, in their favor? Who would Riley see as a good partner for Rosie out of the two?

3) Has Riley ever intentionally (out of selfishness) lead on our little carrot boi 🥺?

4) Also can I occasionally send prompts :0?

Like this one—

Assad x Riley, Deleted voicemails, unsent texts

( in my head “Do I wanna know” is a song that I associate with them hehe :3 )

That was all !!!

I’ll be back in town again!/silly

💜- Ashe

HI ASHEEE

Probably when they were both kids, Assad used to show a LITTLE bit of affection towards Charlie, but never in a protective way. Charlie’s Pokémon card is an example, it was seen as a gesture of affection to him, but Assad saw it as a way to mock him for his hair color. So, there was never a genuine protecting behavior unless Charlie's mother asked him to (like making sure he comes in one piece from a party, lmao) - mod Dellya

For me, I think Hakeem is actually the better option for Rosie. Hakeem is not bad genuinely. In the sense that his actions are not meant to hurt, he's very sincere and tries to put other people over him. On the other hand, even if Rodrigo was more passionate and explicit about loving Rosie, he would be very...abusive when it comes to her emotions. It's Canon that Rodrigo tried to push away Rosie from the gang just cause he didn't like them. He would isolate her eventually. - mod Dellya DON'T LISTEN TO HER SHES LYING (she's not </3) But yeah, while Rodrigo was Rosie's first and only boyfriend at the time-- she'd been pining for Hakeem since they were younger (give or take, about seven years). They have their own advantages; Hakeem being the one she longed for and Rodrigo being the one she was actually able to cherish even if it was for a short amount of time. But ultimately? Hakeem solos. - mod Rosie

Gulps... Riley never had the intention to use Charlie's feelings but has done it anyway a few times. I think at some point he realizes Charlie likes him and has tried to ignore it or tried putting him down gently, but it's clearly not enough 😭 Granted, Riley doesn't just sleep with Assad because he loves him nor does he sleep with Charlie cause he's 'second best'-- while Riley isn't that much of a sex maniac, he does hook up with people, not just them. So selfishness and pity kinda teeters on a scale back and forth. - mod Rosie

AND YES ABSOLUTELY !! We both would love to see whatever prompts you come up with 🩵Just let us know if you wanted smth for the one you gave as an example

- mod Rosie

[pondering-gales-left-orb]

Honestly after having done a Gale romance save at the same time as a completion save (do every single side quest available in each act) i can confidently say that the way some galemancers perceive gale falling in love fast and hard is actually completely subjective and not objective at all (im not saying its wrong im just saying its not the only way his story is paced my experience is also subjective too).

First of all this game doesn't really have a set pace the player sets the pace and tells their own story and if they decide to do the main quests fairly quickly or even moderately with a sprinkler of side quests then yes the romance will be fast paced and gale will fall hard and fast but

The beautiful thing about this game is that your choices as the person controling the game's pace affect every single thing and for me when i spent so much time completely finishing each act (not done with act 3 yet but soon hehe) the pace ofc completely changed but surprising to me the pace of the romance also completely changed

What I thought was gonna happen was that i will get all the cutscenes early on and then have the second half of the game with no romance cutscenes untill after the battle but i was wrong the way it adjusted and paced itself made it look like gale was trying his hardest to be cautious despite being super in love(and having full approval) he felt like he was kinda waiting and observing as to try to not get hurt again and only confessing when his feelings have reached past beyond thier peak when hes totally sure of them he also was very nervous about each of his steps. (This happened because i spent alot of time between each cutscenes doing other things so talking to him in the middle of all that made it seem so instead of moving fast between his lines they actually took thier time to settle in and have an impact on my story for the save and the fact that the cut scenes are tied to major game events along side approval not the second only too but you only get this effect if you put alot of time between major game events)

I talk to him like 50 times in a second and he still only sarted calling Nare'(my oc) "my love" even with full approval and a confession like halfway through act 3 so to me he absolutely looks like he intentionally took his time and strategized his moves to try to get the ultimate results and minimise any possibility of getting hurt and being alittle cheeky and extending the pace alittle to cause the oc to long for him and his touch/confession

Ofc i expected nothing less form the great strategizer that is Gale Dekarios but i think you reaaaalllyyy dont get the full effect of this unless you play the long game like hi is doing which is also like the biggest nod to what his story is about and what he needs from you patience time and trust literally that

and i fucking love that it makes everything so much more intense and makes the game and his story so much more rewarding and that is what i think i can never not romance him again.

[fatuismooches]

Arlecchino theater anon here, glad you liked that idea! I also thoroughly enjoyed the Arlie gf texts you made, particularly her and Bina putting together a list of banger plays to take reader to.

This time I'd like to talk about Sandrone, since I find it utterly risible how little love she gets. I HC that one of the reasons Sandrone is known for having a bad attitude is because she's only really talkative when it comes to her work, and as a massive perfectionist she's notoriously difficult to work with. She insists on building/repairing all her automations by hand instead of relying on mass production to maximize quality (notice how the factory in Liyue was Dottore's and not Sandrone's!). Having absolutely zero tolerance for incompetence, she'll likely prefer working alone whenever possible.

Now, imagine a reader who is well-versed in engineering (maybe a Kshahrewar student expelled for dabbling in mechanical lifeforms, or a Fontaine mechanic) drafted into a team to assist with Sandrone's work to speed up production a little. Everyone was ecstatic to collaborate with a genius of her caliber, but the experience was quite different from what you imagined. When it was time for everyone's work to be inspected, after just a once-over Sandrone launched into a tirade pointing out every last imperfection and the exact impacts they would have on automation performance, with no shortage of harsh words sprinkled in. The others looked like they either wanted to cry or argue back, but not you. You weren't even the most talented or driven of the bunch, but you instinctively understood this was the rightful arrogance of a master and also found her voice and angy face really nice. Thus, it was easy for you to smile and nod, and work on what she pointed out. As time went on, the others steadily resigned, unable to take the repeated hits to their egos from the scathing criticism. Only you remained, steadily improving in your craft. Was it just you, or were Sandrone's criticisms getting gentler as they became less frequent? You eventually came to miss them after you got to the point where they stopped completely, so you would intentionally make little, easily fixable errors just to hear her sweet voice more. She's far from stupid, and would catch on pretty quick.

"Spare me this foolishness. Such a frivolous error is unbecoming of your ability. What is the meaning of this?"

Knowing you were busted, you'd just bashfully smile and tell her that you love her voice. She'd probably short-circuit for a good 5 seconds or so, then turn around and continue working with ears cutely tinted red.

-🎭

HI ARLECCHINO THEATER ANON!! OR NOW 🎭 ANON!! <3 Hehe I'm so glad you enjoyed those texts you really inspired me 💓 And WOW my ears are wide open for Sandrone thoughts... mhm (Also i love what you did there- "utterly risible" Sandrone says that in the trailer 😭💞)

Now... I'M IN LOVE WITH YOUR HC. It makes sooo much sense considering how engrossed she is only with her research :) So it's own natural that she wants things to be done her way, since her way is the best way as she spends copious amounts of time on her Automatons. And when she has to work with people who don't have the same skill, interest, intelligence etc as her she gets rather annoyed since they're messing her work up 😭

Ahh yes, reader and the group of newbies, so naive and thrilled to be working with such a revered Harbinger and researcher. So excited to present their little inventions to her and hopefully impress her. Sure their creations may not be perfect, but it still something right? WRONG. Sandrone walks over to each and every person and points out every flaw, internal, external, and even aesthetic wise about their creation. It's enough to have some people on the verge of passing out before she got to them.

Yes it was harsh, but she was right- even the littlest mistake could have a detrimental impact. Which is why you admired her unwavering dedication and attention to detail for her craft. (And also the way she would close her eyes and scoff and huff at how lackadaisical these people were honestly kind of cute... not to mention how elegant she looked perched on her robot... like the queen she is 💝) So you stayed. You stuck through it. Others tried to follow your example, but the numbers dwindled until you were the only one left under her wing. Even though she could be cruel, it wasn't without reason. Sandrone could actually explain to you what you were doing wrong, how to fix it, ways to prevent it in the future, etc. She actively made you grow, in her own little Sandrone way.

It got to the point where she didn't even need to criticize you anymore, and if she did, it was not like the scalding tone from before. Now she would simply take a look at your work and give you a small nod. On very rare occasions you might even get a "Good work"! Which of course you were delighted that she was finally satisfied, but you wanted to hear her talk more! The lab was always dead silent, only the sound of metal and tools filling it. But damn messing up on purpose for that? You know that most people would die for doing something as dumb as that? Luckily Sandrone has a soft spot for you that she doesn't exactly realize yet but will soon discover quickly <33 Omg I can just imagine her face morphing into surprise, her jaw hanging open trying to form a response to that, but she just closes it and turns around to pretend nothing happened 🥺

Off-topic but I find it interesting trying to talk to Sandrone about stuff outside of her research. Like i can just imagine her realizing she really doesn't know what else to say since she absorbs herself in her work all the time. After she gets a crush on you would she get jealous at how other people can easily hold a conversation with you? 🤔 Would she try to learn about the art of "normal conversation" and then fail halfway? Well it's okay since you can talk enough for both people :)

[insecuregodcomplex]

trick or treat 🎃

hehe hiiii! i actually have a wip i havent talked to you about yet but/because it always makes me think of you and i want it to be Not Bad first. here's a little look :)

“Welcome!” A petite woman opens her arms in greeting as they enter. “Are you here for the tour?” “Yes, we are!” Buck enthusiastically nods in confirmation. The woman smiles brighter, toddling over to the desk to provide them with sign in sheets and pens. “Please fill these out and put your name tags prominently on those strong chests of yours,” she says, a twinkle in her eye.

yes it is intentionally vague I HAVE TO WORK ON IT hehe <3 happy halloween!!

fic trick or treat

[tamelee]

Hi 💕

I recently read a post where they said that Kishi intentionally constantly extols Sasuke's appearance, breaking patterns and so on. That's not the point. The same post says that Naruto is disgusting and not handsome at all, that was the reason why I deleted this post out of sight, well, that is, have you seen Naruto? He's the most beautiful man on earth, that's just my opinion, but that's the point that beauty is a relative thing, right? I do not dispute that Sasuke is handsome, but for me personally Naruto is more attractive both externally and internally, and this author declares with such firm confidence that Sasuke is the most beautiful of all, and Naruto is disgusting, it just knocked me out of the rut.

It would be interesting to know your opinion, do you think Naruto is handsome in appearance? Thank you in advance for the answer.

I hope you are doing well 💕

Hi Nonee 💕

Naruto being “disgusting” or measuring his visual appearance and then deciding if he is attractive or not are entirely different things. The latter, sure, is subjective. It is true that in the Manga, Sasuke is seen as beautiful and handsome, those words are used by other characters, his fangirls, I think Temari takes note of it- even Orochimaru, hence it being one of the reasons the creep wants his body.

Everyone seems to agree except Naruto who is annoyed by it and therefore in denial :’).. why? Well also because Kishimoto made it a point to make Naruto voice it out to Sakura of all characters after constantly comparing him to the “sort of but not really” Sasuke look-a-like Sai. Pfft. Naruto and certainly until 12/13y, unlike Sasuke, is supposed to be messy. His room isn’t necessarily clean let’s just say, his food not of great quality or spoiled and his manners- or what some deem to be “normal” anyway, aren’t always usual. He can be loud and ‘in your face’, and uses a sorta “notice me”-type of speaking that can drive people away. And let’s be honest, I did not see him wash his hands after that diarrhea-fest in Chaper 3… hehe. But that’s normal in these circumstances right? He grew up without proper guidance or caretakers, left alone to take care of himself and quite honestly??! He did amazing imo. When Sakura grumbles about Kakashi being late and she had to rush and so didn’t have time to blowdry her hair that morning, Naruto agrees with the criticism against Kakashi and says he also had to rush, therefore didn’t have time to brush his teeth or wash his face (I think it was that). Sakura scolds him about being gross and Naruto sorta ruffles his unruly mop of hair because he knows. It’s not like he lacks the knowledge at that age or doesn’t care which tbh, says a lot about Naruto then. We see him wear pj’s at night and eat at a table. He puts away his headgear on a cabinet for easy access and it’s not on the floor somewhere. The guy has priorities, always had. When Naruto said he had to pee, even before he does anything, Sakura bitches again telling him to not do it in front of her, a lady, but thinks to herself it would be okay if it was Sasuke because her “inner Sakura”-face said very well what she meant there -_-“ implying that Naruto is the one who is disgusting and not her for desiring to see Sasuke’s… tools. I’m currently re-reading the Manga for my own research and I can’t really think of a moment that truly says “Naruto is disgusting”, he is messy, yes, but I think that is genuinely a part of him that can be appealing and makes logical sense considering his childhood. Just as it makes more than sense that there are spiderwebs and all forming in Sasuke’s home after the death of his family. Entirely different reasons, but it makes sense, yes?

But then also, what do you think training does to these kids? Or anyone for that matter. Running around in nature all day, picking up and throwing Ninja tools which whomever touched before you, left and right, coming into contact with enemies perhaps in close physical contact, blood, sweat- not one of them stays clean. Neither does Sasuke whom also willingly joins a throwing up contest with Naruto during the LoW-arc. At the end of the day, they’re all ‘disgusting’ if you really think about it. And I say that lovingly.

Now Naruto is genuinely the cutest as a kid. Don’t trust anyone who says otherwise. Especially when he makes the -.- face, he’s so confused sometimes omg 🥹 and later as a teenager, I do think Naruto is handsome. Absolutely. Kishimoto was so extra during those waterfall training sessions too lol. Doing the most. The eyeliner, sage-mode visuals… my gosh!! Kyuubi Chakra ears with ripped chain mail clothes and blood and dirt smeared all over him mwhahahaha, remember that panel of him holding his arm? Naruto is fine as hell too. Isn’t that how Karin stans over Sasuke as he loses clothes during battle all the time as well? Even voicing it out as if it wasn’t clear enough…

Hope you’re doing well ^^ have a nice day 🌷💕

[tomatoluvr69]

I think you’re very wise so I’ll ask you: how does one make friends in their 20s. Like I have a friend group and stuff but I’d like to branch out more. Maybe fuck around find love. Who knows. But how …….

I’m pretty floored by this compliment not gonna lie…and I should be clear that I’ve also struggled with finding friends out of college. I wound up moving back to my college town where I had some connections already, but I can tell you what I did to branch out from those people and make new ones? This is just what’s worked for me, and it’s been slow going, but here goes :-) putting it under a readmore because it got really long and rambly hehe

I had a pretty rough summer when, after 5-6 months of my living here, two of my closest friends (literally 2/3 of the people I decided to move here to be near!) moved to other cities in rapid succession & i had a tough adjustment. What I did to heal was to take some time where I was very intentionally kind of scaling back my social life because I recognized that the irrational hurt that resulted from those departures made it so that I wasn’t in a healthy headspace (thinking a lot of thoughts like companionship is pointless, friendships are born to die, my life will be a long and pointless cycle of making friends -> they abandon me for a partner -> make new friends -> they abandon me for a partner). I had the wherewithal to recognize those thoughts as reactionary, and pretty far removed from the truth, but I was still having them all the time. But I gave myself a purposeful fallow period and I think it REALLY helped. I know that’s not your situation but it’s helpful to explain my experience. (And also just to say, see if you can recognize thought patterns and doubts you have around new friendships as fallacious or insecure if you think they are! Challenge them in your head, and correct them.)

Then, in the fall, I found myself opening up again. Because of my little break (I spent a LOT of time with my very close friend, which maybe wasn’t the most ideal for either of us— but we weathered it) I had the clarity to observe what worked for me and what didn’t, and set challenges for myself. I’m a pretty shy person, and the really fucking annoying truth I’ve come to realize over and over again is that in order to have a rich and thriving social life, I must grit my teeth and fight against those impulses nigh constantly. It is not my nature to cold text an acquaintance who’s on the brink of being a friend to make plans for the first time. That shit is scary to me!!! But I have been fucking forcing myself to make that kind of leap. Basically, the rules I have been trying (and oftentimes failing!) to hold myself to:

1. Almost every other young adult around you is also quietly lonely and hoping for more social connections, especially at that post-college stage. People are thrilled to be reached out to. Remember this first and foremost!! Reassure yourself that no one thinks you’re a freak for being friendly.

2. Text first sometimes (often). You HAVE to do this— if everyone sat around and waited to be enveloped into friendships, no one would have any friends at all. Think about how touched you are when someone makes the first move to you— asks for your number, uses it, suggests a hangout. It’s scary and it sucks but then it’s sooo worth it.

3. This one’s controversial…but I have a policy of “yes”. I do not say no to an invitation. And I do not allow myself to cancel unless I’m ACTUALLY ill. No “self care” excuse. No “I’m tired/depressed/long day at work” excuse. The ONLY exception is if I have a rigid commitment already (or if I’m vomiting or have covid which is…infrequent lol). I always go to the scary party, the nerve-wracking dinner at a friend of a friend’s. Sometimes I have a hunch I’ll hate it, and I do. But most of the time I have that hunch I’m proven wrong and very pleasantly surprised at how nice of a time I’ve had. This is how I’ve deepened acquaintance relationships into friendships, because it allowed me to see people a whole bunch of times and get accustomed to them and talk to them little by little and be less scared of them. but it was harrrrrrd, and it took a long time. I’m only now feeling like I’m actually friends with people I met like… 6-10 months ago.

Those are my rules, but basically it boils down to forcing myself out there way more than I’m comfortable with. And honestly, it’s already changing my personality and becoming more easy.

Also re: seeing people again a whole bunch of times. Become a regular somewhere!!! Join a club, my friend is in a writer’s group that has formed some very solid connections, I have friends who meet up all the time in an earth skills sharing capacity. I have a friend in some sort of trans baseball league or something? I’ve seen posts online for like idk a queer craft meetup, a diverse authors book club, affinity hiking groups, etc. A lot of my friends (and sometimes I!) go to a weekly themed night at a dive bar & over time have gotten to know a lot of the other regulars. Is there a bar near you that has a recurrent event that intrigues you? Goth night, dyke night, karaoke? it won’t happen overnight, you gotta go again and again and and again. But find social hobbies, and by seeing people again in the same place, you will first recognize them, then become friendly, then perhaps even become friends.

Now some disclaimers: I’m very lucky to be well positioned as the best friend and roommate of an incredibly outgoing person, who is the type to become a nucleus of any social scene he enters into. People love him, and want him around, and he loves me and wants me around! This makes things much easier for me, and without that connection, I’d be much more isolated! So I guess some advice there is to be on the lookout for the type of person who effortlessly gathers people. Sometimes I think (unfortunately lol) of the biblical phrase “fisher of men”. But it’s quite apt. If you find yourself being fished, go along with it!! Even if you don’t click completely with that gregarious person, the likelihood that you’ll be thrown into orbit with others is high, and you may find people through that. Let them invite you places! Meet their friends!! Friends who have served this role in my life have been absolutely indispensable for me & I try to actively emulate their modi operandi as much as possible

If you have a pretty closed off friend group, you could work on changing that? Another concrete piece of advice (and one that’s brand new to me lol) is to become a host! Have a brunch potluck or throw a birthday at your place. Invite your friends and have them bring along someone you might not know! Invite people you’re friendly acquaintances with. One of the nicest ways to build community is through like casual, open, and recurrent gatherings. Highly, highly recommend low stakes evenings like potlucks & yard fires & movie nights but especially potlucks. Sometimes you gotta be the gatherer if you want it to happen. I’m brewing up a brunch potluck later this month & im forcing myself kicking and screaming to include a few people I don’t know that well, despite the voice in my head that’s like “why would they want to come hang out with YOU…” (see rule one!!!!!). And again, I’m very lucky to live in a very special town with social people all around, but no one is going to come along and create that culture where it doesn’t already exist. Well, they might…but you can either sit around and wait for them to appear OR you can start fostering that community for yourself. I guess the idea is to take the connections you already have and BUILD! :-) I’m happy to hear you have some friends around you already, I’d really encourage you to start holding casual gatherings and make it explicitly clear that you’d love for them to bring people along.

Oh and also, I’ve found that hosting things TOGETHER is a huge help, it’s hard for me sometimes to put myself out there as the person for whom people will be showing up— but I have teamed up with friends to take the scary edge off. Me and my best friend had a combined birthday party last spring despite our birthdays being a month apart. No one cared about that, and we had so much fun with our goofy wacky theme!! And me and my roommates are all hosting a backyard party together at the end of Jan. This is a great arrangement for me as the shy one of the trio lol. So team up, if you and your friend see a tiktok of a theme dinner, or a costume party, or a scavenger hunt you’d like to recreate, toss it out there! Throw the soup party. Throw the dress like your fave character night. Throw the movie night with themed snacks.

My other disclaimer is that I have a healthy and moderate relationship with drinking, and because of that, I can have a glass of wine or something to help me out at a gathering where I feel very scared. They don’t call it liquid courage for nothing. That’s not an advantage everyone has, and I’m not necessarily advocating for it, but boy does it help me feel less like an alien robot when I’m out somewhere. Having a single g&t sometimes makes all the difference between going into the bar where my friend is playing a show and running back to my car and driving home listening to radiohead all alone. Weed has the opposite effect so I avoid it almost entirely lol. Just pay attention to the way substances affect you if they’re rife in your circles. If you’re sober, look for people who do lots of other things other than drinking— easier said than done, I know, but that’s another reason to throw your own little gatherings— they can be dinners or brunches or movies or hikes or museum outings where there’s no need for things you don’t partake in.

Ok the TLDR of all this is a) push yourself by force to put yourself out there. This is unfortunately an iron-clad prerequisite, like it or not (and I don’t like it…). Grab someone’s number, text them first, go to your random nice coworker’s birthday party where you’ll only know the host. throw a potluck so you can gather budding connections together. b) find what you love to do and do it with others, regularly. You don’t even have to like it that much I guess— just find a way to be exposed to the same people again and again and again. c) repeat to yourself over and over and over and over again that people are WAYYYY more receptive than you think they’ll be— they’re fucking lonely! Our way of life is fucking lonely!! And they think WAYYYY more positively about you than you think they do!!! I absolutely promise. I have ABYSMAL social self esteem and am frequently floored by this discovery but it’s very true. But people want me around because I’m funny and smart and kind and unique. And they want you around for all those same reasons, I promise.

And last thing, it takes fucking TIME. it takes forever. It takes practice and discomfort and stomping all over your hard-won instincts and behaving in ways that are terrifying and brand new to you. But keep seeing people, and take the leap of being the initiator, and give it time and effort and you can do it!!!!! Again these are just the things that have worked for me, your mileage may vary! But genuinely best of luck and I would LOVEEEE to hear updates :-)

PS (I hope this (or like any of this answer lmao help) doesn’t sound condescending, it’s not meant to come across that way, I just tend to ramble. And also I tend to forget that other people don’t always have as much trouble with these social skills as I’ve had so if I’m overexplaining that’s why!! Lol) you can rehearse things in your head as much as you want and no one will ever know. I literally have small talk scripts lmaooooooo. I’ve literally used strangers to practice a method of like interviewing people to get to know them where you just continue to ask questions relevant to what they just said. and you could practice saying things like “want to grab some coffee after this?” or like “hey let me make sure I grab your number, here’s my phone!” and no one will ever know you had to practice like you’re in an elementary school play LOL. I’ve learned so many like normal person social skills just by watching gregarious friends talk to people and straight up intentionally emulating them. bc im normal…. And also intentional and borderline saccharine phrasing like saying “I’d love to have you!” Instead of “if you wanna come” or something. Ok actually I’ve rambled on for soooo long now I hope at least a tiny shred of this was helpful :-)

Okay and another quick edit SORRY. CAMPING!!!!!!!!! If you have ANY desire to camp whatsoever DO IT!!!! NOTHING jumpstarts a new friendship like a camping trip, you can like fast forward through literal months of the early stages if you can get your friend to bring a friend etc. and if not, a nice long hike, if that’s something your body’s not gonna scream at you about haha. GO OUTSIDE WITH PEOPLE IM SO DEADLY SERIOUS.

[celestie0]

I didn’t realise you weren’t even intentionally writing the pattern of reader leaving kickoff gojo that was actually something I really liked even though my kitty probably had some medical complications from all the edging let alone the characters lmfao ur putting em through hell babe

And god thank you for the mental prep cause yes I loooooooove angst but it’s gotta be followed by the comfort tag bc lord I think I have genuine trauma from some fics

lol I remember the end of this one toji (or was it gojo I don’t remember) fic had me sinking to my knees, clutching my mums skirt and calling for her to sooth my agony

anyway I just love these babies way too much and I’ve been at piece since you guaranteed a happy ending so I’m praying it stays that way and nothing possesses you in the midst of the night to turn on us all and single handedly raise suicide rates

anywho apart from that angst is good tho anddddd it means you’ve extended kickoff past the original plan of 12 chapters right??? I saw you answer an ask about that and I was so FUCKING glad cause this series has my whole heart :(

like fr I don’t close these tabs btw like ur page and the kickoff masterlist are semi permanently open on my phone

ihm morning sex yum spectacular although I realise I rlly do need build up to smut like it’s been a while since I read the chapters but ik in the series nghhm never seen a first time scene with morning wood tbh but id have to be blind not to see the vision

I just skimmed smut of clan leader gojo going feral and filling up wife reader like a water balloon (first fic under the gojo smut search I’m pretty sure)

mm yh that’s it for todays dump sorry I always do this hehe I don’t like typing I be leaving friends on read left and right for days but if its you 🫶

kiss kiss

-spinster anon 💋

HAHAH i mean it's sooooort of intentional, kickoff reader canonically has avoidant attachment style, like she'd rather leave than get left. but i guess it hasn't come to the point yet where it super bothers kickoff gojo, but that time will come loool. even he has his limits also LMFAOO sorry for the edging xd

i don't think the angst in kickoff will be super crazy extreme like some fics i've read but it'll def be angsty loool. but nooooo the fic will DEF have a happy ending <3 i can't stand sad endings, i won't read fics if i know they have sad endings haha. PLS NOT THE SUICIDE RATES

yesss omg ch12 chapters was AMBITIOUS ahha. i anticipate kickoff will have 18 chapters now? there's one more "arc" after this current edging arc loool. like a relationship arc combined w the third act angst and then i imagine it'll wrap up pretty quickly in like 1-2 chapters. but i am historically horrendous at predicting these things haha so we'll see!! also sob at the tabs thing. imma eat u ur so sweet my spinster anon :((

yess agreed i also need build up to smut lolol. but in my head i know all of what happens in ihm so the morning sex scene i wrote did have build up in theory xD

thanks uuu for the ask bb <33 it's a joy to talk to youuu

[subskz]

LEE FUCKING MINHO

when this mf showed up i lost it for a sec bcuz i thought he might be chan,,, then i thought it was y/n’s ex nd i was like AW HELL NAH BROTHER 😐 then you hit me wit the “it’s raining” nd i was like LEE NAURRRR THE FUCKEN BB1 CALLBACK?!?! I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU ACTUALLY

i fr think that if anyone else wrote that makeup scene i woulda still been mad asl at minho but of course,,, you nd yr rinnie magic,,, I WANTED 2 B SO PISSED AT HIM BUT YOU ALWAYS MAKE ME FALL FOR THIS MF IT’S SICK!!! bro thought he was putting 2 and 2 together but he was rlly putting 5 and 7 together bcuz it dozen add up 💀 and i #love that he was still so minho about it like annoying nd cheeky and he didn’t say he was sorry but he still admits he was wrong…… dawg. alr lee know you ate that one thing

y/n missing binnie and him trying 2 reach out to her got me so bad btw like,,, idk friendship breakups hurt just as much nd u captured that saur perfectly 🥲 i was boutta cry right wit her wanting her bestie back

LOCAL CATBOY SAVES EVERYTHING!!! i’m losing my mind over this image i love it so much 😭😭😭 i keep every edit u make in a lil treasurebox i hope u know!

HAHAHA i intentionally didnt say lino’s name until later in the scene for that reason >:) but naturally u caught on right away i’m so delighted u remembered his first line in the story! i thought it’d be a nice lil parallel…the first time the reader finds lino he’s drenched from the rain, then we come full circle to him finding her like that!

that’s so sweet of you to say thank you 💔 it makes me really happy that you liked how their conversation was written! i wanted to keep it true to lino’s slight awkwardness when it comes to opening up while also making it clear that he knew he was in the wrong…but yes hehe his pride wasn’t completely fizzled out for him to say the dreaded s word. ALSO “bro thought he was putting 2 and 2 together but he was rlly putting 5 and 7 together bcuz it dozen add up” i NEED you to know how badly this sent me LMFAOO HOW DO U COME UP W THIS STUFF??? 😭😭😭 there are near tears in my eyes from laughing it’s so clever

ur exactly right abt friendship breakups, they can hurt even more sometimes esp in a case like this where the reader realizes she’s uprooted everything good that had come into her life over the past year ㅠ i’m so glad you felt it was depicted properly, you always cheer me on so much i can’t thank u enough my dear! <3

[khaleesiofalicante]

pls sdont take this negatively i just want to know if it was a conscious choice to make alec a bit of oblivious toxic kind of father ofcourse with all oteh rgood father qualities too. or as me being an asian too is that an asian projection on alec being so obiviously proud of max that he does not see that he unconsciously puts more pressure on max to be perfect and which he also taked upon himself ... i have seen that trend all throughout your works... how much max looks up to alec but he keeps on unintentionally maybe put pressure on max to be the best . I just thought canon alec might not be that way considering how much pressure he felt from his dad to be a perfect son and follow his duty .... if translating it to the au written by you. ofcourse seperating it from the gay and straight expectations of robert

This is interesting - and complex. A few things:

Thing #1 - I think (for me at least), being who we want to be and being who we don't want to be is not that east.

'My dad was controlling so I will never be controlling to my children' or 'my mom was overbearing and I will never be overbearing' are all easier said that done.

Because people are controlling in different ways and people can be overbearing in different ways.

Thing #2 - Alec is an oblivious father when it comes to the pressure his children feel. This is not because he is a bad father, but rather because he is canonically oblivious with the people around. He is oblivious that his friends are dating, the fact that Magnus loved him (stupid nephilim hehe), and that Jace knew about his sexuality and many other things. So, for me, it makes sense that Alec is also oblivious to things concerning his children.

Thing #3 - I think another reason why is also oblivious about this specific thing is because he genuinely doesn't think he did something wrong. I wouldn't call Alec a toxic father. You may have interpreted him that way. But I didn't write him that way. But he is someone who pushes his children to be their best and I think Alec sees it as just tht. As someone who encourages his children - something he didn't really get. There is a tendency for parents to think they are doing the right thing simply because it's a good thing. For example, my parents were very relaxed with my independence (letting me go out at night and never questioning my whereabouts) and while they thought it was good for them and they thought they were valuing my independence and showing they trust me, I just thought they were being negligent. So, yes. It's about perspective, I think.

Thing #4 - This is the important one. Alec is allowed to an oblivious father. He is allowed to be a father who can have high expectations. He can be a father who unintentionally (or even intentionally) hurts his children. Because no parent is perfect. Not to me. I don't want him to be a perfect parent just because he is Alec Lightwood. He is by no means a perfect character and it doesn't make sense for me to make him a father without flaws. So, this is (one of) the flaw I gave him.

[captainderyn]

!! 12 & 22 for Five from the numbered hcs! (Bonus? 18 for Ryn <3)

Hehe thank you for the asks :D Small essays below lol. Also pretty heavy shit, Ryn and Five are the characters who go through The Most ;--;

Five: (TW: addiction)

12. Grudges and vendettas

Five doesn't really have a lot of vendettas, most of the people he's had an issue with her either no longer around to be an issue with or he just cannot be damned. He's tired, if he kept vendettas against all the people who probably deserve it he'd have no room left in his mind to live outside of a state of anger.

Grudges though, he's got a fair collection. He holds a grudge towards the general institution of Imperial Intelligence. He feels its deeply flawed, as many institutions grow to be, and that potential agents are not properly warned/given a heads up of what they'll be getting into.

I feel like Imp Intel probably falls into a similar pitfall of military recruiting to get bodies--make it look cool as possible, make it seem like a highly beneficial life choice, and slip the severe trauma under the rug.

Now, of course, Five holds a grudge as he's lost many of the people he worked with, called friends, lost ties to his family, ect. He's watched countless of the people he's mentored over the years lose their lives, lose themselves, ect. He himself has struggled with stim-addictions due to his work hours and stress.

He especially holds a grudge against the leadership involved with Erabelle's career as Cipher Nine and intentionally putting a 23 y/o less experienced agent (Era) through what she went through as punishment and a power play because she said something a Sith didn't like. He holds a grudge that they did not let him take that over, as he feels so much heartache and suffering could've been avoided.

In part he holds a grudge towards himself, for giving himself so wholly into his work. He doesn't really know who he is anymore except as who he's become as Five. He's now in his mid-late fourties, almost 15-20 years of his life have been in service to Imperial Intelligence. He hasn't held significant romantic relationships consistently, he doesn't feel as though he lives outside of work. He wishes he'd pushed himself to either get out of Intelligence or found better balance instead of now feeling like a machine.

22. People who’ve influenced them greatly

At this point in his career, Era is really who has the most influence on him now. Yes, he's the one who's trained her, yes he's the mentor/father figure/whatever but in all honesty in his mind he's learned more from her.

She's been through far more than he has been in a three-ish year span than he ever did in his whole career and she made. it. through. How can he not admire that greatly? How could that strength not influence him.

He's learned from her how to live again and how to rediscover himself. He watches her paint post-Intelligence, open her little studio, cover her body in tattoos to take her body back from the institution that used it as a puppet, and he starts to think that he can do that too.

(Putting Ryn under a cut for TW: mental health, depression, pretty gosh darn heavy stuff)

Ryn

18. Things they’ll never admit

Ah...several things. Ryn has this complex where she needs to be the strong one, the rock, for everyone else. To do otherwise is betraying the idea of her that people have built up for her.

The first thing Ryn doesn't really talk about (not so much admit) is anything about the Skyllian Blitz. I touched a bit on it in The Stages of Nearly Losing You but Ryn was 22 when she went through the Skyllian Blitz and aside from zipping through the mandatory Alliance counseling to make sure she's not going to snap going back to duty...she's never really talked about it. Not with her parents, not with Garrus, nope.

She'll never admit how awful it felt to read the news headlines after the Alpha Relay that accused her of making that choice easily because of her history with Batarians in the Skyllian Blitz. She'll never admit how much it hurt to have people turn their perception on her so quick: war hero in the Blitz to monster with the Alpha Relay. That choice wasn't easy. That choice was agonizing and felt like it had no right answer.

Second thing she'll never admit is exactly how much she hates/hated that she was brought back by Cerberus. People know she struggled with it, they know how bad of a place she ended up in. She's never opened up about how many times she felt like so distressed and cornered she no longer wanted to be around.

She doesn't talk about this because its...ungrateful in her mind. Not the best way to phrase it, but basically: other people are so happy that she's back (Joker, Chakwas, Garrus, Tali, family, ect) that she can't imagine making them go through losing her again. Plus, she has so much responsibility. If she's not there to shoulder that burden then who will? If she lets go now, she's taking the easy way out in her mind.

There's so much happening, so much trauma happening to everyone, that she'll never "put that on" other people. In her mind that's her own shit to handle.

(Ooof, that was heavy. I'm so sorry).

[alemonyoyo]

Okay I've been waiting for a post like this because I have some DAMN opinions!

We're gonna go from 6-1 cause it's more tense that way hehe.

6. Rot In Paradise:

Snoozefest. One thing I love about Studio Investigrave is their experimental use of gameplay, it really feels like they use their games as an oppourtunity to test out coding new mechanics, but this game has none of that. Frankly it has very little gameplay to begin with, and, when coupled with a story that is "intentionally confusing" and will be "explained later on twitter" makes the game a completely unenjoyable experience for me. The art and music is wonderful as always and I like the characters, but I really can't forgive the absolute lack of story or gameplay that the game provides- I will not be replaying it.

5. Cold Front

Unlike RIP, Cold Front is way too heavy handed with it's metaphors and symbolism which can make it a real slog to get through. I feel like Auggie is basically turning to the camera and being like "I am insecure! This is all in my head!" And I find it pretty grating.

Because of this, Auggie and Winnie feel like really flat characters, which is something I could forgive if the game wasn't a character study of their friendship. Games like Elehitch can get away with having very little characterisation cause it's very much not the focus of the game, yk?

I can appreciate the messaging of this game, as heavy handed as it is, its a good wake-up call/reminder for those of us who are a little paranoid haha.

I appreciate the unique 2.5D style they use, that's pretty interesting even though it's utilised pretty infrequently. As usual the games art and music is stellar, and really does the heavy lifting in terms of the characterisation.

All in all, I don't think I could replay this one.

4. Married In Red

There is very little I could say about MIR which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because it can therefore sit at 4 in this list, as there is nothing about the game that screams "FLAW" to me. But also, due to its briefness and minimal gameplay, I can't really put it any higher.

I do however love the story of this game. I wish it could have been hinted at a little better, rather than blatantly told to us, since the foreshadowing of tension was done really well. I also think the over world art in this game is really good and rather standout in comparison to the others? I feel like you can TELL they're trying to do something different yk?

There isn't a whole lot too it, yes, but a SIG game will always have amazing art and music, so it's got that!

3. Eloquent Countenance

This one may be a bit higher than one might expect and that is for one reason. ATMOSPHERE. In my opinion, out of all the SIG games, EC is the game with the most tense atmosphere BY FAR. It is the only game to have scared me- It's cause of those damn eyes.

SIG's use of realistic eyes coupled with their artstyle is so chilling to me- it made the experience so evocative and work super well despite it's short runtime. We've also got some fun characterisation of Forcas, who is a riot, and plays a really interesting role in the story along with out MC.

I think the story of EC is also super unique, something which I feel the previous entries don't encapsulate as much. The religious setting, coupled with the tense atmosphere and story really make this game WORK for me.

Also ofc, stunning art and the music and sfx REALLY help build this atmosphere!!! I have replayed multiple times just to shit my pants when that damn nun looks at me.

2. Elevator Hitch

Girl you knew it would be this high. ITS GOOD. Great music (I listen to the main theme to study), simple yet great character designs and a wonderful concept that draws upon the pop culture obsession of liminal spaces and the level-like nature of the modern backrooms and just AMPLIFIES IT! It's so good, it knows what it wants to be and it just DOES it so well.

This game is a far departure from the other SIG games in terms of gameplay, as it is very game-play focused. I have always been a fan of a good escape room puzzle game so this was right up my alley.

The overall story connecting the escape room game to the visual identity of the backrooms is really cool and acts as a cool comment on the modern day job insecurity that many of us face! And I think it's effective while not needing to be heavy handed, enough is implied through Protag's comments.

Also each floor is really unique, the only one that felt stereotypically "Backrooms" was The Hole and Floor 9 (Which feels pretty intentional). Great job all around. I have replayed multiple times I love it.

Dead Plate

I know it's a basic bitch answer, but there's a reason this game is so well loved. It's INREDIBLE.

I am a slut/whore/bitch for tycoon games, so this was right up my alley. I can appreciate a SIG game that feels like a game and less a semi-interactive means of storytelling.

I feel that Elehitch blends it's gameplay and story better than Dead Plate, BUT I think the story of Dead Plate is far more compelling and therefore I place it higher.

I've talked with many people about the symbolism in dead plate, and the possible interpretations of the meanings of "taste" and "cooking" within the world of DP, and there are a lot of avenues you could take them that really shows the stories further complexity. E.g taste and cooking being vessels of love, and how each character interacts with that, how that may impose upon the ideas of sexuality within the characters and the cultural and social context.

We also have some really distinct characters that aren't just one note! Vince and Rody feel a lot more fleshed out than the other characters of the SIG cast. Vince isn't just a stern asshole, as he demonstrates a clear patience and fondness for Rody, who isn't just a loveable idiot but also someone highly critical and rather perceptive of Vincent's 'facade.' It makes these characters very easy to get attatched to, and SIG's wonderful art only amplifies these characters with some really nice designs.

Another reason I put this game over Elehitch is the soundtrack. I've been careful to mention the soundtrack positively for every game thus far because Bell does a GREAT job. But for DP especially they have outdone themselves- This soundtrack has so many bangers, symbolic use of instruments, its wonderful. I listen to the songs to study all the time- The best song is the catalogue in my opinion, and table for four is the best tycoon song.

Overall, deadplate is amazing. I have replayed a gazillion times.

These are just my opinions, no hate to anyone nor OP. I have not read OP's post just yet as I didn't want their opinions to affect my own (i will be reading after this dw).

Y’know what? If you’re a Studio Investigrave fan, reblog this with your personal rankings of the games (add reasons if you can but if not that’s fine)!

Here are mine:

1.) Cold Front ( I’m VERY attached to these boys and their friendship, genuinely top tier comfort characters. I’m a big fan of metaphors and phycological horror, might be my favorite art wise, both endings hit VERY hard in different ways, especially once you get both. It’s also in my opinion the funniest SIG game.)

2.) Elevator Hitch ( I love time loops and escape room games. The humor in this game is also fantastic, all the characters are interesting and fun to think about as well. I love all the capitalism metaphors in this game as well, trying to interpret this game, company and lore is very fun. In my opinion this game is visually the scariest, but I love the horror and trauma my boy goes through.)

3.) Dead Plate (Really like the story in this! Especially with the metaphors (how surprising), I also really love each of these three idiots. I do like Rody and Vince’s dynamic a lot, however even though the gay jokes are fun to make, I do prefer them platonically (I also really like Rody x Mannon, especially with how complex it is once we see that ending cutscene). The art direction in this game is great, especially the colors! I also love the dialogue and comedy in this game, the characters are very well fleshed out, even the one we don’t get to properly meet!)

4.) Eloquent Countenance (Way too underrated ngl, sure it’s the oldest and it’s a tad confusing, but damn it I love this storyline, lore and characters. Angelica and Forcas are way too fun, both together and by themselves. It’s got such a good twist at the end as well and the lore of this game is just fun to think about. I also like the vibe of the game and how even the good ending is more open ended. The only reason it’s this low is because it is kinda confusing at times and the puzzles aren’t the most exciting, but I still adore this game and I really think it deserves more fandom love!)

5.) Rot in Paradise (This was the first SIG game I actually got to play myself! The character designs in this game are probably my favorites, not to mention I love friend groups in media and these guys are super fun! Not to mention the tone of this game is fantastic and does a really good job of setting things up and making you feel for the characters. It does a really good job at the creepy factor as well! I do like how the metaphors tie together, and how we don’t get to know everything about “the rot”, it adds to suspense. However admittedly my lore loving brain kinda wishes we got more about the strange curse. After a while this game will probably get higher but for now I’m not as attached to the characters as the other games yet.)

6.) Married in Red (It hurts to put this game last but I do love this game, art, and story! I think it’s mostly that these characters are probably the most boring out of all the SIG games to me (I do adore Myeong Hoon), I do still get brainrot of them don’t get me wrong! I also think in general this is the the most boring SIG game, cleaning up a crime scene and framing someone is a fun premise, but it’s a bit tedious and I just kinda wish there was more character focus.)

I PROMISE I GENUINELY LOVE ALL THESE GAMES AND THEY WERE SO HARD TO RATE BUT I HAVE TO BE A LITTLE CRITICAL SOMETIMES 😭

Anyways, hope you guys have fun with this, I really wanna see your guys’ opinions!

[mammonsbby]

R-Read (Hehe! Both indeed.)

After several weeks of maybe-flirting back and forth, Simeon started inviting you over under the guise of needing a proofreader. It’s sort of obvious he doesn’t need a proofreader, as he’s been writing since before you were born, but you’re always more than happy to hang out with him. 

So now, as has become normal on Friday evenings, you’re curled up on the couch in his room with a stack of papers. And Simeon is at his desk working on something, humming to himself and occasionally tapping his pen against the tabletop. You stifle a laugh when he accidentally flings his pen towards the wall. Then pretend not to notice the way the muscles in his back move when he bends to reach it. 

He’s abandoned his cape and without it, he’s practically shirtless from this angle. Your mouth goes dry. 

He’s an angel. He’s an angel. He’s an angel! 

You shake your head and bite your lip, then continue to skim the pages in front of you. You annotate here and there, leaving comments on parts that you like. But there’s not much to correct. There never is. 

It’s always almost perfect. And the few mistakes you find are always simple, and peppered into otherwise flawless writing. Almost like it’s on purpose. Huh…

You underline something. How could he possibly have misspelled such a common word? Must just be a typo. Wait a sec… Almost all his mistakes are small typos, aren’t they? And this time they’re all short words too. Weird.

You think about it for a moment. Is it possible that he’s doing it on purpose? That he invented a reason to invite you over? You stare at his back, trying incredibly hard to read his mind, but his shoulder blades offer no insight. 

You flip back through the pages and start again, scanning for the ‘mistakes’ you’ve already corrected. 

Page 1: ‘will’ instead of Will.  Page 2: ‘yo’ instead of you. Page 3: ‘goo’ instead of go. Page 4: ‘ouT’ instead of out. And now, page 5, ‘wth’ instead of with.

Your eyes widen at the circled and underline words. Then you frantically flip to the next page, skimming until you find what you’re looking for— ‘ne’ instead of me. 

Will you go out with me? 

This can’t be a mistake. There’s no way this is a mistake! 

Is there?

“Are you asleep, MC?” Simeon asks, turning in his chair. 

You jolt at his voice, “Huh? Oh. No. Why?”

“You’ve been pretty quiet. I was worried it was so boring it put you to sleep.” He says with a laugh.

“I…” You start awkwardly. Oh God, if this is a coincidence, you’ll eat his cape. But… still what if it is?

“Yes?” He raises a brow.

You chicken out. “I… have one page left.” 

He makes a face, then nods. “All right.”

Simeon turns back around, leaving you to your thoughts. And in less than three minutes, you’re up from your seat. You hand the angel the papers and say goodbye quickly, leaving him confused. 

Once you’ve left the room, he starts to flip through his work. Ah… So it turns out you did find everything he wanted you to. Did you not put it all together? He frowns. He was sure you would. But then again, this is the third Friday he’d tried something similar…

Simeon sighs and drops the papers face down on the desk. Maybe he should just ask you directly. It would be simpler, wouldn’t it? He taps his fingers on the desk. Then scrunches his brows when he notices some bright yellow highlighter showing through the back of the paper. 

I didn’t put any mistakes on the last page. Well, intentionally anyway. He snatches the page up and flips it over. And the word that you’ve highlighted, and drawn a tiny heart next to, is: 

Yes.

Simeon’s eyes widen and he grins. He stands and rushes towards the hallway. Maybe he can catch you!

700 follower prompt list!

[fwacchi]

Hallo! Can I request something for your event?

If so, can I please request V, and J with Mysta, Ike, and Kanae?

Thank you!! And if you can't, please just ignore this hehe

hi hii!! ofc you can! how can i possibly ignore an ask from such a lovely anon <3

100 followers event request

pairings: Mysta Rias, Ike Eveland, Kanae x gn!reader

letters: V and J

Mysta Rias

V = Vulnerability (Do they talk about their feelings often?)

If it’s something minor that he can get over in a short period of time, then he doesn’t trouble you with it.

But if it’s something that really bothers or affects him in any way, then he doesn’t shy away from telling you about it.

Even if telling his feelings could end up hurting you, he’ll straight out tell you without sugar coating anything because he believes it is needed to say as it is.

Not that he intentionally wants to hurt you but he just can’t think of a better way to put it into words and ends up being quite blunt about it.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Though he tries to be mature and understanding, he somehow always ends up getting jealous.

He doesn’t really get jealous by the other person flirting or hitting on you because he genuinely trusts you with his heart. But he does end up getting jealous when you’re spending more time with your friends.

And when he’s jealous, he tends to act a bit more childish.

Pouting and sulking and giving you a half assed response to whatever you’re saying to him.

It’s honestly so annoying and cute at the same time so you eventually have to cancel your plans with your friends for the next few days or even weeks to spend time with your boyfriend.

Ike Eveland

V = Vulnerability (Do they talk about their feelings often?)

He’s actually pretty closed off about his feelings.

It’s not that he chooses to be closed off about it but that’s just how he is.

He could go hours talking/listening to you about your own feelings but when it comes to himself, he doesn’t know how exactly to put them into words and explain it to you.

But if you really want for him to be more open about it, then he’s willing to give it a try.

It’s messy, his words are scattered here and there but he’ll try to put them into a proper sentence as much as he can for you.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

It’s not very often that he gets jealous.

He loves you and trusts you so he doesn’t find it in himself to get jealous about trivial things such as others hitting on you when he knows that you can brush them off easily.

But if he ever finds you not brushing off and actually playing along with someone who’s obviously flirting with you, then he gets quite sad and jealous.

Again, he has trouble communicating about it to you, but he will try and tell you how much it bothers him.

Doesn’t have any trait when he’s jealous, instead he only focuses on talking to you about it.

Kanae

V = Vulnerability (Do they talk about their feelings often?)

Very often.

Being open with each other's feelings is something that he prioritises in the relationship.

If it’s something trivial then he’ll just tell you about it in a more light-hearted way, but if it’s something that really bothers him then he’ll have a serious talk with you.

So whether the matter is trivial or not, he does tell you about it all.

And he expects you to do the same too.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He doesn’t really get jealous much and even if he does, it’s nothing too serious that he can’t shake off.

He would become more clingy when he’s jealous.

Hugging you and clinging to you all the time while he tells you how jealous he is of the person you were hanging out with.

Yes, he’ll straight out tell you that he’s jealous and demands you to shower him with attention.

But if he finds you actually enjoying your time with someone who’s obviously trying to hit on you, then it will hurt him.

If that happens, he’ll sit you down and have a serious talk with you about it.

[beepboop358]

Hey <3 I hope you're doing great and that your midterms went well :)

I just had a question, since you're studying cinema (if I remember correctly?), do you have classes about movie analyses that help you to analyse movies & shows such as Stranger Things? What's your favourite thing to study?

And also, I had a question about camera angles and shots in ST, Idk if you study this kind of thing as well, but I thought I might as well ask.

- Do you think the way M!leven kisses are framed is intentionally uncomfortable? And if so, why is it?

Because I told my friend that I didn't like to watch Mlven kisses because something felt weird, and they told me it was only because I disliked Mlven, which is a fair answer XD but still, I wanted to ask you about your thoughts on Mlven shots. And ST shots in general. Like, comparing to Joyce/Bob, I feel like Mlven kiss scenes are awkward, but I can't say why in terms of techniques, so maybe you have more ideas?

I'm sorry if this is a weird ask aha

Anyway, have a good day/night <3

Hello bestie ♥️ Thank you! I hope you're doing great too <3!! Not a weird ask at all!

Yes! We have to take a few classes that focus just on how to analyze movies! Those classes are like the foundation for everything else, so they have to be taken first, during your first year of school, before you can move on to higher level classes cuz you gotta learn the basics and all the lingo first hehe 🙃 Those film analysis classes are packed full of information and cover a ton of stuff like shot types, camera angles, mise-en-scene (which is any kind of background detail like the sets, costumes, etc), editing styles, acting mannerisms, and then why its used and what it is supposed to convey to the audience. One time I wrote a 5 page essay for one of those classes on a 30 minute clip from a movie because there was just so much to talk about in it 😂

Okay enough of my blabbering LOL. To answer your question, I think a lot of why it feels so awkward is because of Millie & Finn's acting, because they're really good at their jobs, but I think the shots and angles used in those scenes, are picked to amplify the awkwardness.

Like in the opening season 3 kiss, the first time both Mike & El are shown in the frame, it's a Medium Close-up (MCU), because we see Mike and El from the chest up.

Close ups (of any kind) are usually only used when you want to emphasize something important, so their using a MCU here to emphasize the awkwardness of this kiss, which we see in Finn and Millie's performances. In addition to that, this shot type puts us pretty close to their faces, and makes us focus on their kissing, and how awkward it is LOL.

Now we gotta talk camera movement (and little more about shot types lol). Once the pan stops, and Mike is in frame, we can very slightly see the camera move in a little bit, towards their faces, and we get pretty close to a flat out Close Up (CU), which is just the character's head (but the shot changes before we get there). This kind of movement is called a dolly, different from a zoom in. Here the dolly movement is emphasizing everything about how awkward this kiss is. We just get closer to the couple, like too close, LOL, and all you can focus on is the awkwardness coming from Finn and Millie's performance, in addition to it just feeling awkward because the camera is so close to them kissing LOL.

The camera doesn't stop moving until Mike breaks the kiss, from the pan to the dolly in. So we kind of get this sense of something building, we're expecting something. We get that building sense while it pans over the stuff in El's room, and we get the "reveal" of Mike and EL kissing, but that sense keeps building as it moves forward closer into Mike & El's faces as they kiss, to amplify the awkwardness, but also gives us the sense of building towards a peak and the shot is about to change (and shots should typically reflect plot details/characters feelings), which is when Mike breaks away...*wink wink* LOL

During the end of the pan and the dolly in, we can see Mike take El's hands off this body. He doesn't want her to touch him, he's uncomfortable with it. His movement, plus the dolly in, add to that sense of building, that we are approaching a "peak". The camera movement here reflects Mike's "threshold" for kissing El, as the "peak" of the building effect the movement creates. He just can't do it anymore, because he's gay XD, so he breaks away and starts singing.

Then the camera movement is static (no movement) from there on out, and we just see a pretty standard shot reverse shot sequence, which is just cutting back and forth between 2 shots (like a 1,2,1,2,1,2 kind of pattern).

Both of these are over the shoulder (OTS) shots, but I don't think those contribute to the awkwardness here.

This was probably longer than you wanted, but thanks for the ask! I hope you're having a wonderful day!! 💜